the origins of contemporary france-2-第30章

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these　two　groups　are　now　idle！　How　many　others　are　walking　the

streets；　such　as　upholsterers；　lace…makers；　embroiderers；　fan…

makers；　gilders；　carnage…makers；　binders；　engravers；　and　all　the

other　producers　of　Parisian　nick…nacks！　For　those　who　are　still　at

work　how　many　days　are　lost　at　the　doors　of　bakers'　shops　and　in

patrolling　as　National　Guards！　Gatherings　are　formed　in　spite　of　the

prohibitions　of　the　H？tel…de…Ville；＇14＇　and　the　crowd　openly　discuss

their　miserable　condition：　3；000　journeymen…tailors　near　the

Colonnade；　as　many　journeymen…shoemakers　in　the　Place　Louis　XV。；　the

journeymen…hairdressers　in　the　Champs…Elysees；　4；000　domestics

without　places　on　the　approaches　to　the　Louvre；　　and　their

propositions　are　on　a　level　with　their　intelligence。　　Servants

demand　the　expulsion　from　Paris　of　the　Savoyards　who　enter　into

competition　with　them。　　Journeymen…tailors　demand　that　a　day's　wages

be　fixed　at　forty　sous；　and　that　the　old…clothes　dealers　shall　not

be　allowed　to　make　new　ones。　　The　journeymen…shoemakers　declare　that

those　who　make　shoes　below　the　fixed　price　shall　be　driven　out　of

the　kingdom。　　Each　of　these　irritated　and　agitated　crowds　contains

the　germ　of　an　outbreak　　and；　in　truth；　these　germs　are　found　on

every　pavement　in　Paris：　at　the　relief　works；　which　at　Montmartre

collect　17；000　paupers；　in　the　Market；　where　the　bakers　want　to　hang

the　flour　commissioners；　and　at　the　doors　of　the　bakers；　of　whom

two；　on　the　14th　of　September　and　on　the　5th　of　October；　are

conducted　to　the　lamp　post　and　barely　escape　with　their　lives。　　In

this　suffering；　mendicant　crowd；　enterprising　men　become　more

numerous　every　day：　they　consist　of　deserters；　and　from　every

regiment；　they　reach　Paris　in　bands；　often　250　in　one　day。　　There；

〃caressed　and　fed　to　the　top　of　their　bent；〃＇15＇　having　received

from　the　National　Assembly　50　livres　each；　maintained　by　the　King　in

the　enjoyment　of　their　advance…money；　entertained　by　the　districts；

of　which　one　alone　incurs　a　debt　of　14；000　livres　for　wine　and

sausages　furnished　to　them；　〃they　accustom　themselves　to　greater

expense；〃　to　greater　license；　and　are　followed　by　their　companions。

〃During　the　night　of　the　31st　of　July　the　French　Guards　on　duty　at

Versailles　abandon　the　custody　of　the　King　and　betake　themselves　to

Paris；　without　their　officers；　but　with　their　arms　and　baggage；〃

that　〃they　may　take　part　in　the　cheer　which　the　city　of　Paris

extends　to　their　regiment。〃　At　the　beginning　of　September；　16；000

deserters　of　this　stamp　are　counted。＇16＇　　Now；　among　those　who

commit　murder　these　are　in　the　first　rank；　and　this　is　not

surprising　when　we　take　the　least　account　of　their　antecedents；

education；　and　habits。　　It　was　a　soldier　of　the　〃Royal　Croat〃　who

tore　out　the　heart　of　Berthier。　　They　were　three　soldiers　of　the

regiment　of　Provence　who　forced　the　house　of　Chatel　at　Saint…Denis；

and　dragged　his　head　through　the　streets。　　It　is　Swiss　soldiers　who；

at　Passy；　knock　down　the　commissioners　of　police　with　their　guns。

Their　headquarters　are　at　the　Palais…Royal；　amongst　women　whose

instruments　they　are；　and　amongst　agitators　from　whom　they　receive

the　word　of　command。　　Henceforth；　all　depends　on　this　word；　and　we

have　only　to　contemplate　the　new　popular　leaders　to　know　what　it

will　be。





III。



The　new　popular　leaders。…　Their　ascendancy　。…　Their　education。　　…

Their　sentiments。…　Their　situation。　　…　Their　councils。　　…　Their

denunciations。　　…



Administrators　and　members　of　district　assemblies；　agitators　of

barracks；　coffee…houses；　clubs　and　public　thoroughfares；　writers　of

pamphlets；　penny…a…liners　are　multiplying　as　fast　as　buzzing　insects

are　hatched　on　a　sultry　night。　　After　the　14th　of　July　thousands　of

jobs　have　become　available　for　released　ambitions；　〃attorneys；

notaries'　clerks；　artists；　merchants；　shopkeepers；　comedians　and

especially　advocates；＇17＇　each　wants　to　be　either　an　officer；　a

