the origins of contemporary france-3-第94部分

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

hundred　heads　packed　〃in　the　great　gallery　at　the　bottom；　under　a　deep

and　silent　vault；〃　and；　besides　these；　on　the　sides；　a　thousand　or

fifteen　hundred　more；　two　immense　tribunes　completely　filled。＇25＇　　The

galleries　of　the　Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　compared　with

these；　were　calm。　　Nothing　is　more　disgraceful　to　the　Convention；

writes　a　foreign　spectator；＇26＇　than　the　insolence　of　the　audience。

One　of　the　regulations　prohibits；　indeed；　any　mark　of　approval　or

disapproval；　〃but　it　is　violated　every　day；　and　nobody　is　ever

punished　for　this　delinquency。〃　　The　majority　in　vain　expresses　its

indignation　at　this　〃gang　of　hired　ruffians；〃　who　beset　and　oppress

it；　while　at　the　very　time　that　it　utters　its　complaints；　it　endures

and　tolerates　it。　〃The　struggle　is　frightful；〃　says　a　deputy；＇27＇

〃screams；　murmurs；　stampings；　shouts。　　。　　。　　The　foulest　insults　were

launched　from　the　galleries。〃　〃For　a　long　time；〃　says　another；　〃no　one

can　speak　here　without　obtaining　their　permission。〃＇28＇　The　day　that

Buzot　obtains　the　floor　to　speak　against　Marat；　〃they　break　out

furiously；　yelling；　stamping；　and　threatening〃；＇29＇　every　time　that

Buzot　tries　to　begin　his　voice　is　drowned　in　the　clamor；　while　he

remains　half　an　hour　in　the　tribune　without　completing　a　sentence。　　On

the　calls　of　the　House；　especially；　their　cries　resemble　those　of　the

excited　crowd　at　a　Spanish　bull…fight；　with　their　eager　eyes　and

heaving　breasts；　watching　the　contest　between　the　bull　and　the

picadores；　every　time　that　a　deputy　votes　against　the　death　of　the

King　or　for　an　appeal　to　the　people；　there　are　the　〃vociferations　of

cannibals；〃　and　〃interminable　yells〃　every　time　that　one　votes　for　the

indictment　of　Marat。　〃I　declare；〃　say　deputies　in　the　tribune；　〃that　I

am　not　free　here；　I　declare　that　I　am　forced　to　debate　under　the

knife。〃＇30＇　Charles　Villette　is　told　at　the　entrance　that　〃if　he　does

not　vote　for　the　King's　death　he　will　be　massacred。〃　　And　these　are

not　empty　threats。　On　the　10th　of　March；　awaiting　the　promised　riot；

〃the　tribunes；　duly　advised；　。　。　。　had　already　loaded　their

pistols。〃＇31＇　　In　the　month　of　May；　the　tattered　women　hired　for　the

purpose；　under　the　title　of　〃Ladies　of　the　Fraternity；〃　formed　a　club；

came　daily　early　in　the　morning　to　mount　guard；　with　arms　in　their

hands；　in　the　corridors　of　the　Convention；　they　tear　up　all　tickets

given　to　men　or　women　not　of　their　band；　they　take　possession　of　all

the　seats；　show　pistols　and　daggers；　and　declare　that　〃eighteen

hundred　heads　must　be　knocked　off　to　make　things　go　on　right。〃＇32＇



Behind　these　two　first　rows　of　assailants　is　a　third；　much　more

compact；　the　more　fearful　because　it　is　undefined　and　obscure；　namely；

the　vague　multitude　forming　the　anarchical　set；　scattered　throughout

Paris；　and　always　ready　to　renew　the　10th　of　August　and　2nd　of

September　against　the　obstinate　majority。　　Incendiary　motions　and

demands　for　riots　come　incessantly　from　the　Commune；　and　Jacobin；

Cordeliers；　and　l'Evêché　clubs；　from　the　assemblies　of　the　sections

and　groups　stationed　at　the　Tuileries　and　in　the　streets。

〃Yesterday；〃　writes　the　president　of　the　Tuileries　section；＇33＇　〃at

