the origins of contemporary france-3-第11章

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hundred　clubs　that　were　leagued　together。　Three　weeks　after　this　the

Assembly　was　flooded　with　petitions　from　every　quarter；　demanding　a

decree　of　which　the　first　proposal　had　been　rejected；　and　which　is　now

passed　by　a　great　majority　because　a　discussion　of　it　had　ripened

public　opinion。〃



In　other　words；　the　Assembly　must　go　ahead　or　it　will　be　driven　along；

in　which　process　the　worst　expedients　are　the　best。　Those　who　conduct

the　club；　whether　fanatics　or　intriguers；　are　fully　agreed　on　this

point。



At　the　head　of　the　former　class　is　Duport；　once　a　counselor　in　the

parliament；　who；　after　1788；　knew　how　to　turn　riots　to　account。　The

first　revolutionary　consultations　were　held　in　his　house。　He　wants　to

plough　deep；　and　his　devices　for　burying　the　ploughshare　are　such　that

Sieyès；　a　radical；　if　there　ever　was　one；　dubbed　it　a　〃cavernous

policy。〃＇33＇　Duport；　on　the　28th　of　July；　1789；　is　the　organizer　of

the　Committee　on　Searches；　by　which　all　favorably　disposed　informers

or　spies　form　in　his　hands　a　supervisory　police；　which　fast　becomes　a

police　of　provocation。　He　finds　recruits　in　the　lower　hall　of　the

Jacobin　club；　where　workmen　come　to　be　catechized　every　morning；　while

his　two　lieutenants；　the　brothers　Laurette；　have　only　to　draw　on　the

same　source　for　a　zealous　staff　in　a　choice　selection　of　their

instruments。　〃Ten　reliable　men　receive　orders　there　daily；＇34＇　each　of

these　in　turn　gives　his　orders　to　ten　more；　belonging　to　different

battalions　in　Paris。　In　this　way　each　battalion　and　section　receives

the　same　insurrectionary　orders；　the　same　denunciations　of　the

constituted　authorities；　of　the　mayor　of　Paris；　of　the　president　of

the　department；　and　of　the　commander　of　the　National　Guard；〃

everything　taking　place　secretly。　These　are　dark　deeds：　the　leaders

themselves　call　it　'the　Sabbath'　and；　along　with　fanatics　they　enlist

ruffians。　〃They　spread　the　rumor　that；　on　a　certain　day；　there　will　be

a　great　commotion　with　assassinations　and　pillage；　preceded　by　the

payment　of　money　distributed　from　hand　to　hand　by　subaltern　officers

among　those　that　can　be　relied　on；　and　that　these　bands　are　to

assemble；　as　advertised；　within　a　radius　of　thirty　or　forty

leagues。〃＇35＇　　One　day；　to　provoke　a　riot；　〃half　a　dozen　men；　who

have　arranged　the　thing；　form　a　small　group；　in　which　one　of　them

holds　forth　vehemently；　at　once　a　crowd　of　about　sixty　others　gathers

around　them。　Then　the　six　men　move　on　from　place　to　place；〃　to　form

fresh　groups　making　their　apparent　excitement　pass　for　popular

irritation。　　Another　day；　〃about　forty　fanatics；　with　powerful

lungs；　and　four　or　five　hundred　paid　men；〃　scatter　themselves　around

the　Tuileries；　〃yelling　furiously；〃　and；　gathering　under　the　windows

of　the　Assembly；　〃move　resolutions　to　assassinate。〃　　〃Our　ushers；〃

says　a　deputy　to　the　Assembly；　〃whom　you　ordered　to　suppress　this

tumult；　heard　reiterated　threats　of　bringing　you　the　heads　of　those

the　crowd　wished　to　proscribe。　That　very　evening；　in　the　Palais…Royal；

〃I　heard　a　subordinate　leader　of　this　factious　band　boast　of　having

charged　your　ushers　to　take　this　answer　back；　adding　that　there　was

time　enough　yet　for　all　good　citizens　to　follow　his　advice。〃　The

watchword　of　these　agitators　is；　are　you　true　and　the　response　is；　a

true　man。　Their　pay　is　twelve　francs　a　day；　and　when　in　action　they

make　engagements　on　the　spot　at　that　rate。　〃From　several　depositions

taken　by　officers　of　the　National　Guard　and　at　the　mayoralty；〃　it　is

ascertained　that　twelve　francs　a　day　were　tendered　to　〃honest　people

to　join　in　with　those　you　may　have　heard　shouting；　and　some　of　them

actually　had　the　twelve　francs　put　into　their　hands。〃　　The　money

comes　from　the　coffers　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　they　are　freely

