the origins of contemporary france-4-第168章

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emotion；　one　asks　out　of　curiosity；　one　is　answered　without　any

interest；　one　learns　with　indifference。〃



〃The　pleasures　of　Paris＇137＇　are　not　disturbed　a　moment　by　any　the

Crises　which　succeed　each　other；　nor　by　those　which　are　feared。　　Never

were　the　theatres　and　public　entertainments　more　frequented。　　At　the

'Tivoli；'　it　is　said　that　it　is　going　to　be　worse　than　ever；　the

country　（patrie）　is　called　la　patraque；　and　dancing　goes　on。〃



This　is　understandable　enough；　how　can　one　interest　one's　self　in　the

public　weal　when　there　is　none；　when　the　common　patrimony　of　all　has

become　the　private　property　of　a　gang；　when　this　gang　is　devouring　or

wasting　all　in　the　interior　and　outside　the　frontier；　where　it　is

playing　heads　or　tails？　The　Jacobins；　through　their　final　victory；

have　dried　patriotism　up；　that　is　to　say；　the　deep　inward　spring　which

supplies　the　substance；　the　vitality　and　the　force　of　the　State。　…　In

vain　do　they　multiply　rigorous　decrees　and　imperious　prescriptions；

each　energetic　blow　is　absorbed　by　the　general　and　mute　resistance　of

intentional　passivity　and　of　insurmountable　disgust。　　They　do　not

obtain　from　their　subjects　any　of　that　unconscious　obedience；　that

degree　of　passive　co…operation；　without　which　the　law　remains　a　dead

letter。＇138＇　Their　Republic；　so　young；



〃is　attacked　by　that　nameless　malady　which　commonly　attacks　only　old

governments；　a　species　of　senile　consumption　to　which　one　can　give　no

other　definition　than　that　of　the　difficulty　of　living；　nobody　strives

to　overthrow　it；　although　it　seems　to　have　lost　the　power　of　standing

erect。〃＇139＇



Not　only　does　their　domination　paralyze　instead　of　animating　the

State；　but；　with　their　own　hands；　they　undermine　the　order　they

themselves　have　established。　　Whether　legal　or　extra…legal；　it　makes

no　difference：　under　their　rule；　no　constitution；　made　and　remade；　no

government；　not　even　that　of　their　leaders；　can　survive。　　Once　masters

of　France；　they　quarrel　over　it　amongst　themselves；　each　claiming　for

himself　the　whole　of　the　prey。　　Those　who　are　in　office　want　to　stay

there；　those　who　are　out　want　to　get　in。　　Thus　is　formed　two　factions；

while　each　repeats　against　the　other　the　coup　d'état　which　both　have

together　carried　out　against　the　nation。　　…　According　to　the　ruling

clique；　its　adversaries　are　simply　〃anarchists；〃　former

Septembriseurs；　Robespierre's　confederates；　the　accomplices　of　Babeuf；

eternal　conspirators。　　Now；　as　in　the　year　VI。；　the　five　regents　still

keep　the　saber…hilt　firm　in　their　grasp；　and　can　therefore　make　the

Legislative　Corps　to　vote　as　they　please。　　On　the　22nd　of　Floréal；　the

government　cancels；　in　whole　or　in　part；　in　forty…five　departments；

the　new　elections；　not　alone　those　of　representatives；　but　again　those

of　judges；　public　prosecutors；　and　the　grand…jurymen。　　Then　it

dismisses　the　terrorist　administrations　in　the　departments　and

towns。＇140＇　…　According　to　their　adversaries　（la　coterie　gouvernée）；

the　Directory　and　its　agents　are　false　patriots；　usurpers；　oppressors；

despisers　of　the　law；　squanderers　and　inept　politicians。　　As　all　this

is　true；　and　as　the　Directory；　in　the　year　VIII。；　used　up　through　its

twenty…one　months　of　omnipotence；　out　of　credit　on　account　of　its

reverses；　despised　by　its　generals；　hated　by　the　beaten　and　unpaid

army；　dares　no　longer　and　can　no　longer　raise　the　sword；　the　ultra

Jacobins　resume　the　offensive；　have　themselves　elected　through　their

kith　and　kin；　re…conquer　the　majority　in　the　Legislative　Corps；　and；

in　their　turn；　purge　the　Directory　on　the　30　of　Prairial。　　Treilhard；

Merlin　de　Douai；　and　La　Revellière…Lepaux　are　driven　out；　narrow

fanatics　replace　them；　Gohier；　Moulins　and　Roger　Ducos。　　Ghosts　from

the　period　of　the　Terror　install　themselves　in　the　ministries；　Robert

Lindet　in　the　Treasury；　Fouché　in　the　Police。　　Everywhere；　in　the

departments；　they　put　in　or　restore　〃the　exclusives；〃　that　is　to　say；

the　resolute　scoundrels　who　have　proved　their　capacity。＇141＇　The

Jacobins　re…open　their　Club　under　its　old　name　in　the　hall　of　the

Manége。　　Two　directors　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　members　of　the