the　same　moment；　at　various　points　about　Paris；　the　Rue　du　Bac；　at　the

Marais；　in　the　Church　of　St。　Eustache；　at　the　Palace　of　the

Revolution；　on　the　Feuillants　terrace；　scoundrels　were　preaching

pillage　and　assassination。〃　　　On　the　following　day；　again　on　the

Feuillants　terrace；　that　is　to　say；　right　under　the　windows　of　the

Convention；　〃they　urge　the　assassination　of　Louvel　for　having

denounced　Robespierre。　〃　　Minister　Roland　writes：　〃I　hear　of　nothing

but　conspiracy　and　plans　to　murder。〃　　Three　weeks　later；　for　several

days；　〃an　up…rising　is　announced　in　Paris〃；＇34＇　the　Minister　is　warned

that　〃alarm　guns　would　be　fired；〃　while　the　heads　are　designated

beforehand　on　which　this　ever　muttering　insurrection　will　burst。　In

the　following　month；　in　spite　of　the　recent　precise　law；　〃the

electoral　assembly　prints　and　circulates　gratis　the　list　of　members　of

the　Feuillants　and　Sainte…Chapelle　clubs；　it　likewise　orders　the

printing　and　circulation　of　the　list　of　the　eight　thousand；　and　of　the

twenty　thousand；　as　well　as　of　the　clubs　of　1789　and　of　Montaigu。〃＇35＇

In　January；　〃hawkers　cry　through　the　streets　a　list　of　the　aristocrats

and　royalists　who　voted　for　an　appeal　to　the　people。〃＇36＇　　Some　of　the

appelants　are　singled　out　by　name　through　placards；　Thibaut；　bishop　of

Cantal；　while　reading　the　poster　on　the　wall　relating　to　him；　hears

some　one　along　side　of　him　say：　〃I　should　like　to　know　that　bishop　of

Cantal；　I　would　make　bread　tasteless　to　him。〃　Roughs　point　out　certain

deputies　leaving　the　Assembly；　and　exclaim：　〃Those　are　the　beggars　to

cut　up！〃　　From　week　to　week　signs　of　insurrection　increase　and

multiply；　like　flashes　of　lightning　in　a　coming　tempest。　On　the　1st　of

January；　〃it　is　rumored　that　the　barriers　are　to　be　closed　at　night；

and　that　domiciliary　visits　are　going　to　begin　again。〃＇37＇　On　the　7th

of　January；　on　the　motion　of　the　Gravilliers　section；　the　Commune

demands　of　the　Minister　of　War　132　cannon　stored　at　Saint　Denis；　to

divide　among　the　sections。　　On　the　15th　of　January　the　same　section

proposes　to　the　other　forty…seven　to　appoint；　as　on　the　10th　of

August；　special　commissaries　to　meet　at　the　Evêché　and　watch　over

public　safety。　　That　same　day；　to　prevent　the　Convention　from

misunderstanding　the　object　of　these　proceedings；　it　is　openly　stated

in　the　tribunes　that　the　cannon　brought　to　Paris　〃are　for　another　10th

of　August　against　that　body。〃　The　same　day；　military　force　has　to　be

employed　to　prevent　bandits　from　going　to　the　prisons　〃to　renew　the

massacres。〃　On　the　28th　of　January　the　Palais…Royal；　the　resort　of　the

pleasure…seeking；　is　surrounded　by　Santerre；　at　eight　o'clock　in　the

evening；　and　〃about　six　thousand　men；　found　without　a　certificate　of

civism；〃　are　arrested；　subject　to　the　decision　one　by　one　of　their

section。　　Not　only　does　the　lightning　flash；　but　already　the　bolt

descends　in　isolated　places。＇38＇　　　On　the　31st　of　December　a　man　named

Louvain；　formerly　denounced　by　Marat　as　Lafayette's　agent；　is　slain　in

the　faubourg　St。　Antoine；　and　his　corpse　dragged　through　the　streets

to　the　Morgue。　　On　the　25th　of　February；　the　grocer　shops　are　pillaged

at　the　instigation　of　Marat；　with　the　connivance　or　sanction　of　the

Commune。　　On　the　9th　of　March　the　printing　establishment　of　Gorsas　is

sacked　by　two　hundred　men　armed　with　sabers　and　pistols。　The　same

