the origins of contemporary france-3-第93部分

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sentinels　and　provide　the　censors　and　auditors。　Five　or　six　spies；

familiar　with　the　section；　and　paid　forty　sous　a　day；　remain　during

the　session；　and　ready　to　undertake　any　enterprise。　These　same

individuals　will　take　orders　from　one　Committee　of　Surveillance　to

another；　。　。　so　that　if　the　sans…culottes　of　one　section　are　not

strong　enough　they　may　call　in　those　of　a　neighboring　section。〃　　In

such　assemblies　the　elections　are　decided　beforehand；　and　we　see　how

the　faction　keeps　forcibly　in　its　hands；　or　obtains　by　force；　every

elective　position。　The　Council　of　the　Commune；　in　spite　of　the　hostile

inclinations　of　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　the　Convention；　succeeds

at　first　in　maintaining　itself　four　months；　then；　in　December；＇5＇　when

it　is　at　last　compelled　to　break　up；　it　reappears　through　the

authorization　of　the　suffrage；　reinforced　and　completed　by　its　own

class；　with　three　chiefs；　a　syndic…attorney；　a　deputy　and　a　mayor；　all

three　authors　or　abettors　of　the　September　massacre；　with　Chaumette；

Anaxagoras；　so…called；　once　a　cabin…boy；　then　a　clerk；　always　in　debt；

a　windbag；　and　given　to　drink；　Hébert；　called　〃Père　Duchesne；〃　which

states　about　all　that　is　necessary　for　him；　Pache；　a　subaltern　busy…

body；　a　bland；　smooth…faced　intriguer；　who；　with　his　simple　air　and

seeming　worth；　pushes　himself　up　to　the　head　of　the　War　Department；

where　he　used　all　its　resources　for　pillaging；　and　who；　born　in　a

door…keeper's　lodgings；　returns　there；　either　through　craft　or

inclination；　to　take　his　dinner。　　The　Jacobins；　with　the　civil　power

in　their　hands；　also　grab　the　military　power。　Immediately　after　the

10th　of　August；＇6＇　the　National　Guard　is　reorganized　and　distributed

in　as　many　battalions　as　there　are　sections；　each　battalion　thus

becoming　〃a　section　in　arms〃；　by　this　we　may　judge　its　composition；

and　the　kind　of　rabble…rousers　they　select　as　officers　and　non…

commissioned　officers。　〃The　title　of　National　Guard；〃　writes　a　deputy；

〃can　no　longer　be　given　to　the　lot　of　pikemen　and　substitutes；　mixed

with　a　few　bourgeois；　who；　since　the　10th　of　August；　maintain　the

military　service　in　Paris。〃　There　are；　indeed；　110；000　names　on　paper；

when　called　out　on　important　occasions；　all　who　are　registered　may

respond；　if　not　disarmed；　but；　in　general；　almost　all　stay　at　home　and

pay　a　sans…culotte　to　mount　guard　in　their　place。　　In　fact；　there　is

for　the　daily　service　only　a　hired　reserve　in　each　section；　about　one

hundred　men；　always　the　same　individuals。　This　makes　in　Paris　a　band

of　four　or　five　thousand　roughs；　in　which　the　squads　may　be

distinguished　which　have　already　been　seen　in　September：　　Maillard　and

his　68　men　at　the　Abbaye；　Gauthier　and　his　40　men　at　Chantilly；

Audouin；　the　Sapper　of　the　Carmelites；〃　and　his　350　men　in　the　suburbs

of　Paris；　Fournier；　Lazowski　and　their　1；500　men　at　Orleans　and

Versailles。＇7＇　　As　to　the　pay　of　these　and　that　of　their　civil

auxiliaries；　the　faction　is　not　troubled　about　that；　for；　along　with

power；　it　has　seized　money。　To　say　nothing　of　its　rapine　in

September；＇8＇　and　without　including　the　lucrative　offices　at　its

disposition；　four　hundred　of　these　being　distributed　by　Pache　alone；

and　four　hundred　more　by　Chaumette；＇9＇　the　Commune　has　850；000　francs

