the origins of contemporary france-2-第12章

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

springs　out　from　the　galleries；　falls　upon　him　and　takes　him　by　the

collar　exclaiming；　'Hold　your　tongue；　you　false　citizen！'　〃　Malouet

is　released　and　the　guard　comes　forward；　〃but　terror　has　spread

through　the　hall；　threats　are　uttered　against　opponents；　and　the

next　day　we　were　only　ninety。〃　Moreover；　the　lists　of　their　names

had　been　circulated；　some　of　them；　deputies　from　Paris；　went　to　see

Bailly　that　very　evening。　　One　amongst　them；　〃a　very　honest　man　and

good　patriot；〃　had　been　told　that　his　house　was　to　be　set　on　fire。

Now　his　wife　had　just　given　birth　to　a　child；　and　the　slightest

tumult　before　the　house　would　have　been　fatal。　　Such　arguments　are

decisive。　　Consequently；　three　days　afterwards；　at　the　Tennis…court；

but　one　deputy；　Martin　d'Auch；　dares　to　write　the　word　〃opposing〃

after　his　name。　　Insulted　by　many　of　colleagues；　〃at　once　denounced

to　the　people　who　had　collected　at　the　entrance　of　the　building；　he

is　obliged　to　escape　by　a　side　door　to　avoid　being　cut　to　pieces；〃

and；　for　several　days；　to　keep　away　from　the　meetings。＇27＇　　…　　Owing

to　this　intervention　of　the　galleries　the　radical　minority；

numbering　about　thirty；＇28＇　lead　the　majority；　and　they　do　not　allow

them　to　free　themselves。　　　On　the　28th　of　May；　Malouet；　having

demanded　a　secret　session　to　discuss　the　conciliatory　measures　which

the　King　had　proposed；　the　galleries　hoot　at　him；　and　a　deputy；　M。

Bourche；　addresses　him　in　very　plain　terms。　　〃You　must　know；　sir；

that　we　are　deliberating　here　in　the　presence　of　our　masters；　and

that　we　must　account　to　them　for　our　opinions。〃　This　is　the　doctrine

of　the　Contrat…Social。　　Through　timidity；　fear　of　the　Court　and　of

the　privileged　class；　through　optimism　and　faith　in　human　nature；

through　enthusiasm　and　the　necessity　of　adhering　to　previous

actions；　the　deputies；　who　are　novices；　provincial；　and　given　up　to

theories；　neither　dare　nor　know　how　to　escape　from　the　tyranny　of

the　prevailing　dogma。　　　Henceforth　it　becomes　the　law。　　All　the

Assemblies；　the　Constituent；　the　Legislative；　the　Convention；＇29＇

submit　to　it　entirely。　　The　public　in　the　galleries　is　the　admitted

representatives　of　the　people；　under　the　same　title；　and　even　under

a　higher　title；　than　the　deputies。　　Now；　this　public　is　that　of　the

Palais…Royal；　consisting　of　strangers；　idlers；　lovers　of　novelties；

Paris　romancers；　leaders　of　the　coffee…houses；　the　future　pillars　of

the　clubs；　in　short；　the　wild　enthusiasts　among　the　middle…class；

just　as　the　crowd　which　threatens　doors　and　throws　stones　is

recruited　from　among　the　wild　enthusiasts　of　the　lowest　class。　　Thus

by　an　involuntary　selection；　the　faction　which　constitutes　itself　a

public　power　is　composed　of　nothing　but　violent　minds　and　violent

hands。　　Spontaneously　and　without　previous　concert　dangerous

fanatics　are　joined　with　dangerous　brutes；　and　in　the　increasing

discord　between　the　legal　authorities　this　is　the　illegal　league

which　is　certain　to　overthrow　all。



When　a　commanding　general　sits　in　council　with　his　staff…officers

and　his　counselors；　and　discusses　the　plan　of　a　campaign；　the　chief

public　interest　is　that　discipline　should　remain　intact；　and　that

intruders；　soldiers；　or　menials；　should　not　throw　the　weight　of

their　turbulence　and　thoughtlessness　into　the　scales　which　have　to

be　cautiously　and　firmly　held　by　their　chiefs。　　This　was　the　express

demand　of　the　Government；＇30＇　but　the　demand　was　not　regarded；　and

against　the　persistent　usurpation　of　the　multitude　nothing　is　left

to　it　but　the　employment　of　force。　　But　force　itself　is　slipping

from　its　hands；　while　growing　disobedience；　like　a　contagion；　after

having　gained　the　people　is　spreading　among　the　troops。　　…　　From　the

23rd　of　June；＇31＇　two　companies　of　the　French　Guards　refused　to　do

duty。　　Confined　to　their　barracks；　they　on　the　27th　break　out；　and

henceforth　〃they　are　seen　every　evening　entering　the　Palais…Royal；

