the origins of contemporary france-3-第43章

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of　any　account；　that　of　the　man　who；　in　accepting　a　declared　war；

meets　the　offensive　with　the　offensive；　loads　his　gun；　descends　into

the　street　and　contends　with　the　savage　destroyers　of　human　society。　…

…　Nobody　comes　to　the　support　of　Lafayette；　who　alone　has　the　courage

to　take　the　lead；　about　one　hundred　men　muster　at　the　rendezvous　named

by　him　in　the　Champs…élysées。　　They　agree　to　march　to　the　Jacobin　club

the　following　day　and　close　it；　provided　the　number　is　increased　to

three　hundred；　but　the　next　day　only　thirty　turn　up。　　Lafayette　can　do

no　more　than　leave　Paris　and　write　a　letter　containing　another

protest。　　Protestations；　appeals　to　the　Constitution；　to　the　law；　to

public　interest；　to　common　sense；　well…reasoned　arguments；　this　side

will　never　resort　to　anything　else　than　speeches　and　paperwork；　and；

in　the　coming　conflict　words　will　be　of　no　use。　　Imagine　a　quarrel

between　two　men；　one　ably　presenting　his　case　and　the　other　indulging

in　little　more　than　invective；　the　latter；　having　encountered　an

enormous　mastiff　on　his　road；　has　caressed　him；　enticed　him；　and　led

him　along　with　him　as　an　auxiliary。　To　the　mastiff；　clever

argumentation　is　only　so　much　unmeaning　sound；　with　his　eager　eyes

fixed　on　his　temporary　master　he　awaits　only　his　signal　to　spring　on

the　adversaries　he　points　out。　　On　the　20th　of　June　he　has　almost

strangled　one　of　them；　and　covered　him　with　his　slaver。　　On　the

21st；＇8＇　he　is　ready　to　spring　again。　He　continues　to　growl　for　fifty

days；　at　first　sullenly　and　then　with　terrific　energy。　　On　the　25th　of

June；　July　14　and　27；　August　3　and　5；　he　again　makes　a　spring　and　is

kept　back　only　with　great　difficulty。＇9＇　　　Already　on　one　occasion；

July　29th；　his　fangs　are　wet　with　human　gore。＇10＇　　At　each　turn　of

the　parliamentary　debate　the　defenseless　Constitutionalists　beholds

those　open　jaws　before　him；　it　is　not　surprising　that　he　throws　to

this　dog；　or　allows　to　be　thrown　to　him；　all　the　decrees　demanded　by

the　Girondists　as　a　bone　for　him　to　gnaw　on。　　Sure　of　their　strength

the　Girondists　renew　the　attack；　and　the　plan　of　their　campaign　seems

to　be　skillfully　prepared。　They　are　quite　willing　to　retain　the　King

on　his　throne；　but　on　the　condition　that　he　shall　be　a　mere　puppet；

that　he　shall　recall　the　patriot　ministers；　allow　them　to　appoint　the

Dauphin's　tutor；　and　that　Lafayette　shall　be　removed；＇11＇　otherwise

the　Assembly　will　pass　the　act　of　de…thronement　and　seize　the

executive　power。　Such　is　the　defile　with　two　issues　in　which　they　have

placed　the　Assembly　and　the　King。　　If　the　King　　balks　at　leaving　by

the　first　door；　the　Assembly；　equally　nonplused；　will　leave　through

the　second；　in　either　case；　as　the　all…powerful　ministers　of　the

submissive　King　or　as　executive　delegates　of　the　submissive　Assembly；

the　Girondists　will　become　the　masters　of　France。







II。



Pressure　on　the　King。　　　Pétion　and　Manual　brought　to　the　H？tel…de…

ville。　　　The　Ministry　obliged　to　resign。　　　Jacobin　agitation

against　the　King。　　　Pressure　on　the　Assembly。　…　…　Petition　of　the

Paris　Commune。　　Threats　of　the　petitioners　and　of　the　galleries。　

Session　of　August　8th。　…　Girondist　strategy　foiled　in　two　ways。



With　this　in　mind　they　begin　by　attacking　the　King；　and　try　to　make

him　yield　through　fear。　　They　remove　the　suspension　pronounced

against　Pétion　and　Manuel；　and　restore　them　both　to　their　places　in

the　H？tel…de…ville。　They　will　from　now　on　rule　Paris　without

restriction　or　supervision；　for　the　Directory　of　the　department　has

resigned；　and　no　superior　authority　exists　to　prevent　them　from

