the origins of contemporary france-4-第65章

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veritable　object；　the　secret　motive　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；

he　replied：



〃As　we　were　animated　by　but　one　sentiment；＇51＇　my　dear　sir；　that　of

self…preservation；　we　had　but　one　desire；　that　of　maintaining　an

existence　which　each　of　us　believed　to　be　menaced。　　You　had　your

neighbor　guillotined　to　prevent　your　neighbor　from　guillotining

you。〃＇52＇



The　same　apprehension　exists　in　stouter　souls；　although　there　may　have

been；　along　with　fear；　motives　of　a　less　debased　order。



　〃How　many　times；〃　says　Carnot；＇53＇　〃we　undertook　some　work　that

required　time；　with　the　conviction　that　we　should　not　be　allowed　to

complete　it！〃　…　〃　It　was　uncertain＇54＇　whether；　the　next　time　the

clock　struck　the　hour；　we　should　not　be　standing　before　the

revolutionary　Tribunal　on　our　way　to　the　scaffold　without；　perhaps；

having　had　time　to　bid　adieu　to　our　families。　　。　　。　　。　　We　pursued　our

daily　task　so　as　not　to　let　the　machine　stand　still；　as　if　a　long　life

were　before　us；　when　it　was　probable　that　we　should　not　see　the　next

day's　sun。〃



It　is　impossible　to　count　on　one's　life；　or　that　of　another；　for

twenty…four　hours；　should　the　iron　hand　which　holds　one　by　the　throat

tighten　its　grasp；　all　will　be　over　that　evening。



　〃There　were　certain　days　so　difficult　that　one　could　see　no　way　to

control　circumstances；　those　who　were　directly　menaced　resigned

themselves　wholly　to　chance。〃＇55＇　…　〃　The　decisions　for　which　we　are

so　much　blamed；〃　says　another；＇56＇　〃were　not　generally　thought　of　two

days；　or　one　day；　beforehand；　they　sprung　out　of　the　crisis　of　the

moment。　　We　did　not　desire　to　kill　for　the　sake　of　killing　。　　。　　。

but　to　conquer　at　all　hazards；　remain　masters；　and　ensure　the　sway　of

our　principles。〃　…　That　is　true；　…　they　are　subjects　as　well　as

despots。　　At　the　Committee　table；　during　their　nocturnal　sessions；

their　sovereign　presides；　a　formidable　figure；　the　revolutionary　Idea

which　confers　on　them　the　right　to　slay；　on　condition　of　exercising　it

against　everybody；　and　therefore　on　themselves。　　Towards　two　o'clock；

or　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　exhausted；　out　of　words　and　ideas；

not　knowing　where　to　slay；　on　the　right　or　on　the　left；　they　anxiously

turn　to　this　figure　and　try　to　read　its　will　in　its　fixed　eyes。



　〃Who　shall　fall　to…morrow？　〃　…



Ever　the　same　reply　steadily　expressed　on　the　features　of　the

impassable　phantom：　〃the　counter…revolutionaries；〃　under　which　name　is

comprised　all　who　by　act；　speech；　thought　or　inmost　sentiment；　either

through　irritation　or　carelessness；　through　humanity　or　moderation；

through　egoism　or　nonchalance；　through　passive；　neutral　or　indifferent

feeling；　serve　well　or　ill　the　Revolution。＇57＇　…　All　that　remains　is

to　add　names　to　this　horribly　comprehensive　decree。　　Shall　Billaud　do

it？　Shall　Robespierre　do　it？　Will　Billaud　put　down　Robespierre's　name；

or　Robespierre　put　down　Billaud's；　or　each　the　name　of　the　other；　with

those　he　chooses　to　select　from　among　the　two　Committees？　Osselin；

Chabot；　Bazire；　Julien　de　Toulouse；　Lacroix；　Danton；　were　on　them；　and

when　they　left；　their　heads　fell。＇58＇　　　Hérault…Séchelles；　again；　was

on　them；　maintained　in　office　with　honor　through　the　recent

approbation　of　the　Convention；＇59＇　one　of　the　titular　twelve；　and　on

duty　when　an　order　issued　by　the　other　eleven　suddenly　handed　him　over

to　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　for　execution。　　…　Whose　turn　is　it　now