drawn　upon；　at　his　death；　with　a　property　amounting　to　114；000；000

francs；　his　debts　amount　to　74；000；000。＇36＇　　Being　one　of　the　faction；

he　contributes　to　its　expenses；　and；　being　the　richest　man　in　the

kingdom；　he　contributes　proportionately　to　his　wealth。　Not　because　he

is　a　party　leader；　for　he　is　too　effeminate；　too　nervous；　but　〃his

petty　council；〃＇37＇　and　especially　one　of　his　private　secretaries；

Laclos；　cherishes　great　designs　for　him；　their　object　being　to　make

him　lieutenant…general　of　the　kingdom；　afterwards　regent；　and　even

king；＇38＇　so　that　they　may　rule　in　his　name　and　〃share　the　profits。〃　…

…　In　the　mean　time　they　turn　his　whims　to　the　best　account；

particularly　Laclos；　who　is　a　kind　of　subordinate　Macchiavelli；

capable　of　anything；　profound；　depraved；　and　long　indulging　his

fondness　for　monstrous　combinations；　nobody　ever　so　coolly　delighted

in　indescribable　compounds　of　human　wickedness　and　debauchery。　In

politics；　as　in　romance；　his　department　is　〃Les　Liaisons　Dangereuses。〃

Formerly　he　maneuvered　as　an　amateur　with　prostitutes　and　ruffians　in

the　fashionable　world；　now　he　maneuvers　in　earnest　with　the

prostitutes　and　ruffians　of　the　sidewalks。　　On　the　5th　of　October

1789；　he　is　seen；　〃dressed　in　a　brown　coat；〃＇39＇　foremost　among　the

women　starting　for　Versailles；　while　his　hand＇40＇　is　visible　〃in　the

Réveillon　affair；　also　in　the　burning　of　barriers　and　Chateaux；〃　and

in　the　widespread　panic　which　aroused　all　France　against　imaginary

bandits。　　His　operations；　says　Malouet；　〃were　all　paid　for　by　the　Duke

of　Orleans〃；　he　entered　into　them　〃for　his　own　account；　and　the

Jacobins　for　theirs。〃　　At　this　time　their　alliance　is　plain　to

everybody。　　On　the　21st　of　November；　1790；　Laclos　becomes　secretary　of

the　club；　chief　of　the　department　of　correspondence；　titular　editor　of

its　journal；　and　the　invisible；　active；　and　permanent　director　of　all

its　enterprises。　Whether　actual　demagogues　or　prompted　by　ambition；

whether　paid　agents　or　earnest　revolutionaries；　each　group　works　on

its　own　account；　both　in　concert；　both　in　the　same　direction；　and　both

devoted　to　the　same　undertaking；　which　is　the　conquest　of　power　by

every　possible　means。





V。



Small　number　of　Jacobins。　…　Sources　of　their　power。　…　They　form　a

league。　…　They　have　faith。　…　Their　unscrupulousness。　…　The　power　of

the　party　vested　in　the　group　which　best　fulfills　these　conditions。



At　first　sight　their　success　seems　doubtful；　for　they　are　in　a

minority；　and　a　very　small　one。　At　Besan？on；　in　November；　1791；　the

revolutionaries　of　every　shade　of　opinion　and　degree；　whether

Girondists　or　Montagnards；　consist　of　about　500　or　600　out　of　3；000

electors；　and；　in　November；　1792；　of　not　more　than　the　same　number　out

of　6；000　and　7；000。＇41＇　　At　Paris；　in　November；　1791；　there　are　6；700

out　of　more　than　81；000　on　the　rolls；　in　October；　1792；　there　are　less

than　14；000　out　of　160；000。＇42＇　　At　Troyes；　in　1792；　there　are　found

only　400　or　500　out　of　7；000　electors；　and　at　Strasbourg　the　same

number　out　of　8；000　electors。＇43＇　　Accordingly　only　about　one…tenth　of

the　electoral　population　are　revolutionaries；　and　if　we　leave　out　the

Girondists　and　the　semi…conservatives；　the　number　is　reduced　by　one…

half。　Towards　the　end　of　1792；　at　Besan？on；　scarcely　more　than　300

pure　Jacobins　are　found　in　a　population　of　from　25；000　to　30；000；

while　at　Paris；　out　of　700；000　inhabitants　only　5；000　are　Jacobins。

It　is　certain　that　in　the　capital；　where　the　most　excitement　prevails；

and　where　more　of　them　are　found　than　elsewhere；　never；　even　in　a

