the origins of contemporary france-4-第6章

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fifteen　hundred　Jacobins　then　filling　the　hall。　　〃No！　no！　shouts　the

entire　club。〃　The　delegates　are　carried　away：



　〃I　demand；〃　exclaims　one　of　them；　〃that　the　dissolution　of　the

Convention　be　postponed　until　the　end　of　the　war。〃　…



　At　last；　the　precious　motion；　so　long　desired　and　anticipated；　is

made：　the　calumnies　of　the　Girondins　now　fall　the　ground；　it　is

demonstrated　that　the　Convention　does　not　desire　to　perpetuate　itself

and　that　it　has　no　ambition；　if　it　remains　in　power　it　is　because　it

is　kept　there；　the　delegates　of　the　people　compel　it　to　stay。



And　better　still；　they　are　going　to　mark　out　its　course　of　action。　　

The　next　day；　the　12th　of　August；　with　the　zeal　of　new　converts；　they

spread　themselves　through　the　hall　in　such　numbers　that　Assembly；　no

longer　able　to　carry　on　is　deliberations；　crowds　toward　the　left　and

yields　the　whole　of　the　space　on　the　right　that　they　may　occupy　and

〃purify〃〃　it。＇44＇　　All　the　combustible　material　in　their　minds；

accumulated　during　the　past　fortnight；　takes　fire　and　explodes；　they

are　more　furious　than　the　most　ultra　Jacobins；　they　repeat　at　the　bar

of　the　house　the　extravagances　of　Rose　Lacombe；　and　of　the　lowest

clubs；　they　even　transcend　the　program　drawn　up　by　the　〃Mountain。〃

〃The　time　for　deliberation　is　past；〃　exclaims　their　spokesman；　〃we

must　act＇45＇。　　。　　。　　Let　the　people　rouse　themselves　in　a　mass。　　。　　。

it　alone　can　annihilate　its　enemies。　　。　　。　　We　demand　that　all

'suspects'　be　put　under　arrest；　that　they　be　dispatched　to　the

frontiers；　followed　by　the　terrible　mass　of　sans…culottes。　　There；　in

the　front　ranks；　they　will　be　obliged　to　fight　for　that　liberty　which

they　have　outraged　for　the　past　four　years；　or　be　immolated　on　the

tyrants'　cannon。　　。　　。　　。　　Women；　children；　old　men　and　the　infirm

shall　be　kept　as　hostages　by　the　women　and　children　of　sans…culottes。〃

Danton　seizes　the　opportunity。　　With　his　usual　lucidity　he　finds　the

expression　which　describes　the　situation：



〃The　deputies　of　the　primary　assemblies；〃　he　says；　〃have　just　begun　to

practice　among　us　the　initiative　of　terror。〃



He　moreover　reduces　the　absurd　notions　of　the　fanatics　to　a　practical

measure：　〃A　mobilization　en　masse；　yes；　but　with　order〃　by　at　once

calling　out　the　first　class　of　conscript；　all　men　from　eighteen　to

twenty…five　years　of　age；　the　arrest　of　all　'suspects'；　yes；　but　not

to　lead　them　against　the　enemy；　〃they　would　be　more　dangerous　than

useful　in　our　armies；　let　us　shut　them　up；　they　will　be　our　hostages。〃

　He　also　proposes　employment　for　the　delegates　who　are　only　in　the

way　in　Paris　and　might　be　useful　in　the　provinces。　　Let　us　make　of

them　〃various　kinds　of　representatives　charged　with　animating

citizens。　　。　　。　　Let　them；　along　with　all　good　citizens　and　the

constituted　authorities；　take　charge　of　the　inventories　of　grain　and

arms；　and　make　requisitions　for　men；　and　let　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　direct　this　sublime　movement。　　。　　。　　。　　All　will　swear　that；　on

