the origins of contemporary france-4-第117章

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！



to　persecution　and；　according　as　they　are　more　or　less　excited　or

circumspect；　they　demand　legal　sentences　or　simply　the　removal　of

Jacobins　in　office；　the　immediate　and　entire　suppression　or　partial

and　careful　reform　of　the　laws　against　priests　and　worship；　against

émigrés　and　the　nobles。＇56＇　　Nobody　has　any　idea　of　innovation　with

respect　to　the　distribution　of　public　powers；　or　to　the　way　of

appointing　central　or　local　authorities。　　〃　I　swear　on　my　honor；〃

writes　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃that　it　has　always　been　my　intention　to

maintain　the　Republican　Constitution；　persuaded　as　I　am　that；　with　a

temperate　and　equitable　administration；　it　might　give　repose　to

France；　make　liberty　known　and　cherished；　and　repair　in　time　the　evils

of　the　Revolution。　　I　swear　that　no　proposals；　direct　or　indirect；

have　ever　been　made　to　me　to　serve；　either　by　my　actions；　speech　or

silence；　or　cause　to　prevail　in　any　near　or　remote　manner；　any　other

interest　than　that　of　the　Republic　and　the　Constitution。〃　　〃Among

the　deputies；〃　says　Camille　Jordan；　〃several　might　prefer　royalty；　but

they　did　not　conspire；　regarding　the　Constitution　as　a　deposit

entrusted　to　their　honor　。　　。　　They　kept　their　most　cherished　plans

subordinate　to　the　national　will；　they　comprehended　that　royalty　could

not　be　re…established　without　blows　and　through　the　development　of

this　bill。〃　　〃　Between　ourselves；〃　says　again　Barbé…Marbois；　〃there

were　disagreements　as　to　the　way　of　getting　along　with　the　Directory；

but　none　at　all　as　to　the　maintenance　of　the　Constitution。〃＇57＇

Almost　up　to　the　last　moment　they　confined　themselves　strictly　to

their　legal　rights；　and　when；　towards　the　end；　they　were　disposed　to

set　these　aside；　it　was　simply　to　defend　themselves　against　the

uplifted　saber　above　their　heads。＇58＇　　It　is　incontestable　that　their

leaders　are　〃the　most　estimable　and　the　ablest　men　in　the

Republic；〃＇59＇　the　only　representatives　of　free　suffrage；　mature

opinions　and　long　experience；　the　only　ones　at　least　in　whose　hands

the　Republic；　restored　to　order　and　justice；　would　have　any　chance　of

becoming　viable；　in　fact；　the　only　liberals。　　And　this　is　the　reason

why　the　merely　nominal　Republicans　were　bound　to　crush　them。



In　effect；　under　a　government　which　disavows　attacks　on　persons　and　on

public　or　private　property；　not　only　is　the　Jacobin　theory　impossible；

but　Jacobin　wrongs　are　condemned。　　Now；　the　Jacobins；　even　if　they

have　abjured　their　principles；　remember　their　acts。　　They　become

alarmed　on　the　arrival　of　the　first　Third；　in　October；　1795：　〃The

Conventionalists；〃　writes　one　of　the　new　deputies；＇60＇　〃look　upon　us

as　men　who　will　one　day　give　them　up　to　justice。〃　After　the　entry　of

the　second　Third；　in　May；　1797；　their　fright　increased；　the　regicides；

especially；　feel　that　〃their　safety　depends　only　on　an　exclusive　and

absolute　dominion。〃＇61＇　One　day；　Treilhard；　one　of　their　notables；

alone　with　Mathieu　Dumas；　says　to　this　old　Feuillant　and　friend　of

Lafayette；　of　well　known　loyalty　and　moderation：　〃You　are　very　honest

and　very　able　men；　and　I　believe　that　you　really　desire　to　maintain

the　government　as　it　is；　because　neither　for　you　nor　for　us　is　there

any　sure　way　of　substituting　another　for　it。　　But　we　Conventionalists

cannot　allow　you　to　go　on；　whether　you　mean　it　or　not；　you　are

gradually　leading　us　to　our　certain　ruin；　there　is　nothing　in　common

between　us。〃　　　〃What　guarantee　do　you　then　require？〃　　　〃Only　one。

After　that；　we'll　do　all　you　want　…　we'll　let　you　relax　the　springs　…

give　us　this　guarantee　and　we'll　follow　you　blindly！　　〃Well；　what　do

you　mean　by　that？〃　…



　〃Enter　the　tribune　and　declare　that　if　you　had　been　a　member　of　the

Convention；　you　would　have　voted　the　death　of　Louis　XVI。　　as　we　did！〃

…



　〃You　demand　an　impossibility。　　You　would　not　do　this　in　our　place。

You　sacrifice　France　to　vain　terrors。〃　…



