the origins of contemporary france-3-第54部分

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class；　or　gaining　a　livelihood　by　infamous　pursuits；　〃hit…men　and

their　henchmen　of　evil　haunts；〃　used　to　blood；　quick　to　strike；　good

cut…throats；　picked　men　out　of　the　bands　that　had　marched　on　Aix；

Arles；　and　Avignon；　the　froth　of　that　froth　which；　for　three　years；　in

the　Comtat　and　in　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　boiled　over　the　useless

barriers　of　the　law。　　　The　very　day　they　reach　Paris　they　show　what

they　can　do。＇35＇　　Welcomed　with　great　pomp　by　the　Jacobins　and　by

Santerre；　they　are　conducted；　for　a　purpose；　to　the　Champs…Elysées；

into　a　tavern；　near　the　restaurant　in　which　the　grenadiers　of　the

Filles　St。　Thomas；　bankers；　brokers；　leading　men；　well…known　for　their

attachment　to　a　monarchical　constitution；　were　dining　in　a　body；　as

announced　several　days　in　advance。　The　mob　which　had　formed　a　convoy

for　the　Marseilles　battalion；　gathers　before　the　restaurant；　shouts；

throws　mud；　and　then　lets　fly　a　volley　of　stones　；　the　grenadiers　draw

their　sabers。　Forthwith　a　shout　is　heard　just　in　front　of　them；　à　nous

les　Marseillais！　upon　which　the　gang　jump　out　of　the　windows　with　true

southern　agility；　clamber　across　the　ditches；　fall　upon　the　grenadiers

with　their　swords；　kill　one　and　wound　fifteen。　　No　début　could　be

more　brilliant。　The　party　at　last　possesses　men　of　action；＇36＇　and

they　must　be　kept　within　reach！　Men　who　do　such　good　work；　and　so

expeditiously；　must　be　well　posted　near　the　Tuileries。　The　mayor；

consequently；　on　the　night　of　the　8th　of　August；　without　informing　the

commanding　general；　solely　on　his　own　authority；　orders　them　to　leave

their　barracks　in　the　Rue　Blanche　and　take　up　their　quarters；　with

their　arms　and　cannon；　in　the　barracks　belonging　to　the

Cordeliers。＇37＇



Such　is　the　military　force　in　the　hands　of　the　Jacobin　masses；　nothing

remains　but　to　place　the　civil　power　in　their　hands　also；　and；　as　the

first　gift　of　this　kind　was　made　to　them　by　the　Girondins；　they　will

not　fail　to　make　them　the　second　one。　　　On　the　1st　of　July；　they

decree　that　the　sessions　of　administrative　bodies　should　thenceforth

be　public；　this　is　submitting　municipalities；　district；　and　department

councils；　as　well　as　the　National　Assembly　itself；　to　the　clamor；　the

outrages；　the　menaces；　the　rule　of　their　audiences；　which　in　these

bodies　as　in　the　National　Assembly；　will　always　be　Jacobin。＇38＇　On　the

11th　of　July；　on　declaring　the　country　in　danger；＇39＇　they　render　the

sessions　permanent；　first　of　the　administrative　bodies；　and　next　of

the　forty…eight　sections　of　Paris；　which　is　a　surrender　of　the

administrative　bodies　　and　the　forty…eight　sections　of　Paris　to　the

Jacobin　minority；　which　minority；　through　its　zeal　and　being　ever

present；　knows　how　to　convert　itself　into　a　majority。　　　　Let　us

trace　the　consequences　of　this；　and　see　the　selection　which　is　thus

effected　by　the　double　decree。　Those　who　attend　these　meetings；　day

and　night；　are　not　the　steady；　busy　people。　In　the　first　place；　they

are　too　busy　in　their　own　counting…rooms；　shops　and　factories　to　lose

so　much　time。　In　the　next　place；　they　are　too　sensible；　to　docile；　and

too　honest　to　go　and　lord　it　over　their　magistrates　in　the　H？tel…de…

ville；　or　regard　themselves　in　their　various　sections　as　the　sovereign

people。　Moreover；　they　are　disgusted　with　all　this　bawling。　Lastly；

the　streets　of　Paris；　especially　at　night；　are　not　safe；　owing　to　so

much　outdoor　politics；　there　is　a　great　increase　of　caning　and　of

knocking　down。　Accordingly；　for　a　long　time；　they　do　not　attend　at　the

clubs；　nor　are　they　seen　in　the　galleries　of　the　National　Assembly；

nor　will　they　be　seen　again　at　the　sessions　of　the　municipality；　nor

at　the　meetings　of　the　sections。　　Nothing；　on　the　other　hand；　is

more　attractive　to　the　idle　tipplers　of　the　cafés；　to　bar…room

oracles；　loungers；　and　talkers；　living　in　furnished　rooms；＇40＇　to　the

parasites　and　refractory　of　the　social　army；　to　all　who　have　left　the

social　structures　and　unable　to　get　back　again；　who　want　to　tear

things　to　pieces；　and；　for　lack　of　a　private　career；　establish　one　for

themselves　in　public。　Permanent　sessions；　even　at　night；　are　not　too

long　either　for　them；　or　for　lazy　Federates；　for　disordered

intellects；　and　for　the　small　troop　of　genuine　fanatics。　Here　they　are

either　performers　or　claqueurs；　an　uproar　not　being　offensive　to　them；

because　they　create　it。　They　relieve　each　other；　so　as　to　be　always　on

hand　in　sufficient　number；　or　compensate　for　a　deficiency　by

usurpations　and　brutality。　　The　section　of　the　Théatre…Fran？ais；　for

instance；　in　contempt　of　the　law；　removes　the　distinction　between

active　and　passive　citizens；　by　granting　to　all　residents　in　its

circumscription　the　right　to　be　present　at　its　meetings　and　the　right

to　vote。　Other　sections＇41＇　admit　to　their　sittings　all　well…disposed

spectators；　all　women；　children；　and　the　nomads；　all　agitators；　and

the　agitated；　who；　as　at　the　National　Assembly；　applaud　or　hoot　at　the

word　of　command。　In　the　sections　not　disposed　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　an

