the origins of contemporary france-4-第5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！



Fête　of　August　10th。　　　Their　enthusiasm。



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

and　the　municipality；　a　number　of　delegates　march　to　the　bar　of　the

Convention；　and　make　a　confession　of　Jacobin　faith。　　〃Soon；〃　they

exclaim；　〃will　search　be　made　on　the　banks　of　the　Seine　for　the　foul

marsh　intended　to　engulf　us。　　Were　the　royalist　and　intriguers　to　die

of　spite；　we　will　live　and　die　'Montagnards。'〃＇34＇　　Applause　and

embraces。　　　From　thence　they　betake　themselves　to　the　Jacobin　Club；

where　one　of　them　proposes　an　address　prepared　beforehand：　the　object

of　this　is　to　justify　the　31st　of　May；　and　the　2nd　of　June；　〃to　open

the　eyes〃　of　provincial　France；　to　declare　〃war　against　the

federalists。〃＇35＇　〃Down　with　the　infamous　libelers　who　have

calumniated　Paris！　。。。。　　We　cherish　but　one　sentiment；　our　souls　are

all　melted　into　one　。。。　　We　form　here　but　one　vast；　terrible　mountain；

about　to　vomit　forth　its　fires　on　the　royalists　and　supporters　of

tyranny。〃　Applause　and　cheers。　　　Robespierre　declares　that　they　are

there　to　save　the　country。＇36＇　On　the　following　day；　August　8th；　this

address　is　presented　to　the　Convention　and　Robespierre　has　a

resolution　adopted；　ordering　it　to　be　sent　to　the　armies；　to　foreign

powers　and　all　the　Communes。　　More　applause；　more　embraces；　and　more

cheers。　　　On　the　9th　of　August；＇37＇　by　order　of　the　Convention；　the

delegates　meet　in　the　Tuileries　garden；　where；　divided　into　as　many

groups　as　there　are　departments；　they　study　the　program　drawn　up　by

David；　in　order　to　familiarize　themselves　with　the　parts　they　are　to

play　in　the　festival　of　the　following　day。



What　an　odd　festival　and　how　well　it　expresses　the　spirit　of　the　time！

It　is　a　sort　of　opera　played　in　the　streets　by　the　public　authorities；

with　triumphant　chariots；　altars；　censers；　an　Ark　of　the　Covenant；

funeral　urns；　classic　banners　and　other　trappings！　Its　divinities

consist　of　plaster　statues　representing　Nature；　Liberty；　the　People；

and　Hercules；　all　of　which　are　personified　abstractions；　like　those

painted　on　the　ceiling　of　a　theater。　　In　all　this　there　is　no

spontaneity　nor　sincerity；　the　actors；　whose　consciences　tell　them

that　they　are　only　actors；　render　homage　to　symbols　which　they　know　to

be　nothing　but　symbols；　while　the　mechanical　procession；＇38＇　the

invocations；　the　apostrophes；　the　postures；　the　gestures　are　regulated

beforehand；　the　same　as　by　a　ballet…manager。　　To　any　truth…loving

person　all　this　must　seem　like　a　charade　performed　by　puppets。　　　But

the　festival　is　colossal；　well　calculated　to　stimulate　the　imagination

and　excite　pride　through　physical　excitement。＇39＇　On　this　grandiose

stage　the　delegates　become　quite　intoxicated　with　their　part；　for；

evidently；　theirs　is　the　leading　part；　they　represent　twenty…six

millions　of　Frenchmen；　and　the　sole　object　of　this　ceremony　is　to

glorify　the　national　will　of　which　they　are　the　bearers。　　　On　the

Place　de　la　Bastille＇40＇　where　the　gigantic　effigy　of　nature　pours

forth　from　its　two　breasts　〃the　regenerating　water；〃　Hérault；　the

president；　after　offering　libations　and　saluting　the　new　goddess；

passes　the　cup　to　the　eighty…seven　elders　（les　doyens）　of　the　eighty…

seven　departments；　each　〃summoned　by　sound　of　drum　and　trumpet〃　to

step　forward　and　drink　in　his　turn；　while　cannon　belch　forth　their

thunders　as　if　for　a　monarch。　　After　the　eighty…seven　have　passed　the

cup　around；　the　artillery　roars。　　The　procession　them　moves　on；　and

the　delegates　again　are　assigned　the　place　of　honor。　　The　elders；

holding　an　olive…branch　in　one　hand；　and　a　pike　in　the　other；　with　a

streamer　on　the　end　of　it　bearing　the　name　of　their　department；　〃bound

to　each　other　by　a　small　three…color　ribbon；〃　surround　the　Convention

as　if　to　convey　the　idea　that　the　nation　maintains　and　conducts　its

legal　representative。　　Behind　them　march　the　rest　of　the　eight

thousand　delegates；　likewise　holding　olive…branches　and　forming　a

