the origins of contemporary france-4-第64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！



employment。　　〃Members　of　the　Feurs　Revolutionary　Committee　…　those　who

make　that　objection　to　me；〃　wrote　a　lawyer　in　Clermont；＇66＇　〃are

persuaded　that　those　only　who　secluded　themselves；　felt　the　Terror。

They　are　not　aware；　perhaps；　that　nobody　felt　it　more　than　those　who

were　compelled　to　execute　its　decrees。　　Remember　that　the　handwriting

of　Couthon　which　designated　some　citizen　for　an　office　also　conveyed　a

threat；　and　in　case　of　refusal；　of　being　declared　'suspect；'　a　threat

which　promised　in　perspective　the　loss　of　liberty　and　the

sequestration　of　property！　Was　I　free；　then；　to　refuse？〃　…　Once

installed；　the　man　must　act；　and　many　of　those　who　do　act　let　their

repugnance　be　seen　in　spite　of　themselves：　at　best；　they　cannot　be　got

to　do　more　than　mechanical　service。



　〃Before　going　to　court；〃　says　a　judge　at　Cambray；　〃I　swallowed　a　big

glass



　　of　spirits　to　give　me　strength　enough　to　preside。〃



He　leaves　his　house　with　no　other　intention　than　to　finish　the　job；

and；　the　sentence　once　pronounced；　to　return　home；　shut　himself　up；

and　close　his　eyes　and　ears。



　〃I　had　to　pronounce　judgment　according　to　the　jury's　declaration　…

what　could　I　do？〃＇67＇



　Nothing；　but　remain　blind　and　deaf：　〃I　drank。　　I　tried　to　ignore

everything；　even　the　names　of　the　accused。〃　…　It　is　plain　enough　that；

in　the　local　official　body；　there　are　too　many　agents　who　are　weak；

not　zealous；　without　any　push；　unreliable；　or　even　secretly　hostile；

these　must　be　replaced　by　others　who　are　energetic　and　reliable；　and

the　latter　must　be　taken　wherever　they　can　be　found。＇68＇　　This

reservoir　in　each　department　or　district　is　the　Jacobin　nursery　of　the

principal　town；　from　this；　they　are　sent　into　the　bourgs　and　communes

of　the　conscription。　　The　central　Jacobin　nursery　for　France　is　in

Paris；　from　whence　they　are　dispatched　to　the　towns　and　departments。



V。　　Jacobins　sent　to　the　Provinces。



Importation　of　a　staff　of　strangers。　　…　Paris　Jacobins　sent　into　the

provinces。　　…　Jacobins　of　enthusiastic　towns　deported　to　moderate

ones。　　…　The　Jacobins　of　a　district　headquarters　spread　through　the

district。　　…　Resistance　of　public　opinion。　　…　Distribution　and　small

number　of　really　Jacobin　agents。



　Consequently；　swarms　of　Jacobin　locusts　spread　from　Paris　out　over

the　provinces；　and　from　the　local　country…towns　over　the　surrounding

country。　　…　In　this　cloud　of　destructive　insects；　there　are　various

figures　of　different　sizes：　in　the　front　rank；　are　the　representatives

on　mission；　who　are　to　take　command　in　the　departments；　in　the　second

rank；　〃the　political　agents；〃　who；　assigned　the　duty　of　watching　the

neighboring　frontier；　take　upon　themselves　the　additional　duty　of

leading　the　popular　club　of　the　town　they　reside　in；　or　of　urging　on

its　administrative　body。＇69＇　Besides　that；　there　issue　from　the　Paris

headquarters　in　the　rue　St。　　Honoré；　select　sans…culottes　who；

authorized　or　delegated　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　proceed　to

Lyons；　Marseilles；　Bordeaux；　Tonnerre；　Rochefort　and　elsewhere；　to　act

as　missionaries　among　the　too　inert　population；　or　form　the　committees

of　action　and　the　tribunals　of　extermination　that　are　recruited　with

difficulty　on　the　spot。＇70＇　…　Sometimes　also；　when　a　town　has　a　bad

record；　the　popular　club　of　a　sounder…minded　city　sends　its　delegates

there；　to　bring　it　into　line；　thus；　four　deputies　of　the　Metz　club

arrive　without　notice　in　Belfort；　catechize　their　brethren；　associate

with　them　on　the　local　Revolutionary　Committee；　and；　suddenly；　without

consulting　the　municipality；　or　any　other　legal　authority；　draw　up　a

list　of　〃moderates；　fanatics　and　egoists；〃　on　whom　they　impose　an

extraordinary　tax　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…six　thousand　six　hundred

