the origins of contemporary france-3-第88部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





Such　are　the　politicians　who；　after　the　last　months　of　the　year　1792；

rule　over　Paris；　and；　through　Paris；　over　the　whole　of　France；　five

thousand　brutes　and　blackguards　with　two　thousand　hussies；　just　about

the　number　a　good　police　force　would　expel　from　the　city；　were　it

important　to　give　the　capital　a　cleaning　out；＇109＇　　they　too；　were

convinced　of　their　rights；　all　the　more　ardent　in　their　revolutionary

faith；　because　the　creed　converts　their　vices　into　virtues；　and

transforms　their　misdeeds　into　public　services。＇110＇　　They　are　the

actual　sovereign　people；　this　is　why　we　should　try　to　unravel　their

innermost　thoughts。　　If　we　truly　are　to　comprehend　the　past　events　we

must　discern　the　spontaneous　feelings　moving　them　on　the　trial　of　the

King；　the　defeat　of　Neerwinden；　at　the　defection　of　Dumouriez；　on　the

insurrection　in　La　Vendée；　at　the　accusation　of　Marat；　the　arrest　of

Hébert；　and　each　of　the　dangers　which　in　turn　fall　on　their　heads。

For；　this　is　not　borrowed　emotion；　it　does　not　descend　from　above；

they　are　not　a　trusty　army　of　disciplined　soldiers；　but　a　suspicious

accumulation　of　temporary　adherents。　To　command　them　requires

obedience　to　them；　　their　leaders　always　remaining　their　tool。　However

popular　and　firmly　established　a　chief　may　seem　to　be；　he　is　there

only　for　a　short　time；　at　all　times　subject　to　their　approval　as　the

bullhorn　for　their　passions　and　the　purveyor　to　their　appetites。＇111＇

Such　was　Pétion　in　July；　1792；　and　such　is　Marat　since　the　days　of

September。　〃One　Marat　more　or　less　（which　will　soon　be　seen）　would　not

change　the　course　of　events。〃＇112＇　　〃But　one　only　would　remain；＇113＇

Chaumette；　for　instance；　one　would　suffice　to　lead　the　horde；〃　because

it　is　the　horde　itself　which　leads。　〃Its　attachment　will　always　be

awarded　to　whoever　shows　a　disposition　to　follow　it　the　closest　in　its

outrages　without　in　any　respect　caring　for　its　former　leaders。　。　。

Its　liking　for　Marat　and　Robespierre　is　not　so　great　as　for　those　who

will　exclaim；　Let　us　kill；　let　us　plunder！〃　Let　the　leader　of　the　day

stop　following　the　current　of　the　day；　and　he　will　be　crushed　as　an

obstacle　or　cast　off　as　a　piece　of　wreckage。　　Judge　if　they　are

willing　to　be　entangled　in　the　spider's　web　which　the　Girondins　put　in

their　way。　Instead　of　the　metaphysical　constitution　with　which　the

Girondins　confront　them；　they　have　one　in　their　own　head　ready　made；

simple　to　the　last　point；　adapted　to　their　capacity　and　their

instincts。　The　reader　will　call　to　mind　one　of　their　chiefs；　whom　we

have　already　met；　M。　Saule；　〃a　stout；　stunted　little　old　man；　drunk

all　his　life；　formerly　an　upholsterer；　then　a　peddler　of　quackeries　in

the　shape　of　four…penny　boxes　of　hangman's　grease；　to　cure　pains　in

the　loins；＇114＇　afterwards　chief　of　the　claque　in　the　galleries　of　the

Constituent　Assembly　and　driven　out　for　rascality；　restored　under　the

Legislative　Assembly；　and；　under　the　protection　of　a　groom　of　the

Court；　favored　with　a　spot　near　the　Assembly　door；　to　set　up　a

patriotic　coffee…shop；　then　awarded　six　hundred　francs　as　a

recompense；　provided　with　national　quarters；　appointed　inspector　of