returning　to　their　homes；　they　will　give　this　impulse　their　fellow

citizens。〃　Universal　applause；　the　delegates　exclaim　in　one　voice；　〃We

swear！〃　Everybody　springs　to　his　feet；　the　men　in　the　tribunes　wave

their　hats　and　likewise　should　the　same　oath。　　　The　scheme　is

successful；　a　semblance　of　popular　will　has　authorized　the　staff　of

officials；　the　policy；　the　principles　and　the　very　name　of　Terror。　　As

to　the　instruments　for　the　operation　they　are　all　there　ready　to　be

back　into　action。　　The　delegates；　of　whose　demands　and　interference

the　〃Mountain〃　is　still　in　dread；　are　sent　back　to　their　departmental

holes；　where　they　shall　serve　as　agents　and　missionaries。＇46＇　There　is

no　further　mention　of　putting　the　Constitution　into　operation；　this

was　simply　a　bait；　a　decoy；　contrived　for　fishing　in　turbid　waters：

the　fishing　ended；　the　Constitution　is　now　placed　in　a　conspicuous

place　in　the　hall；　in　a　small　monument　for　which　David　furnished　the

design。＇47＇　　The　Convention；　now；　says　Danton；　〃will　rise　to　a　sense

of　its　dignity；　for　it　is　now　invested　with　the　full　power　of　the

nation。〃　In　other　words；　artifice　completes　what　violence　has　begun。

Through　the　outrages　committed　in　May　and　June；　the　Convention　had

lost　its　legitimacy；　through　the　maneuvers　of　July　and　August　it

recovered　the　semblance　of　it。　　The　Montagnards　still　hold　their　slave

by　his　lash；　but　they　have　restored　his　prestige　so　as　to　make　the

most　of　him　to　their　own　profit。







VII。



Effect　of　this　maneuver。　　　Extent　and　Manifesto　of　the　departmental

insurrection。　　　Its　fundamental　weakness。　　　The　mass　of　the

population　inert　and　distrustful。　　　The　small　number　of　Girondists。

　Their　lukewarm　adherents。　　　Scruples　of　fugitive　deputies　and

insurgent　administrators。　　　They　form　no　central　government。　　

They　leave　military　authority　in　the　hands　of　the　Convention。　　

Fatal　progress　of　their　concessions。　　　Withdrawal　of　the　departments

one　by　one。　　　Retraction　of　the　compromised　authorities。　　　Effect

of　administrative　habits。　　　Failings　and　illusions　of　the　Moderates。

　Opposite　character　of　the　Jacobins。



With　the　same　blow；　and　amongst　the　same　playacting；　they　have　nearly

disarmed　their　adversaries。　　　On　learning　the　events　of　May　31　and

June　2；　a　loud　cry　of　indignation　arose　among　republicans　of　the

cultivated　class　in　this　generation；　who；　educated　by　the

philosophers；　sincerely　believed　in　the　rights　of　man。＇48＇　Sixty…nine

department　administrations　had　protested；＇49＇　and；　in　almost　all　the

towns　of　the　west；　the　south；　the　east　and　the　center　of　France；　at

Caen；　Alen？on；　Evreux；　Rennes；　Brest；　Lorient；　Nantes　and　Limoges；　at

Bordeaux；　Toulouse；　Montpellier；　N？mes　and　Marseilles；　at　Grenoble；

Lyons；　Clermont；　Lons…le…Saunier；　Besan？on；　Macon　and　Dijon；＇50＇　the

citizens；　assembled　in　their　sections；　had　provoked；　or　maintained　by

cheering　them　on；　the　acts　of　their　administrators。　　Rulers　and

citizens；　all　declared　that；　the　Convention　not　being　free；　its

decrees　after　the　31st　of　May；　no　longer　had　the　force　of　law；　that

the　troops　of　the　departments　should　march　on　Paris　to　deliver　that

city　from　its　oppressors；　and　that　their　substitutes　should　be　called

out　and　assemble　at　Bourges。　　In　many　places　words　were　converted　into

acts。　　Already　before　the　end　of　May；　Marseilles　and　Lyons　had　taken

up　arms　and　checkmated　their　local　Jacobins。　　After　the　2nd　of　June；

Normandy；　Brittany；　Gard；　Jura；　Toulouse　and　Bordeaux；　had　also　raised

troops。　　At　Marseilles；　Bordeaux　and　Caen　representatives　on　mission；

arrested　or　under　guard；　were　retained　as　hostages。＇51＇　At　Nantes；　the

national　Guard　and　popular　magistrates　who；　a　week　before；　had　so

bravely　repulsed　the　great　Vendéan　army；　dared　to　more　than　this；　they

limited　the　powers　of　the　Convention　and　condemned　all　meddling：

according　to　them；　the　sending　of　representatives　on　mission　was　〃an

usurpation；　an　attack　on　national　sovereignty；〃　representatives　had

been　elected



　〃to　make　and　not　to　execute　laws；　to　prepare　a　constitution　and

regulate　all　public　powers；　and　not　to　confound　these　together　and

exercise　them　all　at　once；　to　protect　and　maintain　intermediary　powers

which　the　people　have　delegated；　and　not　to　encroach　upon　and

annihilate　them。〃＇52＇



With　still　greater　boldness；　Montpellier　enjoined　all　representatives

everywhere　to　meet　at　the　headquarters　of　their　respective

departments；　and　await　the　verdict　of　a　national　jury。　　In　short；　in

accordance　with　the　very　democratic　creed；　〃nothing　was　visible　amid

the　ruins　of　the　Convention；〃　mutilated　and　degraded；　but　interloping

〃attorneys。〃　　〃The　people's　workmen〃　are　summoned　〃to　return　to

obedience　and　do　justice　to　the　reproaches　addressed　to　them　by　their

legitimate　master；〃＇53＇　the　nation　canceled　the　pay　of　its　clerks　at

the　capital；　withdrew　the　mandate　they　had　misused；　and　declared　them

usurpers　if　they　persisted　in　not　yielding　up　their　borrowed

sovereignty　〃t