the origins of contemporary france-3-第9部分

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person；　and；　among　the　candidates。　I　should　designate；　to　the　best　of

my　ability；　one　who　seemed　to　me　the　ablest　and　most　conscientious。

Once　selected；　however；　and　installed；　I　should　not　attempt　to　dictate

to　him；　his　cabinet　is　private；　and　I　have　no　right　to　run　there

constantly　and　cross…question　him；　as　if　he　were　a　child　or　under

suspicion。　It　does　not　become　me　to　tell　him　what　to　do；　he　probably

knows　more　about　the　case　than　I　do；　in　any　event；　to　keep　a　steady

hand；　he　must　not　be　threatened；　and；　to　keep　a　clear　head；　he　must

not　be　disturbed。　　Nor　must　I　be　disturbed；　my　office　and　books；　my

shop；　my　customers　must　be　attended　to　as　well。　Everybody　has　to　mind

his　own　business；　and　whoever　would　attend　to　his　own　and　another's

too；　spoils　both。　　This　way　of　thinking　prevails　with　most　healthy

minds　towards　the　beginning　of　the　year　1790；　all　whose　heads　are　not

turned　by　insane　ambition　and　the　mania　for　theorizing；　especially

after　six　months　of　practical　experience　and　knowing　the　dangers；

miscalculation；　and　vexations　to　which　one　is　exposed　in　trying　to

lead　an　eager；　over…excited　population。　　Just　at　this　time；　December

1789；　municipal　law　becomes　established　throughout　the　country；　all

the　mayors　and　municipal　officers　are　elected　almost　immediately；　and

in　the　following　months；　all　administrators　of　districts　and

departments。　The　interregnum　has　a　length　come　to　an　end。　Legal

authorities　now　exist；　with　legitimate　and　clearly…determined

functions。　Reasonable；　honest　people　gladly　turn　power　over　to　those

to　whom　it　belongs；　and　certainly　do　not　dream　of　resuming　it。　All

associations　for　temporary　purposes　are　at　once　disbanded　for　lack　of

an　object；　and　if　others　are　formed；　it　is　for　the　purpose　of

defending　established　institutions。　This　is　the　object　of　the

Federation；　and；　for　six　months；　people　embrace　each　other　and

exchange　oaths　of　fidelity。　　After　this；　July　14；　1790；　they　retire

into　private　life；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that；　from　this　date；　the

