the origins of contemporary france-4-第49章

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how　his　trading　occupation　is　not　changed；　how　Cesar；　formerly；　on

landing　in　the　country；　found　nothing　but　a　ferocious　tribe　battling

with　wolves　in　the　forest　and　threatening　to　burn　every　vessel　which

would　try　to　land　there；　and　how　he　still　remains　like　that。〃　A

lecture　from　a　fairground　surgeon　who；　using　bombastic　words；

recommends　extensive　amputations；　a　fairground…prospectus　so　crude

that　it　does　not　even　deceive　a　poor　sergeant；　…　such　is　the

exposition　of　motives　by　a　government　for　the　purpose　of　enforcing　a

decree　that　might　have　been　drawn　up　by　redskins；　to　horrible　acts　he

adds　debased　language；　and　employs　the　inept　to　justify　their

atrocities。



VI。　　Commissars　of　the　Revolution。



Representatives　on　Mission。　　…　Their　absolute　power。　　…　Their　perils

and　their　fear。　　…　Fit　for　their　work。　　…　Effect　of　this　situation。



A　hundred　or　so　representatives　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　are

sent　to　the　provinces；　〃with　unlimited　power；〃　to　establish；　enforce

or　exacerbate　the　revolutionary　government；　and　their　proclamations　at

once　explain　the　nature　of　this　government。＇79＇　…　〃　Brave　and　vigorous

sans…culottes　！〃　writes　a　deputy　on　leaving　a　mission　and　announcing

his　successor；＇80＇　〃You　seem　to　have　desired　a　good　b。　　。　　。　　of　a

representative；　who　has　never　swerved　from　his　principles；　that　is　to

say；　a　regular　Montagnard。　　I　have　fulfilled　your　wishes；　and　you　will

have　the　same　thing　in　citizen　Ingrand。　　Remember；　brave　sans…

culottes；　that；　with　the　patriot　Ingrand；　you　can　do　everything；　get

anything；　cancel　whatever　you　please；　imprison；　bring　to　trial；　deport

and　guillotine　every…body　and　regenerate　society。　　Don't　try　to　play

with　him；　everybody　is　afraid　of　him；　he　overcomes　all　resistance　and

restores　at　once　the　most　complete　order！　〃　…　The　representative

arrives　at　the　center　of　the　department　by　post；　and　presents　his

credentials。　　All　the　authorities　at　once　bow　to　the　ground。　　In　the

evening；　in　his　saber　and　plume；　he　harangues　the　popular　club；

blowing　into　a　flame　the　smoldering　embers　of　Jacobinism。　　Then；

according　to　his　personal　acquaintances；　if　he　has　any　in　the　place；

or　according　to　the　votes　of　the　Committee　of　General　Security；　if　he

is　a　new…comer；　he　selects　five　or　six　of　the　〃warmest　sans…culottes〃

there；　and；　forming　them　into　a　Revolutionary　Committee；　installs　them

permanently　at　his　side；　sometimes　in　the　same　building；　in　a　room

next　to　his　own；　where；　on　lists　or　with　verbal　communications

furnished　to　him；　he　works　with　a　will　and　without　stopping。＇81＇



First　comes　a　purification　of　all　the　local　authorities。　　They　must

always　remember　that　〃there　can　be　no　exaggeration　in　behalf　of　the

people；　he　who　is　not　imbued　with　this　principle；　who　has　not　put　it

in　practice；　cannot　remain　on　an　advanced　post；〃＇82＇　consequently；　at

the　popular　club；　in　the　department；　in　the　district；　in　the

municipality；　all　doubtful　men　are　excluded；　discharged；　or

incarcerated；　if　a　few　weak　ones　are　retained　provisionally；　or　by

favor；　they　are　berated　and　taught　their　duty　very　summarily：



〃They　will　strive；　by　a　more　energetic　and　assiduous　patriotism；　to

atone　for　the　evil　committed　by　them　in　not　doing　all　the　good　they

could　do。〃



Sometimes；　through　a　sudden　change　of　scene；　the　entire　administrative

staff　is　kicked　out　so　as　to　give　place　to　a　no　less　complete　staff；

which　the　same　kick　brings　up　out　of　the　ground。　　Considering　that

〃everything　stagnates　in　Vaucluse；　and　that　a　frightful　moderation

paralyses　the　most　revolutionary　measures；〃　Maignet；　in　one　order＇83＇

appoints　the　administrators　and　secretary　of　the　department；　the

national　agent；　the　administrators　and　council…general　of　the

