the origins of contemporary france-3-第94部分

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

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

refined。　They　are　not　familiar　with；　nor　do　they　desire　to　imitate；

the　rude　manners　of　Danton；　his　coarse　language；　his　oaths；　and　his

low　associations　with　the　people。　They　have　not；　like　Robespierre；

gone　to　lodge　with　a　master　joiner；　to　live　him　and　eat　with　his

family。　Unlike　Pache；　Minister　of　War；　no　one　among　them　〃feels

honored〃　by　〃going　down　to　dine　with　his　porter；〃　and　by　sending　his

daughters　to　the　club　to　give　a　fraternal　kiss　to　drunken

Jacobins。＇45＇　　At　Madame　Roland's　house　there　is　a　salon；　although　it

is　stiff　and　pedantic；　Barbaroux　send　verses　to　a　marchioness；　who；

after　the　2nd　of　June；　elopes　with　him　to　Caen。＇46＇　　Condorcet　has

lived　in　high　society；　while　his　wife；　a　former　canoness；　possess　the

charms；　the　repose；　the　instruction；　and　the　elegance　of　an

accomplished　woman。　　Men　of　this　stamp　cannot　endure　close　alongside

of　them　the　inept　and　gross　dictatorship　of　an　armed　rabble。　In

providing　for　the　public　treasury　they　require　regular　taxes　and　not

tyrannical　confiscations。＇47＇　To　repress　the　malevolent　they　propose

〃punishment　and　not　banishment。〃＇48＇　　In　all　State　trials　they　oppose

irregular　courts；　and　strive　to　maintain　for　those　under　indictment

some　of　the　usual　safeguards。＇49＇　On　declaring　the　King　guilty　they

hesitate　in　pronouncing　the　sentence　of　death；　and　try　to　lighten

their　responsibility　by　appealing　to　the　people。　The　line　〃laws　and

not　blood；〃　was　a　line　which；　causing　a　stir　in　a　play　of　the　day；

presented　in　a　nutshell　their　political　ideas。　And；　naturally；　the

law；　especially　Republican　law；　is　the　law　of　all；　once　enacted；

nobody；　no　citizen；　no　city；　no　party；　can　refuse　to　obey　it　without

being　criminal。　It　is　monstrous　that　one　city　should　arrogate　to

itself　the　privilege　of　ruling　the　nation；　Paris；　like　other

departments；　should　be　reduced　to　its　on…eighty…third　proportion　of

influence。　It　is　monstrous　that；　in　a　capital　of　700；000　souls；　five

or　six　thousand　radical　Jacobins　should　oppress　the　sections　and　alone

elect　their　candidates；　in　the　sections　and　at　the　polls；　all

citizens；　at　least　all　republicans；　should　enjoy　an　equal　and　free

vote。　It　is　monstrous　that　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　should

