the origins of contemporary france-4-第10章

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without　discussion；　the　decrees　which　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety

present　to　it　ready　made。　　It　is　no　more　than　a　registry…office；　and

scarcely　that；　for　it　has　relinquished　its　right　of　appointing　its　own

committees；　that　office　being　assigned　to　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　it　votes　as　a　whole　all　lists　of　names　which　the　Committee

send　in。＇119＇　　Naturally；　none　but　the　creatures　of　the　latter　and　the

faithful　are　inscribed；　thus；　the　whole　legislative　and　parliamentary

power　belongs　to　it。　　　As　to　executive　and　administrative　power；　the

ministers　have　become　mere　clerks　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；

〃they　come　every　day　at　specified　hours　to　receive　its　orders　and

acts；＇120＇　　〃they　submit　to　it　〃the　list　with　explanations；　of　all　the

agents〃　sent　into　the　departments　and　abroad　；　they　refer　to　it　every

minute　detail；　they　are　its　scribes；　merely　its　puppets；　so

insignificant　that　they　finally　lose　their　title；　and　for　the

〃Commission　on　External　Relations〃　a　former　school…master　is　taken；　an

inept　clubbist；　bar…fly　and　the　pillar　of　the　billiard…room；　scarcely

able　to　read　the　documents　brought　to　him　to　sign　in　the　café　where　he

passes　his　days。＇121＇　　Thus　is　the　second　power　in　the　State

converted　by　the　Committee　into　a　squad　of　domestics；　while　the

foremost　one　is　converted　into　an　audience　of　claqueurs。



To　make　them　do　their　duty；　it　has　two　hands。　　　One；　the　right；

which　seizes　people　unawares　by　the　collar；　is　the　Committee　of

General　Security；　composed　of　twelve　extreme　Montagnards；　such　as

Panis；　Vadier；　Le　Bas；　Geoffroy；　David；　Amar；　La　Vicomterie；　Lebon　and

Ruhl；　all　nominated；　that　is　to　say；　appointed　by　it；　being　its

confederates　and　subalterns。　　They　are　its　lieutenants　of　police；　and

once　a　week　they　come　and　take　part　in　its　labors；　as　formerly　the

Sartines；　and　the　Lenoirs　assisted　the　Comptroller…general。　　A　man　who

this　secret　committee　deems　a　〃suspect；〃　is　suddenly　seized；　no　matter

who；　whether　representative；　minister；　or　general；　and　finds　himself

the　next　morning　behind　the　bars　in　one　of　the　ten　new　Bastilles。　　

There；　the　other　hand　seizes　him　by　the　throat；　this　is　the

revolutionary　tribunal；　an　exceptional　court　like　the　extraordinary

commissions　of　the　ancient　régime；　only　far　more　terrible。　　Aided　by

its　police　gang；　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　itself　selects　the

sixteen　judges　and　sixty　jurymen＇122＇　from　among　the　most　servile；　the

most　furious；　or　the　most　brutal　of　the　fanatics：＇123＇　Fouquier…

Tinville；　Hermann；　Dumas；　Payan；　Coffinhal；　Fleuriot…Lescot；　and；

lower　down　on　the　scale；　apostate　priests；　renegade　nobles；

disappointed　artists；　infatuated　studio…apprentices；　journeymen

scarcely　able　to　write　their　names；　shoemakers；　joiners；　carpenters；

tailors；　barbers；　former　lackeys；　an　idiot　like　Ganney；　a　deaf　man

like　Leroy…Dix…Ao？t；　their　names　and　professions　indicate　all　that　is

necessary　to　be　told：　these　men　are　licensed　and　paid　murderers。　　The

Jurymen　themselves　are　allowed　eighteen　francs　a　day；　so　that　they　may

attend　to　their　business　more　leisurely。　　This　business　consists　in

condemning　without　proof；　without　any　pleadings；　and　scarcely　any

examination；　in　a　hurry；　in　batches；　whoever　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　might　send　to　them；　even　the　most　confirmed　Montagnards：

