the origins of contemporary france-4-第122章

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virile；　adult　strength　of　the　nation；＇129＇　and　we　have　seen　through

what　motives　and　for　what　object。　　I　do　not　believe　that　any　civilized

nation　was　ever　sacrificed　in　the　same　way；　for　such　a　purpose　and　by

such　rulers：　　the　crippled　remnant　of　a　faction　and　sect；　some

hundreds　of　preachers　no　longer　believing　in　their　creed；　usurpers　as

despised　as　they　are　detested；　second…rate　parvenus　raised　their　heads

not　through　their　capacity　or　merit；　but　through　the　blind　upheavals

of　a　revolution；　swimming　on　the　surface　for　lack　of　weight；　and；　like

foul　scum；　borne　along　to　the　crest　of　the　wave…such　are　the　wretches

who　strangle　France　under　the　pretence　of　setting　her　free；　who　bleed

her　under　the　pretence　of　making　her　strong；　who　conquer　populations

under　the　pretence　of　emancipating　them；　who　despoil　people　under　the

pretence　of　regenerating　them；　and　who；　from　Brest　to　Lucerne；　from

Amsterdam　to　Naples；　slay　and　rob　wholesale；　systematically；　to

strengthen　the　incoherent　dictatorship　of　their　brutality；　folly　and

corruption。



IX。　　　National　Disgust。



National　antipathy　to　the　established　order　of　things。　　…　Paralysis　of

the　State。　　…　Internal　discords　of　the　Jacobin　party。　　…　Coup　d'état

of　Floréal　22；　year　VI。　　…　Coup　d'état　of　Prairial　30；　year　VII。　　…

Impossibility　of　establishing　a　viable　government。　　…　Plans　of　Barras

and　Siéyès。



Once　again　has　triumphant　Jacobinism　shown　its　anti…social　nature；　its

capacity　for　destruction；　its　impotence　to　re…construct。　　…　The

nation；　vanquished　and　discouraged；　no　longer　resists；　but；　if　it

submits　it　is　as　to　a　pestilence；　while　its　transportations；　its

administrative　purifications；　its　decrees　placing　towns　in　a　state　of

siege；　its　daily　violence；　only　exasperate　the　mute　antipathy。



　〃Everything　has　been　done；〃　says　an　honest　Jacobin；＇130＇　〃to　alienate

the　immense　majority　of　citizens　from　the　Revolution　and　the　Republic；

even　those　who　had　contributed　to　the　downfall　of　the　monarchy。　　。　　。

Instead　of　seeing　the　friends　of　the　Revolution　increase　as　we　have

advanced　on　the　revolutionary　path　。　　。　　。　　。　　we　see　our　ranks

thinning　out　and　the　early　defenders　of　liberty　deserting　our　cause。〃



It　is　impossible　for　the　Jacobins　to　rally　France　and　reconcile　her　to

their　ways　and　dogmas；　and　on　this　point　their　own　agents　leave　no

illusion。



〃Here；〃　writes　the　Troyes　agent；＇131＇　〃public　spirit　not　only　needs　to

be　revived；　but　it　needs　to　be　re…created。　　Scarcely　one…fifth　of　the

citizens　side　with　the　government；　and　this　fifth　is　hated　and

despised　by　the　majority。　　。　　。　　。　　Who　attend　upon　and　celebrate　the

national　fêtes？　Public　functionaries　whom　the　law　summons　to　them；　and

many　of　these　fêtes　often　dispense　with　them。　　It　is　the　same　public

spirit　which　does　not　allow　honest　folks　to　take　part　in　them　and　in

the　addresses　made　at　them；　and　which　keeps　those　women　away　who　ought

to　be　their　principal　ornament。　　。　　。　　。　　The　same　public　spirit　looks

only　with　indifference　and　contempt　on　the　republican；　heroic　actions

given　on　the　stage；　and　welcomes　with　transport　all　that　bears　any

allusion　to　royalty　and　the　ancient　régime。　　The　parvenus　themselves

of　the　Revolution；　the　generals；　the　deputies；　dislike　Jacobin

institutions；＇132＇　they　place　children　in　the　chapel　schools　and　send

them　to　the　confessional；　while　the　deputies　who；　in　'92　and　'93；

showed　the　most　animosity　to　priests；　do　not　consider　their　daughter

well　brought　up　unless　she　has　made　her　first　communion。　〃　…



The　little　are　still　more　hostile　than　the　great。



　〃A　fact　unfortunately　too　true；〃　writes　the　commissary　of　a　rural

canton；＇133＇　〃is　that　the　people　en　masse　seem　not　to　want　any　of　our

institutions。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is　considered　well…bred；　even　among　country

