the origins of contemporary france-4-第61章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

Public…Works　departments；　in　the　Treasury　and　Ministry　of　Foreign

Affairs。　　Here　they　rule；　constantly　denouncing　all　the　remaining；

able　employees　thus　creating　vacancies　in　order　to　fill　them。＇30＇　Then

there　are　twenty　new　administrative　departments　which　they　keep　for

themselves：　commissioners　of　the　first　confiscation　of　national

property；　commissioners　of　national　property　arising　from　emigrants

and　the　convicted；　commissioners　of　conscripted　carriage…horses；

commissioners　on　clothing；　commissioners　on　the　collecting　and

manufacturing　of　saltpeter；　commissioners　on　monopolies；　civil…

commissioners　in　each　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　commissioners　on

propagandas　in　the　departments；　Commissioners　on　provisions；　and　many

others。　　Fifteen　hundred　places　are　counted　in　the　single　department

of　subsistence　in　Paris；＇31＇　and　all　are　salaried。　　Here；　already；　are

a　number　of　desirable　offices。　　…　Some　are　for　the　lowest　rabble；　two

hundred；　at　twenty　sous　a　day；　paid　to　〃stump…speakers；〃　employed　to

direct　opinion　in　the　Palais…Royal；　also　among　the　Tuileries　groups；

as　well　as　in　the　tribunes　of　the　Convention　and　of　the　H？tel…de…

Ville；＇32＇　two　hundred　more　at　four　hundred　francs　per　annum；　to

waiters　in　coffee…houses；　gambling…saloons　and　hotels；　for　watching

foreigners　and　customers；　hundreds　of　places　at　two；　three；　and　five

francs　a　day　with　meals；　for　the　guardians　of　seals；　and　for

garrisoning　the　domiciles　of　〃suspects〃；　thousands；　with　premiums；

pay；　and　full　license；　for　brigands　who；　under　Ronsin；　compose　the

revolutionary　army；　and　for　the　gunners；　paid　guard　and　gendarmes　of

Henriot。　　…　　The　principal　posts；　however；　are　those　which　subject

lives　and　freedom　to　the　discretion　of　those　who　occupy　them：　for；

through　this　more　than　regal　power；　they　possess　all　other　power；　and

such　is　that　of　the　men　composing　the　forty…eight　revolutionary

committees；　the　bureaus　of　the　Committee　of　General　Security　and　of

the　Commune；　and　the　staff…officers　of　the　armed　force。　　They　are　the

prime…movers　and　active　incentives　of　the　system　of　Terror；　all　picked

Jacobins　and　tested　by　repeated　selection；　all　designated　or　approved

by　the　Central　Club；　which　claims　for　itself　the　monopoly　of

patriotism；　and　which；　erected　into　a　supreme　council　of　the　party；

issues　no　patent　of　orthodoxy　except　to　its　own　henchmen。＇33＇



They　immediately　assume　the　tone　and　arrogance　of　dictatorship。　　〃

Pride　has　reached　its　highest　point：＇34＇　。。。　　One　who；　yesterday；　had

no　post　and　was　amiable　and　honest；　has　become　haughty　and　insolent

because；　deceived　by　appearances；　his　fellow…citizens　have　elected　him

commissioner；　or　given　him　some　employment　or　other。〃　Henceforth；　he

behaves　like　a　Turkish　agha　amongst　infidels；　and；　in　command；　carries

things　out　with　a　high　hand。　　…　　On　the　20th　of　Vendémiaire；　year　II。；

〃in　the　middle　of　the　night；〃　the　committee　of　the　Piques　section

summons　M。　Bélanger；　the　architect。　　He　is　notified　that　his　house　is

wanted　immediately　for　a　new　Bastille。　　…　〃But；　said　he；　'I　own　no

other；　and　it　is　occupied　by　several　tenants；　it　is　decorated　with

models　of　art；　and　is　fit　only　for　that　purpose。'　…　'Your　house　or　you

go　to　prison！'　…　'But　I　shall　be　obliged　to　indemnify　my　tenants。'　…

'Either　your　house　or　you　go　to　prison；　as　to　indemnities；　we　have

vacant　lodgings　for　your　tenants；　as　well　as　for　yourself；　in　（the

prisons　of）　La　Force；　or　Sainte…Pélagie。'　Twelve　sentinels　on　the　post

start　off　at　once　and　take　possession　of　the　premises；　the　owner　is

allowed　six　hours　to　move　out　and　is　forbidden；　henceforth；　to　return；

