the origins of contemporary france-4-第58章

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XXXI。；　255　（Speech；　Jan。26；　'794）。　　〃The　policy　of　the　London　Cabinet

largely　contributed　to　the　first　movement　of　our　Revolution。。。。

Taking　advantage　of　political　tempests　（the　cabinet）　aimed　to　effect

in　exhausted　and　dismembered　France　a　change　of　dynasty　and　to　place

tke　Duke　of　York　on　the　throne　of　Louis　XVI。　　。。　　。　　Pitt。。。。is　an

imbecile；　whatever　may　be　said　of　a　reputation　that　has　been　much　too

greatly　puffed　up。　　A　man　who；　abusing　the　influence　acquired　by　him

on　an　island　placed　haphazard　in　the　ocean；　is　desirous　of　contending

with　the　French　people；　could　not　have　conceived　of　such　an　absurd

plan　elsewhere　than　in　a　madhouse。〃　…　Cf。　　Ibid。；　XXX。；　465。



＇86＇　Ibid。；　XXVI。；　433；　441；　（Speech　on　the　Constitution；　May　10；

1793）；　XXXI。；　275。　　〃Goodness　consists　in　the　people　preferring　itself

to　what　is　not　itself；　the　magistrate；　to　be　good；　must　sacrifice

himself　to　the　people。〃。　　。　　。　　。　　〃Let　this　maxim　be　first　adopted

that　the　people　are　good　and　that　its　delegates　are　corruptible。〃。　　。

。　　XXX。；　464。　　（Speech；　Dec。25；　1793）：　〃The　virtues　are　the　appanages

of　the　unfortunate　and　the　patrimony　of　the　people。〃



＇87＇　Cf。　　passim；　Hamel；　〃Histoire　de　Robespierre；〃　3　vols。　　An

elaborate　panegyric　full　of　details。　　Although　eighty　years　have

elapsed；　Robespierre　still　makes　dupes　of　people　through　his　attitudes

and　rhetorical　flourishes。　　M。　Hamel　twice　intimates　his　resemblance

to　Jesus　Christ。　　The　resemblance；　indeed；　is　that　of　Pascal's　Jesuits

to　the　Jesus　of　the　Gospel。



＇88＇　〃The　Ancient　Regime；〃　p。262。



＇89＇　Garat；　〃Mémoires；〃　84。　　Garat　who　is　himself　an　ideologist；　notes

〃his　eternal　twadle　about　the　rights　of　man；　the　sovereignty　of　the

people；　and　other　principles　which　he　was　always　talking　about；　and　on

which　he　never　gave　utterance　to　one　precise　or　fresh　idea。〃



＇90＇　Read　especially　his　speech　on　the　constitution；　（May　10；　1793）；

his　report　on　the　principles　of　Republican　Government；　（Dec。15；　1793）；

his　speech　on　the　relationship　between　religious　and　national　ideas

and　republican　principles　（May　7；　1794）　and　speech　of　Thermidor　8。…

Carnot：　〃Memoires；〃　II。；　512。　　〃In　all　deliberations　on　affairs　he

contributed　nothing　but　vague　generalities。〃



＇91＇　During　this　century　all　important　Jacobin　leaders；　Hitler；

Mussolini；　Lenin；　Stalin；　Castro　etc。　　have　in　their　turn　followed

robespierre's　example　and　bored　their　captive　audiences　with　their

interminable　speeches。　　（SR）。



＇92＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXIII。；　406。　　（Speech　delivered　Thermidor　8th。）

The　printed　copy　of　the　manuscript　with　corrections　and　erasures。



＇93＇　Ibid。；　420；　422；　427。



＇94＇　Ibid。；　428；　435；　436。　　〃O　day　forever　blessed！　What　a　sight　to

behold；　the　entire　French　people　assembled　together　and　rendering　to

the　author　of　nature　the　only　homage　worthy　of　him！　How　affecting　each

object　that　enchants　the　eye　and　touches　the　heart　of　man！　O　honored

old　age！　O　generous　ardor　of　the　young　of　our　country！　O　the　innocent；

pure　joy　of　youthful　citizens！　O　the　exquisite　tears　of　tender

mothers！　O　the　divine　charms　of　innocence　and　beauty！　What　majesty　in

a　great　people　happy　in　its　strength；　power　and　virtue！〃　…　〃No；

Charmette；　No；　death　is　not　the　sleep　of　eternity！〃　…　〃Remember；　O；

People；　that　in　a　republic；　etc。〃　…　〃If　such　truths　must　be　dissembled

then　bring　me　the　hemlock！〃



＇95＇　Speech；　May　7；　1794。　　（On　moral　and　religious　ideas　in　relation

to　republican　principles。）



＇96＇　Personifications。　　From　Greek　to　make　persons。　　（SR）。



＇97＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXIII。；　436。　　〃The　verres　and　Catilines　of　our

