the origins of contemporary france-4-第159章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

jurisconsults；　officers；　administrators；　members　of　the　Constitutional

Assembly　or　Feuillants　in　the　Legislative　Assembly；　Mathieu　Dumas；

Vaublanc；　Dupont　de　Nemours；　Siméon；　Barbé…Marbois　and　Tron？on…

Ducoudray。　　The　capital；　especially；　chose　Dambray；　former　general…

advocate　to　the　Paris　parliament；　and　Pastoret；　former　minister　of

Louis　XVI。。　　Versailles　sends　the　two　celebrated　lawyers　who　defended

the　King　before　the　Convention；　Tronchet　and　De　Séze。　　…　Now；　previous

to　the　13th　Vendémiaire；　two　hundred　members　of　the　Convention　had

already　heartily　sided　with　the　Parisian　electors＇43＇　against　the

terrorists。　　This　creates　a　strong　opposition　minority　inside　the

Legislative　Corps　which　function　protected　by　the　Constitution。

Hidden　behind　it　and　behind　them；　the　élite　and　the　plurality　of

Frenchmen　wait　for　better　days。　　The　Directory　is　obliged　to　act

cautiously　with　this　large　group；　so　well　supported　by　public　opinion；

and；　accordingly；　not　to　govern　à　la　Turk。　　So　they　respect；　if　not

the　spirit；　at　least　the　letter　of　the　law；　and　not　to　exercise　a　too

barefaced　influence　on　local　elections。　　Hence　most　of　the　local

elections　remain　free；　so　that　the　nation；



*　in　spite　of　the　decree　excluding　every　relation　of　an　émigré　and

every　notorious　opponent　of　the　government　from　present　and　future

offices；



*　in　spite　of　fear；　lassitude　and　disgust；



*　in　spite　of　the　small　number　of　votes；　the　rarity　of　candidates　and

the　frequent　refusal　of　the　elected　to　serve；＇44＇



substantially　exercises　its　privilege　of　electing　its　administrators

and　judges　according　to　its　preferences。　　Consequently；　the　very　large

majority　of　new　administrators　in　the　departments；　cantons　and

municipalities；　and　the　very　large　majority　of　new　civil　and　criminal

judges　and　justices　of　the　peace　are；　like　the　new　third　of　the

Convention；　highly　esteemed　or　estimable　men。　　They　are　untainted　with

excesses；　still　preserving　their　hopes　of　1789；　but　preserved　from　the

outset　against；　or　soon　cured　of；　the　revolutionary　fever。　　Every

decree　of　spoliation　or　persecution　loses　some　of　its　force　in　their

hands。　　Supported　by　the　steady　and　manifest　will　of　their　present

constituents；　we　see　them　resisting　the　commissioners　of　the

Directory；　at　least　protesting　against　their　exactions　and　brutality；

gaining　time　in　favor　of　the　proscribed；　dulling　the　point　of；　or

turning　aside；　the　Jacobin　sword。



Again；　on　the　other　hand；　the　government　which　holds　this　sword　dare

not；　like　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　thrust　it　in　up　to　the　hilt。

If　wielded　as　before　it　might　slip　from　its　grasp。　　The　furious　in　its

own　camp　are　ready　to　wrest　it　away　and　turn　the　blade　against　it。　　It

must　defend　itself　against　the　reviving　clubs；　against　Babeuf　and　his

accomplices；　against　the　desperadoes　who；　through　a　nocturnal　attempt；

try　to　stir　up　the　Grenelle　camp：　in　Paris；　there　are　four　or　five

thousand　now　ready　to　undertake　a　〃civic　St。　　Bartholomew；〃　with　the

old　Conventionists　who　could　not　get　themselves　elected；　at　their

head；　…　Drouet；　Amar；　Vadier；　Ricord；　Laignelot；　Chaudieu；　Huguet；

Cusset；　Javogues。　　Alongside　of　them；　the　friends　of　Chalier；

Robespierre's　and　Marat's　followers；　and　the　disciples　of　Saint…Just；

Bertrand　de　Lyon；　Buonarotti；　Antonelle；　Rossignol　and　Babeuf。　　Behind

them；　the　bandits　of　the　street；　those　〃who　gutted　houses　during　the

Revolution；〃　peculators　or　Septembriseurs　out　of　employment；　in　short；

the　relics　of　the　terrorist　gang　or　of　the　revolutionary　army。　　Their

plan；　true　to　their　precedents；　character　and　principles；　consists　not

only　in　despatching　〃the　rascals　who　keep　coaches；　the　moneyed　men　and

monopolisers；〃　all　the　deputies　and　functionaries　who　do　not　resign　at

the　first　summons；　but　also；　and　especially；　in　killing　〃the　General

of　the　Interior；　his　staff；　the　seven　ministers　and　the　five　'cocked…

hats'　（panachés）　of　the　Luxembourg；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　five

