the origins of contemporary france-2-第74章

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Constitution　is　inexecutable。　　The　makers　of　it　to　a　man　condemn　it。

（G。　　Morris；　September　30；　1791。）



〃Every　day　proves　more　clearly　that　their　new　Constitution　is　good

for　nothing。〃　（ibid。　　；　December　27；　1791。）



Cf。　　The　sensible　and　prophetic　speech　made　by　Malouet　（August　5；

1791；　Buchez　and　Roux；　XI。　　237）。



＇43＇　Taine's　vivid　description　is　likely　to　have　encouraged　any

radical　revolutionary　having　the　luck　to　read　his　explicit

description　of　how　to　proceed　with　the　destruction　of　a　na？ve

corrupt　capitalist；　bourgeois　society。　　（SR。）









BOOK　THIRD。　　THE　APPLICATION　OF　THE　CONSTITUTION。＇1＇





CHAPTER　I。



I。　The　Federations。　…　Popular　application　of　philosophic　theory。　…

Idyllic　celebration　of　the　Contrat…Social。　…　The　two　strata　of　the

human　mind。　…　Permanent　disorder。



If　there　ever　was　an　Utopia　which　seemed　capable　of　realization；　or；

what　is　still　more　to　the　purpose；　was　really　applied；　converted

into　a　fact；　fully　established；　it　is　that　of　Rousseau；　in　1789　and

during　the　three　following　years。　　For；　not　only　are　his　principles

embodied　in　the　laws；　and　the　Constitution　throughout　animated　with

his　spirit；　but　it　seems　as　if　the　nation　looked　upon　his

ideological　gambols；　his　abstract　fiction；　as　serious。　　This　fiction

it　carried　out　in　every　particular。　　A　social　contract；　at　one

spontaneous　and　practical；　an　immense　gathering　of　men　associating

together　freely　for　the　first　time　for　the　recognition　of　their

respective　rights；　forming　a　specific　compact；　and　binding

themselves　by　a　solemn　oath：　such　is　the　social　recipe　prescribed　by

the　philosophers；　and　which　is　carried　out　to　the　letter。　　Moreover；

as　this　recipe　is　esteemed　infallible；　the　imagination　is　worked

upon　and　the　sensibilities　of　the　day　are　brought　into　play。　　It　is

admitted　that　men；　on　again　becoming　equals；　have　again　become

brothers。＇2＇　A　sudden　and　amazing　harmony　of　all　volitions　and　all

intelligences　will　restore　the　golden　age　on　earth。　　It　is　proper；

accordingly；　to　regard　the　social　contract　as　a　festival；　an

affecting；　sublime　idyll；　in　which；　from　one　end　of　France　to　the

other；　all；　hand　in　hand；　should　assemble　and　swear　to　the　new

compact；　with　song；　with　dance；　with　tears　of　joy；　with　shouts　of

gladness；　the　worthy　beginning　of　public　felicity。　　With　unanimous

assent；　indeed；　the　idyll　is　performed　as　if　according　to　a　written

program。



On　the　29th　of　November；　1789；　at　Etoile；　near　Valence；　the

federations　began。＇3＇　　Twelve　thousand　National　Guards；　from　the　two

banks　of　the　Rh？ne；　promise　〃to　remain　for　ever　united；　to　insure

the　circulation　of　grain；　and　to　maintain　the　laws　passed　by　the

National　Assembly。〃　On　the　13th　of　December；　at　Montélimart；　six

thousand　men；　the　representatives　of　27　000　other　men；　take　a

similar　oath　and　confederate　themselves　with　the　foregoing。　…　Upon

this　the　excitement　spreads　from　month　to　month　and　from　province　to

province。　　Fourteen　towns　of　the　bailiwicks　of　Franche…Comté　form　a

patriotic　league。　　At　Pontivy；　Brittany　enters　into　federal

relations　with　Anjou。　　One　thousand　National　Guards　of　Vivarais　and

Languedoc　send　their　delegates　to　Voute。　　48　000　in　the　Vosges　send

their　deputies　to　Epinal。　　During　February；　March；　April；　and　May；

1790；　in　Alsace；　Champagne；　Dauphiny；　Orléanais；　Touraine；　Lyonnais；

and　Provence；　there　is　the　same　spectacle。　　At　Draguignan　eight

thousand　National　Guards　take　the　oath　in　the　presence　of　20　000

spectators。　　At　Lyons　50　000　men；　delegates　of　more　than　500　000

others　take　the　civic　oath。　…　But　local　unions　are　not　sufficient　to

complete　the　organization　of　France　；　a　general　union　of　all

Frenchmen　must　take　place。　　Many　of　the　various　National　Guards　have

already　written　to　Paris　for　the　purpose　of　affiliating　themselves

with　the　National　Guard　there；　and；　one　the　5th　of　June；　the

Parisian　municipal　body　having　proposed　it；　the　Assembly　decrees　the