second　distinct　body；　the　largest　of　all；　and　on　which　all　eyes　are

centered。　　For；　in　their　wake；　〃their　is　no　longer　any　distinction

between　persons　and　functionaries；〃　all　being　confounded　together；

marching　pell…mell；　executive　council；　city　officials；　judges

scattered　about　haphazard　and；　by　virtue　of　equality；　lost　in　the

crowd。　　At　each　station；　thanks　to　their　insignia；　the　delegates　form

the　most　conspicuous　element。　　On　reaching　the　last　one；　that　of　the

Champ　de　Mars；　they　alone　with　the　Convention；　ascend　the　steps

leading　to　the　alter　of　the　country；　on　the　highest　platform　stands

the　eldest　of　all　alongside　the　president　of　the　Convention；　also

standing；　thus　graded　above　each　other；　the　seven　thousand；　who

envelope　the　seven　hundred　and　fifty；　form　〃the　veritable　Sacred

Mountain。〃　Now；　the　president；　on　the　highest　platform；　turns　toward

the　eighty…seven　elders；　he　confides　to　the　Ark　containing　the

Constitutional　Act　and　the　list　of　those　who　voted　for　it；　they；　on

their　part；　then　advance　and　hand　him　their　pikes；　which　he　gathers

together　into　one　bundle　as　an　emblem　of　national　unity　and

indivisibility。　　At　this；　shouts　arise　from　every　point　of　the　immense

enclosure；　salvoes　of　artillery　follow　again　and　again；　〃one　would　say

that　heaven　and　earth　answered　each　other〃　in　honor　〃of　the　greatest

epoch　of　humanity。〃　　Certainly；　the　delegates　are　beside　themselves；

their　nerves；　strained　to　the　utmost；　vibrates　too　powerfully；　the

millennium　discloses　itself　before　their　eyes。　　Already；　many　among

them　on　the　Place　de　la　Bastille；　had　addressed　the　universe；　others；

〃seized　with　a　prophetic　spirit；〃　promise　eternity　to　the

Constitution。　　They　feel　themselves　〃reborn　again；　along　with　the

human　species；〃　they　regard　themselves　as　beings　of　a　new　world。

History　is　consummated　in　them；　the　future　is　in　their　hands；　they

believe　themselves　gods　on　earth。　　　In　this　critical　state；　their

reason；　like　a　pair　of　ill…balanced　scales；　yields　to　the　slightest

touch；　under　the　pressure　of　the　manufacturers　of　enthusiasm；　a　sudden

reaction　will　carry　them　away。　　They　consider　the　Constitution　as　a

panacea；　and　they　are　going　to　consign　it；　like　some　dangerous　drug；

to　this　coffer　which　they　call　an　ark。　　They　have　just　proclaimed　the

liberty　of　the　people；　and　are　going　to　perpetuate　the　dictatorship　of

the　Convention。









VI。　　　The　Mountain。



Maneuvers　of　the　〃Mountain。〃　　The　Jacobin　Club　on　the　eve　of　August

11th。　　　Session　of　the　Convention　on　the　11th　of　August。　　　The

Delegates　initiate　Terror。　　　Popular　consecration　of　the　Jacobin

dictatorship。



This　volteface　has；　of　course；　to　appear　spontaneous　and　the　hand　of

the　titular　rulers　remain　invisible：　the　Convention；　as　usual　with

usurpers；　is　to　simulate　reserve　and　disinterestedness。　…

Consequently；　the　following　morning；　August　11；　on　the　opening　of

the　session；　it　simply　declares　that　〃its　mission　is　fulfilled：〃＇41＇

on　the　motion　of　Lacroix；　a　confederate　of　Danton's；　it　passes　a　law

that　a　new　census　of　the　population　and　of　electors　shall　be　made　with

as　little　delay　as　possible；　in　order　to　convoke　the　primary

assemblies　at　once；　it　welcomes　with　joy　the　delegates　who　bring　to　it

the　Constitutional　Ark；　the　entire　Assembly　rises　in　the　presence　of

this　sacred　receptacle；　and　allows　the　delegates　to　exhort　it　and

instruct　it　concerning　its　duties。＇42＇　　But　in　the　evening；　at　the

Jacobin　Club；　Robespierre；　after　a　long　and　vague　discourse　on　public

dangers；　conspiracies；　and　traitors；　suddenly　utters　the　decisive

words：



　〃The　most　important　of　my　reflections　was　about　to　escape　me＇43＇。　　。

。　　The　proposition　made　this　morning　will　only　facilitate　the

replacement　of　the　purified　members　of　this　Convention　by　the　envoys

of　Pitt　and　Cobourg。〃



Dreadful　words　in　the　mouth　of　a　man　of　principles！　They　are　at　once

understood　by　the　leaders；　great　and　small；　also　by　the　selected

fifteen　hundred　Jacobins　then　filling　the　hall。　　〃No！　n