anonymous　public；　the　same　herd　of　frantic　characters　make　a　racket　at

the　doors；　and　insult　the　electors　who　pass　through　them。　　Thanks　to

this　itinerant　throng　of　co…operating　intruders；　the　Jacobin

extremists　rule　the　sections　the　same　as　the　Assembly；　in　the　sections

as　in　the　Assembly；　they　drive　away　or　silence　the　moderates；　and　when

the　hall　becomes　half　empty　or　dumb；　their　motion　is　passed。　Hawked

about　in　the　vicinity；　the　motion　is　even　carried　off；　in　a　few　days

it　makes　the　tour　of　Paris；　and　returns　to　the　Assembly　as　an

authentic　and　unanimous　expression　of　popular　will。＇42＇



At　present；　to　ensure　the　execution　of　this　counterfeit　will；　it

requires　a　central　committee；　and　through　a　masterpiece　of　delusion；

Pétion；　the　Girondist　mayor；　is　the　one　who　undertakes　to　lodge；

sanction；　and　organize　the　committee。　On　the　17th　day　of　July；＇43＇　he

establishes　in　the　offices　belonging　to　the　Commune；　〃a　central　bureau

of　correspondence　between　the　sections。〃　To　this　a　duly　elected

commissioner　is　to　bring　the　acts　passed　by　his　section　each　day；　and

carry　away　the　corresponding　acts　of　the　remaining　forty…seven

sections。　Naturally；　these　elected　commissioners　will　hold　meetings　of

their　own；　appointing　a　president　and　secretary；　and　making　official

reports　of　their　proceedings　in　the　same　form　as　a　veritable　municipal

council。　As　they　are　elected　to…day；　and　with　a　special　mandate；　it　is

natural　that　they　should　consider　themselves　more　legitimate　than　a

municipal　council　elected　four　or　five　months　before　them；　and　with　a

very　uncertain　mandate。　Installed　in　the　town　hall　of　Paris　（H？tel…de…

ville）；　only　two　steps　from　the　municipal　council；　it　is　natural　for

them　to　attempt　to　take　its　place；　to　substitute　themselves　for　it；

they　have　only　to　cross　over　to　the　other　side　of　a　corridor。







IV。



Vain　attempts　of　the　Girondins　to　put　it　down。　　　Jacobin　alarm；

their　enthusiasm；　and　their　program。



　　　Thus；　hatched　by　the　Girondins；　does　the　terrible　Commune　of　Paris

come　into　being；　that　of　August　10th；　September　2nd　1792　and　May　31st。

1793。　　　The　viper　has　hardly　left　its　nest　before　it　begins　to　hiss。　A

fortnight　before　the　10th　of　August＇44＇　it　begins　to　uncoil；　and　the

wise　statesmen　who　have　so　diligently　sheltered　and　fed　it；　stand

aghast　at　its　hideous；　flattened　head。　Accordingly；　they　back　away

from　it　up　to　the　last　hour；　and　strive　to　prevent　it　from　biting

them。　Pétion　himself　visits　Robespierre　on　the　7th　of　August；　in　order

to　represent　to　him　the　perils　of　an　insurrection；　and　to　allow　the

Assembly　time　enough　to　discuss　the　question　of　dethronement。　The　same

day　Verginaud　and　Guadet　propose　to　the　King；　through　the　medium　of

Thierry；　his　valet…de…chambre；　that；　until　peace　is　assured；　the

government　be　carried　on　under　a　regency。　Pétion；　on　the　night　of

August　9…10；　issues　a　pressing　circular　to　the　sections；　urging　them

to　remain　tranquil。＇45＇



　　　But　it　is　too　late。　Fifty　days　of　excitement　and　alarm　have　worked

up　the　aberrations　of　morbid　imaginations　into　a　delirium。　　On　the

second　of　August；　a　crowd　of　men　and　women　rush　to　the　bar　of　the

Assembly；　exclaiming；　〃Vengeance！　Vengeance！　our　brethren　are　being

poisoned！〃＇46＇　　The　fact　as　ascertained　is　this：　at　Soissons；　where

the　bread　of　the　soldiery　was　prepared　in　a　church；　some　fragments　of

broken　glass　were　found　in　the　oven；　on　the　strength　of　which　a　rumor

was　started　that　170　volunteers　had　died；　and　that　700　were　lying　in

the　hospital。　A　ferocious　instinct　makes　men　see　their　adversaries　in

their　own　image　and　thus　justify　them　to　take　those　measures　which

they　imagine　their　enemies　would　have　taken　in　their　place。＇47＇　　

The　committee　of　Jacobin　leaders　states　positively　that　the　Court　is

about　to　attack；　and；　accordingly；　has　devised　〃not　merely　signs　of

this；　but　of　the　most　unmistakable　proof。〃＇48＇　　〃It　is　the　Trojan

horse；〃　exclaimed　Panis