per　month　for　its　military　police。　Other　bleedings　at　the　Treasury

cause　more　public　money　to　flow　into　the　pockets　of　its　clients。　　One

million　per　month　supports　the　idle　workmen　which　fife　and　drum　have

collected　together　to　form　the　camp　around　Paris。　　Five　millions　of

francs　protect　the　petty　tradesmen　of　the　capital　against　the

depreciation　in　value　of　certificates　of　credit。　Twelve　thousand

francs　a　day　keep　down　the　price　of　bread　for　the　Paris　poor。＇10＇　　To

these　regularly　allowed　subsidies　add　the　funds　which　are　diverted　or

extorted。　　On　one　side；　in　the　War　Department；　Pache；　its　accomplice

before　becoming　its　mayor；　organizes　a　steady　stream　of　waste　and

theft；　in　three　months　he　succeeds　in　bringing　about　a　deficiency　of

130；000；000；　〃without　vouchers。〃＇11＇　　On　another　side；　the　Duke　of

Orleans；　become　Philippe…Egalité；　dragged　along　by　the　men　once　in　his

pay；　with　a　rope　around　his　neck　and　almost　strangled；　has　to　pay　out

more　than　ever；　even　down　to　the　very　depths　of　his　purse；　to　save　his

own　life　he　consents　to　vote　for　the　King's　death；　besides　resigning

himself　to　other　sacrifices；＇12＇　it　is　probable　that　a　large　portion

of　his　74；000；000　of　indebtedness　at　his　death　is　due　to　all　this。　

Thus　in　possession　of　civil　and　military　offices；　of　arms　and　money；

the　faction；　masters　of　Paris；　has　nothing　to　do　but　master　the

isolated　Convention；　and　this　it　invests　on　all　sides。＇13＇





II。



Its　parliamentary　recruits。　　Their　characters　and　minds。　　　Saint…

Just。　　Violence　of　the　minority　in　the　Convention。　　Pressure　of

the　galleries。　　　Menaces　of　the　streets。



Through　the　elections；　the　Jacobin　advance…guard　of　fifty　deputies　is

already　posted　there；　while；　owing　to　the　fascination　it　has　to

excitable　and　despotic　natures；　to　brutal　temperaments；　narrow；

disjointed　minds；　weak　imaginations；　doubtful　honesty；　and　old

religious　or　social　rancor；　it　succeeds　in　doubling　this　number　at　the

end　of　six　months。＇14＇　　On　the　benches　of　the　extreme　〃Left；〃　around

Robespierre；　Danton　and　Marat；　the　original　nucleus　of　the　September

faction；　sit　men　of　their　stamp；　first；　the　corrupt；　like　Chabot；

Tallien　and　Barras；　wretches　like　Fouché；　Guffroy　and　Javogues；　crazy

enthusiasts　like　David；　savage　maniacs　like　Carrier；　paltry　simpletons

like　Joseph　Lebon；　common　fanatics　like　Levasseur；　Baubot；　Jeanbon…

Saint…André；　Romme　and　Lebas。　Add　also；　and　especially；　the　future

iron…handed　representatives；　uncouth；　authoritarian；　and　narrow…

minded；　excellent　troopers　for　a　political　militia；　Bourbotte；

Duquesnoy；　Rewbell；　and　Bentabole；　〃a　lot　of　ignorant　bastards；〃　said

Danton；＇15＇　〃without　any　common　sense；　and　patriotic　only　when　drunk。

Marat　is　nothing　but　a　bawler。　　Legendre　is　fit　for　nothing　but　to　cut

up　his　meat。　The　rest　are　good　for　little　else　than　voting　by　either

sitting　down　or　standing　up；　but　they　are　cold　blooded　and　have　broad

shoulders。〃　From　amongst　these　energetic　nonentities　we　see　ascending

a　young　monster；　with　calm；　handsome　features；　Saint…Just。　He　is　a

kind　of　precocious　Sylla；　25　years　old　and　a　new…comer；　who　springs　at

once　from　the　ranks　and；　by　dint　of　atrocities；　obtains　a　prominent

position。＇16＇　　Six　years　before　this　he　began　life　by　a　domestic

robbery；　on　a　visit　to　his　mother；　he　left　the　house　during　the　night；