among　the　eleven？　Seized　unawares；　the　docile　Convention　unanimously

applauding；　after　three　days　of　a　judicial　farce；　the　cart　will　bear

him　to　the　Place　de　la　Révolution；　Samson　will　tie　him　fast；　shouters

at　thirty　sous　a　day　will　clap　their　hands；　and；　on　the　following

morning；　the　popular　politicians　will　congratulate　each　other　on

seeing　the　name　of　a　great　traitor　on　the　bulletin　of　the

guillotined。＇60＇　　To　this　end；　to　enable　this　or　that　king　of　the　day

to　pass　from　the　national　Almanac　to　the　mortuary　list；　merely

required　an　understanding　among　his　colleagues；　and；　perhaps；　this　is

already　arrived　at。　　Among　whom　and　against　whom？　…　It　is　certain

that；　as　this　idea　occurs　to　the　eleven；　seated　around　the　table；　they

eye　each　other　with　a　shudder　they　calculate　the　chances　and　turn

things　over　in　their　minds；　words　have　been　uttered　that　are　not

forgotten。　　Carnot　often　made　this　charge　against　Saint…Just：　〃You　and

Robespierre　are　after　a　dictatorship。〃＇61＇　Robespierre　replied　to

Carnot　：　〃I　am　ready　for　you　on　the　first　defeat。〃＇62＇　On　another

occasion；　Robespierre；　in　a　rage；　exclaimed：　〃The　Committee　is

conspiring　against　me！〃　and；　turning　to　Billaud；　〃I　know　you；　now！〃

Billaud　retorted；　〃I　know　you　too；　you　are　a　counter…

revolutionary！〃＇63＇　There　are　conspirators　and　counter…

revolutionaries；　then；　on　the　committee　itself；　what　can　be　done　to

avoid　this　appellation；　which　is　a　sentence　of　death　？　…　Silently；　the

fatal　phantom　enthroned　in　their　midst；　the　Erinyes＇64＇　through　which

they　rule；　renders　his　oracle　and　all　take　it　to　heart：



〃All　who　are　unwilling　to　become　executioners　are　conspirators　and

counter…revolutionaries。〃



V。



Official　Jacobin　organs。…　　Reports　by　Saint…Just　are　Barère。　　…

Quality　of　reports　and　reporters。



Thus　do　they　march　along　during　twelve　months；　goaded　on　by　the　two

sharp　thongs　of　theory　and　fear；　traversing　the　red　pool　which　they

have　created；　and　which　is　daily　becoming　deeper　and　deeper；　all

together　and　united；　neither　of　them　daring　to　separate　from　the

group；　and　each　spattered　with　the　blood　thrown　in　his　face　by　the

others'　feet。　　It　is　not　long　before　their　eyesight　fails　them；　they

no　longer　see　their　way；　while　the　degradation　of　their　language

betrays　the　stupor　of　their　intellect。　　…　When　a　government　brings　to

the　tribune　and　moves　the　enactment　of　important　laws；　it　confronts

the　nation；　faces　Europe；　and　takes　a　historical　position。　　If　it

cares　for　its　own　honor　it　will　select　reporters　of　bills　that　are　not

unworthy；　and　instruct　them　to　support　these　with　available　arguments；

as　closely　reasoned　out　as　possible；　the　bill；　discussed　and　adopted

in　full　council；　will　show　the　measure　of　its　capacity；　the

information　it　possesses　and　its　common…sense。



To　estimate　all　this；　read　the　bills　put　forth　in　the　name　of　the

Committee；　weigh　the　preambles；　remark　the　tone；　listen　to　the　two

reporters　usually　chosen；　Saint…Just；　who　draws　up　the　acts　of

proscription；　special　or　general；　and　Barère；　who　draws　up　all　acts

indifferently；　but　particularly　military　announcements　and　decrees

against　the　foreigner；　never　did　public　personages；　addressing　France

and　posterity；　use　such　irrational　arguments　and　state　falsehoods　with

greater　impudence。＇65＇



The　former；　stiff　in　his　starched　cravat；　posing　〃like　the　Holy

Ghost；〃　more　didactic　and　more　absolute　than　Robespierre　himself；

comes　and　proclaims　to　Frenchmen　from　the　tribune；　equality；　probity；

frugality；　Spartan　habits；　and　a　rural　cot　with　all　the　voluptuousness

of　virtue；＇66＇　this　suits　admirably　the　chevalier　Saint…Just；　a　former

applicant　for　a　place　in　the　Count　d'Artois'　body…guard；　a　domestic

thief；　a　purloiner　of　silver　plate　which　he　takes　to　Paris；　sells　and

spends　on　prostitutes；　imprisoned　for　six　months　on　complaint　of　his

own　mother；＇67＇　and　author　of　a　lewd　poem　which　he　succeeds　in

rendering　filthy　by　trying　to　render　it　fanciful。　　…　Now；　indeed；　he

is　grave；　he　no　longer　leers；　he　kills　…　but　with　what　arguments；　and

what　a　style！＇68＇　The　young　Laubardemont　as　well　as　the　paid　informers

and　prosecutors　of　imperial　Rome；　have　less　disgraced　the　human

intellect；　for　these　creatures　of　a　Tiberius　or　a　Richelieu　still　used

plausible　arguments　in　their　reasoning；　and　with　more　or　less

adroitness。　　With　Saint…Just；　there　is　no　connection　of　ideas；　there

is　no　sequence　or　march　in　his　rhapsody；　like　an　instrument　strained

to　the　utmost；　his　mind　plays　only　false　notes　in　violent　fits　and

starts；　logical