calling　upon　or　giving　orders　as　they　please　to　the　armed　forces；　they

are　exempt　from　all　subordination；　as　well　as　from　all　control。

Behold　the　King　of　France　in　good　hands；　in　those　of　the　men　who；　on

the　20th　of　June；　refused　to　nuzzle　the　popular　brute；　declaring　that

it　had　done　well；　that　it　had　right　on　its　side；　and　that　it　may　begin

again。　According　to　them；　the　palace　of　the　monarch　belongs　to　the

public；　people　may　enter　it　as　they　would　a　coffee…house；　in　any

event；　as　the　municipality　is　occupied　with　other　matters；　it　cannot

be　expected　to　keep　people　out。　　〃Is　there　nothing　else　to　guard　in

Paris　but　the　Tuileries　and　the　King？〃＇12＇　　Another　maneuver

consists　in　rendering　the　King's　instruments　powerless。　Honorable　and

inoffensive　as　the　new　ministers　may　be；　they　never　appear　in　the

Assembly　without　being　hooted　at　in　the　tribunes。　　Isnard；　pointing

with　his　finger　to　the　principal　one；　exclaims：　〃That　is　a

traitor！〃＇13＇　　Every　popular　outburst　is　imputed　to　them　as　a　crime；

while　Guadet　declares　that；　〃as　royal　counselors；　they　are　answerable

for　any　disturbances〃　that　the　double　veto　might　produce。＇14＇　　Not

only　does　the　faction　declare　them　guilty　of　the　violence　provoked　by

itself；　but；　again；　it　demands　their　lives　for　the　murders　which　it

commits。　〃France　must　know；〃　says　Vergniaud；　〃that　hereafter　ministers

are　to　answer　with　their　heads　for　any　disorders　of　which　religion　is

the　pretext。〃　　　〃The　blood　just　spilt　at　Bordeaux；〃　says　Ducos；　〃may

be　laid　at　the　door　of　the　executive　power。　〃＇15＇　La　Source　proposes

to　〃punish　with　death；〃　not　alone　the　minister　who　is　not　prompt　in

ordering　the　execution　of　a　decree；　but；　again；　the　clerks　who　do　not

fulfill　the　minister's　instructions。　Always　death　on　every　occasion；

and　for　every　one　who　is　not　of　the　sect。　　Under　this　constant　terror；

the　ministers　resign　in　a　body；　and　the　King　is　required　at　once　to

appoint　others；　meanwhile；　to　increase　the　danger　of　their　position；

the　Assembly　decrees　that　hereafter　they　shall　〃be　answerable　for　each

other。〃　It　is　evident　that　they　are　aiming　at　the　King　over　his

minister's　shoulders；　while　the　Girondists　leave　nothing　unturned　to

render　government　to　him　impossible。　The　King；　again；　signs　this　new

decree；　he　declines　to　protest；　to　the　persecution　he　is　forced　to

undergo　he　opposes　nothing　but　silence；　sometimes　a　simple；　frank；

good…hearted　expression；＇16＇　some　kindly；　touching　complaining；　which

seems　like　a　suppressed　moan。＇17＇　　But　dogmatic　obstinacy　and

impatient　ambition　are　willfully　deaf　to　the　most　sorrowful　strains！

His　sincerity　passes　for　a　new　false…hood。　Vergniaud；　Brissot；　Torné；

Condorcet；　in　the　tribune；　charge　him　with　treachery；　demand　from　the

Assembly　the　right　of　suspending　him；＇18＇　and　give　the　signal　to　their

Jacobin　auxiliaries。　　At　the　invitation　of　the　parent　club；　the

provincial　branches　bestir　themselves；　while　all　other　instruments　of

agitation　belonging　to　the　revolutionary　machine　are　likewise　put　in

motion；　　gatherings　on　the　public　squares；　homicidal　announcements

on　the　walls；　incendiary　resolutions　in　the　clubs；　shouting　in　the

tribunes；　insulting　addresses　and　seditious　deputations　at　the　bar　of

the　National　Assembly。＇19＇　After　the　working　of　this　system　for　a

month；　the　Girondists　regard　the　King　as　subdued；　and；　on　the　26th　of

July；　Guadet；　and　then　Brissot；　in　the　tribune；　make　their　last

advances　to　him；　and　issue　the　final　summons。＇20＇　　A　profound

delusion！　He　refuses；　the　same　as　on　the　20th　of　June：　〃Girondist

ministers；　Never！〃



Since　he　bars　one　of　the　two　doors；　they　will　pass　out　at　the　other；