Directors　themselves。　　Such　allies　are　troublesome。　　Undoubtedly；　the

government；　which　considers　them　as　its　forlorn　hope；　and　that　it　may

have　need　of　them　in　a　crisis；　spares　them　as　much　as　possible。＇45＇

It　allows　Drouet　to　escape；　and　lets　the　trial　of　the　Babouvists　drag

along；　only　two　of　them　being　guillotined；　Babeuf　and　Darthé；　most　of

the　others　are　acquitted　or　escape。　　Nevertheless；　for　its　own

salvation；　it　is　led　to　separate　from　the　fiercest　Jacobins　and　draw

near　to　peaceable　citizens。Through　this　internal　discord　of　the

ruling　faction；　honest　people　hold　on　the　offices　they　occupy　on　the

elections　of　the　year　IV。。　　No　decree　comes　to　deprive　them　of　their

legal　arms；　while；　in　the　Legislative　Corps；　as　in　the　administrations

and　the　tribunals；　they　count　on　carrying　new　positions　in　the

elections　of　the　year　V。





V。　　　Actual　aim　of　Jacobin　Activities：　Power　and　Wealth。



Elections　of　year　V。　　…　Character　and　sentiments　of　the　elected。　　…

The　new　majority　in　the　Corps　Legislatif。　　…　Its　principles　and

program。　　…　Danger　and　anxiety　of　the　Jacobin　minority。　　…　Indecision；

division；　scruples　and　weakness　of　the　moderate　party。　　…　Decision；

want　of　scruples；　force　and　modes　of　procedure　of　the　Jacobin　faction。

…　The　18th　of　Fructidor。　　…



〃It　was　a　long　time；〃　writes　a　small　trader　of　Evreux；　〃since　so　many

people　were　seen　at　the　elections。＇46＇。　　。　　。　　。　　The　eight　electors

for　the　town　obtained　at　the　first　ballot　the　absolute　majority　of

suffrages。　　。　　。　　。　　Everybody　went　to　the　polls　so　as　to　prevent　the

nomination　of　any　elector　among　the　terrorists；　who　had　declared　that

their　reign　was　going　to　return。〃　…　In　the　environs　of　Blois；　a　rural

proprietor；　the　most　circumspect　and　most　peaceable　of　men；　notes　in

his　journal＇47＇that　〃　now　is　the　time　to　take　a　personal　interest。　　。

。　　。　　Every　sound…thinking　man　has　promised　not　to　refuse　any　office

tendered　to　him　so　as　to　keep　out　the　Jacobins。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is

reasonably　hoped　that　the　largest　number　of　the　electors　will　not　be

terrorists　and　that　the　majority　of　the　Legislative　Corps　being　all

right；　the　minority　of　the　furious；　who　have　only　one　more　year　of

office；　will　give　way　（in　1798）　to　men　of　probity　not　steeped　in

crime。　　。　　　。　　。　　In　the　country；　the　Jacobins　have　tried　in　vain：

people　of　means　who　employed　a　portion　of　the　voters；　obtained　their

suffrages；　every　proprietor　wishing　to　have　order。　　。　　。　　。　　The

Moderates　have　agreed　to　vote　for　no　matter　what　candidate；　provided

he　is　not　a　Jacobin。　　。　　。　　。　　Out　of　two　hundred　and　thirty　electors

for　the　department；　one　hundred　and　fifty　are　honest　and　upright

people。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　They　adhered　to　the　last　Constitution　as　to　their

sole　palladium；　only　a　very　few　of　them　dreaming　of　re…establishing

the　ancient　régime。〃　Their　object　is　plain　enough；　they　are　for　the

Constitution　against　the　Revolution；　for　limited　power　against

discretionary　power；　for　property　against　robbery；　for　upright　men

against　thieves。　　…　〃Would　you　prevent；　say　the　administrative

authorities　of　Aube；＇48＇　a　return　to　the　disastrous　laws　of　the

maximum；　of　monopolies；　to　the　resurrection　of　paper…money？　。　　。　　。

Would　you；　as　the　price　of　a　blameless　life；　be　once　more　humiliated；

robbed；　imprisoned；　tortured　by　the　vilest；　most　repulsive　and　most

shameless　of　tyrants？　You　have　only　one　recourse：　do　not　fail　to　go　to

your　primary　assemblies　and　remain　there。〃　The　electors；　warned　by

their　late　personal　and　bloody　souvenirs；　rush　to　the　polls　in　crowds

and　vote　according　to　their　consciences；　although　the　government

through　the　oaths　it　imposes；　its　official　candidatures；　its　special

commissioners；　its　intimidation　and　its　money；　bears　down　with　all　its

weight　on　the　resolutions　they　have　taken。　　Although　the　Jacobins　at

Nevers；　Macon　and　elsewhere；　have　forcibly　expelled　officers　legally

elected　from　their　bureaux；　and　stained　the