evening　and　on　the　next　morning　the　riot　extends　to　the　Convention

itself；　〃the　committee　of　the　Jacobin　club　summons　every　section　in

Paris　to　arms　to　〃get　rid〃　of　the　appelant　deputies　and　the　ministers；

the　Cordeliers　club　requests　the　Parisian　authorities　〃to　take

sovereignty　into　their　own　hands　and　place　the　treacherous　deputies

under　arrest〃；　Fournier；　Varlet；　and　Champion　ask　the　Commune　〃to

declare　itself　in　insurrection　and　close　the　barriers〃；　all　the


approaches　to　the　Convention　are　occupied　by　the　〃dictators　of

massacre；〃　Pétion＇39＇　and　Beurnonville　being　recognized　on　their

passing；　pursued　and　in　danger　of　death；　while　furious　mobs　gather　on

the　Feuillants　terrace　〃to　award　popular　judgment；〃　〃to　cut　off　heads〃

and　〃send　them　into　the　departments。〃　　Luckily；　it　rains；　which

always　cools　down　popular　effervescence。　Kervélegan；　a　deputy　from

Finistère；　who　escapes；　finds　means　of　sending　to　the　other　end　of　the

faubourg　St。　Marceau　for　a　battalion　of　volunteers　from　Brest　that　had

arrived　a　few　days　before；　and　who　were　still　loyal；　these　come　in

time　and　save　the　Convention。　　Thus　does　the　majority　live　under　the

triple　pressure　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　the　galleries　and　the　outside

populace；　and　from　month　to　month；　especially　after　March　10；　the

pressure　gets　to　be　worse　and　worse。







III。　　　Physical　fear　and　moral　cowardice。



Defection　among　the　majority。　　Effect　of　physical　fear。　　　Effect

of　moral　cowardice。　　Effect　of　political　necessity。　　　Internal

weakness　of　the　Girondins。　　　Accomplices　in　principle　of　the

Montagnards。



Month　by　month　the　majority　relents　under　this　pressure。　　Some　are

simply　overcome　by　physical　fear。　　On　the　King's　trial；　at　the　third

call　of　the　House；　as　the　deputies　on　the　upper　benches　voted　one　by

one　for　his　death；　the　deputy　alongside　Daunou　〃showed　in　a　most

energetic　manner　his　disapproval　of　this。〃　　On　his　turn　coming；　〃the

galleries；　which　had　undoubtedly　noticed　his　attitude；〃　burst　out　in

such　violent　threats　that　for　some　minutes　his　voice　could　not　be

heard；　〃silence　was　at　length　restored；　and　he　voted　　death。〃＇40＇　

Others；　like　Durand…Maillane；　〃warned　by　Robespierre　that　the

strongest　party　is　the　safest；〃　say　to　themselves　〃that　it　is　prudent；

and　necessary　not　to　annoy　the　people　in　their　furor；〃　make　up　their

minds　〃to　keep　aloof　shielded　by　their　silence　and

insignificance。〃＇41＇　Among　the　five　hundred　deputies　of　the　Plain；

many　are　of　this　stamp。　They　begin　to　be　called　〃the　Marsh　Frogs。〃　　In

six　months　they　settle　down　of　themselves　into　so　many　silent

onlookers；　or；　rather；　homicidal　puppets；　〃whose　hearts；　shrunk

through　fear；　rise　in　their　throats〃＇42＇　every　time　that　Robespierre

looks　at　them。　　Long　before　the　fall　of　the　Girondists；　〃downcast　at

the　present　state　of　things；　and　no　longer　finding　any　inspiration　in

their　heart；〃　their　faces　already　disclosing　〃the　pallor　of　fear　or

the　resignation　of　despair。＇43＇　Cambacérès　hedges　to　find　shelter　in

his　Committee　on　Legislation。＇44＇　Barrère；　born　a　valet；　and　a　valet

ready　for　anything；　places　his　southern　mode　of　doing　things　at　the

service　of　the　probable　majority；　up　to　the　time　of　devoting　his　cruel

rhetoric　to　the　service　of　the　dominant　minority。　　Sièyes；　after

casting　his　vote　for　death；　maintains　an　obstinate　s