the origins of contemporary france-4-第9章

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　With　respect　to　the　latter；　the　object　is　not　to　try　them　but　to

kill　them；　and　the　semblance　of　a　trial　is　simply　judicial

assassination；　the　bill　of　indictment　against　them　consists　of　club

gossip；　they　are　accused　of　having　desired　the　restoration　of　the

monarchy；　of　being　in　correspondence　with　Pitt　and　Coburg；＇108＇　of

having　excited　Vendée　to　insurrection。　　The　betrayal　of　Dumouriez　is

imputed　to　them；　also　the　murder　of　Lepelletier；　and　the　assassination

of　Marat；　while　pretended　witnesses；　selected　from　amongst　their

personal　enemies；　come　and　repeat；　like　a　theme　agreed　upon；　the　same


ill…contrived　fable：　nothing　but　vague　allegations　and　manifest

falsehoods；　not　one　definite　fact；　not　once　convincing　document；　the

lack　of　proof　is　such　that　the　trial　has　to　be　stopped　as　soon　as

possible。　　〃You　brave　b　forming　the　court；〃　writes　Hébert；

〃don't　trifle　away　your　time。　　Why　so　much　ceremony　in　shortening　the

days　of　wretches　whom　the　people　have　already　condemned？〃　Care　is

especially　taken　not　to　let　them　have　a　chance　to　speak。　　The

eloquence　of　Vergniaud　and　logic　of　Guadet　might　turn　the　tables　at

the　last　moment。　　Consequently；　a　prompt　decree　authorizes　the

tribunal　to　stop　proceedings　as　soon　as　the　jury　becomes　sufficiently

enlightened；　which　is　the　case　after　the　seventh　session　of　the　court；

the　record　of　death　suddenly　greeting　the　accused；　who　are　not　allowed

to　defend　themselves。　　One　of　them；　Valazé；　stabs　himself　in　open

court；　and　the　next　day　the　national　head…chopper　strikes　off　the

remaining　twenty　heads　in　thirty…eight　minutes。　　…　Still　more

expeditious　are　the　proceedings　against　the　accused　who　avoid　a　trial。

Gorsas；　seized　in　Paris　on　the　8th　of　October；　is　guillotined　the　same

day。　　Birotteau；　seized　at　Bordeaux；　on　the　24th　of　October；　mounts

the　scaffold　within　twenty…four　hours。　　The　others；　tracked　like

wolves；　wandering　in　disguise　from　one　hiding…place　to　another；　and

most　of　them　arrested　in　turn；　have　only　choice　of　several　kinds　of

death。　　Cambon　is　killed　in　defending　himself。　　Lidon；　after　having

defended　himself；　blows　out　his　brains；　Condorcet　takes　poison　in　the

guard…room　of　Bourg…la…Reine。　　Roland　kills　himself　with　his　sword　on

the　highway。　　Clavière　stabs　himself　in　prison。　　Rébecqui　is　found

drowned　in　the　harbor　of　Marseilles；　and　Pétion　and　Buzon　half　eaten

by　wolves　on　a　moor　of　Saint…Emilion。　　Valady　is　executed　at

Périgueux；　Dechézeau　at　Rochefort；　Grangeneuve；　Guadet；　Salle　and

Barbaroux　at　Bordeaux；　Coustard；　Cussy；　Rabout…Saint…étienne；　Bernard；

Masuyer；　and　Lebrun　at　Paris。　　Even　those　who　resigned　in　January；

1793；　Kersaint　and　Manuel；　atone　with　their　lives　for　the　crime　of

having　sided　with　the　〃Right〃　and；　of　course；　Madame　Roland；　who　is

taken　for　the　leader　of　the　party；　is　one　of　the　first　to　be

guillotined。＇109＇　　…　Of　the　one…hundred　and　eighty　Girondins　who　led

the　Convention；　one　hundred　and　forty　have　perished　or　are　in　prison；

or　fled　under　sentence　of　death。　　After　such　a　curtailment　and　such　an

example　the　remaining　deputies　cannot　be　otherwise　than　docile；＇110＇

neither　in　the　central　nor　in　the　local　government　will　the　〃Mountain〃

encounter　resistance；　its　despotism　is　practically　established；　and

all　that　remains　is　to　proclaim　this　in　legal　form。







XI。



Institutions　of　the　Revolutionary　Government。　　…　Its　principle；

objects；　proceedings；　tools　and　structure。　　…　The　Committee　of　Public

Safety。　　…　Subordination　of　the　Convention　and　ministry。　　…　The　use　of

the　Committee　of　General　Security　and　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal。　　…

