the origins of contemporary france-4-第118章

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decree　and　transportation；　through　forced　and　voluntary　resignations；

two　hundred　and　fourteen　representatives　are　withdrawn　from　the

Legislative　Corps；　while　one　hundred　and　eighty　others；　through　fear

or　disgust；　cease　to　attend　its　meetings。＇70＇　Nothing　remains　of　the

two　Councils；　except；　as　in　the　English　Parliament　under　Cromwell；　a

〃rump；〃　which　rump　does　business　under　drawn　swords。　　In　the　Council

of　the　Ancients；　which；　on　the　18th　of　Fructidor；　discussed　at

midnight＇71＇　the　decree　of　transportation；　〃groups　of　grenadiers；　with

a　haggard　look；　in　brusque　language；　with　threatening　gestures〃　and

fixed　bayonets；　surround　the　amphitheatre；　and；　mingled　with　the

soldiers　and　civil　cut…throats；　shout　out　their　orders。　　Such　are　the

supporters　of　the　slanderous　tale　cooked　up　by　the　Directory。　　The

voters　need　such　arguments　to　make　themselves　believe　in　the　grand

conspiracy　which　it　denounces；　to　associate　Barthélemy；　Carnot；

Siméon；　Barbé…Marbois；　Boissy　d'Anglas；　Mathieu　Dumas；　Pastoret；

Tronson　du　Coudray　as　accomplices　with　a　knot　of　subordinate

intriguers；　contemptible　〃monkeys〃　（marmosets）；　dolts　or　spies；　whose

papers　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　police　for　six　months；　and　whom

it　forces　to　speak　under　lock　and　key。＇72＇　All　are　enveloped　in　the

same　net；　all　are　confounded　together　under　the　same　title；　all　are

condemned　en　masse　without　evidence　or　formality。　　〃Proofs！〃　exclaims

an　orator；　〃none　are　necessary　against　the　royalist　faction。　　I　have

my　own　convictions。〃＇73＇　…　〃Formalities　！〃　exclaims　another；　〃the

enemies　of　the　country　cannot　invoke　formalities　which　they　would　have

despised　had　they　triumphed。〃　…　〃The　people　are　there；〃　says　a　third；

pointing　to　a　dozen　ill…looking　men　who　are　present；　〃the　whole　people

ought　to　prevail　against　a　few　individuals！〃　…　〃Hurry　up！〃　shouts　a

soldier；　who　wants　the　discussion　ended；　〃patriots；　march；　double…

quick！〃　…　The　debate；　nevertheless；　drags　along；　and　the　Government；

growing　impatient；　is　obliged　to　intervene　with　a　message：　〃The

people；〃　says　the　message；　〃want　to　know　what　has　become　of　the

Republic；　what　you　have　done　with　it。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　conspirators

have　agents；　even　among　yourselves。〃　The　message　is　understood；　and

the　representatives　now　understand　that　if　they　do　not　transport；　they

themselves　will　be　deported。　　Therefore；　〃about　fourteen　or　fifteen

stand　up　for　the　decree；　while　seven　are　against　it；　the　rest　remain

motionless：〃　it　is　thus　that　the　decree　to　save　the　Constitution　is

freely　and　legally　passed。　　　Four　years　before　this　a　similar　decree

had　passed　to　expel　the　Girondists；　in　just　the　same　manner；　with　the

exception　that；　at　that　time；　the　Mountain　made　use　of　the　populace；

while　now　the　army　is　employed；　but　save　the　difference　in　the

figurants；　the　performance　is　simply　a　repetition　of　the　same　drama

that　was　played　on　the　2nd　of　June；　and　is　now　again　played　on　the

18th　of　Fructidor。＇74＇



VI。　　　The　Directory。



Dictatorship　of　the　Directory。　　…　Its　new　prerogatives。　　…　Purge　of

the　Legislative　Corps。…　Purification　of　the　administrative　and

judicial　authorities。　　…　Military　commissions　in　the　provinces。　　…

Suppression　of　newspapers。　　…　The　right　of　voting　reserved　to　Jacobins

alone。　　…　Despotism　of　the　Directory。　　…　Revival　of　Terror。　　…

Transportation　substituted　for　the　guillotine。　　…　Treatment　of　the

deported　on　the　way；　in　Guyana；　and　on　the　islands　of　Rhé　and　Oléron。

…　Restoration　of　Jacobin　feudalism。



This　is　the　way　in　which　the　government　of　1793　is　brought　back　to

life：



The　concentration　of　all　public　powers　in　the　hands　of　an　oligarchy；　a

dictatorship　exercised　by　about　a　hundred　men　grouped　around　five　or

six　leaders。



More　independent；　more　despotic　and　less　provisional　than　any

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　the　Directory　has　arrogated　to　itself　the

