the origins of contemporary france-4-第7章

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testimony　of　political　orthodoxy；　the　Council…General　of　the

department　prescribed　a　civic　festival　for　the　10th　of　August

analogous　to　that　of　Paris。　　The　Lyonnese；　already　blockaded；　indulged

in　no　hostile　manifestation；　on　the　7th　of　August　they　marched　out　of

their　advanced　positions　to　fraternize　with　the　first　body　of　troops

sent　against　them。＇74＇　　They　conceded　everything；　save　on　one　point；

which　they　could　not　yield　without　destruction；　namely；　the　assurance

that　they　should　not　be　given　up　defenseless　to　the　arbitrary　judgment

of　their　local　tyrants；　to　the　spoliation；　proscriptions　and　revenge

of　the　Jacobin　rabble。　　In　sum；　at　Marseilles　and　Bordeaux；　especially

at　Lyons　and　Toulon；　the　sections　had　revolted　only　on　that　account；

acting　promptly　and　spontaneously；　the　people　had　thrust　aside　the

knife　which　a　few　ruffians　aimed　at　their　throats；　they　had　not　been；

and　were　not　now；　willing　to　be　〃Septemberised；〃　that　was　their　sole

concern。　　Provided　they　were　not　handed　over　to　the　butchers　bound

hand　and　foot；　they　would　open　their　gates。　　On　these　minimum　terms

the　〃Mountain〃　could　terminate　the　civil　war　before　the　end　of　July。

It　had　only　to　follow　the　example　of　Robert　Lindet　who；　at　Evreux　the

home　of　Buzot；　at　Caen　the　home　of　Charlotte　Corday　and　the　central

seat　of　the　fugitive　Girondins；　established　permanent　obedience

through　the　moderation　he　had　shown　and　the　promises　he　had　kept。＇75＇

The　measures　that　had　pacified　the　most　compromised　province　would

have　brought　back　the　others；　and　through　this　policy；　Paris；　without

striking　a　blow；　would　have　secured　the　three　largest　cities　in

France；　the　capital　of　the　South…west；　that　of　the　South；　and　the

capital　of　the　Center。



On　the　contrary；　should　Paris　persist　in　imposing　on　them　the

domination　of　its　local　Jacobins　there　was　a　risk　of　their　being

thrown　into　the　arms　of　the　enemy。　　Rather　than　fall　back　into　the

hands　of　the　bandits　who　had　ransomed　and　decimated　them；　Toulon；

starved　out；　was　about　to　receive　the　English　within　its　walls　and

surrender　to　them　the　great　arsenal　of　the　South。　　Not　less　famished；

Bordeaux　might　be　tempted　to　demand　aid　from　another　English　fleet；　a

few　marches　would　brings　the　Piedmontese　army　to　Lyons；　France　would

then　b　cut　in　two；　while　the　plan　of　stirring　up　the　South　against　the

North　was　proposed　to　the　allies　by　the　most　clear…sighted　of　their

councilors。＇76＇　Had　this　plan　been　carried　out　it　is　probably　that　the

country　would　have　been　lost。　　　In　any　event；　there　was　danger　in

driving　the　insurgents　to　despair：　for；　between　the　unbridled

dictatorship　of　their　victorious　assassins　and　the　musketry　of　the

besieging　army；　there　could　be　no　hesitation　by　men　of　any　feeling；　it

was　better　to　be　beaten　on　the　ramparts　than　allow　themselves　to　be

bound　for　the　guillotine；　brought　to　a　stand　under　the　scaffold；　their

sole　resource　was　to　depend　on　themselves　to　the　last。　　　Thus；

through　its　unreasonableness；　the　〃Mountain〃　condemns　itself　to　a

number　of　sieges　or　blockades　which　lasted　several　months；＇77＇　to

leaving　Var　and　Savoy　unprotected；　to　exhausting　the　arsenals；　to

employing　against　Frenchmen＇78＇　troops　and　munitions　needed　against

foreigners；　and　all　this　at　the　moment　the　foreigner　was　taking

Valenciennes＇79＇　and　Mayence；　when　thirty　thousand　royalist　were

organizing　in　Lozére；　when　the　great　Vendean　army　was　laying　siege　to

Nantes；　when　each　new　outbreak　of　fighting　was　threatening　to　connect

the　flaming　frontier　with　the　conflagration　in　the　Catholic

countries。＇80＇　　With　a　jet　of　cold　water　aptly　directed；　the

〃Mountain〃　could　extinguish　the　fires　it　had　kindled　in　the　great

