the origins of contemporary france-4-第35章

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Prussia；　the　overthrow　of　all　thrones；　and　the　murder　of　Louis　XVI。；

he　negotiated　the　almost　pacific　withdrawal　of　Brunswick；＇48＇　he

strove　to　detach　Prussia　from　the　coalition；＇49＇　he　wanted　to　turn　a

war　of　propaganda　into　one　of　interests；＇50＇　he　caused　the　Convention

to　pass　the　decree　that　France　would　not　in　any　way　interfere　with

foreign　governments；　he　secured　an　alliance　with　Sweden；　he　prescribed

beforehand　the　basis　of　the　treaty　of　Basle；　and　had　an　idea　of　saving

the　King。＇51＇　　In　spite　of　the　distrust　and　attacks　of　the　Girondists；

who　strove　to　discredit　him　and　put　him　out　of　the　way；　he　persists　in

offering　them　his　hand；　he　declared　war　on　them　only　because　they

refused　to　make　peace；＇52＇　and　he　made　efforts　to　save　them　when　they

were　down。　　　Amidst　so　many　ranters　and　scribblers　whose　logic　is　mere

words　and　whose　rage　is　blind；　who　grind　out　phrases　like　a　hand…

organ；　or　are　wound　up　for　murder；　his　intellect；　always　capacious　and

supple；　went　right　to　facts；　not　to　disfigure　and　pervert　them；　but　to

accept　them；　to　adapt　himself　to　them；　and　to　comprehend　them。　　With　a

mind　of　this　quality　one　goes　far　no　matter　in　what　direction；　nothing

remains　but　to　choose　one's　path。　　Mandrin；　under　the　ancient　régime；

was　also；　in　a　similar　way；　a　superior　man；＇53＇　only　he　chose　the

highway。



Between　the　demagogue　and　the　highwayman　the　resemblance　is　close：

both　are　leaders　of　bands　and　each　requires　an　opportunity　to　organize

his　band。　　Danton；　to　organize　his　band；　needed　the　Revolution。　　…　〃Of

low　birth；　without　patronage；〃　penniless；　every　office　being　filled；

and　〃the　Paris　bar　exorbitantly　priced；〃　admitted　a　lawyer　after　〃a

struggle；〃　he　for　a　long　time　wandered　jobless　frequenting　the　coffee…

houses；　the　same　as　similar　men　nowadays　frequent　the　bars。　　At　the

Café　de　l'école；　the　proprietor；　a　good　natured　old　fellow　〃in　a　small

round　wig；　gray　coat　and　a　napkin　on　his　arm；〃　circulated　among　his

tables　smiling　blandly；　while　his　daughter　sat　in　the　rear　as

cashier。＇54＇　Danton　chatted　with　her　and　demanded　her　hand　in

marriage。　　To　obtain　her；　he　had　to　mend　his　ways；　purchase　an

attorneyship　in　the　Court　of　the　Royal　Council　and　find　guarantors　and

sponsors　in　his　small　native　town。＇55＇　　Once　married　and　lodged　in　the

gloomy　Passage　du　Commerce；　he　finds　himself　〃more　burdened　with　debts

than　with　causes；〃　tied　down　to　a　sedentary　profession　which　demands

vigorous　application；　accuracy；　a　moderate　tone；　a　respectable　style

and　blameless　deportment；　obliged　to　keep　house　on　so　small　a　scale

that；　without　the　help　of　a　louis　regularly　advanced　to　him　each　week

by　his　coffee…house　father…in…law；　he　could　not　make　both　ends

meet。＇56＇　His　free…and…easy　tastes；　his　alternately　impetuous　and

indolent　disposition；　his　love　of　enjoyment　and　of　having　his　own　way；

his　rude；　violent　instincts；　his　expansiveness；　creativeness　and

activity；　all　rebel　against　this　life：　he　is　ill…suited　for　the　quiet

routine　of　our　civil　careers。　　It　is　not　the　steady　discipline　of　an

old　society；　but　the　tumultuous　brutality　of　a　society　going　to　pieces

or　in　a　state　of　formation；　that　suits　him。　　In　temperament　and

character　he　is　a　barbarian；　and　a　barbarian　born　to　command　his

fellow…creatures；　like　this　or　that　vassal　of　the　sixth　century　or

baron　of　the　tenth　century。　　A　giant　with　the　face　of　a　〃　Tartar；〃

pitted　with　the　small…pox；　tragically　and　terribly　ugly；　with　a　mask

convulsed　like　that　of　a　growling　〃bull…dog；〃＇57＇　with　small；

cavernous；　restless　eyes　buried　under　the　huge　wrinkles　of　a

