the origins of contemporary france-3-第108部分

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be　firmly　in　charge　in　these　permanent　assemblies；　the　moderates；　like

the　sans…culottes；　would　have　to　be　in　constant　attendance；　and　use

their　fists　every　night。　　Unfortunately；　the　young　men　of　1793　have

not　yet　arrived　at　that　painful　experience；　that　implacable　hate；　that

athletic　ruggedness　which　is　to　sustain　them　in　1795。　〃After　one

evening；　in　which　the　seats　everywhere　were　broken　〃＇102＇　on　the　backs

of　the　contestants；　they　falter；　and　never　recover　themselves；　the

professional　roughs；　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　being　victorious　all

along　the　line。　　The　better　to　put　resistance　down；　the　roughs　form

a　special　league　amongst　themselves；　and　go　around　from　section　to

section　to　give　each　other　help。＇103＇　　Under　the　title　of　a

deputation；　under　the　pretext　of　preventing　disturbance；　a　troop　of

sturdy　fellows；　dispatched　by　the　neighboring　section；　arrives　at　the

meeting；　and　suddenly　transforms　the　minority　into　a　majority；　or

controls　the　vote　by　force　of　clamor。　Sometimes；　at　a　late　hour；　when

the　hall　is　nearly　empty；　they　declare　themselves　a　general　meeting；

and　about　twenty　or　thirty　will　cancel　the　discussions　of　the　day。　At

other　times；　being；　through　the　municipality；　in　possession　of　the

police；　they　summon　an　armed　force　to　their　aid；　and　oblige　the

refractory　to　decamp。　And；　as　examples　are　necessary　to　secure　perfect

silence；　the　fifteen　or　twenty　who　have　formed　themselves　into　a　full

meeting；　with　the　five　or　six　who　form　the　Committee　of　Supervision；

issue　warrants　of　arrest　against　the　most　prominent　of　their

opponents。　The　vice…president　of　the　Bon…Conseil　section；　and　the

juge…de…paix　of　the　Unité　section；　learn　in　prison　that　it　is

dangerous　to　present　to　the　Convention　an　address　against　anarchists

or　sign　a　debate　against　Chaumette。＇104＇　　Towards　the　end　of　May；　in

the　section　assemblies；　nobody　dares　open　his　mouth　against　a　Jacobin

motion；　often；　even；　there　are　none　present　but　Jacobins；　for　example；

at　the　Gravilliers；　they　have　driven　out　all　not　of　their　band；　and

henceforth　no　〃intriguer〃＇105＇　is　imprudent　enough　to　present　himself

there。　　Having　become　the　sovereign　People　assembled　in　Council；

with　full　power　to



*　disarm；



*　put　on　the　index；



*　displace；



*　tax；



*　send　off　to　the　army；　and



*　imprison　whoever　gives　them　umbrage；



they　are　able　now；　with　the　municipality　at　their　back　and　as　guides；

to　turn　the　armament　which　they　have　obtained　from　the　Convention

against　it；　attack　the　Girondists　in　their　last　refuge；　and　possess

themselves　of　the　only　fort　not　yet　surrendered。







VI。　　　Jacobin　tactics。



Jacobin　tactics　to　constrain　the　Convention。　…　Petition　of　April　15

against　the　Girondins。　…　Means　employed　to　obtain　signatures。　…　The

Convention　declares　the　petition　calumnious。　…　The　commission　of

Twelve　and　the　arrest　of　Hébert。　…　Plans　for　massacres。　…　Intervention

of　the　Mountain　leaders。



To　conquer　the　last　bastion　of　the　Girondists　all　they　have　to　do　is

simultaneously　in　all　sections　to　do　what　they　used　to　do　separately

in　each　section：　substituting　themselves；　by　fraud　and　by　force；　for

the　Veritable　people；　they　are　able　to　conjure　up　before　the

Convention　the　phantom　of　popular　disapproval。　　From　the

municipality；　holding　its　sessions　at　the　H？tel…de…ville；　and　from　the

conventicle　established　at　the　Evêché；　emissaries　are　sent　forth　who