legal　right　of　placing　a　commune　in　a　state　of　siege；　of　introducing

troops　within　the　constitutional　circle＇75＇　in　such　a　way　that　it　may；

at　its　discretion；　violate　Paris　and　the　Legislative　Corps。　　In　this

body；　mutilated　by　it　and　watched　by　its　hireling　assassins；＇76＇　sit

the　passive　mutes　who　feel　themselves　〃morally　proscribed　and　half…

deported；〃＇77＇　who　abandon　debate；　and　vote　with　its　stipendiaries　and

valets。＇78＇　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　two　councils　have；　as　formerly

the　Convention；　become　chambers　〃of　registry〃　of　legislative　mechanism

charged　with　the　duty　of　countersigning　its　orders。　　…　Its　sway　over

the　subordinate　authorities　is　still　more　absolute。　　In　forty…nine

departments；　specially　designated　by　decree；　all　the　administrators　of

departments；　cantons　and　municipalities；　all　mayors；　civil　and

criminal　judges；　all　justices　of　the　peace；　all　elected　by　popular

suffrage；　are　dismissed　en　masse；＇79＇　while　the　cleaning　out　in　the

rest　of　France　is　almost　as　sweeping。　　We　can　judge　by　one　example：　in

the　department　of　Doubs；　which　is　not　put　down　among　those　to　be

purged；　five　hundred　and　thirty　administrators　or　municipal

magistrates　are　dismissed　in　1797；　and；　in　addition；　forty…nine　others

in　1798。　　The　Directory　puts　its　creatures　in　their　places：　suddenly；

the　departmental；　cantonal；　municipal　and　judicial　system；　which　was

American；　becomes　Napoleonic　so　that　the　local　officials；　instead　of

being　delegates　of　the　people；　are　government　delegates。　　…　Note；

especially；　the　most　threatening　of　all　usurpations；　the　way　in　which

this　government　takes　justice　into　its　hands　and　attributes　to　itself

the　right　of　life　and　death　over　persons：　not　only　does　it　break　up

common　criminal　courts　and　reorganize　them　as　it　pleases；　not　only

does　it　renew　and　select　among　the　purest　Jacobins　judges　of　the　court

of　appeals；　but　again；　in　each　military　division；　it　institutes　a

special　and　expeditious　court　without　appeal；　composed　of　docile

officers；　sub…officers　and　soldiers；　which　is　to　condemn　and　execute

within　twenty…four　hours；　under　pretext　of　emigration　or　priesthood；

every　man　who　is　obnoxious　to　the　ruling　factions。　　　As　to　the

twenty…five　millions　of　subjects　it　has　just　acquired；　there　is　no

refuge：　it　is　forbidden　even　to　complain。　　Forty…two　opposition　or

〃suspect〃　journals　are　silenced　at　one　stroke；　their　stock　plundered；

or　their　presses　broken　up　；　three　months　after　this；　sixteen　more

take　their　turn；　and；　in　a　year；　eleven　others　；　the　proprietors；

editors；　publishers　and　contributors；　among　whom　are　La　Harpe；

Fontanes；　Fièvé；　Michaud　and　Lacretelle；　a　large　body　of　honorable　or

prominent　writers；　the　four　or　five　hundred　men　who　compose　the　staff

of　the　profession；　all　condemned　without　trial　to　banishment；＇80＇　or

to　imprisonment；　are　arrested；　take　flight；　conceal　themselves；　or

keep　silent。　　The　only　voice　now　heard　in　France　is　the　mega…phone　of

the　government。



Naturally；　the　faculty　of　voting　is　as　restricted　as　the　faculty　of

writing；　so　that　the　victors　of　Fructidor；　together　with　the　right　to

speak；　now　also　monopolize　the　right　of　electing。　　…　Right　away　the

government　renewed　the　decree　which　the　expiring　Convention　had

rendered　against　allies　or　relations　of　émigrés。　　moreover；　it

excluded　all　relatives　or　supporters　of　the　members　of　the　primary

assemblies；　and　forbade　the　primary　assemblies　to　choose　any　of　these

for　electors。　　Henceforth；　all　upright　or　even　peaceful　citizens

