the origins of contemporary france-4-第4章

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

son　of　Capet　for　king。　　All　the　others　vote　as　if　directed　with　a

baton；　they　have　understood　the　secret　of　the　plebiscite；　that　it　is　a

Jacobin　demonstration；　not　an　honest　vote；　which　is　required。＇20＇　　The

operation　undertaken　by　the　local　party　is　actually　carried　out。　　It

beats　to　arms　around　the　ballot…box；　it　arrives　in　force；　it　alone

speaks　with　authority；　it　animates　officers；　it　moves　all　the

resolutions　and　draws　up　the　report　of　proceedings；　while　the

representatives　on　mission　from　Paris　add　to　the　weight　of　the　local

authority　that　of　the　central　authority。　　In　the　Macon　assembly　〃they

address　the　people　on　each　article；　this　speech　is　followed　by　immense

applause　and　redoubled　shouting　of　Vive　la　République！　Vive　la

Constitution！　Vive　le　Peuple　Fran？ais！　〃　Beware；　ye　lukewarm；　who　do

not　join　in　the　chorus！　They　are　forced　to　vote　〃in　a　loud；

intelligible　voice。〃　They　are　required　to　shout　in　unison；　to　sign　the

grandiloquent　address　in　which　the　leaders　testify　their　gratitude　to

the　Convention；　and　give　their　adhesion　to　the　eminent　patriots

delegated　by　the　primary　assembly　to　bear　its　report　to　Paris。＇21＇







IV。



The　Delegates　reach　Paris。　　　Precautions　taken　against　them。　　

Constraints　and　Seductions。



The　first　act　of　the　comedy　is　over　and　the　second　act　now　begins。

The　faction　has　convoked　the　delegates　of　the　primary　assemblies　to

Paris　for　a　purpose。　　Like　the　primary　assemblies；　they　are　to　serve

as　its　instruments　for　governing；　they　are　to　form　the　props　of

dictatorship；　and　the　object　now　is　to　restrict　them　to　that　task

only。　　　Indeed；　it　is　not　certain　that　all　will　lend　themselves　to

it。　　For；　among　the　eight　thousand　commissioners；　some；　appointed　by

refractory　assemblies；　bring　a　refusal　instead　of　an　adhesion；＇22＇

others；　more　numerous；　are　instructed　to　present　objections　and　point

out　omissions：＇23＇　it　is　very　certain　that　the　envoys　of　the　Girondist

departments　will　insist　on　the　release　or　return　of　their　excluded

representatives。　　And　lastly；　a　good　many　delegates　who　have　accepted

the　Constitution　in　good　faith　desire　its　application　as　soon　as

possible；　and　that　the　Convention　should　fulfill　its　promise　of

abdication；　so　as　to　give　way　to　a　new　Assembly。　　…　As　it　is　important

to　suppress　at　once　all　these　vague　desires　for　independence　or

tendencies　for　opposition　a　decree　of　the　Convention　〃authorizes　the

Committee　of　General　Security　to　order　the　arrest　of　'suspect'

