the origins of contemporary france-3-第98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！



pronounces　the　petition　presented　against　the　Twenty…two　calumnious；

it　institutes　a　special　commission　of　twelve　members　to　search　the

papers　of　the　Commune　and　the　sections　for　legal　proofs　of　the　plot

openly　and　steadily　maintained　by　the　Jacobins　against　the　national

representation；　Mayor　Pache　is　summoned　to　the　bar　of　the　house；

warrants　of　arrest　are　issued　against　Hébert；　Dobsen　and　Varlet。　

Since　popular　manifestations　have　not　answered　the　purpose；　and　the

Convention；　instead　of　obeying；　is　rebellious；　nothing　is　left　but　to

employ　force。



〃Since　the　10th　of　March；〃　says　Vergniaud；　in　the　tribune；＇113＇

〃murder　is　openly　and　unceasingly　fomented　against　you。〃　　〃It　is　a

terrible　time；〃　says　an　observer；　〃strongly　resembling　that　preceding

the　2nd　of　September。〃＇114＇　　That　same　evening；　at　the　Jacobin　club；

a　member　proposes　to　〃exterminate　the　scoundrels　before　leaving。　　〃I

have　studied　the　Convention；〃　he　says＇115＇　〃it　is　composed　in　part　of

scoundrels　who　ought　to　be　punished。　All　the　supporters　of　Dumouriez

and　the　other　conspirators　should　be　put　out　of　the　way；　fire　the

alarm　gun　and　close　the　barriers！〃　The　following　forenoon；　〃all　the

walls　in　Paris　are　covered　with　posters；〃　calling　on　the　Parisians　to

〃hurry　up　and　slit　the　throats　of　the　statesmen。〃＇116＇　　〃　We　must　do

something　to　put　an　end　to　this！〃　is　the　slogan　of　the　sans…culottes。

　The　following　week；　at　the　Jacobin　club；　as　elsewhere；　〃immediate

insurrection　is　the　order　of　the　day。　。　。　。　What　we　formerly　called

the　sacred　enthusiasm　of　freedom　and　patriotism；　is　now　metamorphosed

into　the　fury　of　an　excited　populace；　which　can　no　longer　be　regulated

or　disciplined　except　by　force。　There　is　not　one　of　these　scoundrels

who　would　not　accept　a　counter…revolution；　provided　they　could　be

allowed　to　crush　and　stamp　on　the　most　noted　conservatives。＇117＇　。　。

。　　The　conclusion　is　that　the　day；　the　hour；　the　minute　that　the

faction　believes　that　it　can　usefully　and　without　risk　bring　into　play

all　the　brigands　in　Paris；＇118＇　then　the　insurrection　will　undoubtedly

take　place。〃　Already　the　plan　of　the　massacre　is　under　consideration

by　the　lowest　class　of　fanatics　at　the　mayoralty；　the　Evêché；　and　the

Jacobin　club。＇119＇



Some　isolated　house　is　to　be　selected；　with　a　suite　of　three　rooms　on

the　ground　floor；　and　a　small　court　in　the　rear；　the　twenty…two

Girondists　are　to　be　caught　in　the　night　and　brought　to　this

slaughter…house　arranged　beforehand；　each　in　turn　is　to　be　passed

along　to　the　last　room；　where　he　is　to　be　killed　and　his　body　tumbled

into　a　hole　dug　in　the　middle　of　the　court；　and　then　the　whole　covered

over　with　quick…lime；　it　will　be　supposed　that　they　have　emigrated；

and；　to　establish　the　fact；　false　correspondence　will　be　printed。＇120＇

A　member　of　the　Committee　on　the　Municipal　Police　declares　that　the

plan　is　feasible：



〃We　will　Septemberize（kill）　them　　not　we　ourselves；　but　men　who　are

ready；　and　who　will　be　well　paid　for　it。〃



The　Montagnards　present　Léonard　Bourdon　and　Legendre；　make　no

objection。　　The　latter　simply　remarks　that　the　Girondists　should　not

be　seized　in　the　Convention；　outside　the　Convention　〃they　are

scoundrels　whose　death　would　save　the　Republic；〃　and　the　act　is

lawful；　he　would　like　to　see　〃with　them　every　rascal　on　the　'black'

