the origins of contemporary france-3-第57章

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back　into　them。　We　can　only　rule　through　fear！〃＇53＇　〃The　Parisians　are

so　many　j　。　。　。　　f　。　。　。　；　a　river　of　blood　must　flow　between　them　and

the　émigrés。〃＇54＇　　The　tocsin　about　to　be　rung　is　not　a　signal　of

alarm；　but　a　charge　on　the　enemies　of　the　country。　。　。　What　is

necessary　to　overcome　them？　　Boldness；　boldness；　always　boldness！＇55＇

I　have　brought　my　mother　here；　seventy　years　of　age；　I　have　sent　for

my　children；　and　they　came　last　night。　Before　the　Prussians　enter

Paris；　I　want　my　family　to　die　with　me。　Let　twenty　thousand　torches　be

applied；　and　Paris　instantly　reduced　to　ashes！〃＇56＇　〃We　must　maintain

ourselves　in　Paris　at　all　hazards。　Republicans　are　in　an　extreme

minority；　and；　for　fighting；　we　can　rely　only　on　them。　The　rest　of

France　is　devoted　to　royalty。　The　royalists　must　be　terrified！〃＇57＇　

It　is　he　who；　on　the　28th　of　August；　obtains　from　the　Assembly　the

great　domiciliary　visit；　by　which　the　Commune　fills　the　prisons。　It　is

he　who；　on　the　2d　of　September；　to　paralyze　the　resistance　of　honest

people；　causes　the　penalty　of　death　to　be　decreed　against　whoever；

〃directly　or　indirectly　shall；　in　any　manner　whatsoever；　refuse　to

execute；　or　who　shall　interfere　with　the　orders　issued；　or　with　the

measures　of　the　executive　power。〃　　It　is　he　who；　on　that　day；　informs

the　journalist　Prudhomme　of　the　pretended　prison　plot；　and　who；　the

second　day　after；　sends　his　secretary；　Camille　Desmoulins；　to　falsify

the　report　of　the　massacres；＇58＇　　It　is　he　who；　on　the　3rd　of

September；　at　the　office　of　the　Minister　of　Justice；　before　the

battalion　officers　and　the　heads　of　the　service；　before　Lacroix；

president　of　the　Assembly；　and　Pétion；　mayor　of　Paris；　before

Clavières；　Servan；　Monge；　Lebrun；　and　the　entire　Executive　Council；

except　Roland；　reduces　at　one　stroke　the　head　men　of　the　government　to

the　position　of　passive　accomplices；　replying　to　a　man　of　feeling；　who

rises　to　stay　the　slaughter；　〃Sit　down　　it　was　necessary！〃＇59＇　　It

is　he　who；　the　same　day；　dispatches　the　circular；　countersigned　by

him；　by　which　the　Committee　of　Supervision　announces　the　massacre；　and

invites　〃their　brethren　of　the　departments〃　to　follow　the　example　of

Paris。＇60＇　　It　is　he　who；　on　the　10th　of　September；　〃not　as　Minister

of　Justice；　but　as　Minister　of　the　People；〃　is　to　congratulate　and

thank　the　slaughterers　of　Versailles。＇61＇　　After　the　10th　of　August；

through　Billaud…Varennes；　his　former　secretary；　through　Fabre

d'Eglantine；　his　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　through　Tallien；　secretary　of

