the origins of contemporary france-3-第93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！





However　vigorous　the　electoral　pressure　may　have　been；　the　voting

machine　has　not　provided　the　expected　results。　At　the　opening　of　the

session；　out　of　749　deputies；　only　about　fifty＇30＇　are　found　to

approve　of　the　Commune；　nearly　all　of　the　elected　in　places　where；　as

at　Rheims　and　Paris；　terror　has　the　elector　by　the　throat；　〃under　the

clubs；　axes；　daggers；　and　bludgeons　of　the　butchers。〃＇31＇　But　where

the　physical　impressions　of　murder　have　not　been　so　tangible　and

impressive；　some　sense　of　decency　has　prevented　too　glaring　elections。

The　inclination　to　vote　for　well…known　names　could　not　wholly　be

arrested；　seventy…seven　former　members　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；

and　one　hundred　and　eighty…six　of　the　previous　Legislative　Assembly

enter　the　Convention；　and　the　practical　knowledge　which　many　of　these

have　of　government　business　has　given　them　some　insights。　　In　short；

the　consciences　of　six　hundred　and　fifty　deputies　are　only　in　part

perverted。



They　are　all；　unquestionably；　decided　republicans；　enemies　of

tradition；　apostles　of　reason；　and　trained　in　deductive　politics；

only　on　these　conditions　could　they　be　elected。　Every　candidate　is

supposed　to　possess　the　Jacobin　faith；　or；　at　least；　to　recite　the

revolutionary　creed。　The　Convention；　consequently；　at　its　opening

session　votes　unanimously；　with　cheers　and　enthusiasm；　the　abolition

of　royalty；　and　three　months　later　it　pronounces；　by　a　large　majority；

Louis　XVI。；



〃guilty　of　conspiring　against　the　liberty　of　the　nation；　and　of

assaults　on



　　the　general　welfare　of　the　State。〃＇32＇



Nevertheless；　social　habitudes　still　subsist　under　political

prejudices。　A　man　who　is　born　in　and　lives　for　a　long　time　in　an　old

community；　is；　through　this　alone；　marked　with　its　imprint；　the

customs　to　which　he　conforms　have　crystallized　in　him　in　the　shape　of

sentiments：　if　it　is　well…regulated　and　civilized；　he　has

involuntarily　arrived　at　respect　for　property　and　for　human　life；　and；

in　most　characters；　this　respect　has　taken　very　deep　root。　A　theory；

even　if　adopted；　does　not　wholly　succeed　in　destroying　this　respect；

only　in　rare　instances　is　it　successful；　when　it　encounters　coarse　and

defective　natures；　to　take　full　hold；　it　is　necessary　that　it　should

fall　on　the　scattered　inheritors　of　former　destructive　appetites；　on

those　hopelessly　degenerate　souls　in　which　the　passions　of　an　anterior

date　are　slumbering；　then　only　does　its　malevolence　fully　appear；　for

it　rouses　the　ferocious　or　plundering　instincts　of　the　barbarian；　the

raider；　the　inquisitor；　and　the　pasha。　On　the　contrary；　with　the

greatest　number；　do　what　it　will；　integrity　and　humanity　always　remain

powerful　motives。　Nearly　all　these　legislators；　who　originate　in　the

middle　class；　are　at　bottom；　irrespective　of　a　momentary　delusion；

what　they　always　have　been　up　to　now；　advocates；　attorneys；　merchants；

priests；　or　physicians　of　the　ancient　regime；　and　what　they　will

become　later　on；　docile　administrators　or　zealous　functionaries　of

Napoleon's　empire；＇33＇　that　is　to　say；　ordinary　civilized　persons

belonging　to　the　eighteenth　and　nineteenth　centuries；　sufficiently

honest　in　private　life　to　have　a　desire　to　be　equally　so　in　public

life。　　　Hence　their　horror　of　anarchy；　of　Marat；＇34＇　and　of　the

September　butchers　and　robbers。　Three　days　after　their　assembling

together　they　vote；　〃almost　unanimously；〃　the　preparation　of　a　law

〃against　the　instigators　of　murder　and　assassination。〃　　〃Almost

unanimously；〃　they　desire　to　raise　a　guard；　recruited　in　the　83

departments；　against　the　armed　bands　of　Paris　and　the　Commune。

Pétition　is　elected　as　their　first　president　by　〃almost　the　totality

of　suffrages。〃　Roland　who　has　just　read　his　report　to　them；　is　greeted

with　the　〃loudest〃　applause　from　nearly　the　〃entire〃　Assembly。　In

short　they　are　for　the　ideal　republic　against　actual　brigands。　This

accounts　for　their　ranging　themselves　around　those　upright　and　sincere

deputies；　who；　in　the　two　preceding　Assemblies　or　alongside　of　them；

were　the　ablest　defenders　of　both　principles　and　humanity；　around

Buzot；　Lanjuinais；　Pétition；　and　Rabaut…Saint…Etienne；　around　Brissot；

Vergniaud；　Guadet；　Gensonné；　Isnard；　and　Condorcet；　around　Roland；

Louvet；　Barbaroux；　and　the　five　hundred　deputies　of　the　〃Plain；〃＇35＇

marching　in　one　body　under　the　leadership　of　the　180　Girondists　who

now　form　the　〃Right。〃＇36＇



