the origins of contemporary france-3-第44章

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

the　mob。　　On　the　one　hand；　through　a　series　of　legislative　acts　and

municipal　ordinances；　they　have　set　aside　or　disbanded　the　army；　alone

capable　of　repressing　or　intimidating　it。　On　the　29th　of　May　they

dismissed　the　king's　guard。　On　the　15th　of　July　they　ordered　away　from

Paris　all　regular　troops。　On　the　16th　of　July；＇26＇　　they　select　〃　for

the　formation　of　a　body　of　infantry…gendarmerie；　the　former　French…

guardsmen　who　served　in　the　Revolution　about　the　epoch　of　the　1st　day

of　June；　1789；　the　officers；　under…officers；　gunners；　and　soldiers　who

gathered　around　the　flag　of　liberty　after　the　12th　of　July　of　that

year；〃　that　is　to　say；　a　body　of　recognized　insurgents　and　deserters。

On　the　6th　of　July；　in　all　towns　of　50；000　souls　and　over；　they　strike

down　the　National　Guard　by　discharging　its　staff；　〃an　aristocratic

corporation；〃　says　a　petition；＇27＇　〃a　sort　of　modern　feudality

composed　of　traitors；　who　seem　to　have　formed　a　plan　for　directing

public　opinion　as　they　please。〃　Early　in　August；＇28＇　they　strike　into

the　heart　of　the　National　Guard　by　suppressing　special　companies；

grenadiers；　and　chasseurs；　recruited　amongst　well…to…do…people；　the

genuine　elite；　stripped　of　its　uniform；　reduced　to　equality；　lost　in

the　mass；　and　now；　moreover；　finding　its　'ranks　degraded　by　a　mixture

of　interlopers；　federates；　and　men　armed　with　pikes。　Finally；　to

complete　the　pell…mell；　they　order　that　the　palace　guard　be　hereafter

composed　daily　of　citizens　taken　from　the　sixty　battalions；＇29＇　so

that　the　chiefs　may　no　longer　know　their　men　nor　the　men　their　chiefs；

so　that　no　one　may　place　confidence　in　his　chief；　in　his　subordinate；

in　his　neighbor；　or　in　himself；　so　that　all　the　stones　of　the　human

dike　may　be　loosened　beforehand；　and　the　barrier　crumble　at　the　first

onslaught。　　　On　the　other　hand；　they　have　taken　care　to　provide　the

insurrection　with　a　fighting　army　and　an　advanced　guard。　By　another

series　of　legislative　acts　and　municipal　ordinances；　they　authorize

the　assemblage　of　the　Federates　at　Paris；　they　allow　them　pay　and

military　lodgings；＇30＇　they　allow　them　to　organize　under　a　central

committee　sitting　at　the　Jacobin　club；　and　to　take　their　instructions

from　that　club。　Of　these　new…comers；　two…thirds；　genuine　soldiers　and

true　patriots；　set　out　for　the　camp　at　Soissons　and　for　the　frontier；

one…third　of　them；　however；　remain　at　Paris；＇31＇　perhaps　2；000；　the

rioters　and　politicians；　who；　feasted；　entertained；　indoctrinated；　and

each　lodged　with　a　Jacobin；　become　more　Jacobin　than　their　hosts；　and

incorporate　themselves　with　the　revolutionary　battalions；　so　as　to

serve　the　good　cause　with　their　guns。＇32＇　　Two　squads；　late　comers；

remain　separate；　and　are　only　the　more　formidable；　both　are　dispatched

by　the　towns　on　the　sea…cost　in　which；　four　months　before　this；

〃twenty…one　capital　acts　of　insurrection　had　occurred；　all　unpunished；

and　several　under　sentence　of　the　maritime　jury。〃＇33＇　　The　first；

numbering　300　men；　comes　from　Brest；



*　where　the　municipality；　as　infatuated　as　those　of　Marseilles　and

Avignon；　engages　in　armed　expeditions　against　its　neighbors；　where

popular　murder　is　tolerated；



*　where　M。　de　la　Jaille　is　nearly　killed　；



*　where　the　head　of　M。　de　la　Patry　is　borne　on　a　pike；



*　where　veteran　rioters　compose　the　crews　of　the　fleet；



*　where　〃workers　paid　by　the　State；　clerks；　masters；　non…commission

officers；　converted　into　agitators；　political　stump…speakers；　movers；

and　critics　of　the　administration；〃　ask　only　to　be　given　roles　to

perform　on　a　more　conspicuous　stage。



The　second　troop；　summoned　from　Marseilles　by　the　Girondins；　Rebecqui；

and　Barbaroux；＇34＇　comprises　516　men；　intrepid；　ferocious　adventurers；

from　everywhere；　either　Marseilles　or　abroad；　Savoyards；　Italians；

Spaniards；　driven　out　of　their　country；　almost　all　of　the　vilest

class；　or　gaining　a　livelihood　by　infamous　pursuits；　〃hit…men　and

their　henchmen　of　evil　haunts；〃　used　to　blood；　quick　to　strike；　good

cut…throats；　picked　men　out　of　the　bands　that　had　marched　on　Aix；

Arles；　and　Avignon；　the　froth　of　that　froth　which；　for　three　years；　in

the　Comtat　and　in　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　boiled　over　the　useless

