the origins of contemporary france-4-第60章

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are　so　strict　that　a　man　who　cannot　show　that　he　acted　energetically

in　critical　times；　cannot　form　part　of　the　assembly；　he　is　set　aside

for　a　mere　trifle。〃　On　Vent？se　13；　in　the　same　club；　〃out　of　twenty…

six　examined；　seven　only　are　admitted；　one　citizen；　a　tobacco　dealer；

aged　sixty…eight；　who　has　always　performed　his　duty；　is　rejected　for

having　called　the　president　Monsieur；　and　for　having　spoken　in　the

tribune　bareheaded；　two　members；　after　this；　insisted　on　his　being　a

Moderate；　which　is　enough　to　keep　him　out。〃　Those　who　remain；　consist

of　the　most　restless　and　most　loquacious；　the　most　eager　for　office；

the　self…mutilated　club　being　thus　reduced　to　a　nucleus　of　charlatans

and　scoundrels。



To　these　spontaneous　eliminations　through　which　the　club　deteriorates；

add　the　constant　pressure　through　which　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety

frightens　and　degrades　it。　　The　lower　the　revolutionary　government

sinks；　and　the　more　it　concentrates　its　power；　the　more　servile　and

sanguinary　do　its　agents　and　employees　become。　　It　strikes　right　and

left　as　a　warning；　it　imprisons　or　decapitates　the　turbulent　among　its

own　clients；　the　secondary　demagogues　who　are　impatient　at　not　being

principal　demagogues；　the　bold　who　think　of　striking　a　fresh　blow　in

the　streets；　Jacques　Roux；　Vincent；　Momoro；　Hébert；　leaders　of　the

Cordeliers　club　and　of　the　Commune。　　After　these；　the　indulgent　who

are　disposed　to　exercise　some　discernment　or　moderation　in　terrorism；

Camille　Desmoulins；　Danton　and　their　adherents；　and　lastly；　many

others　who　are　more　or　less　doubtful；　compromised　or　compromising；

wearied　or　eccentric；　from　Maillard　to　Chaumette；　from　Antonelle　to

Chabot；　from　Westermann　to　Clootz。　　　Each　of　the　proscribed　has　a　gang

of　followers；　and　suddenly　the　whole　gang　are　obliged　to　do　a　volte…

face；　those　who　were　able　to　show　initiative；　grovel；　while　those　who

could　show　mercy；　become　hardened。　　Henceforth；　amongst　the　subaltern

Jacobins；　the　roots　of　independence；　humanity；　and　loyalty；　hard　to

extirpate　even　in　an　ignoble　and　cruel　nature；　are　eradicated　even　to

the　last　fiber；　the　revolutionary　staff；　already　so　debased；　becoming

more　and　more　degraded；　until　it　is　worthy　of　the　office　assigned　to

it。　　The　confidants　of　Hébert；　those　who　listen　to　Chaumette；　the

comrades　of　Westermann；　the　officers　of　Ronsin；　the　faithful　readers

of　Camille；　the　admirers　and　devotees　of　Danton；　all　are　bound　to

publicly　repudiate　their　incarcerated　friend　or　leader　and　approve　of

the　decree　which　sends　him　to　the　scaffold；　to　applaud　his

calumniators；　to　overwhelm　him　on　trial：　this　or　that　judge　or

juryman；　who　is　one　of　Danton's　partisans；　is　obliged　to　stifle　a

defense　of　him；　and；　knowing　him　to　be　innocent；　pronounce　him　guilty；

one　who　had　often　dined　with　Desmoulins　is　not　only　to　guillotine　him；

but；　in　addition　to　this；　to　guillotine　his　young　widow。　　Moreover；　in

the　revolutionary　committees；　at　the　Commune；　in　the　offices　of　the

Committee　of　General　Safety；　in　the　bureau　of　the　Central　Police；　at

the　headquarters　of　the　armed　force；　at　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；

the　service　to　which　they　are　compelled　to　do　becomes　daily　more

onerous　and　more　repulsive。　　To　denounce　neighbors；　to　arrest

colleagues；　to　go　and　seize　innocent　persons；　known　to　be　such；　in

their　beds；　to　select　in　the　prisons　the　thirty　or　forty　unfortunates

who　form　the　daily　food　of　the　guillotine；　to　〃amalgamate〃　them

haphazard；　to　try　them　and　condemn　them　in　a　lot；　to　escort

octogenarian　women　and　girls　of　sixteen　to　the　scaffold；　even　under

the　knife…blade；　to　see　heads　dropping　and　bodies　swinging；　to

contrive　means　for　getting　rid　of　a　multitude　of　corpses；　and　for

removing　the　too…visible　stains　of　blood。　　Of　what　species　do　the

beings　consist；　who　can　accept　such　a　task；　and　perform　it　day　after

day；　with　the　prospect　of　doing　it　indefinitely？　Fouquier…Tinville

himself　succumbs。　　One　evening；　on　his　way　to　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　〃he　feels　unwell〃　on　the　Pont…Neuf　and　exclaims：　〃I　think　I

