the origins of contemporary france-4-第49章

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with　their　pikes；〃　the　decree　in　each　commune　where　grain　is　dear；

taxing　the　rich　to　put　bread　within　reach　of　the　poor；＇69＇　the　decree

giving　laborers　forty　sous　for　attending　the　meetings　of　the　Section

Assemblies；＇70＇　the　institution　of　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；＇71＇　the

proposal　to　erect　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　into　a　provisional

government；　the　proclamation　of　Terror；　the　concentration　of　Jacobin

zeal　on　useful　works；　the　employment　of　the　eight　thousand　delegates

of　the　primary　assemblies；　who　had　been　sent　home　as　recruiting　agents

for　the　universal　armament；＇72＇　the　inflammatory　expressions　of　young

men　on　the　frontier；　the　wise　resolutions　for　limiting　the　levy　en

masse　to　men　between　eighteen　and　twenty…five；　which　put　an　end　to　the

scandalous　songs　and　dances　by　the　populace　in　the　very　hall　of　the

Convention。＇73＇



In　order　to　set　the　machine　up；　he　cleared　the　ground；　fused　the

metal；　hammered　out　the　principal　pieces；　filed　off　the　blisters；

designed　the　action；　adjusted　the　minor　wheels；　set　it　agoing　and

indicated　what　it　had　to　do；　and；　at　the　same　time；　he　forged　the

armor　which　guarded　it　against　strangers　and　outside　violence。　　The

machine　being　his；　why；　after　constructing　it；　did　he　not　serve　as　its

engineer？



Because；　if　competent　to　construct　it；　he　was　not　qualified　to　manage

it。　　In　a　crisis；　he　may　give　a　helping　hand；　win　the　support　of　an

assembly　or　a　mob；　direct；　high…handedly　and　for　a　few　weeks；　an

executive　committee。　　But　regular；　persistent　labor　is　repugnant　to

him；　he　is　not　made　for　bookkeeping；＇74＇　for　paper　and　administrative

work。　　Never；　like　Robespierre　and　Billaud　can　he　attend　to　both

official　and　police　duties　at　the　same　time；　carefully　reading　minute

daily　reports；　annotating　mortuary　lists；　extemporizing　ornate

abstractions；　coolly　enunciating　falsehoods　and　acting　out　the

patient；　satisfied　inquisitor；　and　especially；　he　can　never　become　the

systematic　executioner。　　…　On　the　one　hand；　his　eyes　are　not　obscured

by　the　gray　veil　of　theory：　he　does　not　regard　men　through　the

〃Contrat…Social〃　as　a　sum　of　arithmetical　units；＇75＇　but　as　they

really　are；　living；　suffering；　shedding　their　blood；　especially　those

he　knows；　each　with　his　peculiar　physiognomy　and　demeanor。　　Compassion

is　excited　by　all　this　when　one　has　any　feeling；　and　he　had。　　Danton

had　a　heart；　he　bad　the　quick　sensibilities　of　a　man　of　flesh　and

blood　stirred　by　the　primitive　instincts；　the　good　ones　along　with　the

bad　ones；　instincts　which　culture　had　neither　impaired　nor　deadened；

which　allowed　him　to　plan　and　permit　the　September　massacre；　but　which

did　not　allow　him　to　practice　daily　and　blindly；　systematic　and

wholesale　murder。　　Already　in　September；　〃cloaking　his　pity　under　his

bellowing；〃＇76＇　he　had　shielded　or　saved　many　eminent　men　from　the

butchers。　　When　the　axe　is　about　to　fall　on　the　Girondists；　he　is　〃ill

with　grief〃　and　despair。　　〃I　am　unable　to　save　them；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃

and　big　tears　streamed　down　his　cheeks。〃　…　On　the　other　hand；　his　eyes

are　not　covered　by　the　bandage　of　incapacity　or　lack　of　fore…thought。

He　detected　the　innate　vice　of　the　system；　the　inevitable　and

approaching　suicide　of　the　Revolution。



　〃The　Girondists　forced　us　to　throw　ourselves　upon　the　sans…culotterie

which　has　devoured　them；　which　will　devour　us；　and　which　will　eat

itself　up。〃＇77＇　…　〃Let　Robespierre　and　Saint…Just　alone；　and　there

will　soon　be　nothing　left　in　France　but　a　Thebiad　of　political

Trappists。〃＇78＇　　　At　the　end；　he　sees　more　clearly　still：



〃On　a　day　like　this　I　organized　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal：　I　ask