Administrative　centralization。　　…　Representatives　on　Mission；　National

Agents　and　Revolutionary　Committees。　　…　Law　of　Lése…majesty。　　…

Restoration　and　Aggravation　of　the　institutions　of　the　old　monarchy。



After　the　2nd　of　August；　on　motion　of　Bazire；　the　Convention　decrees

〃that　France　is　in　revolution　until　its　independence　is　recognized。〃

which　means＇111＇　that　the　period　of　hypocritical　phrases　has　come　to

an　end；　that　the　Constitution　was　merely　a　signboard　for　a　fair；　and

that　the　charlatans　who　had　made　use　of　it　no　longer　need　it；　that　it

is　to　be　put　away　in　the　store　containing　other　advertising　material；

that　individual；　local　and　parliamentary　liberties　are　abolished；　that

the　government　is　arbitrary　and　absolute；　that　no　institution；　law；

dogma；　or　precedent　affords　any　guarantee　for　it　against　the　rights　of

the　people；　that　property　and　lives　are　wholly　at　its　mercy；　that

there　are　no　longer　any　rights　of　man。　　…　Six　weeks　later；　when；

through　the　protest　of　the　forty…five　and　the　arrest　of　the　seventy…

three；　obedience　to　the　Convention　is　assured；　all　this　is　boldly　and

officially　announced　in　the　tribune。　　〃Under　the　present　circumstances

of　the　Republic；〃　says　St。　　Just；　〃the　Constitution　cannot　be

implemented　as　this　would　enable　attacks　on　liberty　to　take　place

because　it　would　lack　the　violent　measures　necessary　to　repress

these。〃　We　are　no　longer　to　govern　〃according　to　maxims　of　natural

peace　and　justice；　these　maxims　are　only　valid　among　the　friends　of

liberty；〃　but　they　are　not　applicable　between　patriots　and　the

malevolent。　　The　latter　are　〃outside　our　sovereignty；〃　are　lawless；

excluded　from　the　social　pact；　slaves　in　rebellion；　to　be　punished　or

imprisoned；　and；　amongst　the　malevolent　must　be　placed　〃the

indifferent＇112＇〃。　　…　　〃You　are　to　punish　whoever　is　passive　in　the

Republic　and　does　nothing　for　it；〃　for　his　passivity　is　treason　and

ranks　him　among　other　public　enemies。　　Now；　between　the　people　and　its

enemies；　there　is　nothing　in　common　but　the　sword；　steel　must　control

those　who　cannot　be　ruled　〃by　justice〃；　the　monarchical　and　neutral

majority　must　be　repressed　（comprimé）；



〃The　Republic　will　be　founded　only　when　the　sans…culottes；＇113＇　the

sole　representatives　of　the　nation；　the　only　citizens；　〃shall　rule　by

right　of　conquest。〃＇114＇



The　meaning　of　this　is　more　than　clear。　　The　régime　of　which　St。　　Just

presents　the　plan；　is　that　by　which　every　oligarchy　of　invaders

installs　and　maintains　itself　over　a　subjugated　nation。　　Through　this

régime；　in　Greece；　ten　thousand　Spartans；　after　the　Dorian　invasion；

mastered　three　hundred　thousand　helots　and　périocques；　through　this

régime；　in　England；　sixty　thousand　Normans；　after　the　battle　of

Hastings；　mastered　two　million　Saxons；　through　this　régime　in　Ireland；

since　the　battle　of　the　Boyne；　two　hundred　thousand　English

Protestants　have　mastered　a　million　of　Catholic　Irish；　through　this

régime；　the　three　hundred　thousand　Jacobins　of　France　will　master　the

seven　or　eight　millions　of　Girondins；　Feuillants；　Royalists　or

Indifferents。



This　system　of　government　is　a　very　simple　one　and　consist　in

maintaining　the　subject　population　in　a　state　of　extreme　helplessness

and　of　extreme　terror。　　To　this　end；　it　is　disarmed；＇115＇　it　is　kept

under　surveillance　；　all　action　in　common　is　prohibited　；　its　eyes

should　always　be　directed　to　the　up…lifted　ax　and　to　the　prison　doors

always　open　；　it　is　ruined　and　decimated。　　…　For　the　past　six　months

all　these　rigors　are　decreed　and　applied；　　disarmament　of

〃suspects；〃　taxes　on　the　rich；　the　maximum　against　traders；

requisitions　on　land…owners；　wholesale　arrests；　rapid　executions　of

sentences；　arbitrary　penalties　of　death；　and　publicized；　multiplied

tortures。　　For　the　past　six　months；　all　sorts　of　executive　instruments

are　set　up　and　put　into　operation：　The　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　the