Danton；　who　contrived　the　tribunal；　will　soon　discover　this。　　…　it　is

through　these　two　government　institutions　that　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　keeps　every　head　under　the　cleaver　and　each　head；　to　avoid

being　struck　off；　bows　down；＇124＇　in　the　provinces　as　well　as　in

Paris。



This　has　happened　when　the　existing　local　hierarchy　was　replaced　by

new　authorities　making　the　omnipotent　will　of　the　Committee　present

everywhere。　　Directly　or　indirectly；　〃for　all　government　measures　or

measures　of　public　safety；　all　that　relates　to　persons　and　the　general

and　internal　police；　all　constituted　bodies　and　all　public

functionaries；　are　placed　under　its　inspection。〃＇125＇　　You　may　imagine

how　the　risk　of　being　guillotined　weighed　upon　them。



To　suppress　in　advance　any　tendency　to　administrative　inertia；　it　has

had　withdrawn　from　the　too　powerful；　too　much　respected；　department

governments；　〃too　inclined　to　federalism；〃　their　departmental

dominance　and　their　〃political　influence。〃＇126＇　　It　reduces　these　to

the　levying　of　taxes　and　the　supervision　of　roads　and　canals；　it

purges　them　out　through　its　agents；　it　even　purges　out　the　governments

of　municipalities　and　districts。　　To　suppress　beforehand　all

probability　of　popular　opposition；　it　has　had　the　sessions　of　the

sections　reduced　to　two　per　week；　it　installs　in　these　sections；　for

about　forty　sous　a　day；　a　majority　of　sans…culottes　；　it　orders　the

suspension　〃until　further　directives〃　of　all　municipal　elections。＇127＇



Finally；　to　have　full　control　on　the　spot；　it　appoints　its　own　men；

first；　the　commissioners　and　the　representatives　on　missions；　a　sort

of　temporary　corps　of　directors　sent　into　each　department　with

unlimited　powers；＇128＇　next；　a　body　of　national　agents；　a　sort　of

permanent　body　of　sub…delegates；　through　whom　in　each　district　and

municipality　it　replaces　the　procureurs…syndics。＇129＇　　To　this　army　of

functionaries　is　added　in　each　town；　bourg　or　large　village；　a

revolutionary　committee；　paid　three　francs　a　day　per　member；　charged

with　the　application　of　its　decrees；　and　required　to　make　reports

thereon。　　Never　before　was　such　a　vast　and　closely　woven　network　cast

from　above　to　envelope　and　keep　captive　twenty…six　million　people。

Such　is　the　real　constitution　which　the　Jacobins　substitute　for　the

constitution　they　have　prepared　for　show。　　In　the　arsenal　of　the

monarchy　which　they　destroyed　they　took　the　most　despotic　institutions

…　centralization；　Royal　Council；　lieutenants　of　police；　special

tribunals；　intendants　and　sub…delegates；　they　disinterred　the　antique

Roman　law　of　lèse…majesty；　refurbished　old　blades　which　civilization

had　dulled；　aiming　them　at　every　throat　and　now　wielded　at　random

against　liberties；　property　and　lives。　　It　is　called　the

〃revolutionary　government；〃　according　to　official　statements　it　is　to

last　until　peace　is　secured；　in　the　minds　of　genuine　Jacobins　it　must

continue　until　all　the　French　have　been　regenerated　in　accordance　with

the　formula。

____________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　Titus　Flavious　Clemens；　（Greek　writer　born　in　Athens　around　150

and　dead　in　Cappadoce　in　250）　He　lived　in　Alexandria。　　（SR）。



＇2＇　The　words　of　Marat。



＇3＇　After　the　Constitution　is　completed；　said　Legendre；　in　the　Jacobin

club；　we　will　make　the　federalists　dance。



＇4＇　Archives　Nationales；　F。I。C。。　　56；　（Circular　of　Gohier；　Minister　of

Justice；　to　the　French　people；　July　6；　1793）。　　〃Certain　persons　are

disposed　to　pervert　the　events　of　May　31　and　June　2；　by　atrocious

exaggerations　and　the　grossest　fables；　and　prevent　the　fortunate

results　they　present　from　being　seen。　　They　are　absolutely　determined

to　see　nothing　but　violations　of　the　liberty　of　the　people's

representatives　in　a　step　which　was　specially　designed　to　hasten　on

the　Constitutional　Act　on　which　the　liberty　of　all　is　established。　　Of

what　consequence　is　it　who　are　the　authors　of　the　Constitution

presented　to　you？　What　does　it　matter　whether　it　issues　from　a

mountain　amidst　lightning　and　the　rolling　thunder；　like　the　Tables　of

the　Law　given　to　the　Hebrews；　or　whether　it　comes；　like　the　laws　given

to　the　early　Romans；　inspired　in　the　tranquil　asylum　of　a　divinity

jealous　of　his　religious　surroundings？　Is　this　constitution　worthy　of

a　free　people？　That　is　the　only　question　which　citizens　who　wear　the

livery　of　no　party　need　examine！〃



＇5＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVIII。；　177。　　（report　by　Hérault　Séchelles；　June