republican　towns；　otherwise；　nothing　remained　but　to　let　them　increase

at　the　risk　of　consuming　the　whole　country；　with　no　other　hope　than

that　they　might　at　last　die　out　under　a　mass　of　ruins；　and　with　no

other　object　but　to　rule　over　captives　and　the　dead。



But　this　is　precisely　the　Jacobin　aim；　for；　he　is　not　satisfied　with

less　than　absolute　submission　；　he　must　rule　at　any　cost；　just　as　he

pleases；　by　fair　means　or　foul；　no　matter　over　what　ruins。　　A　despot

by　instinct　and　installation；　his　dogma　has　consecrated　him　King　；　he

is　King　by　natural　and　divine　right；　in　the　name　of　eternal　verity；

the　same　as　Philip　II。；　enthroned　by　his　religious　system　and　blessed

by　his　Holy　Office。　　Hence　he　can　abandon　no　jot　or　title　of　his

authority　without　a　sacrifice　of　principle；　nor　treat　with　rebels；

unless　they　surrender　at　discretion；　simply　for　having　risen　against

legitimate　authority；　they　are　traitors　and　villains。　　And　who　are

greater　rascals　the　renegades　who；　after　three　years　of　patient

effort；　just　as　the　sect　finally　reaches　its　goal；　oppose　its

accession　to　power！＇81＇　At　N？mes；　Toulouse；　Bordeaux；　Toulon；　and

Lyons；　not　only　have　they　interfered　with　or　arrested　the　blow　which

Paris　struck；　but　they　have　put　down　the　aggressors；　closed　the　club；

disarmed　the　fanatical　and　imprisoned　the　leading　Maratists；　and　worse

still；　at　Lyons　and　at　Toulon；　five　or　six　massacreurs；　or　promoters

of　massacre；　Chalier　and　Riard；　Jassaud；　Sylvestre　and　Lemaille；

brought　before　the　courts；　have　been　condemned　and　executed　after　a

trial　in　which　all　the　forms　were　strictly　adhered　to。　　　That　is　the

inexpiable　crime；　for；　in　this　trial；　the　〃Mountain〃　is　involved；　the

principles　of　Sylvestre　and　Chalier　are　its　principles；　what　is

accomplished　in　Paris；　they　have　attempted　in　the　provinces；　if　they

are　guilty；　it　is　also　guilty；　it　cannot　tolerate　their　punishment

without　assenting　to　its　own　punishment。　　Accordingly；



*　it　must　proclaim　them　heroes　and　martyrs；



*　it　must　canonize　their　memory；＇82＇



*　it　must　avenge　their　tortures；



*　it　must　resume　and　complete　their　assaults；



*　it　must　restore　their　accomplices　to　their　places；



*　it　must　render　them　omnipotent；



*　it　must　force　each　rebel　city　to　accept　the　rule　of　its　rabble　and

villains。



It　matters　little　whether　the　Jacobins　be　a　minority；　whether　at

Bordeaux；　they　have　but　four　out　of　twenty…eight　sections　on　their

side；　at　Marseilles　five　out　of　thirty…two；　whether　at　Lyons　they　can

count　up　only　fifteen　hundred　devoted　adherents。＇83＇　　Suffrages　are

not　reckoned；　but　weighed；　for　legality　is　founded；　not　on　numbers；

but　on　patriotism；　the　sovereign　people　being　composed　wholly　of　sans…

culottes。　　So　much　the　worse　for　towns　where　the　anti…revolutionary

majority　is　so　great；　they　are　only　more　dangerous；　under　the

republican　demonstrations　is　concealed　the　hostility　of　old　parties

and　of　the　〃suspect〃　classes；　the　Moderates；　the　Feuillants　and

Royalists；　merchants；　men　of　the　legal　profession；　property…owners　and

muscadins。＇84＇　These　towns　are　nests　of　reptiles　and　must　be　crushed

out。







IX。



Destruction　of　Rebel　Cities。　　　Bordeaux。　　　Marseilles。　　　Lyons。…

…　Toulon。



Consequently；　obedient　or　disobedient；　they　are　crushed　out。　　They　are

declared　traitors　to　the　country；　not　merely　the　members　of　the

departmental　committees；　but；　at　Bordeaux；　all　who　have　〃aided　or

abetted　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；〃　at　Lyons；　all　administrators；

functionaries；　military　or　civil　officers　who　〃convoked　or　tolerated

the　Rh？ne…et…Loire　congress；〃　and　furthermore；　〃every　individual　whose

son；　clerk；　servant；　or　even　day…laborer；　may　have　borne　arms　or

contributed　the　means　of　resistance；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　entire

