the origins of contemporary france-3-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



it　I　have　turned　my　attention　to　all　the　courts　of　Europe；　and　am　sure

that　I　can　force　peace　on　them。〃　　Robert；　an　obscure　pamphleteer；

asks　Dumouriez　to　make　him　ambassador　to　Constantinople；　while　Louvet；

the　author　of　〃Faublas；〃　declares　in　his　memoirs　that　liberty　perished

in　1792；　because　he　was　not　appointed　Minister　of　Justice。



＇28＇　Moniteur；　p。　189。　Speech　by　Collot　d'Herbois；　on　the　mitraillades

at　Lyons。　〃We　too；　possess　sensibility！　The　Jacobins　have　every

virtue；　they　are　compassionate；　humane；　and　generous。　These　virtues；

however；　are　reserved　for　patriots；　who　are　their　brethren；　but　never

for　aristocrats。〃　　Meillan；　〃Mémoires；〃　p。　4。　　〃Robespierre　was　one

day　eulogizing　a　man　named　Desfieux；　well　known　for　his　lack　of

integrity；　and　whom　he　finally　sacrificed。　'But；　I　said　to　him；　your

man　Desfieux　is　known　to　be　a　rascal。'　…　'No　matter；'　he　replied；　'he

is　a　good　patriot。'　…　'But　he　is　a　fraudulent　bankrupt。'…'He　is　a　good

patriot。'　　'But　he　is　a　thief。'　…'He　is　a　good　patriot。'　I　could　not

get　more　than　these　three　words　out　of　him。〃







CHAPTER　II。



I。



Formation　of　the　party。　　Its　recruits　　These　are　rare　in　the　upper

class　and　amongst　the　masses。　　They　are　numerous　in　the　low

bourgeois　class　and　in　the　upper　stratum　of　the　people。　　The

position　and　education　which　enroll　a　man　in　the　party。



PERSONALITIES　like　these　are　found　in　all　classes　of　society；　no

situation　or　position　in　life　protects　one　from　wild　Utopia　or　frantic

ambition。　We　find　among　the　Jacobins　a　Barras　and　a　Chateauneuf…

Randon；　two　nobles　of　the　oldest　families；　Condorcet；　a　marquis；

mathematician；　philosopher　and　member　of　two　renowned　academies；

Gobel；　bishop　of　Lydda　and　suffragan　to　the　bishop　of　Bale；　Hérault　de

Séchellles；　a　protégé　of　the　Queen's　and　attorney…general　to　the　Paris

parliament；　Lepelletier　de　St。　Fargeau；　chief…justice　and　one　of　the

richest　land…owners　in　France；　Charles　de　Hesse；　major…general；　born

in　the　royal　family；　and；　last　of　all；　a　prince　of　the　blood　and

fourth　personage　in　the　realm；　the　Duke　of　Orleans。　　But；　with　the

exception　of　these　rare　deserters；　neither　the　hereditary　aristocracy

nor　the　upper　magistracy；　nor　the　highest　of　the　middle　class；　none　of

the　land…owners　who　live　on　their　estates；　or　the　leaders　of

industrial　and　commercial　enterprises；　no　one　belonging　to　the

administration；　none　of　those；　in　general；　who　are　or　deserve　to　　be

considered　social　authorities；　furnish　the　party　with　recruits。　All

have　too　much　at　stake　in　　the　political　establishment；　shattered　as

it　is；　to　wish　its　entire　demolition。　Their　political　experience；

brief　as　it　is；　enables　them　to　see　at　once　that　a　habitable　house　is

not　built　by　merely　tracing　a　plan　of　it　on　paper　according　the

theorems　of　school　geometry。　　On　the　other　hand；　among　the　ordinary

rural　population　the　ideology　finds；　unless　it　can　be　changed　into　a

legend；　no　listeners。　　Share　croppers；　small　holders　and　farmers

looking　after　their　own　plots　of　ground；　peasants　and　craftsmen　who

work　too　hard　to　think　and　whose　minds　never　range　beyond　a　village

horizon；　busy　only　with　that　which　brings　in　their　daily　bread；　find

abstract　doctrines　unintelligible；　should　the　dogmas　of　the　new

catechism　arrest　their　attention　the　same　thing　happens　as　with　the

