the origins of contemporary france-4-第118章

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signer　from　places　of　public　trust　and　kept　them　out　of　all　offices。〃

But　this　is　not　sufficient；　the　punishment　must　be　more　exemplary。

Four　of　them；　the　ex…mayor；　an　ex…collector；　a　district　administrator

and　a　notable　are　sent　to　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　in　Paris；　to　be

guillotined　in　deference　to　principles。　　Thirty…two　former　officers　…

chevaliers　of　St。　　Louis；　mousquetaires；　nobles；　priests；　an　ex…

procureur…royal；　an　ex…treasurer　of　France；　a　former　administrator　of

the　department；　and　two　ladies；　one　of　them　designated　as　〃calling

herself　a　former　marchioness〃　…　are　confined；　until　peace　is　secured；

in　the　jail　at　Montargis。　　Other　former　municipal　officers　and

officers　in　the　National　Guard　…　men　of　the　law；　notaries　and

advocates；　physicians；　surgeons；　former　collectors；　police

commissioners；　postmasters；　merchants　and　manufacturers；　men　and

women；　married　or　widows　and　widowers　…　are　to　make　public　apology　and

be　summoned　to　the　Temple　of　Reason　to　undergo　there　the　humiliation

of　a　public　penance　on　the　20th　of　Vent？se　at　three　o'clock　in　the

afternoon。　　They　all　go；　for　the　summons　says；　〃whoever　does　not

present　himself　on　the　day　and　hour　named　will　be　arrested　and

confined　until　peace　is　declared。〃　On　reaching　the　church；　purified　by

Jacobin　adoration；　〃in　the　presence　of　the　constituted　authorities　of

the　popular　club　and　of　the　citizens　convoked　in　general　assembly；〃

they　mount　one　by　one　into　a　tribune　raised　three　steps　above　the

floor；〃　in　such　a　way　as　to　be　in　full　sight。　　One　by　one　the　national

agent；　or　the　mayor；　reprimands　them　in　the　following　language：



　〃You　have　been　base　enough　to　sign　a　fawning　address　to　Louis　XVI。；

the　most　odious　and　the　vilest　of　tyrants；　an　ogre　of　the　human

species　guilty　of　every　sort　of　crime　and　debauchery。　　You　are　hereby

censured　by　the　people。　　You　are　moreover　warned　that　on　committing

the　first　act　of　incivism；　or　manifesting　any　anti…revolutionary

conduct；　the　surveillance　of　the　constituted　authorities　will　be

extended　to　you　in　the　most　energetic　manner；　the　tribunals　will　show

you　less　leniency　and　the　guillotine　will　insure　prompt　and　imposing

justice。〃



Each；　called　by　name；　receives　in　turn　the　threatened　admonition；　and；

descending　from　the　tribune　amidst　hues　and　cries；　all　sign　the

procès…verbal。　　　But　shame　and　guilt　are　often　absent；　and　some　of

them　do　not　seem　to　be　sufficiently　penitent。　　Consequently；　at　the

close　of　the　ceremony；　the　National　Agent　calls　the　attention　of　the

assembly　to　〃the　impudence　manifested　by　certain　aristocrats；　so

degraded　that　even　national　justice　fails　to　make　them　blush；〃　and　the

Revolutionary　Committee；　〃considering　the　indifference　and　derisive

conduct　of　four　women　and　three　men；　just　manifested　in　this　assembly；

considering　the　necessity　of　punishing　an　inveterate　aristocracy　which

seems　to　make　sport　of　corrective　acts　that　bear　only　（sic）　on　morals；

in　a　most　exemplary　manner；　decides　that　the　seven　delinquents　〃shall

be　put　under　arrest；　and　confined　in　the　jail　of　Sainte…Marie。〃　The

three　who　have　shown　indifference；　are　to　be　confined　three　months；

the　four　who　have　shown　derision；　are　to　be　confined　until　peace　is

restored。　　Besides　this；　the　decree　of　the　National　Agent　and　the

minutes　of　the　meeting　are　to　be　printed　and　six　thousand　impressions

struck　off　at　the　expense　of　the　signers；　〃the　richest　and　most

'suspect；'　〃　…　a　former　treasurer　of　France；　a　notary；　a　grocer；　the

wife　of　the　former　commandant　of　the　gendarmerie；　a　widow　and　another

woman；　…　all；　says　the　agent；　〃　of　very　solid　wealth　and　aristocracy。〃

〃Bravo！〃　shouts　the　assembly；　at　this　witticism；　applause　is　given　and

it　sings　〃the　national　hymn。〃　It　is　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　This

