the origins of contemporary france-3-第67部分

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and　indignation；　。　。　。　did　not　generally　produce　that　effect。〃　The

National　Guard　in　uniform；　who　came　〃apparently　to　make　up　for　not

appearing　on　the　day　of　action；〃　did　not　behave　themselves　with　civic

propriety；　but；　on　the　contrary；　put　on　〃an　air　of　inattention　and

even　of　noisy　gaiety〃；　they　come　out　of　curiosity；　like　so　many

Parisian　onlookers；　and　are　much　more　numerous　than　the　sans…culottes

with　their　pikes。＇15＇　　The　latter　could　count　themselves　and　plainly

see　that　they　are　just　a　minority；　and　a　very　small　one；　and　that

their　rage　finds　no　echo。　The　organizers　and　their　stooges　are　the

only　ones　to　call　for　speedy　sentencing　and　for　death…penalties。　A

foreigner；　a　good　observer；　who　questions　the　shop…keepers　of　whom　he

makes　purchases；　the　tradesmen　he　knows；　and　the　company　he　finds　in

the　coffee…houses；　writes　that　he　never　had　〃seen　any　symptom　of　a

sanguinary　disposition　except　in　the　galleries　of　the　National

Assembly　and　at　the　Jacobin　Club；〃　　but　then　the　galleries　are　full　of

paid　〃applauders；'1　especially　〃females；　who　are　more　noisy　and　to　be

had　cheaper　than　males。〃　At　the　Jacobin　Club　are　〃the　leaders；　who

dread　a　turnaround　or　who　have　resentments　to　gratify＇16＇〃：　thus　the

only　enragés　are　the　leaders　and　the　populace　of　the　suburbs。　　Lost

in　the　crowd　of　this　vast　city；　in　the　face　of　a　National　Guard　still

armed　and　three　times　their　own　number；　confronting　an　indifferent　or

discontented　bourgeoisie；　the　patriots　are　alarmed。　In　this　state　of

anxiety　a　feverish　imagination；　exasperated　by　the　waiting；

involuntarily　gives　birth　to　imaginings　passionately　accepted　as

truths。　All　that　is　now　required　is　an　incident　in　order　to　put　the

final　touch　to　complete　the　legend；　the　germ　of　which　has　unwittingly

grown　in　their　minds。



On　the　1st　of　September　a　poor　wagoner；　Jean　Julien；＇17＇　condemned　to

twelve　years　in　irons；　has　been　exposed　in　the　pillory。　After　two

hours　he　becomes　furious；　probably　on　account　of　the　jeers　of　the

bystanders。　With　the　coarseness　of　people　of　his　kind　he　has　vented

his　impotent　rage　by　abuse；　he　has　unbuttoned　and　exposed　himself　to

the　public；　and　has　naturally　chosen　expressions　which　would　appear

most　offensive　to　the　people　looking　at　him：



〃Hurrah　for　the　King！　Hurrah　for　the　Queen！　Hurra　for　Lafayette！　　To

hell　with　the　nation！〃



It　is　also　natural　that　he　missed　being　torn　to　pieces。　　He　was　at

once　led　away　to　the　Conciergerie　prison；　and　sentenced　on　the　spot　to

be　guillotined　as　soon　as　possible；　for　being　a　promoter　of　sedition

in　connection　with　the　conspiracy　of　August　the　10th。　　The

conspiracy；　accordingly；　is　still　in　existence。　　It　is　so　declared　by

the　tribunal；　which　makes　no　declaration　without　evidence。　Jean　Julien

has　certainly　confessed；　now　what　has　he　revealed？　　On　the　following

day；　like　a　crop　of　poisonous　mushrooms；　the　growth　of　a　single　night；

the　story　obtains　general　credence。　　〃Jean　Julien　has　declared　that

all　the　prisons　in　Paris　thought　as　he　did；　that　there　would　soon　be

fine　times；　that　the　prisoners　were　armed；　and　that　as　soon　as　the

volunteers　cleared　out　they　would　be　let　loose　on　all　Paris。〃＇18＇　The

streets　are　full　of　anxious　faces。　　〃One　says　that　Verdun　had　been

betrayed　like　Longwy。　　Others　shook　their　heads　and　said　it　was　the

traitors　within　Paris　and　not　the　declared　enemies　on　the　frontier

that　were　to　be　feared。〃＇19＇　On　the　following　day　the　story　grows：

〃There　are　royalist　officers　and　soldiers　hidden　away　in　Paris　and　in

the　outskirts。　They　are　going　to　open　the　prisons；　arm　the　prisoners；

set　the　King　and　his　family　free；　put　the　patriots　in　Paris　to　death；

also　the　wives　and　children　of　those　in　the　army。　。　。　Isn't　it　natural

for　men　to　look　after　the　safety　of　their　wives　and　children；　and　to

use　the　only　efficient　means　to　arrest　the　assassin's　dagger。〃＇20＇　

The　working…class　inferno　has　been　stirred　up；　now　it's　up　to　the

contractors　of　public　revolt　to　fan　and　direct　the　flames。







III。　　Terror　is　their　Salvation。



Rise　of　the　homicidal　idea　among　the　leaders。　　Their　situation。　

The　powers　they　seize。　　Their　pillage。　　The　risks　they　run　

Terror　is　their　rescue。



They　have　been　fanning　the　flames　for　a　long　time。　Already；　on　the

11th　of　August；　the　new　Commune　had　announced；　in　a　proclamation；＇21＇

that　〃the　guilty　should　perish　on　the　scaffold；〃　while　its　threatening