crisis　and　when　vagabonds　are　paid　and　bandits　recruited；　are　there

more　than　10；000。＇44＇　　　In　a　large　town　like　Toulouse　a　representative

of　the　people　on　missionary　service　wins　over　only　about　400

persons。＇45＇　Counting　fifty　or　so　in　each　small　town；　twenty　in　each

large　borough；　and　five　or　six　in　each　village；　we　find；　on　an

average；　but　one　Jacobin　to　fifteen　electors　and　National　Guards；

while；　taking　the　whole　of　France；　all　the　Jacobins　put　together　do

not　amount　to　300；000。＇46＇　　　This　is　a　small　number　for　the

enslavement　of　six　millions　of　able…bodied　men；　and　for　installing　in

a　country　of　twenty…six　millions　inhabitants　a　more　absolute　despotism

than　that　of　an　Asiatic　sovereign。　Force；　however；　is　not　measured　by

numbers；　they　form　a　band　in　the　midst　of　a　crowd　and；　in　this

disorganized；　inert　crowd；　a　band　that　is　determined　to　push　its　way

like　an　iron　wedge　splitting　a　log。



And　against　sedition　from　within　as　well　as　conquest　from　without　a

nation　may　only　defend　itself　through　the　activities　of　its

government；　which　provides　the　indispensable　instruments　of　common

action。　Let　it　fail　or　falter　and　the　great　majority；　undecided　about

what　to　do；　lukewarm　and　busy　elsewhere；　ceases　to　be　a　corps　and

disintegrates　into　dust。　　Of　the　two　governments　around　which　the

nation　might　have　rallied；　the　first　one；　after　July　14；　1789；　lies

prostrate　on　the　ground　where　it　slowly　crumbles　away。　Now　its　ghost；

which　returns；　is　still　more　odious　because　it　brings　with　it　the　same

senseless　abuses　and　intolerable　burdens；　and；　in　addition　to　these；　a

yelping　pack　of　claimants　and　recriminators。　After　1790　it　appears　on

the　frontier　more　arbitrary　than　ever　at　the　head　of　a　coming　invasion

of　angry　émigrés　and　grasping　foreigners。　…　…　The　other　government；

that　just　constructed　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；　is　so　badly　put

together　that　the　majority　cannot　use　it。　It　is　not　adapted　to　its

hand；　no　political　instrument　at　once　so　ponderous　and　so　helpless　was

ever　seen。　An　enormous　effort　is　needed　to　set　it　in　motion；　every

citizen　is　obliged　to　give　it　about　two　days　labor　per　week。＇47＇　　Thus

laboriously　started　but　half　in　motion；　it　poorly　meets　the　various

tasks　imposed　upon　it　　　the　collection　of　taxes；　public　order　in　the

streets；　the　circulation　of　supplies；　and　security　for　consciences；

lives　and　property。　Toppled　over　by　its　own　action；　another　rises　out

of　it；　illegal　and　serviceable；　which　takes　its　place　and　stands。　

In　a　great　centralized　state　whoever　possesses　the　head　possesses　the

body。　By　virtue　of　being　led；　the　French　have　contracted　the　habit　of

letting　themselves　be　led。＇48＇　People　in　　the　provinces　involuntarily

turn　their　eyes　to　the　capital；　and；　on　a　crisis　occurring；　run　out　to

stop　the　mailman　to　know　what　government　happens　to　have　fallen；　the

majority　accepts　or　submits　to　it。　　Because；　in　the　first　place；

most　of　the　isolated　groups　which　would　like　to　overthrow　it　dare　not

engage　in　the　struggle：　it　seems　too　strong；　through　inveterate

routine　they　imagine　behind　it　that　great；　distant　France　which；　under

its　impulsion；　will　crush　them　with　its　mass。＇49＇　In　the　second　place；

should　a　few　isolated　groups　undertake　to　overthrow　it；　they　are　not

in　a　condition　to　keep　up　the　struggle：　it　is　too　strong。　They　are；

indeed；　not　yet　organized　while　it　is　fully　so；　owing　to　the　docile

set　of　officials　inherited　from　the　government　overthrown。　Under

monarchy　or　republic　the　government　clerk　comes　to　his　office

regularly　every　morning　to　dispatch　the　orders　transmitte