the origins of contemporary france-4-第3章

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law　determines　is　arbitrary　and　tyrannical；　whosoever　is　subjected　to

violence　in　the　execution　of　this　act　has　the　right　to　repel　it　by

force。　　。　　。　　When　the　government　violates　the　people's　rights

insurrection　is；　for　the　people　and　for　each　portion　of　the　people；

the　most　sacred　of　rights　and　the　most　indispensable　of　duties。〃



To　civil　rights　the　generous　legislator　has　added　political　rights；

and　multiplied　every　precaution　for　maintaining　the　dependence　of

rulers　on　the　people。　　　In　the　first　place；　rulers　are　appointed　by

the　people　and　through　direct　choice　or　nearly　direct　choice：　in

primary　meetings　the　people　elect　deputies；　city　officers；　justices　of

the　peace；　and　electors　of　the　second　degree；　the　latter；　in　their

turn；　elect　in　the　secondary　meetings；　district　and　department

administrators；　civil　arbitrators；　criminal　judges；　judges　of　appeal

and　the　eighty　candidates　from　amongst　which　the　legislative　body　is

to　select　its　executive　council。　　　In　the　second　place；　all　powers

of　whatever　kind　are　never　conferred　except　for　a　very　limited　term：

one　year　for　deputies；　for　electors　of　the　second　degree；　for　civil

arbitrators；　and　for　judges　of　every　kind　and　class。　　As　to

municipalities　and　also　department　and　district　administrations；　these

are　one…half　renewable　annually。　　Every　first　of　May　the　fountain…head

of　authority　flows　afresh；　the　people　in　its　primary　assemblies；

spontaneously　formed；　manifesting　or　changing　at　will　its　staff　of

clerks。　　　In　the　third　place；　even　when　installed　and　at　work；　the

people　may；　if　it　pleases；　become　their　collaborator：　means　are

provided　for　〃deliberating〃　with　its　deputies。　　The　latter；　on

incidental　questions；　those　of　slight　importance；　on　the　ordinary

business　of　the　year；　may　enact　laws；　but　on　matters　of　general；

considerable　and　permanent　interest；　they　are　simply　to　propose　the

laws；　while；　especially　as　regards　a　declaration　of　war；　the　people

alone　must　decide。　　The　people　have　a　suspensive　veto　and；　finally；　a

definitive　veto；　which　they　may　exercise　when　they　please。　　To　this

end；　they　may　assemble　in　extraordinary　session；　one…fifth　of　the

citizens　who　have　the　right　to　vote　suffice　for　their　convocation。

Once　convoked；　the　vote　is　determined　by　a　Yes　or　a　No　on　the　act

proposed　by　the　legislative　body。　　If；　at　the　expiration　of　forty

days；　one…tenth　of　the　primary　assemblies　in　one…half　of　the

departments　vote　No；　there　is　a　suspensive　veto。　　In　that　event　all

the　primary　assemblies　of　the　Republic　must　be　convoked　and　if　the

majority　still　decides　in　the　negative；　that　is　a　definitive　veto。

The　same　formalities　govern　a　revision　of　the　established

constitution。　　　In　all　this；　the　plan　of　the　〃Montagnards〃　is　a

further　advance　on　that　of　the　Girondins；　never　was　so　insignificant　a

part　assigned　to　the　rulers　nor　so　extensive　a　part　to　the　governed。

The　Jacobins　profess　a　respect　for　the　popular　initiative　which

amounts　to　a　scruple。＇9＇　According　to　them　the　sovereign　people　should

be　sovereign　de　facto；　permanently；　and　without　interregnum；　allowed

to　interfere　in　all　serious　affairs；　and　not　only　possess　the　right；

but　the　faculty；　of　imposing　its　will　on　its　mandatories。　　　All　the

stronger　is　the　reason　for　referring　to　it　the　institutions　now　being

prepared　for　it。　　Hence　the　Convention；　after　the　parade　is　over；

convokes　the　primary　assemblies　and　submits　to　them　for　ratification

the　Constitutional　bill　has　been　drawn　up。







III。



Primary　Assemblies。　　…　Proportion　of　Absentees。　　　Unanimity　of　the

voters。　　　Their　motives　for　accepting　the　Constitution。　　　Pressure

brought　to　bear　on　voters。　　…　　Choice　of　Delegates。



The　ratification　will；　undoubtedly；　be　approved。　　Everything　has　been

combined　beforehand　to　secure　it；　also　to　secure　it　as　wanted；

apparently　spontaneously；　and　almost　unanimously。　　　The　primary

assemblies；　indeed；　are　by　no　means　fully　attended；　only　one…half；　or

a　quarter；　or　a　third　of　the　electors　in　the　cities　deposit　their

votes；　while　in　the　rural　districts　there　is　only　a　quarter；　and

less。＇10＇　　Repelled　by　their　experience　with　previous　convocations　the

electors　know　too　well　the　nature　of　these　assemblies；　how　the　Jacobin

faction　rules　them；　how　it　manages　the　electoral　comedy；　with　what

violence　and　threats　it　reduces　all　dissidents　to　voting　either　as

figurants　or　claqueurs。　　From　four　to　five　million　of　electors　prefer

to　hold　aloof　and　stay　at　home　as　usual。　　Nevertheless　the

organization　of　most　of　the　assemblies　takes　place；　amounting　to　some

six　or　seven　thousand。　　This　is　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　each

