the origins of contemporary france-4-第157章

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rejecting　the　decrees。　　Thereupon；　many　illiterate　or　ill…informed

electors　might　think　that　they　were　convoked　to　vote　solely　on　the

Constitution　and　not　at　all　on　the　decrees；　which　is　just　what

happened；　and　especially　in　the　remote　departments；　and　in　the　rural

assemblies。　　Moreover；　many　assemblies；　nearer　Paris　and　in　the　towns；

comprehend　that　if　the　Convention　consults　them　it　is　only　for　form's

sake；　to　give　a　negative　answer　is　useless　and　perilous；　it　is　better

to　keep　silent；　as　soon　as　the　decrees　are　mentioned　they　very

prudently　〃unanimously〃　demand　the　order　of　the　day。＇18＇　　Hence　out　of

five　primary　assemblies　on　the　average　which　vote　for　or　against　the

Constitution；　there　is　only　one　which　votes　for　or　against　the

decrees。＇19＇　…　　Such　is　the　mode　of　getting　at　the　voice　of　the

nation。　　Apparently；　it　is　induced　to　speak；　in　practice；　its　silence

is　ensured。



The　last　and　most　ingenious　expedient　of　all：　when　a　primary　assembly

speaks　too　loudly　it　is　taken　for　granted　that　it　kept　silent。　　In

Paris；　where　the　electors　are　more　clear　sighted　and　more　decided　than

in　the　provinces；　in　eighteen　well…known　departments；　and　probably　in

many　others；　the　electors　who　voted　on　the　decrees　almost　all　voted

against　them；　in　many　cases；　even　their　minutes　state　that　the

negative　vote　was　〃unanimous；〃　but　the　minutes　fail　to　state　the　exact

number　of　the　noes。　　On　this；　in　the　total　of　noes　hostile　to　the

decrees；　these　noes　are　not　counted。＇20＇　　Through　this　trickery；　the

Convention；　in　Paris　alone；　reduced　the　number　of　negatives　by　50；000

and　the　same　in　the　provinces；　after　the　fashion　of　a　dishonest

steward　who；　obliged　to　hand　in　an　account；　falsifies　the　figures　by

substituting　subtractions　for　additions。…Such　is　the　way；　in　relation

to　the　decrees；　in　which；　out　of　the　300；000　votes　which　it　accepts；

it　is　able　to　announce　200；000　yeas　and　100；000　noes　and　thus　proclaim

that　its　master；　the　sovereign　people；　after　giving　it　a　general

acquittance；　a　discharge　in　full；　invests　it　anew　with　its　confidence

and　expressly　continues　its　mandate。



It　now　remains　to　keep　by　force　this　power　usurped　by　fraud。　　…

Immediately　after　the　suppression　of　the　Jacobin　riots　the　Convention；

menaced　on　the　right；　turns　over　to　the　left；　it　requires　allies；

persons　of　executive　ability。　　It　takes　them　wherever　it　can　find

them；　from　the　faction　which　decimated　it　before　Thermidor　and　which；

since　Thermidor；　it　decimates。　　Consequently；　its　executive　committee

suspends　all　proceedings　begun　against　the　principal　〃Montagnards　；〃　a

number　of　terrorists；　former　presidents　of　the　sections；　〃the　matadors

of　the　quarter；〃　arrested　after　Prairial　1；　are　set　free　at　the　end　of

a　month。　　They　have　good　arms；　are　accustomed　to　vigorous　striking

without　giving　warning；　especially　when　honest　folks　are　to　be　knocked

down　or　ripped　open。　　The　stronger　public　opinion　is　against　the

government　the　more　does　the　government　rely　on　men　with　bludgeons　and

pikes；　on　the　strikers　〃　turned　out　of　the　primary　assemblies；〃　on　the

heroes　of　September　2　and　May　31；　dangerous　nomads；　inmates　of

Bicêtre；　paid　assassins　out　of　employment；　and　roughs　of　the　Quinze…

Vingts　and　faubourg　Saint…　Antoine。＇21＇　Finally　on　the　11th　of

Vendémiaire；　it　gathers　together　fifteen　or　eighteen　hundred　of　them

and　arms　them　in　battalions。＇22＇　Such　brigands　are　they；　that　Menon；

〃major…general　of　the　army　of　the　interior　and　commandant　of　the　armed

force　of　Paris；〃　comes　the　next　day　with　several　of　his　staff…officers

and　tells　the　Committee　of　Five　that　he　〃will　not　have　such　bandits　in

his　army　nor　under　his　orders〃。　〃I　will　not　march　with　a　lot　of

rascals　and　assassins　organized　in　battalions　〃under　the　name　of

〃patriots　of　'89。〃　　　Indeed；　the　true　patriots　of　'89　are　on　the　other

side；　the　constitutionalists　of　1791；　sincere　liberals；　〃forty

thousand　proprietors　and　merchants；〃　the　elite　and　mass　of　the

