the origins of contemporary france-4-第114章

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Thermidor；　before；　as　after　the　1st　of　Prairial；　the　incentives　of　the

conduct　of　these　pusillanimous　oppressors　or　involuntary　liberators

were　baseness　and　egoism。　　Hence；　〃the　contempt　and　horror　universally

poured　out　against　them；　only　Jacobins　could　be　still　more　odious！〃＇9＇

If　further　support　is　given　to　these　faithless　mandatories；　it　is

because　they　are　soon　to　be　put　out。　　On　the　premature　report　that　the

Convention　is　going　to　break　up；　people　accost　each　other　in　the

street；　exclaiming；　〃We　are　rid　of　these　brigands；　they　are　going　at

last　。　　。　　。　　People　caper　and　dance　about　as　if　they　could　not

repress　their　joy；　they　talk　of　nothing　but　the　boy；　（Louis　XVIII。

confined　in　the　Temple）；　and　the　new　elections。　　Everybody　agrees　on

excluding　the　present　deputies　。　　。　　。　　。　　There　is　less　discussion　on

the　crimes　which　each　has　committed　than　on　the　insignificance　of　the

entire　assemblage；　while　the　epithets　of　vicious；　used　up　and　corrupt

have　almost　wholly　given　way　to　thieves　and　scoundrels。〃＇10＇　Even　in

Paris；　during　the　closing　months　of　their　rule；　they　hardly　dare

appear　in　public：　〃in　the　dirtiest　and　most　careless　costume　which　the

tricolor　scarf　and　gold　fringe　makes　more　apparent；　they　try　to　escape

notice　in　the　crowd＇11＇　and；　in　spite　of　their　modesty；　do　not　always

avoid　insult　and　still　less　the　maledictions　of　those　who　pass　them。〃

…　　　In　the　provinces；　at　home；　it　would　be　worse　for　them；　their　lives

would　be　in　danger；　in　any　event；　they　would　be　dragged　through　the

gutter；　and　this　they　know。　　Save　about　〃twenty　of　them；〃　all　who　are

not　to　succeed　in　entering　the　new　Corps　Legislatif；　will　intrigue　for

offices　in　Paris　and　become　〃state　messengers；　employees　in　bureaux；

and　ushers　to　ministers；〃　in　default　of　other　places　they　would　accept

those　of　〃hall…sweeps。〃　Any　refuge　for　them　is　good　against　the

reprobation　of　the　public；　which　is　already　rising　and　submerging　them

under　its　tide。



II。　　　Re…election　of　the　Two…thirds。



Decrees　for　the　re…election　of　the　Two…thirds。　　…　Small　number　of

Voters。　　…　Maneuvers　for　preventing　electors　from　voting　on　the

decrees。　　…　Frauds　in　the　returns　of　votes。　　…　Maintenance　of　the

decrees　by　force。　　…　Recruiting　of　the　Roughs。　　…　The　military

employed。　　…　The　13th　of　Vendémaire。



There　is　no　other　refuge　for　them　except　in　supreme　power；　and　no

other　means　for　maintaining　this　but　in　the　excesses　of　despotism；

dishonesty；　mendacity　and　violence。　　In　the　Constitution　they

manufacture；　they　desire　to　remain　the　sovereigns　of　France　and　they

decree＇12＇　at　once　that；　willingly　or　not；　France　must　select　two…

thirds　of　its　new　representatives　from　amongst　them；　and；　that　she　may

make　a　good　selection；　it　is　prudent　to　impose　the　selection　upon　her。

There　is　a　show；　indeed；　of　consulting　her　in　the　special　decrees

which　deprive　her　of　two…thirds　of　her　elective　rights　but；　as　in　1792

and　in　1793；　it　is　so　contrived　that　she　consents；　or　seems　to

consent；　to　this　arrangement。＇13＇　…　In　the　first　place；　they　relied　on

the　majority　of　electors　abstaining　from　a　response。　　Experience

indeed；　had　shown　that；　for　a　long　time；　the　masses　were　disgusted

with　the　plebiscite　farces；　moreover；　terror　has　stifled　in

individuals　all　sentiment　of　a　common　interest；＇14＇　each　cares　for

himself　alone。　　Since　Thermidor；　electors　and　mayors　in　the　boroughs

and　in　the　rural　districts　are　found　with　a　good　deal　of　difficulty；

even　electors　of　the　second　degree；　people　saw　that　it　was　useless　and

even　dangerous　to　perform　the　duties　of　a　citizen；　they　would　have

nothing　to　do　with　public　functions。　　A　foreigner　writes；＇15＇　after

traversing　France　from　Bourg…en…Bresse　to　Paris：　〃Ninety　times　out　of

a　hundred　that　I　have　asked　the　question；







'Citizen；　what　was　done　in　the　primary　meeting　of　your　canton？'



the　answer　would　be：







'Me；　citizen；　what　have　I　to　do　with　it？　I'　faith；　they　had　hard　work

to　agree！'