canton　contains　its　small　group　of　Jacobins。　　Next　to　these　come　the

simple…minded　who　still　believe　in　official　declarations；　in　their

eyes　a　constitution　which　guarantees　private　rights　and　institutes

public　liberties　must　be　accepted；　no　matter　what　hand　may　present　it

to　them。　　And　all　the　more　readily　because　the　usurpers　offer　to

resign；　in　effect；　the　Convention　has　just　solemnly　declared　that　once

the　Constitution　is　adopted；　the　people　shall　again　be　convoked　to

elect　〃a　new　national　assembly　。　　。　　。　　a　new　representative　body

invested　with　a　later　and　more　immediate　trust；〃＇11＇　which　will　allow

electors；　if　they　are　so　disposed；　to　return　honest　deputies　and

exclude　the　knaves　who　now　rule。　　Thereupon　even　the　insurgent

departments；　the　mass　of　the　Girondins　population；　after　a　good　deal

of　hesitation；　resign　themselves　at　last　to　voting　for　it。＇12＇　　This

is　done　at　Lyons　and　in　the　department　of　Calvados　only　on　the　30th　of

July。　　A　number　of　Constitutionalists　or　neutrals　have　done　the　same

thing；　some　through　a　horror　of　civil　war　and　a　spirit　of

conciliation；　and　others　through　fear　of　persecution　and　of　being

taxed　with　royalism；＇13＇　one　conception　more：　through　docility　they

may　perhaps　succeed　in　depriving　the　〃Mountain〃　of　all　pretext　for

violence。



In　this　they　greatly　deceive　themselves；　and；　from　the　first；　they　are

able　to　see　once　more　the　Jacobins　interpretation　of　electoral

liberty。　　　At　first；　all　the　registered；＇14＇　and　especially　the

〃suspects；〃　are　compelled　to　vote；　and　to　vote　Yes；　otherwise；　says　a

Jacobin　journal；＇15＇　〃they　themselves　will　indicate　the　true　opinion

one　ought　to　have　of　their　attitudes；　and　no　longer　have　reason　to

complain　of　suspicions　that　are　found　to　be　so　well　grounded。〃　They

come　accordingly；　〃very　humbly　and　very　penitent。〃　Nevertheless　they

meet　with　a　rebuff；　and　a　cold　shoulder　is　turned　on　them；　they　are

consigned　to　a　corner　of　the　room；　or　near　the　doors；　and　are　openly

insulted。　　Thus　received；　it　is　clear　that　they　will　keep　quiet　and

not　risk　the　slightest　objection。　　At　Macon　〃a　few　aristocrats

muttered　to　themselves；　but　not　one　dared　say　No。〃＇16＇　It　would；

indeed；　be　extremely　imprudent。　　At　Montbrison；　〃six　individuals　who

decline　to　vote；〃　are　denounced　in　the　procès…verbal　of　the　Canton；

while　a　deputy　in　the　Convention　demands　〃severe　measures〃　against

them。　　At　Nogent…sur…Seine；　three　administrators；　guilty　of　the　same

offense；　are　to　be　turned　out　of　office。＇17＇　　A　few　months　later；　the

offense　becomes　a　capital　crime；　and　people　are　to　be　guillotined　〃for

having　voted　against　the　Constitution　of　1793。〃＇18＇　　Almost　all　the

ill…disposed　foresaw　this　danger；　hence；　in　nearly　all　the　primary

assemblies；　the　adoption　is　unanimous；　or　nearly　unanimous。＇19＇　　At

Rouen；　there　are　but　twenty…six　adverse　votes；　at　Caen；　the　center　of

the　Girondin　opposition；　fourteen；　at　Rheims；　there　are　only　two；　at


Troyes；　Besan？on；　Limoges　and　Paris；　there　are　none　at　all；　in　fifteen

departments　the　number　of　negatives　varies　from　five　to　one；　not　one

is　found　in　Var；　this　apparent　unity　is　most　instructive。　　The

commune　of　St。　　Donau；　the　only　one　in　France；　in　the　remote　district

of　Cotês…du…Nord；　dares　demand　the　restoration　of　the　clergy　and　the

son　of　Capet　for　king。　　All　the　others　vote　as　if　direc