commissioners；〃　it　is　especially　to　look　after　those　who；　〃charged

with　a　special　mission；　would　hold　meetings　to　win　over　their

colleagues；　。　　。　　。　　。　　and　engage　them　in　proceedings　contrary　to

their　mandate。〃＇24＇　In　the　first　place；　and　before　they　are　admitted

into　Paris；　their　Jacobinism　is　to　be　verified；　like　a　bale　in　the

customs…house；　by　the　special　agents　of　the　executive　council；　and

especially　by　Stanislas　Maillard；　the　famous　September　judge；　and　his

sixty…eight　bearded　ruffians；　each　receiving　pay　at　five　francs　a　day。

〃On　all　the　roads；　within　a　circuit　of　fifteen　or　twenty　leagues　of

the　capital；〃　the　delegates　are　searched；　their　trunks　are　opened；　and

their　letters　read。　　At　the　barriers　in　Paris　they　find　〃inspectors〃

posted　by　the　Commune；　under　the　pretext　of　protecting　them　against

prostitutes　and　swindlers。　　There；　they　are　taken　possession　of；　and

conducted　to　the　mayoralty；　where　they　receive　lodging　tickets；　while

a　picket　of　gendarmerie　escorts　them　to　their　allotted　domiciles。＇25＇

　Behold　them　in　pens　like　sheep；　each　in　his　numbered　stall；　there

is　no　fear　of　the　dissidents　trying　to　escape　and　form　a　band　apart：


one　of　them；　who　comes　to　the　Convention　and　asks　for　a　separate　hall

for　himself　and　his　adherents；　is　snubbed　in　the　most　outrageous

manner；　they　denounce　him　as　an　intriguer；　and　accuse　him　of　a　desire

to　defend　the　traitor　Castries；　they　take　his　name　and　credentials；

and　threaten　him　with　an　investigation。＇26＇　The　unfortunate　speaker

hears　the　Abbaye　alluded　to；　and　evidently　thinks　himself　fortunate　to

escape　sleeping　there　that　night。　　　After　this；　it　is　certain　that

he　will　not　again　demand　the　privilege　of　speaking；　and　that　his

colleagues　will　remain　quiet；　and　all　this　is　the　more　likely



*　because　the　revolutionary　tribunal　holds　permanent　sessions　under

their　eyes；



*　because　the　guillotine　is　set　up　and　in　operation　on　the　〃Place　de

la　Révolution；〃



*　because　a　recent　act　of　the　Commune　enjoins　on　the　police　〃the　most

active　surveillance〃　and　〃constant　patrols〃　by　the　armed　force；



*　because；　from　the　first　to　the　fourth　of　August；　the　barriers　are

closed；



*　because；　on　the　2nd　of　August；　a　raid　into　three　of　the　theaters

puts　five　hundred　young　men　in　the　lock…up；＇27＇



so　the　discontented　soon　discover；　if　there　are　any；　that　this　is　not

the　time　or　the　place　to　protest。



As　to　the　others；　already　Jacobin；　the　faction　takes　it　upon　itself　to

render　them　still　more　so。　　　Lost　in　the　immensity　of　Paris；　all

these　provincials　require　moral　as　well　as　physical　guides；　it　agrees

to　exercise　toward　them　〃hospitality　in　all　its　plenitude；　the

sweetest　of　Republican　virtues。〃＇28＇　Hence；　ninety…six　sans…culottes；

selected　from　among　the　sections；　wait　on　them　at　the　Mayoralty　to

serve　as　their　correspondents；　and　perhaps　as　their　guarantees；　and

certainly　as　pilots



*　to　give　them　lodging…tickets；



*　to　escort　and　install　them；



*　to　indoctrinate　them；　as　formerly　with　the　federates　of　July；　1792；



*　to　prevent　their　getting　into　bad　company；



*　to　introduce　them　into　all　the　exciting　meetings；



*　to　see　that　their　ardent　patriotism　quickly　rises　to　the　proper

temperature　of　Parisian　Jacobinism。＇29＇



The　theaters　must　not　offend　their　eyes　or　ears　with　pieces　〃opposed

to　the　spirit　of　the　Revolution。〃＇30＇　An　order　is　issued　for　the

performance　three　times　a　week　of　〃republican　tragedies；　such　as

'Brutus'；　'William　Tell'；　'Caius　Gracchus；'　and　other　dramas　suitable

for　the　maintenance　of　the　principles　of　equality　and　liberty。〃　Once　a

week　the　theaters　must　be　free；　when　Chéniér's　alexandrines　are

spouted　on　the　stage　to　the　edification　of　the　delegates；　crowded　into

the　boxes　at　the　expense　of　the　State。　　The　following　morning；　led　in

groups　into　the　tribunes　of　the　Convention；＇31＇　they　there　find　the

same；　classic；　simple；　declamatory；　sanguinary　tragedy；　except　that

the　latter　is　not　feigned　but　real；　and　the　tirades　are　in　prose

instead　of　in　verse。　　Surrounded　by　paid　yappers　like　victims　for　the

ancient　Romans　celebrations　of　purifications；　our　provincials　applaud；

cheer　and　get　excited；　the　same　as　on　the　night　before　at　the　signal

given　by　the　claqueurs　and　the　regulars。　　Another　day；　the　procureur…

syndic　Lhullier　summons　them　to　attend　the　〃Evéché；〃　to　〃fraternize

with　the　authorities　of　the　Paris　department；〃＇32＇　the　〃Fraternité〃

section　invites　them　to　its　daily　meetings；　the　Jacobin　club　lends

them　its　vast　hall　in　the　morning　and　admits　them　to　its　sessions　in

the　evening。　　　Thus　monopolized　and　kept；　as　in　a　diving　bell；　they

breathe　in　Paris　nothing　but　a　Jacobin　atmosphere；　from　one　Jacobin

den　to　another；　as　they　are　led　about　in　this　heated　atmosphere；　their

pulse　beats　more　rapidly。　　Many　of　them；　who；　on　their　arrival；　were

〃plain；　quiet　people；〃＇33＇　but　out　of　their　element；　subjected　to

contagion　without　any　antidote；　quickly　catch　the　revolutionary　fever。

The　same　as　at　an　American　revival；　under　the　constant　pressure　of

preaching　and　singing；　of　shouts　and　nervous　spasms；　the　lukewarm　and

even　the　indifferent　have　not　long　to　wait　before　the　delirium　puts

them　in　harmony　with　the　converted。







V。



They　make　their　profession　of　Jacobin　faith。　　　Their　part　in　the

Fête　of　August　10th。　　　Their　enthusiasm。



On　the　7th　of　August　things　come　to　a　head。