district；　the　administrators；　council…general　and　national　agent　of

Avignon；　the　president；　public　prosecutor　and　recorder　of　the　criminal

court；　members　of　the　Tribunal　de　Commerce；　the　collector　of　the

district；　the　post…master　and　the　head　of　the　squadron　of　gendarmerie。

And　the　new　functionaries　will　certainly　go　to　work　at　once；　each　in

his　office。　　The　summary　process；　which　has　brusquely　swept　away　the

first　set　of　puppets；　is　going　to　brusquely　install　the　second　one。

〃Each　citizen　appointed　to　any　of　the　above　mentioned　offices；　shall

betake　himself　immediately　to　his　post；　under　penalty　of　being

declared　suspect；〃　on　the　simple　notification　of　his　appointment。

Universal　and　passive　obedience　of　governors；　as　well　as　of　the

governed！　There　are　no　more　elected　and　independent　functionaries；　all

the　authorities；　confirmed　or　created　by　the　representative；　are　in

his　hands；　there　is　not　one　among　them　who　does　not　subsist　or　survive

solely　through　his　favor；　there　is　not　one　of　them　who　acts　otherwise

than　according　to　his　approval　or　by　his　order。　　Directly；　or　through

them；　he　makes　requisitions；　sequestrates　or　confiscates　as　he　sees

fit；　taxes；　imprisons；　transports　or　decapitates　as　he　see　fit；　and；

in　his　circumscription；　he　is　the　pasha。



But　he　is　a　pasha　with　a　chain　around　his　neck；　and　at　short　tether。

…　From　and　after　December；　1793；　he　is　directed　〃to　conform　to　the

orders　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　and　report　to　it　every　ten

days。〃＇84＇　The　circumscription　in　which　he　commands　is　rigorously

〃limited；〃　〃he　is　reputed　to　be　without　power　in　the　other

departments；〃＇85＇　while　he　is　not　allowed　to　grow　old　on　his　post。

〃In　every　magistrature　the　grandeur　and　extent　of　power　is　compensated

by　the　shortness　of　its　duration。　　Over…prolonged　missions　would　soon

be　considered　as　birthrights。〃＇86＇　Therefore；　at　the　end　of　two　or

three　months；　often　at　the　end　of　a　month；　the　incumbent　is　recalled

to　Paris　or　dispatched　elsewhere；　at　short　notice；　on　the　day　named；

in　a　prompt；　absolute　and　sometimes　threatening　tone；　not　as　a

colleague　one　humors；　but　as　a　subordinate　who　is　suddenly　and

arbitrarily　revoked　or　displaced　because　he　is　deemed　inadequate；　or

〃used　up。〃　For　greater　security；　oftentimes　a　member　of　the　Committee；

Couthon；　Collot；　Saint…Just；　or　some　near　relation　of　a　member　of　the

Committee；　a　Lebas　or　young　Robespierre；　goes　personally　to　the　spot

to　give　the　needed　impulsion；　sometimes；　agents　simply　of　the

Committee；　taken　from　outside　the　Convention；　and　without　any　personal

standing；　quite　young　men；　Rousselin；　Julien　de　la　Dr？me；　replace　or

watch　the　representative　with　powers　equal　to　his。　　…　At　the　same

time；　from　the　top　and　from　the　center；　he　is　pushed　on　and　directed：

his　local　counselors　are　chosen　for　him；　and　the　directors　of　his

conscience；＇87＇　they　rate　him　soundly　on　the　choice　of　his　agents　or

of　his　lodgings；＇88＇　they　force　dismissals　on　him；　appointments；

arrests；　executions；　they　spur　him　on　in　the　path　of　terror　and

suffering。　　…　Around　him　are　paid　emissaries；＇89＇　while　others　watch

him　gratis　and　constantly　write　to　the　Committees　of　Public　Safety　and

General　Security；　often　to　denounce　him；　always　to　report　on　his

conduct；　to　judge　his　measures　and　to　provoke　the　measures　which　he

does　not　take。＇90＇



Whatever　he　may　have　done　or　may　do；　he　cannot　turn　his　eyes　toward

Paris　without　seeing　danger　ahead；　a　mortal　danger　which；　on　the

Committee；　in　the　Convention；　at　the　Jacobin　Club；　increases　or　will

increase　against　him；　like　a　tempest。　　…　Briez；　who；　in　Valenciennes

under　siege；　showed　courage；　and　whom　the　Convention　had　just

applauded　and　added　to　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　hears　himself