the　Commune　and　his　most　trusty　henchman；　he　is　present　at　all

deliberations　in　the　H？tel…de…ville；　and；　at　the　last　hour；　is　careful

to　put　on　the　Committee　of　Supervision　one　of　his　own　men；　the　head

clerk；　Desforges。＇62＇　　Not　only　was　the　reaping…machine　constructed

under　his　own　eye；　and　with　his　assent；　but；　again；　when　it　is　put　in

motion；　he　holds　the　handle；　so　as　to　guide　the　scythe。



He　is　right；　if　he　did　not　sometimes　put　on　the　brake；　it　would　go　to

pieces　through　its　own　action。　　Introduced　into　the　Committee　as

professor　of　political　blood…letting；　Marat；　stubbornly　following　out

a　fixed　idea；　cuts　down　deep；　much　below　the　designated　line；　warrants

of　arrest　were　already　out　against　thirty　deputies；　Brissot's　papers

were　rummaged；　Roland's　house　was　surrounded；　while　Duport；　seized　in

a　neighboring　department；　　is　deposed　in　the　slaughterhouse。　The

latter　is　saved　with　the　utmost　difficulty；　many　a　blow　is　necessary

before　he　can　be　wrested　from　the　maniac　who　had　seized　him。　　With　a

surgeon　like　Marat；　and　medics　like　the　four　or　five　hundred　leaders

of　the　Commune　and　of　the　sections；　it　is　not　essential　to　guide　the

knife；　it　is　a　foregone　conclusion　that　the　amputation　will　be

extensive。　　Their　names　speak　for　themselves：　in　the　Commune；　Manuel；

the　syndic…attorney；　　and　his　two　deputies　Hébert　and　Billaud…

Varennes；　Huguenin；　Lhuillier；　M。…J。　Chénier；　Audoin；　Léonard　Bourdon；

Boula　and　Truchon；　presidents　in　succession。　In　the　Commune　and　the

sections；　Panis；　Sergent；　Tallien；　Rossignol；　Chaumette；　Fabre

d'Eglantine；　Pache；　Hassenfratz；　the　cobbler　Simon；　and　the　printer

Momoro。　From　the　National　Guard；　　the　commanding…general；　Santerre；

and　the　battalion　commander　Henriot；　and；　lower　down；　the　common　herd

of　district　demagogues；　Danton's；　Hébert's；　or　Robespierre's　side

kicks；　guillotined　later　on　with　their　file…leaders；　in　brief；　the

flower　of　the　future　terrorists。＇63＇　…　Today　they　are　taking　their

first　steps　in　blood；　each　with　their　own　attitude　and　motives：





*　Chénier　denounced　as　a　member　of　the　Sainte…Chapelle　club；　in　danger

because　he　is　among　the　suspected；＇64＇



*　Manuel；　poor；　excitable；　bewildered；　carried　away；　and　afterwards

shuddering　at　the　sight　of　his　own　work；



*　Santerre；　a　fine　circumspect　figure…head；　who；　on　the　2nd　of

September；　under　pretense　of　watching　the　baggage；　climbs　on　the　seat

of　a　landau　standing　on　the　street；　where　he　remains　a　couple　of

hours；　to　avoid　doing　his　duty　as　commanding…general；＇65＇



*　Panis；　president　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision；　a　good

subordinate；　his　born　disciple　and　bootlicker；　an　admirer　of

Robespierre's　whom　he　proposes　for　the　dictatorship；　as　well　as　of

Marat；　whom　he　extols　as　a　prophet；＇66＇



*　Henriot；　Hébert；　and　Rossignol；　simple　evil…doers　in　uniform　or　in

their　scarves；



*　Collot　d'Herbois；　a　stage　poetaster；　whose　theatrical　imagination

delights　in　a　combination　of　melodramatic　horrors；＇67＇



*　Billaud…Varennes；　a　former　oratorian　monk；　irascible　and　gloomy；　as

cool　before　a　murder　as　an　inquisitor　at　an　auto…da…fé；



finally；　the　wily　Robespierre；　pushing　others　without　committing

himself；　never　signing　his　name；　giving　no　orders；　haranguing　a　great

deal；　always　advising；　showing　himself　everywhere；　getting　ready　to

reign；　and　suddenly；　at　the　last　moment；　pouncing　like　a　cat　on　his

prey；　and　trying　to　slaughter　his　rivals；　the　Girondists。＇68＇



Up　to　this　time；　in　slaughtering　or　having　it　done；　it　was　always　as

insurrectionists　in　the　street；　now；　it　is　in　places　of　imprisonment；

as　magistrates　and　functionaries；　according　to　the　registers　of　a

lock…up；　after　proofs　of　identity　and　on　snap　judgments；　by　paid

executioners；　in　the　name　of　public　security；　methodically；　and　in

cool　blood；　almost　with　the　same　regularity　as　subsequently　under　〃the

revolutionary　government。〃　September；　indeed；　is　the　beginning　of　it；

a　summary　and　a　model；　they　will　not　do　it　differently　or　better　than

during　the　best　days　of　the　guillotine。　　Only；　as　they　are　as　yet

poorly　supplied　with　tools；　they　are　obliged　to　use　pikes　instead　of

the　guillotine；　and；　as　decency　has　not　entirely　disappeared；　the

chiefs　conceal　themselves　behind　maneuvers。　　Nevertheless；　we　can

track　them；　take　them　in　the　act；　and　we　have　their　signatures；　they

planned　commanded；　and　conducted　the　operation。　　On　the　30th　of

August；　the　Commune　decided　that　the　sections　should　try　accused

persons；　and；　on　the　2nd　　of　September；　five　trusted　sections　reply　to

it　by　resolving　that　the　accused　shall　be　murdered。69　The　same　day；

September　2；　Marat　takes　his　place　on　the　Committee　of　Supervision。

The　same　day；　September　2；　Panis　and　Sergent　sign　the　commissions　of

〃their　comrades；〃　Maillard　and　associates；　for　the　Abbaye；　and　〃order

them　to　judge；〃　that　is　to　say；　kill　the　prisoners。＇70＇　　The　same　and

the　following　days；　at　La　Force；　three　members　of　the　Commune；　Hébert；

Monneuse；　and　Rossignol；　preside　in　turn　over　the　assassin　court。＇71＇

The　same　day；　a　commissar　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision　comes　and