　〃No；　the　risk　is　not　equal；　our　heads　are　at　stake！〃



Their　heads；　perhaps；　…　but　certainly　their　power；　places；　fortunes；

comforts　and　pleasures；　all　that　in　their　eyes　makes　it　worth　while　to

live。　　…　Every　morning；　seventy　Paris　newspapers　and　as　many　local

gazettes　in　the　large　towns　of　the　provinces　expose；　with　supporting

documents；　details　and　figures；　not　merely　their　former　crimes；　but；

again；　their　actual　corruption；　their　sudden　opulence　founded　on

prevarication　and　rapine；　their　bribes　and　peculations　…



*　one；　rewarded　with　a　sumptuously　furnished　mansion　by　a　company　of

grateful　contractors；



*　another；　son　of　a　bailiwick　attorney　and　a　would…be　Carthusian；　now

possessor　of　ecclesiastical　property；　restored　by　him　at　a　great

outlay　for　hunting…grounds；　another　also　monopolizes　the　finest　land

in　Seine…et…Oise；



*　another；　the　improvised　owner　of　four　chateaux；



*　another；　who　has　feathered　his　nest　with　fifteen　or　eighteen

millions；＇62＇



With　their　loose　or　arbitrary　ways　of　doing　things；　their　habits　as

hoarders　or　spendthrifts；　their　display　and　effrontery；　their

dissipations；　their　courtiers　and　their　prostitutes。　　How　can　they

renounce　all　this？　…　And　all　the　more　because　this　is　all　they　have。

These　jaded　consciences　are　wholly　indifferent　to　abstract　principles；

to　popular　sovereignty；　to　the　common　weal；　to　public　security；　the

thin　and　brittle　coating　of　sonorous　phrases　under　which　they　formerly

tried　to　hide　the　selfishness　and　perversity　of　their　lusts；　scales

off　and　falls　to　the　ground。　　They　themselves　confess　that　it　is　not

the　Republic　for　which　they　are　concerned；　but　for　themselves　above

everything　else；　and　for　themselves　alone。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the

Republic　if　its　interest　is　opposed　to　their　interest；　as　Siéyès　will

soon　express　it；　the　object　is　not　to　save　the　Revolution　but　the

revolutionaries。　　…　Thus　disabused；　unscrupulous；　knowing　that　they

are　staking　their　all；　and　resolute；　like　their　colleagues　of　August

10；　September　2　and　May31　and　like　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；

they　are　determined　to　win；　no　matter　at　what　cost　or　by　what　means。



For　this　time　again；　the　Moderates　do　not　want　to　comprehend　that　the

war　has　been　declared；　and　that　it　is　war　to　the　knife。　　They　do　not

agree　amongst　themselves；　they　want　to　gain　time；　they　hesitate　and

take　refuge　in　constitutional　forms　…　they　do　not　act。　　The　strong

measures　which　the　eighty　decided　and　clear…sighted　deputies　propose；

are　weakened　or　suspended　by　the　precautions　of　the　three　hundred

others；　short…sighted；　unreliable　or　timid。＇63＇　They　dare　not　even

avail　themselves　of　their　legal　arms：



*　annul　the　military　division　of　the　interior；



*　suppress　Augereau's　commission；



*　and　break　the　sword　presented　at　their　throats　by　the　three

conspiring　Directors。



In　the　Directory；　they　have　only　passive　or　neutral　allies；

Barthélémy；　who　had　rather　be　assassinated　than　murder；　Carnot；　the

servant　of　his　legal　pass…word；　fearing　to　risk　his　Republic；　and；

moreover；　calling　to　mind　that　he　had　voted　for　the　King's　death。

Among　the　〃Five　Hundred〃　and　the　〃Ancients；〃　Thibaudeau　and　Tron？on…

Ducoudray；　the　two　leaders　〃du　ventre；〃　arrest　the　arms　of　Pichegru

and　other　energetic　men；　prevent　them　from　striking；　allow　them　only

to　ward　off　the　blow；　and　always　too　late。　　Three　days　after　the　10th

of　Fructidor；　when；　as　everybody　knew　and　saw；　the　final　blow　was　to

be　struck；　the　eighty　deputies；　who　change　their　quarters　so　as　not　to

be　seized　in　their　beds；　cannot　yet　make　up　their　minds　to　take　the

offensive。　　On　that　day；　an　eye…witness＇64＇　came　to　Mathieu　Dumas　and

told　him　that；　the　evening　before；　in　Barras'　house；　they　discussed

the　slaughter　or　transportation　to　Cayenne　of　about　forty　members　of

the　two　Councils；　and　that　the　second　measure　was　adopted。　　On　which　a

commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　having　led　Dumas　at　night　into　the

