the origins of contemporary france-2-第32章

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from　where　they　are　dispatched　in　correspondence　and　in　newspapers

to　the　provinces。＇25＇　　…　　Thus　we　see　the　second　means　of

compulsion；　each　deputy　is　answerable　for　his　vote；　at　Paris；　with

his　own　life；　and；　in　the　province；　with　those　of　his　family。

Members　of　the　former　Third…Estate　avow　that　they　abandon　the　idea

of　two　Chambers；　because　〃they　are　not　disposed　to　get　their　wives'

and　children's　throats　cut。〃　On　the　30th　of　August；　Saint…Hurugue；

the　most　noisy　of　the　Palais…Royal　barkers；　marches　off　to

Versailles；　at　the　head　of　1；500　men；　to　complete　the　conversion　of

the　Assembly。　　This　garden　club　indeed；　from　the　heights　of　its

great　learning；　integrity；　and　immaculate　reputation；　decides　that

the　ignorant；　corrupt；　and　doubtful　deputies　must　be　got　rid　of。〃

That　they　are　such　cannot　be　questioned；　because　they　defend　the

royal　sanction；　there　are　over　600　and　more；　120　are　deputies　of　the

communes；　who　must　be　expelled　to　begin　with；　and　then　must　be

brought　to　judgment。＇26＇　　In　the　meantime　they　are　informed；　as　well

as　the　Bishop　of　Langres；　President　of　the　National　Assembly；　that

〃15；000　men　are　ready　to　light　up　their　chateaux　and　in　particular

yours；　sir。〃　To　avoid　all　mistake；　the　secretaries　of　the　Assembly

are　informed　in　writing　that　〃　2；000　letters〃　will　be　sent　into　the

provinces　to　denounce　to　the　people　the　conduct　of　the　malignant

deputies：　〃Your　houses　are　held　as　a　surety　for　your　opinions：　keep

this　in　mind；　and　save　yourselves　！〃　At　last；　on　the　morning　of　the

1st　of　August；　five　deputations　from　the　Palais…Royal；　one　of　them

led　by　Loustalot；　march　in　turn　to　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　insisting

