the origins of contemporary france-4-第2章

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greater　contempt　for　private　rights　and　public　liberties　than　either　a

Louis　XIV。　　or　a　Napoleon。







II。　　　　Jacobin　Dissimulation。



Contrast　between　his　words　and　his　acts。　　…　How　he　dissimulates　his

change　of　front。　　　　The　Constitution　of　June；　1793。　　…　Its　promises

of　freedom。



In　the　mean　time；　he　has　to　harmonize　his　coming　acts　with　his　recent

declarations；　which；　at　the　first　glance；　seems　a　difficult　operation：

for；　in　the　speeches　he　has　made　he　has　already　condemned　the　actions

he　meditates。　　Yesterday　he　exaggerated　the　rights　of　the　governed；

even　to　a　suppression　of　those　of　the　government；　to…morrow　he　is　to

exaggerate　the　rights　of　the　people　in　power；　even　to　suppressing

those　who　are　governed。　　The　people；　as　he　puts　it；　is　the　sole

sovereign；　and　he　is　going　to　treat　the　people　as　slaves；　the

government；　as　he　puts　it；　is　a　valet；　and　he　is　going　to　endow　the

government　with　prerogatives　of　a　sultan。　　He　has　just　denounced　the

slightest　exercise　of　public　authority　as　a　crime；　he　is　now　going　to

punish　as　a　crime　the　slightest　resistance　to　public　authority。　　What

will　justify　such　a　volte…face　and　with　what　excuse　can　he　repudiate

the　principles　with　which　he　justified　his　takeover？　　He　takes　good

care　not　to　repudiate　them；　it　would　drive　the　already　rebellious

provinces　to　extremes；　on　the　contrary；　he　proclaims　them　with　renewed

vigor；　through　which　move　the　ignorant　crowd；　seeing　the　same　flask

always　presented　to　it；　imagines　that　it　is　always　served　with　the

same　liquor；　and　is　thus　forced　to　drink　tyranny　under　the　label　of

freedom。　　Whatever　the　charlatan　can　do　with　his　labels；　signboards；

shouting　and　lies　for　the　next　six　months；　will　be　done　to　disguise

the　new　nostrum；　so　much　the　worse　for　the　public　if；　later　on；　it

discovers　that　the　draught　is　bitter；　sooner　or　later　it　must　swallow

it；　willingly　or　by　compulsion：　for；　in　the　interval；　the　instruments

are　being　got　ready　to　force　it　down　the　public　throat。＇3＇



As　a　beginning；　the　Constitution；　so　long　anticipated　and　so　often

promised；　is　hastily　fabricated：＇4＇　declarations　of　rights　in　thirty…

five　articles；　the　Constitutional　bill　in　one　hundred　and　twenty…four

articles；　political　principles　and　institutions　of　every　sort；

electoral；　legislative；　executive；　administrative；　judicial；　financial

and　military；＇5＇　in　three　weeks　all　is　drawn　up　and　passed　on　the

double。　　　Of　course；　the　new　Constitutionalists　do　not　propose　to

produce　an　effective　and　serviceable　instrument；　that　is　the　least　of

their　worries。　　Hérault　Séchelles；　the　reporter　of　the　bill；　writes　on

the　7th　of　June；　〃to　have　procured　for　him　at　once　the　laws　of　Minos；

of　which　he　has　urgent　need；〃　very　urgent　need；　as　he　must　hand　in　the

Constitution　that　week。＇6＇　Such　circumstance　is　sufficiently

characteristic　of　both　the　workmen　and　the　work。　　All　is　mere　show　and

pretense。　　Some　of　the　workmen　are　shrewd　politicians　whose　sole

object　is　to　furnish　the　public　with　words　instead　of　realities；

others；　ordinary　scribblers　of　abstractions；　or　even　ignoramuses；　and

unable　to　distinguish　words　from　reality；　imagine　that　they　are

framing　laws　by　stringing　together　a　lot　of　phrases。　　　It　is　not　a

difficult　job；　the　phrases　are　ready…made　to　hand。　　〃Let　the　plotters

of　anti…popular　systems；〃　says　the　reporter；　〃painfully　elaborate

their　projects！　Frenchmen　。　　。　　。　　。　　have　only　to　consult　their

hearts　to　read　the　Republic　there！〃＇7＇　Drafted　in　accordance　with　the

〃Contrat…Social；〃　filled　with　Greek　and　Latin　reminiscences；　it　is　a

