the origins of contemporary france-3-第70部分

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of　a　landau　standing　on　the　street；　where　he　remains　a　couple　of

hours；　to　avoid　doing　his　duty　as　commanding…general；＇65＇



*　Panis；　president　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision；　a　good

subordinate；　his　born　disciple　and　bootlicker；　an　admirer　of

Robespierre's　whom　he　proposes　for　the　dictatorship；　as　well　as　of

Marat；　whom　he　extols　as　a　prophet；＇66＇



*　Henriot；　Hébert；　and　Rossignol；　simple　evil…doers　in　uniform　or　in

their　scarves；



*　Collot　d'Herbois；　a　stage　poetaster；　whose　theatrical　imagination

delights　in　a　combination　of　melodramatic　horrors；＇67＇



*　Billaud…Varennes；　a　former　oratorian　monk；　irascible　and　gloomy；　as

cool　before　a　murder　as　an　inquisitor　at　an　auto…da…fé；



finally；　the　wily　Robespierre；　pushing　others　without　committing

himself；　never　signing　his　name；　giving　no　orders；　haranguing　a　great

deal；　always　advising；　showing　himself　everywhere；　getting　ready　to

reign；　and　suddenly；　at　the　last　moment；　pouncing　like　a　cat　on　his

prey；　and　trying　to　slaughter　his　rivals；　the　Girondists。＇68＇



Up　to　this　time；　in　slaughtering　or　having　it　done；　it　was　always　as

insurrectionists　in　the　street；　now；　it　is　in　places　of　imprisonment；

as　magistrates　and　functionaries；　according　to　the　registers　of　a

lock…up；　after　proofs　of　identity　and　on　snap　judgments；　by　paid

executioners；　in　the　name　of　public　security；　methodically；　and　in

cool　blood；　almost　with　the　same　regularity　as　subsequently　under　〃the

revolutionary　government。〃　September；　indeed；　is　the　beginning　of　it；

a　summary　and　a　model；　they　will　not　do　it　differently　or　better　than

during　the　best　days　of　the　guillotine。　　Only；　as　they　are　as　yet

poorly　supplied　with　tools；　they　are　obliged　to　use　pikes　instead　of

the　guillotine；　and；　as　decency　has　not　entirely　disappeared；　the

chiefs　conceal　themselves　behind　maneuvers。　　Nevertheless；　we　can

track　them；　take　them　in　the　act；　and　we　have　their　signatures；　they

planned　commanded；　and　conducted　the　operation。　　On　the　30th　of

August；　the　Commune　decided　that　the　sections　should　try　accused

persons；　and；　on　the　2nd　　of　September；　five　trusted　sections　reply　to

it　by　resolving　that　the　accused　shall　be　murdered。69　The　same　day；

September　2；　Marat　takes　his　place　on　the　Committee　of　Supervision。

The　same　day；　September　2；　Panis　and　Sergent　sign　the　commissions　of

〃their　comrades；〃　Maillard　and　associates；　for　the　Abbaye；　and　〃order

them　to　judge；〃　that　is　to　say；　kill　the　prisoners。＇70＇　　The　same　and

the　following　days；　at　La　Force；　three　members　of　the　Commune；　Hébert；

Monneuse；　and　Rossignol；　preside　in　turn　over　the　assassin　court。＇71＇

The　same　day；　a　commissar　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision　comes　and

demands　a　dozen　men　of　the　Sans…Culottes　section　to　help　massacre　the

priests　of　Saint　Firmin。＇72＇　The　same　day；　a　　commissar　of　the　Commune

visits　the　different　prisons　during　the　slaughter；　and　finds　that

〃things　are　going　on　well　in　all　of　them。〃＇73＇　The　same　day；　at　five

o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　BillaudVarennes；　deputy…attorney　for　the

Commune；　〃in　his　well…known　puce…colored　coat　and　black　perruque；〃

walking　over　the　corpses；　says　to　the　Abbaye　butchers：　〃Fellow…

citizens；　you　are　immolating　your　enemies；　you　are　performing　your

duty。〃　　He　returns　during　the　night；　highly　commends　them；　and

confirms　the　　promise　of　the　〃agreed　wages。〃　On　the　following　any　at

noon；　he　again　returns；　congratulates　them　more　warmly；　allows　each

one　twenty　francs；　and　urges　them　to　keep　on。＇74＇　　In　the　mean　time；

Santerre；　summoned　to　the　general　staff　headquarters　by　Roland；

hypocritically　deplores　his　voluntary　inability；　and　persists　in　not

giving　the　orders；　without　which　the　National　Guard　cannot　move。＇75＇

At　the　sections；　the　presidents；　Chénier；　Ceyrat；　Boula；　Momoro；

Collot　d'Herbois；　dispatch　or　take　their　victims　back　under　pikes。　At

the　Commune；　the　council…general　votes　12；000　francs；　to　be　taken　from

the　dead；　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the　operation。＇76＇　In　the

