the origins of contemporary france-3-第26章

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change　the　dynasty。〃



Now；　had　peace　been　maintained　all　this　was　impossible；　moreover　the

ascendance　of　the　party　was　compromised。　　　Entire　classes　that　had

adhered　to　the　party　when　it　launched　insurrection　against　the

privileged；　broke　loose　from　it　now　that　insurrection　was　directed

against　them；　among　thoughtful　men　and　among　those　with　property；　most

were　disgusted　with　anarchy；　and　likewise　disgusted　with　the　abettors

of　it。　Many　administrators；　magistrates　and　functionaries　recently

elected；　loudly　complained　of　their　authority　being　subject　to　the

mob。　Many　cultivators；　manufacturers　and　merchants　have　become

silently　exasperated　at　the　fruits　of　their　labor　and　economy　being

surrendered　at　discretion　to　robbers　and　the　indigent。　It　was　hard　for

the　flour…dealers　of　Etampes　not　to　dare　send　away　their　wheat；　to　be

obliged　to　supply　customers　at　night；　to　tremble　in　their　own　houses；

and　to　know　that　if　they　went　out…doors　they　risked　their　lives。＇67＇

It　was　hard　for　wholesale　grocers　in　Paris　to　see　their　warehouses

invaded；　their　windows　smashed；　their　bags　of　coffee　and　boxes　of

sugar　valued　at　a　low　price；　parceled　out　and　carried　away　by　old　hags

or　taken　gratis　by　scamps　who　ran　off　and　sold　them　at　the　other　end

of　the　street。＇68＇　It　was　hard　in　all　places　for　the　families　of　the

old　bourgeoisie；　for　the　formerly　prominent　men　in　each　town　and

village；　for　the　eminent　in　each　art；　profession　or　trade；　for

reputable　and　well…to…do　people；　in　short；　for　the　majority　of　men　who

had　a　good　roof　over　their　heads　and　a　good　coat　on　their　backs；　to

undergo　the　illegal　domination　of　a　crowd　led　by　a　few　hundred　or

dozens　of　stump…speakers　and　firebrands。　　Already；　in　the　beginning

of　1792；　this　dissatisfaction　was　so　great　as　to　be　denounced　in　the

tribune　and　in　the　press。　Isnard＇69＇　railed　against　〃that　multitude　of

large　property…holders；　those　opulent　merchants；　those　haughty；

wealthy　personages　who；　advantageously　placed　in　the　social

amphitheater；　are　unwilling　to　have　their　seats　changed。〃　The

bourgeoisie；〃　wrote　Pétion；＇70＇　〃that　numerous　class　free　of　any

anxiety；　is　separating　itself　from　the　people；　it　considers　itself

above　them；　。　。　。　they　are　the　sole　object　of　its　distrust。　It　is

everywhere　haunted　by　the　one　idea　that　the　revolution　is　a　war

between　those　who　have　and　those　who　have　not。〃　　It　abstains；

indeed；　from　the　elections；　it　keeps　away　from　patriotic　clubs；　it

demands　the　restoration　of　order　and　the　reign　of　law；　it　rallies　to

itself　〃the　multitude　of　conservative；　timid　people；　for　whom

tranquility　is　the　prime　necessity；〃　and　especially；　which　is　still

more　serious；　it　charges　the　disturbances　upon　their　veritable

authors。　　With　suppressed　indignation　and　a　mass　of　undisputed

evidence；　André　Chénier；　a　man　of　feeling；　starts　up　in　the　midst　of

the　silent　crowd　and　openly　tears　off　the　mask　from　the　Jacobins。＇71＇

He　brings　into　full　light　the　daily　sophism　by　which　a　mob；　〃some

hundreds　of　idlers　gathered　in　a　garden　or　at　a　theater；　are

impudently　called　the　people。〃　He　portrays　those　〃three　or　four

thousand　usurpers　of　national　sovereignty　whom　their　orators　and

writers　daily　intoxicate　with　grosser　incense　than　any　adulation

offered　to　the　worst　of　despots；〃　those　assemblies　where　〃an

infinitely　small　number　of　French　appears　large；　because　they　are

united　and　yell；〃　that　Paris　club　from　which　honest；　industrious；

intelligent　people　had　withdrawn　one　by　one　to　give　place　to

intriguers　in　debt；　to　persons　of　tarnished　reputations；　to　the

