the origins of contemporary france-4-第64章

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so　many　weekly　rations；　to　be　deported　during　the　month　to　certain

places　on　the　frontier；　the　transformation　of　so　many　fishermen　into

artillerymen　or　marines；　and　to　set　afloat　so　many　vessels　in　three

months；　to　expedite　certain　Corps　of　Cavalry；　infantry　and　artillery；

so　as　to　arrive　by　such　and　such　roads　at　this　or　that　pass　…



These　are　precise　combinations　which　purge　the　brain　of　dogmatic

phrases；　which　force　revolutionary　jargon　into　the　background　and　keep

a　man　sensible　and　practical；　and　all　the　more　because　three　of　them；

Jean　Bon；　former　captain　of　a　merchantman；　Prieur　and　Carnot；

engineering　officers；　are　professional　men　and　go　to　the　front　to　put

their　shoulders　to　the　wheel　on　the　spot。　　Jean　Bon；　always　visiting

the　coasts；　goes　on　board　a　vessel　of　the　fleet　leaving　Brest　to　save

the　great　American　convoy；　Carnot；　at　Watignies；　orders　Jourdan　to

make　a　decisive　move；　and；　shouldering　his　musket；　marches　along　with

the　attacking　column。＇36＇　　Naturally；　they　have　no　leisure　for

speechmaking　in　the　Jacobin　club；　or　for　intrigues　in　the　Convention：

Carnot　lives　in　his　own　office　and　in　the　committee…room；　he　does　not

allow　himself　time　enough　to　eat　with　his　wife；　dines　on　a　crust　of

bread　and　a　glass　of　lemonade；　and　works　sixteen　and　eighteen　hours　a

day；＇37＇　Lindet；　more　overtasked　than　any　body　else；　because　hunger

will　not　wait；　reads　every　report　himself；　and　passes　days　and　nights

at　it；〃＇38＇　Jean　Bon；　in　wooden　shoes　and　woolen　vest；　with　a　bit　of

coarse　bread　and　a　glass　of　bad　beer；＇39＇　writes　and　dictates　until

his　strength　fails　him；　and　he　has　to　lie　down　and　sleep　on　a　mattress

on　the　floor。　　…　Naturally；　again；　when　interfered　with；　and　the　tools

in　their　hands　are　broken；　they　are　dissatisfied；　they　know　well　the

worth　of　a　good　instrument；　and　for　the　service；　as　they　comprehend

it；　good　tools　are　essential；　competent；　faithful　employees；　regular

in　attendance　at　their　offices；　and　not　at　the　club。　　When　they　have　a

subordinate　of　this　kind　they　defend　him；　often　at　the　risk　of　their

lives；　even　to　incurring　the　enmity　of　Robespierre。　　Cambon；＇40＇　who；

on　his　financial　committee；　is　also　a　sort　of　sovereign；　retains　at

the　Treasury　five　or　six　hundred　employees　unable　to　procure　their

certificate　of　civism；　and　whom　the　Jacobins　incessantly　denounce　so

as　to　get　their　places。　　Carnot　saves　and　employs　eminent　engineers；

D'Arcon；　de　Montalembert；　d'Obenheim；　all　of　them　nobles；　and　one　of

them　an　anti…Jacobin；　without　counting　a　number　of　accused　officers

whom　he　justifies；　replaces；　or　maintains。＇41＇　…　Through　these

courageous　and　humane　acts；　they　solace　themselves　for　their　scruples；

at　least　partially　and　for　the　time　being；　moreover；　they　are

statesmen　only　because　the　occasion　and　superior　force　makes　it

imperative；　more　led　by　others　than　leading；　terrorists　through

accident　and　necessity；　rather　than　through　system　and　instinct。　　If；

in　concert　with　ten　others；　Prieur　and　Carnot　order　wholesale　robbery

and　murder；　if　they　sign　orders　by　twenties　and　hundreds；　amounting　to

assassinations；　it　is　owing　to　their　forming　part　of　a　body。　　When　the

whole　committee　deliberates；　they　are　bound；　in　important　decrees；　to

submit　to　the　preponderating　opinion　of　the　majority；　after　voting　in

the　negative。　　In　relation　to　secondary　decrees；　in　which　there　has

been　no　preliminary　discussion　in　common；　the　only　responsible　member

is　the　one　whose　signature　stands　first；　the　following　signatures

affixed；　without　reading　the　document；　are　simply　a　〃formality　which

the　law　requires；〃　merely　a　visa；　necessarily　mechanical；　with　〃four

or　five　hundred　business　matters　to　attend　to　daily；〃　it　is　impossible

to　do　otherwise。　　To　read　all　and　vote　in　every　case；　would　be　〃a

physical　impossibility。〃＇42＇　…　Finally；　as　things　are；　〃is　not　the

general　will；　at　least　the　apparent　general　will；　that　alone　on　which

