the origins of contemporary france-2-第44章

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gutter　by　the　rabble　；　the　brutality　of　the　populace　always

exercises　a　material　ascendancy　over　finely　strung　nerves。　　　On　the

12th　of　July；　1791；＇46＇　the　call　of　the　house　decreed　against　the

absentees　proves　that　one　hundred　and　thirty…two　deputies　no　longer

appear　in　their　places。　　　Eleven　days　before；　among　those　who　take

no　further　part　in　the　proceedings。　　　Thus；　before　the　completion　of

the　Constitution；　the　whole　of　the　opposition；　more　than　four

hundred　members；　over　one…third　of　the　Assembly；　is　reduced　to

flight　or　to　silence。　　　By　dint　of　oppression；　the　revolutionary

party　has　got　rid　of　all　resistance；　while　the　violence　which　gave

to　it　ascendancy　in　the　streets；　now　gives　to　it　equal　ascendance

within　the　walls　of　Parliament。







　IV。



　Refusal　to　supply　the　ministry　…　Effects　of　this　mistake　…

Misconception　of　the　situation　…　The　committee　of　investigation　…

Constant　alarms　…　Effects　of　ignorance　and　fear　on　the　work　of　the

Constituent　Assembly。



　Generally　in　an　omnipotent　assembly；　when　a　party　takes　the　lead

and　forms　a　majority；　it　furnishes　the　Ministry；　and　this　fact

suffices　to　give；　or　to　bring　back　to　it；　some　glimpse　of　common

sense。　　　For　its　leaders；　with　the　Government　in　their　own　hands；

become　responsible　for　it；　and　when　they　propose　or　pass　a　law；　they

are　obliged　to　anticipate　its　effect。　　　Rarely　will　a　Secretary　of

War　or　of　the　Navy　adopt　a　military　code　which　goes　to　establish

permanent　disobedience　in　the　army　or　in　the　navy。　　　Rarely　will　a

Secretary　of　the　Treasury　propose　an　expenditure　for　which　there　is

not　a　sufficient　revenue；　or　a　system　of　taxation　that　provides　no

returns。　　　Placed　where　full　information　can　be　procured；　daily

advised　of　every　details；　surrounded　by　skillful　counselors　and

expert　clerks；　the　chiefs　of　the　majority；　who　thus　become　heads　of

the　administration；　immediately　drop　theory　for　practice；　and　the

fumes　of　political　speculation　must　be　pretty　dense　in　their　minds

if　they　exclude　the　multiplied　rays　of　light　which　experience

constantly　sheds　upon　them。　　　Let　the　most　stubborn　of　theorists

take　his　stand　at　the　helm　of　a　ship；　and；　whatever　be　the　obstinacy

of　his　principles　or　his　prejudices；　he　will　never；　unless　he　is

blind　or　led　by　the　blind；　persist　in　steering　always　to　the　right

or　always　to　the　left。　　　Just　so　after　the　flight　to　Varennes；　when

the　Assembly；　in　full　possession　of　the　executive　power；　directly

controls　the　Ministry；　it　comes　to　recognize　for　itself　that　its

constitutional　machine　will　not　work；　except　in　the　way　of

destruction；　and　it　is　the　principal　revolutionaries；　Barnave；

Duport；　the　Lameths；　Chapelier；　and　Thouret；＇47＇　who　undertake　to

make　alterations　in　the　mechanisms　so　as　to　lessen　its　friction。

But　this　source　of　knowledge　and　reason；　however；　to　which　they　are

momentarily　induced　to　draw；　in　spite　of　themselves　and　too　late；

has　been　turned　off　by　themselves　from　the　very　beginning。　　　On　the

6th　of　November；　1789；　in　deference　to　principle　and　in　dread　of

corruption；　the　Assembly　had　declared　that　none　of　its　members

should　hold　ministerial　office。　　　We　see　it　in　consequence　deprived

of　all　the　instruction　which　comes　from　direct　contact　with　affairs；

surrendered　without　any　counterpoise　to　the　seductions　of　theory；

reduced　by　its　own　decision　to　become　a　mere　academy　of　legislation

only。



　Nay；　still　worse；　through　another　effect　of　the　same　error；　it

condemns　itself　by　its　own　act　to　constant　fits　of　panic。　　　For；

having　allowed　the　power　which　it　was　not　willing　to　assume　to　slip

into　indifferent　or　suspect　hands；　it　is　always　uneasy；　and　all　its

decrees　bear　an　uniform　stamp；　not　only　of　the　willful　ignorance

within　which　it　confines　itself；　but　also　of　the　exaggerated　or

chimerical　fears　in　which　its　life　is　passed。　　…　　　Imagine　a　ship

conveying　a　company　of　lawyers；　literary　men；　and　other　passengers；

who；　supported　by　a　mutinous　and　poorly　fed　crew；　take　full　command；

