the origins of contemporary france-3-第8章

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II。



Spontaneous　associations　after　July　14；　1789。　　　How　these　dissolve。

…　Withdrawal　of　people　of　sense　and　occupation。　　Number　of　those

absent　at　elections。　　Birth　and　multiplication　of　Jacobin　societies。

　Their　influence　over　their　adherents　　Their　maneuvers　and

despotism。



Men　thus　disposed　cannot　fail　to　draw　near　each　other；　to　understand

each　other；　and　combine　together；　for；　in　the　principle　of　popular

sovereignty；　they　have　a　common　dogma；　and；　in　the　conquest　of

political　supremacy；　a　common　aim。　Through　a　common　aim　they　form　a

faction；　and　through　a　common　dogma　they　constitute　a　sect；　the　league

between　them　being　more　easily　effected　because　they　are　a　faction　and

sect　at　the　same　time。



　At　first　their　association　is　not　distinguishable　in　the　multitude　of

other　associations。　Political　societies　spring　up　on　all　sides　after

the　taking　of　the　Bastille。　Some　kind　of　organization　had　to　be

substituted　for　the　deposed　or　tottering　government；　in　order　to

provide　for　urgent　public　needs；　to　secure　protection　against

ruffians；　to　obtain　supplies　of　provisions；　and　to　guard　against　the

probably　machinations　of　the　court。　Committees　installed　themselves　in

the　town　halls；　while　volunteers　formed　bodies　of　militia：　hundreds　of

local　governments；　almost　independent；　arose　in　the　place　of　the

central　government；　almost　destroyed。＇5＇　For　six　months　everybody

attended　to　matters　of　common　interest；　each　individual　getting　to　be

a　public　personage　and　bearing　his　quota　of　the　government　load：　a

heavy　load　at　all　times；　but　heavier　in　times　of　anarchy；　this；　at

least；　is　the　opinion　of　the　majority　but　not　of　all　of　them。

Consequently；　a　division　arises　amongst　those　who　had　assumed　this

load；　and　two　groups　are　formed；　one　huge；　inert　and　disintegrating；

and　the　other　small；　compact　and　energetic；　each　taking　one　of　two

ways　which　diverge　from　each　other；　and　which　keep　on　diverging　more

and　more。



On　one　hand　are　the　ordinary；　sensible　people；　those　who　are　busy；　and

who　are；　to　some　extent；　not　over…conscientious；　and　not　over…

conceited。　The　power　is　in　their　hands　because　they　find　it　prostrate；

lying　abandoned　in　the　street；　they　hold　it　provisionally　only；　for

they　knew　beforehand；　or　soon　discover；　that　they　are　not　qualified

for　the　post；　it　being　one　of　those　which；　to　be　properly　filled；

needs　some　preparation　and　fitness　for　it。　A　man　does　not　become

legislator　or　administrator　in　one　day；　any　more　than　he　suddenly

becomes　a　physician　or　surgeon。　If　an　accident　obliges　me　to　act　in

the　latter　capacity；　I　yield；　but　against　my　will；　and　I　do　no　more

than　is　necessary　to　save　my　patients　from　hurting　themselves；　My　fear

of　their　dying　under　the　operation　is　very　great；　and；　as　soon　as　some

other　person　can　be　found　to　take　my　place；　I　go　home。＇6＇　　I　should

be　glad；　like　everybody　else；　to　have　my　vote　in　the　selection　of　this

person；　and；　among　the　candidates。　I　should　designate；　to　the　best　of

my　ability；　one　who　seemed　to　me　the　ablest　and　most　conscientious。

Once　selected；　however；　and　installed；　I　should　not　attempt　to　dictate

to　him；　his　cabinet　is　private；　and　I　have　no　right　to　run　there

constantly　and　cross…question　him；　as　if　he　were　a　child　or　under

suspicion。　It　does　not　become　me　to　tell　him　what　to　do；　he　probably

knows　more　about　the　case　than　I　do；　in　any　event；　to　keep　a　steady

hand；　he　must　not　be　threatened；　and；　to　keep　a　clear　head；　he　must

not　be　disturbed。　　Nor　must　I　be　disturbed；　my　office　and　books；　my

shop；　my　customers　must　be　attended　to　as　well。　Everybody　has　to　mind

his　own　business；　and　whoever　would　attend　to　his　own　and　another's

too；　spoils　both。　　This　way　of　thinking　prevails　with　most　healthy

minds　towards　the　beginning　of　the　year　1790；　all　whose　heads　are　not

turned　by　insane　ambition　and　the　mania　for　theorizing；　especially

after　six　months　of　practical　experience　and　knowing　the　dangers；

miscalculation；　and　vexations　to　which　one　is　exposed　in　trying　to

lead　an　eager；　over…excited　population。　　Just　at　this　time；　December

1789；　municipal　law　becomes　established　throughout　the　country；　all

the　mayors　and　municipal　officers　are　elected　almost　immediately；　and

in　the　following　months；　all　administrators　of　districts　and

departments。　The　interregnum　has　a　length　come　to　an　end。　Legal

authorities　now　exist；　with　legitimate　and　clearly…determined

functions。　Reasonable；　honest　people　gladly　turn　power　over　to　those

to　whom　it　belongs；　and　certainly　do　not　dream　of　resuming　it。　All

associations　for　temporary　purposes　are　at　once　disbanded　for　lack　of

an　object；　and　if　others　are　formed；　it　is　for　the　purpose　of

defending　established　institutions。　This　is　the　object　of　the

Federation；　and；　for　six　months；　people　embrace　each　other　and

exchange　oaths　of　fidelity。　　After　this；　July　14；　1790；　they　retire

into　private　life；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that；　from　this　date；　the