the　tribunes；　a　regulator　of　public　opinion；　and　now　〃one　of　the

madcaps　of　the　Corn…market。〃　Such　a　man　is　typical；　an　average

specimen　of　his　party；　not　only　in　education；　character　and　conduct；

but；　again；　in　ambition；　principles；　logic　and　success。　〃He　swore　that

he　would　make　his　fortune；　and　he　did　it。　His　constant　cry　was　that

nobles　and　priests　should　be　put　down；　and　we　no　longer　have　either。

He　has　constantly　shouted　against　the　civil　list；　and　the　civil　list

has　been　suppressed。　At　last；　lodged　in　the　house　belonging　to　Louis

XVI。；　he　told　him　to　his　face　that　his　head　ought　to　be　struck　off；

and　the　head　of　Louis　XVI。　has　fallen。〃　　Here；　in　a　nutshell；　is　the

history　and　the　portrait　of　all　the　others；　it　is　not　surprising　that

genuine　Jacobins　see　the　Revolution　in　the　same　way　as　M。　Saule；＇115＇



*　when；　for　them；　the　sole　legitimate　Constitution　is　the　definitive

establishment　of　their　omnipotence；



*　when　they　designate　as　order　and　justice　the　boundless　despotism

they　exercise　over　property　and　life；



*　when　their　instinct；　as　narrow　and　violent　as　that　of　a　Turkish　bey；

comprises　only　extreme　and　destructive　measures；　arrests；

deportations；　confiscations；　executions；　all　of　which　is　done　with

head　erect；　with　delight　as　if　a　patriotic　duty；　by　right　of　a　moral

priesthood；　in　the　name　of　the　people；　either　directly　and

tumultuously　with　their　own　hands；　or　indirectly　and　legally　by　the

hands　of　their　docile　representatives。



This　is　the　sum　of　their　political　system；　from　which　nothing　will

detach　them；　for　they　are　anchored　fast　to　it　with　the　full　weight　and

with　every　hold　upon　it　that　characterizes　their　immorality；　ignorance

and　folly。　Through　the　hypocritical　glitter　of　compulsory　parades；

their　one　fixed　idea　imposes　itself　on　the　orator　that　he　may　utter　it

in　tirades；　on　the　legislator　that　he　may　put　it　into　decrees；　on　the

administrator　that　he　may　put　it　in　practice；　and；　from　their　opening

campaign　up　to　their　final　victory；　they　will　tolerate　but　one

variation；　and　this　variation　is　trifling。　In　September；　1792；　they

declare　by　their　acts：



〃Those　whose　opinions　are　opposed　to　ours　will　be　assassinated；　and

their　gold；　jewels　and　pocketbooks　will　belong　to　us。〃



In　November；　1793；　they　are　to　declare　through　the　official

inauguration　of　the　revolutionary　government：



〃those　whose　opinions　differ　from　ours　will　be　guillotined　and　we

shall　be　their　heirs。〃＇116＇



　Between　this　program；　which　is　supported　by　the　Jacobin　population

and　the　program　of　the　Girondins　which　the　majority　in　the　Convention

supports；　between　Condorcet's　Constitution　and　the　summary　articles　of

M。　Saule；　it　is　easy　to　see　which　will　prevail。　〃These　Parisian

blackguards；〃　says　a　Girondist；　〃take　us　for　their　valets！＇117＇　Let　a

valet　contradict　his　master　and　he　is　sure　to　lose　his　place。　From　the

first　day；　when　the　Convention　in　a　body　traversed　the　streets　to

begin　its　sessions；　certain　significant　expressions　enabled　it　to　see

into　what　hands　it　had　fallen：



〃Why　should　so　many　folks　come　here　to　govern　France；〃　says　a

bystander；　〃haven't　we　enough　in　Paris？〃＇118＇



________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　　Any　contempory　Western　reader　take　notice　！　！　The　proof　of　any

