the origins of contemporary france-3-第87章

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but　279　votes　against　228。＇60＇　　And；　on　the　other　hand；　through

frequent　failures；　it　surrenders　to　the　besiegers　one　by　one　every

commanding　post　of　the　public　citadel。　Now；　at　the　first　attack；

nothing　remains　but　to　fly；　or　to　beg　for　mercy。







IV。　　Jacobin　victory　over　Girondin　majority。



Principal　decrees　of　the　Girondist　majority。　　Arms　and　means　of

attack　surrendered　by　it　to　its　adversaries。



The　Convention　had　voted；　on　principle；　for　the　establishment　of　a

military　departmental　guard；　but；　owing　to　the　opposition　of　the

Montagnards；　　it　fails　to　put　the　principle　into　operation。　　For　six

months　it　is　protected；　and；　on　the　10th　of　March；　saved；　through　the

spontaneous　aid　of　provincial　federates；　but；　far　from　organizing

these　passing　auxiliaries　into　a　permanent　body　of　faithful　defenders；

it　allows　them　to　be　dispersed　or　corrupted　by　Pache　and　the　Jacobins。

　It　passes　decrees　frequently　for　the　punishment　of　the　abettors　of

the　September　crime；　but；　on　their　menacing　petition；　the　trials　are

indefinitely　postponed。＇61＇　　It　has　summoned　to　its　bar　Fournier；

Lazowski；　Deffieux；　and　other　leaders；　who；　on　the　10th　of　March；　were

disposed　to　throw　it　out　of　the　windows；　but；　on　making　their　impudent

apology；　it　sends　them　away　acquitted；　free；　and　ready　to　begin　over

again。＇62＇　At　the　War　Department　it　raises　up　in　turn　two　cunning

Jacobins；　Pache　and　Bouchotte；　who　are　to　work　against　it　unceasingly。

At　the　Department　of　the　Interior　it　allows　the　fall　of　its　firmest

support；　Roland；　and　appoints　Garat　in　his　place；　an　ideologist；　whose

mind；　composed　of　glittering　generalities；　with　a　character　made　up　of

contradictory　inclinations；　fritters　itself　away　in　reticences；　in

falsehoods　and　in　half…way　treachery；　under　the　burden　of　his　too

onerous　duties。　　It　votes　the　murder　of　the　King；　which　places　an

insurmountable　barrier　of　blood　between　it　and　all　honest　persons。　

It　plunges　the　nation　into　a　war　in　behalf　of　principles；＇63＇　and

excites　an　European　league　against　France；　which　league；　in

transferring　the　perils　arising　from　the　September　crime　to　the

frontier；　permanently　establishes　the　September　régime　in　the

interior。　　It　forges　in　advance　the　vilest　instruments　of　the

forthcoming　Reign　of　Terror；



*　through　the　decree　which　establishes　the　revolutionary　tribune；　with

Fouquier…Tinville　as　public　prosecutor；　and　the　obligation　for　each

juryman　to　utter　his　verdict　aloud；＇64＇



*　through　the　decree　condemning　every　émigré　to　civil　death；　and　the

confiscation　of　his　property　〃of　either　sex；〃　even　a　simple　fugitive；

even　returned　within　six　months；＇65＇



*　　through　the　decree　which　〃outlaws　aristocrats　and　enemies　of　the

Revolution〃；＇66＇



*　through　the　decree　which；　in　each　commune；　establishes　a　tax　on　the

wealth　of　the　commune　in　order　to　adapt　the　price　of　bread　to

wages；＇67＇



*　through　the　decree　which　subjects　every　bag　of　grain　to　declaration

and　to　the　maximum　（price　conrol）；＇68＇



*　through　the　decree　which　awards　six　years　in　irons　for　any　traffic

in　the　currency；＇69＇



*　　through　the　decree　which　orders　a　forced　loan　of　a　billion；

extorted　from　the　rich；＇70＇



*　through　the　decree　which　raises　in　each　town　a　paid　army　of　sans…

culottes　〃to　hold　aristocrats　under　their　pikes　〃＇71＇　　and　at　last；



*　through　the　decree　which；　instituting　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；＇72＇　fashions　a　central　motor　to　set　these　sharp　scythes　agoing