pardon　for　it　of　God　and　man。　　…　In　Revolutions；　authority　remains

with　the　greatest　scoundrels。　　…　It　is　better　to　be　a　poor　fisherman

than　govern　men。〃＇79＇



But　he　has　aspired　to　govern　them；　he　constructed　a　new　machine　for

the　purpose；　and；　deaf　to　its　squeals；　it　worked　in　conformity　with

the　structure　and　the　impulse　he　gave　to　it。　　It　towers　before　him；

this　sinister　machine；　with　its　vast　wheel　and　iron　cogs　grinding　all

France；　their　multiplied　teeth　pressing　out　each　individual　life；　its

steel　blade　constantly　rising　and　falling；　and；　as　it　plays　faster　and

faster；　daily　exacting　a　larger　and　larger　supply　of　human　material；

while　those　who　furnish　this　supply　are　held　to　be　as　insensible　and

as　senseless　as　itself。　　This　Danton　cannot；　will　not　be。　　…　He　gets

out　of　the　way；　diverts　himself；　gambles；＇80＇　forgets；　he　supposes

that　the　titular　decapitators　will　probably　consent　to　take　no　notice

of　him；　in　any　event　they　do　not　pursue　him；　〃they　would　not　dare　do

it。〃　〃　No　one　must　lay　hands　on　me；　I　am　the　ark。〃　At　the　worst；　he

prefers　〃to　be　guillotined　rather　than　guillotine。〃　…　Having　said　or

thought　this；　he　is　ripe　for　the　scaffold。







III。　　Robespierre。



Robespierre。　　…　Mediocrity　of　his　faculties。　　…　The　Pedant。　　…

Absence　of　ideas。　　…　Study　of　phrases。　　…　　Wounded　self…esteem。　　…　His

infatuation。　　…　He　plays　victim。　　…　His　gloomy　fancies。　　…　His

resemblance　to　Marat。　　…Difference　between　him　and　Marat。　　…　The

sincere　hypocrite。　　…　The　festival　in　honor　of　the　Supreme　Being；　and

the　law　of　Prairial　22。　　…　The　external　and　internal　characters　of

Robespierre　and　the　Revolution。



Even　with　the　firm　determination　to　remain　decapitator…in…chief；

Danton　could　never　be　a　perfect　representative　of　the　Revolution。　　It

is　an　armed　but　philosophical　robbery；　its　creed　includes　robbery　and

assassination；　but　only　as　a　knife　in　its　sheath；　the　showy；　polished

sheath　is　for　public　display；　and　not　the　sharp　and　bloody　blade。

Danton；　like　Marat；　lets　the　blade　be　too　plainly　visible。　　At　the

mere　sight　of　Marat；　filthy　and　slovenly；　with　his　livid；　frog…like

face；　with　his　round；　gleaming　and　fixed　eyeballs；　and　his　bold；

maniacal　stare　and　steady　monotonous　rage；　common…sense　rebels；　no…one

selects　a　homicidal　maniac　as　a　guide。　　At　the　mere　sight　of　Danton；

with　his　porter's　vocabulary；　his　voice　like　an　alarm　bell　of

insurrection；　his　cyclopean　features　and　air　of　an　exterminator；

humanity　takes　alarm；　one　does　not　surrender　oneself　to　a　political

butcher　without　repugnance。　　The　Revolution　demands　another

interpreter；　like　itself　captivatingly　fitted　out；　and　Robespierre

fits　the　bill；＇81＇　with　his　irreproachable　attire；　well…powdered　hair；

carefully　brushed　coat；＇82＇　strict　habits；　dogmatic　tone；　and　formal；

studied　manner　of　speaking。　　No　mind；　in　its　mediocrity　and

incompetence；　so　well　harmonizes　with　the　spirit　of　the　epoch。　　The

reverse　of　the　statesman；　he　soars　in　empty　space；　amongst

abstractions；　always　mounted　on　a　principle　and　incapable　of

dismounting　so　as　to　see　things　practically。



〃That　bastard　there；〃　exclaims　Danton；　〃is　not　even　able　to　boil　an

egg！〃



　〃The　vague　generalities　of　his　preaching；〃　writes　another

contemporary；＇83＇　〃rarely　culminated　in　any　specific　measure　or　legal

provision。　　He　combated　everything　and　proposed　nothing；　the　secret　of

his　policy　happily　accorded　with　his　intellectual　impotence　and　with

the　nullity　of　his　legislative　conceptions。〃　Once　he　has　rattled　his

revolutionary　pedantry　off；　he　no　longer　knows　what　to　say。　　…　As　to

financial　matters　and　military　art；　he　knows　nothing　and　risks

nothing；　except　to　underrate　or　calumniate　Carnot　and　Cambon　who　did

know　and　who　took　risks。＇84＇　　…　In　relation　to　a　foreign　policy　his

speech　on　the　state　of　Europe　is　the　amplification　of　a　schoolboy；　on

exposing　the　plans　of　the　English　minister　he　reaches　the　pinnacle　of

chimerical　nonsense；＇85＇　eliminate　the　rhetorical　passages；　and　it　is

not　the　head　of　a　government　who　speaks；　but　the　porter　of　the　Jacobin

club。　　On　contemporary　France；　as　it　actually　exists；　he　has　not　one

sound　or　specific　idea：　instead　of　men；　he　sees　only　twenty…six

millions　simple　robots；　who；　when　duly　led　and　organized；　will　work

together　in　peace　and　harmony。　　Basically　they　are　good；＇86＇　and　will；