demands　a　dozen　men　of　the　Sans…Culottes　section　to　help　massacre　the

priests　of　Saint　Firmin。＇72＇　The　same　day；　a　　commissar　of　the　Commune

visits　the　different　prisons　during　the　slaughter；　and　finds　that

〃things　are　going　on　well　in　all　of　them。〃＇73＇　The　same　day；　at　five

o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　BillaudVarennes；　deputy…attorney　for　the

Commune；　〃in　his　well…known　puce…colored　coat　and　black　perruque；〃

walking　over　the　corpses；　says　to　the　Abbaye　butchers：　〃Fellow…

citizens；　you　are　immolating　your　enemies；　you　are　performing　your

duty。〃　　He　returns　during　the　night；　highly　commends　them；　and

confirms　the　　promise　of　the　〃agreed　wages。〃　On　the　following　any　at

noon；　he　again　returns；　congratulates　them　more　warmly；　allows　each

one　twenty　francs；　and　urges　them　to　keep　on。＇74＇　　In　the　mean　time；

Santerre；　summoned　to　the　general　staff　headquarters　by　Roland；

hypocritically　deplores　his　voluntary　inability；　and　persists　in　not

giving　the　orders；　without　which　the　National　Guard　cannot　move。＇75＇

At　the　sections；　the　presidents；　Chénier；　Ceyrat；　Boula；　Momoro；

Collot　d'Herbois；　dispatch　or　take　their　victims　back　under　pikes。　At

the　Commune；　the　council…general　votes　12；000　francs；　to　be　taken　from

the　dead；　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the　operation。＇76＇　In　the

Committee　of　Supervision；　Marat　sends　off　dispatches　to　spread　murder

through　the　departments。　　It　is　evident　that　the　leaders　and　their

subordinates　are　unanimous；　each　at　his　post　and　in　the　service　he

performs；　through　the　spontaneous　co…operation　of　the　whole　party；　the

command　from　above　meets　the　impulse　from　below；＇77＇　both　unite　in　a

common　murderous　　disposition；　the　work　being　done　with　the　more

precision　in　proportion　to　its　being　easily　done。　　Jailers　have

received　orders　to　open　the　prison　doors；　and　give　themselves　no

concern。　Through　an　excess　of　precaution；　the　knives　and　forks　of　the

prisoners　have　been　taken　away　from　them。＇78＇　　One　by　one；　on　their

names　being　called；　they　will　march　out　like　oxen　in　a　slaughter…

house；　while　about　twenty　butchers　to　each　prison；　from　to　two　to

three　hundred　in　all；＇79＇　will　suffice　to　do　the　work。







V。　　Abasement　and　Stupor。



Common　workers。　　Their　numbers。　　Their　condition。　　Their

sentiments。　Effect　of　murder　on　the　murderers。　　　Their

degradation。　　Their　insensibility。



Two　kinds　of　men　make　up　the　recruits；　and　it　is　especially　on　their

crude　brains　that　we　have　to　admire　the　effect　of　the　revolutionary

dogma。



First；　there　are　the　Federates　of　the　South；　lusty　fellows；　former

soldiers　or　old　bandits；　deserters；　bohemians；　and　scoundrels　of　all

lands　and　from　every　source；　who；　after　finishing　their　work　at

Marseilles　and　Avignon；　have　come　to　Paris　to　begin　over　again。

〃Triple　nom　de　Dieu！〃　exclaims　one　of　them；　〃I　didn't　come　a　hundred

and　eighty　leagues　to　restrain　myself　from　sticking　a　hundred　and

eighty　heads　on　the　end　of　my　pike！〃＇80＇　Accordingly；　they　form　in

themselves　a　special；　permanent；　resident　body；　allowing　no　one　to

divert　them　from　their　adopted　occupation。　　〃They　turn　a　deaf　ear　to

the　excitements　of　spurious　patriotism〃；＇81＇　they　are　not　going　to　be

sent　off　to　the　frontier。　Their　post　is　at　the　capital；　they　have

sworn　〃to　defend　liberty〃；　neither　before　nor　after　Septem