deputations　force　the　national　Assembly　into　the　immediate　institution

of　a　bloody　tribunal。　Carried　into　power　by　brutal　force；　it　must

perish　if　it　does　not　maintain　itself；　and　this　can　be　done　only

through　terror。　…　Let　us　pause　and　consider　this　unusual　situation。

Installed　in　the　H？tel…de…ville　by　a　nightly　surprise　attack；　about

one　hundred　strangers；　delegated　by　a　party　which　thinks　or　asserts

itself　to　be　the　peoples'　delegates；　have　overthrown　one　of　the　two

great　powers　of　the　State；　mangled　and　enslaved　the　other；　and　now

rule　in　a　capital　of　700；000　souls；　by　the　grace　of　eight　or　ten

thousand　fanatics　and　cut…throats。　Never　did　a　radical　change　promote

men　from　so　low　a　point　and　raise　so　high！　The　basest　of　newspaper

scribblers；　penny…a…liners　out　of　the　gutters；　bar…room　oracles；

unfrocked　monks　and　priests；　the　refuse　of　the　literary　guild；　of　the

bar；　and　of　the　clergy；　carpenters；　turners；　grocers；　locksmiths；

shoemakers；　common　laborers；　many　with　no　profession　at　all；　strolling

politicians　and　＇22＇public　brawlers；　who；　like　the　sellers　of

counterfeit　wares；　have　speculated　for　the　past　three　years　on　popular

credulity。　There　were　among　them　a　number　of　men　in　bad　repute；　of

doubtful　honesty　or　of　proven　dishonesty；　who；　in　their　youth　led

shiftless　lives。　They　are　still　besmirched　with　old　slime；　　they　were

put　outside　the　pale　of　useful　labor　by　their　vices；　driven　out　of

inferior　stations　even　into　prohibited　occupations；　bruised　by　the

perilous　leap；　with　consciences　distorted　like　the　muscles　of　a　tight…

rope　dancer。　Were　it　not　for　the　Revolution；　they　would　still　grovel

in　their　native　filth；　awaiting　prison　or　forced　labor　to　which　they

were　destined。　Can　one　imagine　their　growing　intoxication　as　they

drink　deep　draughts　from　the　bottomless　cup　of　absolute　power？　　For

it　is　absolute　power　which　they　demand　and　which　they　exercise。＇23＇

Raised　by　a　special　delegation　above　the　regular　authorities；　they　put

up　with　these　only　as　subordinates；　and　tolerate　none　among　them　who

may　become　their　rivals。　Consequently；　they　reduce　the　Legislative

body　simply　to　the　function　of　editor　and　herald　of　their　decrees；

they　have　forced　the　new　department　electors　to　〃abjure　their　title；〃

to　confine　themselves　to　tax　assessments；　while　they　lay　their

ignorant　hands　daily　on　every　other　service；　on　the　finances；　the

army；　supplies；　the　administration；　justice；　at　the　risk　of　breaking

the　administrative　wheels　or　of　interrupting　their　action。



One　day　they　summon　the　Minister　of　War　before　them；　or；　for　lack　of

one；　his　chief　clerk；　another　day　they　keep　the　whole　body　of

officials　in　his　department　in　arrest　for　two　hours；　under　the　pretext

of　finding　a　suspected　printer。＇24＇　At　one　time　they　affix　seals　on

the　funds　devoted　to　extraordinary　expenses；　at　another　time　they　do

away　with　the　commission　on　supplies；　at　another　they　meddle　with　the

course　of　justice；　either　to　aggravate　proceedings　or　to　impede　the

execution　of　sentences　rendered。＇25＇　There　is　no　principle；　no　law；　no

regulation；　no　verdict；　no　public　man　or　establishment　that　is　not

subject　to　the　risk　of　their　arbitrariness。　　And；　as　they　have　laid

hands　on　power；　they　do　the　same　with　money。　Not　only　do　they　extort

from　the　Assembly　850；000　francs　a　months；　with　arrears　from　the　1st

of　January；　1792；　more　than　six　millions　in　all；　to　defray　the

expenses　of　their　military　police；　which　means　to　pay　their　bands；＇26＇

but　again；　〃invested　with　the　municipal　scarf；〃　they　seize；　〃in　the

public　establishment　belonging　to　the　nation；　all　furniture；　and

whatever　is　of　most　value。〃　〃In　one　building　alone；　they　carry　off　the

value　of　100；000　crowns。〃＇27＇　Elsewhere；　in　the　hands　of　the　treasurer

of　the　civil　list；　they　appropriate　to　themselves；　a　box　of　jewels；

other　precious　objects；　and　340；　000　francs。＇28＇　Their　commissioners

bring　in　from　Chantilly　three　wagons　each　drawn　by　three　horses

〃loaded　with　the　spoils　of　M。　de　Condé；〃　and　they　undertake　〃removing

the　contents　of　the　houses　of　the　émigrés。〃＇29＇　They　confiscate　in　the

churches　of　Paris　〃the　crucifixes；　music…stands；　bells；　railings；　and

every　object　in　bronze　or　of　iron；　chandeliers；　cups；　vases；

reliquaries；　statues；　every　article　of　plate；〃　as　well　〃on　the　altars

as　in　the　sacristies；〃＇30＇　and　we　can　imagine　the　enormous　booty

obtained；　to　cart　away　the　silver　plate　belonging　to　the　single　church

of　Madeleine…de…la…ville　required　a　vehicle　drawn　by　four　horses。　

Now　they　use　all　this　money；　so　freely　seized；　as　fre