summary　〃in　pithy　style〃　of　the　manual　of　current　aphorisms　then　in

vogue；　Rousseau's　mathematical　formulas　and　prescriptions；　〃the　axioms

of　truth　and　the　consequences　flowing　from　these　axioms；〃　in　short；　a

rectilinear　constitution　which　any　school…boy　may　spout　on　leaving

college。　　Like　a　handbill　posted　on　the　door　of　a　new　shop；　it

promises　to　customers　every　imaginable　article　that　is　handsome　and

desirable。　　Would　you　have　rights　and　liberties？　You　will　find　them

all　here。　　Never　has　the　statement　been　so　clearly　made；　that　the

government　is　the　servant；　creature　and　tool　of　the　governed；　it　is

instituted　solely　〃to　guarantee　to　them　their　natural；　imprescriptible

rights。〃　＇8＇　Never　has　a　mandate　been　more　strictly　limited：　〃The

right　of　expressing　one's　thoughts　and　opinions；　either　through　the

press　or　in　any　other　way；　the　right　of　peaceful　assembly；　the　free

exercise　of　worship；　cannot　be　interdicted。〃　Never　have　citizens　been

more　carefully　guarded　against　the　encroachments　and　excesses　of

public　authority：　〃The　law　should　protect　public　and　private　liberties

against　the　oppression　of　those　who　govern　。　　。　　。　　offenses　committed

by　the　people's　mandatories　and　agents　must　never　go　unpunished。　　Let

free　men　instantly　put　to　death　every　individual　usurping　sovereignty。

。　　。　　Every　act　against　a　man　outside　of　the　cases　and　forms　which　the

law　determines　is　arbitrary　and　tyrannical；　whosoever　is　subjected　to

violence　in　the　execution　of　this　act　has　the　right　to　repel　it　by

force。　　。　　。　　When　the　government　violates　the　people's　rights

insurrection　is；　for　the　people　and　for　each　portion　of　the　people；

the　most　sacred　of　rights　and　the　most　indispensable　of　duties。〃



To　civil　rights　the　generous　legislator　has　added　political　rights；

and　multiplied　every　precaution　for　maintaining　the　dependence　of

rulers　on　the　people。　　　In　the　first　place；　rulers　are　appointed　by

the　people　and　through　direct　choice　or　nearly　direct　choice：　in

primary　meetings　the　people　elect　deputies；　city　officers；　justices　of

the　peace；　and　electors　of　the　second　degree；　the　latter；　in　their

turn；　elect　in　the　secondary　meetings；　district　and　department

administrators；　civil　arbitrators；　criminal　judges；　judges　of　appeal

and　the　eighty　candidates　from　amongst　which　the　legislative　body　is

to　select　its　executive　council。　　　In　the　second　place；　all　powers

of　whatever　kind　are　never　conferred　except　for　a　very　limited　term：

one　year　for　deputies；　for　electors　of　the　second　degree；　for　civil

arbitrators；　and　for　judges　of　every　kind　and　class。　　As　to

municipalities　and　also　department　and　district　administrations；　these

are　one…half　renewable　annually。　　Every　first　of　May　the　fountain…head

of　authority　flows　afresh；　the　people　in　its　primary　assemblies；

spontaneously　formed；　manifesting　or　changing　at　will　its　staff　of

clerks。　　　In　the　third　place；　even　when　installed　and　at　work；　the

people　may；　if　it　pleases；　become　their　collaborator：　means　are

provided　for　〃deliberating〃　with　its　deputies。　　The　latter；　on

incidental　questions；　those　of　slight　importance；　on　the　ordinary

business　of　the　year；　may　enact　laws；　but　on　matters　of　general；

considerable　and　permanent　interest；　they　are　simply　to　propose　the

laws；　while；　especially　as　regards　a　declaration　of　war；　the　people

alone　must　decide。　　The　people　have　a　suspensive　veto　and；　finally；　a

definitive　veto；　which　they　may　exercise　when　they　please。　　To　this

end；　they　may　assemble　in　extraordinary　session；　one…fifth　of　the

citizens　who　have　the　right　to　vote　suffice　for　their　convocation。

Once　convoked；　the　vote　is　determined　by　a　Yes　or　a　No　on　the　act