and　seventeen　livres；＇71＇　in　like　manner；　sixty　delegates　from　the

club　of　C？te…d'Or；　Haute…Marne；　Vosges；　Moselle；　Saone…et…Loire　and

Mont…Terrible；　all　〃tempered　by　the　white　heat　of　Pére　Duchesne；〃

proceed　to　Strasbourg　at　the　summons　of　the　representatives；　where；

under　the　title　of　〃propagandists；〃　they　are　to　regenerate　the　town。

…　At　the　same　time；　in　each　department；　the　Jacobins　of　the　principal

town　are　found　scattered　along　the　high　ways；　that　they　may　inspect

their　domain　and　govern　their　subjects。　　Sometimes；　it　is　the

representative　on　mission；　who；　personally；　along　with　twenty　〃hairy

devils；〃　makes　his　round　and　shows　off　his　traveling　dictatorship；

again；　it　is　his　secretary　or　delegate　who；　in　his　place　and　in　his

name；　comes　to　a　second…class　town　and　draws　up　his　documents。＇72＇　At

another　time；　it　is　〃a　committee　of　investigation　and　propaganda〃

which；　〃chosen　by　the　club　and　provided　with　full　powers；〃　comes；　in

the　name　of　the　representatives；　to　work　up　for　a　month　all　the

communes　of　the　district。＇73＇　　Again；　finally；　it　is　the　revolutionary

committee　of　the　principal　town；　which；〃　declared　central　for　the

whole　department；〃＇74＇　delegates　one　or　the　other　of　its　members　to　go

outside　the　walls；　and　purge　and　recompose　suspected　municipalities。

…　Thus　does　Jacobinism　descend　and　spread　itself；　story　after　story；

from　the　Parisian　center　to　the　smallest　and　remotest　commune：

throughout　provincial　France；　whether　colorless　or　of　uncertain　color；

the　imposed　or　imported　administration　imposes　its　red　stigma。



But　the　stamp　is　only　superficial；　for　the　sans…culottes；　naturally；

are　not　disposed　to　confer　offices　on　any　but　men　of　their　sort；　while

in　the　provinces；　especially　in　the　rural　districts；　such　men　are

rare。　　As　one　of　the　representatives　says：　there　is　a　〃dearth　of

subjects。〃　…　At　Macon；　Javogues　tries　in　vain；＇75＇　he　finds　in　the

club　only　〃disguised　federalists；〃　the　people；　he　says；　〃will　not　open

their　eyes　it　seems　to　me　that　this　blindness　is　due　to　the　physique

of　the　country；　which　is　very　rich。〃　Naturally；　he　storms　and

dismisses；　but；　even　in　the　revolutionary　committee；　none　but　dubious

candidates　are　presented　to　him　for　selection；　he　does　not　know　how　to

manage　in　order　to　renew　the　local　authorities。　　〃They　play　into　each

others'　hands；〃　and　he　ends　by　threatening　to　transfer　the　public

institutions　of　the　town　elsewhere；　if　they　persist　in　proposing　to

him　none　but　bad　patriots。　　…　At　Strasbourg；＇76＇　Couturier；　and

Dentzel；　on　mission；　report　that：　〃owing　to　an　unexampled　coalition

among　all　the　capable　citizens；　obstinately　refusing　to　take　the

office　of　mayor；　in　order；　by　this　course；　to　clog　the　wheels；　and

subject　the　representatives　to　repeated　and　indecent　refusals；〃　he　is

compelled　to　appoint　a　young　man；　not　of　legal　age；　and　a　stranger　in

the　department。　　…　At　Marseilles；　write　the　agents；＇77＇　〃in　spite　of

every　effort　and　our　ardent　desire　to　republicanize　the　Marseilles

people；　our　pains　and　fatigues　are　nearly　all　fruitless。　　。　　。　　。

Public　spirit　among　owners　of　property；　mechanics　and　journey…men　is

everywhere　detestable。　　。　　。　　。　　The　number　of　discontented　seems　to

increase　from　day　to　day。　　All　the　communes　in　Var；　and　most　of　those

in　this　department　are　against　us。　　。　　。　　。　　they　constitute　a　race　to

be　destroyed；　a　country　to　be　colonized　anew。　　。　　。　　。



　〃I　repeat　it；　the　only　way　to　work　out　the　Revolution　in　the

federalized　departments；　and　especially　in　this　one；　is　to　deport　all

the　indigenous　population　who　are　able　to　bear　arms；　scatter　them