the　bureaus；　to　which　he　appeals；　interpret　his　obedience　as　'tacit

adhesion；'　and；　very　soon；　he　himself　is　locked　up。〃＇35＇　…

Administrative　tools　that　cut　so　sharply　need　the　greatest　care；　and；

from　time　to　time；　they　are　carefully　oiled：＇36＇　on　the　20th　of　July；

1793；　two　thousand　francs　are　given　to　each　of　the　forty…eight

committees；　and　eight　thousand　francs　to　General　Henriot；　〃for

expenses　in　watching　anti…revolutionary　maneuvers；〃　on　the　7th　of

August；　fifty　thousand　francs　〃to　indemnify　the　less　successful

members　of　the　forty…eight　committees；〃　three　hundred　thousand　francs

to　Gen。　　Henriot　〃for　thwarting　conspiracies　and　securing　the　triumph

of　liberty；〃　fifty　thousand　francs　to　the　mayor；　〃for　detecting　the

plots　of　the　malevolent；〃　on　the　10th　of　September；　forty　thousand

francs　to　the　mayor；　president　and　procureur…syndic　of　the　department；

〃for　measures　of　security；　〃　on　the　13th　of　September；　three　hundred

thousand　francs　to　the　mayor　〃for　preventing　the　attempts　of　the

malevolent；〃　on　the　15th　of　November；　one　hundred　thousand　francs　to

the　popular　clubs；　〃because　these　are　essential　to　the　propagation　of

sound　principles。〃　…　Moreover；　besides　gratuities　and　a　fixed　salary；

there　are　the　gratifications　and　perquisites　belonging　to　the

office。＇37＇　Henriot　appoints　his　comrades　on　the　staff　of　paid　spies

and　denunciators；　and；　naturally；　they　take　advantage　of　their

position　to　fill　their　pockets；　under　the　pretext　of　incivism；　they

multiply　domiciliary　visits；　make　the　master　of　the　house　ransom

himself；　or　steal　what　suits　them　on　the　premises。＇38＇　…　In　the

Commune；　and　on　the　revolutionary…committees；　every　extortion　can　be；

and　is；　practiced。



　〃I　know；〃　says　Quevremont；　〃two　citizens　who　have　been　put　in　prison；

without　being　told　why；　and；　at　the　end　of　three　weeks　or　a　month；　let

out　and　do　you　know　how？　By　paying；　one　of　them；　fifteen　thousand

livres；　and　the　other；　twenty…five　thousand。　　。　　。　　。　　　Gambron；　at　La

Force；　pays　one　thousand　five　hundred　livres　a　month　for　a　room　not　to

live　amongst　lice；　and　besides　this；　he　had　to　pay　a　bribe　of　two

thousand　livres　on　entering。　　This　happened　to　many　others　who；　again；

dared　not　speak　of　it；　except　in　a　whisper。〃＇39＇



Woe　to　the　imprudent　who；　never　concerning　themselves　with　public

affairs；　and　relying　on　their　innocence；　discard　the　officious　broker

and　fail　to　pay　up　at　once！　Brichard；　the　notary；　having　refused　or

tendered　too　late；　the　hundred　thousand　crowns　demanded　of　him；　is　to

put　his　head　〃at　the　red　window。〃　…　And　I　omit　ordinary　rapine；　the

vast　field　open　to　extortion　through　innumerable　inventories；

sequestrations　and　adjudications；　through　the　enormities　of

contractors；　through　hastily　executed　purchases　and　deliveries；

through　the　waste　of　two　or　three　millions　given　weekly　by　the

government　to　the　Commune　for　supplies　for　the　capital；　through　the

requisitions　of　grain　which　give　fifteen　hundred　men　of　the

revolutionary　army　an　opportunity　to　clean　out　all　the　neighboring

farms；　as　far　as　Corbeil　and　Meaux；　and　benefit　by　this　after　the

fashion　of　the　chauffeurs。＇40＇　…　With　such　a　staff；　these　anonymous

thefts　cannot　surprise　us。　　Babeuf；　the　falsifier　of　public　contracts；

is　secretary　for　provisions　to　the　Commune；　Maillard；　the　Abbaye

Septembriseur；　receives　eight　thousand　francs　for　his　direction；　in

the　forty…eight　sections；　of　the　ninety…six　observers　and　leaders　of

public　opinion；　Chrétien；　whose　smoking…shop　serves　as　the　rendezvous

of　rowdies；　becomes　a　juryman　at　eighteen　francs　a　day　in　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；　and　leads　his　section　with　uplifted　saber；＇41＇