and　mow　down　fortunes　and　lives　with　the　utmost　rapidity。　…



To　these　engines　of　general　destruction　it　adds　one　more；　which　is

special　and　operates　against　itself。　　Not　only　does　it　furnish　its

rivals　of　the　Commune　with　the　millions　they　need　to　pay　their　bands；

not　only　does　it　advance　to　the　different　sections；＇73＇　in　the　form　of

a　loan；　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　francs　which　are　needed　to

satisfy　the　thirst　of　their　yelpers；　but　again；　at　the　end　of　March；

just　at　the　moment　when　it　happens　to　escape　the　first　Jacobin

invasion；　it　provides　for　the　election　by　each　section　of　a　Committee

of　Supervision；　authorized　to　make　domiciliary　visits　and　to　disarm

the　suspected；＇74＇　it　allows　this　committee　to　make　arrests　and

inflict　special　taxes；　to　facilitate　its　operations　it　orders　a　list

of　the　inmates　of　each　house；　legibly　〃stating　names；　surnames；　ages

and　professions；〃　to　be　affixed　to　the　entrance；＇75＇　a　copy　of　which

must　be　left　with　the　committee；　and　which　is　subject　to　its　control。



To　end　the　matter；　it　submits　itself；　and；　〃regardless　of　the

inviolability　of　a　representative　of　the　French　nation；〃＇76＇　it

decides　that；　in　case　of　political　denunciation；　its　own　members　may

be　brought　to　trial。







V。　　　　Jacobin　violence　against　the　people。



Committees　of　Supervision　after　March　28；　1793。　…　The　régime　of　August

and　September；　1792；　revived。　…　Disarmament。　…　Certificates　of　civism。

…　Forced　enlistment。　…　Forced　loans。　…　Use　made　of　the　sums　raised。　…

Vain　resistance　of　the　population。　…　Manifestations　by　young　men

repressed。　…　Violence　and　victory　of　the　Jacobins　in　the　assemblies　of

the　sections。



〃I　seem　to　hear　you；〃　writes　a　sarcastic　observer；＇77＇　〃addressing　the

（Jacobin）　faction　in　these　terms：



　'Now；　look　here；　we　have　the　means；　but　we　are　not　disposed　to　make

use　of　them　against　you；　it　would　be　unfair　to　attack　you　unarmed。

Public　power　emanates　from　two　sources；　legal　authority　and　armed

force。　Now　we　will　at　once　create　committees　of　supervision；　of　which

you　shall　appoint　the　heads；　for　the　reason　that；　with　a　whip　of　this

kind；　you　can　lash　every　honest　man　in　Paris；　and　thus　regulate　public

opinion。　　We　will　do　more　than　this；　because　our　sacrifice　is　not　yet

complete；　we　are　disposed　to　make　you　a　present　of　our　armed　force；

with　authority　to　disarm　anybody　that　you　may　suspect。　As　far　as　we

are　concerned；　we　are　ready　to　surrender　even　our　pocketknives；＇78＇

and　remain　apart；　content　with　our　virtues　and　talents。　　But　mind

what　you　are　about。　Should　you　be　so　ungrateful　as　to　attack　our

sacred　persons；　we　shall　find　avengers　in　the　departments。'



　'What　good　will　the　departments　do　you；　let　loose　against　each　other；

after　you　are　out　of　the　way？'　〃　（was　the　imaginary　Jacobin　reply！）



No　summary　could　be　more　exact　nor　any　prediction　more　accurately

based。　　Henceforth；　and　by　virtue　of　the　Convention's　own　decrees；　not

only　have　the　Jacobins　the　whole　of　the　executive　power　in　their

hands；　as　this　is　found　in　civilized　countries；　but　likewise　the

discretionary　power　of　the　antique　tyrant　or　modern　pasha；　that

arbitrary；　strong　arm　which；　singling　out　the　individual；　falls　upon

him　and　takes　from　him　his　arms；　his　freedom；　and　his　money。　After　the

28th　of　March；　we　see　in　Paris　a　resumption　of　the　system　which；

instituted　by　the　10th　of　August；　was　completed　by　the　2nd　　of

September。　　In　the　morning；　drums　beat　to　arms；　at　noon；　the　barriers

are　shut；　the　bridges　and　passages　guarded；　and　sentinels　stand　on　the

corners　of　the　streets；　no　one　is　allowed　〃to　pass　outside　the　limits

of　his　section；〃　or　circulate　within　them　without　showing　his

certificate　of　civism；　houses　are　invested；　numbers　of　persons　are

arrested；＇79＇　and；　during　the　succeeding　months；　this　operation　is

carried　on　under　the　sway　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision。　Now；　this