carrying　off　the　plate　and　jewels；　which　he　squandered　while　living　in

a　lodging　house　in　the　Rue　Fromenteau；　in　the　center　of　Parisian

prostitution；＇17＇　on　the　strength　of　this；　and　at　the　demand　of　his

friends；　he　is　shut　up　in　a　house　of　correction　for　six　months。　　On

returning　to　his　lodgings　he　occupied　himself　with　writing　an　obscene

poem　in　the　style　of　La　Pucelle　and　then；　through　a　fit　of　rage

resembling　a　spasm；　he　plunged　headlong　into　the　Revolution。　He

possessed　a　〃blood　calcified　by　study；〃　a　colossal　pride；　an　unhinged

conscience；　a　pompous；　gloomy　imagination　haunted　with　the　bloody

recollections　of　Rome　and　Sparta；　an　intelligence　so　warped　and

twisted　as　to　be　comfortable　only　among　excessive　paradoxes；　shameless

sophistry；　and　devastating　lies。＇18＇　　All　these　dangerous　ingredients

which；　mingled　in　the　crucible　of　suppressed；　concentrated　ambition；

long　and　silently　boiling　within　him；　have　led　to　a　constant　defiance；

a　determined　callousness；　an　automatic　rigidity；　and　to　the　summary

politics　of　the　Utopian　dictator　and　exterminator。　　　It　is　plain

that　such　a　minority　will　not　obey　parliamentary　rules；　and；　rather

than　yield　to　the　majority　that　it　will　introduce　into　the　debate　boos

and　hisses；　insults；　threats；　and　scuffles　with　daggers；　pistols；

sabers　and　even　the　〃blunder　busses〃　of　a　veritable　combat。



〃Vile　intriguers；　calumniators；　scoundrels；　monsters；　assassins；

blackguards；　fools　and　hogs；〃　such　are　the　usual　terms　in　which　they

address　each　other；　and　these　form　the　least　of　their　outrages。＇19＇

The　president；　at　certain　sessions；　is　obliged　three　times　to　put　on

his　hat　and；　at　last；　breaks　his　bell。　They　insult　him；　force　him　to

leave　his　seat　and　demand　that　〃he　be　removed。'　Bazire　tries　to　snatch

a　declaration　presented　by　him　〃out　of　his　hands。〃　Bourdon；　from　the

department　of　Oise；　cries　out　to　him　that　if　he　〃dares　to　read　it　he

will　assassinate　him。〃＇20＇　The　chamber　〃has　become　an　arena　of

gladiators。〃＇21＇　Sometimes　the　entire　〃Mountain〃　darts　from　its

benches　on　the　left；　while　a　similar　human　wave　rolls　down　from　those

on　the　right；　both　clash　in　the　center　of　the　room　amidst　furious

screams　and　shouts；　in　one　of　these　hubbubs　one　of　the　〃Mountain〃

having　drawn　a　pistol　the　Girondist　Duperret　draws　his　sword。＇22＇

After　the　middle　of　December　prominent　members　of　the　〃Right；〃

constantly　persecuted；　threatened　and　outraged；〃　reduced　to　〃being　out

every　night；　are　compelled　to　carry　arms　in　self…defense；〃＇23＇　and；

after　the　King's　execution；　〃almost　all〃　bring　them　to　the　sessions　of

the　Convention。　Any　day；　indeed；　they　may　look　for　the　final　attack；

and　they　are　not　disposed　to　die　unavenged：　during　the　night　of　March

9；　finding　that　they　are　only　forty…three；　they　agree　to　launch

themselves　in　a　body　〃at　the　first　hostile　movement；　against　their

adversaries　and　kill　as　many　as　possible〃　before　perishing。＇24＇



It　is　a　desperate　resource；　but　the　only　one。　For；　besides　the　madmen

belonging　to　the　Convention；　they　have　against　them　the　madmen　in　the

galleries；　and　these　likewise　are　September　murderers。　The　vilest

Jacobin　rabble　purposely　takes　its　stand　near　them；　at　first　in　the

old　Riding…school；　and　then　in　the　new　hall　in　the　Tuileries。　They　see

above　and　in　a　circle　around　them　drilled　adversaries；　eight　or　nine

hundred　heads