threatening　brow；　with　a　thundering　voice　and　moving　and　acting　like　a

combatant；　full…blooded；　boiling　over　with　passion　and　energy。　　His

strength　in　its　outbursts　appears　boundless　like　a　force　of　nature；

when　speaking　he　is　roaring　like　a　bull　and　be　heard　through　closed

windows　fifty　yards　off　in　the　street；　employing　immoderate　imagery；

intensely　in　earnest；　trembling　with　indignation；　revenge　and

patriotic　sentiments；　able　to　arouse　savage　instincts　in　the　most

tranquil　breast　and　generous　instincts　in　the　most　brutal

personalities。＇58＇　He　may　be　profane；　using　emphatic　terms；＇59＇

cynical；　but　not　monotonous　and　affected　like　Hébert；　but　spontaneous

and　to　the　point；　full　of　crude　jests　worthy　of　Rabelais；　possessing　a

stock　of　jovial　sensuality　and　good…humor；　cordial　and　familiar　in　his

ways；　frank；　friendly　in　tone。　　He　is；　both　outwardly　and　inwardly；

the　best　fitted　for　winning　the　confidence　and　sympathy　of　a　Gallic；

Parisian　populace。　　His　talents　all　contribute　to　〃his　inborn；

practical　popularity；〃　and　to　make　of　him　〃a　grand…seignior　of　sans…

cullotterie。〃＇60＇　…　With　such　talents　for　acting；　there　is　a　strong

temptation　to　act　it　out　the　moment　the　theatre　is　ready；　whatever　the

theatre；　even　unlawful　and　murky；　whatever　the　actors　rogues；

scoundrels　and　loose　women；　whatever　the　part；　ignoble；　murderous；　and

finally　fatal　to　him　who　undertakes　it。　　…　To　hold　out　against　such

temptation；　would　require　a　sentiment　of　repugnance　which　a　refined　or

thorough　culture　develops　in　both　sense　and　mind；　but　which　was

completely　wanting　in　Danton。　　Nothing　disgusts　him　physically　or

morally：　he　embraces　Marat；＇61＇　fraternizes　with　drunkards；

congratulates　the　Septembriseurs；　retorts　in　blackguard　terms　to　the

insults　of　prostitutes；　treats　reprobates；　thieves　and　jail…birds　as

equals；　…　Carra；　Westermann；　Huguenin；　Rossignol　and　the　confirmed

scoundrels　whom　he　sends　into　the　departments　after　the　2nd　of

September。



　〃Eh！　What　the　hell！　Do　you　think　we　ought　to　send　young　misses。〃　＇62＇…



Garbage　men　are　needed　for　the　collection　of　garbage；　one　cannot　hold

one's　nose　when　they　come　for　their　wages；　one　must　pay　them　well；

talk　to　them　encouragingly；　and　leave　them　plenty　of　elbow　room。

Danton　is　willing　to　play　the　part　of　the　fire；　and　he　humors　vices；

he　has　no　scruples；　and　lets　people　scratch　and　take。　　…　He　has　stolen

as　much　to　give　as　to　keep；　to　maintain　his　role　as　much　as　to　benefit

by　it；　squaring　accounts　by　spending　the　money　of　the　Court　against

the　Court；　probably　inwardly　chuckling；　the　same　as　the　peasant　in　a

blouse　on　getting　ahead　of　his　well…duped　landlord；　or　as　the　Frank；

whom　the　ancient　historian　describes　as　leering　on　pocketing　Roman

gold　the　better　to　make　war　against　Rome。　　…　The　graft　on　this

plebeian　seedling　has　not　taken；　in　our　modern　garden　this　remains　as

in　the　ancient　forest；　its　vigorous　sap　preserves　its　primitive

raciness　and　produces　none　of　the　fine　fruits　of　our　civilization；　a

moral　sense；　honor　and　conscience。　　Danton　has　no　respect　for　himself

nor　for　others；　the　nice；　delicate　limitations　that　circumscribe　human

personality；　seem　to　him　as　legal　conventionality　and　mere　drawing…

room　courtesy。　　Like　a　Clovis；　he　tramples　on　this；　and　like　a　Clovis；

equal　in　faculties；　in　similar　expedients；　and　with　a　worse　horde　at

his　back；　he　throws　himself　athwart　society；　to　stagger　along；　destroy

and　reconstruct　it　to　his　own　advantage。



At　the　start；　he　comprehended　the　peculiar　character　and　normal

procedure　of　the　Revolution；　that　is　to　say；　the　useful　agency　of

popular　brutality：　in　1788　he　had　already　figured　in　insurrections。

He　comprehended　from　the　first　the　ultimate　object　and　definite　result