and；　if　the　Girondists　cannot　rule　through　him；　they　will　rule　without

him。　Pétion；　in　the　name　of　the　Commune；　appears　personally　and

proposes　a　new　plan；　demanding　the　dethronement。　〃This　important

measure　once　passed；〃＇21＇　he　says；　〃the　confidence　of　the　nation　in

the　actual　dynasty　being　very　doubtful；　we　demand　that　a　body　of

ministers；　jointly　responsible；　appointed　by　the　National　Assembly；

but；　as　the　constitutional　law　provides；　outside　of　itself；　elected　by

the　open　vote　of　freemen；　　be　provisionally　entrusted　with　the

executive　power。〃　Through　this　open　vote　the　suffrage　will　be　easily

controlled。　This　is　but　one　more　decree　extorted；　like　so　many　others；

the　majority　for　a　long　time　having　been　subject　to　the　same　pressure

as　the　King。　〃If　you　refuse　to　respond　to　our　wishes；〃　as　a　placard　of

the　23rd　of　June　had　already　informed　them；　〃our　hands　are　lifted；　and

we　shall　strike　all　traitors　wherever　they　can　be　found；　even　amongst

yourselves。〃＇22＇　　〃Court　favorites；〃　says　a　petition　of　August　6；

〃have　seats　in　your　midst。　Let　their　inviolability　perish　if　the

national　will　must　always　tamely　submit　to　that　lethal　power！〃　　In

the　Assembly　the　yells　from　the　galleries　are　frightful；　the　voices　of

those　who　speak　against　dethronement　are　overpowered；　so　great　are　the

hooting；　the　speakers　are　driven　out　of　the　tribune。＇23＇　Sometimes　the

〃Right〃　abandons　the　discussion　and　leaves　the　chamber。　The　insolence

of　the　galleries　goes　so　far　that　frequently　almost　the　entire

Assembly　murmurs　while　they　applaud；　the　majority；　in　short；　loudly

expresses　anger　at　its　bondage。＇24＇　　Let　it　be　careful！　　In　the

tribunes　and　at　the　approaches　to　the　edifice；　stand　the　Federates；

men　who　have　a　tight　grip。　They　will　force　it　to　vote　the　decisive

measure；　the　accusation　of　Lafayette；　the　decree　under　which　the　armed

champion　of　the　King　and　the　Constitution　must　fall。　The　Girondists；

to　make　sure　of　it；　exact　a　call　of　the　house；　in　this　way　the　names

are　announced　and　printed；　thus　designating　to　the　populace　the

opponents　of　the　measure；　so　that　none　of　them　are　sure　of　getting　to

their　homes　safe　and　sound。　　Lafayette；　however；　a　liberal；　a

democrat；　and　a　royalist；　as　devoted　to　the　Revolution　as　to　the　Law；

is　just　the　man；　who；　through　his　limited　mental　grasp；　his

disconnected　political　conceptions；　and　the　nobleness　of　his

contradictory　sentiments；　best　represents　the　present　opinion　of　the

Assembly；　as　well　as　that　of　France。＇25＇　　Moreover；　his　popularity；

his　courage；　and　his　army　are　the　last　refuge。　　The　majority　feels

that　in　giving　him　up　they　themselves　are　given　up；　and；　by　a　vote　of

400　to　224；　it　acquits　him。　　On　this　side；　again；　the　strategy　of

the　Girondists　is　found　erroneous。　　Power　slips　away　from　them　the

second　time。　　Neither　the　King　nor　the　Assembly　have　consented　to

restore　it　to　them；　while　they　can　no　longer　leave　it　suspended　in　the

air；　or　defer　it　until　a　better　opportunity；　and　keep　their　Jacobin

acolytes　waiting。　　The　feeble　leash　restraining　the　revolutionary　dog

breaks　in　their　hands；　the　dog　is　free　and　in　the　street







III。



The　Girondins　have　worked　for　the　benefit　of　the　Jacobins。　　　The

armed　force　sent　away　or　disorganized。　　The　Federates　summoned。　

Brest　and　Marseilles　send　men。　　　Public　sessions　of　administrative

bodies。　　　Permanence　of　administrative　bodies　and　of　the　sections。　…

…　　Effect　of　these　two　measures。　　The　central　bureau　of　the　H？tel…

de…ville。　　　Origin　and　formation　of　the　revolutionary　Commune。



Never　was　better　work　done　for　another。　Every　measure　relied　on　by

them　for　getting　power　back；　serves　only　to　place　it　in　the　hands　of

the　m