Tuileries　garden；　showed　him　his　men　concealed　behind　the　trees；　armed

and　ready　to　march　at　the　first　signal。　　He　is　to　possess　himself　at

once　of　the　Luxembourg　（palace）＇65＇　which　is　badly　guarded；　and　put　an

end　to　Barras　and　Reubell　on　the　spot：　in　war　one　kills　so　as　not　to

be　killed；　and；　when　the　enemy　takes　aim；　you　have　the　right　to　fire

without　waiting。　　〃Only；〃　says　the　commandant；　〃promise　me　that　you

will　state　in　the　tribune　that　you　ordered　this　attack；　and　give　me

your　word　of　honor。〃＇66＇　　Mathieu　Dumas　refuses；　simply　because　he　is

a　man　of　honor。　　〃You　were　a　fool；〃　Napoleon　afterwards　said　to　him　in

this　connection；　〃you　know　nothing　about　revolutions。〃　…　In　effect；

honor；　loyalty；　horror　of　blood；　respect　for　the　law；　such　are　the

weak　points　of　the　party。



The　opposite　sentiments　form　the　strong　points　of　the　other　party。　　On

the　side　of　the　triumvirs　nobody　knows　twinges　of　conscience；　neither

Barras；　a　condottiere　open　to　the　highest　bidder；　and　who　understands

the　value　of　blows；　nor　Reubell；　a　sort　of　bull；　who；　becoming

excited；　sees　red；　nor　Merlin　de　Douai；　the　terrible　legist；　lay

inquisitor　and　executioner　in　private。＇67＇　As　usual　with　the　Jacobins；

these　men　have　unsheathed　the　sword　and　brandished　it。　　In　contempt　of

the　constitution；　they　provoked　discussions　in　the　army　and　let　the

Legislative　Corps　see　that；　if　it　did　not　yield；　it　would　be　put　out

at　the　point　of　the　bayonet。　　They　let　loose　against　it；　〃　as　in　the

good　old　times；〃＇68＇　their　executive　riff…raff；　and　line　the　avenues

and　tribunes　with　〃their　bandits　of　both　sexes。〃　They　collect　together

their　gangs　of　roughs；　five　or　six　thousand　terrorists　from　Paris　and

the　departments；　and　two　thousand　officers　awaiting　orders　or　on　half…

pay。　　In　default　of　Hoche；　whose　unconstitutional　approach　was

reported　and　then　prevented；　they　have　Augereau；　arrived　expressly

from　Italy；　and　who　states　publicly；　〃I　am　sent　for　to　kill　the

royalists。〃　It　is　impossible　to　find　a　more　narrow…minded　and　greater

military　bully；　Reubell；　himself；　on　seeing　him；　could　not　help　but

exclaim：　What　a　sturdy　brigand！〃　…　On　the　18th　of　Fructidor　this

official　swordsman；　with　eight　or　ten　thousand　troops；　surrounds　and

invades　the　Tuileries。　　The　representatives　are　arrested　in　their

committee…rooms　or　domiciles；　or　pursued；　tracked　and　hunted　down；

while　the　rest　of　their　opponents；　notables；　officers；　heads　of

bureaux；　journalists；　former　ministers　and　directors；　Barthélémy　and

Carnot；　are　treated　in　the　same　way。　　Barbé…Marbois；　on　demanding　by

virtue　of　what　law　they　were　arrested；＇69＇　is　told；　〃by　the　law　of　the

saber；〃　while　Sotin；　Minister　of　the　Police；　adds　with　a　smile；　〃You

may　be　sure　that　after　what　I　have　taken　on　myself；　it　matters　little

whether　one　is　more　or　less　compromised。〃　…　Thus　purged；　the　two

Councils　complete　themselves　their　purgation；　they　cancel；　in　forty…

nine　departments；　the　election　of　their　colleagues；　through　this

decree　and　transportation；　through　forced　and　voluntary　resignations；

two　hundred　and　fourt