the origins of contemporary france-2-第23章

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they　urge　on　popular　attacks；　and　their　newspaper　articles　or

discourses　are　all　summed　up　in　the　following　phrases：



〃Fellow…citizens；　you；　the　people　of　the　lower　class；　you　who　listen

to　me；　you　have　enemies　in　the　Court　and　the　aristocracy。　　The

H？tel…de…Ville　and　the　National　Assembly　are　your　servants。　　Seize

your　enemies　with　a　strong　hand；　and　hang　them；　and　let　your

servants　know　that　they　must　quicken　their　steps！〃



Desmoulins　styles　himself　〃District…attorney　of　the　gallows；〃＇20＇

and　if　he　at　all　regrets　the　murders　of　Foulon　and　Berthier；　it　is

because　this　too　expeditious　judgment　has　allowed　the　proofs　of

conspiracy　to　perish；　thereby　saving　a　number　of　traitors：　he

himself　mentions　twenty　of　them　haphazard；　and　little　does　he　care

whether　he　makes　mistakes。



　〃We　are　in　the　dark；　and　it　is　well　that　faithful　dogs　should　bark；

even　at　all　who　pass　by；　so　that　there　may　be　no　fear　of　robbers。〃



》From　this　time　forth　Marat＇21＇　denounces　the　King；　the　ministers；

the　administration；　the　bench；　the　bar；　the　financial　system　and　the

academies；　all　as　〃suspicious；〃　at　all　events　the　people　only　suffer

on　their　account。



　〃The　Government　is　monopolizing　grain；　to　make　us　to　pay　through

　　the　nose　for　a　poisonous　bread。〃



The　Government；　again；　through　a　new　conspiracy　is　about　to　blockade

Paris；　so　as　to　starve　it　with　greater　ease。　　Utterances　of　this

kind；　at　such　a　time；　are　firebrands　thrown　upon　fear　and　hunger　to

kindle　the　flames　of　rage　and　cruelty。　　To　this　frightened　and

fasting　crowd　the　agitators　and　newspaper　writers　continue　to　repeat

that　it　must　act；　and　act　alongside　of　the　authorities；　and；　if　need

be；　against　them。　　In　other　words；　We　will　do　as　we　please；　we　are

the　sole　legitimate　masters；



〃in　a　well…constituted　government；　the　people　as　a　body　are　the　real

sovereign：　our　delegates　are　appointed　only　to　execute　our　orders　；

what　right　has　the　clay　to　rebel　against　the　potter？〃



On　the　strength　of　such　principles；　the　tumultuous　club　which

occupies　the　Palais…Royal　substitutes　itself　for　the　Assembly　at

Versailles。　　Has　it　not　all　the　titles　for　this　office？　The　Palais…

Royal　〃saved　the　nation〃　on　the　12th　and　13th　of　July。　　The　Palais…

Royal；　〃through　its　spokesmen　and　pamphlets；〃　has　made　everybody　and

even　the　soldiers　〃philosophers。〃　It　is　the　house　of　patriotism；

〃the　rendezvous　of　the　select　among　the　patriotic；〃　whether

provincials　or　Parisians；　of　all　who　possess　the　right　of　suffrage；

and　who　cannot　or　will　not　exercise　it　in　their　own　district。　　〃It

saves　time　to　come　to　the　Palais…Royal。　　There　is　no　need　there　of

appealing　to　the　President　for　the　right　to　speak；　or　to　wait　one's

time　for　a　couple　of　hours。　　The　orator　proposes　his　motion；　and；　if

it　finds　supporters；　mounts　a　chair。　　If　he　is　applauded；　it　is　put

into　proper　shape。　　If　he　is　hissed；　he　goes　away。　　This　was　the　way

of　the　Romans。〃　Behold　the　veritable　National　Assembly　！　It　is

superior　to　the　other　semi…feudal　affair；　encumbered　with　〃six

hundred　deputies　of　the　clergy　and　nobility；〃　who　are　so　many

intruders　and　who　〃should　be　sent　out　into　the　galleries。〃　　Hence

the　pure　Assembly　rules　the　impure　Assembly；　and　〃the　Café　Foy　lays

claim　to　the　government　of　France。〃



　IV。



Intervention　by　the　popular　leaders　with　the　Government。　　…　Their

pressure　on　the　Assembly。



On　the　30th　of　July；　the　harlequin　who　led　the　insurrection　at　Rouen

having　been　arrested；　〃it　is　openly　proposed　at　the　Palais　Royal＇22＇

to　go　in　a　body　and　demand　his　release。〃　　　On　the　1st　of　August；

Thouret；　whom　the　moderate　party　of　the　Assembly　have　just　made

President；　is　obliged　to　resign；　the　Palais…Royal　threatens　to　send