De　Sade；　professor　of　crimes；　is　now　the　oracle　of　his　quarter；　and；

in　the　name　of　the　Piques　Section；　he　reads　addresses　to　the

Convention。



III。



A　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs。　　…　A　General　in　command。　　…　The　Paris

Commune。　　…　A　Revolutionary　Committee。



Let　us　examine　some　of　these　figures　closely：　the　nearer　they　are　to

the　eye　and　foremost　in　position；　the　more　the　importance　of　the　duty

brings　into　light　the　unworthiness　of　the　potentate。　　…　　There　is

already　one　of　them；　whom　we　have　seen　in　passing；　Buchot；　twice

noticed　by　Robespierre　under　his　own　hand　as　〃a　man　of　probity；

energetic　and　capable　of　fulfilling　the　most　important　functions；〃＇42＇

appointed　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　〃Commissioner　on　External

Relations；〃　that　is　to　say；　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　and　kept　in

this　important　position　for　nearly　six　months。　　He　is　a　school…master

from　the　Jura；＇43＇　recently　disembarked　from　his　small　town　and　whose

〃ignorance；　low　habits　and　stupidity　surpass　anything　that　can　be

imagined　。　　。　　。　　The　chief　clerks　have　nothing　to　do　with　him；　he

neither　sees　nor　asks　for　them。　　He　is　never　found　in　his　office；　and

when　it　is　indispensable　to　ask　for　his　signature　on　any　legislative

matter；　the　sole　act　to　which　he　has　reduced　his　functions；　they　are

compelled　to　go　and　force　it　from　him　in　the　Café　Hardy；　where　he

usually　passes　his　days。〃　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　is　envious

and　spiteful；　avenging　himself　for　his　incapacity　on　those　whose

competency　makes　him　sensible　of　his　incompetence；　he　denounces　them

as　Moderates；　and；　at　last；　succeeds　in　having　a　warrant　of　arrest

issued　against　his　four　chief　clerks；　on　the　morning　of　Thermidor　9；

with　a　wicked　leer；　he　himself　carries　the　news　to　one　of　them；　M。

Miot。　　Unfortunately　for　him；　after　Thermidor；　he　is　turned　out　and　M。

Miot　is　put　in　his　place。　　With　diplomatic　politeness；　the　latter

calls　on　his　predecessor　and　〃expresses　to　him　the　usual　compliments。〃

Buchot；　insensible　to　compliments；　immediately　thinks　of　the

substantial；　and　the　first　thing　he　asks　for　is　to　keep　provisionally

his　apartment　in　the　ministry。　　On　this　being　granted；　he　expresses

his　thanks　and　tells　M。　Miot　that　it　was　very　well　to　appoint　him；

but　〃for　myself；　it　is　very　disagreeable。　　I　have　been　obliged　to　come

to　Paris　and　quit　my　post　in　the　provinces；　and　now　they　leave　me　in

the　street。〃　Thereupon；　with　astounding　impudence；　he　asks　the　man

whom　he　wished　to　guillotine　to　give　him　a　place　as　ministerial　clerk。

M。　Miot　tries　to　make　him　understand　that　for　a　former　minister　to

descend　so　low　would　be　improper。　　Buchot　regards　such　delicacy　as

strange；　and；　seeing　M。　Miot's　embarrassment；　he　ends　by　saying：　〃If

you　don't　find　me　fit　for　a　clerk；　I　shall　be　content　with　the　place

of　a　servant。〃　This　estimate　of　himself　shows　his　proper　value。



The　other；　whom　we　have　also　met　before；　and　who　is　already　known　by

his　acts；＇44＇　general　in　Paris　of　the　entire　armed　force；　commander…

in…chief　of　one　hundred　and　ten　thousand　men；　is　that　former　servant

or　under…clerk　of　the　procureur　Formey；　who；　dismissed　by　his　employer

for　robbery；　shut　up　in　Bicêtre；　by　turns　a　runner　and　announcer　for　a

traveling　show；　barrier…clerk　and　September　assassin；　has　purged　the

Convention　on　the　2nd　of　June　…　in　short；　the　famous　Henriot；　and　now

simply　a　brute　and　a　sot。　　In　this　latter　capacity；　spared　on　the

trial　of　the　Hébertists；　he　is　kept　as　a　tool；　for　the　reason；

doubtless；　that　he　is　narrow；　coarse　and　manageable；　more　compromised

than　anybody　else；　good　for　a