hypocrites　of　patriotism；　to　the　lovers　of　uproar；　to　abortive

talents；　to　corrupted　intellects；　to　outcasts　of　every　kind　and　degree

who；　unable　to　manage　their　own　business；　indemnify　themselves　by

managing　that　of　the　public。　He　shows　how；　around　the　central　factory

and　its　twelve　hundred　branches　of　insurrection；　the　twelve　hundred

affiliated　clubs；　which；　〃holding　each　other's　hands；　form　a　sort　of

electric　chain　around　all　France〃　and　giving　it　a　shock　at　every　touch

from　the　center；　their　confederation；　installed　and　enthroned；　is　not

only　as　a　State　within　the　State；　but　rather　as　a　sovereign　State　in　a

vassal　State；　summoning　their　administrative　bodies　to　their　bar；

judicial　verdicts　set　aside　through　their　intervention；　private

individuals　searched；　assessed　and　condemned　through　their　verdicts。

All　this　constitutes　a　steady；　systematic　defense　of　insubordination

and　revolt；　as；　〃under　the　name　　of　hoarding　and　monopoly；　commerce

and　industry　are　described　as　misdemeanors；〃　property　is　unsettled　and

every　rich　man　rendered　suspicious；　〃talent　and　integrity　silenced。〃

In　short；　a　public　conspiracy　made　against　society　in　the　very　name　of

society；　〃while　the　sacred　symbol　of　liberty　is　made　use　of　as　a　seal〃

to　exempt　a　few　tyrants　from　punishment。　Such　a　protest　said　aloud

what　most　Frenchmen　muttered　to　themselves；　and　from　month　to　month；

graver　excesses　exited　greater　censure。



〃Anarchy　exists＇72＇　to　a　degree　scarcely　to　be　paralleled；　wrote　the

ambassador　of　the　United　States。　The　horror　and　apprehension；　which

the　licentious　associations　have　universally　inspired；　are　such　that

there　is　reason　to　believe　that　the　great　mass　of　the　French

population　would　consider　even　despotism　a　blessing；　if　accompanied

with　that　security　to　persons　and　property；　experienced　even　under　the

worst　governments　in　Europe。〃



Another　observer；　not　less　competent；＇73＇　says：



〃it　is　plain　to　my　eyes　that　when　Louis　XVI。　finally　succumbed；　he　had

more　partisans　in　France　than　the　year　previous；　at　the　time　of　his

flight　to　Varennes。〃



The　truth　of　this；　indeed；　was　frequently　verified　at　the　end　of　1791

and　beginning　of　1792；　by　various　investigations。＇74＇　　〃Eighteen

thousand　officers　of　every　grade；　elected　by　the　constitutionalists；

seventy…one　department　administrations　out　of　eighty…two；　most　of　the

tribunals；＇75＇　all　traders　and　manufacturers；　every　chief　and　a　large

portion　of　the　National　Guard　of　Paris；〃　in　short；　the　élite　of　the

nation；　and　among　citizens　generally；　the　great　majority　who　lived

from　day　to　day　were　for　him；　and　for　the　〃Right〃　of　the　Assembly

against　the　〃Left〃。　　　If　internal　trouble　had　not　been　complicated　by

external　difficulties；　there　would　have　been　a　change　in　opinion；　and

this　the　King　expected。　In　accepting　the　Constitution；　he　thought　that

its　defects　would　be　revealed　in　practical　operation　and　that　they

would　lead　to　a　reform。　In　the　mean　time　he　scrupulously　observed　the

Constitution；　and；　through　interest　as　well　as　conscience；　kept　his

oath　to　the　letter。　〃The　most　faithful　execution　of　the　Constitution；〃

he　said　to　one　of　his　ministers；　〃is　the　surest　way　to　make　the　nation

see　the　changes　that　ought　to　be　made　in　it。〃＇76＇　　　In　other　words；

he　counted　on　experience；　and　it　is　very　probable　that　if　there　had

been　nothing　to　interfere　with　experience；　his　calculations　would　have

finally　chosen　between　the　defenders　of　order　and　the　instigators　of

disorder。　It　would　have　decided　for　the　magistrates　against　the　clubs；

for　the　police　against　rioters；　for　the　king　against　the　mob。　In　one

or　two　years　more　it　would　have　learned　that　a　restoration　of　the

