the origins of contemporary france-3-第110部分

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the　last　moment；　two　other　troops；　dispatched　by　the　Gravilliers　and

Croix…Rouge　sections；　arrive　and　bring　them　their　final　afflux。　Thus

strengthened；　they　spring　over　the　benches　assigned　to　them；　spread

through　the　hall；　and　mingle　with　the　deputies　who　still　remain　in

their　seats。　It　is　after　midnight；　many　of　the　representatives；　worn

out　with　fatigue　and　disgust；　have　left；　Pétion；　Lasource；　and　a　few

others；　who　wish　to　get　in；　〃cannot　penetrate　the　threatening　crowd。〃

To　compensate　themselves；　and　in　the　places　of　the　absent；　the

petitioners；　constituting　themselves　representatives　of　France；　vote

with　the　〃Mountain；〃　while　the　Jacobin　president；　far　from　turning

them　out；　himself　invites　them　〃to　set　aside　all　obstacles　prejudicial

to　the　welfare　of　the　people。。〃　In　this　gesticulating　crowd；　in　the

half…light　of　smoky　lamps；　amidst　the　uproar　of　the　galleries；　it　is

difficult　to　hear　well　what　motion　is　put　to　vote；　it　is　not　easy　to

see　who　rises　or　sits　down；　and　two　decrees　pass；　or　seem　to　pass；　one

releasing　Hébert　and　his　accomplices；　and　the　other　revoking　the

commission　of　the　Twelve。＇133＇　Forthwith　the　messengers　who　await　the

issue　run　out　and　carry　the　good　news　to　the　H？tel…de…ville；　the

Commune　celebrating　its　triumph　with　an　explosion　of　applause。



The　next　morning；　however；　notwithstanding　the　terrors　of　a　call　of

the　House　and　the　fury　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　the　majority；　as　a　defensive