Committee；　in　almost　all　the　sections；　〃is　made　up　of　sans…culottes；〃

not　fathers　of　families；　men　of　judgment　and　experience；　people　living

a　long　time　in　the　quarter；　but　〃strangers；　or　young　men　trying　to　be

something；〃＇80＇　ambitious　underlings；　ignorant　daredevils；　despotic

intruders；　fierce；　touchy　and　inexperienced　inquisitors〃。



The　first　thing　is　the　disarmament　of　the　suspected。　　〃It　is　enough

that　any　citizen　shall　be　denounced；　and　that　the　case　is　made　known

to　the　Committee〃；＇81＇　or　that　his　certificate　of　civism　is　less　than

one　month　old；＇82＇　to　make　a　delegate；　accompanied　by　ten　armed　men；

search　his　house。　　In　the　section　of　the　Réunion　alone；　on　the　first

day；　57　denounced　persons　are　thus　disarmed　for　〃acts　of　incivism　or

expressions　adverse　to　the　Republic；〃　not　merely　lawyers；　notaries；

architects；　and　other　prominent　men；　but　petty　tradesmen　and　shop…

keepers；　hatters；　dyers；　locksmiths；　mechanics；　gilders；　and　bar…

keepers。　　One　section；　in　defiance　of　the　law；　adds　to　these　in　block

the　signers　of　the　petition　of　the　eight　thousand　and　that　of　the

twenty　thousand。　〃Through　such　schemes；〃　says　an　observer；＇83＇　〃all

the　guns　in　Paris；　numbering　more　than　a　hundred　thousand；　pass　into

the　hands　of　the　faction。　　None　remain　for　its　adversaries；　even　in

the　gunshops；　for；　through　an　ordinance　of　the　Commune；　no　one　may

purchase　a　gun　without　a　certificate　issued　by　the　Committee　of

Supervision　of　the　section。＇84＇　　On　the　other　hand；　owing　to　the

power　of　granting　or　refusing　certificates　of　civism；　each　Committee；

on　its　own　authority；　interposes　barriers　as　it　pleases　in　all

directions；　public　or　private；　to　every　inhabitant　within　its　bounds。

It　is　impossible　for　any　person　who　has　not　obtained　his

certificate＇85＇　to　have　a　passport　for　traveling；　although　a

tradesman；　no　public　employee；　no　clerk　of　the　administration；

advocate　or　notary　can　keep　his　place　without　it；　no　one　can　go　out　of

Paris　or　return　late　at　night。　　If　one　goes　out　to　take　a　walk；　there

is　danger　of　being　arrested　and　brought　back　between　two　soldiers　to

the　committee　of　the　section；　if　one　stays　at　home；　it　is　with　the

chance　of　being　inspected　as　a　harbourer　of　priests　or　nobles。　Any

Parisian　opening　his　windows　in　the　morning　may　find　his　house

surrounded　by　a　company　of　carmagnoles；　if　he　has　not　the

indispensable　certificate　in　his　pocket。＇86＇　　In　the　eyes　of　a　Jacobin

committee；　there　is　no　civism　but　in　Jacobinism；　and　we　can　imagine

whether　this　patent　would　be　willingly　conferred　on　opponents；　or　even

on　the　lukewarm；　what　examinations　they　would　have　to　undergo；　what

questions　they　would　be　obliged　to　answer；　how　many　goings　and

comings；　solicitations；　appearances　and　waitings　would　be　imposed　on

them；　with　what　persistency　it　would　excite　delay；　and　with　what

satisfaction　it　would　be　refused。　Buzot　presented　himself　four　times

at　the　Committee　of　Quatre…Nations　to　obtain　a　certificate　for　his

domestic；　and　failed　to　get　it。＇87＇　　There　is　another　still　more

effective　expedient　for　keeping　the　ill…disposed　in　check　The

committee　of　each　section；　aided　by　a　member　of　the　Commune；＇88＇

designates　the　twelve　thousand　men　drafted　for　the　expedition　into　La

Vendée；　and　picks　them　by　name；　one　by　one；　as　it　may　select　them；　the

effect　of　this　is　to　purge　Paris　of　twelve　thousand　anti…Jacobins；　and

tranquilize　the　section　assemblies；　where　opposition　is　often

objectionable。　　To　this　end　the　committee　selects　first；　and　gives　the

preference　to；　the　clerks　of　lawyers　and　notarie