the　government　can　decide；　itself　ultra…revolutionary？〃＇43＇　　In　other

words；　should　not　the　five　or　six　rascals　in　a　State　who　vociferate；

be　listened　to；　rather　than　a　hundred　honest　folks　who　keep　their

mouths　shut？　With　this　sophism；　gross　as　it　is；　but　of　pure　Jacobin

manufacture；　Carnot　ends　by　hoodwinking　his　honor　and　his　conscience；

otherwise　intact；　and　far　more　so　than　his　colleagues；　he　likewise

undergoes　moral　and　mental　mutilation；　constrained　by　the　duties　of

his　post　and　the　illusions　of　his　creed；　he　succeeded　in　an　inward

decapitation　of　the　two　noblest　of　human　faculties；　common…sense；　the

most　useful；　and　the　moral　sense；　the　most　exalted　of　all。







IV。　　The　Statesmen。



Billaud…Varennes；　Collot　d'Herbois；　Robespierre；　Couthon　and　Saint…

Just。　　…　Conditions　of　this　rule。　　…　Dangers　to　which　they　are

subject。　　…　Their　dissensions。　　…　Pressure　of　Fear　and　Theory。



If　such　are　the　ravages　which　are　made　in　an　upright；　firm　and　healthy

personality；　what　must　be　the　havoc　in　corrupt　or　weak　natures；　in

which　bad　instincts　already　predominate！　…　And　note　that　they　are

without　the　protection　provided　by　a　pursuit　of　some　specific　and

useful　objective。　　They　are　〃government　men；〃　also　〃revolutionaries〃

or　〃the　people　in　total　control；〃＇44＇　they　are　in　actual　fact　men　with

an　overall　concept　of　things；　also　direct　these。　　The　creation；

organization　and　application　of　Terror　belongs　wholly　to　them；　they

are　the　constructors；　regulators　and　engineers　of　the　machine；＇45＇　the

recognized　heads　of　the　party；　of　the　sect　and　of　the　government；

especially　Billaud　and　Robespierre；　who　never　serve　on　missions；＇46＇

nor　relax　their　hold　for　a　moment　on　the　central　motor。　　The　former；

an　active　politician；　with　Collot　for　his　second；　is　charged　with

urging　on　the　constituted　authorities；　the　districts；　the

municipalities；　the　national　agents；　the　revolutionary　committees；　and

the　representatives　on　mission　in　the　interior。＇47＇　The　latter；　a

theologian；　moralist；　titular　doctor　and　preacher；　is　charged　with

ruling　the　Convention　and　indoctrinating　the　Jacobins　with　sound

principles；　behind　him　stands　Couthon；　his　lieutenant；　with　Saint…

Just；　his　disciple　and　executor　of　works　of　great　importance；　in　their

midst；　Barère；　the　Committee's　mouthpiece；　is　merely　a　tool；　but

indispensable；　conveniently　at　hand　and　always　ready　to　start　whatever

drum…beating　is　required　on　any　given　theme　in　honor　of　the　party

which　stuffs　his　brain。　　Below　these　comes　the　Committee　of　General

Security；　Vadier；　Amar；　Vouland；　Guffroy；　Panis；　David；　Jagot　and　the

rest；　those　who　undertook；　reported　on；　and　acted　in　behalf　of

universal　proscription。　　All　these　bear　the　imprint　of　their　service；

they　could　be　recognized　by　〃their　pallid　hue；　hollow　and　bloodshot

eyes；〃＇48＇　habits　of　omnipotence　stamped　〃on　their　brows；　and　on　their

deportment；　something　indescribably　haughty　and　disdainful。　　The

Committee　of　General　Security　reminded　one　of　the　former　lieutenants

of　police；　and　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　of　the　former　ministers

of　state。〃　In　the　Convention；　〃it　is　considered　an　honor　to　talk　with

them；　and　a　privilege　to　shake　hands　with　them；　one　seems　to　read

one's　duty　on　their　brows。〃　On　the　days　on　which　their　orders　are　to

be　converted　into　laws　〃the　members　of　the　Committee　and　the　reporter

of　the　bill；　keep　people　waiting；　the　same　as　the　heads　and

representatives　of　the　former　sovereign　power；　on　their　way　to　the

Assembly　hall；　they　are　preceded　by　a　group　of　courtiers　who　seem　to

announce　the　masters　of　the　world。〃＇49＇　…　In　fact；　they　reign　…　but

observe　on　what　conditions。



〃Make　no　complaints；〃　said　Barère；＇50＇　to　the　composer　of　an　opera；

the　performance　of　which　had　just　been　suspended：　〃as　times　go；　you

must　not　attract　public　attention。　　Do　we　not　all　stand　at　the　foot　of

the　guillotine；　all；　beginning　with　myself？〃　Again；　twenty　years

later；　in　a　private　conversation；　on　being　interrogated　as　to　the

veritable　object；　the　secret　motive　of　the　Committee　of