barriers　of　the　law。　　　The　very　day　they　reach　Paris　they　show　what

they　can　do。＇35＇　　Welcomed　with　great　pomp　by　the　Jacobins　and　by

Santerre；　they　are　conducted；　for　a　purpose；　to　the　Champs…Elysées；

into　a　tavern；　near　the　restaurant　in　which　the　grenadiers　of　the

Filles　St。　Thomas；　bankers；　brokers；　leading　men；　well…known　for　their

attachment　to　a　monarchical　constitution；　were　dining　in　a　body；　as

announced　several　days　in　advance。　The　mob　which　had　formed　a　convoy

for　the　Marseilles　battalion；　gathers　before　the　restaurant；　shouts；

throws　mud；　and　then　lets　fly　a　volley　of　stones　；　the　grenadiers　draw

their　sabers。　Forthwith　a　shout　is　heard　just　in　front　of　them；　à　nous

les　Marseillais！　upon　which　the　gang　jump　out　of　the　windows　with　true

southern　agility；　clamber　across　the　ditches；　fall　upon　the　grenadiers

with　their　swords；　kill　one　and　wound　fifteen。　　No　début　could　be

more　brilliant。　The　party　at　last　possesses　men　of　action；＇36＇　and

they　must　be　kept　within　reach！　Men　who　do　such　good　work；　and　so

expeditiously；　must　be　well　posted　near　the　Tuileries。　The　mayor；

consequently；　on　the　night　of　the　8th　of　August；　without　informing　the

commanding　general；　solely　on　his　own　authority；　orders　them　to　leave

their　barracks　in　the　Rue　Blanche　and　take　up　their　quarters；　with

their　arms　and　cannon；　in　the　barracks　belonging　to　the

Cordeliers。＇37＇



Such　is　the　military　force　in　the　hands　of　the　Jacobin　masses；　nothing

remains　but　to　place　the　civil　power　in　their　hands　also；　and；　as　the

first　gift　of　this　kind　was　made　to　them　by　the　Girondins；　they　will

not　fail　to　make　them　the　second　one。　　　On　the　1st　of　July；　they

decree　that　the　sessions　of　administrative　bodies　should　thenceforth

be　public；　this　is　submitting　municipalities；　district；　and　department

councils；　as　well　as　the　National　Assembly　itself；　to　the　clamor；　the

outrages；　the　menaces；　the　rule　of　their　audiences；　which　in　these

bodies　as　in　the　National　Assembly；　will　always　be　Jacobin。＇38＇　On　the

11th　of　July；　on　declaring　the　country　in　danger；＇39＇　they　render　the

sessions　permanent；　first　of　the　administrative　bodies；　and　next　of

the　forty…eight　sections　of　Paris；　which　is　a　surrender　of　the

administrative　bodies　　and　the　forty…eight　sections　of　Paris　to　the

Jacobin　minority；　which　minority；　through　its　zeal　and　being　ever

present；　knows　how　to　convert　itself　into　a　majority。　　　　Let　us

trace　the　consequences　of　this；　and　see　the　selection　which　is　thus

effected　by　the　double　decree。　Those　who　attend　these　meetings；　day

and　night；　are　not　the　steady；　busy　people。　In　the　first　place；　they

are　too　busy　in　their　own　counting…rooms；　shops　and　factories　to　lose

so　much　time。　In　the　next　place；　they　are　too　sensible；　to　docile；　and

too　honest　to　go　and　lord　it　over　their　magistrates　in　the　H？tel…de…

ville；　or　regard　themselves　in　their　various　sections　as　the　sovereign

people。　Moreover；　they　are　disgusted　with　all　this　bawling。　Lastly；

the　streets　of　Paris；　especially　at　night；　are　not　safe；　owing　to　so

much　outdoor　politics；　there　is　a　great　increase　of　caning　and　of

knocking　down。　Accordingly；　for　a　long　time；　they　do　not　attend　at　the

clubs；　nor　are　they　seen　in　the　galleries　of　the　National　Assembly；

nor　will　they　be　seen　again　at　the　sessions　of　the　municipality；　nor