10；　1793）。　　Ibid；　XXXI。；　400。　　（Text　of　constitution　submitted　to

discussion　June　11th；　and　passed　June　24th。）



＇6＇　De　Sybel；　II。；　331。　　（According　to　the　facsimile　published　in　the

Quarterly　Review）。　　〃Hérault　says　that　he　and　four　of　his　colleagues

are　ordered　to　furnish　the　draft　of　a　constitution　by　Monday。〃



＇7＇　Report　by　Hérault…Séchelles。　　（Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVIII。　　178。）



＇8＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXI；　400。　　（Articles　of　the　Declaration　of

Rights；　1；　7；　9；　11；　27；　31；　35）



＇9＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVIII。；　178。　　Report　by　Hérault…Séchelles。　　〃Each

of　us　had　the　same　desire；　that　of　attaining　to　the　greatest

democratic　result。　　The　sovereignty　of　the　people　and　the　dignity　of

man　were　constantly　in　our　minds。　　。　　。　　A　secret　sentiment　tells　us

that　our　work　is　perhaps　the　most　popular　that　ever　existed。〃



＇10＇　Archives　Nationales；　B。　　II。；　23。　　（Table　of　votes　by　the

commission　appointed　to　collect　the　procès…verbaux　of　the　adoption　of

the　constitution；　August　20；　1793。）　　Number　of　primary　assemblies

sending　in　their　procès…verbaux；　6；589　（516　cantons　have　not　yet　sent

theirs　in）。　　　Number　of　voters　on　call；　1；795；908；　Yes；　1；784；377；

Noes；　11；531。　Number　of　primary　assemblies　voting　Yes　unanimously；

not　on　call　of　names；　297。　　　At　Paris；　40；990　voters；　at　Troyes；

2；491；　at　Limoges；　2；137。　　　Cf。　　For　details　and　motives　of

abstention；　Sauzay　IV。　　pp。　　157…161。　　Albert　Babeau；　II；　pp。　　83　and

84。　　Moniteur；　XVII。；　375　（speech　by　the　representative　Desvars）。



＇11＇　Ibid。；　Moniteur；　XVII。；　20。　　（report　by　Barrère　on　the

convocation　of　the　primary　assemblies；　June　17；　1793。）　Ibid。；　102

（Report　of　Cambon；　July　11）。　　〃It　is　now　a　fortnight　since　you

demanded　a　Constitution。　　Very　well；　here　it　is　。　　。　　。　　。　　Respect

for　persons　and　property　is　amply　secured　in　it。　　Yes；　more　definitely

than　in　any　other　constitution。　　Does　it　provide　for　its　own　revision？

Yes；　for　in　six　weeks；　we　can　convoke　the　primary　assemblies　and

express　our　desire　for　the　reform　that　may　appear　necessary。　　…　Will

the　popular　wish　be　respected？　Yes；　the　people　then　will　make

definitive　laws。〃



＇12＇　Guillon　de　Montléon；　I。；　282；　309。　　　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVIII；

356；　357　（Journal　de　Lyon　Nos。　　223　and　224。）　〃The　acceptance　of　the

Constitution　was　neither　entire　nor　very　sincere；　people　took　credit

to　themselves　for　accepting　a　vicious　and　sketchy　production。〃

Meillan；　〃Mémoires；〃　120。　　（In　July　he　leaves　Caen　for　Quimper）。

〃Although　we　were　assured　that　we　should　pass　only　through　Maratist

towns；　we　had　the　satisfaction　of　finding　nearly　all　the　inhabitants

regarding　Marat　with　horror。　　They　had　indeed　accepted　the

Constitution　offered　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　but　solely　to

end　the　matter　and　on　conditions　which　would　speak　well　for　them；　for；

everywhere　the　renewal　of　the　Convention　was　exacted　and　the

punishment　of　assaults　made　on　it。〃　This　desire；　and　others　analogous

to　it；　are　given　in　the　procès…verbaux　of　many　of　the　primary

assemblies　（Archives　Nationales；　B。　　II。；　23）；　for　example；　in　those

of　the　thirteen　cantons　of　Ain。　　A　demand