These　latter；　among　the　republicans；　are　the　most　sincere　and　have　the

most　faith；　for　they　have　long　been　such；　after　much　thought；　study

and　as　a　matter　of　principle。　Nearly　all　of　them　are　well…read

educated　men；　reasoners；　philosophers；　disciples　of　Diderot　or　of

Rousseau；　satisfied　that　absolute　truth　had　been　revealed　by　their

masters；　thoroughly　imbued　with　the　Encyclopédie＇37＇　or　the　Contrat

Social；　the　same　as　the　Puritans　formerly　were　with　the　Bible。＇38＇　　At

the　age　when　the　mind　is　maturing；　and　fondly　clings　to　general

ideas；＇39＇　they　embraced　the　theory　and　aimed　at　a　reconstruction　of

society　according　to　abstract　principles。　They　have　accordingly　set　to

work　as　pure　logicians；　rigorously　applying　the　superficial　and　false

system　of　analysis　then　in　vogue。＇40＇　　They　have　formed　for　themselves

an　idea　of　man　in　general；　the　same　in　all　times　and　ages；　an　extract

or　minimum　of　man；　they　have　pondered　over　several　thousands　of　or

millions　of　these　abstract　mortals；　erected　their　imaginary　wills　into

primordial　rights；　and　drawn　up　in　anticipation　the　chimerical

contract　which　is　to　regulate　their　impossible　union。　　There　are　to　be

no　more　privileges；　no　more　heredity；　no　qualifications　of　any　kind；

all　are　to　be　electors；　all　eligible　and　all　of　equal　members　of　the

sovereignty；　all　powers　are　to　be　of　short　date；　and　conferred　through

election；　there　must　be　but　one　assembly；　elected　and　entirely　renewed

annually；　one　executive　council　elected　and　one…half　renewed　annually；

a　national　treasury…board　elected　and　one…third　renewed　annually；　all

local　administrations　and　tribunals　must　be　elected；　a　referendum　to

the　people；　the　electoral　body　endowed　with　the　initiative；　a　constant

appeal　to　the　sovereignty；　which；　always　consulted　and　always　active；

will　manifest　its　will　not　alone　by　the　choice　of　its　mandatories　but；

again；　through　〃the　censure〃　which　it　will　apply　to　the　laws　　such

is　the　Constitution　they　forge　for　themselves。＇41＇　　〃The　English

Constitution；〃　says　Condorcet；　〃is　made　for　the　rich；　that　of　America

for　citizens　well…off；　the　French　Constitution　should　be　made　for　all

men。〃　…　It　is；　for　this　reason；　the　only　legitimate　one；　every

institution　that　deviates　from　it　is　opposed　to　natural　rights　and；

therefore；　fit　only　to　be　put　down。…This　is　what　the　Girondists　have

done　during　the　Legislative　sessions；　we　know　how　they；　armed　with　the

illusions＇42＇　of　their　new　philosophy　and　triumphing　through　a　rigid；

rash　and　hasty　reason；　have



*　persecuted　Catholic　consciences；



*　violated　feudal　property；



*　encroached　on　the　legal　authority　of　the　King；



*　persecuted　the　remains　of　the　ancient　regime；



*　tolerated　crimes　committed　by　the　crowds；



*　even　plunged　France　into　an　European　war；



*　armed　even　the　paupers；



*　caused　the　overthrow　of　all　government。　…



As　far　as　his　Utopia　is　concerned；　the　Girondist　is　a　sectarian；　and

he　knows　no　scruples。



*　Little　does　he　care　that　nine　out　of　ten　electors　do　not　vote：　　he

regards　himself　as　the　authorized　representative　of　all　ten。



*　Little　does　he　care　whether　the　great　majority　of　Frenchmen　favor

the　Constitution　of　1791；　it　is　his　business　to　impose　on　them　his

own。



*　Little　does　he　care　whether　his　former　opponents；　King；　émigrés；

unsworn　ecclesiastics；　are　honorable　men　or　at　least　excusable；　he

will　launch　against　them　every　rigorous　legal　proceeding；

transportation；　confiscation；　civil　death　and　physical　death。＇43＇



In　his　own　eyes　he　is　the　justiciary；　and　his　investiture　is　bestowed

upon　him　by　eternal　right。　There　is　no　human　infatuation　so　pernicious

to　man　as　that　of　absolute　right；　nothing　is　better　calculated　for　the

destruction　in　him　of　the　hereditary　accumulation　of　moral

conceptions。　　　Within　the　narrow　bounds　of　their　creed；　however；　the

Girondins　are　sincere　and　consistent。　They　are　masters　of　their

formulae；　they　know　how　to　deduce　consequences　from　them；　they　believe

in　them　the　same　as　a　surveyor　in　his　theorems；　and　a　theologian　in

the　articles　of　his　faith；　they　are　anxious　to　apply　them；　to　devise　a

constitution；　to　establish　a　regular　government；　to　emerge　from　a

barbarous　state；　to　put　an　end　to　fighting　in　the　street；　to

pillaging；　to　murders；　to　the　sway　of　brutal　force　and　of　naked　arms。



The　disorder；　mover；　so　repugnant　to　them　as　logicians　is　still　more

repugnant　to　them　as　cultivated；　polished　men。　They　have　a　sense　of

what　is　proper；＇44＇　of　becoming　ways；　and　their　tastes　are　even

refin