the origins of contemporary france-2-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　a　new　president　every　fortnight。　　…　　They　submit　to　no　constraint

or　control；　neither　to　the　legal　authority　of　a　parliamentary　code；

nor　to　the　moral　authority　of　parliamentary　chiefs。　　　They　are

without　any　such；　they　are　not　organized　in　parties；　neither　on　one

side　nor　on　the　other　is　a　recognized　leader　found　who　fixes　the

time；　arranges　the　debate；　draws　up　the　motion；　assigns　parts；　and

gives　the　rein　to　or　restrains　his　supporters。　　　Mirabeau　is　the

only　one　capable　of　obtaining　this　ascendancy；　but；　on　the　opening

of　the　Assembly；　he　is　discredited　by　the　notoriety　of　his　vices；

and；　towards　the　last；　is　compromised　by　his　connections　with　the

Court。　　　No　other　is　of　sufficient　eminence　to　have　any　influence；

there　is　too　much　of　average　and　too　little　of　superior　talent。　　…

Their　self…esteem　is；　moreover；　as　yet　too　strong　to　allow　any

concessions。　　　Each　of　these　improvised　legislators　has　come

satisfied　with　his　own　system；　and　to　submit　to　a　leader　to　whom　he

would　entrust　his　political　conscience；　to　make　of　him　what　three

out　of　four　of　these　deputies　should　be；　a　voting　machine；　would

require　an　apprehension　of　danger；　some　painful　experience；　an

enforced　surrender　which　he　is　far　from　realizing。＇4＇　　For　this

reason；　save　in　the　violent　party；　each　acts　as　his　own　chief；

according　to　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　and　the　confusion　may　be

