the origins of contemporary france-2-第43章

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Swiss　Guard　at　Nancy；　and　the　outbreak　of　the　Champ　de　Mars　　　feel

that　they　themselves　are　menaced；　vote　for　and　apply　martial　law；

and　repel　force　with　force。　　　But；　in　general；　when　the　despotism　of

the　people　is　exercised　only　against　the　royalist　minority；　they

allow　their　adversaries　to　be　oppressed；　and　do　not　consider

themselves　affected　by　the　violence　which　assails　the　party　of　the

〃right：〃　they　are　enemies；　and　may　be　given　up　to　the　wild　beasts。

In　accordance　with　this；　the　〃left　〃　has　made　its　arrangements；　its

fanaticism　has　no　scruples；　it　is　principle；　it　is　absolute　truth

that　is　at　stake；　this　must　triumph　at　any　cost。　　　Besides；　can

there　be　any　hesitation　in　having　recourse　to　the　people　in　the

people's　own　cause？　A　little　compulsion　will　help　along　the　good

cause；　and　hence　the　siege　of　the　Assembly　is　continually　renewed。

This　was　the　practice　already　at　Versailles　before　the　6th　of

October；　while　now；　at　Paris；　it　is　kept　up　more　actively　and　with

less　disguise。



　At　the　beginning　of　the　year　1790；＇36＇　the　band　under　pay　comprises

seven　hundred　and　fifty　effective　men；　most　of　them　deserters　or

soldiers　drummed　out　of　their　regiments；　who　are　at　first　paid　five

francs　and　then　forty　sous　a　day。　　　It　is　their　business　to　make　or

support　motions　in　the　coffee…houses　and　in　the　streets；　to　mix　with

the　spectators　at　the　sittings　of　the　sections；　with　the　groups　at

the　Palais…Royal；　and　especially　in　the　galleries　of　the　National…

Assembly；　where　they　are　to　hoot　or　applaud　at　a　given　signal。

Their　leader　is　a　Chevalier　de　Saint…Louis；　to　whom　they　swear

obedience；　and　who　receives　his　orders　from　the　Committee　of

Jacobins。　　　His　first　lieutenant　at　the　Assembly　is　a　M。　Saule；　〃a

stout；　small；　stunted　old　fellow；　formerly　an　upholsterer；　then　a

charlatan　hawker　of　four　penny　boxes　of　grease　（made　from　the　fat　of

those　that　had　been　hung　…　for　the　cure　of　diseases　of　the　kidneys）

and　all　his　life　a　sot　。。。。　　　who；　by　means　of　a　tolerably　shrill

voice；　which　was　always　well　moistened；　has　acquired　some　reputation

in　the　galleries　of　the　Assembly。〃　In　fact；　he　has　forged　admission

tickets　he　has　been　turned　out；　he　has　been　obliged　to　resume　〃the

box　of　ointment；　and　travel　for　one　or　two　months　in　the　provinces

with　a　man　of　letters　for　his　companion。〃　But　on　his　return；

〃through　the　protection　of　a　groom　of　the　Court；　he　obtained　a　piece

of　ground　for　a　coffee…house　against　the　wall　of　the　Tuileries

garden；　almost　alongside　of　the　National　Assembly；〃　and　now　it　is　at

home　in　his　coffee…shop　behind　his　counter　that　the　hirelings　of　the

galleries　〃　come　to　him　to　know　what　they　must　say；　and　to　be　told

the　order　of　the　day　in　regard　to　applause。〃　Besides　this；　he　is

there　himself；　〃it　is　he　who　for　three　years　is　to　regulate　public

sentiment　in　the　galleries　confided　to　his　care；　and；　for　his　useful

and　satisfactory　services；　the　Constituent　Assembly　will　award　him　a

recompense；〃　to　which　the　Legislative　Assembly　will　add　〃　a　pension

of　six　hundred　livres；　besides　a　lodging　in　an　apartment　of　the

Feuillants。〃



　We　can　divine　how　men　of　this　stamp；　thus　compensated；　do　their

work。　　　From　the　top　of　the　galleries＇37＇　they　drown　the　demands　of

the　〃right〃　by　the　force　of　their　lungs；　this　or　that　decree；　as；

for　instance；　the　abolition　of　titles　of　nobility；　is　carried；　〃not

by　shouts；　but　by　terrific　howls。〃＇38＇　On　the　arrival　of　the　news　of

the　sacking　of　the　H？tel　de　Castries　by　the　populace；　they　applaud。

On　the　question　coming　up　as　to　the　decision　whether　the　Catholic

faith　shall　be　dominant；　〃they　shout　out　that　the　aristocrats　must

all　be　hung；　and　then　things　will　go　on　well。〃　Their　outrages　not

only　remain　unpunished；　but　are　encouraged：　this　or　that　noble　who

complains　of　their　hooting　is　called　to　order；　while　their

interference　and　vociferations；　their　insults　and　their　menaces；　are

from　this　time　introduced　as　one　of　the　regular　wheels　of