Or；



'What's　the　use？　There　were　not　many　there！　Honest　folks　stayed　at

home。'〃



In　fact；　out　of　at　least　six　million　electors　convoked；　five　millions

do　not　come　near　the　ballot…box；　there　being　no　embarrassment　in　this

matter　as　they　do　not　vote。＇16＇



In　the　second　place；　precautions　have　been　taken　to　prevent　those　who

come　to　vote　on　the　Constitution　from　entertaining　the　idea　of　voting

on　the　decrees。　　No　article　of　the　Constitution；　nor　in　the　decrees；

calls　upon　them　to　do　so；　slight　inducement　is　held　out　to　them　to

come；　in　a　vague　style；　through　an　oratorical　interrogation；　or　in　a

tardy　address。＇17＇　…　In　addition　to　this；　on　the　printed　blanks　sent

to　them　from　Paris；　they　find　but　three　columns；　one　for　the　number　of

votes　accepting　the　Constitution；　another　for　the　number　rejecting　it；

and　the　third　for　〃written　observations〃　in　case　there　are　any。　　There

are　no　special　columns　for　marking　the　number　of　votes　accepting　or

rejecting　the　decrees。　　Thereupon；　many　illiterate　or　ill…informed

electors　might　think　that　they　were　convoked　to　vote　solely　on　the

Constitution　and　not　at　all　on　the　decrees；　which　is　just　what

happened；　and　especially　in　the　remote　departments；　and　in　the　rural

assemblies。　　Moreover；　many　assemblies；　nearer　Paris　and　in　the　towns；

comprehend　that　if　the　Convention　consults　them　it　is　only　for　form's

sake；　to　give　a　negative　answer　is　useless　and　perilous；　it　is　better

to　keep　silent；　as　soon　as　the　decrees　are　mentioned　they　very

prudently　〃unanimously〃　demand　the　order　of　the　day。＇18＇　　Hence　out　of

five　primary　assemblies　on　the　average　which　vote　for　or　against　the

Constitution；　there　is　only　one　which　votes　for　or　against　the

decrees。＇19＇　…　　Such　is　the　mode　of　getting　at　the　voice　of　the

nation。　　Apparently；　it　is　induced　to　speak；　in　practice；　its　silence

is　ensured。



The　last　and　most　ingenious　expedient　of　all：　when　a　primary　assembly

speaks　too　loudly　it　is　taken　for　granted　that　it　kept　silent。　　In

Paris；　where　the　electors　are　more　clear　sighted　and　more　decided　than

in　the　provinces；　in　eighteen　well…known　departments；　and　probably　in

many　others；　the　electors　who　voted　on　the　decrees　almost　all　voted

against　them；　in　many　cases；　even　their　minutes　state　that　the

negative　vote　was　〃unanimous；〃　but　the　minutes　fail　to　state　the　exact

number　of　the　noes。　　On　this；　in　the　total　of　noes　hostile　to　the

decrees；　these　noes　are　not　counted。＇20＇　　Through　this　trickery；　the

Convention；　in　Paris　alone；　reduced　the　number　of　negatives　by　50；000

and　the　same　in　the　provinces；　after　the　fashion　of　a　dishonest

steward　who；　obliged　to　hand　in　an　account；　falsifies　the　figures　by

substituting　subtractions　for　additions。…Such　is　the　way；　in　relation

to　the　decrees；　in　which；　out　of　the　300；000　votes　which　it　accepts；

it　is　able　to　announce　200；000　yeas　and　100；000　noes　and　thus　proclaim

that　its　master；　the　sovereign　people；　after　giving　it　a　general

acquittance；　a　discharge　in　full；　invests　it　anew　with　its　confidence

and　expressly　continues　its　mandate。



It　now　remains　to　keep　by　force　this　power　usurped　by　fraud。　　…

Immediately　after　the　suppression　of　the　Jacobin　riots　the　Convention；

menaced　on　the　right；　turns　over　to　the　left；　it　requires　allies；

persons　of　executive　ability。　　It　takes　them　wherever　it　can　find

them；　from　the　faction　which　decimated　it　before　Thermidor　and　which；

since　Thermidor；　it　decimates。　　Consequently；　its　executive　committee