side　perish　without　interfering。〃　　Several；　instead　of　22　deputies；

demand　30　or　32；　and　some　300；　the　suspected　of　each　district　may　be

added；　while　ten　or　a　dozen　proscription　lists　are　already　made　out。

Through　a　clean　sweep；　executed　the　same　night；　at　the　same　hour；　they

may　be　conducted　to　the　Carmelites；　near　the　Luxembourg；　and；　〃if

there　is　not　room　enough　there；〃　to　Bicêtre；　here；　〃they　will

disappear　from　the　surface　of　the　globe。〃＇121＇　Certain　leaders　desired

to　entrust　the　purification　of　Paris　to　the　sagacity　of　popular

instinct。　〃In　loose　and　disconnected　phrases〃　they　address　the　people：

〃Rouse　yourselves；　and　act　according　to　your　inclinations；　as　my

indications　might　only　startle　those　you　should　strike　down　and

thereby　allow　them　to　escape！〃　Varlet　proposes；　on　the　contrary；　　a

plan　of　public　safety；　very　full　and　explicit；　in　fifteen　articles：



　〃Sweep　away　the　deputies　of　the　'Plain；'　and　other　deputies　of　the

Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　all　nobles；　priests；

pettifoggers；　etc。；　exterminate　the　whole　of　that　race；　and　the

Bourbons；　too；　with　entire　suppression　of　the　Ministers。〃



Hébert；　for　his　part；　alluding　to　the　Girondists；　writes　in　his

gazette　that　〃the　last　hour　of　their　death　is　going　to　strike；〃　and

that；　〃when　their　foul　blood　shall　have　been　spilled；　aristocratic

brawlers　will　return　to　their　holes；　the　same　as　on　the　10th　of

August。　〃Naturally；　the　professional　slaughterers　are　notified。　A

certain　Laforet；　an　old…clothes　dealer　on　the　Quai…du…Louvre；　who；

with　his　wife；　had　already　distinguished　themselves　on　the　2nd　of

September；　reckons　that　〃there　are　in　Paris　6；000　sans…culottes　ready

to　massacre　at　the　first　sign　all　dangerous　deputies；　and　eight

thousand　petitioners；〃　undoubtedly　those　who；　in　the　several　sections；

signed　the　addresses　to　the　Convention　against　the　Commune。　　Another

〃Septemberizer；〃＇122＇　commanding　the　battalion　of　the　Jardin　des

Plantes；　Henriot；　on　meeting　a　gang　of　men　working　on　the　wharves；

exclaims　in　his　rough　voice：



〃Good　morning；　my　good　fellows；　we　shall　need　you　soon；　and　at　better

work。　You　won't　have　wood　to　carry　in　your　carts　　you'll　have　to

carry　dead　bodies。〃



　〃All　right；〃　replies　one　of　the　hands；　half　tipsy；　〃we'll　do　it　as　we

did　the　2nd　　of　September。　　We'll　turn　a　penny　by　it。〃　…



Cheynard；　a　locksmith　and　machinist　at　the　mint；　is　manufacturing

daggers；　and　the　women　of　the　tribunes　are　already　supplied　with　two

hundred　of　them。〃　…



Finally；　on　the　29th　of　May；　Hébert　proposes；　in　the　Jacobin

club；＇123＇　〃to　pounce　down　on　the　Commission　of　Twelve；〃　and　another

Jacobin　declares　that　〃those　who　have　usurped　dictatorial　power；〃

meaning　by　that　the　Girondists；　〃are　outlawed。〃



All　this　is　extreme；　clumsily　done；　useless　and　dangerous；　or；　at

least；　premature；　and　the　chiefs　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　Danton；