Committee　of　General　Security；　ambulating　proconsuls　with　full　power；

local　committees　authorized　to　tax　and　imprison　at　will；　a

revolutionary　army；　a　revolutionary　tribunal。　　But；　for　lack　of

internal　harmony　and　of　central　impulsion；　the　machine　only　half

works；　the　power　not　being　sufficient　and　its　action　not　sufficiently

sweeping　and　universal。



　　〃You　are　too　remote　from　the　conspiracies　against　you；〃　says　St。

Just；＇116＇　〃it　is　essential　that　the　sword　of　the　law　should

everywhere　be　rapidly　brandished　and　your　arm　be　everywhere　present　to

arrest　crime。。。。。　　The　ministers　confess　that；　beyond　their　first　and

second　subordinates；　they　find　nothing　but　inertia　and　indifference。〃

　　〃A　similar　apathy　is　found　in　all　the　government　agents；〃　adds

Billaud…Varennes；＇117＇　〃the　secondary　authorities　which　are　the　strong

points　of　the　Revolution　serve　only　to　impede　it。〃　Decrees；

transmitted　through　administrative　channels；　arrive　slowly　and　are

indolently　applied。　　〃You　are　missing　that　co…active　force　which　is

the　principle　of　being；　of　action；　of　execution。　　。　　。　　。　　Every　good

government　should　possess　a　center　of　willpower　and　the　levers

connected　with　it。　　。　　。　　。　　Every　government　activity　should

exclusively　originate　from　the　central　source。〃　…



　　〃In　ordinary　governments；〃　says　Couthon；　finally；＇118＇　〃the　right　of

electing　belongs　to　the　people；　you　cannot　take　it　away　from　them。　　In

extraordinary　governments　all　impulsion　must　come　from　the　center；　it

is　from　the　convention　that　elections　must　issue。　　。　　。　　。　　You　would

injure　the　people　by　confiding　the　election　of　officials　to　them；

because　you　would　expose　them　to　electing　men　that　would　betray　them。〃



　The　result　is　that　the　constitutional　maxims　of　1789　give　way　to

radically　opposed　maxims　；　instead　of　subjecting　the　government　to　the

people；　the　people　is　made　subject　to　the　government。　　The　hierarchy

of　the　ancient　régime　is　re…established　under　revolutionary　terms；　and

henceforth　all　powers；　much　more　formidable　than　those　of　the　ancient

régime；　cease　to　be　delegated　from　the　depths　to　the　summit　and　will

henceforth　instead　be　delegated　from　the　summit　to　the　bottom。



At　the　summit；　a　committee　of　twelve　members；　similar　to　the　former

royal　council；　exercises　collective　royalty　；　nominally；　authority　is

divided　amongst　the　twelve；　it　is；　in　practice；　concentrated　in　a　few

hands。　　Several　members　occupy　only　a　subaltern　position；　and　amongst

these；　Barère；　who；　official　secretary　and　mouthpiece；　is　always　ready

to　make　a　speech　or　draft　an　editorial；　others；　with　special

functions；　Jean　Bon　St。　　André；　Lindet；　and　above　all；　Prieur　de　la

C？te　d'Or　and　Carnot；　confine　themselves　each　to　his　particular

department；　navy；　war；　supplies；　with　blank　signatures；　for　which　they

give　in　return　their　signatures　to　the　political　leaders；　the　latter；

called　〃the　statesmen；〃　Robespierre；　Couthon；　Saint…Just；　Collot

d'Herbois；　Billaud…Varennes；　are　the　real　rulers　providing　overall

direction。　　It　is　true　that　their　mandate　has　to　be　renewed　monthly；

but　this　is　a　certainty；　for；　in　the　present　state　of　the　Convention；

its　vote；　required　beforehand；　becomes　an　almost　vain　formality。　　More

submissive　than　the　parliament　of　Louis　XIV。；　the　Convention　adopts；

without　discussion；　the　decrees　which　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety

present　to　it　ready　made。　　It　is　no　more　than　a　registr