suspends　all　proceedings　begun　against　the　principal　〃Montagnards　；〃　a

number　of　terrorists；　former　presidents　of　the　sections；　〃the　matadors

of　the　quarter；〃　arrested　after　Prairial　1；　are　set　free　at　the　end　of

a　month。　　They　have　good　arms；　are　accustomed　to　vigorous　striking

without　giving　warning；　especially　when　honest　folks　are　to　be　knocked

down　or　ripped　open。　　The　stronger　public　opinion　is　against　the

government　the　more　does　the　government　rely　on　men　with　bludgeons　and

pikes；　on　the　strikers　〃　turned　out　of　the　primary　assemblies；〃　on　the

heroes　of　September　2　and　May　31；　dangerous　nomads；　inmates　of

Bicêtre；　paid　assassins　out　of　employment；　and　roughs　of　the　Quinze…

Vingts　and　faubourg　Saint…　Antoine。＇21＇　Finally　on　the　11th　of

Vendémiaire；　it　gathers　together　fifteen　or　eighteen　hundred　of　them

and　arms　them　in　battalions。＇22＇　Such　brigands　are　they；　that　Menon；

〃major…general　of　the　army　of　the　interior　and　commandant　of　the　armed

force　of　Paris；〃　comes　the　next　day　with　several　of　his　staff…officers

and　tells　the　Committee　of　Five　that　he　〃will　not　have　such　bandits　in

his　army　nor　under　his　orders〃。　〃I　will　not　march　with　a　lot　of

rascals　and　assassins　organized　in　battalions　〃under　the　name　of

〃patriots　of　'89。〃　　　Indeed；　the　true　patriots　of　'89　are　on　the　other

side；　the　constitutionalists　of　1791；　sincere　liberals；　〃forty

thousand　proprietors　and　merchants；〃　the　elite　and　mass　of　the

Parisian　population；＇23＇　〃the　majority　of　men　really　interested　in

public　matters；〃　and　at　this　moment；　the　common　welfare　is　all　that

concerns　them。　　Republic　or　royalty　is　merely　a　secondary　thought；　an

idea　in　the　back…ground；　nobody　dreams　of　restoring　the　ancient

régime；　but　very　few　are　preoccupied　with　the　restoration　of　a　limited

monarchy。＇24＇　　〃On　asking　those　most　in　earnest　what　government　they

would　like　in　place　of　the　Convention；　they　reply　'We　want　that　no

longer；　we　want　nothing　belonging　to　it；　we　want　the　Republic　and

honest　people　for　our　rulers。'〃＇25＇　…　That　is　all；　their　upraisal　is

not　a　political　insurrection　against　the　form　of　the　government；　but　a

moral　insurrection　against　the　criminals　in　office。　　Hence；　on　seeing

the　Convention　arm　their　old　executioners；　〃the　tigers〃　of　the　Reign

of　Terror；　admitted　malefactors；　against　them；　they　cannot　contain

themselves。＇26＇　〃That　day；〃　says　a　foreigner；　who　visited　many　public

places　in　Paris；　〃I　saw　everywhere　the　deepest　despair；　the　greatest

expression　of　rage　and　fury。　　。　　。　　。　　Without　that　unfortunate　order

the　insurrection　would　probably　not　have　broken　out。〃　If　they　take　up

arms　it　is　because　they　are　brought　back　under　the　pikes　of　the

Septembriseurs；　and　under　Robespierre's　axe。　　…　　But　they　are　only

national　guards；　most　of　them　have　no　guns；＇27＇　they　are　in　want　of

gunpowder；　those　who　have　any　having　only　five　or　six　charges　；　〃the

great　majority　do　not　think　of　fighting；〃　they　imagine　that　〃their

presence　is　merely　needed　to　enforce　a　petition；〃　they　have　no

artillery；　no　positive　leader；　it　is　simply　excitement；　precipitation；

disorder　and　mistaken　maneuvers。＇28＇　　On　the　contrary；　on　the　side　of

the　Convention；　with　Henriot's　old　bullies；　there　are　eight　or　nine

thousand　regular　troops；　and　Bonaparte；　his　cannon；　which　rake　the　rue

Saint　Honoré　and　the　Quai　Voltaire；　mow　down　five　or　six　hundred

sectionists。　　The　rest　disperse；　and　henceforth　the　check…mated

Parisians　are　not　to　take　up　their　guns　agai