reproached　for　being　still　alive：　〃He　who　was　at　Valenciennes　when　the

enemy　took　it　will　never　reply　to　this　question　…　are　you　dead？〃＇91＇

He　has　nothing　to　do　now　but　to　declare　himself　incompetent；　decline

the　honor　mistakenly　conferred　on　him　by　the　Convention；　and

disappear。　　…　Dubois…Crancé　took　Lyons；　and；　as　pay　for　this　immense

service；　he　is　stricken　off　the　roll　of　the　Jacobin　Club；　because　he

did　not　take　it　quick　enough；　he　is　accused　of　treachery；　two　days

after　the　capitulation；　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　withdraw　his

powers；　three　days　after　the　capitulation；　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　has　him　arrested　and　sent　to　Paris　under　escort。＇92＇　…　If　such

men　after　such　services　are　thus　treated；　what　is　to　become　of　the

others？　After　the　mission　of　young　Julien；　then　Carrier　at　Nantes；

Ysabeau　and　Tallien　at　Bordeaux；　feel　their　heads　shake　on　their

shoulders；　after　the　mission　of　Robespierre　jr。　　in　the　East　and

South；　Barras；　Fréron　and　Bernard　de　Saintes　believe　themselves

lost。＇93＇　Fouché；　Rovère；　Javogue；　and　how　many　others；　compromised　by

the　faction；　Hébertists　or　Dantonists；　of　which　they　are；　or　were

belonging。　　Sure　of　perishing　if　their　patrons　on　the　Committee

succumb；　not　sure　of　living　if　their　patrons　keep　their　place；　not

knowing　whether　their　heads　will　not　be　exchanged　for　others；

restricted　to　the　narrowest；　the　most　rigorous　and　most　constant

orthodoxy；　guilty　and　condemned　should　their　orthodoxy　of　to…day

become　the　heterodoxy　of　to…morrow。　　All　of　them　menaced；　at　first　the

hundred　and　eighty　autocrats　who；　before　the　concentration　of　the

revolutionary　government；　ruled　for　eight　months　boundlessly　in　the

provinces；　next；　and　above　all；　the　fifty　hard…fisted　〃Montagnards；〃

unscrupulous　fanatics　or　authoritarian　high　livers；　who；　at　this

moment；　tread　human　flesh　under　foot　and　spread　out　in　arbitrariness

like　wild　boars　in　a　forest；　or　wallow　in　scandal；　like　swine　in　a

mud…pool。



There　is　no　refuge　for　them；　other　than　temporary；　and　temporary

refuge　only　in　zealous　and　tried　obedience；　such　as　the　Committee

demands　proof　of；　that　is　to　say；　through　rigor。　　…　〃The　Committees　so

wanted　it；〃　says　later　on　Maignet；　the　arsonist　of　Bédouin；　〃The

Committees　did　everything。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　Circumstances　controlled　me。

。　　。　　。　　。　　The　patriotic　agents　conjured　me　not　to　give　way。　　。　　。　　。

。　　I　did　not　fully　carry　out　the　most　imperative　orders。〃＇94＇　Similarly；

the　great　exterminator　of　Nantes；　Carrier；　when　urged　to　spare　the

rebels　who　surrendered　of　their　own　accord：



〃Do　you　want　me　to　be　guillotined？　It　is　not　in　my　power　to　save　those

people。〃＇95＇



And　another　time：



　　　　　　　〃I　have　my　orders；　I　must　observe　them；　I　do　not　want　to　have

my　head　cut　off！〃



Under　penalty　of　death；　the　representative　on　mission　is　a　Terrorist；

like　his　colleagues　in　the　Convention　and　on　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　but　with　a　much　more　serious　disturbance　of　his　nervous　and

his　moral　system；　for　he　does　not　operate　like　them　on　paper；　at　a

distance；　against　categories　of　abstract；　anonymous　and　vague　beings；

his　work　is　not　merely　an　effort　of　the　intellect；　but　also　of　the

senses　and　the　imagination。　　If　he　belongs　to　the　region；　like

Lecarpentier；　Barras；　Lebon；　Javogue；　Couthon；　André　Dumont　and　many

others；　he　is　well　acquainted　with　the　families　he　proscribes；　names

to　him　are　not　merely　so　many　letters　strung　together；