the origins of contemporary france-3-第18部分

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other　hand；　by　virtue　of　the　constitution；　the　civic　oath；　which

includes　the　ecclesiastical　oath；　is　imposed　on　all　electors；　for；　if

any　one　takes　the　former　and　reserves　the　latter；　his　vote　is　thrown

out：　in　November；　in　the　Doubs；　the　municipal　elections　of　thirty…

three　communes　are　invalidated　solely　on　this　pretext。＇6＇　　Not　only

forty　thousand　ecclesiastics　are　thus　rendered　unsworn　（insermentés）；

but　again；　all　scrupulous　Catholics　lose　the　right　of　suffrage；　these

being　by　far　the　most　numerous　in　Artois；　Doubs　and　the　Jura；　in　the

Lower　and　Upper　Rhine　district；＇7＇　in　the　two　Sévres　and　la　Vendée；　in

the　Lower　Loire；　Morbihan；　Finisterre　and　C？tes　du　Nord；　in　Lozère　and

Ardèche；　without　mentioning　the　southern　departments。＇8＇　　　Thus；　aided

by　the　law　which　they　have　rendered　impracticable；　the　Jacobins；　on

the　one　hand；　are　rid　of　all　sensible　voters　in　advance；　counting　by

millions；　and；　on　the　other；　　aided　by　a　law　which　they　have　rendered

intolerant；　they　are　rid　of　the　Catholic　vote　which　counts　by　hundreds

of　thousands。　On　entering　the　electoral　lists；　consequently；　thanks　to

this　double　exclusion；　they　find　themselves　confronted　by　only　the

smallest　number　of　electors。



II。



Annoyances　and　dangers　of　public　elections。　…　The　constituents

excluded　from　the　Legislative　body。



Operations　must　now　be　commenced　against　these；　and　a　first　expedient

consists　in　depriving　them　of　their　candidates。　The　obligation　of

taking　the　oath　has　already　partly　provided　for　this；　in　Lozère　all

the　officials　send　in　their　resignations　rather　than　take　the　oath；＇9＇

here　are　men　who　will　not　be　candidates　at　the　coming　elections；　for

nobody　covets　a　place　which　he　was　forced　to　abandon；　in　general；　the

suppression　of　all　party　candidatures　is　effected　in　no　other　way　than

by　making　the　post　of　a　magistrate　distasteful。　　The　Jacobins　have

successfully　adhered　to　this　principle　by　promoting　and　taking　the

lead　in　innumerable　riots　against　the　King；　the　officials　and　the

clerks；　against　nobles；　ecclesiastics；　corn…dealers　and　land…owners；

against　every　species　of　public　authority　whatever　its　origin。

Everywhere　the　authorities　are　constrained　to　tolerate　or　excuse

murders；　pillage　and　arson；　or；　at　the　very　least；　insurrections　and

disobedience。　For　two　years　a　mayor　runs　the　risk　of　being　hung　on

proclaiming　martial　law；　a　captain　is　not　sure　of　his　men　on　marching

to　protect　a　tax　levy；　a　judge　on　the　bench　is　threatened　if　he

condemns　the　marauders　who　devastate　the　national　forests。　The

magistrate；　whose　duty　it　is　to　see　that　the　law　is　respected；　is

constantly　obliged　to　strain　the　law；　or　allow　it　to　be　strained；　if

refractory；　a　summary　blow　dealt　by　the　local　Jacobins　forces　his

legal　authority　to　yield　to　their　illegal　dictate；　so　that　he　has　to

resign　himself　to　being　either　their　accomplice　or　their　puppet。　Such

a　r？le　is　intolerable　to　a　man　of　feeling　or　conscience。　Hence；　in

1790　and　1791；　nearly　all　the　prominent　and　reputable　men　who；　in

1789；　had　seats　in　the　H？tels…de…villes；　or　held　command　in　the

National　Guard；　all　country…gentlemen；　chevaliers　of　St。　Louis；　old

parliamentarians；　the　upper　bourgeoisie　and　large　landed…proprietors；

retire　into　private　life　and　renounce　public　functions　which　are　no

longer　tenable。　Instead　of　offering　themselves　to　public　suffrage　they

avoid　it；　and　the　party　of　order；　far　from　electing　the　magistracy；　no

longer　even　finds　candidates　for　it。



Through　an　excess　of　precaution；　its　natural　leaders　have　been　legally

disqualified；　the　principal　offices；　especially　those　of　deputy　and

minister；　being　interdicted　beforehand　to　the　influential　men　in　whom

we　find　the　little　common　sense　gained　by　the　French　people　during　the

past　two　years。…In　the　month　of　June；　1779；　even　after　the

irreconcilables　had　parted　company　with　the　〃Right；〃　there　still

remained　in　the　Assembly　about　700　members　who；　adhering　to　the

constitution　but　determined　to　repress　disorder；　would　have　formed　a

sensible　legislature　had　they　been　re…elected。　All　of　these；　except　a

very　small　group　of　revolutionaries；　had　learned　something　by

experience；　and；　in　the　last　days　of　their　session；　two　serious

events；　the　king's　flight　and　the　riot　in　the　Champ　de　Mars；　had　made

them　acquainted　with　the　defects　of　their　machinery。　With　this

executive　instrument　in　their　hands　for　three　months；　they　see　that　it

is　racked；　that　things　are　tottering；　and　that　they　themselves　are

being　run　over　by　fanatics　and　the　crowd。　They　accordingly　attempt　to

put　on　a　drag；　and　several　even　think　of　retracing　their　steps。＇10＇

They　cut　loose　from　the　Jacobins；　of　the　three　or　four　hundred

deputies　on　the　club　list　in　the　Rue　St。　Honoré＇11＇　but　seven　remain；

the　rest　form　at　the　Feuillants　a　distinct　opposition　club；　and　at

their　head　are　the　first　founders；　Duport；　the　two　Lameths；　Barnave；

the　authors　of　the　constitution；　all　the　fathers　of　the　new

régime。＇12＇　　　In　the　last　decree　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　they

