the origins of contemporary france-4-第53章

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cover　of　the　theory；　or　under　the　pretext　of　public　safety；　can

satiate　its　despotic　instincts；　all　repugnance　subsides。　　There　is

keen　delight　in　the　exercise　of　absolute　power；　one　is　glad；　every

hour；　to　assert　one's　omnipotence　and　prove　it　by　some　act；　the　most

conclusive　of　all　acts　being　some　act　of　destruction。　　The　more

complete；　radical　and　prompt　the　destruction　is；　the　more　conscious

one　is　of　one's　strength。　　However　great　the　obstacle；　one　is　not

disposed　to　recede　or　stand　still；　one　breaks　away　all　the　barriers

which　men　call　good　sense；　humanity；　justice；　and　the　satisfaction　of

breaking　them　down　is　great。　　To　crush　and　to　subdue　becomes

voluptuous　pleasure；　to　which　pride　gives　keener　relish；　affording　a

grateful　incense　of　the　holocaust　which　the　despot　consumes　on　his　own

altar；　at　this　daily　sacrifice；　he　is　both　idol　and　priest；　offering

up　victims　to　himself　that　he　may　be　conscious　of　his　divinity。　　…

Such　is　Saint…Just；　all　the　more　a　despot　because　his　title　of

representative　on　mission　is　supported　by　his　rank　on　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety：　to　find　natures　strained　to　the　same　pitch　as　his；　we

must　leave　the　modern　world　and　go　back　to　a　Caligula；　or　to　a　caliph

Hakem　in　Egypt　in　the　tenth　century。＇147＇　　He　also；　like　these　two

monsters；　but　with　different　formulae；　regards　himself　as　a　God；　or

God's　vicegerent　on　earth；　invested　with　absolute　power　through　Truth

incarnated　in　him；　the　representative　of　a　mysterious；　limitless　and

supreme　power；　known　as　the　People；　to　worthily　represent　this　power；

it　is　essential　to　have　a　soul　of　steel。＇148＇　　Such　is　the　soul　of

Saint…Just；　and　only　that。　　All　other　sentiments　merely　serve　to

harden　it；　all　the　metallic　agencies　that　compose　it　…　sensuality；

vanity；　every　vice；　every　species　of　ambition；　all　the　frantic

outbursts　and　melancholy　vaporings　of　his　youth　…　are　violently

commingled　and　fused　together　in　the　revolutionary　mold；　so　that　his

soul　may　take　the　form　and　rigidity　of　trenchant　steel。　　Suppose　this

an　animated　blade；　feeling　and　willing　in　conformity　with　its　temper

and　structure；　it　would　delight　in　being　brandished；　and　would　need　to

strike；　such　is　the　need　of　Saint…Just。　　Taciturn；　impassible；　keeping

people　at　a　distance；　as　imperious　as　if　the　entire　will　of　the　people

and　the　majesty　of　transcendent　reason　resided　in　his　person；　he　seems

to　have　reduced　his　passions　to　the　desire　of　dashing　everything　to

atoms；　and　to　creating　dismay。　　It　may　be　said　of　him　that；　like　the

conquering　Tartars；　he　measures　his　self…attributed　grandeur　by　what

he　fells；　no　other　has　so　extensively　swept　away　fortunes；　liberties

and　lives；　no　other　has　so　terrifically　heightened　the　effect　of　his

deeds　by　laconic　speech　and　the　suddenness　of　the　stroke。　　He　orders

the　arrest　and　close　confinement　of　all　former　nobles；　men　and　women；

in　the　four　departments；　in　twenty…four　hours；　he　orders　the

bourgeoisie　of　Strasbourg　to　pay　over　nine　millions　in　twenty…four

hours；　ten　thousand　persons　in　Strasbourg　must　give　up　their　shoes　in

twenty…four　hours；　random　and　immediate　discharges　of　musketry　on　the

officers　of　the　Rhine　army　…　such　are　the　measures。＇149＇　　So　much　the

worse　for　the　innocent；　there　is　no　time　to　discern　who　they　are；　〃a

blind　man　hunting　for　a　pin　in　a　dust…heap　takes　the　whole　heap。〃＇150＇

…　And；　whatever　the　order；　even　when　it　cannot　be　executed；　so　much

the　worse　for　him　to　whom　it　is　given；　for　the　captain　who；　directed

by　the　representative　to　establish　this　or　that　battery　in　a　certain

time；　works　all　night　with　all　his　forces；　〃with　as　many　men　as　the

place　will　hold。〃＇151＇　The　battery　not　being　ready　at　the　hour　named；

Saint…Just　sends　the　captain　to　the　guillotine。　　…　The　sovereign

having　once　given　an　order　it　cannot　be　countermanded；　to　take　back

his　words　would　be　weakening　himself；＇152＇　in　the　service　of

omnipotence；　pride　is　insatiable；　and；　to　mollify　it；　no　barbaric　act

is　too　great。　　…　The　same　appetite　is　visible　in　Collot　d'Herbois；

who；　no　longer　on　the　stage；　plays　before　the　town　the　melo…dramatic

tyrant　with　all　becoming　ostentation。　　One　morning；　at　Lyons；　he

directs　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　to　arrest；　examine　and　sentence　a