marching　in　double　file。〃　They　know　the　place　well；　it　is　the

general　rendezvous　of　the　abandoned　women　whose　lovers　and　parasites

they　are。＇32＇　　〃The　patriots　all　gather　around　them；　treat　them　to

ice　cream　and　wine；　and　debauch　them　in　the　face　of　their　officers。〃

　To　this；　moreover；　must　be　added　the　fact　that　their　colonel；　M。

du　Chatelet；　has　long　been　odious　to　them；　that　he　has　fatigued　them

with　forced　drills；　worried　them　and　diminished　the　number　of　their

sergeants；　that　he　suppressed　the　school　for　the　education　of　the

children　of　their　musicians；　that　he　uses　the　stick　in　punishing　the

men；　and　picks　quarrels　with　them　about　their　appearance；　their

board；　and　their　clothing。　　This　regiment　is　lost　to　discipline：　a

secret　society　has　been　formed　in　it；　and　the　soldiers　have　pledged

themselves　to　their　ensigns　not　to　act　against　the　National

Assembly。　　Thus　the　confederation　between　them　and　the　Palais…Royal

is　established。　　　On　the　30th　of　June；　eleven　of　their　leaders；

taken　off　to　the　Abbaye；　write　to　claim　their　assistance。　　A　young

man　mounts　a　chair　in　front　of　the　Café　Foy　and　reads　their　letter

aloud；　a　band　sets　out　on　the　instant；　forces　the　gate　with　a

sledge…hammer　and　iron　bars；　brings　back　the　prisoners　in　triumph；

gives　them　a　feast　in　the　garden　and　mounts　guard　around　them　to

prevent　their　being　re…taken。　　　When　disorders　of　this　kind　go

unpunished；　order　cannot　be　maintained；　in　fact；　on　the　morning　of

the　14th　of　July；　five　out　of　six　battalions　had　deserted。　　　As　to

the　other　corps；　they　are　no　better　and　are　also　seduced。

〃Yesterday；〃　Desmoulins　writes；　〃the　artillery　regiment　followed　the

example　of　the　French　Guards；　overpowering　the　sentinels　and　coming

over　to　mingle　with　the　patriots　in　the　Palais…Royal　。　　。　　。。　　We

see　nothing　but　the　rabble　attaching　themselves　to　soldiers　whom

they　chance　to　encounter。　　'Allons；　Vive　le　Tiers…Etat！'　and　they

lead　them　off　to　a　tavern　to　drink　the　health　of　the　Commons。〃

Dragoons　tell　the　officers　who　are　marching　them　to　Versailles：　〃We

obey　you；　but　you　may　tell　the　ministers　on　our　arrival　that　if　we

are　ordered　to　use　the　least　violence　against　our　fellow…citizens；

the　first　shot　shall　be　for　you。〃　At　the　Invalides　twenty　men；

ordered　to　remove　the　cocks　and　ramrods　from　the　guns　stored　in　a

threatened　arsenal；　devote　six　hours　to　rendering　twenty　guns

useless；　their　object　is　to　keep　them　intact　for　plunder　and　for　the

arming　of　the　people。



In　short；　the　largest　portion　of　the　army　has　deserted。　　However

kind　a　superior　officer　might　be；　the　fact　of　his　being　a　superior

officer　secures　for　him　the　treatment　of　an　enemy。　　The　governor；

〃M。　de　Sombreuil；　against　whom　these　people　could　utter　no

reproach；〃　will　soon　see　his　artillerists　point　their　guns　at　his

apartment；　and　will　just　escape　being　hung　on　the　iron…railings　by

their　own　hands。　　Thus　the　force　which　is　brought　forward　to

suppress　insurrection　only　serves　to　furnish　it　with　recruits。　　And

even　worse；　for　the　display　of　arms　that　was　relied　on　to　restrain

the　mob；　furnished　the　instigation　to　rebellion。



　VI。



July　13th　and　14th　1789。



The　fatal　moment　has　arrived；　it　is　no　longer　a　government　which

falls　that　it　may　give　way　to　another；　it　is　all　government　which

ceases　to　exist　in　order　to　make　way　for　an　intermittent　despotism；

for　factions　blindly　impelled　on　by　enthusiasm；　credulity；　misery；

and　fear。＇33＇　Like　a　tame　elephant　suddenly　become　wild　again；　the

mob　throws　off　it　ordinary　driver；　and　the　new　guides　who　it

tolerates　perched　on　its　neck　are　there　simply　for　show。　　In　future

it　will　move　along　as　it　pleases；　freed　from　control；　and　abandoned

to　its　own　feelings；　instincts；　and　appetites。　　　Apparently；　there

was　no　desire　to　do　more　than　anticipate　its　aberrations。　　The　King

has　forbidden　all　violence；　the　commanders　order　the　troops　not　to

fire；＇34＇　but　the　excited　and　wild　animal　takes　all　precautions　for

insults；　in　future；　it