director；　a　councillor；　or　a　minister　of　the　new　reign；　while

journals；　which　are　established　by　dozens；＇18＇　form　a　permanent

tribune；　where　speakers　come　to　court　the　people　to　their　personal

advantage。〃　Philosophy；　fallen　into　such　hands；　seems　to　parody

itself；　and　nothing　equals　its　emptiness；　unless　it　be　its

mischievousness　and　success。　　Lawyers；　in　the　sixty　assembly

districts；　roll　out　the　high…sounding　dogmas　of　the　revolutionary

catechism。　　This　or　that　one；　passing　from　the　question　of　a　party

wall　to　the　constitution　of　empires；　becomes　the　improvised

legislator；　so　much　the　more　inexhaustible　and　the　more　applauded　as

his　flow　of　words；　showered　upon　his　hearers；　proves　to　them　that

every　capacity　and　every　right　are　naturally　and　legitimately

theirs。



　〃When　that　man　opened　his　mouth；〃　says　a　cold…blooded　witness；　〃we

were　sure　of　being　inundated　with　quotations　and　maxims；　often

apropos　of　street　lamp　posts；　or　of　the　stall　of　a　herb…dealer。　　His

stentorian　voice　made　the　vaults　ring；　and　after　he　had　spoken　for

two　hours；　and　his　breath　was　completely　exhausted；　the　admiring　and

enthusiastic　shouts　which　greeted　him　amounted　almost　to　frenzy。

Thus　the　orator　fancied　himself　a　Mirabeau；　while　the　spectators

imagined　themselves　the　Constituent　Assembly；　deciding　the　fate　of

France。〃



The　journals　and　pamphlets　are　written　in　the　same　style。　　Every

brain　is　filled　with　the　fumes　of　conceit　and　of　big　words；　the

leader　of　the　crowd　is　he　who　raves　the　most；　and　he　guides　the　wild

enthusiasm　which　he　increases。



Let　us　consider　the　most　popular　of　these　chiefs　；　they　are　the

green　or　the　dry　fruit　of　literature；　and　of　the　bar。　　The　newspaper

is　the　stall　which　every　morning　offers　them　for　sale；　and　if　they

suit　the　overexcited　public　it　is　simply　owing　to　their　acid　or

bitter　flavor。　　Their　empty；　unpracticed　minds　are　wholly　void　of

political　conceptions；　they　have　no　capacity　or　practical

experience。　　Desmoulins　is　twenty…nine　years　of　age；　Loustalot

twenty…seven；　and　their　intellectual　ballast　consists　of　college

reminiscences；　souvenirs　of　the　law　schools；　and　the　common…places

picked　up　in　the　houses　of　Raynal　and　his　associates。　　As　to　Brissot

and　Marat；　who　are　ostentatious　humanitarians；　their　knowledge　of

France　and　of　foreign　countries　consists　in　what　they　have　seen

through　the　dormer　windows　of　their　garrets；　and　through　utopian

spectacles。　　In　minds　like　these；　empty　or　led　astray；　the　Contrat…

Social　could　not　fail　to　become　a　gospel；　for　it　reduces　political

science　to　a　strict　application　of　an　elementary　axiom　which

relieves　them　of　all　study；　and　hands　society　over　to　the　caprice　of

the　people；　or；　in　other　words；　delivers　it　into　their　own　hands。　　…

…　Hence　they　demolish　all　that　remains　of　social　institutions；　and

push　on　equalization　until　everything　is　brought　down　to　the　same

level。



　〃With　my　principles；〃　writes　Desmoulins；＇19＇　〃is　associated　the

satisfaction　of　putting　myself　where　I　belong；　of　showing　my

strength　to　those　who　have　despised　me；　of　lowering　to　my　level　all

whom　fortune　has　placed　above　me：　my　motto　is　that　of　all　honest

people：　'No　superiors！'〃



Thus；　under　the　great　name　of　Liberty；　each　vain　spirit　seeks　its

revenge　and　finds　its　nourishment。　　What　is　sweeter　and　more　natural

than　to　justify　passion　by　theory；　to　be　factious　in　the　belief　that

this　is　patriotism；　and　to　cloak　the　interests　of　ambition　with　the

interests　of　humanity？



Let　us　picture　to　ourselves　these　directors　of　public　opinion　as

they　were　three　months　earlier：　Desmoulins；　a　briefless　barrister；

living　in　furnished　lodgings　with　petty　debts；　and　on　a　few　louis

extracted　from　his　relations。　　Loustalot；　still　more　unknown；　was

admitted　the　previous　year　to　the　Parliament　of　Bordeaux；　and　has

landed　at　Paris　in　search　of　a　career。　　Danton；　another　second…rate

lawyer；　coming　out　of　a　hovel　in　Champagne；　borrowed　the　money　to

pay　his　expenses；　while　his　stinted　household　is　kept　up　only　by

me