Parisian　population；＇23＇　〃the　majority　of　men　really　interested　in

public　matters；〃　and　at　this　moment；　the　common　welfare　is　all　that

concerns　them。　　Republic　or　royalty　is　merely　a　secondary　thought；　an

idea　in　the　back…ground；　nobody　dreams　of　restoring　the　ancient

régime；　but　very　few　are　preoccupied　with　the　restoration　of　a　limited

monarchy。＇24＇　　〃On　asking　those　most　in　earnest　what　government　they

would　like　in　place　of　the　Convention；　they　reply　'We　want　that　no

longer；　we　want　nothing　belonging　to　it；　we　want　the　Republic　and

honest　people　for　our　rulers。'〃＇25＇　…　That　is　all；　their　upraisal　is

not　a　political　insurrection　against　the　form　of　the　government；　but　a

moral　insurrection　against　the　criminals　in　office。　　Hence；　on　seeing

the　Convention　arm　their　old　executioners；　〃the　tigers〃　of　the　Reign

of　Terror；　admitted　malefactors；　against　them；　they　cannot　contain

themselves。＇26＇　〃That　day；〃　says　a　foreigner；　who　visited　many　public

places　in　Paris；　〃I　saw　everywhere　the　deepest　despair；　the　greatest

expression　of　rage　and　fury。　　。　　。　　。　　Without　that　unfortunate　order

the　insurrection　would　probably　not　have　broken　out。〃　If　they　take　up

arms　it　is　because　they　are　brought　back　under　the　pikes　of　the

Septembriseurs；　and　under　Robespierre's　axe。　　…　　But　they　are　only

national　guards；　most　of　them　have　no　guns；＇27＇　they　are　in　want　of

gunpowder；　those　who　have　any　having　only　five　or　six　charges　；　〃the

great　majority　do　not　think　of　fighting；〃　they　imagine　that　〃their

presence　is　merely　needed　to　enforce　a　petition；〃　they　have　no

artillery；　no　positive　leader；　it　is　simply　excitement；　precipitation；

disorder　and　mistaken　maneuvers。＇28＇　　On　the　contrary；　on　the　side　of

the　Convention；　with　Henriot's　old　bullies；　there　are　eight　or　nine

thousand　regular　troops；　and　Bonaparte；　his　cannon；　which　rake　the　rue

Saint　Honoré　and　the　Quai　Voltaire；　mow　down　five　or　six　hundred

sectionists。　　The　rest　disperse；　and　henceforth　the　check…mated

Parisians　are　not　to　take　up　their　guns　against　the　Jacobin　faction

whatever　it　does。



III。　　　A　Directory　of　Regicides。



The　Directory　chosen　among　the　regicides。　　…　It　selects　agents　of

its　own　species。　　…　Leading　Jacobins　are　deprived　of　their　civic

rights。　　…　The　Terrorists　are　set　free　and　restored　to　their　civic

rights。　　…　Example　at　Blois　of　these　releases　and　of　the　new

administrative　staff。



Supreme　authority　is　now　once　more　in　the　hands　of　the　revolutionary

band。　　…　In　conformity　with　its　decrees　of　Fructidor；　it　first　obliges

electors　to　take　two…thirds　of　their　new　representatives　from　the

Convention。　　And　as；　notwithstanding　its　decrees；　the　electoral

assemblies　have　not　re…elected　a　sufficient　number　of　the

Conventionalists；　it　nominates　itself；　from　a　list　prepared　by　its

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　the　one　hundred　and　four　which　are

lacking：　In　this　way；　both　in　the　council　of　the　Five　Hundred；　as　well

as　in　the　council　of　the　Ancients；　it　secures　a　clear　majority　in　both

the　houses　of　the　Legislative　Corps。　　In　the　executive　branch；　in　the

Directory；　it　assures　itself　of　unanimity。　　The　Five　Hundred；　by

adroitly　preparing　the　lists；　impose　their　candidates　on　the　Ancients；

selecting　the　five　names　beforehand：　Barras；　La　Révellière　de　Lépeaux；

Reubell；　Letourneur　and　Siéyès；　and　then；　on　Siéyès　refusing；　Carnot。

All　of　them　are　regicides　and；　under　this　terrible　qualification；

bound　at　the　risk　of　their　heads；　to　maintain　the　regicide　faction　in

power。　　…　Naturally　the　Directory　chooses　its　agents　from　among　their

own　people；＇29＇　their　ministers　and　the　employees　of　their

departments；　ambassadors　and　consuls；　officers　of　all　ranks；

collectors　of　taxes　direct　and　indirect；　administrators　of　the

national　domains；　commissioners　of　civil　and　Criminal　courts；　and　the

commissioners　of　the　departmental　and　municipal　administrations。

Again；　having　the　right　to　suspend　and　dismiss　all　elected

administrative　bodies；　it　exercises　this　right。　　If　the　local

authori