present　the　same　formal　communication　in　writing　at　the　same　time　in

every　section　in　Paris。＇106＇　〃Here　is　a　petition　for　signatures。〃　

〃Read　it。〃　　〃But　that　is　unnecessary　　it　is　already　adopted　by　a

majority　of　the　sections。〃　　　This　lie　is　accepted　by　some　and

several　sign　in　good　faith　without　reading　it。　In　others　they　read　it

and　refuse　to　sign　it；　in　others；　again；　it　is　read　and　they　pass　to

the　order　of　the　day。　What　happens？　The　plotters　and　ringleaders

remain　behind　until　all　conscientious　citizens　have　withdrawn；　then；

masters　of　the　debate；　they　decide　that　the　petition　must　be　signed；

and　they　accordingly　affix　their　signatures。　The　next　day；　on　the

arrival　of　citizens　at　the　section；　the　petition　is　handed　to　them　for

their　names；　and　the　debate　of　the　previous　evening　is　advanced

against　them。　If　they　offer　any　remarks；　they　are　met　with　these

terrifying　words：



Sign；　or　no　certificate　of　civism！



And；　as　if　approving　this　threat；　several　of　the　sections　which　are

mastered　by　those　who　draw　up　the　lists　of　proscriptions；　decide　that

the　certificates　of　civism　must　be　renewed；　new　ones　being　refused　to

those　refusing　to　sign　the　petition。　They　do　not　rest　content　with

these　moves；　men　armed　with　pikes　are　posted　in　the　streets　to　force

the　signatures　of　those　who　pass。〃＇107＇　　The　whole　weight　of

municipal　authority　has　been　publicly　cast　into　the　scale。

〃Commissaries　of　the　Commune；　accompanied　by　municipal　secretaries；

with　tables；　inkstands；　paper　and　registers；　promenade　about　Paris

preceded　by　drums　and　a　body　of　militia。〃　From　time　to　time；　they　make

〃a　solemn　halt；〃　and　declaim　against　Brissot；　Vergniaud；　Guadet；　and

then　〃demand　and　obtain　signatures。〃＇108＇　Thus　extorted　and　borne　to

the　Convention　by　the　mayor；　in　the　name　of　the　council…general　of　the

Commune　and　of　the　thirty…five　sections；　the　imperious　petition

denounces　twenty…two　Girondists　as　traitors；　and　insolently　demands

their　expulsion。　　Another　day　it　is　found　that　a　similar　summons　and

similarly　presented；　in　the　name　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　is

authorized　only　by　thirteen　or　fourteen。＇109＇　　Sometimes　the

political　parade　is　still　more　incautious。　Pretended　deputies　of　the

Faubourg　St。　Antoine　appear　before　the　Convention　and　assert　the

revolutionary　program。　〃If　you　do　not　adopt　it；〃　they　say；　〃we　will

declare　ourselves　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　there　are　40；000　men　at

the　door。〃＇110＇　The　truth　is；　〃about　fifty　bandits；　scarcely　known　in

the　Faubourg；〃　and　led　by　a　former　upholsterer；　now　a　commissary　of

police；　〃have　gathered　together　on　their　route〃　all　they　could　find　in

the　workshops　〃and　in　the　stores；〃　the　multitude　packed　into　the　Place

Vend？me　not　knowing　what　was　demanded　in　their　name。＇111＇　　　These

dummy　tumults　are；　however；　useful；　they　show　the　Convention　its

master；　and　prepare　the　way　for　a　more　efficient　invasion。　The　day

Marat　was　acquitted；　the　whole　of　his　sewer；　male　and　female；　came

along　with　him；　under　pretext　of　parading　before　the　Convention；　they

invaded　the　hall；　scattered　themselves　over　the　benches　and　steps；

and；　supported　by　the　galleries；　installed　anew　in　the　tribune；　amidst

a　tempest　of　applause　and　of　tumult；　the　usual　promoter　of

insurrection；　pillage　and　assassination。＇112＇　…　And　yet；　however

energetic　and　however　persistent　　the　pressure；　the　Convention；　which

has　yielded　on　so　many　points；　will　not　consent　to　mutilate　itself。　It

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　p