be　used　to　cover　up　attacks　against　popular　sovereignty；　that；　under

the　pretense　of　saving　the　State；　the　first　that　comes　along　may　kill

whom　he　pleases；　that；　on　the　pretext　that　they　are　resisting

oppression；　each　mob　should　have　the　〃Right〃　to　put　the　government

down。　　Hence；　this　militant　〃Right〃　must　be　pacified；　enclosed

within　legal　boundaries；　and　subjected　to　a　fixed　process。＇50＇　Should

any　individual　desire　a　law；　a　reform　or　a　public　measure；　let　him

state　his　on　paper　over　his　own　signature　and　that　of　fifty　other

citizens　of　the　same　primary　assembly；　then　the　proposition　must　be

submitted　to　his　own　primary　assembly；　then　in　case　it　obtains　a

majority；　to　the　primary　assemblies　of　his　arrondissement；　　then；　in

case　of　a　majority；　to　the　primary　assemblies　of　his　department；　then；

in　case　of　a　majority；　to　all　the　primary　assemblies　of　the　nation；　so

that　after　a　second　verdict　of　the　same　assemblies　twice　consulted；

the　Legislative　body；　yielding　to　the　majority　of　primary　suffrages；

may　dissolve　and　a　new　Legislative　body；　in　which　all　old　members

shall　be　declared　ineligible；　take　its　place。　　This　is　the　final

expression　and　the　master　idea；　of　the　theory。　Condorcet；　its　able

constructor；　has　outdone　himself。　Impossible　to　design　on　paper　a　more

ingenious　or　complicated　mechanism。　The　Girondists；　in　the　closing

article　of　this　faultless　constitution；　believe　that　they　have

discovered　a　way　to　muzzle　the　beast　and　allow　the　sovereign　people　to

fully　assert　their　rights。



As　if；　with　some　kind　of　constitution　and　especially　with　this　one；

one　could　muzzle　the　beast！　　As　if　it　was　in　the　mood　to　crane　the

neck　allowing　them　to　put　the　muzzle　on！　Robespierre；　on　behalf　of　the

Jacobins；　counters　with　a　clause　radically　opposed　to　the　one　drafted

by　Condorcet＇51＇：



〃　To　submit　'the　right　to　resist　oppression'　to　legal　formalities　is

the　ultimate　refinement　of　tyranny。　。　。　When　a　government　violates　the

people's　rights；　a　general　insurrection　of　the　people；　as　well　as

portions　of　the　people；　is　the　most　sacred　of　duties。〃



Political　orthodoxy；　close　reasoning；　and　oratorical　talent　are；

however；　no　weapon　against　this　ever…muttering　insurrection。



〃Our　philosophers；〃　says　a　good　observer；＇52＇　〃want　to　attain　their

ends　by　persuasion；　which　is　equivalent　to　saying　that　battles　may　be

won　by　eloquence；　fine　speeches；　and　plans　of　constitution。　Very　soon；

according　to　them；　。　。　。　。　　if　will　suffice　to　carry　complete　copies

of　Macchiavelli；　Rousseau　and　Montesquieu　into　battle　instead　of

cannon；　it　never　occurring　to　them　that　these　authors；　like　their

works；　never　were；　and　never　will　be；　anything　but　fools　when　put　up

against　a　cut…throat　provided　with　a　good　sword。〃



The　parliamentary　landscape　has　fallen　away；　things　have　returned　to　a

state　of　nature；　that　is；　to　a　state　of　war；　and　one　is　no　longer

concerned　with　debate　but　with　brute　force。　To　be　in　the　right；　to

convince　the　convention；　to　obtain　majorities；　to　pass　decrees；　would

be　appropriate　in　ordinary　times；　under　a　government　provided　with　an

armed　force　and　a　regular　administration；　by　which；　from　the　summits

of　public　authority；　the　decrees　of　a　majority　descend　through

submissive　functionaries　to　a　sympathetic　and　obedient　population。

But；　in　times　of　anarchy；　and　above　all；　in　the　den　of　the　Commune；　in

Paris；　such　as　the　10th　of　August　and　the　2nd　of　September　made　it；

all　this　is　of　no　account。





V。　The　Jacobins　forming　alone　the　Sovereign　People。



Opinion　in　Paris。　　The　majority　of　the　population　constitutional。　

The　new　régime　unpopular。　　Scarcity　and　high　cost　of　food。　…

Catholic　customs　obstructed。　…Universal　and　increasing　discontent。　

Aversion　or　indifference　to　the　Girondins。　　Political　resignation　of

the　majority。　　Modern　customs　incompatible　with　pure　democracy。　

Men　of　property　and　income；　manufacturers　and　tradesmen；　keep　aloof。　…

…　Dissension；　timidity；　　and　feebleness　of　the　Conservatives。　　The

Jacobins　alone　form　the　sovereign　people。



And　it　is　of　no　account　because；　first　of　all；　in　this　great　city　of

Paris　the　Girondists　are　isolated；　and　have　no　group　of　zealous

partisans　to　depend　upon。　For；　if　the　large　majority　is　opposed　to

their　adversaries；　that　is　not　in　their　favor；　it　having　secretly；　at

heart；　remained　〃Constitutionalists。〃＇53＇　　〃I　would　make　myself　master

of　Paris；〃　says　a　professional　observer；　〃in　ten　days　without　striking

a　blow　　if　I　had　but　six　thousand　men；　and　one　of　Lafayette's　stable…

boys　to　command　them。〃　Lafayette；　indeed；　since　the　departure　or

concealment　of　the　royalists；　represents　the　old；　fixed；　and　innermost

opinion　of　the　capital。　　Paris　submits　to　the　Girondists　as　well　as　to

the　Montagnards　as　usurpers；　the　mass　of　the　public　regards　them　with

ill…will；　and　not　only　the　bourgeoisie；　but　likewise　the　majority　of

the　people　loathe　the　established　government。



Work　is　scarce　and　food　is　dear；　brandy　has　tripled　in　price；　only

four　hundred　oxen　are　brought　in　at　the　Poissy　market　instead　of　seven

or　eight　thousand；　the　butchers　declare　that　there　will　be　no　meat　in

Paris　next　week　except　for　the　sick。＇54＇　　To　obtain　a　small　ration　of

bread　it　is　necessary　to　wait　five　or　six　hours　in　a　line　at　the

baker's　shops；　and；＇55＇　as　is　customary；　workmen　and　housekeepers

impute　all　this　to　the　government。　This　government；　which　so　poorly

provides　for　its　needs；　offends　them　yet　more　in　their　deepest

feelings；　in　the　habits　most　dear　to　them；　in　their　faith　and　worship。

The　common　people；　even　at　Paris；　is　still　at　this　time　very

religious；　much　more　so　than　at　the　present　day。　When　the　priest

bearing　the　Host　passes　along　the　street；　the　crowd　〃gathers　from　all

sides；　men；　women；　and　children；　young　and　old；　and　fall　on　their

knees　in　worship。〃＇56＇　　The　day　on　which　the　relics　of　saint　Leu　are

borne　in　procession　through　the　Rue　St。　Martin；　〃everybody　kneels；　I

did　not　see　a　man；〃　says　a　careful　observer；　〃that　did　not　take　off

his　hat。　　At　the　guard…house　of　the　Mauconseil　section；　the　entire

company　presented　arms。〃　At　the　same　time　the　〃citoyennes　around　the

markets　talked　with　each　other　to　know　if　there　was　any　way　of　decking

houses　with　tapestry。〃＇57＇　The　following　week　they　compel　the

revolutionary　committee　of　Saint…Eustache＇58＇　to　authorize　another

procession；　and　again　each　one　kneels：　〃everybody　approved　of　the

ceremony；　no　one；　that　I　heard　of；　making　any　objection。　This　is　a

striking　picture。　。　。　。　　I　saw　repentance；　I　saw　the　parallel　each　is

forced　to　draw　between　the　actual　state　of　things