imagined。　　　Strangers　who　witness　it；　lift　their　hands　in　pity　and

astonishment。　　　〃They　discuss　nothing　in　their　Assembly；〃　writes

Gouverneur　Morris；＇5＇　　〃One　large　half　of　the　time　is　spent　in

hallowing　and　bawling。。。。　　　Each　Man　permitted　to　speak　delivers　the

Result　of　his　Lubrications；〃　amidst　this　noise；　taking　his　turn　as

inscribed；　without　replying　to　his　predecessor；　or　being　replied　to

by　his　　successor；　without　ever　meeting　argument　by　argument；　so

that　while　the　firing　is　interminable；　〃all　their　shots　are　fired　in

the　air。〃　Before　this　〃frightful　clatter〃　can　be　reported；　the

papers　of　the　day　are　obliged　to　make　all　sorts　of　excisions；　to

prune　away　〃nonsense；〃　and　reduce　the　〃inflated　and　bombastic

style。〃　Chatter　and　clamor；　that　is　the　whole　substance　of　most　of

these　famous　sittings。



　〃You　would　hear；〃　says　a　journalist；　〃more　yells　than　speeches；　the

sittings　seemed　more　likely　to　end　in　fights　than　in　decrees。　。　。　　。

Twenty　times　I　said　to　myself；　on　leaving；　that　if　anything　could

arrest　and　turn　the　tide　of　the　Revolution；　it　would　be　a　picture　of

these　meetings　traced　without　caution　or　adaptation。　。　。　　All　my

efforts　were　therefore　directed　to　represent　the　truth；　without

rendering　it　repulsive。　　　Out　of　what　had　been　merely　a　row；　I

concocted　a　scene。　。　。　　I　gave　all　the　sentiments；　but　not　always　in

the　same　words。　　　I　translated　their　yells　into　words；　their　furious

gestures　into　attitudes；　and　when　I　could　not　inspire　esteem；　I

endeavored　to　rouse　the　emotions。〃



　There　is　no　remedy　for　this　evil；　for；　besides　the　absence　of

discipline；　there　is　an　inward　and　fundamental　cause　for　the

disorder。　　　These　people　are　too　susceptible。　　　They　are　Frenchmen；

and　Frenchmen　of　the　eighteenth　century；　brought　up　in　the　amenities

of　the　utmost　refinement；　accustomed　to　deferential　manners；　to

constant　kind　attentions　and　mutual　obligations；　so　thoroughly

imbued　with　the　instinct　of　good　breeding　that　their　conversation

seems　almost　insipid　to　strangers。＇6＇　　　And　suddenly　they　find

themselves　on　the　thorny　soil　of　politics；　exposed　to　insulting

debates；　flat　contradictions；　venomous　denunciation；　constant

detraction　and　open　invective；　engaged　in　a　battle　in　which　every

species　of　weapon　peculiar　to　a　parliamentary　life　is　employed；　and

in　which　the　hardiest　veterans　are　scarcely　able　to　keep　cool。

Judge　of　the　effect　of　all　this　on　inexperienced；　highly　strung

nerves；　on　men　of　the　world　accustomed　to　the　accommodations　and

amiabilities　of　universal　urbanity。　　　They　are　at　once　beside

themselves。　　…　　And　all　the　more　so　because　they　never　anticipated　a

battle；　but；　on　the　contrary；　a　festival；　a　grand　and　charming

idyll；　in　which　everybody；　hand　in　hand；　would　assemble　in　tears

around　the　throne　and　save　the　country　amid　mutual　embraces。

Necker　himself　arranges；　like　a　theater；　the　chamber　in　which　the

sessions　of　the　Assembly　are　to　be　held。＇7＇　　〃He　was　not　disposed　to

regard　the　Assemblies　of　the　States…General　as　anything　but　a

peaceful；　imposing；　solemn；　august　spectacle；　which　the　people　would

enjoy；〃　and　when　the　idyll　suddenly　changes　into　a　drama；　he　is　so

frightened　that　it　seems　to　him　as　if　a　landslide　had　occurred　that

threatened；　during　the　night；　to　break　down　the　framework　of　the

building。　　…　　At　the　time　of　the　meeting　of　the　States…General；

everybody　is　delighted；　all　imagine　that　they　are　about　to　enter　the

promised　land。　　　During　the　procession　of　the　4thof　May；



　〃tears　of　joy；〃　says　the　Marquis　de　Ferrières；　〃filled　my　eyes。　。　。

。　　　In　a　state　of　sweet　rapture　I　beheld　France　supported　by

Religion〃　exhorting　us　all　to　concord。　　　〃The　sacred　ceremonies；　the

music；　the　incense；　the　priests　in　their　sacrificial　robes；　that

dais；　that　orb　radiant　with　precious　stones。　　　。。　　　I　called　to　my

mind　the　words　of　the　prophet。　。　。　　。　　　My　God；　my　country；　and　my

countrymen；　all　were　one　with　myself！　〃





Such　emotions　repeatedly　explode　in　the　course　of　the　session；　and

resulted　in　the　passage　of　laws　which　no　one　could　have　imagined。





〃Sometimes；〃＇8＇　writes　the　American　ambassador；　〃a　speaker　gets　up

in　the　midst　of　a　deliberation；　makes　a　fine　discourse　on　a

different　subject；　and　closes　with　a　nice　little　resolution　which　is

carried　with　a　hurrah。　　　Thus；　in　considering　the　plan　of　a　national

bank　proposed　by　M。　Necker；　one　of　them　took　it　into　his　head　to

move　that　every　member　should　give　his　silver　buckles；　which　was

agreed　to　at　once；　and　the　honorable　mover　laid　his　upon　the　table；

after　which　the　business　went　on　again。〃





Thus；　over…excited；　they　do　not　know　in　the　morning　what　they　will

do　in　the　afternoon；　and　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　every　surprise。

When　they　are　seized　with　these　fits　of　enthusiasm；　infatuation

spreads　over　all　the　benches；　prudence　gives　way；　all　foresight

disappears　and　every　objection　is　stifled。　　　During　the　night　of　the

4th　of　August；＇9＇　〃nobody　is　master　of　himself　。　　　The　Assembly

presents　the　spectacle　of　an　inebriated　crowd　in　a　shop　of　valuable

furniture；　breaking　and　smashing　at　will　whatever　they　can　lay　their

hands　on。〃





　〃That　which　would　have　required　a　year　of　care　and　reflection；〃

says　a　competent　foreigner；　〃was　proposed；　deliberated　over；　and

passed　by　general　acclamation。　　　The　abolition　of　feudal　rights；　of

titles；　of　the　privileges　of　the　provinces；　three　articles　which

alone　embraced　a　whole　system　of　jurisprudence　and　statesmanship；

were　decided　with　ten　or　twelve　other　measures　in　less　time　than　is

required　in　the　English　Parliament　for　the　first　reading　of　an

important　bill。〃





　〃Such　are　our　Frenchmen；〃　says　Mirabeau　again；　〃they　spend　a　month

in　disputes　about　syllables；　and　overthrow；　in　a　single　night；　the

whole　established　system　of　the　Monarchy　！〃＇10＇





　The　truth　is；　they　display　the　nervousness　of　women；　and；　from　one

end　of　the　Revolution　to　the　other；　this　excitability　keeps　on

increasing。





Not　only　are　they　excited；　but　the　pitch　of　excitement　must　be

maintained；　and；　like　the　drunkard　who；　once　stimulated；　has

recourse　again　to　strong　waters；　one　would　say　that　they　carefully

try　to　expel　the　last　remnants　of　calmness　and　common　sense　from

their　brains。　　　They　delight　in　pompous　phrases；　in　high…sounding

rhetoric；　in　declamatory　sentimental　strokes　of　eloquence：　this　is

the　style　of　nearly　all　their　speeches；　and　so　strong　is　their

taste；　they　are　not　satisfied　with　the　orations　made　amongst

themselves。　　　Lally　and　Necker；　having　made　〃affecting　and　sublime〃

speeches　at