loudly　condemn　the　usurpations　of　popular　associations；　and　not　only

interdict　to　these　all　meddling　in　administrative　or　political

matters；　but　likewise　any　collective　petition　or　deputation。＇13＇　

Here　may　the　friends　of　order　find　candidates　whose　chances　are　good；

for；　during　two　years　and　more；　each　in　his　own　district　is　the　most

conspicuous；　the　best　accredited；　and　the　most　influential　man　there；

he　stands　well　with　his　electors　on　account　of　the　popularity　of　the

constitution　he　has　made；　and　it　is　very　probable　that　his　name　would

rally　to　it　a　majority　of　votes。…The　Jacobins；　however；　have　foreseen

this　danger：　　Four　months　earlier；＇14＇　with　the　aid　of　the　Court；

which　never　missed　an　opportunity　to　ruin　itself　and　everything

else；＇15＇　they　made　the　most　of　the　grudges　of　the　conservatives　and

the　wearyness　of　the　Assembly。　Tired　and　disgusted；　in　a　fit　of

mistaken　selflessness；　the　Assembly；　through　enthusiasm　and　taken　by

surprise；　passes　an　act　declaring　all　its　members　ineligible　for

election　to　the　next　Assembly　dismissing　in　advance　the　leaders　of　the

gentlemen's　party。



III。



The　friends　of　order　deprived　of　the　right　of　free　assemblage。　

Violent　treatment　of　their　clubs　in　Paris　and　the　provinces。　　Legal

prevention　of　conservative　associations。



If　the　latter　（the　honest　men　of　the　Right）；　in　spite　of　so　many

drawbacks；　attempt　a　struggle；　they　are　arrested　at　the　very　first

step。　For；　to　enter　upon　an　electoral　campaign；　requires　preliminary

meetings　for　conference　and　to　understand　each　other；　while　the

faculty　of　forming　an　association；　which　the　law　grants　them　as　a

right；　is　actually　withheld　from　them　by　their　adversaries。　As　a

beginning；　the　Jacobins　hooted　at　and　〃stone〃　the　members　of　the

〃Right〃＇16＇　holding　their　meetings　in　the　Salon　fran？ais　of　the　Rue

Royale；　and；　according　to　the　prevailing　rule；　the　police　tribunal；

〃considering　that　this　assemblage　is　a　cause　of　disturbance；　that　it

produces　gatherings　in　the　street；　that　only　violent　means　can　be

employed　to　protect　it；〃　orders　its　dissolution。＇17＇　　Towards　the

month　of　August；　1790；　a　second　club　is　organized；　and；　this　time；

composed　of　the　wisest　and　most　liberal　men。　Malouet　and　Count

Clermont…Tonnerre　are　at　the　head　of　it。　　It　takes　the　name　of

〃Friends　of　a　Monarchical　Constitution；〃　and　is　desirous　of　restoring

public　order　by　maintaining　the　reforms　which　have　been　reached。　All

formalities　on　its　part　have　been　complied　with。　There　are　already

about　800　members　in　Paris。　Subscriptions　flow　into　its　treasury。　The

provinces　send　in　numerous　adhesions；　and；　what　is　worse　than　all；

bread　is　distributed　by　them　at　a　reduced　price；　by　which　the　people；

probably；　will　be　conciliated。　　Here　is　a　center　of　opinion　and

influence；　analogous　to　that　of　the　Jacobin　club；　which　the　Jacobins

cannot　tolerate。＇18＇　　M。　de　Clermont…Tonnerre　having　leased　the　summer

Vauxhall；　a　captain　in　the　National　Guard　notifies　the　proprietor　of

it　that　if　he　rents　it；　the　patriots　of　the　Palais…Royal　will　march　to

it　in　a　body；　and　close　it；　fearing　that　the　building　will　be　damaged；

he　cancels　the　lease；　while　the　municipality；　which　fears　skirmishes；

orders　a　suspension　of　the　meetings。　The　club　makes　a　complaint　and

follows　it　up；　while　the　letter　of　the　law　is　so　plain　that　an

official　authorization　of　the　club　is　finally　granted。　Thereupon　the

Jacobin　newspapers　and　stump…　speakers　let　loose　their　fury　against　a

future　rival　that　threatens　to　dispute　their　empire。　　On　the　23rd　of

January；　1791；　Barnave；　in　the　National　Assembly；　employing

metaphorical　language　apt　to　be　used　as　a　death…shout；　accuses　the

members　of　the　new　club　〃of　giving　the　people　bread　that　carries

poison　with　it。〃　Four　days　after　this；　M。　Clermont…Tonnerre's　dwelling

is　assailed　by　an　armed　throng。　　Malouet；　on　leaving　it；　is　almost

dragged　from　his　carriage；　and　the　crowd　around　him