public　penitence　lasts　six　hours　and　the　Jacobins　of　Montargis　retire；

proud　of　their　work；　having　punished　as　a　public　affront；　an　old　and

legal　manifestation　of　respect　for　the　public　magistrate；　having　sent

either　to　the　scaffold　or　to　prison；　and　fined　or　disgraced　the　small

local　élite；　having　degraded　to　the　level　of　prostitutes　and　felons

under　surveillance；　reputable　women　and　honorable　men　who　are；　by　law；

most　esteemed　under　a　normal　system　of　government　and　who；　under　the

revolutionary　system　are；　by　law；　the　least　so。＇118＇





IX。　　　The　Jacobin　Citizen　Robot。



Two　characteristics　of　the　upper　class；　wealth　and　education。　　…　Each

of　these　is　criminal。　　…　Measures　against　rich　and　well…to…do　people。

…　Affected　in　a　mass　and　by　categories。　　…　Measures　against　cultivated

and　polite　people。　　…　Danger　of　culture　and　distinction。　　…

Proscription　of　〃honest　folks。〃



Two　advantages；　fortune　and　education；　each　involving　the　other；　cause

a　man　to　be　ranked　in　the　upper　class；　hence；　one　or　the　other；

whether　each　by　itself　or　both　together；　mark　a　man　out　for

spoliation；　imprisonment　and　death。　　…　In　vain　may　he　have

demonstrated　his　Jacobinism；　and　Jacobinism　of　the　ultra　sort。

Hérault…Séchelles；　who　voted　for　murdering　the　King；　who　belongs　to

the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　who；　in　the　Upper…Rhine；　has　just

carried　out　the　worst　revolutionary　ordinances；＇119＇　but　who　has　the

misfortune　to　be　rich　and　a　man　of　the　world；　is　led　to　the　scaffold；

and　those　devoted　to　the　guillotine　readily　explain　his　condemnation：

he　is　no　patriot；　…　how　could　he　be；　enjoying　an　income　of　two　hundred

thousand　livres；　and；　moreover；　is　he　not　a　general…advocate？＇120＇　One

of　these　offenses　is　sufficient。　　…　Alone　and　by　itself；　〃opulence；〃

writes　Saint…Just；　〃is　a　disgrace；〃　and；　according　to　him；　a　man　is

opulent　〃who　supports　fewer　children　than　he　has　thousands　of　livres

income；　in　effect；　among　the　persons　confined　as　〃rich　and　egoists〃　we

find；　according　to　the　very　declaration　of　the　Revolutionary

Committee；　persons　with　incomes　of　only　4；000；　3；700；　1；500；　and　even

500　livres。＇121＇　Moreover；　a　fortune　or　a　competence；　inspires　its

possessor　with　anti…revolutionary　sentiments；　consequently；　he　is　for

the　moment　an　obstruction；　〃You　are　rich；〃　says　Cambon；　making　use　of

a　personification；　〃you　cherish　an　opinion；　which　compels　us　to　be　on

the　defensive；　pay　then；　so　as　to　indemnify　us　and　be　thankful　for　our

indulgence　which；　precautionary　and　until　peace　is　declared；　keeps　you

under　bolt　and　bar。〃＇122＇　Rich；　anti…revolutionary；　and　vicious；〃

according　to　Robespierre；＇123＇　〃these　three　traits　depend　on　each

other；　and；　therefore；　the　possession　of　the　superfluous　is　an

infallible　sign　of　aristocracy；　a　visible　mark　of　incivism〃　and；　as

Fouché　says；　〃a　stamp　of　reprobation。〃　〃The　superfluous　is　an　evident

and　unwarrantable　violation　of　the　people's　rights；　every　man　who　has

more　than　his　wants　call　for；　cannot　use；　and　therefore　he　must　only

abuse。〃＇124＇　　Whoever　does　not　make　over　to　the　masses　the　excess　of

what　is　strictly　necessary。　　。　　。　　。　　places　himself　in　the　rank　of

'suspects。'　Rich　egoists；　you　are　the　cause　of　our　misfortunes！〃＇125＇

〃You　dared　to　smile　contemptuously　on　the　appellation　of　sans…

culottes；＇126＇　you　have　enjoyed　much　more　than　your　brethren　alongside

of　you　dying　with　hunger；　you　are　not　fit　to　associate　with　them；　and

since　you　have　disdained　to　have　them　eat　at　your　table；　they　cast　you

out　eternally　from　their　bosom　and　condemn　you；　in　turn；　to　wear　the

shackles　prepared　for　them　by　your　indifference　or　your　maneuvers。〃　In

other　words；　whoever　has　a　good　roof　over　his　head；　or　wears　good

clothes；　man　or　woman；　idler　or　industrious；　noble　or　commoner；　is

available　for　the　prison　or　the　guillotine；　or；　at　the　very　least；　he

is　a　taxable　and　workable　serf　at　pleasure；　his　capital　and

accumulations；　if　not　spontaneously　and　immediately　handed　over；　form

a　criminal　basis　and　proof　of　conviction。　　…　The　orders　of　arrest　are

generally　issued　against　him　on　account　of　his　wealth；　in　order　to

drain　a　town　of　these　offenders　one　by　one；　all　are　penned　together

according　to　their　resour