through　the　armies　and　put　garrisons　in　their　places；　which；　again；

will　have　to　be　changed　from　time　to　time。〃　…　At　the　other　extremity

of　the　territory；　in　Alsace；　〃republican　sentiments　are　still　in　the

cradle；　fanaticism　is　extreme　and　incredible；　the　spirit　of　the

inhabitants　in　general　is　in　no　respect　revolutionary。　　。　　。　　Nothing

but　the　revolutionary　army　and　the　venerated　guillotine　will　cure　them

of　their　conceited　aristocracy。　　The　execution　of　the　laws　depends　on

striking　off　the　heads　of　the　guilty；　for　nearly　all　the　rural

municipalities　are　composed　only　of　the　rich；　of　clerks　of　former

bailiffs；　almost　always　devoted　to　the　ancient　régime。〃＇78＇…　And　in

the　rest　of　France；　the　population；　less　refractory；　is　not　more

Jacobin；　here　where　the　people　appear　〃humble　and　submissive〃　as　in

Lyons　and　Bordeaux；　the　inspectors　report　that　it　is　wholly　owing　to

terror；＇79＇　there；　where　opinion　seems　enthusiastic；　as　at　Rochefort

and　Grenoble；　they　report　that　it　is　〃artificial　heat。〃＇80＇　　At

Rochefort；　zeal　is　maintained　only　〃by　the　presence　of　five　or　six

Parisian　Jacobins。〃　At　Grenoble；　Chépy；　the　political　agent　and

president　of　the　club；　writes　that　〃he　is　knocked　up；　worn　out；　and

exhausted；　in　trying　to　keep　up　public　spirit　and　maintain　it　on　a

level　with　events；〃　but　he　is　〃conscious　that；　if　he　should　leave；　all

would　crumble。〃　…　There　are　none　other　than　Moderates　at　Brest；　at

Lille；　at　Dunkirk；　if　this　or　that　department；　the　Nord；　for　instance；

hastened　to　accept　the　〃Montagnard〃　constitution；　it　is　only　a

pretense：　〃an　infinitely　small　portion　of　the　population　answered　for

the　rest。〃＇81＇　…　At　Belfort；　where　〃from　one　thousand　to　twelve

hundred　fathers　of　families　alone　are　counted；〃　writes　the　agent；＇82＇

〃one　popular　club　of　thirty　or　forty　members；　at　the　most；　maintains

and　enforces　the　love　of　liberty。〃　…　In　Arras；　〃out　of　three　or　four

hundred　members　composing　the　popular　club〃　the　weeding…out　of　1793

has　spared　but　〃sixty…three；　one　tenth　of　whom　are　absent。〃＇83＇　　At

Toulouse；　〃out　of　about　fourteen　hundred　members〃　who　form　the　club；

only　three　or　four　hundred　remain　after　the　weeding…out　of　1793；＇84＇

〃mere　machines；　for　the　most　part；〃　and　〃whom　ten　or　a　dozen

intriguers　lead　as　they　please。〃　…　The　same　state　of　things　exists

elsewhere；　a　dozen　or　two　determined　Jacobins…twenty…two　at　Troyes；

twenty…one　at　Grenoble；　ten　at　Bordeaux；　seven　at　Poitiers；　as　many　at

Dijon…constitute　the　active　staff　of　a　large　town：＇85＇　the　whole

number　might　sit　around　one　table。　　…　The　Jacobins；　straining　as　they

do　to　swell　their　numbers；　only　scatter　their　band；　careful　as　they

are　in　making　their　selections；　they　only　limit　their　number。　　They

remain　what　they　always　have　been；　a　small　feudality　of　brigands

superposed　on　conquered　France。＇86＇　　If　the　terror　they　spread　around

multiplies　their　serfs；　the　horror　they　inspire　diminishes　their

proselytes；　while　their　minority　remains　insignificant　because；　for

their　collaborators；　they　can　have　only　those　just　like　themselves。



VI。



Quality　of　staff　thus　formed。　　…　Social　state　of　the　agents。　　…　Their

unfitness　and　bad　conduct。　　…　The　administrators　in　Seine…et…Marne。　　…

Drunkenness　and　feasting。　　…　Committees　and　Municipalities　in　the

C？te…d'Or。　　…　Waste　and　extortions。　　…　Traffickers　in　favors　at

Bordeaux。　　…　Seal　breakers　at　Lyons。　　…　Monopolizers　of　national

possessions。　　…　Sales　of　personal　property。　　…　Embezzlements　and

Frauds。…A　procès…verbal　in　the　office　of　the　mayor　of　Strasbourg。　　…

Sales　of　real…estate。