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

latter supported by their executive staff。'142'  …



Which of the two troops will crush the other? Nobody knows; for most

of them are ready to pass from one to the other camp according as the

chances for success appear more or less great。  And; from day to day;

any defection amongst the Five Hundred; amongst the Ancients or in the

Directory; foreseen or not; may change a minority into a majority。

Where will the majority be to…morrow? From which side is the next coup

d'état to come …   Who will make it? Will it be the ultra Jacobins;

and; through another 9th of Thermidor; will they declare the mitigated

Jacobins 〃outlaws?〃 Will it be the mitigated Jacobins; and; through

another 18th of Fructidor; will they put the ultras under lock and

key? If one or the other of these blows is struck; will it succeed?

And if it succeeds will a stable government be at last established?

Siéyès well knows that it will not; he is farseeing in his acts;

although chimerical in his theories。  In power himself; titular

Director; counselor and guardian of the intelligent republic against

the stupid republic; he well knows that all of them; so long as they

are republicans of both bands; take a road without an issue。'143'

Barras is of the same opinion; and taking time by the forelock; turns

around and promises Louis XVIII。  his co…operation in restoring the

legitimate monarchy in exchange he receives letters patent granting

him full pardon; exemption from all future prosecution and a promise

of twelve millions。  …Siéyès; more sagacious; seeks force where it

exists; in the army; he prepares Joubert; sounds Moreati; thinks of

Jourdan; of Bernadotte and of Macdonald; before surrendering himself

to Bonaparte; 〃he requires a sword。〃 Boulay de la Meurthe; comparing

in a pamphlet the English revolution with the French revolution;

announces and brings on the establishment of a military protectorate。

… 〃The Constitution of the year III。  will not work;〃 said Baudin; one

of the Five Hundred; to Cornet; one of the Ancients; 〃only I do not

see where to find the executive arm。〃 The Jacobin republic still

lives; and its servants; its doctors; already speak aloud of its

interment the same as strangers and heirs in the room of a dying man

who has become unconscious; like Tiberius when sinking in his palace

at Misene。'144' … If the expiring man does not go fast enough some one

will help him。  The old monster; borne down with crimes and rotten

with vices; rattles in his throat on his purple cushions; his eyes are

closed; his pulse is feeble; and he gasps for breath。  Here and there;

around is bed; stand groups of those who minister to his debauches at

Capri and his murders at Rome; his minions and executioners who

publicly take part in the new reign; the old one is finished; one need

no longer be circumspect and mute before corpse。  Suddenly the dying

man opens his eyes; speaks and asks for food。  The military tribune; 〃

the executive arm;〃 boldly clears the apartment; he throws a pile of

bedclothes over the old man's head and quickens the last sigh。  Such

is the final blow; an hour later and breathing stops。



X。    Contrast between Civil and Military France。



Anti…social character of the sect and the faction。  … Contrast between

civil and military France。  … Elements of reorganization in

institutions; habits; and in military sentiments。  … Character of the

régime instituted on the 18th of Brumaire; year VIII。



If the Jacobin Republic dies; it is not merely on account of decay;

nor because of its murders; but; and above all; because it is not born

viable: at the outset it harbored within itself a principle of

dissolution an innate mortal poison; not alone for others but for

itself。 … That which maintains a political society is the mutual

respect of its members; especially the respect of the governed for its

rulers and of the rulers for the governed; and; therefore; habits of

mutual trust and confidence。  On the part of the governed; a well…

grounded certainty that the rulers will not attack private rights;

and; on the part of the rulers; a well…founded certainty that the

governed will not attack public powers; both inwardly recognizing that

these rights; more or less broad or restricted; are inviolable; that

these powers; more or less ample or limited; are legitimate。  Finally;

each being convinced that; in case of conflict; the trial will be

conducted according to forms which law or custom provide; that pending

the discussion; the strongest will not abuse his strength; and that;

when the discussion is over; the successful party will not wholly

sacrifice the loser。  Only on this condition can there be harmony

between governors and the governed; participation of all in the common

work; internal tranquility; and; accordingly; stability; security;

well…being and force。  Without this deep and persistent disposition of

minds and hearts; the bond of union among men is absent。  It

constitutes the brightest of social sentiments; it may be said that

this is the soul of which the State is the body。  … Now; in the

Jacobin State; this soul has perished; it has not died out through

unforeseen accidents; but through a forced result of the system;

through a practical effect of the speculative theory; which;