that　the　drums　should　be　beaten　and　the　citizens　be　called　together

for　the　purpose　of　changing　the　deputies；　or　their　instructions；　and

of　ordering　the　National　Assembly　to　suspend　its　discussion　on　the

veto　until　the　districts　and　provinces　could　give　expression　to

their　will：　the　people；　in　effect；　alone　being　sovereign；　and　alone

competent；　always　has　the　right　to　dismiss　or　instruct　anew　its

servants；　the　deputies。　　On　the　following　day；　August　2nd；　to　make

matters　plainer；　new　delegates　from　the　same　Palais…Royal　suit

gestures　to　words；　they　place　two　fingers　on　their　throats；　on　being

introduced　before　the　representatives　of　the　commune；　as　a　hint

that；　if　the　latter　do　not　obey；　they　will　be　hung。



After　this　it　is　vain　for　the　National　Assembly　to　make　any　show　of

indignation；　to　declare　that　it　despises　threats；　and　to　protest　its

independence；　the　impression　is　already　produced。　　〃More　than　300

members　of　the　communes；〃　says　Mounier；　〃had　decided　to　support　the

absolute　veto。〃　At　the　end　of　ten　days　most　of　these　had　gone　over；

several　of　them　through　attachment　to　the　King；　because　they　were

afraid　of　〃a　general　uprising；〃　and　〃were　not　willing　to　jeopardize

the　lives　of　the　royal　family。〃　But　concessions　like　these　only

provoke　fresh　extortions。　　The　politicians　of　the　street　now　know　by

experience　the　effect　of　brutal　violence　on　legal　authority。

Emboldened　by　success　and　by　impunity；　they　reckon　up　their　strength

and　the　weakness　of　the　latter。　　One　blow　more；　and　they　are

undisputed　masters。　　Besides；　the　issue　is　already　apparent　to

clear…sighted　men。　　When　the　agitators　of　the　public　thoroughfares；

and　the　porters　at　the　street…corners；　convinced　of　their　superior

wisdom；　impose　decrees　by　the　strength　of　their　lungs；　of　their

fists；　and　of　their　pikes；　at　that　moment　experience；　knowledge；

good　sense；　cool…blood；　genius；　and　judgment；　disappear　from　human

affairs；　and　things　revert　back　to　chaos。　　Mirabeau；　in　favor　of　the

veto　for　life；　saw　the　crowd　imploring　him　with　tears　in　their　eyes

to　change　his　opinion　：



　〃Monsieur　le　Comte；　if　the　King　obtains　this　veto；　what　will　be　the

use　of　a　National　Assembly？　We　shall　all　be　slaves　〃＇27＇



Outbursts　of　this　description　are　not　to　be　resisted；　and　all　is

lost。　　Already；　near　the　end　of　September；　the　remark　applies　which

Mirabeau　makes　to　the　Comte　de　la　Marck：



〃Yes；　all　is　lost；　the　King　and　Queen　will　be　swept　away；　and　you

will　see　the　populace　trampling　on　their　lifeless　bodies。〃



Eight　days　after　this；　on　the　5th　and　6th　of　October；　it　breaks　out

against　both　King　and　Queen；　against　the　National　Assembly　and　the

Government；　against　all　government　present　and　to　come；　the　violent

party　which　rules　in　Paris　obtains　possession　of　the　chiefs　of

France　to　hold　them　under　strict　surveillance；　and　to　justify　its

intermittent　outrages　by　one　permanent　outrage。



　V。



The　5th　and　6th　of　October。



Once　more；　two　different　currents　combine　into　one　torrent　to　hurry

the　crowd　onward　to　a　common　end。　　　On　the　one　hand　are　the

cravings　of　the　stomach；　and　women　excited　by　the　famine：



〃Now　that　bread　cannot　be　had　in　Paris；　let　us　go　to　Versailles　and

demand　it　there；　once　we　have　the　King；　Queen；　and　Dauphin　in　the

midst　of　us；　they　will　be　obliged　to　feed　us；〃　we　will　bring　back

〃the　Baker；　the　Bakeress；　and　the　Baker's　boy。〃



　　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　fanaticism；　and　men　who　are　pushed

on　by　the　need　to　dominate。



　〃Now　that　our　chiefs　yonder　disobey　us；　　let　us　go　and　make　them

obey　us　forthwith；　the　King　is　quibbling　over　the　Constitution　and

the　Rights　of　Man　　make　him　approve　them　；　his　guards　refuse　to

wear　our　cockade　　make　them　accept　it；　　they　want　to　carry　him　off

to　Metz　　make　him　come　to　Paris；　here；　under　our　eyes　and　in　our

hands；　he；　and　the　lame　Assembly　too；　will　march　straight　on；　and

quickly；　whether　they　like　it　or　not；　and　always　on　the　right　road。〃



　Under　this　confluence　of　ideas　the　expedition　is　arranged。＇28＇

Ten　days　before　this；　it　is　publicly　alluded　to　at　Versailles。　　On

the　4th　of　October；　at　Paris；　a　woman　proposes　it　at　the　Palais…

Royal；　Danton　roars　at　the　Cordeliers；　Marat；　〃alone；　makes　as　much

noise　as　the　four　trumpets　on　the　Day　of　Judgment。〃　Loustalot　writes

that　a　second　revolutionary　paroxysm　is　necessary。〃　〃The　day

passes；〃　says　Desmoulins；　〃in　holding　councils　at　the　Palais…Royal；

and　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　on　the　ends　of　the　bridges；　and

on　the　quays。。。　　in　pulling　off　the　cockades　of　but　one　color。。。。

These　are　torn　off　and　trampled　under　foot　with　threats　of　the　lamp

post；　in　case　of　fresh　offense；　a　soldier　who　is　trying　to　refasten

his；　changes　his　mind　on　seeing　a　hundred　sticks　raised　against

him。〃＇29＇　　These　are　the　premonitory　symptoms　of　a　crisis；　a　huge

ulcer　has　formed　in　this　feverish；　suffering　body；　and　it　is　about

to　break。



But；　as　is　usually　the　case；　it　is　a　purulent　concentration　of　the

most　poisonous　passions　and　the　foulest　motives。　　The　vilest　of　men

and　women　were　engaged　in　it。　　Money　was　freely　distributed。　　Was　it

done　by　intriguing　subalterns　who；　playing　upon　the　aspirations　of

the　Duke　of　Orleans；　extracted　millions　from　him　under　the　pretext

of　making　him　lieutenant…general　of　the　kingdom？　Or　is　it　due　to　the

fanatics　who；　from　the　end　of　April；　clubbed　together　to　debauch　the

soldiery；　and　stir　up　a　body　of　ruffians　for　the　purpose　of　leveling

and　destroying　everything　around　them？＇30＇　There　are　always

Machiavellis　of　the　highways　and　of　houses　of　ill…fame　ready　to

excite　the　foul　and　the　vile　of　both　sexes。　　On　the　first　day　that

the　Flemish　regiment　goes　into　garrison　at　Versailles　an　attempt　is

made　to　corrupt　it　with　money　and　women。　　Sixty　abandoned　women　are

sent　from　Paris　for　this　purpose；　while　the　French　Guards　come　and

treat　their　new　comrades。　　The　latter　have　been　treated　at　the

Palais…Royal；　while　three　of　them；　at　Versailles；　exclaim；　showing

some　crown　pieces　of　six　livres；　〃What　a　pleasure　it　is　to　go　to

Paris！　one　always　comes　back　with　money　！〃　In　this　way；　resistance

is　overcome　beforehand。　　As　to　the　attack；　women　are　to　be　the

advanced　guard；　because　the　soldiers　will　scruple　to　fire　at　them；

their　ranks；　however；　will　be　reinforced　by　a　number　of　m