youthful　〃suspect〃　before　the　day　is　over。　　〃Towards　six　o'clock；＇153＇

Collot　being　at　table　enjoying　an　orgy　with　prostitutes；　buffoons　and

executioners；　eating　and　drinking　to　choice　music；　one　of　the　judges

of　the　Tribunal　enters；　after　the　usual　formalities；　he　is　led　up　to

the　Representative；　and　informs　him　that　the　young　man　had　been

arrested　and　examined；　and　the　strictest　inquiries　made　concerning

him；　he　is　found　irreproachable　and　the　Court　decided　to　set　him　free。

Collot；　without　looking　at　the　judge；　raises　his　voice　and　says　to

him：



〃I　ordered　you　to　punish　that　young　man　and　I　want　him　out　of　the　way

before　night。　　If　the　innocent　are　spared；　too　many　of　the　guilty　will

escape。　　Go。〃



The　music　and　gaiety　begin　again；　and　in　an　hour　the　young　man　is

shot。〃　…　And　so　in　most　of　the　other　pachalics；　if　any　head　mentally

condemned　by　the　pacha　escapes　or　does　not　fall　soon　enough；　the

latter　is　indignant　at　the　delays　and　forms　of　justice；　also　against

the　judges　and　juries；　often　selected　by　himself。　　Javogues　writes　an

insulting　letter　to　the　commission　of　Feurs　which　has　dared　acquit　two

former　nobles。　　Laignelot；　Lecarpentier；　Michaud；　Monestier；　Lebon；

dismiss；　recompose；　or　replace　the　commissions　of　Fontenoy；　Saint…

Malo；　and　Perpignan；　and　the　tribunals　of　Pau；　N？mes；　and　Arras；　whose

judgments　did　not　please　them。＇154＇　Lebon；　Bernard　de　Saintes；

Dartigoyte　and　Fouché　re…arrest　prisoners　on　the　same　charge；　solemnly

acquitted　by　their　own　tribunals。　　B？；　Prieur　de　la　Marne；　and　Lebon；

send　judges　and　juries　to　prison　that　do　not　always　vote　death。＇155＇

Barras　and　Fréron　dispatch；　from　brigade　to　brigade；　to　the

revolutionary　Tribunal　in　Paris；　the　public　prosecutor　and　president

of　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Marseilles；　for　being　indulgent　to