at　the　meetings　of　the　sections。　　Nothing；　on　the　other　hand；　is

more　attractive　to　the　idle　tipplers　of　the　cafés；　to　bar…room

oracles；　loungers；　and　talkers；　living　in　furnished　rooms；＇40＇　to　the

parasites　and　refractory　of　the　social　army；　to　all　who　have　left　the

social　structures　and　unable　to　get　back　again；　who　want　to　tear

things　to　pieces；　and；　for　lack　of　a　private　career；　establish　one　for

themselves　in　public。　Permanent　sessions；　even　at　night；　are　not　too

long　either　for　them；　or　for　lazy　Federates；　for　disordered

intellects；　and　for　the　small　troop　of　genuine　fanatics。　Here　they　are

either　performers　or　claqueurs；　an　uproar　not　being　offensive　to　them；

because　they　create　it。　They　relieve　each　other；　so　as　to　be　always　on

hand　in　sufficient　number；　or　compensate　for　a　deficiency　by

usurpations　and　brutality。　　The　section　of　the　Théatre…Fran？ais；　for

instance；　in　contempt　of　the　law；　removes　the　distinction　between

active　and　passive　citizens；　by　granting　to　all　residents　in　its

circumscription　the　right　to　be　present　at　its　meetings　and　the　right

to　vote。　Other　sections＇41＇　admit　to　their　sittings　all　well…disposed

spectators；　all　women；　children；　and　the　nomads；　all　agitators；　and

the　agitated；　who；　as　at　the　National　Assembly；　applaud　or　hoot　at　the

word　of　command。　In　the　sections　not　disposed　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　an

anonymous　public；　the　same　herd　of　frantic　characters　make　a　racket　at

the　doors；　and　insult　the　electors　who　pass　through　them。　　Thanks　to

this　itinerant　throng　of　co…operating　intruders；　the　Jacobin

extremists　rule　the　sections　the　same　as　the　Assembly；　in　the　sections

as　in　the　Assembly；　they　drive　away　or　silence　the　moderates；　and　when

the　hall　becomes　half　empty　or　dumb；　their　motion　is　passed。　Hawked

about　in　the　vicinity；　the　motion　is　even　carried　off；　in　a　few　days

it　makes　the　tour　of　Paris；　and　returns　to　the　Assembly　as　an

authentic　and　unanimous　expression　of　popular　will。＇42＇



At　present；　to　ensure　the　execution　of　this　counterfeit　will；　it

requires　a　central　committee；　and　through　a　masterpiece　of　delusion；

Pétion；　the　Girondist　mayor；　is　the　one　who　undertakes　to　lodge；

sanction；　and　organize　the　committee。　On　the　17th　day　of　July；＇43＇　he

establishes　in　the　offices　belonging　to　the　Commune；　〃a　central　bureau

of　correspondence　between　the　sections。〃　To　this　a　duly　elected

commissioner　is　to　bring　the　acts　passed　by　his　section　each　day；　and

carry　away　the　corresponding　acts　of　the　remaining　forty…seven

sections。　Naturally；　these　elected　commissioners　will　hold　meetings　of

their　own；　appointing　a　president　and　secretary；　and　making　official

reports　of　their　proceedings　in　the　same　form　as　a　veritable　municipal

council。　As　they　are　elected　to…day；　and　with　a　special　mandate；　it　is

natural　that　they　should　consider　themselves　more　legitimate　than　a

municipal　council　elected　four　or　five　months　before　them；　and　with　a

very　uncertain　mandate。　Installed　in　the　town　hall　of　Paris　（H？tel…de…

ville）；　only　two　steps　from　the　municipal　council；　it　is　natural　for

them　to　attempt　to　take　its　place；　to　substitute　themselves　for　it；

they　have　only　to　cross　over　to　the　other　side　of　a　corridor。







IV。



Vain　attempts　of　the　Girondins　to　put　it　down。　　　Jacobin　alarm；

their　enthusiasm；　and　their　program。



　　　Thus；　hatch