National　Guard　who　took　up　arms；　and　nearly　all　the　population　which

gave　its　money　or　voted　in　the　sections。＇85＇　　By　virtue　of　this

decree；　all　are　〃outlaws；〃　or；　in　other　words　subject　to　the

guillotine　just　on　the　establishment　of　their　identity；　and　their

property　confiscated。　　Consequently；　at　Bordeaux；　where　not　a　gun　had

been　fired；　the　mayor　Saige；　and　principal　author　of　the　submission；

is　at　once　led　to　the　scaffold　without　any　form　of　trial；＇86＇　while

eight　hundred　and　eighty…one　others　succeed　him　amidst　the　solemn

silence　of　a　dismayed　population。＇87＇　　Two　hundred　prominent　merchants

are　arrested　in　one　night；　more　than　fifteen　hundred　persons　are

imprisoned；　all　who　are　well　off　are　ransomed；　even　those　against　who

no　political　charge　could　be　made；　nine　millions　of　fines　are　levied

against　〃rich　egoists。〃　One　of　these；＇88＇　accused　of　〃indifference　and

moderatism；〃　pays　twenty　thousand　francs　〃not　to　be　harnessed　to　the

car　of　the　Revolution；〃　another　〃convicted　of　having　shown　contempt

for　his　section　and　for　the　poor　by　giving　thirty　livres　per　months；〃

is　taxed　at　one　million　two　hundred　thousand　livres；　while　the　new

authorities；　a　crooked　mayor　and　twelve　knaves　composing　the

Revolutionary　Committee；　traffic　in　lives　and　property。89　At

Marseilles；　says　Danton；＇90＇　the　object　is　〃to　give　the　commercial

aristocracy　an　important　lesson；〃　we　must　〃show　ourselves　as　terrible

to　traders　as　to　nobles　and　priests；〃　consequently；　twelve　thousand　of

them　are　proscribed　and　their　possessions　sold。＇91＇　From　the　first　day

the　guillotine　works　as　fast　as　possible；　nevertheless；　it　does　not

work　fast　enough　for　Representative　Fréron　who　finds　the　means　for

making　it　work　faster。



　〃The　military　commission　we　have　established　in　place　of　the

revolutionary　tribunal；〃　he　writes；　〃works　frightfully　fast　against

the　conspirators。　　。　　。　　。　　They　fall　like　hail　under　the　sword　of　the

law。　　Fourteen　have　already　paid　for　their　infamous　treachery　with

their　heads。　　To…morrow；　sixteen　more　are　to　be　guillotined；　all

chiefs　of　the　legion；　notaries；　sectionists；　members　of　the　popular

tribunal；　to…morrow；　also；　three　merchants　will　dance　the　carmagnole；

and　they　are　the　ones　we　are　after。〃＇92＇



Men　and　things；　all　must　perish；　he　wishes　to　demolish　the　city　and

proposes　to　fill　up　the　harbor。　　Restrained　with　great　difficulty；

Fréron　contents　himself　with　a　destruction　of　〃the　haunts〃　of　the

aristocracy；　two　churches；　the　concert…hall；　the　houses　around　it；　and

twenty…three　buildings　in　which　the　rebel　sections　had　held　their

meetings。



At　Lyons；　to　increase　the　booty；　the　representatives　had　taken　pains

to　encourage　the　manufacturers　and　merchants　with　vague　promises；

these　opened　their　shops　and　brought　their　valuable　goods；　books　and

papers　out　of　their　hiding…places。　　No　time　is　lost　in　seizing　the

plunder；　〃a　list　of　all　property　belonging　to　the　rich　and　to　anti…

revolutionaries〃　is　drawn　up；　which　is　〃confiscated　for　the　benefit　of

the　patriots　of　the　city；〃　in　addition　to　this　a　tax　of　six　millions

is　imposed；　payable　in　eight　days；　by　those　whom　the　confiscation　may

have　still　spared；＇93＇　it　is　proclaimed；　according　to　principle；　that

the　surplus　of　each　individual　belongs　by　right　to　the　sans…culottes；

and　whatever　may　have　been　retained　beyond　the　strictly　necessary；　is

a　robbery　by　the　individual　to　the　detriment　of　the　nation。＇94＇　　In

conformity　with　this