executive　power　was　indispensable　for　securing　the　execution　of　the

laws；　that　the　chief　of　police；　with　his　hands　tied；　could　not　do　his

duty；　that　it　was　undoubtedly　wise　to　give　him　his　orders；　but　that　if

he　was　to　be　of　any　use　against　knaves　and　fools；　his　hands　should

first　be　set　free。









V。



Effects　of　the　war　on　the　common　people。　Its　alarms　and　fury。　　The

second　revolutionary　outburst　and　its　characteristics。　　Alliance　of

the　Girondists　with　the　mob。　　The　red　cap　and　pikes。　　Universal

substitution　of　government　by　force　for　government　by　law。



Just　the　contrary　with　war；　the　aspect　of　things　changes；　and　the

alternative　is　the　other　way。　It　is　no　longer　a　choice　between　order

and　disorder；　but　between　the　new　and　the　old　regime；　for；　behind

foreign　opponents　on　the　frontier；　there　stand　the　émigrés。　The

commotion　is　terrible；　especially　amongst　the　lower　classes　which

mainly　bore　the　whole　weight　of　the　old　establishment；　among　the

millions　who　live　by　the　sweat　of　their　brow；　artisans；　small　farmers；

métayers；　day…laborers　and　soldiers；　also　the　smugglers　of　salt　and

other　articles；　poachers；　vagabonds；　beggars　and　half…beggars；　who；

taxed；　plundered；　and　harshly　treated　for　centuries；　have　to　endure；

from　father　to　son；　poverty；　oppression　and　disdain。　They　know　through

their　own　experience　the　difference　between　their　late　and　their

present　condition。　They　have　only　to　fall　back　on　personal　knowledge

to　revive　in　their　imaginations　the　enormous　royal；　ecclesiastical；

and　seignorial　taxes；　the　direct　tax　of　eighty…one　per　cent。；　the

bailiffs　in　charge；　the　seizures　and　the　husbandry　service；　the

inquisition　of　excise　men；　of　inspectors　of　the　salt　tax；　wine　tax

（rats　de　cave）　and　game…keepers；　the　ravages　of　wild　birds　and　of

pigeons；　the　extortions　of　the　collector　and　his　clerk；　the　delay　and

partiality　in　obtaining　justice；　the　rashness　and　brutality　of　the

police；　the　kicks　and　cuffs　of　the　constabulary；　the　poor　wretches

gathered　like　heaps　of　dirt　and　filth；　the　promiscuousness；　the　over…

crowding；　the　filth　and　the　starvation　of　the　prisons。＇77＇　　They　have

simply　to　open　their　eyes　to　see　their　immense　deliverance；　all　direct

or　indirect　taxes　for　the　past　two　years　legally　abolished　or

practically　suppressed；　beer　at　two　pennies　a　pot；　wine　at　six；

pigeons　in　their　meat…safes；　game　on　their　turn…spits；　the　wood　of　the

national　forests　in　their　lofts；　the　gendarmerie　timid；　the　police

absent；　in　many　places　the　crops　all　theirs；　the　owner　not　daring　to

claim　his　share；　the　judge　avoiding　condemning　them；　the　constable

refusing　to　serve　papers　on　them；　privileges　restored　in　their　favor；

the　public　authorities　cringing　to　the　crowds　and　yielding　to　their

exactions；　remaining　quiet　or　unarmed　in　the　face　of　their　misdeeds；

their　outrages　excused　or　tolerated；　their　superior　good　sense　and

deep　feeling　lauded　in　thousands　of　speeches；　the　jacket　and　the

blouse　　considered　as　symbols　of　patriotism；　and　supremacy　in　the

State　claimed　for　the　sans…culottes＇78＇　in　the　name　their　merits　and

their　virtues。　　And　now　the　overthrow　of　all　this　is　announced　to

them；　a　league　against　them　of　foreign　kings；　the　emigrants　in　arms；

an　invasion　imminent；　the　Croats　and　Pandours　in　the　field；　hordes　of

mercenaries　and　barbarians　crowding　down　on　them　again　to　put　them　in

chains。　　From　the　workshop　to　the　cottage　there　rolls　along　a

formidable　outburst　of　anger；　accompanied　with　national　songs；

denouncing　the　plots　of　tyrants　and　summoning　the　people　to　arms。＇79＇

This　is　the　second　wave　of　the　Revolution；　fast　swelling　and　roaring；

less　general　than　the　first；　since　it　bears　alon