political　ambition　of　a　large　plurality　of　the　French　people　is

satisfied；　for；　although　Rousseau's　denunciation　of　the　social

hierarchy　are　still　cited　by　them；　they；　at　bottom；　desire　but　little

more　than　the　suppression　of　administrative　brutality　and　state

favoritism。＇7＇　　All　this　is　obtained；　and　plenty　of　other　things

besides；　the　august　title　of　sovereign；　the　respect　of　the　public

authorities；　honors　to　all　who　wield　a　pen　or　make　a　speech；　and；

better　still；　actual　sovereignty　in　the　appointment　to　office　of　all

local　land　national　administrators；　not　only　do　the　people　elect　their

deputies；　but　every　species　of　functionary　of　every　degree；　those　of

commune；　district；　and　department；　officers　in　the　national　guard；

civil　and　criminal　magistrates；　bishops　and　priests。　Again；　to　ensure

the　responsibility　of　the　elected　to　their　electors；　the　term　of

office　fixed　by　law　is　a　short　one；＇8＇　the　electoral　machine　which

summons　the　sovereign　to　exercise　his　sovereignty　being　set　agoing

about　every　four　months。　　This　was　a　good　deal；　and　too　　much；　as

the　sovereign　himself　soon　discovers。　Voting　so　frequently　becomes

unendurable；　so　many　prerogatives　end　in　getting　to　be　drudgery。　Early

in　1790；　and　after　this　date；　the　majority　forego　the　privilege　of

voting　and　the　number　of　absentees　becomes　enormous。　At　Chartres；　in

May；　1790；＇9＇　1；447　out　of　1；551　voters　do　not　attend　preliminary

meetings。　At　Besan？on；　in　January；　1790；　on　the　election　of　mayor　and

municipal　officers；　2；141　out　of　3；200　registered　electors　are

recorded　as　absent　from　the　polls；　and　2；900　in　the　following　month　of

November。＇10＇　　At　Grenoble；　in　August　and　November　of　this　year；　out

of　2；500　registered　voters；　more　than　2；000　are　noted　as　absent。＇11＇

At　Limoges；　out　of　about　the　same　number；　there　are　only　150　voters。

At　Paris；　out　of　81；400　electors；　in　August；　1790；　67；200　do　not　vote；

and；　three　months　later；　the　number　of　absentees　is　71　；408。＇12＇



　Thus　for　every　elector　that　votes；　there　are　four；　six；　eight；　ten；

and　even　sixteen　that　abstain　from　voting。　　In　the　election　of

deputies；　the　case　is　the　same。　At　the　primary　meetings　of　1791；　in

Paris；　out　of　　81；200　registered　names　more　than　74；000　fail　to

respond。　　In　the　Doubs；　three　out　of　four　voters　stay　away。　　In　one　of

the　cantons　of　the　C？te　d'Or；　at　the　close　of　the　polls；　only　one…

eighth　of　the　electors　remain　at　the　counting　of　the　votes；　while　in

the　secondary　meetings　the　desertion　is　not　less。　　At　Paris；　out　of

946　electors　chosen　only　200　are　found　to　give　their　suffrage；　at

Rouen；　out　of　700　there　are　but　160；　and　on　the　last　day　of　the

ballot；　only　60。　In　short；　〃in　all　departments；〃　says　an　orator　in　the

tribune；　〃scarcely　one　out　of　five　electors　of　the　second　degree

discharges　his　duty。〃



In　this　manner　the　majority　hands　in　its　resignation。　Through　inertia；

want　of　forethought；　lassitude；　aversion　to　the　electoral　hubbub；　lack

of　political　preferences；　or　dislike　of　all　the　political　candidates；