converting each man into an absolute sovereign; sets every man warring

against other men; and which; under the pretence of regenerating the

human species; lets loose; authorizes and consecrates the worst

instincts of human nature; all the lusts of license; tyranny and

domination。  … In the name of a non…existent ideal people whom it

declares sovereign; the Jacobins have violently usurped all public

powers; brutally abolished all private rights; regarding the actual

living people as a beast of burden; and yet worse; as a robot;

subjecting their human machine to the cruelest restraints in order to

mechanically maintain it in the unnatural; rigid posture; which;

according to principles; they inflict upon it。  Thenceforth; all ties

are sundered between them and the nation; to prey upon; bleed and

starve this nation; to re…conquer it after it bad escaped them; to

repeatedly enchain and gag it … all this they could well do; but to

reconcile it to their government; never! … Between them; and for the

same reason; through another consequence of the same theory; and

another effect of the same lusts; no bond between them would hold。

Each faction inside of the party; having forged its ideal people

according to its own logical process and necessities; exercised the

orthodox privilege of claiming the monopoly of sovereignty。'145' To

secure the benefits of omnipotence; it has combated its rivals with

falsified; annulled or constrained elections; with plots and

mendacity; with ambushes and sudden assaults; with the pikes of the

rabble and with the bayonets of soldiers。  It has then massacred;

guillotined; shot; and deported the vanquished as tyrants; traitors or

rebels; and survivors do not forget this。  They have learnt what their

so called eternal constitutions amount to; they know how to estimate

their proclamations and oaths; their respect for law; justice; their

humanity; they understand them and know that they are all so many

fraternal Cains;'146' all more or less debased; dangerous; soiled and

depraved by their work; the distrust is irremediable。  They can still

turn out manifests; decrees and cabals; and get up revolutions; but

they can no longer agree amongst themselves and heartily defer to the

justified ascendancy and recognized authority of any one or among

their own body。  … After ten years of mutual assault there is not one

among the three thousand legislators who have sat in the sovereign

assemblies that can count on the deference and loyalty of a hundred

Frenchmen。  The social body is disintegrated; amongst the millions of

disconnected atoms not a nucleus of spontaneous cohesion and stable

co…ordination remains。  It is impossible for civil France to

reconstruct itself; as impossible as it would be to build a Notre Dame

of Paris; or a St。  Peter's of Rome out of the slime of the streets or

the dust of the highways。



With military France it is otherwise。  Here; men have made trial of

each other; and are devoted to each other; subordinates to their

leaders; and all to one great work。  The sentiments are strong and

healthy which bind human wills in a cluster of mutual sympathy; trust;

esteem and admiration; and all these super abound; while the free

companionship which still subsists between inferior and superior;'147'

that gay unrestrained familiarity so dear to the French; draws the

knot still closer。  In this world unsullied by political defilements

and ennobled by habits of abnegation;'148' there is all that

constitutes an organized and visible society; a hierarchy; not

external and veneered; but moral and deep…seated; with uncontested

titles; recognized superiorities; an accepted subordination; rights

and duties stamped on all consciences; in brief; what has always been

wanting in revolutionary institutions; the discipline of sentiments

and emotions。  Give to these men a countersign and they do not

discuss; provided it is legal; or seems so; they act accordingly; not

merely against strangers; but against Frenchmen: thus; already on the

13th Vendémiaire they mowed down the Parisians; and on the 18th of

Fructidor they purged the Legislative Corps。  Let a famous general

appear; and provided he respects formalities; they will follow him and

once more repeat the operation。  … One does appear; one who for three

years has thought of nothing else; but who on this occasion will

repeat the operation only for his own advantage。  He is the most

illustrious of all; and precisely the conductor or promoter of the two

previous ones; the very same who personally brought about the 13th of

Vendémiaire; and likewise; at the hands of his lieutenant; Augereau;

the 18th of Fructidor。  … Let him be authorized by the semblance of a

decree; let him be appointed major…general of the armed force by a

minority of one of the Councils; and the army will march behind him。

… Let him issue the usual proclamations; let him summon 〃his comrades〃

to save the Republic and clear the hall of the Five Hundred; his

grenadiers will enter with fixed bayonets and even laugh at the sight

of the deputies; dressed as for the opera; scrambling off

precipitately out of the windows。'149' … Let him manage the

transitions; let him avoid the ill…sounding name of dictator; let him

assume a modest and yet classic revolutionary Roman title; let him

along with two others be simple consuls; the soldiers; who have

neither time nor leisure to be publicists and who are only skin…deep

republicans; will ask nothing more。  They regard their system as a

very good one for the French people; the despotic

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