the origins of contemporary france-4-第158章

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administrative　bodies；　it　exercises　this　right。　　If　the　local

authorities　of　any　town；　canton；　or　department　seem　to　be　anti…

Jacobin；　it　sets　them　aside　and；　either　on　its　own　authority；　or　with

the　assent　of　the　Legislative　Corps；　replaces　them　with　Jacobins　on

the　spot。＇30＇　In　other　respects；　the　Convention　has　done　its　best　to

relieve　its　clients　of　their　principal　adversaries　and　most　popular

rivals。　　The　night　before　its　dissolution；　it　excluded　from　every　〃

legislative；　municipal；　administrative　and　judicial　function；〃＇31＇

even　that　of　juryman；　not　only　the　individuals　who；　rightly　or

wrongly；　had　been　put　on　a　list　of　émigrés　and　not　yet　stricken　off；

but　likewise　their　fathers；　sons　and　grandsons；　brothers　and　brothers…

in…law；　their　connections　of　the　same　degree；　uncles　and　nephews。　　In

all；　probably　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　Frenchmen；　nearly　the

whole　of　the　élite　of　the　nation。　　To　this　it　adds　the　rest　of　this

élite；　all　the　honest　and　energetic　who；　in　the　late　primary　or

electoral　assemblies　have　〃provoked　or　signed〃　any　manifestation

against　its　despotism；　if　still　in　office　they　are　to　resign　within

twenty…four　hours；　or　be　sent　into　perpetual　exile。　…　Through　this

legal　incapacity　of　the　anti…Jacobins；　the　field　is　free　to　the

Jacobins。　　In　many　places；　for　lack　of　candidates　that　please　them；

most　of　the　electors　stay　away　from　the　polls；　besides　this；　the

terrorists　resort　to　their　old　system；　that　is　to　say　to　brutal

violence。＇32＇　　On　again　obtaining　the　support　of　the　government　they

have　raised　their　heads　and　are　now　the　titular　favorites。　　The

Convention　has　restored　to　them　the　civic　rights　of　which　they　had

deprived　their　adversaries：　〃every　decree　of　indictment　or　arrest〃

rendered　against　them；　〃every　warrant　executed　or　not；　all　proceedings

and　suits〃　begun；　every　sentence　bearing　on　their　revolutionary　acts；

is　cancelled。　　The　most　〃atrocious〃　Montagnards；　the　most　sanguinary

and　foul　proconsuls；　Dartigoyte　and　Piochefer…Bernard；　Darthé；　Lebon's

secretary；　Rossignol　the　great　September　massacrer；　the　presidents　of

former　revolutionary　committees；　〃patriotic　robbers；　seal…breakers〃

and　garroters；　brazenly　promenade　the　streets　of　Paris。＇33＇　Barère

himself；　who；　condemned　to　transportation；　universally　execrated　as　he

traverses　France；　and　who；　everywhere　on　his　journey；　at　Orleans；

Tours；　Poitiers；　Niort；　comes　near　being　torn　to　pieces　by　the　people；

Barère　is　not　sent　off　to　Guienne；　he　is　allowed　to　escape；　to　conceal

himself　and　live　tranquilly　at　Bordeaux。　　Furthermore；

Conventionalists　of　the　worst　species；　like　Monestier　and　Foussedoire

return　to　their　natal　department　to　govern　it　as　government

commissioners。



Consider　the　effect　of　these　releases　and　of　these　appointments　in　a

town　which；　like　Blois；　has　seen　the　assassins　at　work；　and　which；　for

two　months；　follows　their　trial。＇34＇　…　Seven　of　them；　members　of　the

Revolutionary　Committee；　commanders　of　the　armed　force；　members　of　the

district　or　department；　national　agents　in　Indre…et…Loire；　charged

with　conducting　or　receiving　a　column　of　eight　hundred　laborers；

peasant　women；　priests　and　〃suspects；〃　cause　nearly　six　hundred　of

them　to　be　shot；　sabered；　drowned　or　knocked　down　on　the　road；　not　in

self…defense　or　to　prevent　escape；　for　these　poor　creatures　tied　two

and　two　marched　along　like　sheep　without　a　murmur；　but　to　set　a　good

revolutionary　example；　so　as　to　keep　the　people　in　proper　subjection

by　terror　and　enable　them　to　line　their　pockets。＇35＇　A　minute

investigation　has　unfolded　before　the　judges；　jury　and　public　of　Blois

a　long　series　of　authentic　facts　and　proofs；　with　eight　days　of

pleading　and　the　most　complete　and　glaring　evidence；　the　sentence　is

about　to　be　pronounced。　　Suddenly；　two　weeks　before　Vendémiaire　13；　a

decree　annuls　the　proceedings；　which　have　already　cost　over　600；000