of　the　Revolution；　that　is　to　say；　the　dictatorship　of　the　violent

minority。　　Immediately　after　the　14th　of　July；〃　1789；　he　organized　in

his　quarter　of　the　city＇63＇　a　small　independent　republic；　aggressive

and　predominant；　the　center　of　the　faction；　a　refuge　for　the　riff…raff

and　a　rendezvous　for　fanatics；　a　pandemonium　composed　of　every

available　madcap；　every　rogue；　visionary；　shoulder…hitter；　newspaper

scribbler　and　stump…speaker；　either　a　secret　or　avowed　plotter　of

murder；　Camille　Desmoulins；　Fréron；　Hébert；　Chaumette；　Clootz；

Théroigne；　Marat；　　while；　in　this　more　than　Jacobin　State；　the　model

in　anticipation　of　that　he　is　to　establish　later；　he　reigns；　as　he

will　afterwards　reign；　the　permanent　president　of　the　district；

commander　of　the　battalion；　orator　of　the　club；　and　the　concocter　of

bold　undertakings。　　Here；　usurpation　is　the　rule　there　is　no

recognition　of　legal　authority；　they　brave　the　King；　the　ministers；

the　judges；　the　Assembly；　the　municipality；　the　mayor；　the　commandant

of　the　National　Guard。　　Nature　and　principle　raise　them　above　the　law；

the　district　takes　Marat　under　its　protection；　posts　two　sentinels　at

his　door　to　protect　him　from　prosecutions；　and　uses　arms　against　the

armed　force　sent　with　a　warrant　to　arrest　him。＇64＇　　yet　more；　in　the

name　of　the　city　of　Paris；　〃chief　sentinel　of　the　nation；〃　they　assume

to　govern　France：　Danton　betakes　himself　to　the　National　Assembly　and

declares　that　the　citizens　of　Paris　are　the　natural　representatives　of

the　eighty…three　departments；　and　summons　it；　on　their　injunction；　to

cancel　an　act　it　has　passed。＇65＇　…　The　entire　Jacobin　conception　is

therein　expressed：　Danton；　with　his　keen　insight；　took　it　all　in　and

proclaimed　it　in　appropriate　terms；　to　apply　it　at　the　present　time　on

a　grand　scale；＇66＇　he　has　merely　to　pass　from　the　small　theatre　to　the

large　one；　from　the　Cordeliers　club　to　the　Commune；　to　the　Ministry；

and　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　and；　in　all　these　theatres；　he

plays　the　same　part　with　the　same　end　in　view　and　the　same　results。　　A

despotism　formed　by　conquest　and　maintained　by　terror；　the　despotism

of　the　Jacobin　Parisian　rabble；　is　the　end　to　which　he　directly

marches。　　He　employs　no　other　means　and；　adapting　the　means　to　the　end

and　the　end　to　the　means；　manages　the　important　days　and　instigates

the　decisive　measures　of　the　Revolution：　the　10th　of　August；＇67＇　the

2nd　of　September；　the　31st　of　May；　the　2nd　of　June；＇68＇　the　decree

providing　for　an　army　of　paid　sans…culottes　〃to　keep　down　aristocrats

with　their　pikes；〃　the　decree　in　each　commune　where　grain　is　dear；

taxing　the　rich　to　put　bread　within　reach　of　the　poor；＇69＇　the　decree

giving　laborers　forty　sous　for　attending　the　meetings　of　the　Section

Assemblies；＇70＇　the　institution　of　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；＇71＇　the

proposal　to　erect　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　into　a　provisional

government；　the　proclamation　of　Terror；　the　concentration　of　Jacobin

zeal　on　useful　works；　the　employment　of　the　eight　thousand　delegates

of　the　primary　assemblies；　who　had　been　sent　home　as　recruiting　agents

for　the　universal　armament；＇72＇　the　inflammatory　expressions　of　young

men　on　the　frontier；　the　wise　resolutions　for　limiting　the　levy　en

masse　to　men　between　eighteen　and　twenty…five；　which　put　an　end　to　the

scandalous　songs　and　dances　by　the　populace　in　the　very　hall　of　the

Convention。＇73＇



In　order　to　set　the　machine　up；　he　cleared　the　ground；　fused　the

metal；　hammered　out　the　principal　pieces；　filed　off　the　blisters；

designed　the　action；　adjusted　the　minor　wheels；　set　it　agoing　and

indicated