the origins of contemporary france-2-第11章

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Stockdale's　shops　at　London　are　crowded；　but　they　are　mere　deserts

compared　to　Desenne's　and　some　others　here；　in　which　one　can

scarcely　squeeze　from　the　door　to　the　counter　。　　。　　。　　。Every　hour

produces　its　pamphlet；　13　came　out　to…day；　16　yesterday；　and　92　last

week。　　95％　of　these　productions　are　in　favor　of　liberty；〃　and　by

liberty　is　meant　the　extinction　of　privileges；　numerical

sovereignty；　the　application　of　the　Contrat…Social；　〃The　Republic〃；

and　even　more　besides；　a　universal　leveling；　permanent　anarchy；　and

even　the　jacquerie。　　Camille　Desmoulins；　one　of　the　orators；

commonly　there；　announces　it　and　urges　it　in　precise　terms：



　〃Now　that　the　animal　is　in　the　trap；　let　him　be　battered　to

death。。。　　Never　will　the　victors　have　a　richer　prey。　　Forty　thousand

palaces；　mansions；　and　chateaux；　two…fifth　of　the　property　of

France；　will　be　the　recompense　of　valor。　　Those　who　pretend　to　be

the　conquerors　will　be　conquered　in　turn。　　The　nation　shall　be

purged。〃





Here；　in　advance；　is　the　program　of　the　Reign　of　Terror。



Now　all　this　is　not　only　read；　but　declaimed；　amplified；　and　turned

to　practical　account。　　In　front　of　the　coffee…houses　〃those　who　have

stentorian　lungs　relieve　each　other　every　evening。〃＇22＇　　〃They　get

up　on　a　chair　or　a　table；　they　read　the　strongest　articles　on

current　affairs；　。　　。。　　。　　the　eagerness　with　which　they　are　heard；

and　the　thunder　of　applause　they　receive　for　every　sentiment　of　more

than　common　hardiness　or　violence　against　the　present　Government；

cannot　easily　be　imagined。〃　〃Three　days　ago　a　child　of　four　years；

well　taught　and　intelligent；　was　promenaded　around　the　garden；　in

broad　daylight；　at　least　twenty　times；　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　a