folks；　to　show　disdain　for　everything　characteristic　of　republican

usages。　　。　　。　　Our　rich　farmers；　who　have　profited　most　by　the

Revolution；　are　the　bitterest　enemies　of　its　forms：　any　citizen　who

depended　on　them　for　the　slightest　favor　and　thought　it　well　to

address　them　as　citizen；　would　be　turned　out　of　their　houses。〃



　To　call　someone　Citizen　is　an　insult；　and　patriot　a　still　greater

one；　for　this　term　signifies　Jacobin；　partisan；　murderer；　robber＇134＇

and；　as　they　were　then　styled；　〃man…eaters。〃　What　is　worse　is　that　a

falsification　of　the　word　has　brought　discredit　on　the　thing。　　…

Nobody；　say　the　reports；　troubles　himself　about　the　general

interest；＇135＇　nobody　will　serve　as　national　guard　or　mayor。



　〃Public　spirit　has　fallen　into　such　a　lethargic　slumber　as　to　make

one　fear　its　complete　collapse。　　Our　successes　or　our　failures　excite

neither　uneasiness　nor　pleasure。＇136＇　It　seems；　on　reading　the

accounts　of　battles；　as　if　it　were　the　history　of　another　people。　　The

changes　that　take　place　within　our　borders　no　longer　excite　any

emotion；　one　asks　out　of　curiosity；　one　is　answered　without　any

interest；　one　learns　with　indifference。〃



〃The　pleasures　of　Paris＇137＇　are　not　disturbed　a　moment　by　any　the

Crises　which　succeed　each　other；　nor　by　those　which　are　feared。　　Never

were　the　theatres　and　public　entertainments　more　frequented。　　At　the

'Tivoli；'　it　is　said　that　it　is　going　to　be　worse　than　ever；　the

country　（patrie）　is　called　la　patraque；　and　dancing　goes　on。〃



This　is　understandable　enough；　how　can　one　interest　one's　self　in　the

public　weal　when　there　is　none；　when　the　common　patrimony　of　all　has

become　the　private　property　of　a　gang；　when　this　gang　is　devouring　or

wasting　all　in　the　interior　and　outside　the　frontier；　where　it　is

playing　heads　or　tails？　The　Jacobins；　through　their　final　victory；

have　dried　patriotism　up；　that　is　to　say；　the　deep　inward　spring　which

supplies　the　substance；　the　vitality　and　the　force　of　the　State。　…　In

vain　do　they　multiply　rigorous　decrees　and　imperious　prescriptions；

each　energetic　blow　is　absorbed　by　the　general　and　mute　resistance　of

intentional　passivity　and　of　insurmountable　disgust。　　They　do　not

obtain　from　their　subjects　any　of　that　unconscious　obedience；　that

degree　of　passive　co…operation；　without　which　the　law　remains　a　dead

letter。＇138＇　Their　Republic；　so　young；



〃is　attacked　by　that　nameless　malady　which　commonly　attacks　only　old

governments；　a　species　of　senile　consumption　to　which　one　can　give　no

other　definition　than　that　of　the　difficulty　of　living；　nobody　strives

to　overthrow　it；　although　it　seems　to　have　lost　the　power　of　standing

erect。〃＇139＇



Not　only　does　their　domination　paralyze　instead　of　animating　the

State；　but；　with　their　own　hands；　they　undermine　the　order　they

themselves　have　established。　　Whether　legal　or　extra…legal；　it　makes

no　difference：　under　their　rule；　no　constitution；　made　and　remade；　no

government；　not　even　that　of　their　leaders；　can　survive。　　Once　masters

of　France；　they　quarrel　over　it　amongst　themselves；　each　claiming　for

himself　the　whole　of　the　prey。　　Those　who　are　in　office　want　to　stay

there；　those　who　are　out　want　to　get　in。　　Thus　is　formed　two　factions；

while　each　repeats　against　the　other　the　coup　d'état　which　both　have

together　carried　out　against　the　nation。　　…　According　to　the　ruling

clique；　its　adversaries　are　simply　〃anarchists；〃　former

Septembriseurs；　Robespierre's　confederates；　the　accomplices　of　Babeuf；

eternal　conspirators。　　Now；　as　in　the　year　VI。；　the　five　regents　still