anti…revolutionaries；　because；　out　of　five　hundred　and　twenty…eight

prisoners；　they　guillotined　only　one　hundred　and　sixty…two。＇156＇　…　To

contradict　the　infallible　Representative！　That　of　itself　is　an

offense。　　He　owes　it　to　himself　to　punish　those　who　are　not　docile；　to

re…arrest　absolved　delinquents；　and　to　support　cruelty　with　cruelty。



When　for　a　long　time　someone　has　been　imbibing　a　strong　and　nauseating

drink；　not　only　does　the　palate　get　accustomed；　but　it　often　acquires

a　taste　for　it；　it　soon　wants　to　have　it　stronger；　finally；　it

swallows　it　pure；　completely　raw；　with　no　admixture　or　condiment　to

disguise　its　repulsiveness　…　Such；　to　certain　imaginations；　is　the

spectacle　of　human　gore；　after　getting　accustomed　to　it　they　take

delight　in　seeing　it。　　Lequinio；　Laignelot　and　Lebon　invite　the

executioner　to　dine　with　them；＇157＇　Monestier；　〃with　his　cut…throats；

is　going　himself　in　search　of　prisoners　in　the　dungeons；　so　that　he

may　accompany　them　to　the　Tribunal　and　overwhelm　them　with　charges；　if

they　are　disposed　to　defend　themselves；　after　their　condemnation；　he

attends　in　uniform〃　at　their　execution。＇158＇　　Fouché；　lorgnette　in

hand；　looks　out　of　his　window　upon　a　butchery　of　two　hundred　and　ten

Lyonnese。　　Collot；　Laporte　and　Fouché　feast　together　in　a　large

company　on　the　days　when　executions　by　shooting　takes　place；　and；　at

each　discharge；　stand　up　and　cheer　lustily；　waving　their　hats。＇159＇

At　Toulon；　Fréron；　in　person；　orders　and　sees　executed；　the　first

grand　massacre　on　the　Champ　de　Mars。＇160＇　…　On　the　Place　d'Arras；　M。

de　Vielfort；　already　tied　and　stretched　out　on　the　plank；　awaits　the

fall　of　the　knife。　　Lebon　appears　on　the　balcony　of　the　theatre；　makes

a　sign　to　the　executioner　to　stop；　opens　the　newspaper；　and；　in　a　loud

voice；　reads　off　the　recent　successes　of　the　French　armies；　then；

turning　to　the　condemned　man；　exclaims：　〃Go；　wretch；　and　take　the　news

of　our　victories　to　your　brethren。〃＇161＇　At　Feurs；　where　the　shootings

take　place　at　the　house　of　M。　du　Rosier；　in　the　great　avenue　of　the

park；　his　daughter；　quite　a　young　woman；　advances　in　tears　to

Javogues；　and　asks　for　the　release　of　her　husband。　　〃Oh；　yes；　my

dear；〃　replies　Javogues；　〃you　shall　have　him　home　to…morrow。〃　In

effect；　the　next　day；　her　husband　is　shot；　and　buried　in　the

avenue。＇162＇　…　It　is　evident　that　they　get　to　liking　the　business。

Like　their　September　predecessors；　they　find　amusement　in　murdering：

people　around　them　allude　gaily　to　〃the　red　theater〃　and　〃the　national

razor。〃　An　aristocrat　is　said　to　be　〃putting　his　head　at　the　national

window；〃　and　〃he　has　put　his　head　through　the　cathole。〃＇163＇　　They

themselves　have　the　style　and　humor　of　their　trade。　　〃To…morrow；　at

seven　o'clock；〃　writes　Hugues；　〃let　the　sacred　guillotine　be　erected！〃

…　〃The　demoiselle　guillotine；〃　writes　Lecarlier；　〃keeps　steadily

agoing。〃＇164＇　…　〃The　relatives　and　friends　of　emigrés　and　of

refractory　priests；〃　writes　Lebon；　〃monopolize　the　guillotine。　　。

。＇165＇　　　Day　before　yesterday；　the　sister　of　the　former　Comte　de

Bethune　sneezed　in　the　sack。〃　Carrier　loudly　proclaims　〃the　pleasure

he　has　derived〃　from　seeing　priests　executed：　〃I　never　laughed　in　my

life　as　I　did　at　the　faces　they　made　in　dying。〃＇166＇　　This　is　the

extreme　perversity　of　human　nature；　that　of　a　Domitian　who　watches　the

features　of　the　condemned；　to　see　the　effect　of　suffering；　or；　better

still；　that　of　the　savage　who　holds　his　sides　with　laughter　at　the

aspect　of　a　man　being　impaled。　　And　this　delight　of　contemplating

death　throes；　Carrier　finds　it　in　the　sufferings　of　children。

Notwithstanding　the　remonstrances　of　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　and

the　entreaties　of　President　Phélippes…Tronjolly；＇167＇　he　signs　on　the

29th　of　Frimaire；　year　II。；　a　positive　order　to　guillotine　without

trial　twenty…seven　persons；　of　whom　seven　are　women；　and；　among　these；

four　sisters；　Mesdemoiselles　de　la　Metayrie；　one　of　these　twenty…eight

years　old；　another　twenty…seven；　the　third　twenty…six；　and　the　fourth

seventeen。　　Two　days　before；　notwithstanding　the　remonstrances　of　the

same　tribunal　and　the　entreaties　of　the　same　president；　he　signed　a

positive　order　to　guillotine　twenty…six　artisans　and　farm…hands；　among

them　two　boys　of　fourteen；　and　two　of　thirteen　years　of　age。　　He　was

driven　〃　in　a　cab　to　the　place　of　execution　and　he　followed　it　up　in

detail。　　He　could　hear　one　of　the　children　of　thirteen；　already　bound

to　the　board；　but　too　small　and　having　only　the　top　of　the　head　under

the　knife；　ask　the　executioner；　〃Will　it　hurt　me　much？〃　What　the

triangular　blade　fell　upon　may　be　imagined！　Carrier　saw　this　with　his

own　eyes；　and　whilst　the　executioner；　horrified　at　himself；　died　a　few

days　after　in　consequence　of　what　he　had　done；　Carrier　put　another　in

his　place；　began　again　and　continued　operations。

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