street　porter；　crying　out；　'Verdict　of　the　French　people：　Polignac

exiled　one　hundred　leagues　from　Paris；　Condé　the　same；　Conti　the

same；　Artois　the　same；　the　Queen；　　I　dare　not　write　it。'〃　A　hall

made　of　boards　in　the　middle　of　the　Palais…Royal　is　always　full；

especially　of　young　men；　who　carry　on　their　deliberations　in

parliamentary　fashion　：　in　the　evening　the　president　invites　the

spectators　to　come　forward　and　sign　motions　passed　during　the　day；

and　of　which　the　originals　are　placed　in　the　Café　Foy。＇23＇　　They

count　on　their　fingers　the　enemies　of　the　country；　〃and　first　two

Royal　Highnesses　（Monsieur　and　the　Count　d'Artois）；　three　Most

Serene　Highnesses　（the　Prince　de　Condé；　Duc　de　Bourbon；　and　the

Prince　de　Conti）；　one　favorite　（Madame　de　Polignac）；　MM。　de

Vandreuil；　de　la　Trémoille；　du　Chatelet；　de　Villedeuil；　de　Barentin；

de　la　Galaisière；　Vidaud　de　la　Tour；　Berthier；　Foulon；　and　also　M。

Linguet。〃　Placards　are　posted　demanding　the　pillory　on　the　Pont…Neuf

for　the　Abbeé　Maury。　　One　speaker　proposes　〃to　burn　the　house　of　M。

d'Espréménil；　his　wife；　children　and　furniture；　and　himself：　this　is

passed　unanimously。〃　　No　opposition　is　tolerated。　　One　of　those

present　having　manifested　some　horror　at　such　sanguinary　motions；

〃is　seized　by　the　collar；　obliged　to　kneel　down；　to　make　an　apology；

and　to　kiss　the　ground。　　The　punishment　inflicted　on　children　is

given　to　him；　he　is　ducked　repeatedly　in　one　of　the　fountain…basins；

after　which　they　him　over　to　the　mob；　who　roll　him　in　the　mud。〃　On

the　following　day　an　ecclesiastic　is　trodden　under　foot；　and　flung

from　hand　to　hand。　　A　few　days　after；　on　the　22nd　of　June；　there　are

two　similar　events。　　The　sovereign　mob　exercises　all　the　functions

of　sovereign　authority；　with　those　of　the　legislator　those　of　the

judge；　and　those　of　the　judge　with　those　of　the　executioner。　　　Its

idols　are　sacred；　if　any　one　fails　to　show　them　respect　he　is　guilty

of　lése…majesté；　and　at　once　punished。　　In　the　first　week　of　July；

an　abbé　who　speaks　ill　of　Necker　is　flogged；　a　woman　who　insults　the

bust　of　Necker　is　stripped　by　the　fishwomen；　and　beaten　until　she　is

covered　with　blood。　　War　is　declared　against　suspicious　uniforms。

〃On　the　appearance　of　a　hussar；〃　writes　Desmoulins；　〃they　shout；

'There　goes　Punch！'　and　the　stone…cutters　fling　stones　at　him。　　Last

night　two　officers　of　the　hussars；　MM。　de　Sombreuil　and　de　Polignac；

came　to　the　Palais…Royal。　　。　　。　　chairs　were　flung　at　them；　and　they

would　have　been　knocked　down　if　they　had　not　run　away。　　The　day

before　yesterday　they　seized　a　spy　of　the　police　and　gave　him　a

ducking　in　the　fountain。　　They　ran　him　down　like　a　stag；　hustled

him；　pelted　him　with　stones；　struck　him　with　canes；　forced　one　of

his　eyes　out　of　its　socket；　and　finally；　in　spite　of　his　entreaties

and　cries　for　mercy；　plunged　him　a　second　time　in　the　fountain。　　His

torments　lasted　from　noon　until　half…past　five　o'clock；　and　he　had

about　ten　thousand　executioners。〃　　Consider　the　effect　of　such　a

focal　center　at　a　time　like　this。　　A　new　power　has　sprung　up

alongside　the　legal　powers；　a　legislature　of　the　highways　and　public

squares；　anonymous；　irresponsible；　without　restraint。　　It　is　driven

onward　by　coffeehouse　theories；　by　strong　emotions　and　the　vehemence

of　mountebanks；　while　the　bare　arms　which　have　just　accomplished　the

work　of　destruction　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　form　its

bodyguard　and　ministerial　cabinet。



　V。



Popular　mobs　become　a　political　force。　…　Pressure　on　the　Assembly。　…

Defection　of　the　soldiery。



This　is　the　dictatorship　of　a　mob；　and　its　proceedings；　conforming

to　its　nature；　consist　in　acts　of　violence；　wherever　it　finds

resistance；　it　strikes。　　　The　people　of　Versailles；　in　the　streets

and　at　the　doors　of　the　Assembly；　daily　〃come　and　insult　those　whom

they　call　aristocrats。〃＇24＇　On　Monday；　June　22nd；　〃d'Espréménil

barely　escapes　being　knocked　down；　the　Abbé　Maury。　　。　　。　　owes　his

escape　to　the　strength　of　a　curé；　who　takes　him　up　in　his　arms　and

tosses　him　into　the　carriage　of　the　Archbishop　of　Arles。〃　On　the

23rd；　〃the　Archbishop　of　Paris　and　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　are

hooted；　railed　at；　scoffed　at；　and　derided；　until　they　almost　sink

with　shame　and　rage。〃　So　formidable　is　the　tempest　of　rage　with

which　they　are　greeted；　that　Passeret；　the　King's　secretary；　who

accompanies　the　minister；　dies　of　the　excitement　that　very　day。　　On

the　24th；　the　Bishop　of　Beauvais　is　almost　knocked　down　by　a　stone

striking　him　on　the　head。　　On　the　25th；　the　Archbishop　of　Paris　is

saved　only　by　the　speed　of　his　horses；　the　multitude　pursuing　him

and　pelting　him　with　stones。　　His　mansion　is　besieged；　the　windows

are　all　shattered；　and；　notwithstanding　the　intervention　of　the

French　Guards；　the　peril　is　so　great　that　he　is　obliged　to　promise

that　he　will　join　the　deputies　of　the　Third…Estate。　　This　is　the　way

in　which　the　rude　hand　of　the　people　effects　a　reunion　of　the

Orders。　　It　bears　as　heavily　on　its　own　representatives　as　on　its

adversaries。　　〃Although　our　hall　was　closed　to　the　public；〃　says

Bailly；　〃there　were　always　more　than　six　hundred　spectators。〃＇25＇

These　were　not　respectful　and　silent；　but　active　and　noisy；　mingling

with　the　deputies；　raising　their　hands　to　vote　in　all　cases；　taking

part　in　the　deliberations；　by　their　applause　and　hisses：　a

collateral　Assembly　which　often　imposes　its　own　will　on　the　other。

They　take　note　of　and　put　down　the　names　of　their　opponents；

transmit　them　to　the　chair…bearers　in　attendance　at　the　entrance　of

the　hall；　and　from　them　to　the　mob　waiting　for　the　departure　of　the

deputies；　these　names　are　from　now　considered　as　the　names　of　public

enemies。＇26＇　　Lists　are　made　out　and　printed；　and；　at　the　Palais…

Royal　in　the　evening；　they　become　the　lists　of　the　proscribed。　　

It　is　under　this　brutal　pressure　that　many　decrees　are　passed；　and；

amongst　them；　that　by　which　the　commons　declare　themselves　the

National　Assembly　and　assume　supreme　power。　　The　night　before；

Malouet　had　proposed　to　ascertain；　by　a　preliminary　vote；　on　which

side　the　majority　was。　　In　an　instant　all　those　against　had　gathered

around　him　to　the　number　of　three　hundred。　　〃Upon　which　a　mans

springs　out　from　the　galler