but　refuse　to　select　one　of　their　own　number　for　a　pilot　or　for　the

officer　of　the　watch。　　　The　former　captain　continues　to　nominate

them；　through　very　shame；　and　because　he　is　a　good　sort　of　man；　his

title　is　left　to　him；　and　he　is　retained　for　the　transmission　of

orders。　　　If　these　orders　are　absurd；　so　much　the　worse　for　him；　if

he　resists　them；　a　fresh　mutiny　forces　him　to　yield；　and　even　when

they　cannot　be　executed；　he　has　to　answer　for　their　being　carried

out。　　　In　the　meantime；　in　a　room　between　decks；　far　away　from　the

helm　and　the　compass；　our　club　of　amateurs　discuss　the　equilibrium

of　floating　bodies；　decree　a　new　system　of　navigation；　have　the

ballast　thrown　overboard；　crowd　on　all　sail；　and　are　astonished　to

find　that　the　ship　heels　over　on　its　side。　　　The　officer　of　the

watch　and　the　pilot　must；　evidently；　have　managed　the　maneuver

badly。　　　They　are　accordingly　dismissed　and　others　put　in　their

place；　while　the　ship　heels　over　farther　yet　and　begins　to　leak　in

every　joint。　　　Enough：　it　is　the　fault　of　the　captain　and　the　old

staff　of　officers；　They　are　not　well…disposed；　for　a　beautiful

system　of　navigation　like　this　ought　to　work　well；　and　if　it　fails

to　do　so；　it　is　because　some　one　interferes　with　it。　　　It　is

positively　certain　that　some　of　those　people　belonging　to　the　former

régime　must　be　traitors；　who　would　rather　have　the　ship　go　down　than

submit；　they　are　public　enemies　and　monsters。　　　They　must　be　seized；

disarmed；　put　under　surveillance；　and　punished。　　…　　　Such　is　the

reasoning　of　the　Assembly。　　　Evidently；　to　reassure　it；　a　message

from　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　chosen　by　the　Assembly；　to　the

lieutenant　of　police　whom　he　had　appointed；　to　come　to　his　office

every　morning；　would　be　all　that　was　necessary。　　　But　it　is　deprived

of　this　simple　resource　by　its　own　act；　and　has　no　other　expedient

than　to　appoint　a　committee　of　investigation　to　discover　crimes　of

〃treason　against　the　nation。〃＇48＇　　What　could　be　more　vague　than

such　a　term？　What　could　be　more　mischievous　than　such　an

institution？　　　Renewed　every　month；　deprived　of　special　agents；

composed　of　credulous　and　inexperienced　deputies；　this　committee；

set　to　perform　the　work　of　a　Lenoir　or　a　Fouché；　makes　up　for　its

incapacity　by　violence；　and　its　proceedings　anticipate　those　of　the

Jacobine　inquisition。＇49＇　　Alarmist　and　suspicious；　it　encourages

accusations；　and；　for　lack　of　plots　to　discover；　it　invents　them。

Inclinations；　in　its　eyes；　stand　for　actions；　and　floating　projects

become　accomplished　outrages。　　　On　the　denunciation　of　a　domestic

who　has　listened　at　a　door；　on　the　gossip　of　a　washerwoman　who　has

found　a　scrap　of　paper　in　a　dressing…gown；　on　the　false

interpretation　of　a　letter；　on　vague　indications　which　it　completes

and　patches　together　by　the　strength　of　its　imagination；　it　forges　a

coup　d'état；　makes　examinations；　domiciliary　visits；　nocturnal

surprises　and　arrests；＇50＇　it　exaggerates；　blackens；　and　comes　in

public　session　to　denounce　the　whole　affair　to　the　National

Assembly。　　　First　comes　the　plot　of　the　Breton　nobles　to　deliver

Brest　to　the　English；＇51＇　then　the　plot　for　hiring　brigands　to

destroy　the　crops；　then　the　plot　of　14th　of　July　to　burn　Paris；　then

the　plot　of　Favras　to　murder　Lafayette；　Necker；　and　Bailly；　then　the

plot　of　Augeard　to　carry　off　the　King；　and　many　others；　week　after

week；　not　counting　those　which　swarm　in　the　brains　of　the

journalists；　and　which　Desmoulins；　Fréron；　and　Marat　reveal　with　a

flourish　of　trumpets　in　each　of　their　publications。



　〃All　these　alarms　are　cried　daily　in　the　streets　like　cabbages　and

turnips；　the　good　people　of　Paris　inhaling　them　along　with　the

pestilential　vapors　of　our　mud。〃＇52＇



　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。Now；　in　this　aspect；　as　well　as　in　a　good　many　others；　the

Assembly　is　the　people；　satisfied　that　it　is　in　danger；＇53＇　it　makes

laws　as　the　former　make　their　insurrections；　and　protects　itself　by

strokes　of　legislation　as　t