country。〃　（Speech　of　Thermidor　8th。）　…　Note　especially　the　speech

delivered　March　7；　1794；　crammed　full　of　classical　reminiscences。



＇98＇　Ibid。；　XXXIII。；　421。　　〃Truth　has　touching　and　terrible　accents

which　reverberate　powerfully　in　pure　hearts　as　in　guilty　consciences；

and　which　falsehood　can　no　more　counterfeit　than　Salome　can

counterfeit　the　thunders　of　heaven。〃　…　437：　〃Why　do　those　who

yesterday　predicted　such　frightful　tempests　now　gaze　only　on　the

fleeciest　clouds？　Why　do　those　who　but　lately　exclaimed　'I　affirm　that

we　are　treading　on　a　volcano'　now　behold　themselves　sleeping　on　a　bed

of　roses？〃



＇99＇　Ibid。；　XXXII。；　360；　361。　　（Portraits　of　the　encyclopaedists　and

Hébertists。）



＇100＇　Ibid。；　XXXIII。；　408。　　〃Here；　I　have　to　open　my　heart。〃　…　XXXII。；

475…478；　the　concluding　part。



＇101＇　Hamel：　〃Histoire　de　Robespierre；〃　I。；　34…76。　　An　attorney　at　23；

a　member　of　the　Rosati　club　at　Arras　at　24；　a　member　of　the　Arras

Academy　at　25。　　The　Royal　Society　of　Metz　awarded　him　a　second　prize

for　his　discourse　against　the　prejudice　which　regards　the　relatives　of

condemned　criminals　as　infamous。　　His　eulogy　of　Gresset　is　not　crowned

by　the　Amiens　Academy。　　He　reads　before　the　Academy　of　Arras　a

discourse　against　the　civil　incapacities　of　illegitimate　children；　and

then　another　on　reforms　in　criminal　jurisprudence。　　In　1789；　he　is

president　of　the　Arras　Academy；　and　publishes　an　eulogy　of　Dupaty　and

an　address　to　the　people　from　Artois　on　the　qualities　necessary　for

future　deputies。



＇102＇　See　his　eulogy　of　Rousseau　in　the　speech　of　May　7；　1794。

（Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXII。；　369。　　…　Garat；　85。　　〃I　hoped　that　his

selection　of　Rousseau　for　a　model　of　style　and　the　constant　reading　of

his　works　would　exert　some　good　influence　on　his　character。〃



＇103＇　Fievée；　〃correspondance〃　（introduction）。　　Fievée；　who　heard　him

at　the　Jacobin　Club；　said　that　he　resembled　a　〃tailor　of　the　ancient

regime。〃　La　Réeveillère…Lepeaux；　′〃Mmoires。〃　…　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXIV。；

94。　　…　Malouet；　〃Mémoires；〃　II。；　135。　　（Session　of　May　31；　1791；　after

the　delivery　of　Abbé　Raynal's　address。）　〃This　is　the　first　and　only

time　I　found　Robespierre　clear　and　even　eloquent。　　。　　。　　。　　He　spun

out　his　opening　phrases　as　usual；　which　contained　the　spirit　of　his

discourse；　and　which；　in　spite　of　his　accustomed　rigmarole；　produced

the　effect　he　intended。〃



＇104＇　Courrier　de　Provence；　III。；　No。　　52；　（Oct。　　7　and　8；　1789）。　　…

Buchez　et　Roux；　VI。；　372。　　（Session　of　July　10；　1790。）　Another　similar

blunder　was　committed　by　him　on　the　occasion　of　an　American

deputation。　　The　president　had　made　his　response；　which　was

〃unanimously　applauded。〃　Robespierre　wanted　to　have　his　say

notwithstanding　the　objections　of　the　Assembly；　impatient　at　his

verbiage；　and　which　finally　put　him　down。　　Amidst　the　laughter；　〃M。

l'Abbé　Maury　demands　ironically　the　printing　of　M。　Robespierre's

discourse。〃



＇105＇　L。　　Villiers；　2。



＇106＇　Cf。　　his　principal　speeches　in　the　constituent　Assembly；　

against　martial　law；　against　the　veto；　even　suspensive；　against　the

qualification　of　the　silver　marc　and　in　favor　of　universal　suffrage；

in　favor　of　admitting　into　the　National　Guard　non…acting　citizens；　of

the　marriage　of　priests；　of　the　abolition　of　the　death　penalty；　of

granting　political　rights　to　colored　men；　of　interdicting　the　father

from　favoring　any　one　of　his　children；　of　declaring　the　〃Constituants〃

ineligible　to　the　Legislative　Assembly；　etc。　　On　royalty：　〃The　King　is

not　the　representative　but　the　clerk　of　the　nation。〃　On　the　danger　of

allowing　political　rights　to　colored　men：　〃Let　the　colonies　perish　if

they　cost　you　your　honor；　your　glory；　your　liberty！〃



＇107＇　Hamel；　I。；　76。77；　（March；　1789）。　　〃My　heart　is　an　honest　one　and

I　stand　firm；　I　have　never　bowed　beneath　the　yoke　of　baseness　and

corruption。〃　He　enumerates　the　virtues　that　a　representative　of　the

Third　Estate　should　possess　（26；　83）。　　He　already　shows　his　blubbering

capacity　and　his　disposition　to　regard　himself　as　a　victim：　〃They

undertake　making　martyrs　of　the　people's　defenders。　　Had　they　the

power　to　deprive　me　of　the　advantages　they　envy；　could　they　snatch

from　me　my　soul　and　the　consciousness　of　the　benefits　I　desire　to

confer　on　them。〃



＇108＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXIII。　　〃Who　am　I　that　am　thus　accused？　The

slave　of　freedom；　a　living　martyr