Committee　of　Supervision；　Marat　sends　off　dispatches　to　spread　murder

through　the　departments。　　It　is　evident　that　the　leaders　and　their

subordinates　are　unanimous；　each　at　his　post　and　in　the　service　he

performs；　through　the　spontaneous　co…operation　of　the　whole　party；　the

command　from　above　meets　the　impulse　from　below；＇77＇　both　unite　in　a

common　murderous　　disposition；　the　work　being　done　with　the　more

precision　in　proportion　to　its　being　easily　done。　　Jailers　have

received　orders　to　open　the　prison　doors；　and　give　themselves　no

concern。　Through　an　excess　of　precaution；　the　knives　and　forks　of　the

prisoners　have　been　taken　away　from　them。＇78＇　　One　by　one；　on　their

names　being　called；　they　will　march　out　like　oxen　in　a　slaughter…

house；　while　about　twenty　butchers　to　each　prison；　from　to　two　to

three　hundred　in　all；＇79＇　will　suffice　to　do　the　work。







V。　　Abasement　and　Stupor。



Common　workers。　　Their　numbers。　　Their　condition。　　Their

sentiments。　Effect　of　murder　on　the　murderers。　　　Their

degradation。　　Their　insensibility。



Two　kinds　of　men　make　up　the　recruits；　and　it　is　especially　on　their

crude　brains　that　we　have　to　admire　the　effect　of　the　revolutionary

dogma。



First；　there　are　the　Federates　of　the　South；　lusty　fellows；　former

soldiers　or　old　bandits；　deserters；　bohemians；　and　scoundrels　of　all

lands　and　from　every　source；　who；　after　finishing　their　work　at

Marseilles　and　Avignon；　have　come　to　Paris　to　begin　over　again。

〃Triple　nom　de　Dieu！〃　exclaims　one　of　them；　〃I　didn't　come　a　hundred

and　eighty　leagues　to　restrain　myself　from　sticking　a　hundred　and

eighty　heads　on　the　end　of　my　pike！〃＇80＇　Accordingly；　they　form　in

themselves　a　special；　permanent；　resident　body；　allowing　no　one　to

divert　them　from　their　adopted　occupation。　　〃They　turn　a　deaf　ear　to

the　excitements　of　spurious　patriotism〃；＇81＇　they　are　not　going　to　be

sent　off　to　the　frontier。　Their　post　is　at　the　capital；　they　have

sworn　〃to　defend　liberty〃；　neither　before　nor　after　September　make

them　deviate　from　this　end。　When；　after　having　drawn　money　on　every

treasury　and　under　every　pretext；　they　at　last　consent　to　leave　Paris；

it　is　only　on　the　condition　that　they　return　to　Marseilles。　Their

operations　are　limited　to　the　interior　of　France；　and　only　against

political　adversaries。　　But　their　zeal　in　this　field　is　only　the

greater；　it　is　their　band　which；　first　of　all；　takes　the　twenty…four

priests　from　the　town　hall；　and；　on　the　way；　begins　the　massacre　with

their　own　hands。＇82＇



Then　there　are　the　〃enragés〃　of　the　Paris　proletariat；　a　few　of　them

clerks　or　shopkeepers；　most　of　them　artisans　of　all　the　trades；

locksmiths；　masons；　butchers；　wheelwrights；　tailors；　shoemakers；

waggoners；　especially　dockers　working　in　the　harbor；　market…porters；

and；　above　all；　journeymen　and　apprentices　of　all　kinds；　in　short；

manual　workers　on　the　bottom　of　the　social　ladder。＇83＇　　Among　these　we

find　beasts　of　prey；　murderers　by　instinct；　or　simple　robbers。＇84＇

Others　who；　like　one　of　the　disciples　of　Abbé　Sicard；　whom　he　loves

and　venerates；　confess　that　they　never　stirred　except　under

constraint。＇85＇　　Others　are　simple　machines；　who　let　themselves　be

driven：　for　instance　the　local　forwarding　agent；　a　good　sort　of　man；

but　who；　dragged　along；　plied　with　liquor；　and　then　made　crazy；　kills

twenty　priests　for　his　share；　and　dies　at　the　end　of　the　month；　still

drinking；　unable　to　sleep；　frothing　at　the　mouth　and　trembling　in

every　limb。＇86＇　　And　finally　the　few；　who；　with　good　intentions；　are

carried　away　by　the　bloody　whirlwind；　and；　struck　by　the　grace　of

Revolution；　become　converted　to　the　religion　of　murder。　One　of　them　a

certain　Grapin；　deputized　by　his　section　to　save　two　prisoners；　seats

himself　alongside　of　Maillard；　sits　in　judgment　at　his　side　during

sixty…three　hours；　and　demands　a　certificate　from　him。＇87＇　The

majority；　however；　entertain　the　same　opinions　as　the　cook；　who；　after

taking　the　Bastille；　finding　himself　on　the　spot　and　having　cut　off　M。

de　Launay's　head；　regards　it　as　a　〃patriotic〃　action；　and　deems

himself　worthy　of　a　〃medal　for　having　destroyed　a　monster。〃　These

people　are　not　common　criminals；　but　well…disposed　persons　living　in

the　vicinity；　who；　seeing　a　public　service　established　in　their

neighborhood；＇88＇　issue　from　their　homes　to　give　a　hand；　their　degree

of　　probity　is　about　the　same　as　we　find　nowadays　among　people　of　the

same　condition　in　life。



At　the　outset；　especially；　no　one　considers　filling　his　pockets。　At

the　Abbaye　prison；　they　come　honorably　and　place　on　the　table　in　the

room　of　the　civil　committee　the　purses　and　jewels　of　the　dead。＇89＇　　If

they　appropriate　anything　to　themselves；　it　is　shoes　to　cover　their

naked　feet；　and　then　only　after　asking　permission。　As　to　pay；　all

rough　work　deserves　it；　and；　moreover；　between　them　and　their

recruiters；　the　answer　is　obvious。　With　nothing　but　their　own　hands　to

rely　on；　they　cannot　work　for　nothing