the origins of contemporary france-3-第2章

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we　kill　you　physically。〃



Accordingly；　from　this　point　of　view；　all　riots　are　legitimate。

Robespierre　from　the　rostrum＇7＇　excuses　jacqueries；　refuses　to　call

castle…burners　brigands；　and　justifies　the　insurgents　of　Soissons；

Nancy；　Avignon；　and　the　colonies。　Desmoulins；　alluding　to　two　men　hung

at　Douai；　states　that　it　was　done　by　the　people　and　soldiers　combined；

and　declares　that：　　〃Henceforth；　　I　have　no　hesitation　in　saying　it

　they　have　legitimated　the　insurrection；〃　they　were　guilty；　and　it

was　well　to　hang　them。＇8＇　　Not　only　do　the　party　leaders　excuse

assassinations；　but　they　provoke　them。　Desmoulins；　〃attorney…general

of　the　Lantern；　insists　on　each　of　the　83　departments　being　threatened

with　at　least　one　lamppost　hanging。〃　（This　sobriquet　is　bestowed　on

Desmoulins　on　account　of　his　advocacy　of　street　executions；　the

victims　of　revolutionary　passions　being　often　hung　at　the　nearest

lanterne；　or　street　lamp；　at　that　time　in　Paris　suspended　across　the

street　by　ropes　or　chains。　…　（Tr。））　Meanwhile　Marat；　in　the　name　of

principle；　constantly　sounds　the　alarm　in　his　journal：



　〃When　public　safety　is　in　peril；　the　people　must　take　power　out　of

the　hands　of　those　whom　it　is　entrusted　。　。　。　Put　that　Austrian　woman

and　her　brother…in…law　in　prison　。　。　。　Seize　the　ministers　and　their

clerks　and　put　them　in　irons　。　。　。　Make　sure　of　the　mayor　and　his

lieutenants；　keep　the　general　in　sight；　and　arrests　his　staff。　。　。　The

heir　to　the　throne　has　no　rights　to　a　dinner　while　you　want　bread。

Organize　bodies　of　armed　men。　March　to　the　National　Assembly　and

demand　food　at　once；　supplied　to　you　out　of　the　national　stocks。　。　。

Demand　that　the　nation's　poor　have　a　future　secured　to　them　out　of　the

national　contribution。　If　you　are　refused　join　the　army；　take　the

land；　as　well　as　gold　which　the　rascals　who　want　to　force　you　to　come

to　terms　by　hunger　have　buried　and　share　it　amongst　you。　Off　with　the

heads　of　the　ministers　and　their　underlings；　for　now　is　the　time；　that

of　Lafayette　and　of　every　rascal　on　his　staff；　and　of　every

unpatriotic　battalion　officer；　including　Bailly　and　those　municipal

reactionaries　…　all　the　traitors　in　the　National　Assembly！〃



　Marat；　indeed；　still　passes　for　a　furious　ranter　among　people　of　some

intelligence。　　But　for　all　that；　this　is　the　sum　and　substance　of　his

theory：　It　installs　in　the　political　establishment；　over　the　heads　of

delegated；　regular；　and　legal　powers　an　anonymous；　imbecile；　and

terrific　power　whose　decisions　are　absolute；　whose　projects　are

constantly　adopted；　and　whose　intervention　is　sanguinary。　This　power

is　that　of　the　crowd；　of　a　ferocious；　suspicious　sultan；　who；

appointing　his　viziers；　keeps　his　hands　free　to　direct　them　and　his

scimitar　ready　sharpened　to　cut　of　their　heads。



II。　　The　Jacobins。　…



Formation　of　the　Jacobins。　…　The　common　human　elements　of　his

character。　…　Conceit　and　dogmatism　are　sensitive　and　rebellious　in

every　community。　…　How　kept　down　in　all　well…founded　societies。　…

Their　development　in　the　new　order　of　things。　…Effect　of　milieu　on

imagination　and　ambitions。　…　The　stimulants　of　Utopianism；　abuses　of

speech；　and　derangement　of　ideas。　…　Changes　in　office；　interests

playing　upon　and　perverted　feeling。



That　a　speculator　in　his　closet　should　have　concocted　such　a　theory　is

comprehensible；　paper　will　take　all　that　is　put　upon　it；　while

abstract　beings；　the　hollow　simulacra　and　philosophic　puppets　he

concocts；　are　adapted　to　every　sort　of　combination。　…　That　a　lunatic

in　his　cell　should　adopt　and　preach　this　theory　is　also