legislative　operations。　　　Their　pressure　is　still　worse　outside　the

Chamber。＇39＇　　The　Assembly　is　obliged　several　times　to　double　its

guard。　　　On　the　27th　of　September；　1790；　there　are　40；000　men　around

the　building　to　extort　the　dismissal　of　the　Ministers；　and　〃motions

for　assassination〃　are　made　under　the　windows；　On　the　4th　of

January；　1791；　whilst　on　a　call　of　the　house　the　ecclesiastical

deputies　pass　in　turn　to　the　tribune；　to　take　or　refuse　the　oath　to

the　civil　constitution　of　the　clergy；　a　furious　clamor　ascends　in

the　Tuileries；　and　even　penetrates　into　the　Chamber。　　　〃To　the　lamp

post　with　all　those　who　refuse！　〃　On　the　27th　of　September；　1790；　M。

Dupont；　economist；　having　spoken　against　the　assignats；　is

surrounded　on　leaving　the　Chamber　and　hooted　at；　hustled；　pushed

against　the　basin　of　the　Tuileries；　into　which　he　was　being　thrown

when　the　guard　rescued　him。　　　On　the　21st　of　June；　1790；　M。　de

Cazalès　just　misses　〃being　torn　to　pieces　by　the　people。〃＇40＇

Deputies　of　the　〃right〃　are　threatened　over　and　over　again　by

gestures　in　the　streets　and　in　the　coffee…houses；　effigies　of　them

with　ropes　about　the　neck　are　publicly　displayed。　　　The　Abbé　Maury

is　several　times　on　the　point　of　being　hung：　he　saves　himself　once

by　presenting　a　pistol。　　　Another　time　the　Vicomte　de　Mirabeau　is

obliged　to　draw　his　sword。　　　M。　de　Clermont…Tonnerre；　having　voted

against　the　annexation　of　the　Comtat　to　France；　is　assailed　with

chairs　and　clubs　in　the　Palais…Royal；　pursued　into　a　porter's　room

and　from　thence　to　his　dwelling；　the　howling　crowd　break　in　the

doors；　and　are　only　repelled　with　great　difficulty。　　　It　is

impossible　for　the　members　of　the　〃right〃　to　assemble　together；　they

are　〃stoned〃　in　the　church　of　the　Capuchins；　then　in　the　Salon

Fran？ais　in　the　Rue　Royale；　and　then；　to　crown　the　whole；　an

ordinance　of　the　new　judges　shuts　up　their　hall；　and　punishes　them

for　the　violence　which　they　have　to　suffer。＇41＇　In　short　they　are　at

the　mercy　of　the　mob。　　　The　most　moderate；　the　most　liberal；　and　the

most　manly　both　in　heart　and　head；　Malouet；　declares　that　〃in　going

to　the　Assembly　he　rarely　forgot　to　carry　his　pistols　with　him。〃＇42＇

〃For　two　years；〃　he　says；　〃after　the　King's　flight；　we　never　enjoyed

one　moment　of　freedom　and　security。〃



　〃　On　going　into　a　slaughter…house；〃　writes　another　deputy；　〃you　see

some　animals　at　the　entrance　which　still　have　a　short　time　to　live；

until　the　hour　comes　to　dispatch　them。　　　Such　was　the　impression

which　the　assemblage　of　nobles；　bishops；　and　parliamentarians＇43＇　on

the　right　side　made　on　my　mind　every　time　I　entered　the　Assembly；

the　executioners　of　the　left　side　permitting　them　to　breathe　a

little　longer。〃



　They　are　insulted　and　outraged　even　upon　their　benches；　〃placed

between　peril　within　and　peril　without；　between　the　hostility　of　the

galleries；〃＇44＇　and　that　of　the　howlers　at　the　entrance；　〃　between

personal　insults　and　the　abbey　of　Saint…Germain；　between　shouts　of

laughter　celebrating　the　burning　of　their　chateaux　and　the　clamors

which；　thirty　times　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　cry　down　their

opinions；〃　they　are　given　over　and　denounced　〃to　the　ten　thousand

Cerberuses　〃　of　the　journals　and　of　the　streets；　who　pursue　them

with　their　yells　and　〃cover　them　with　their　slaver。〃　Any　expedient

is　good　enough　for　putting　down　their　opposition；　and；　at　the　end　of

the　session；　in　full　Assembly；　they　are　threatened　with　〃a

recommendation　to　the　departments；〃　which　means　the　excitement　of

riots　and　of　the　permanent　jacquerie　of　the　provinces　against　them

in　their　own　houses。　　…　　Parliamentary　strategy　of　this　sort；

employed　uninterruptedly　for　twenty…nine　months；　finally　produces

its　effect。　　　Many　of　the　weak　are　gained　over；＇45＇　even　on

characters　of　firm　temper　fear　has　a　hold；　he　who　would　march　under

fire　with　head　erect　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　being　dragged　in　the

gutter　by　the　rabble　；　the　brutality　of　the　populace　always

exercises　a　material　ascendancy　over　fine