keep　the　saber…hilt　firm　in　their　grasp；　and　can　therefore　make　the

Legislative　Corps　to　vote　as　they　please。　　On　the　22nd　of　Floréal；　the

government　cancels；　in　whole　or　in　part；　in　forty…five　departments；

the　new　elections；　not　alone　those　of　representatives；　but　again　those

of　judges；　public　prosecutors；　and　the　grand…jurymen。　　Then　it

dismisses　the　terrorist　administrations　in　the　departments　and

towns。＇140＇　…　According　to　their　adversaries　（la　coterie　gouvernée）；

the　Directory　and　its　agents　are　false　patriots；　usurpers；　oppressors；

despisers　of　the　law；　squanderers　and　inept　politicians。　　As　all　this

is　true；　and　as　the　Directory；　in　the　year　VIII。；　used　up　through　its

twenty…one　months　of　omnipotence；　out　of　credit　on　account　of　its

reverses；　despised　by　its　generals；　hated　by　the　beaten　and　unpaid

army；　dares　no　longer　and　can　no　longer　raise　the　sword；　the　ultra

Jacobins　resume　the　offensive；　have　themselves　elected　through　their

kith　and　kin；　re…conquer　the　majority　in　the　Legislative　Corps；　and；

in　their　turn；　purge　the　Directory　on　the　30　of　Prairial。　　Treilhard；

Merlin　de　Douai；　and　La　Revellière…Lepaux　are　driven　out；　narrow

fanatics　replace　them；　Gohier；　Moulins　and　Roger　Ducos。　　Ghosts　from

the　period　of　the　Terror　install　themselves　in　the　ministries；　Robert

Lindet　in　the　Treasury；　Fouché　in　the　Police。　　Everywhere；　in　the

departments；　they　put　in　or　restore　〃the　exclusives；〃　that　is　to　say；

the　resolute　scoundrels　who　have　proved　their　capacity。＇141＇　The

Jacobins　re…open　their　Club　under　its　old　name　in　the　hall　of　the

Manége。　　Two　directors　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　members　of　the

Legislative　Corps　fraternize　with　〃all　that　the　dregs　of　the　people

provide　that　is　vilest　and　most　disgusting。〃　Eulogies　are　here

pronounced　on　Robespierre　and　on　Babeuf　himself；　they　demand　the　levy

en　masse　and　the　disarming　of　〃suspects。〃　Jourdan　exclaims　in　a　toast；

〃Here's　to　the　resurrection　of　pikes！　May　they　in　the　people's　hands

crush　out　all　its　enemies！〃　In　the　council　of　the　Five　Hundred；　the

same　Jourdan　proposes　in　the　tribune　to　declare　the　〃country　in

danger；〃　while　the　gang　of　shouting　politicians；　the　bull…dogs　of　the

streets　and　tribunes；　gather　around　the　hesitating　representatives　and

howl　and　threaten　as　in　1793。



Is　it；　then；　the　régime　of　1793　which　is　about　to　be　set　up　in　France？

…　Not　even　that　one。　　Immediately　after　the　victory；　the　victors　30　of

Prairial　separated　and　formed　two　camps　of　enemies；　watching　each

other　with　arms　in　hand；　entrenched　and　making　sorties　on　each　other：



On　one　side　are　the　simple　bandits　and　the　lowest　of　the　populace；　the

followers　of　Marat；　incorrigible　monomaniacs；　headstrong；　conceited

spirits　proud　of　their　crimes　and　disposed　to　repeat　them　rather　than

admit　their　guilt；　the　dogmatic　simpletons　who　go　ahead　with　their

eyes　shut　and　who　have　forgotten　everything　and　learnt　nothing。　　On

the　other　side；　men　still　possessing　common　sense；　and　who　have

profited　somewhat　by　experience；　who　know　what　a　government　of　clubs

and　pikes　leads　to；　who　fear　for　themselves　and　are　unwilling　to　begin

again；　step　by　step；　the　mad　course　on　which　at　each　stage；　they　have

come　near　perishing。



On　one　side　two　members　of　the　Directory；　the　minority　of　the

Ancients；　the　majority　of　the　Five　Hundred；　and　the　vilest　of　the

Parisian　rabble。　　On　the　other；　the　majority　of　the　Ancients；　the

minority　of　the　Five　Hundred　and　three　members　of　the　Directory；　the

latter　supported　by　their　executive　staff。＇142＇　　…



Which　of