Legislative　Corps　fraternize　with　〃all　that　the　dregs　of　the　people

provide　that　is　vilest　and　most　disgusting。〃　Eulogies　are　here

pronounced　on　Robespierre　and　on　Babeuf　himself；　they　demand　the　levy

en　masse　and　the　disarming　of　〃suspects。〃　Jourdan　exclaims　in　a　toast；

〃Here's　to　the　resurrection　of　pikes！　May　they　in　the　people's　hands

crush　out　all　its　enemies！〃　In　the　council　of　the　Five　Hundred；　the

same　Jourdan　proposes　in　the　tribune　to　declare　the　〃country　in

danger；〃　while　the　gang　of　shouting　politicians；　the　bull…dogs　of　the

streets　and　tribunes；　gather　around　the　hesitating　representatives　and

howl　and　threaten　as　in　1793。



Is　it；　then；　the　régime　of　1793　which　is　about　to　be　set　up　in　France？

…　Not　even　that　one。　　Immediately　after　the　victory；　the　victors　30　of

Prairial　separated　and　formed　two　camps　of　enemies；　watching　each

other　with　arms　in　hand；　entrenched　and　making　sorties　on　each　other：



On　one　side　are　the　simple　bandits　and　the　lowest　of　the　populace；　the

followers　of　Marat；　incorrigible　monomaniacs；　headstrong；　conceited

spirits　proud　of　their　crimes　and　disposed　to　repeat　them　rather　than

admit　their　guilt；　the　dogmatic　simpletons　who　go　ahead　with　their

eyes　shut　and　who　have　forgotten　everything　and　learnt　nothing。　　On

the　other　side；　men　still　possessing　common　sense；　and　who　have

profited　somewhat　by　experience；　who　know　what　a　government　of　clubs

and　pikes　leads　to；　who　fear　for　themselves　and　are　unwilling　to　begin

again；　step　by　step；　the　mad　course　on　which　at　each　stage；　they　have

come　near　perishing。



On　one　side　two　members　of　the　Directory；　the　minority　of　the

Ancients；　the　majority　of　the　Five　Hundred；　and　the　vilest　of　the

Parisian　rabble。　　On　the　other；　the　majority　of　the　Ancients；　the

minority　of　the　Five　Hundred　and　three　members　of　the　Directory；　the

latter　supported　by　their　executive　staff。＇142＇　　…



Which　of　the　two　troops　will　crush　the　other？　Nobody　knows；　for　most

of　them　are　ready　to　pass　from　one　to　the　other　camp　according　as　the

chances　for　success　appear　more　or　less　great。　　And；　from　day　to　day；

any　defection　amongst　the　Five　Hundred；　amongst　the　Ancients　or　in　the

Directory；　foreseen　or　not；　may　change　a　minority　into　a　majority。

Where　will　the　majority　be　to…morrow？　From　which　side　is　the　next　coup

d'état　to　come　…　　　Who　will　make　it？　Will　it　be　the　ultra　Jacobins；

and；　through　another　9th　of　Thermidor；　will　they　declare　the　mitigated

Jacobins　〃outlaws？〃　Will　it　be　the　mitigated　Jacobins；　and；　through

another　18th　of　Fructidor；　will　they　put　the　ultras　under　lock　and

key？　If　one　or　the　other　of　these　blows　is　struck；　will　it　succeed？

And　if　it　succeeds　will　a　stable　government　be　at　last　established？

Siéyès　well　knows　that　it　will　not；　he　is　farseeing　in　his　acts；

although　chimerical　in　his　theories。　　In　power　himself；　titular

Director；　counselor　and　guardian　of　the　intelligent　republic　against

the　stupid　republic；　he　well　knows　that　all　of　them；　so　long　as　they

are　republicans　of　both　bands；　take　a　road　without　an　issue。＇143＇

Barras　is　of　the　same　opinion；　and　taking　time　by　the　forelock；　turns

around　and　promises　Louis　XVIII。　　his　co…operation　in　restoring　the

legitimate　monarchy　in　exchange　he　receives　letters　patent　granting

him　full　pardon；　exemption　from　all　future　prosecution　and　a　promise

of　twelve　millions。　　…Siéyès；　more　sagacious；　seeks　force　where　it

exists；　in　the　army；　he　prepares　Joubert；　sounds　Moreati；　thinks　of

Jourdan；　of　Bernadotte　and　of　Macdonald；　before　surrendering　himself

to　Bonaparte；　〃he　requires　a　sword。〃　Boulay　de　la　Meurthe；　comparing

in　a　pamphlet　the　English　revolution　with　the　French　revolution；

announces　and　brings　on　the　establishment　of　a　military　protectorate。

…　〃The　Constitution　of　the　year　III。　　will　not　work；〃　said　Baudin；　o