a　band　and　murder　him　along　with　those　who　voted　for　him；　and　lists

of　proscriptions；　in　which　several　of　the　deputies　are　inscribed；

begin　to　be　circulated。　　　From　this　time　forth；　on　all　great

questions…the　abolition　of　the　feudal　system；　the　suppression　of

tithes；　a　declaration　of　the　rights　of　man；　the　dispute　about　the

Chambers；　the　King's　power　of　veto；＇23＇　the　pressure　from　without

inclines　the　balance：　in　this　way　the　Declaration　of　Rights；　which

is　rejected　in　secret　session　by　twenty…eight　bureaus　out　of　thirty；

is　forced　through　by　the　tribunes　in　a　public　sitting　and　passed　by

a　majority。　　　Just　as　before　the　14th　of　July；　and　to　a　still

greater　extent；　two　kinds　of　compulsion　influence　the　votes；　and　it

is　always　the　ruling　faction　which　employs　both　its　hands　to

throttle　its　opponents。　　On　the　one　hand　this　faction　takes　post　on

the　galleries　in　knots　composed　nearly　always　of　the　same　persons；

〃five　or　six　hundred　permanent　actors；〃　who　yell　according　to

understood　signals　and　at　the　word　of　command。＇24＇　　Many　of　these

are　French　Guards；　in　civilian　clothes；　and　who　relieve　each　other：

previously　they　have　asked　of　their　favorite　deputy　〃at　what　hour

they　must　come；　whether　all　goes　on　well；　and　whether　he　is

satisfied　with　those　fools　of　parsons　（calotins）　and　the

aristocrats。〃　Others　consist　of　low　women　under　the　command　of

Théroigne　de　Méricourt；　a　virago　courtesan；　who　assigns　them　their

positions　and　gives　them　the　signal　for　hooting　or　for　applause。

Publicly　and　in　full　session；　on　the　occasion　of　the　debate　on　the

veto；　〃the　deputies　are　applauded　or　insulted　by　the　galleries

according　as　they　utter　the　word　'suspensive；'　or　the　word

'indefinite。'　〃　　〃Threats；〃　（says　one　of　them）　〃circulated；　I　heard

them　on　all　sides　around　me。〃　These　threats　are　repeated　on　going

out：　〃Valets　dismissed　by　their　masters；　deserters；　and　women　in

rags；〃　threaten　the　refractory　with　the　lamp　post；　〃and　thrust　their

fists　in　their　faces。　　In　the　hall　itself；　and　much　more　accurately

than　before　the　14th　of　July；　their　names　are　taken　down；　and　the

lists；　handed　over　to　the　populace；〃　travel　to　the　Palais…Royal；

from　where　they　are　dispatched　in　correspondence　and　in　newspapers

to　the　provinces。＇25＇　　…　　Thus　we　see　the　second　means　of

compulsion；　each　deputy　is　answerable　for　his　vote；　at　Paris；　with

his　own　life；　and；　in　the　province；　with　those　of　his　family。

Members　of　the　former　Third…Estate　avow　that　they　abandon　the　idea

of　two　Chambers；　because　〃they　are　not　disposed　to　get　their　wives'

and　children's　throats　cut。〃　On　the　30th　of　August；　Saint…Hurugue；

the　most　noisy　of　the　Palais…Royal　barkers；　marches　off　to

Versailles；　at　the　head　of　1；500　men；　to　complete　the　conversion　of

the　Assembly。　　This　garden　club　indeed；　from　the　heights　of　its

great　learning；　integrity；　and　immaculate　reputation；　decides　that

the　ignorant；　corrupt；　and　doubtful　deputies　must　be　got　rid　of。〃

That　they　are　such　cannot　be　questioned；　because　they　defend　the

royal　sanction；　there　are　over　600　and　more；　120　are　deputies　of　the

communes；　who　must　be　expelled　to　begin　with；　and　then　must　be

brought　to　judgment。＇26＇　　In　the　meantime　they　are　informed；　as　well

as　the　Bishop　of　Langres；　President　of　the　National　Assembly；　that

〃15；000　men　are　ready　to　light　up　their　chateaux　and　in　particular

yours；　sir。〃　To　avoid　all　mistake；　the　secretaries　of　the　Assembly

are　informed　in　writing　that　〃　2；000　letters〃　will　be　sent　into　the

provinces　to　denounce　to　the　people　the　conduct　of　the　malignant

deputies：　〃Your　houses　are　held　as　a　surety　for　your　opinions：　keep

this　in　mind；　and　save　yourselves　！〃　At　last；　on　the　morning　of　the

1st　of　August；　five　deputations　from　the　Palais…Royal；　one　of　them

led　by　Loustalot；　march　in　turn　to　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　insisting