universal　federation。　　It　is　to　take　place　on　the　14th　of　July；

everywhere　on　the　same　day；　both　at　the　center　and　at　the

extremities　of　the　kingdom。　　There　is　to　be　one　in　the　principal

town　of　each　district　and　of　each　department；　and　one　in　the

capital。　　To　the　latter　each　body　of　the　National　Guards　is　to　send

deputies　in　the　proportion　of　one　man　to　every　two　hundred；　and　each

regiment　one　officer；　one　non…commissioned　officer；　and　four

privates。　　Fourteen　thousand　representatives　of　the　National　Guard

of　the　provinces　appear　on　the　Champ　de　Mars；　the　theater　of　the

festival；　also　eleven　to　twelve　thousand　representatives　of　the　land

and　marine　forces；　besides　the　National　Guard　of　Paris；　and　sixty

thousand　spectators　on　the　surrounding　slopes；　with　a　still　greater

crowd　on　the　heights　of　Chaillot　and　of　Passy。　　All　rise　to　their

feet　and　swear　fidelity　to　the　nation；　to　the　law；　to　the　King　and

to　the　new　Constitution。　　When　the　report　of　the　cannon　is　heard

which　announces　the　taking　of　the　oath；　those　of　the　Parisians　who

have　remained　at　home；　men；　women；　and　children；　raise　their　hands

in　the　direction　of　the　Champ　de　Mars　and　likewise　make　their

affirmation。　　In　every　principal　town　of　every　district；　department；

and　commune　in　France　there　is　the　same　oath　on　the　same　day。　　Never

was　there　a　more　perfect　social　compact　heard　of。　　Here；　for　the

first　time　in　the　world；　everybody　beholds　a　veritable　legitimate

society；　for　it　is　founded　on　free　pledges；　on　solemn　stipulations；

and　on　actual　consent。　　They　possess　the　authentic　act　and　the　dated

official　report　of　it。＇4＇



There　is　still　something　more　…　the　time　and　the　occasion　betoken　a

union　of　all　hearts。　　The　barriers　which　have　hitherto　separated　men

from　each　other　are　all　removed　and　without　effort。　　Provincial

antagonisms　are　now　to　cease：　the　confederates　of　Brittany　and　Anjou

write　that　they　no　longer　desire　to　be　Angevins　and　Bretons；　but

simply　Frenchmen。　　All　religious　discords　are　to　come　to　an　end：　at

Saint…Jean…du…Gard；　near　Alais；　the　Catholic　curé　and　the　Protestant

pastor　embrace　each　other　at　the　altar；　the　pastor　occupies　the　best

seat　in　the　church；　and　at　the　Protestant　meeting…house　the　curé　has

the　place　of　honor；　and　listens　to　the　sermon　of　the　pastor。＇5＇

Distinctions　of　rank　and　condition　will　no　longer　exist；　at　Saint…

Andéol　〃　the　honor　of　taking　the　oath　in　the　name　of　the　people　is

conferred　on　two　old　men；　one　ninety…three　and　the　other　ninety…four

years　of　age；　one　a　noble　and　a　colonel　of　the　National　Guard；　and

the　other　a　simple　peasant。〃　At　Paris；　two　hundred　thousand　persons

of　all　conditions；　ages；　and　sexes；　officers　and　soldiers；　monks　and

actors；　school…boys　and　masters；　dandies　and　ragamuffins；　elegant

ladies　and　fishwives；　workmen　of　every　class　and　the　peasants　from

the　vicinity；　all　flocked　to　the　Champ　de　Mars　to　dig　the　earth

which　was　not　ready；　and　in　a　week；　trundling　wheelbarrows　and

handling　the　pick…ax　as　equals　and　comrades；　all　voluntarily　yoked

in　the　same　service；　converted　a　flat　surface　into　a　valley　between

two　hills。　…　At　Strasbourg；　General　Luckner；　commander…in…chief；

worked　a　whole　afternoon　in　his　shirt…sleeves　just　like　the

commonest　laborer。　　The　confederates　are　fed；　housed；　and　have　their

expenses　paid　everywhere　on　all　the　roads。　　At　Paris　the　publicans

and　keepers　of　furnished　houses　lower　their　prices　of　their　own

accord；　and　do　not　think　of　robbing　their　new　guests。　　〃The

districts；〃　moreover；　〃feast　the　provincials　to　their　heart's

content。＇6＇　　There　are　meals　every　day　for　from　twelve　to　fifteen

hundred　people。〃　Provincials　and　Parisians；　soldiers　and　bourgeois；

seated　and　mingled　together；　drink　each　other's　health　and　embrace。

The　soldiers；　especially；　and　the　inferior　officers　are　surrounded；

welcomed；　and　entertained　to　such　an　extent　that　they　lose　their

heads；　their　health；　and　more　besides。　　One　〃old　trooper；　who　had

been　over　fifty　years　in　the　service；　died　on　the　way　ho