political　ambition　of　a　large　plurality　of　the　French　people　is

satisfied；　for；　although　Rousseau's　denunciation　of　the　social

hierarchy　are　still　cited　by　them；　they；　at　bottom；　desire　but　little

more　than　the　suppression　of　administrative　brutality　and　state

favoritism。＇7＇　　All　this　is　obtained；　and　plenty　of　other　things

besides；　the　august　title　of　sovereign；　the　respect　of　the　public

authorities；　honors　to　all　who　wield　a　pen　or　make　a　speech；　and；

better　still；　actual　sovereignty　in　the　appointment　to　office　of　all

local　land　national　administrators；　not　only　do　the　people　elect　their

deputies；　but　every　species　of　functionary　of　every　degree；　those　of

commune；　district；　and　department；　officers　in　the　national　guard；

civil　and　criminal　magistrates；　bishops　and　priests。　Again；　to　ensure

the　responsibility　of　the　elected　to　their　electors；　the　term　of

office　fixed　by　law　is　a　short　one；＇8＇　the　electoral　machine　which

summons　the　sovereign　to　exercise　his　sovereignty　being　set　agoing

about　every　four　months。　　This　was　a　good　deal；　and　too　　much；　as

the　sovereign　himself　soon　discovers。　Voting　so　frequently　becomes

unendurable；　so　many　prerogatives　end　in　getting　to　be　drudgery。　Early

in　1790；　and　after　this　date；　the　majority　forego　the　privilege　of

voting　and　the　number　of　absentees　becomes　enormous。　At　Chartres；　in

May；　1790；＇9＇　1；447　out　of　1；551　voters　do　not　attend　preliminary

meetings。　At　Besan？on；　in　January；　1790；　on　the　election　of　mayor　and

municipal　officers；　2；141　out　of　3；200　registered　electors　are

recorded　as　absent　from　the　polls；　and　2；900　in　the　following　month　of

November。＇10＇　　At　Grenoble；　in　August　and　November　of　this　year；　out

of　2；500　registered　voters；　more　than　2；000　are　noted　as　absent。＇11＇

At　Limoges；　out　of　about　the　same　number；　there　are　only　150　voters。

At　Paris；　out　of　81；400　electors；　in　August；　1790；　67；200　do　not　vote；

and；　three　months　later；　the　number　of　absentees　is　71　；408。＇12＇



　Thus　for　every　elector　that　votes；　there　are　four；　six；　eight；　ten；

and　even　sixteen　that　abstain　from　voting。　　In　the　election　of

deputies；　the　case　is　the　same。　At　the　primary　meetings　of　1791；　in

Paris；　out　of　　81；200　registered　names　more　than　74；000　fail　to

respond。　　In　the　Doubs；　three　out　of　four　voters　stay　away。　　In　one　of

the　cantons　of　the　C？te　d'Or；　at　the　close　of　the　polls；　only　one…

eighth　of　the　electors　remain　at　the　counting　of　the　votes；　while　in

the　secondary　meetings　the　desertion　is　not　less。　　At　Paris；　out　of

946　electors　chosen　only　200　are　found　to　give　their　suffrage；　at

Rouen；　out　of　700　there　are　but　160；　and　on　the　last　day　of　the

ballot；　only　60。　In　short；　〃in　all　departments；〃　says　an　orator　in　the

tribune；　〃scarcely　one　out　of　five　electors　of　the　second　degree

discharges　his　duty。〃



In　this　manner　the　majority　hands　in　its　resignation。　Through　inertia；

want　of　forethought；　lassitude；　aversion　to　the　electoral　hubbub；　lack

of　political　preferences；　or　dislike　of　all　the　political　candidates；

it　shirks　the　task　which　the　constitution　imposes　on　it。　　Most

certainly　is　has　no　taste　for　the　painstaking　burden　of　being　involved

in　a　league　（of　human　rights）。　Men　who　cannot　find　time　once　in　three

months　to　drop　a　ballot　in　the　box；　will　not　come　three　times　a　week

to　attend　the　meetings　of　a　club。　Far　from　meddling　with　the

government；　they　abdicate；　and　as　they　refuse　to　elect　it；　they　cannot

undertake　to　control　it。



It　is；　on　the　other　hand；　　just　the　opposite　with　the　upstarts　and

dogmatists　who　regard　their　royal　privileges　seriously。　They　not　only

vote　at　the　elections；　but　they　mean　to　keep　the　authority　they

delegate　in　their　own　hands。　In　their　eyes　every　official　is　one　of

their　creatures；　and　remains　accountable　to　them；　for；　in　point　of

law；　the　people　may　not　part　with　their　sovereignty；　while；　in　fact；

power　has　proved　so　sweet　that　they　are　not　disposed　to　part　with