old　one；　they　do　not　understand　them；　that　mental　faculty　by　which　an

abstraction　is　reached　is　not　yet　formed　in　them。　On　being　taken　to　a

political　club　they　fall　asleep；　they　open　their　eyes　only　when　some

one　announces　that　tithes　and　feudal　privileges　are　to　be　restored；

they　can　be　depended　on　for　nothing　more　than　a　brawl　and　a　jacquerie；

later　on；　when　their　grain　comes　to　be　taxed　or　is　taken；　they　prove

as　unruly　under　the　republic　as　under　the　monarchy。



The　believers　in　this　theory　come　from　other　quarters；　from　the　two

extremes　of　the　lower　stratum　of　the　middle　class　and　the　upper

stratum　of　the　low　class。　Again；　in　these　two　contiguous　groups；　which

merge　into　each　other；　those　must　be　left　out　who；　absorbed　in　their

daily　occupations　or　professions；　have　no　time　or　thought　to　give　to

public　matters；　who　have　reached　a　fair　position　in　the　social

hierarchy　and　are　not　disposed　to　run　risks；　almost　all　of　them　well…

established；　steady…going；　mature；　married　folks　who　have　sown　their

wild　oats　and　whom　experience　in　life　has　rendered　distrustful　of

themselves　and　of　theories。　Overweening　conceit　is；　most　of　the　time；

only　average　in　the　average　human　being；　so　speculative　ideas　will

with　most　people　only　obtain　a　loose；　transient　and　feeble　hold。

Moreover；　in　this　society　which；　for　many　centuries　consists　of　people

accustomed　to　being　ruled；　the　hereditary　spirit　is　bourgeois　that　is

to　say；　used　to　discipline；　fond　of　order；　peaceable　and　even　timid。

　There　remains　a　minority；　a　very　small　one；＇1＇　innovating　and

restless。　This　consisted；　on　the　one　hand；　of　people　who　were

discontented　with　their　calling　or　profession；　because　they　were　of

secondary　or　subaltern　rank　in　it。＇2＇　Some　were　debutantes　not　fully

employed　and　others　aspirants　for　careers　not　yet　entered　upon。　Then；

on　the　other　hand；　there　were　the　men　of　unstable　character　and　all

those　who　were　uprooted　by　the　immense　upheaval　of　things：　in　the

Church；　through　the　suppression　of　convents　and　through　schism；　in　the

judiciary；　in　the　administration；　in　the　financial　departments；　in　the

army；　and　in　various　private　and　public　careers；　through　the

reorganization　of　institutions；　through　the　novelty　of　fresh　resources

and　occupations；　and　through　the　disturbance　caused　by　the　changed

relationships　of　patrons　and　clients。　Many　who；　in　ordinary　times；

would　otherwise　remain　quiet；　become　in　this　way　nomadic　and

extravagant　in　politics。　Among　the　foremost　of　these　are　found　those

who；　through　a　classical　education；　can　take　in　an　abstract

proposition　and　deduce　its　consequences；　but　who；　for　lack　of　special

preparation　for　it；　and　confined　to　the　narrow　circle　of　local

affairs；　are　incapable　of　forming　accurate　conceptions　of　a　vast；

complex　social　organization；　and　of　the　conditions　which　enable　it　to

subsist。　　Their　talent　lies　in　making　a　speech；　in　dashing　off　an

editorial；　in　　composing　a　pamphlet；　and　in　drawing　up　reports　in　more

or　less　pompous　and　dogmatic　style；　the　genre　admitted；　a　few　of　them

who　are　gifted　become　eloquent；　but　that　is　all。　Among　those　are　the

lawyers；　notaries；　bailiffs　and　former　petty　provincial　judges　and

attorneys　who　furnish　the　leading　actors　and　two…thirds　of　the　members

of　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　of　the　Convention：　　There　are　surgeons