Robespierre；　and　Marat　himself；　better　informed　and　less　shortsighted；

are　well　aware　that　brutal　murder　would　be　revolting　to　the　already

half…aroused　departments。＇124＇　　The　legislative　machinery　is　not　to　be

shattered；　but　made　use　of；　it　must　be　employed　against　itself　to

effect　the　required　injury；　in　this　way　the　operation　at　a　distance

will　appear　legal；　and；　garnished　with　the　usual　high…flown　speeches；

impose　on　the　provincial　mind。＇125＇　From　the　3rd　of　April；

Robespierre；　in　the　Jacobin　club；　always　circumspect　and　considerate；

had　limited　and　defined　in　advance　the　coming　insurrection。　〃Let　all

good　citizens；〃　he　says；　〃meet　in　their　sections；　and　come　and　force

us　to　place　the　disloyal　deputies　under　arrest。〃　　Nothing　can　be　more

moderate；　and；　if　they　refer　to　principles；　nothing　can　be　more

correct。　　The　people　always　reserves　the　right　to　cooperate　with　its

mandatories；　which　right　it　practices　daily　in　the　galleries。　Through

extreme　precaution；　which　well　describes　the　man；＇126＇　Robespierre

refuses　to　go　any　further　in　his　interference。　〃I　am　incapable　of

advising　the　people　what　steps　to　take　for　its　salvation。　　That　is　not

given　to　one　man　alone。　I；　who　am　exhausted　by　four　years　of

revolution；　and　by　the　heart…rending　spectacle　of　the　triumph　of

tyranny；　am　not　thus　favored。　。　。　。　I；　who　am　wasted　by　a　slow　fever；

and；　above　all　by　the　fever　of　patriotism。　As　I　have　said；　there

remains　for　me　no　other　duty　to　fulfill　at　the　present　moment。〃

What's　more；　he　enjoins　the　municipality　〃to　unite　with　the　people；

and　form　a　close　alliance　with　it。〃　　In　other　words；　the　blow　must

be　struck　by　the　Commune；　the　〃Mountain〃　must　appear　to　have　nothing

to　do　with　it。　But；　〃it　is　privy　to　the　secret〃；＇127＇　its　chiefs　pull

the　wires　which　set　the　brutal　dancing…jacks　in　motion　on　the　public

trestles　of　the　H？tel…de…ville。　　Danton　and　Lacroix　wrote　in　the

bureau　of　the　Committee　of　〃Public　Safety；〃　the　insolent　summons　which

the　procureur　of　the　Commune　is　to　read　to　the　Convention　on　the　31st

of　May；　and；　during　seven　days　of　crisis；　Danton；　Robespierre　and

Marat　are　the　counselors；　directors　and　moderators　of　all　proceedings；

and　lead；　push　on　or　restrain　their　stooges　of　the　insurrection　within

the　limits　of　this　program。







VII。　　The　central　Jacobin　committee　in　power。



The　27th　day　of　May。　…　The　central　revolutionary　committee。　…　The

municipal　body　displaced　and　then　restored。　…　Henriot；　commanding

general。　…



It　is　a　tragicomic　drama　in　three　acts；　each　winding　up　with　a　coup　de

théatre；　always　the　same　and　always　foreseen。　Legendre；　one　of　the

principal　stage　hands；　has　taken　care　to　announce　beforehand　that；



〃If　this　lasts　any　longer；〃　said　he；　at　the　Cordeliers　club；＇128＇　〃if

the　'Mountain'　remains　quiet　any　longer；　I　shall　call　in　the　people；

and　tell　the　galleries　to　come　down　and　take　part　with　us　in　the

deliberations。〃



At　first；　on　the　27th　of　May；　in　relation　to　the　arrest　of　Hébert　and

his　companions；　the　〃Mountain；〃　supported　by　the　galleries；　becomes

furious。＇129＇　　In　vain　does　the　majority　again　and　again　demonstrate

its　numerical　superiority。　〃We　shall　resist；〃　says　Danton；　〃so　long　as

there　are　a　hundred　true　citizens　to　help　us。〃　　　〃President；〃

exclaims　Marat　to　Isnard；　　you　are　a　tyrant！　　a　despicable　tyrant！〃　

〃I　demand；〃　says　Couthon；　〃that　the　President　be　impeached！〃　　　〃Off

with　the　President　to　the　Abbaye！〃　　The　〃Mountain〃　has　decided　that

he　shall　not　preside；　it　springs　from　the　benches　and　rushes　at　him；

shouts　〃death　to　him；〃　becomes　hoarse　with　its　vociferations；　and

compels　him　to　leave　the　chair　through　weariness　and　exhaustion。　It

drives　out　his　successor；　Fonfrède；　in　the　same　manner；