see　the　ghosts　of　the　dead　following　us；　especially　those　of　the

patriots　I　have　had　guillotined！〃＇17＇　And　at　another　time：　〃I　would

rather　plow　the　ground　than　be　public　prosecutor。　　If　I　could；　I　would

resign。〃　　The　government；　as　the　system　becomes　aggravated；　is

forced　to　descend　lower　still　that　it　may　find　suitable　instruments；

it　finds　them　now　only　in　the　lowest　depths：　in　Germinal；　to　renew　the

Commune；　in　Floréal；　to　renew　the　ministries；　in　Prairial；　to　re…

compose　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；　month　after　month；　purging　and　re…

constituting　the　committees　of　each　quarter＇18＇　of　the　city。　　In　vain

does　Robespierre；　writing　and　re…writing　his　secret　lists；　try　to　find

men　able　to　maintain　the　system；　he　always　falls　back　on　the　same

names；　those　of　unknown　persons；　illiterate；　about　a　hundred　knaves　or

fools　with　four　or　five　second…class　despots　or　fanatics　among　them；

as　malevolent　and　as　narrow　as　himself。　　…　The　purifying　crucible　has

been　used　too　often　and　for　too　long　a　time；　it　has　overheated；　what

was　sound；　or　nearly　so；　in　the　elements　of　the　primitive　fluid　has

been　forcibly　evaporated；　the　rest　has　fermented　and　become　acid；

nothing　remains　in　the　bottom　of　the　vessel　but　the　lees　of　stupidity

and　wickedness；　their　concentrated　and　corrosive　dregs。



II。　　Subaltern　Jacobins。



Quality　of　subaltern　leaders。　　…　How　they　rule　in　the　section

assemblies。　　…　How　they　seize　and　hold　office。



Such　are　the　subordinate　sovereigns＇19＇　who　in　Paris；　during　14　months

dispose　as　they　please；　of　fortunes；　liberties　and　lives。　　…　And

first；　in　the　section　assemblies；　which　still　maintain　a　semblance　of

popular　sovereignty；　they　rule　despotically　and　uncontested。　　…



〃A　dozen　or　fifteen　men　wearing　a　red　cap；＇20＇　well…informed　or　not；

claim　the　exclusive　right　of　speaking　and　acting；　and　if　any　other

citizen　with　honest　motives　happens　to　propose　measures　which　he

thinks　proper；　and　which　really　are　so；　no　attention　is　paid　to　these

measures；　or；　if　it　is；　it　is　only　to　show　the　members　composing　the

assemblage　of　how　little　account　they　are。　　These　measures　are

accordingly　rejected；　solely　because　they　are　not　presented　by　one　of

the　men　in　a　red　cap；　or　by　somebody　like　themselves；　initiated　in　the

mysteries　of　the　section。〃



〃　Sometimes；〃　says　one　of　the　leaders；＇21＇　〃we　find　only　ten　members

of　the　club　at　the　general　assembly　of　the　section；　but　there　are

enough　of　us　to　intimidate　the　rest。　　Should　any　citizen　of　the

section　make　a　proposition　we　do　not　like；　we　rise　and　shout　that　he

is　an　schemer；　or　a　signer　（of　former　constitutional　petitions）。　　In

this　way　we　impose　silence　on　those　who　are　not　in　line　with　the

club。〃　…



　Since　September；　1793；　operation　is　all　the　easier　because　the

majority；　is　now　composed　of　beasts　of　burden；　ruled　with　an　iron

hand。



〃When　something　has　to　be　effected　that　depends　on　intrigue　or　on

private　interest；＇22＇　the　motion　is　always　put　by　one　of　the　members

of　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　the　section；　or　by　one　of　those