that　the　drums　should　be　beaten　and　the　citizens　be　called　together

for　the　purpose　of　changing　the　deputies；　or　their　instructions；　and

of　ordering　the　National　Assembly　to　suspend　its　discussion　on　the

veto　until　the　districts　and　provinces　could　give　expression　to

their　will：　the　people；　in　effect；　alone　being　sovereign；　and　alone

competent；　always　has　the　right　to　dismiss　or　instruct　anew　its

servants；　the　deputies。　　On　the　following　day；　August　2nd；　to　make

matters　plainer；　new　delegates　from　the　same　Palais…Royal　suit

gestures　to　words；　they　place　two　fingers　on　their　throats；　on　being

introduced　before　the　representatives　of　the　commune；　as　a　hint

that；　if　the　latter　do　not　obey；　they　will　be　hung。



After　this　it　is　vain　for　the　National　Assembly　to　make　any　show　of

indignation；　to　declare　that　it　despises　threats；　and　to　protest　its

independence；　the　impression　is　already　produced。　　〃More　than　300

members　of　the　communes；〃　says　Mounier；　〃had　decided　to　support　the

absolute　veto。〃　At　the　end　of　ten　days　most　of　these　had　gone　over；

several　of　them　through　attachment　to　the　King；　because　they　were

afraid　of　〃a　general　uprising；〃　and　〃were　not　willing　to　jeopardize

the　lives　of　the　royal　family。〃　But　concessions　like　these　only

provoke　fresh　extortions。　　The　politicians　of　the　street　now　know　by

experience　the　effect　of　brutal　violence　on　legal　authority。

Emboldened　by　success　and　by　impunity；　they　reckon　up　their　strength

and　the　weakness　of　the　latter。　　One　blow　more；　and　they　are

undisputed　masters。　　Besides；　the　issue　is　already　apparent　to

clear…sighted　men。　　When　the　agitators　of　the　public　thoroughfares；

and　the　porters　at　the　street…corners；　convinced　of　their　superior

wisdom；　impose　decrees　by　the　strength　of　their　lungs；　of　their

fists；　and　of　their　pikes；　at　that　moment　experience；　knowledge；

good　sense；　cool…blood；　genius；　and　judgment；　disappear　from　human

affairs；　and　things　revert　back　to　chaos。　　Mirabeau；　in　favor　of　the

veto　for　life；　saw　the　crowd　imploring　him　with　tears　in　their　eyes

to　change　his　opinion　：



　〃Monsieur　le　Comte；　if　the　King　obtains　this　veto；　what　will　be　the

use　of　a　National　Assembly？　We　shall　all　be　slaves　〃＇27＇



Outbursts　of　this　description　are　not　to　be　resisted；　and　all　is

lost。　　Already；　near　the　end　of　September；　the　remark　applies　which

Mirabeau　makes　to　the　Comte　de　la　Marck：



〃Yes；　all　is　lost；　the　King　and　Queen　will　be　swept　away；　and　you

will　see　the　populace　trampling　on　their　lifeless　bodies。〃



Eight　days　after　this；　on　the　5th　and　6th　of　October；　it　breaks　out

against　both　King　and　Queen；　against　the　National　Assembly　and　the

Government；　against　all　government　present　and　to　come；　the　violent

party　which　rules　in　Paris　obtains　possession　of　the　chiefs　of

France　to　hold　them　under　strict　surveillance；　and　to　justify　its

intermittent　outrages　by　one　permanent　outrage。



　V。



The　5th　and　6th　of　October。



Once　more；　two　different　currents　combine　into　one　torrent　to　hurry

the　crowd　onward　to　a　common　end。　　　On　the　one　hand　are　the

cravings　of　the　stomach；　and　women　excited　by　the　famine：



〃Now　that　bread　cannot　be　had　in　Paris；　let　us　go　to　Versailles　and

demand　it　there；　once　we　have　the　King；　Queen；　and　Dauphin　in　the

midst　of　us；　they　will　be　obliged　to　feed　us；〃　we　will　bring　back

〃the　Baker；　the　Bakere