it。＇13＇　　During　six　months　preceding　the　regular　elections；　they　have

come　to　know；　comprehend；　and　test　each　other；　they　have　held　secret

meetings；　a　mutual　understanding　is　arrived　at；　and　henceforth；　as

other　associations　disappear　like　fleeting　bloom；　theirs＇14＇　rise

vigorously　on　the　abandoned　soil。　A　club　is　established　at　Marseilles

before　the　end　of　1789；　each　large　town　has　one　within　the　first　six

months　of　1790；　Aix　in　February；　Montpellier　in　March；　N？mes　in　April；

Lyons　in　May；　and　Bordeaux　in　June。＇15＇　　But　their　greatest　increase

takes　place　after　the　Federation　festival。　Just　when　local　gatherings

merge　into　that　of　the　whole　country；　the　sectarian　Jacobins　keep

aloof；　and　form　leagues　of　their　own。　At　Rouen；　July　14；　1790；　two

surgeons；　a　printer；　a　chaplain　at　the　prison；　a　widowed　Jewess；　and

four　　women　or　children　living　in　the　house；　…　eight　persons　in　all；

pure　and　not　to　be　confounded　with　the　mass；＇16＇　bind　themselves

together；　and　form　a　distinct　association。　Their　patriotism　is　of

superior　quality；　and　they　take　a　special　view　of　the　social

compact；＇17＇　in　swearing　fealty　to　the　constitution　they　reserve　to

themselves　the　Rights　of　Man；　and　they　mean　to　maintain　not　only　the

reforms　already　effected；　but　to　complete　the　Revolution　just　begun。　…

During　the　Federation　they　have　welcomed　and　indoctrinated　their

fellows　who；　on　quitting　the　capital　or　large　cities；　become　bearers

of　instructions　to　the　small　towns　and　hamlets；　they　are　told　what　the

object　of　a　club　is；　and　how　to　form　one；　and；　everywhere；　popular

associations　arise　on　the　same　plan；　for　the　same　purpose；　and　bearing

the　same　name。　A　month　later；　sixty　of　these　associations　are　in

operation；　three　months　later；　one　hundred；　in　March；　1791；　two

hundred　and　twenty…nine；　and　in　August；　1791；　nearly　four　hundred。＇18＇

After　this　date　a　sudden　increase　takes　place；　owing　to　two

simultaneous　impulses；　which　scatter　their　seeds　over　the　entire

territory。　　On　the　one　hand；　at　then　end　of　July；　1791；　all　moderate

men；　the　friends　of　law　and　order；　who　still　hold　the　clubs　in　check；

all　constitutionalists；　or　Feuillants；　withdraw　from　them　and　leave

them　to　exaggeration　or　the　triviality　of　proposing　motions；　the

political　tone　immediately　falls　to　that　of　the　tavern　and　guard…

house；　so　that　wherever　one　or　the　other　is　found；　there　is　a

political　club。　On　the　other　hand；　a　convocation　of　the　electoral　body

is　held　at　the　same　date　for　the　election　of　a　new　National　Assembly；

and　for　the　renewal　of　local　governments；　the　prey　being　in　sight；

hunting…parties　are　everywhere　formed　to　capture　it。　In　two

months；＇19＇　six　hundred　new　clubs　spring　up；　by　the　end　of　September

they　amount　to　one　thousand；　and　in　June；　1792；　to　twelve　hundred　

as　many　as　there　are　towns　and　walled　boroughs。　On　the　fall　of　the

throne；　and　at　the　panic　caused　by　the　Prussian　invasion；　during　a

period　of　anarchy　which　equaled　that　of　July；　1789；　there　were；

according　to　Roederer；　almost　as　many　clubs　as　there　were　communes；

26；000；　one　for　every　village　containing　five　or　six　hot…headed；

boisterous　fellows；　or　roughs；　（tape…durs）；　with　a　clerk　able　to　pen　a

petition。



After　November；　1790；＇20＇　〃every　street　in　every　town　and　hamlet；〃

says　a　Journal　of　large　circulation；　〃must　have　a　club　of　its　own。　Let

some　honest　craftsman　invite　his　neighbors　to　his　house；　where；　with

using　a　shared　candle；　he　may　read　aloud　the　decrees　of　the　National

Assembly；　on　which　he　and　his　neighbors　may　comment。　Before　the

meeting　closes；　in　order　to　enliven　the　company；　which　may　feel　a

little　disturbed　on　account　of　Marat's　articles；　let　him　read　the

patriotic　oaths　in　'Pêre　Duchesne。'〃＇21＇　　The　advice　is　followed。　At

the　meetings　in　the　club　are　read　aloud　pamphlets；　newspapers；　and

catechisms　dispatched　from　Paris；　the　〃Gazette　Villageoise；〃　the

〃Journal　du　Soir；〃　the　〃Journal　de　la　Montagne；〃　〃Pêre　Duchesne；〃　the

〃Révolutions　de　Paris；〃　　and　〃Laclos'　Gazette。〃　Revo