consider　themselves　as　warned　and　stay　at　home。　　Voting　is　the　act　of

a　ruler；　and　therefore　a　privilege　of　the　new　sovereigns；　which　is　the

view　of　it　entertained　by　both　sovereigns　and　subjects：＇81＇　〃a

republican　minority　operating　legally　must　prevail　against　a　majority

influenced　by　royalism。〃＇82＇　They　are　to　see　the　government　on

election　days；　launching　forth　〃in　each　department　its　commission

agents；　and　controlling　votes　by　threats　and　all　sorts　of　promises　and

seductions；＇83＇　arresting　the　electors　and　presidents　of　the　primary

assemblies；〃　even　pouncing　on　refractory　Jacobins；　invalidating　the

returns　of　a　majority　when　not　satisfactory　to　them；　and　rendering　the

choice　of　a　minority　valid；　if　it　suited　them；　in　short；　constituting

itself　the　chief　elector　of　all　local　and　central　authorities。　　…

Finally；　all　institutions；　laws；　public　and　private　rights；　are　down；

and　the　nation；　body　and　soul；　again　becomes；　as　under　Robespierre；

the　property　of　its　rulers　with　this　sole　difference；　that　the　kings

of　Terror；　postponing　their　constitution；　openly　proclaim　their

omnipotence；　whilst　the　others　hypocritically　rule　under　a

constitution　which　they　have　themselves　destroyed；　and　reign　by　virtue

of　a　title　which　interdicts　royalty　to　them。



They；　too；　maintain　themselves　by　Terror；　only；　like　so　many

Tartuffes；　they　are　not　disposed　to　act　openly　as　executioners。　　The

Directory；　heir　to　the　Convention；　affects　to　repudiate　its

inheritance：　〃Woe；〃　says　Boulay　de　la　Meurthe；　〃to　whoever　would　re…

establish　scaffolds。〃　There　is　to　be　no　guillotine；　its　purveyors　have

been　too　strongly　denounced；　they　stand　too　near　the　red　stream　and

view　with　too　great　nervous　horror　those　who　fed　it。　　It　is　better　to

employ　death　at　a　distance；　lingering　and　spontaneous；　with　no

effusion　of　human　blood；　〃dry；〃　less　repulsive　than　the　other　sort；

but　more　painful　and　not　less　certain；　this　shall　be　imprisonment　on

the　marshes　of　Rochefort；　and；　better　still；　transportation　to　the

feverish　coasts　of　Guyanna：　there　is　no　distinction　between　the　mode

used　by　the　Convention　and　that　of　the　Directory；　except　the

distinction　between　to　kill　and　to　cause　death。＇84＇　Moreover；　every

brutality　that　can　be　employed　to　repress　the　indignation　of　the

proscribed　by　fear　is　exhausted　on　the　way。　　…　The　first　convoy　which

bears　away；　with　thirteen　others；　Barthélémy；　who　negotiated　the

treaty　of　Basle；　Pichegru；　the　conqueror　of　Holland；　Lafond…Ladébat；

president　of　the　council　of　the　Five　Hundred；　Barbé…Marbois；　president

of　the　council　of　the　Ancients；　was　at　first　provided　with

carriages。＇85＇　An　order　of　the　Directory　substitutes　for　these　the

prison　van；　an　iron　car　with　one　door　bolted　and　padlocked；　and；

overhead；　openings　through　which　the　rain　poured　in　streams；　and　with

common　boards　for　seats。　　This　lumbering　machine　without　springs　rolls

along　at　a　fast　trot　along　the　ruts　in　the　road；　each　jolt　sending　the

condemned　inmates　against　the　hard　oak　sides　and　roof；　one　of　these；

on　reaching　Blois；　〃shows　his　black…and…blue　elbows。〃　The　man　selected

to　command　this　escort　is　the　vilest　and　most　brutal　reprobate　in　the

army；　Dutertre；　a　coppersmith　foreman　before　the　Revolution；　next　an

officer　and　sentenced　to　be　put　in　irons　for　stealing　in　the　La　Vendée

war；　and　such　a　natural　robber　that　he　again　robs　his　men　of　their　pay

on　the　road；　he　is　evidently　qualified　for　his　work。　　On　stopping　at

Blois；　〃he　passes　the　night　in　an　orgy　with　his　brothers　and　friends；〃

fellow…thieves　and　murderers　a