the origins of contemporary france-3-第12部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



no　respect　is　shown　to　the　constitution　by　assailing　the　freedom　of

the　press。〃





〃The　constitution　is　the　common　will；　resumed　the　spokesman。　　The　law；

is　the　authority　of　the　strongest。　　You　are　subject　to　the　strongest

and　you　ought　to　submit。　　We　notify　you　of　the　will　of　the　nation　and

that　is　the　law。'〃





Mallet　du　Pan　stated　to　them　that　he　was　not　in　favor　of　the　ancient

régime；　but　that　he　did　approve　of　royal　authority。







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　all　together；　〃　we　should　be　sorry　not　to　have　a　king。

We　respect　the　King　and　maintain　his　authority。　　But　you　are　forbidden

to　oppose　the　dominant　opinion　and　the　liberty　which　is　decreed　by　the

National　Assembly。〃







Mallet　du　Pan；　apparently；　knows　more　about　this　than　they　do；　for　he

is　a　Swiss　by　birth；　and　has　lived　under　a　republic　for　twenty　years。

But　this　does　not　concern　them。　They　persist　all　the　same；　five　or　six

talking　at　once；　misconstruing　the　sense　the　words　they　use；　and　each

contradicting　the　other　in　point　of　detail；　but　all　agreeing　to　impose

silence　on　him：





〃You　should　not　run　counter　to　the　popular　will；　for　in　doing　this　you

preach　civil　war；　bring　the　assembly's　decrees　into　contempt；　and

irritate　the　nation。〃





Evidently；　for　them；　they　constitute　the　nation；　or；　more　or　less；

they　represent　it。　Through　this　self…investiture　they　are　at　once

magistrates；　censors；　and　police；　while　the　scolded　journalist　is　only

too　glad；　in　his　case；　to　have　them　stop　at　injunctions。　　Three　days

before　this　he　is　advised　that　a　body　of　rioters　in　his　neighborhood

〃threatened　to　treat　his　house　like　that　of　M。　de　Castries；〃　in　which

everything　had　been　smashed　and　thrown　out　the　windows。　At　another

time；　apropos　of　the　suspensive　or　absolute　veto；　〃four　savage　fellows

came　to　his　domicile　to　warn　him；　showing　him　their　pistols；　that　if

he　dared　write　in　behalf　of　M。　Mounier　he　should　answer　for　it　with

his　life。〃　Thus；　from　the　outset；



〃just　as　the　nation　begins　to　enjoy　the　inestimable　right　of　free

thought　and　free　speech；　factional　tyrants　lose　no　time　in　depriving

citizens　of　these；　proclaiming　to　all　that　would　maintain　the

integrity　of　their　consciences：　Tremble；　die；　or　believe　as　we　do！〃



After　this；　to　impose　silence　on　those　who　express　what　is　offensive；

the　crowd；　the　club；　the　section；　decree　and　execute；　each　on　its　own

authority；＇27＇　searches；　arrests；　assaults；　and；　at　length；

assassinations。　　During　the　month　of　June；　1792；　〃three　decrees　of

arrest　and　fifteen　denunciations；　two　acts　of　affixing　seals；　four

civic　invasions　of　his　premises；　and　the　confiscation　of　whatever

belonged　to　him　in　France〃　is　the　experience　of　Mallet　du　Pan。　　He

passes　four　years　〃without　knowing　with　any　certainty　on　going　to　bed

whether　he　should　get　out　of　it　in　the　morning　alive　and　free。〃　Later

on；　if　he　escapes　the　guillotine　and　the　lantern；　it　is　owing　to

exile。　　On　the　10th　of　August；　Suleau；　a　conservative　journalist；　is

massacred　in　the　street。　　This　shows　how　the　party　regards　the

freedom　of　the　press。　　Other　liberties　may　be　judged　of　by　its

encroachments　on　this　domain。　　Law；　in　its　eyes；　is　null　when　it

proves　an　obstacle；　and　when　it　affords　protection　to　adversaries；

consequently　there　is　no　excess　which　it　does　not　sanction　for　itself；

and　no　right　which　it　does　not　refuse　to　others。



There　is　no　escape　from　the　tyranny　of　the　clubs。　　〃That　of　Marseilles

has　forced　the　city　officials　to　resign；＇28＇　it　has　summoned　the

municipal　body　to　appear　before　it；　it　has　ignored　the　authority　of

the　department；　and　has　insulted　the　administrators　of　the　law。

Members　of　the　Orleans　club　have　kept　the　national　Supreme　Court　under

supervision；　and　taken　part　in　its　proceedings。　Those　of　the　Caen　club

have　insulted　the　magistrates；　and　seized　and　burnt　the　records　of　the

proceedings　commenced　against　the　destroyers　of　the　statue　of　Louis

XIV。　At　Alby　they　have　forcibly　abstracted　from　the　record…office　the

papers　relating　to　an　assassin's　trial；　and　burnt　them。〃　The　club　at

Coutance　gives　the　deputies　of　its　district　to　understand　that　〃no

reflections　must　be　cast　on　the　laws　of　the　people。〃　That　of　Lyons

stops　an　artillery　train；　under　the　pretext　that　the　ministry　in

office　does　not　enjoy　the　nation's　confidence。　　Thus　does　the　club

everywhere　govern；　or　prepare　to　govern。　　On　the　one　hand；　at　the

elections；　it　sets　aside　or　supports　candidates；　it　alone　votes；　or；

at　least；　controls　the　voting。　In　short；　the　club　is　the　elective

power；　and　practically；　if　not　legally；　enjoys　the　privileges　of　a

political　aristocracy。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　assumes　to　be　a

