the origins of contemporary france-2-第31章

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

means　of　a　louis　which　is　given　to　him　weekly　by　his　father…in…law；

who　is　a　coffee…house　keeper。　　Brissot；　a　strolling　Bohemian；

formerly　employee　of　literary　pirates；　has　roamed　over　the　world　for

fifteen　years；　without　bringing　back　with　him　either　from　England　or

America　anything　but　a　coat　out　at　elbows　and　false　ideas；　and；

finally；　Marat；　a　writer　that　has　been　hissed；　an　abortive　scholar

and　philosopher；　a　misrepresenter　of　his　own　experiences；　caught　by

the　natural　philosopher　Charles　in　the　act　of　committing　a

scientific　fraud；　and　fallen　from　the　top　of　his　inordinate　ambition

to　the　subordinate　post　of　doctor　in　the　stables　of　the　Comte

d'Artois。　　　At　the　present　time；　Danton；　President　of　the

Cordeliers；　can　arrest　any　one　he　pleases　in　his　district；　and　his

violent　gestures　and　thundering　voice　secure　to　him；　till　something

better　turns　up；　the　government　of　his　section　of　the　city。　　A　word

of　Marat's　has　just　caused　Major　Belzunce　at　Caen　to　be

assassinated。　　Desmoulins　announces；　with　a　smile　of　triumph；　that

〃a　large　section　of　the　capital　regards　him　as　one　among　the

principal　instigators　of　the　Revolution；　and　that　many　even　go　so

far　as　to　say　that　he　is　the　author　of　it。〃　　Is　it　to　be　supposed

that；　borne　so　high　by　such　a　sudden　jerk　of　fortune；　they　wish　to

put　on　the　drag　and　again　descend？　and　is　it　not　clear　that　they

will　aid　with　all　their　might　the　revolt　which　hoists　them　towards

the　loftiest　summits？　　　Moreover；　the　brain　reels　at　a　height　like

this　；　suddenly　launched　in　the　air　and　feeling　as　if　everything　was

tottering　around　them；　they　utter　exclamations　of　indignation　and

terror；　they　see　plots　on　all　sides；　imagine　invisible　cords　pulling

in　an　opposite　direction；　and　they　call　upon　the　people　to　cut　them。

With　the　full　weight　of　their　inexperience；　incapacity；　and

improvidence；　of　their　fears；　credulity；　and　dogmatic　obstinacy；

they　urge　on　popular　attacks；　and　their　newspaper　articles　or

discourses　are　all　summed　up　in　the　following　phrases：



〃Fellow…citizens；　you；　the　people　of　the　lower　class；　you　who　listen

to　me；　you　have　enemies　in　the　Court　and　the　aristocracy。　　The

H？tel…de…Ville　and　the　National　Assembly　are　your　servants。　　Seize

your　enemies　with　a　strong　hand；　and　hang　them；　and　let　your

servants　know　that　they　must　quicken　their　steps！〃



Desmoulins　styles　himself　〃District…attorney　of　the　gallows；〃＇20＇

and　if　he　at　all　regrets　the　murders　of　Foulon　and　Berthier；　it　is

because　this　too　expeditious　judgment　has　allowed　the　proofs　of

conspiracy　to　perish；　thereby　saving　a　number　of　traitors：　he

himself　mentions　twenty　of　them　haphazard；　and　little　does　he　care

whether　he　makes　mistakes。



　〃We　are　in　the　dark；　and　it　is　well　that　faithful　dogs　should　bark；

even　at　all　who　pass　by；　so　that　there　may　be　no　fear　of　robbers。〃



》From　this　time　forth　Marat＇21＇　denounces　the　King；　the　ministers；

the　administration；　the　bench；　the　bar；　the　financial　system　and　the

academies；　all　as　〃suspicious；〃　at　all　events　the　people　only　suffer

on　their　account。



　〃The　Government　is　monopolizing　grain；　to　make　us　to　pay　through

　　the　nose　for　a　poisonous　bread。〃



The　Government；　again；　through　a　new　conspiracy　is　about　to　blockade

Paris；　so　as　to　starve　it　with　greater　ease。　　Utterances　of　this

kind；　at　such　a　time；　are　firebrands　thrown　upon　fear　and　hunger　to

kindle　the　flames　of　rage　and　cruelty。　　To　this　frightened　and

fasting　crowd　the　agitators　and　newspaper　writers　continue　to　repeat

that　it　must　act；　and　act　alongside　of　the　authorities；　and；　if　need

be；　against　them。　　In　other　words；　We　will　do　as　we　please；　we　are

the　sole　legitimate　masters；



〃in　a　well…constituted　government；　the　people　as　a　body　are　the　real

sovereign：　our　delegates　are　appointed　only　to　execute　our　orders　；

what　right　has　the　clay　to　rebel　against　the　potter？〃