stroke；　revokes　the　decree　by　which　it　is　disarmed；　while　a　new　decree

maintains　the　commission　of　the　Twelve；　the　operation；　accordingly；　is

to　be　done　over　again；　but　not　the　whole　of　it；　for　Hébert　and　the

others　imprisoned　remain　at　liberty；　while　the　majority；　which；

through　a　sense　of　propriety　or　the　instinct　of　self…preservation；　had

again　placed　its　sentinels　on　the　outposts；　consents；　either　through

weakness　or　hopes　of　conciliation；　to　let　the　prisoners　remain　free。

The　result　is　they　have　had　the　worst　of　the　fight。　Their　adversaries；

accordingly；　are　encouraged；　and　at　once　renew　the　attack；　their

tactics；　very　simple；　being　those　which　have　already　proved　so

successful　on　the　10th　of　August。



The　matter　now　in　hand　is　to　invoke　against　the　derived　and

provisional　rights　of　the　government；　the　superior　and　inalienable

right　of　the　people；　also；　to　substitute　for　legal　authority；　which；

in　its　nature；　is　limited；　revolutionary　power；　which；　in　its　essence；

is　absolute。　To　this　end　the　section　of　the　City；　under　the　vice…

presidency　of　Maillard；　the　〃Septemberizer；〃　invites　the　other　forty…

seven　sections　each　to　elect　two　commissaries；　with　〃unlimited

powers。〃　In　thirty…three　sections；　purged；　terrified；　or　deserted；　the

Jacobins；　alone；　or　almost　alone；＇134＇　elect　the　most　determined　of

their　band；　particularly　strangers　and　rascals；　in　all　sixty…six

commissaries；　who；　on　the　evening　of　the　29th；　meet　at　the　Evêché；　and

select　nine　from　their　midst　to　form；　under　the　presidency　of　Dobsen；

a　central　and　revolutionary　executive　committee。　　These　nine　persons

are　entirely　unknown；＇135＇　all　are　obscure　subordinates；＇136＇　mere

puppets　and　manikins；　eight　days　later；　on　finishing　their

performance；　when　they　are　no　longer　needed；　they　will　be　withdrawn

behind　the　scenes。　In　the　mean　time　they　pass　for　the　mandatories　of

the　popular　sovereign；　with　full　power　in　all　directions；　because　he

has　delegated　his　omnipotence　to　them；　and　the　sole　power；　because

their　investiture　is　the　most　recent；　under　this　sanction；　they　stalk

around　somewhat　like　supernumeraries　at　the　Opera；　dressed　in　purple

and　gold；　representing　a　conclave　of　cardinals　or　the　Diet　of　the　Holy

Empire。　　Never　has　the　political　drama　degenerated　into　such　an

impudent　farce！　　On　the　31st；　at　half…past　six　in　the　morning；

Dobsen　and　his　bullies　present　themselves　at　the　council…general　of

the　Commune；　tender　their　credentials；　and　make　known　to　it　its

deposition。　The　Council；　with　edifying　complacency；　accepts　the　fiat

and　leaves　the　department。　　With　no　less　grateful　readiness　Dobsen

summons　it　back；　and　reinstates　it　in　all　its　functions；　in　the　name

of　the　people；　and　declares　that　it　merits　the　esteem　of　the

country。＇137＇　　At　the　same　time　another　demagogue；　Varlet；　performs

the　same　ceremony　with　the　Council　of　the　department；　and　both　bodies；

consecrated　by　a　new　baptism；　join　the　sixty…six　commissaries　to　share

the　dictatorship。　　What　could　be　more　legitimate？　The　Convention

would　err　in　making　any　opposition：



〃It　was　elected　merely　to　condemn　the　tyrant　and　to　frame　a

constitution；　the　sovereign　people　has　invested　it　with　no　other

power；＇138＇　accordingly；　the　other　acts；　its　warrants　of　arrest；　are

simply　usurpations　and　despotism。　Paris；　moreover；　represents　France

better　than　it　does；　for　Paris　is　〃the　extract　of　all　the　departments；

the　mirror　of　opinion；〃＇139＇　the　advance…guard　of　patriotism。

〃Remember　the　10th　of　August；＇140＇　　previous　to　that　time；　the

opinions　in　the　Republic　were　divided；　but；　scarcely　had　you　struck

the　decisive　blow　when　all　subsided　into　silence。　Have　no　fear　of　the

departments；　with　a　little　terror　and　a　few　instructions；　we　shall

turn　all　minds　in　our　favor。〃　Grumblers　persist　in　demanding　the

convocation　of　primary　assemblies。　〃Was　not　the　10th　of　August

necessary？　Did　not　the　departments　then　endorse　what　Paris　did？　They

will　do　so　this　time。　It　is　Paris　which　saved　them。〃＇141＇



Consequently；　the　new　government　places　Henriot；　a　reliable　man；　and

one　of　the　September　slaughterers；　in　full　command　of　the　armed　force；

then；　through　a　violation　by　law　declared　as　a　capital　offense；　it

orders　the　alarm　gun　to　be　fired；　then；　on　the　other　hand；　it　beats　a

general　call　to　arms；　sounds　the　tocsin　and　closes　the　barriers；　the

post　office　managers　are　put　in　arrest；　and　letters　are　intercepted

and　opened；　the　order　is　given　to　disarm　the　suspected　and　hand　their

arms　over　to　patriots；　〃forty　sous　a　day　are　allowed　to　citizens　with

small　means　while　under　arms。〃＇142＇　　Notice　is　given　without　fail　the

preceding　evening　to　the　trusty　men　of　the　quarter；　accordingly；　early

in　the　morning；　the　Committee　of　Supervision　has　already　selected　from

the　Jacobin　sections　〃the　most　needy　companies　in　order　to　arm　those

the　most　worthy　of　combating　for　liberty；〃　while　all　its　guns　are

distributed　〃to　the　good　republican　workmen。〃　＇143＇　　From　hour　to

hour　as　the　day　advances；　we　see　in　the　refractory　sections　all

authority　passing　over　to　the　side　of　force；　at　the　Finistère；　Butte…

des…Moulins；　Lombards；　Fraternité；　and　Marais＇144＇　sections；　the

encouraged　sans…culottes　obtain　the　ascendancy；　nullify　the

deliberations　of　the　moderates；　and；　in　the　afternoon；　their　delegates

go　and　take　the　oath　at　the　H？tel…de…ville。



Meanwhile　the　Commune；　dragging　behind　it　the　semblance　of　popular

unanimity；　besieges　the　Convention　with　multiplied　and　threatening

petitions。　As　on　the　27th　of　May；　the　petitioners　invade　the　hall；　and

〃mix　in　fraternally　with　the　members　of　the　'Left。〃'　Forthwith；　on　the

motion　of　Levasseur；　the　〃Mountain；〃　〃confident　of　its　place　being

well　guarded；〃　leaves　it　and　passes　over　to　the　〃Right。〃＇145＇　　Invaded

in　its　turn；　the　〃Right〃　refuses　to　join　in　the　deliberations；

Vergniaud　demands　that　〃the　Assembly　join　the　armed　force　on　the

square；　and　put　itself　under　its　protection〃；　he　and　his　friends　leave

the　hall；　and　the　decapitated　majority　falls　back　upon　its　usual

hesitating　course。　All　is　hubbub　and　uproar　around　it。　In　the　hall　the

clamors　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　the　petitioners；　and　the　galleries；　seem

like　the　constant　roar　of　a　tempest。　Outside；　twenty　or　thirty

thousand　men　will　probably　clash　in　the　streets；＇146＇　the　battalion　of

Butte…des…Moulins；　with　detachments　sent　by　neighboring　sections；　is

entrenched　in　the　Palais…Royal；　and　Henriot；　spreading　the　report　that

the　rich　sections　of　the　center　have　displayed　the　white　cockade；　send

against　it　the　sans…culottes　of　the　faubourgs　Saint…Antoine　and　Saint…

Marceau；　cannon　are　pointed　on　both　sides。　　These　loaded　cannon　must

not　be　discharged；　the　signal　of　civil　war　must　not　be　given；　it　is

simply　necessary　〃to　forestall　the　consequences　of　a　movement　which

could　be　only　disastrous　to　liberty；〃＇147＇　and　it　is　important　to

ensure　public　order。　The　majority；　accordingly；　think　that　it　is

acting　courageously　in　refusing　to　the　Commune　the　arrest　of　the

Twenty…two；　and　of　the　Ministers；　Lebrun　and　Clavière；　in　exchange　for

this　it　consents　to　suppress　its　commission　of　Twelve；　it　confirms　the

act　of　the　Commune　which　allows　forty　sous　a　day　to　the　workmen　under

arms；　it　declares　freedom　of　entry　into　its　tribunes；　and；　thanking

all　the　sections；　those　who　defended　as　well　as　those　who　attacked　it；

it　maintains　the　National　Guard　on　permanent　call；　announces　a　general

federation　for　the　10th　of　August　following；　and　goes　off　to

fraternize　with　the　battalions　in　the　Palai