it　shirks　the　task　which　the　constitution　imposes　on　it。　　Most

certainly　is　has　no　taste　for　the　painstaking　burden　of　being　involved

in　a　league　（of　human　rights）。　Men　who　cannot　find　time　once　in　three

months　to　drop　a　ballot　in　the　box；　will　not　come　three　times　a　week

to　attend　the　meetings　of　a　club。　Far　from　meddling　with　the

government；　they　abdicate；　and　as　they　refuse　to　elect　it；　they　cannot

undertake　to　control　it。



It　is；　on　the　other　hand；　　just　the　opposite　with　the　upstarts　and

dogmatists　who　regard　their　royal　privileges　seriously。　They　not　only

vote　at　the　elections；　but　they　mean　to　keep　the　authority　they

delegate　in　their　own　hands。　In　their　eyes　every　official　is　one　of

their　creatures；　and　remains　accountable　to　them；　for；　in　point　of

law；　the　people　may　not　part　with　their　sovereignty；　while；　in　fact；

power　has　proved　so　sweet　that　they　are　not　disposed　to　part　with

it。＇13＇　　During　six　months　preceding　the　regular　elections；　they　have

come　to　know；　comprehend；　and　test　each　other；　they　have　held　secret

meetings；　a　mutual　understanding　is　arrived　at；　and　henceforth；　as

other　associations　disappear　like　fleeting　bloom；　theirs＇14＇　rise

vigorously　on　the　abandoned　soil。　A　club　is　established　at　Marseilles

before　the　end　of　1789；　each　large　town　has　one　within　the　first　six

months　of　1790；　Aix　in　February；　Montpellier　in　March；　N？mes　in　April；

Lyons　in　May；　and　Bordeaux　in　June。＇15＇　　But　their　greatest　increase

takes　place　after　the　Federation　festival。　Just　when　local　gatherings

merge　into　that　of　the　whole　country；　the　sectarian　Jacobins　keep

aloof；　and　form　leagues　of　their　own。　At　Rouen；　July　14；　1790；　two

surgeons；　a　printer；　a　chaplain　at　the　prison；　a　widowed　Jewess；　and

four　　women　or　children　living　in　the　house；　…　eight　persons　in　all；

pure　and　not　to　be　confounded　with　the　mass；＇16＇　bind　themselves

together；　and　form　a　distinct　association。　Their　patriotism　is　of

superior　quality；　and　they　take　a　special　view　of　the　social

compact；＇17＇　in　swearing　fealty　to　the　constitution　they　reserve　to

themselves　the　Rights　of　Man；　and　they　mean　to　maintain　not　only　the

reforms　already　effected；　but　to　complete　the　Revolution　just　begun。　…

During　the　Federation　they　have　welcomed　and　indoctrinated　their

fellows　who；　on　quitting　the　capital　or　large　cities；　become　bearers

of　instructions　to　the　small　towns　and　hamlets；　they　are　told　what　the

object　of　a　club　is；　and　how　to　form　one；　and；　everywhere；　popular

associations　arise　on　the　same　plan；　for　the　same　purpose；　and　bearing

the　same　name。　A　month　later；　sixty　of　these　associations　are　in

operation；　three　months　later；　one　hundred；　in　March；　1791；　two

hundred　and　twenty…nine；　and　in　August；　1791；　nearly　four　hundred。＇18＇

After　this　date　a　sudden　increase　takes　place；　owing　to　two

simultaneous　impulses；　which　scatter　their　seeds　over　the　entire

territory。　　On　the　one　hand；　at　then　end　of　July；　1791；　all　moderate

men；　the　f