livres；　and　orders　a　new　trial　in　another　form。　　Next；　after

Vendémiaire　13；　a　representative　arrives　at　Blois　and　his　first　care

is　to　set　the　butchers　free。　　…　About　thirty　knaves　ruled　the　town

during　the　reign　of　Terror；　all　strangers；　save　four　or　five；　〃all

more　or　less　befouled　with　crime。〃　At　first；　the　principal

slaughterers：



*　Hézine；　Gidouin；　and　their　accomplices　of　the　neighboring　districts；



*　　Simon　and　Bonneau　the　ex…mayor　of　Blois；



*　Bézard；　a　former　soldier；　convicted　of　peculation　and　of　robbing

cellars　which　he　had　put　under　sequestration；



*　Berger；　an　ex…monk；　and　then　dragoon　who；　with　pistol　in　hand；

forced　the　superior　of　his　old　convent　to　give　up　the　funds　of　the

community；




*　Giot；　formerly　a　chief…butler　of　Monsieur　（the　King's　brother）；

next；　a　judge　in　the　September　massacres　and　then　a　quartermaster　in

the　Pyrenees　army　and　a　pillager　in　Spain；　then　secretary　to　the　Melun

tribunal　of　which　he　stole　the　cash；　　along　with　other　nomads　and

outlaws　of　the　same　stamp；　most　of　them　sots　and　roisterers；　one　an

ex…schoolmaster；　another　an　ex…ladies　hair…dresser；　another　an　ex…

chair…bearer；　all　of　them　a　vile　lot；　chosen　by　the　government　for　its

agents；　and；　under　new　titles；　resuming　their　old　positions。　　At　the

head　of　the　armed　force　is　Gen。　Bonnard；　who　is　accompanied　by　a

prostitute　and　who　passes　his　time　in　orgies；　pilfering　wherever　he

can；　and　so　shameless　in　his　thievery　as　to　be　condemned；　six　months

later；　to　three　months　in　irons。＇36＇　　On　arriving　at　Blois；　he

organizes　〃a　paid　guard；　composed　of　all　the　most　abject　Jacobins。〃　…

Elsewhere；　as　here；＇37＇　it　is　the　full　staff　of　the　reign　of　Terror；

the　petty　potentates　dethroned　after　Thermidor；　the　political

Bohemians　restored　to　their　functions。







IV。　　　Public　Opinon。



Resistance　of　public　opinion。　　…　Elections；　year　IV。　　at　Paris　and　in

the　provinces。　　…　The　Directory　threatened　by　ultra　Jacobins。　　…

Forced　amelioration　of　the　Jacobin　administration。



So；　that　after　Vendémiaire　13；　it　looks　as　if　the　Jacobin　band　had

made　the　conquest　of　France　a　second　time。　　This；　however　not　yet　so；

for；　if　it　has　recovered　its　authority；　it　has　not　yet　recovered　the

dictatorship。　　…　In　vain　do　Barras　and　Tallien；　Dubois…Crancé；　Merlin

de　Douai　and　Marie　Chénier；　Delmas；　Louvet；　Siéyès　and　their　corrupt

gang；　the　habitués　of　power；　the　despotic；　unscrupulous　theorists；　try

to　postpone　indefinitely　the　opening　of　the　legislative　bodies；　to

annul　the　elections；　to　purge　the　Convention；　to　restore　for　their　own

advantage　that　total　concentration　of　powers　which；　under　the　title　of

revolutionary　government；　has　converted　France　into　a　pachalic＇38＇　in

the　hands　of　the　old　Committee　of　Public　Safety。＇39＇　But　the

Convention　has　become　frightened　for　its　own　safety；　at　the　last

moment　the　plot　is　exposed；　and　the　blow　frustrated。＇40＇　The

Constitution；　decreed；　is　put　in　operation；　and　a　system　of　the　law

has　replaced　the　system　of　arbitrariness。　　The　Jacobin　invasion；

through　that　alone；　is　checked　and　then　arrested。　　The　nation　is　in　a

condition　to　defend　itself　and　does　defend　itself。　　It　gradually

regains　lost　ground；　even　at　the　center。　　…　At　Paris；　the　electoral

body；＇41＇　which　is　obliged　to　take　two…thirds　of　its　deputies　from　the

Convention；　takes　none　of　the　regicide　deputation　representing　Paris。

All　who　are　chosen；　Lanjuinais；　Larivière；　Fermon；　Saladin；　Boissy

d'Anglas；　wished　to　save　the　King；　and　nearly　all　were　proscribed

after　the　31st　May。　　The　departments　show　the　same　spirit。　　The

members　of　the　Convention　for　whom　the　provinces　show　a　decided

preference　are　the　most　prominent　of　the　anti…Jacobins：　Thibaudeau　is

re…elected　by　32　electoral　colleges；　Pelet　de　la　Lozére　by　71；　Boissy

d'Anglas　by　72；　Lanjuinais　by　73。　　As　to　the　250　of　the　new　third；

these　are　liberals　of　1789　or　moderates　of　1791；＇42＇　most　of　them

honorable　men　and　many　of　them　well…informed　and　of　real　merit；

jurisconsults；　officers；　administrators；　members　of　the　Constitutional

Assembl