and　doctors　in　small　towns；　like　Bo；　Levasseur；　and　Baudot；　second　and

third…rate　literary　characters；　like　Barrère；　Louvet；　Garat；　Manuel；

and　Ronsin；　college　professors　like　Louchet　and　Romme；　schoolmasters

like　Leonard　Bourdon；　journalists　like　Brissot；　Desmoulins　and　Freron；

actors　like　Collot　d'Herbois；　artists　like　Sergent；　Oratoriens＇3＇　like

Fouché；　capuchins　like　Chabot；　more　or　less　secularized　priests　like

Lebon；　Chasles；　Lakanal；　and　Grégoire；　students　scarcely　out　of　school

like　St。　Just；　Monet　of　Strasbourg；　Rousseline　of　St。　Albin；　and

Julien　of　the　Dr？me　　in　short；　the　poorly　sown　and　badly　cultivated

minds；　and　on　which　the　theory　had　only　to　fall　to　smother　the　good

grain　and　thrive　like　a　nettle。　Add　to　these　charlatans　and　others　who

live　by　their　wits；　the　visionary　and　morbid　of　all　sorts；　from

Fanchet　and　Klootz　to　Chalier　or　Marat；　the　whole　of　that　needy；

chattering；　irresponsible　crowd；　ever　swarming　about　large　cities

ventilating　its　shallow　conceits　and　abortive　pretensions。　Farther　in

the　background　appear　those　whose　scanty　education　qualifies　them　to

half　understand　an　abstract　principle　and　imperfectly　deduce　its

consequences；　but　whose　roughly…polished　instinct　atones　for　the

feebleness　of　a　coarse　argumentation。　Through　cupidity；　envy　and

rancor；　they　divine　a　rich　pasture…ground　behind　the　theory；　and

Jacobin　dogmas　become　dearer　to　them；　because　the　imagination　sees

untold　treasures　beyond　the　mists　in　which　they　are　shrouded。　They　can

listen　to　a　club　harangue　without　falling　asleep；　applaud　its　tirades

in　the　rights　place；　offer　a　resolution　in　a　public　garden；　shout　in

the　tribunes；　pen　affidavits　for　arrests；　compose　orders…of…the…day

for　the　national　guard；　and　lend　their　lungs；　arms；　and　sabers　to

whoever　bids　for　them。　But　here　their　capacity　ends。　In　this　group

merchants'　and　notaries'　clerks　abound；　like　Hébert　and　Henriot；

Vincent　and　Chaumette；　butchers　like　Legendre；　postmasters　like

Drouet；　boss…joiners　like　Duplay；　school…teachers　like　that　Buchot　who

becomes　a　minister；　and　many　others　of　the　same　sort；　accustomed　to

jotting　down　ideas；　with　vague　notions　of　orthography　and　who　are　apt

in　speech…making；＇4＇　foremen；　sub…officers；　former　begging　friars；

peddlers；　tavern…keepers；　retailers；　market…porters；　and　city…

journeymen　from　Gouchon；　the　orator　of　the　faubourg　St。　Antoine；　down

to　Simon；　the　cobbler　of　the　Temple；　from　Trinchard；　the　juryman　of

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　down　to　grocers；　tailors；　shoemakers；

tapster；　waiters；　barbers；　and　other　shopkeepers　or　artisans　who　do

their　work　at　home；　and　who　are　yet　to　do　the　work　of　the　September

massacres。　Add　to　these　the　foul　remnants　of　every　popular

insurrection　and　dictatorship；　beasts　of　prey　like　Jourdain　of

Avignon；　and　Fournier　the　American；　women　like　Théroigne；　Rose

Lacombe；　and　the　tricoteuses　of　the　Convention　who　have　unsexed

themselves；　the　amnestied　bandits　and　other　gallows　birds　who；　for

lack　of　a　police；　have　a　wide　range；　street…rollers　and　vagabonds；

rebels　against　labor　and　discipline；　the　whole　of　that　class　in　the

center　of　civilization　which　preserves　the　instincts　of　savages；　and

asserts　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　to　glut　a　natural　appetite　for

license；　laziness；　and　ferocity。　　Thus　is　the　party　recruited

through　an　enlisting　process　that　gleans　its　subjects　from　every

station　in　life；　but　which　reaps　them　down　in　great　swaths；　and

gathers　them　together　in　the　two　groups　to　which　dogmatism　and

presumption　naturally　belong。　Here；　education　has　brought　man　to　the

threshold；　even　to　the　heart　of　general　ideas；　consequently；　he　feels

hampered　within　the　narrow　bounds　of　his　profession　or　occupation；　and

aspires　to　something　beyond。　But　as　his　education　has　remained

superficial　or　rudimentary；　consequently；　outside　of　his　narrow　circle

he　feels　out　of　his　place。　He　has　a　perception　or　obtains　a　glimpse　of

political　ideas　and；　therefore；　assumes　that　he　has　capacity。　But　his

perception　is　confided　to　a　formula；　and　he　sees　them　dimly　through　a

cloud；　hence　his　incapacity；　and　the　reason　why　his　mental　lacunae　　as

well　as　his　attainments　both　contribute　to　make　him　a　Jacobin。







II。



Spontaneous　associations　after　July　14；　1789。