Jacobin　or　Socialist　or　Communist　take…over；　surreptitious　or　open…

handed；　lies　in　their　take…over　of　the　important　posts　in　politics；

the　judicial　system；　the　media　and　the　administration。　They　may　be

years　in　doing　this；　placing　convinced　or　controlled　men　and　women；

first　in　the　faculties；　later　in　career　post；　so　that　they；　30　years

later；　have　their　people　on　all　leading　posts；　or　they　may　do　it　all

at　once；　like　the　Jacobins　in　France；　Lenin　in　Russia　　or　Stalin　in

the　conquered　territories　after　the　second　world　war。　（SR）。



＇2＇　Duvergier；　〃Collection　des　lois　et　décrets；〃　decrees　of　Sept。　22

and　Oct。　19；　1792。　The　electoral　assemblies　and　clubs　had　already

proceeded　in　many　places　to　renew　on　their　own　authority　the　decree

rendering　their　appointments　valid。



＇3＇　The　necessity　of　placing　Jacobins　everywhere　is　well　shown　in　the

following　letter：　〃Please　designate　by　a　cross；　on　the　margin　of　the

jury…panel　for　your　district；　those　Jacobins　that　it　will　do　to　put　on

the　list　of　200　for　the　next　quarter。　We　require　patriots。〃　（Letter

from　the　attorney…general　of　Doubs；　Dec。　23；　1792。　Sauzay；　III。　220。）



＇4＇　Pétion；　〃Mémoires〃　（Ed。　Dauban）；　p。　118：　〃The　justice　who

accompanied　me　was　very　talkative；　but　could　not　speak　a　word　of

French。　He　told　me　that　he　had　been　a　stone…cutter　before　he　became　a

justice；　having　taken　this　office　on　patriotic　grounds。　He　wanted　to

draw　up　a　statement　and　give　me　a　guard　of　two　gendarmes；　he　did　not

know　how；　so　I　dictated　to　him　what　to　say；　but　my　patience　was

severely　taxed　by　his　incredibly　slow　writing。



＇5＇　　Decrees　of　July　6；　Aug。　15　and　20；　Sept。　26；　1792。



＇6＇　Decree　of　Nov。　1；　1792。　Albert　Babeau；　II。　14；　39；　40。



＇7＇　Dumouriez；　III。　309；　355。　　Miot　de　Melito；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。31；

33。　Gouverneur　Morris；　letter　of　Feb。　14；　1793：　〃The　state　of

disorganization　appears　to　be　irremediable。　The　venality　is　such　that；

if　there　be　no　traitors；　it　is　because　the　enemy　have　not　common

sense。〃



＇8＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3268。　Letter　of　the　municipal　officers

of　Rambouillet；　Oct。　3；　1792。　They　denounce　a　petition　of　the　Jacobins

of　the　town；　who　strive　to　deprive　forty　foresters　of　their　places；

nearly　all　with　families；　'on　account　of　their　once　having　been　in　the

pay　of　a　perjured　king。〃　　Arnault　（〃Souvenirs　d'un　sexagénaire〃）；

II。　15。　He　resigns　a　small　place　he　had　in　the　assignate　manufacture；

because；　he　says；　〃the　most　insignificant　place　being　sought　for；　he

found　himself　exposed　to　every　kind　of　denunciation。〃



＇9＇　Dumouriez；　III。　339。　　　Meillan；　〃Mémoires；〃　27。　〃Eight　days

after　his　installation　as　Minister　of　War；　Beurnonville　confessed　to

me　that　he　had　been　offered　sums　to　the　amount　of　500；000　francs　to

lend　himself　to　embezzlements。〃　He　tries　to　sweep　out　the　vermin　of

stealing　employees；　and　is　forthwith　denounced　by　Marat。　　Barbaroux；

〃Mémoires〃　（Ed。　Dauban）。　（Letter　of　Feb。　5；　1793。）　〃I　found　the

Minister　of　the　Interior　in　tears　at　the　obstinacy　of　Vieilz；　who

wanted　him　to　violate　the　law　of　Oct。　12；　1791　（on　promotion）。〃　Vieilz

had　been　in　the　service　only　four　months；　instead　of　five　years；　as

the　law　required；　and　the　Minister　did　not　dare　to　make　an　enemy　of　a

man　of　so　much　influence　in　the　clubs。　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVIII。19

（〃Publication　des　pièces　relatives　au　31　Mai；〃　at　Caen；　by　Bergoing；

June　28；　1793）：　〃My　friend　learned　that　the　place　had　been　given　to

another；　who　had　paid　50　louis　to