comprehensible；　he　is　beset　with　phantoms　and　lives　outside　the　actual

world；　and；　moreover　in　this　ever…agitated　democracy　he　is　the　eternal

informer　and　instigator　of　every　riot　and　murder　that　takes　place；　he

it　is　who　under　the　name　of　　〃the　people's　friend〃　becomes　the　arbiter

of　lives　and　the　veritable　sovereign。　　That　a　people　borne　down　with

taxes；　wretched　and　starving；　indoctrinated　by　public　speakers　and

sophists；　should　have　welcomed　this　theory　and　acted　under　it　is　again

comprehensible；　necessity　knows　no　law；　and　where　the　is　oppression；

that　doctrine　is　true　which　serves　to　throw　oppression　off。



But　that　public　men；　legislators　and　statesmen；　with；　at　last；

ministers　and　heads　of　the　government；　should　have　made　this　theory

their　own；



*　that　they　should　have　more　fondly　clung　to　it　as　it　became　more

destructive；



*　that；　daily　for　three　years　they　should　have　seen　social　order

crumbling　away　piecemeal　under　its　blows　and　not　have　recognized　it　as

the　instrument　of　such　vast　ruin；



*　that；　in　the　light　of　the　most　disastrous　experience；　instead　of

regarding　it　as　a　curse　they　should　have　glorified　it　as　a　boon；



*　that　many　of　them　…　an　entire　party；　almost　all　of　the　Assembly　…

should　have　venerated　it　as　a　religious　dogma　and　carried　it　to

extremes　with　enthusiasm　and　rigor　of　faith；



*　that；　driven　by　it　into　a　narrow　strait；　ever　getting　narrower　and

narrower；　they　should　have　continued　to　crush　each　other　at　every

step；



*　that；　finally；　on　reaching　the　visionary　temple　of　their　so…called

liberty；　they　should　have　found　themselves　in　a　slaughter…house；　and；

within　its　precincts；　should　have　become　in　turn　butcher　and　brute；



*　that；　through　their　maxims　of　a　universal　and　perfect　liberty　they

should　have　inaugurated　a　despotism　worthy　of　Dahomey；　a　tribunal　like

that　of　the　Inquisition；　and　raised　human　hecatombs　like　those　of

ancient　Mexico；



*　that　amidst　their　prisons　and　scaffolds　they　should　persist　in

believing　in　the　righteousness　of　their　cause；　in　their　own　humanity；

in　their　virtue；　and；　on　their　fall；　have　regarded　themselves　as

martyrs　…



is　certainly　strange。　Such　intellectual　aberration；　such　excessive

conceit　are　rarely　encountered；　and　a　concurrence　of　circumstances；

the　like　of　which　has　never　been　seen　in　the　world　but　once；　was

necessary　to　produce　it。＇8＇



Extravagant　conceit　and　dogmatism；　however；　are　not　rare　in　the　human

species。　These　two　roots　of　the　Jacobin　intellect　exist　in　all

countries；　underground　and　indestructible。　Everywhere　they　are　kept

from　sprouting　by　the　established　order　of　things；　everywhere　are　they

striving　to　overturn　old　historic　foundations；　which　press　them　down。

Now；　as　in　the　past；　students　live　in　garrets；　bohemians　in　lodgings；

physicians　without　patients　and　lawyers　without　clients　in　lonely

offices；　so　many　Brissots；　Dantons；　Marats；　Robespierres；　and　St。

Justs　in　embryo；　only；　for　lack　of　air　and　sunshine；　they　never　come

to　maturity。　At　twenty；　on　entering　society；　a　young　man's　judgment

and　pride　are　extremely　sensitive。　…　…　Firstly；　let　his　society　be

what　it　will；　it　is　for　him　a　scandal　to　pure　reason：　for　it　was　not

organized　by　a　legislative　philosopher　in　accordance　with　a　sound

principle；　but　is　the　work　of　one　generation　after　another；　according

to　manifold　and　changing　necessities。　It　is　not　a　product　of　logic；

but　of　history；　and　the　new…fledged　thinker　shrugs　his　shoulders　as　he

looks　up　and　sees　what　the　ancient　tenement　is；　the　foundations　of

which　are　arbitrary；　its　architecture　confused；　and　its　many　repairs

plainly　visible。　　In　the　second　place；　whatever　degree　of　perfection