proposed　by　the　legislative　body。　　If；　at　the　expiration　of　forty

days；　one…tenth　of　the　primary　assemblies　in　one…half　of　the

departments　vote　No；　there　is　a　suspensive　veto。　　In　that　event　all

the　primary　assemblies　of　the　Republic　must　be　convoked　and　if　the

majority　still　decides　in　the　negative；　that　is　a　definitive　veto。

The　same　formalities　govern　a　revision　of　the　established

constitution。　　　In　all　this；　the　plan　of　the　〃Montagnards〃　is　a

further　advance　on　that　of　the　Girondins；　never　was　so　insignificant　a

part　assigned　to　the　rulers　nor　so　extensive　a　part　to　the　governed。

The　Jacobins　profess　a　respect　for　the　popular　initiative　which

amounts　to　a　scruple。＇9＇　According　to　them　the　sovereign　people　should

be　sovereign　de　facto；　permanently；　and　without　interregnum；　allowed

to　interfere　in　all　serious　affairs；　and　not　only　possess　the　right；

but　the　faculty；　of　imposing　its　will　on　its　mandatories。　　　All　the

stronger　is　the　reason　for　referring　to　it　the　institutions　now　being

prepared　for　it。　　Hence　the　Convention；　after　the　parade　is　over；

convokes　the　primary　assemblies　and　submits　to　them　for　ratification

the　Constitutional　bill　has　been　drawn　up。







III。



Primary　Assemblies。　　…　Proportion　of　Absentees。　　　Unanimity　of　the

voters。　　　Their　motives　for　accepting　the　Constitution。　　　Pressure

brought　to　bear　on　voters。　　…　　Choice　of　Delegates。



The　ratification　will；　undoubtedly；　be　approved。　　Everything　has　been

combined　beforehand　to　secure　it；　also　to　secure　it　as　wanted；

apparently　spontaneously；　and　almost　unanimously。　　　The　primary

assemblies；　indeed；　are　by　no　means　fully　attended；　only　one…half；　or

a　quarter；　or　a　third　of　the　electors　in　the　cities　deposit　their

votes；　while　in　the　rural　districts　there　is　only　a　quarter；　and

less。＇10＇　　Repelled　by　their　experience　with　previous　convocations　the

electors　know　too　well　the　nature　of　these　assemblies；　how　the　Jacobin

faction　rules　them；　how　it　manages　the　electoral　comedy；　with　what

violence　and　threats　it　reduces　all　dissidents　to　voting　either　as

figurants　or　claqueurs。　　From　four　to　five　million　of　electors　prefer

to　hold　aloof　and　stay　at　home　as　usual。　　Nevertheless　the

organization　of　most　of　the　assemblies　takes　place；　amounting　to　some

six　or　seven　thousand。　　This　is　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　each

canton　contains　its　small　group　of　Jacobins。　　Next　to　these　come　the

simple…minded　who　still　believe　in　official　declarations；　in　their

eyes　a　constitution　which　guarantees　private　rights　and　institutes

public　liberties　must　be　accepted；　no　matter　what　hand　may　present　it

to　them。　　And　all　the　more　readily　because　the　usurpers　offer　to

resign；　in　effect；　the　Convention　has　just　solemnly　declared　that　once

the　Constitution　is　adopted；　the　people　shall　again　be　convoked　to

elect　〃a　new　national　assembly　。　　。　　。　　a　new　representative　body

invested　with　a　later　and　more　immediate　trust；〃＇11＇　which　will　allow

electors；　if　they　are　so　disposed；　to　return　honest　deputies　and

exclude　the　knaves　who　now　rule。　　Thereupon　even　the　insurgent

departments；　the　mass　of　the　Girondins　population；　after　a　good　deal

of　hesitation；　resign　themselves　at　last　to　voting　for　it。＇12＇　　This

is　done　at　Lyons　and　in　the　department　of　Calvados　only　on　the　30th　of

July。　　A　number　of　Constitutionalists　or　neutrals　have　done　the　same

thing；　some　through　a　horror　of　civil　war　and　a　spirit　of

conciliation；　and　others　through　fear　of　persecution　and　of　being

taxed　with　royalism；＇13＇　one　conception　more：　through　docility　they

may　perhaps　succeed　in　depriving　the　〃Mountain〃　of　all　pretext　for

violence。



In　this　they　greatly　deceive　themselves；