fanatical　patriots　who　join　in　with　the　Committee；　and　otherwise　act

as　its　spies。　　Immediately　the　ignorant　men；　to　whom　Danton　has

allowed　forty　sous　for　each　meeting；　and　who；　from　now　on　crowd　an

assembly；　where　they　never　came　before；　welcome　the　proposition　with

loud　applause；　shouting　and　demanding　a　vote；　and　the　act　is　passed

unanimously；　notwithstanding　the　contrary　opinions　of　all　well…

informed　and　honest　citizens。　　Should　any　one　dare　make　an　objection；

he　would　run　the　risk　of　imprisonment　as　a　suspect；＇23＇　after　being

treated　as　an　aristocrat　or　federalist；　or　at　least；　refused　a

certificate　of　civism；　（　a　serious　matter）　if　he　had　the　misfortune　to

need　one；　did　his　survival　depend　on　this；　either　as　employee　or

pensioner。〃　…　In　the　Maison…Commune　section；　most　of　the　auditory　are

masons；　〃excellent　patriots；〃　says　one　of　the　clubbists　of　the

quarter：＇24＇　they　always　vote　on　our　side；　we　make　them　do　what　we

want。〃　Numbers　of　day…laborers；　cab…drivers；　cartmen　and　workmen　of

every　class；　thus　earn　their　forty　sous；　and　have　no　idea　that

anything　else　might　be　demanded　from　them。　　On　entering　the　hall；　when

the　meeting　opens；　they　write　down　their　names；　after　which　they　go

out　〃to　take　a　drink；〃　without　thinking　themselves　obliged　to　listen

to　the　rigmarole　of　the　orators；　towards　the　end；　they　come　back；　make

all　the　noise　that　is　required　of　them　with　their　lungs；　feet　and

hands；　and　then　go　and　〃take　back　their　card　and　get　their　money。〃＇25＇

…　With　paid　applauders　of　this　stamp；　they　soon　get　the　better　of　any

opponents；　or；　rather；　all　opposition　is　suppressed　beforehand。　　〃The

best　citizens　keep　silent〃　in　the　section　assemblies；　or　〃stay　away；〃

these　are　simply　〃gambling…shops〃　where　〃the　most　absurd；　the　most

unjust；　the　most　impolitic　of　resolutions　are　passed　at　every

moment。＇26＇　　Moreover；　citizens　are　ruined　there　by　the　unlimited

sectional　expenditure；　which　exceeds　the　usual　taxation　and　the

communal　expenses；　already　very　heavy。　　At　one　time；　some　carpenter　or

locksmith；　member　of　the　Revolutionary　Committee；　wants　to　construct；

enlarge　or　decorate　a　hall；　and　it　is　necessary　to　agree　with　him。

Again；　a　poor　speech　is　made；　full　of　exaggeration　and　political

extravagance；　of　which　three；　four；　five　and　six　thousand　impressions

are　ordered　to　be　printed。　　Then；　to　cap　the　climax；　following　the

example　of　the　Commune；　no　accounts　are　rendered；　or；　if　this　is　done

for　form's　sake；　no　fault　must　be　found　with　them；　under　penalty　of

suspicion；　etc。〃　　The　twelve　leaders；　proprietors　and　distributors

of　civism；　have　only　to　agree　amongst　themselves　to　share　the　profits；

each　according　to　his　appetite；　henceforth；　cupidity　and　vanity　are

free　to　sacrifice　the　common　weal；　under　cover　of　the　common　interest。

…　The　pasture　is　vast　and　it　is　at　the　disposal　of　the　leaders。　　In

one　of　his　orders　of　the　day；　Henriot　says：＇27＇



　〃I　am　very　glad　to　announce　to　my　brethren　in　arms　that　all　the

positions　are　at　the　disposal　of　the　government。　　The　actual

government；　which　is　revolutionary；　whose　intentions　are　pure；　and

which　merely　desires　the　happiness　of　all；　。　　。　　。　　。　　will　search

everywhere；　even　into　the　attics　for　virtuous　men；　。　　。　　。　　。　　poor

and　genuine　sans…culottes。〃　And　there　is　enough　to　satisfy　them

thirty…five　thousand　places　of　public　employment　in　the　capital

alone：＇28＇　it　is　a　rich　mine；　already；　before　the　month　of　May；　1793；

〃the　Jacobin　club　boasted　of　having　placed　nine　thousand　agents　in　the

administration；〃＇29＇　and　since　the　2nd　of　June；　〃virtuous　men；　poor；

genuine　sans…culottes；〃　arrive　in　crowds　from　〃their　garrets；〃　dens

and　hired　rooms；　each　to　grab　his　share。　　　They　besiege　and　install

themselves　by　hundreds　the　ancient　offices　in　the　War；　Navy　and

Public…Works　departments；　in　th