preceding　institutions；　laws；　and　customs　have　reached；　these　have　not

received　his　approval；　others；　his　predecessors；　have　chosen　for　him；

he　is　being　subjected　beforehand　to　moral；　political；　and　social　forms

which　pleased　them。　Whether　they　please　him　or　not　is　of　no

consequence。　Like　a　horse　trotting　along　between　the　poles　of　a　wagon

in　the　harness　that　happens　to　have　been　put　on　his　back；　he　has　to

make　best　of　it。　　Besides；　whatever　its　organization；　as　it　is

essentially　a　hierarchy；　he　is　nearly　always　subaltern　in　it；　and　must

ever　remain　so；　either　soldier；　corporal　or　sergeant。　Even　under　the

most　liberal　system；　that　in　which　the　highest　grades　are　accessible

to　all；　for　every　five　or　six　men　who　take　the　lead　or　command　others；

one　hundred　thousand　must　follow　or　be　commanded。　This　makes　it　vain

to　tell　every　conscript　that　he　carriers　a　marshal's　baton　in　his

sack；　when；　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　times　out　of　a　thousand；　he

discovers　too　late；　on　rummaging　his　sack；　that　the　baton　is　not

there。　…　…　It　is　not　surprising　that　he　is　tempted　to　kick　against

social　barriers　within　which；　willing　or　not；　he　is　enrolled；　and

which　predestine　him　to　subordination。　It　is　not　surprising　that　on

emerging　from　traditional　influences　he　should　accept　a　theory；　which

subjects　these　arrangements　to　his　judgment　and　gives　him　authority

over　his　superiors。　And　all　the　more　because　there　is　no　doctrine　more

simple　and　better　adapted　to　his　inexperience；　it　is　the　only　one　he

can　comprehend　and　manage　off…hand。　Hence　it　is　that　young　men　on

leaving　college；　especially　those　who　have　their　way　to　make　in　the

world；　are　more　or　less　Jacobin；　…　it　is　a　disorder　of　growing　up。＇9＇

　　In　well　organized　communities　this　ailment　is　beneficial；　and　soon

cured。　The　public　establishment　being　substantial　and　carefully

guarded；　malcontents　soon　discover　that　they　have　not　enough　strength

to　pull　it　down；　and　that　on　contending　with　its　guardians　they　gain

nothing　but　blows。　After　some　grumbling；　they　too　enter　at　one　or　the

other　of　its　doors；　find　a　place　for　themselves；　and　enjoy　its

advantages　or　become　reconciled　to　their　lot。　Finally；　either　through

imitation；　or　habit；　or　calculation；　they　willingly　form　part　of　that

garrison　which；　in　protecting　public　interests；　protects　their　own

private　interests　as　well。　Generally；　after　ten　years　have　gone　by；

the　young　man　has　obtained　his　rank　in　the　file；　where　he　advances

step　by　step　in　his　own　compartment；　which　he　no　longer　thinks　of

tearing　to　pieces；　and　under　the　eye　of　a　policeman　who　he　no　longer

thinks　of　condemning。　He　even　sometimes　thinks　that　policeman　and

compartment　are　useful　to　him。　Should　he　consider　the　millions　of

individuals　who　are　trying　to　mount　the　social　ladder；　each　striving

to　get　ahead　of　the　other；　it　may　dawn　upon　him　that　the　worst　of

calamities　would　be　a　lack　of　barriers　and　of　guardians。



　　　　Here　the　worm…eaten　barriers　have　cracked　all　at　once；　their　easy…

going；　timid；　incapable　guardians　having　allowed　things　to　take　their

course。　Society；　accordingly；　disintegrated　and　a　pell…mell；　is　turned

into　a　turbulent；　shouting　crowd；　each　pushing　and　being　pushed；　all

alike　over…excited　and　congratulating　each　other　on　having　finally

obtained　elbow…room；　and　all　demanding　the　new　barriers　shall　be　as

fragile　and　the　new　guardians　as　feeble；　as　defenseless；　and　as　inert

as　possible。　This　is　what　has　been　done。　As　a　natural　consequence；

those　who　were　foremost　in　the　rank　have　been　relegated　to　the　last；

many　have　been　struck　down　in　the　fray；　while　in　this　permanent　state

of　disorder；　which　goe