On　the　strength　of　such　principles；　the　tumultuous　club　which

occupies　the　Palais…Royal　substitutes　itself　for　the　Assembly　at

Versailles。　　Has　it　not　all　the　titles　for　this　office？　The　Palais…

Royal　〃saved　the　nation〃　on　the　12th　and　13th　of　July。　　The　Palais…

Royal；　〃through　its　spokesmen　and　pamphlets；〃　has　made　everybody　and

even　the　soldiers　〃philosophers。〃　It　is　the　house　of　patriotism；

〃the　rendezvous　of　the　select　among　the　patriotic；〃　whether

provincials　or　Parisians；　of　all　who　possess　the　right　of　suffrage；

and　who　cannot　or　will　not　exercise　it　in　their　own　district。　　〃It

saves　time　to　come　to　the　Palais…Royal。　　There　is　no　need　there　of

appealing　to　the　President　for　the　right　to　speak；　or　to　wait　one's

time　for　a　couple　of　hours。　　The　orator　proposes　his　motion；　and；　if

it　finds　supporters；　mounts　a　chair。　　If　he　is　applauded；　it　is　put

into　proper　shape。　　If　he　is　hissed；　he　goes　away。　　This　was　the　way

of　the　Romans。〃　Behold　the　veritable　National　Assembly　！　It　is

superior　to　the　other　semi…feudal　affair；　encumbered　with　〃six

hundred　deputies　of　the　clergy　and　nobility；〃　who　are　so　many

intruders　and　who　〃should　be　sent　out　into　the　galleries。〃　　Hence

the　pure　Assembly　rules　the　impure　Assembly；　and　〃the　Café　Foy　lays

claim　to　the　government　of　France。〃



　IV。



Intervention　by　the　popular　leaders　with　the　Government。　　…　Their

pressure　on　the　Assembly。



On　the　30th　of　July；　the　harlequin　who　led　the　insurrection　at　Rouen

having　been　arrested；　〃it　is　openly　proposed　at　the　Palais　Royal＇22＇

to　go　in　a　body　and　demand　his　release。〃　　　On　the　1st　of　August；

Thouret；　whom　the　moderate　party　of　the　Assembly　have　just　made

President；　is　obliged　to　resign；　the　Palais…Royal　threatens　to　send

a　band　and　murder　him　along　with　those　who　voted　for　him；　and　lists

of　proscriptions；　in　which　several　of　the　deputies　are　inscribed；

begin　to　be　circulated。　　　From　this　time　forth；　on　all　great

questions…the　abolition　of　the　feudal　system；　the　suppression　of

tithes；　a　declaration　of　the　rights　of　man；　the　dispute　about　the

Chambers；　the　King's　power　of　veto；＇23＇　the　pressure　from　without

inclines　the　balance：　in　this　way　the　Declaration　of　Rights；　which

is　rejected　in　secret　session　by　twenty…eight　bureaus　out　of　thirty；

is　forced　through　by　the　tribunes　in　a　public　sitting　and　passed　by

a　majority。　　　Just　as　before　the　14th　of　July；　and　to　a　still

greater　extent；　two　kinds　of　compulsion　influence　the　votes；　and　it

is　always　the　ruling　faction　which　employs　both　its　hands　to

throttle　its　opponents。　　On　the　one　hand　this　faction　takes　post　on

the　galleries　in　knots　composed　nearly　always　of　the　same　persons；

〃five　or　six　hundred　permanent　actors；〃　who　yell　according　to

understood　signals　and　at　the　word　of　command。＇24＇　　Many　of　these

are　French　Guards；　in　civilian　clothes；　and　who　relieve　each　other：

previously　they　have　asked　of　their　favorite　deputy　〃at　what　hour

they　must　come；　whether　all　goes　on　well；　and　whether　he　is

satisfied　with　those　fools　of　parsons　（calotins）　and　the

aristocrats。〃　Others　consist　of　low　women　under　the　command　of

Théroigne　de　Méricourt；　a　virago　courtesan；　who　assigns　them　their

positions　and　gives　them　the　signal　for　hooting　or　for　applause。

Publicly　and　in　full　session；　on　the　occasion　of　the　debate　on　the

veto；　〃the　deputies　are　applauded　or　insulted　by　the　galleries

according　as　they　utter　the　word　'suspensive；'　or　the　word

'indefinite。'　〃　　〃Threats；〃　（says　one　of　them）　〃circulated；　I　heard

them　on　all　sides　around　me。〃　These　threats　are　repeated　on　going

out：　〃Valets　dismissed　by　their　masters；　deserters；　and　women　in

rags；〃　threaten　the　refractory　with　the　lamp　post；　〃and　thrust　their

fists　in　their　faces。　　In　the　hall　itself；　and　much　more　accurately

than　before　the　14th　of　July；　their　names　are　taken　down；　and　the

lists；　handed　over　to　the　populace；〃　travel　to　the　Palais…Royal；

from　where　they　are　dispatched　in　correspondence　and　in　newspapers

to　the　provinces。＇25＇　　…　　Thus　we　s