spontaneous　police…board；　it　prepares　and　circulates　the　lists　which

designate　the　ill…disposed；　suspected；　and　lukewarm；　it　lodges

information　against　nobles　whose　sons　have　emigrated；　against　unsworn

priests　who　still　reside　in　their　former　parishes；　and　against　nuns；

〃whose　conduct　is　unconstitutional〃。　It　prompts；　directs；　and　rebukes

local　authorities；　it　is　itself　a　supplemental；　superior；　and　usurping

authority。　　　All　at　once；　sensible　men　realize　its　character；　and

protest　against　it。







〃A　body　thus　organized；〃　says　a　petition；＇29＇　〃exists　solely　for

arming　one　citizen　against　another。　。　。　。　Discussions　take　place

there；　and　denunciations　are　made　under　the　seal　of　inviolable

secrecy。　。　。　。　。　Honest　citizens；　surrendered　to　the　most　atrocious

calumny；　are　destroyed　without　an　opportunity　of　defending　themselves。

It　is　a　veritable　Inquisition。　It　is　the　center　of　seditious

publications；　a　school　of　cabals　and　intrigue。　If　the　citizens　have　to

blush　at　the　selection　of　unworthy　candidates；　they　are　all　due　to

this　class　of　associations　。　。　。　Composed　of　the　excited　and　the

incendiary；　of　those　who　aim　to　rule　the　State；〃　the　club　everywhere

tends



〃to　a　mastery　of　the　popular　opinion；　to　thwarting　the　municipalities；

to　an　intrusion　of　itself　between　these　and　the　people；〃　to　an

usurpation　of　legal　forms　and　to　become　　a　〃colossus　of　despotism。〃



Vain　complaints！　　The　National　Assembly；　ever　in　alarm　on　its　own

account；　shields　the　popular　club　and　accords　it　its　favor　or

indulgence。　　A　journal　of　the　party　had　recommended　〃the　people　to

form　themselves　into　small　platoons。〃　　These　platoons；　one　by　one；　are

growing。　　Each　borough　now　has　a　local　oligarchy；　an　enlisted　and

governing　band。　　To　create　an　army　out　of　these　scattered　bands；

simply　requires　a　staff　and　a　central　rallying…point。　　The　central

point　and　the　staff　have　both　for　a　long　time　been　ready　in　Paris；　it

is　the　association　of　the　〃Friends　of　the　Constitution。〃





IV。



Their　rallying…points。　　Origin　and　composition　of　the　Paris　Jacobin

club。　　　It　affiliates　with　provincial　clubs。　　　Its　leaders。　

The　fanatics。　　　The　Intriguers。　　　Their　object。　　　Their　means。



No　association　in　France；　indeed；　dates　farther　back；　and　has　an　equal

prestige。　It　was　born　before　the　Revolution；　April　30；　1789。＇30＇　　At

the　assembly　of　the　States…General　in　Brittany；　the　deputies　from

Quimper；　Hennebon；　and　Pontivy　saw　how　important　it　was　to　vote　in

concert；　and　they　had　scarcely　reached　Versailles　when；　in　common　with

others；　they　hired　a　hall；　and；　along　with　Mounier；　secretary　of　the

States…General　of　Dauphiny；　and　other　deputies　from　the　provinces；　at

once　organized　a　union　which　was　destined　to　last。　Up　to　the　6th　of

October；　none　but　deputies　were　comprised　in　it；　after　that　date；　on

removing　to　Paris；　in　the　library　of　the　Jacobins；　a　convent　in　the

Rue　St。　Honoré；　many　well…known　eminent　men　were　admitted；　such　as

Condorcet；　and　then　Laharpe；　Chénier；　Champfort；　David；　and　Talma；

among　the　most　prominent；　with　other　authors　and　artists；　the　whole

amounting　to　about　a　thousand　notable　personages。　　　No　assemblage

could　be　more　imposing　　two　or　three　hundred　deputies　are　on　its

benches；　while　its　rules　and　by…laws　seem　specially　designed　to　gather

a　superior　body　of　men。　Candidates　for　admission　were　proposed　by　ten

members　and　afterwards　voted　on　by　ballot。　To　be　present　at　one　of　its

meetings　required　a　card　of　admission。　On　one　occasion；　a　member　of

the　committee　of　two；　appointed　to　verify　these　cards；　happens　to　be

the　young　Duke　of　Chartres。　There　is　a　committee　on　administration　and

a　president。　Discussions　took　place　with　parliamentary　formalities；

and；　according　to　its　status；　the　questions　considered　there　were

those　under　debate　in　the　National　Assembly。＇31＇　　In　the　lower　hall；

at　certain　hours；　workmen　received　instruction　and　the　constitution

was　explained　to　them。　Seen　from　afar；　no　society　seems　worthier　of

directing　public　opinion；　near　by；　the　case　is　different。　In　the

departments；　however；　where　distance　lends　enchantment；　and　where　old

customs　prevail　implanted　by　centralization；　it　is　accepted　as　a　guide

because　its　seat　is　at　the　capital。　Its　statutes；　its　regulations；　its

sp