the origins of contemporary france-4-第68章

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did　not　take　it　quick　enough；　he　is　accused　of　treachery；　two　days

after　the　capitulation；　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　withdraw　his

powers；　three　days　after　the　capitulation；　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　has　him　arrested　and　sent　to　Paris　under　escort。＇92＇　…　If　such

men　after　such　services　are　thus　treated；　what　is　to　become　of　the

others？　After　the　mission　of　young　Julien；　then　Carrier　at　Nantes；

Ysabeau　and　Tallien　at　Bordeaux；　feel　their　heads　shake　on　their

shoulders；　after　the　mission　of　Robespierre　jr。　　in　the　East　and

South；　Barras；　Fréron　and　Bernard　de　Saintes　believe　themselves

lost。＇93＇　Fouché；　Rovère；　Javogue；　and　how　many　others；　compromised　by

the　faction；　Hébertists　or　Dantonists；　of　which　they　are；　or　were

belonging。　　Sure　of　perishing　if　their　patrons　on　the　Committee

succumb；　not　sure　of　living　if　their　patrons　keep　their　place；　not

knowing　whether　their　heads　will　not　be　exchanged　for　others；

restricted　to　the　narrowest；　the　most　rigorous　and　most　constant

orthodoxy；　guilty　and　condemned　should　their　orthodoxy　of　to…day

become　the　heterodoxy　of　to…morrow。　　All　of　them　menaced；　at　first　the

hundred　and　eighty　autocrats　who；　before　the　concentration　of　the

revolutionary　government；　ruled　for　eight　months　boundlessly　in　the

provinces；　next；　and　above　all；　the　fifty　hard…fisted　〃Montagnards；〃

unscrupulous　fanatics　or　authoritarian　high　livers；　who；　at　this

moment；　tread　human　flesh　under　foot　and　spread　out　in　arbitrariness

like　wild　boars　in　a　forest；　or　wallow　in　scandal；　like　swine　in　a

mud…pool。



There　is　no　refuge　for　them；　other　than　temporary；　and　temporary

refuge　only　in　zealous　and　tried　obedience；　such　as　the　Committee

demands　proof　of；　that　is　to　say；　through　rigor。　　…　〃The　Committees　so

wanted　it；〃　says　later　on　Maignet；　the　arsonist　of　Bédouin；　〃The

Committees　did　everything。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　Circumstances　controlled　me。

。　　。　　。　　。　　The　patriotic　agents　conjured　me　not　to　give　way。　　。　　。　　。

。　　I　did　not　fully　carry　out　the　most　imperative　orders。〃＇94＇　Similarly；

the　great　exterminator　of　Nantes；　Carrier；　when　urged　to　spare　the

rebels　who　surrendered　of　their　own　accord：



〃Do　you　want　me　to　be　guillotined？　It　is　not　in　my　power　to　save　those

people。〃＇95＇



And　another　time：



　　　　　　　〃I　have　my　orders；　I　must　observe　them；　I　do　not　want　to　have

my　head　cut　off！〃



Under　penalty　of　death；　the　representative　on　mission　is　a　Terrorist；

like　his　colleagues　in　the　Convention　and　on　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　but　with　a　much　more　serious　disturbance　of　his　nervous　and

his　moral　system；　for　he　does　not　operate　like　them　on　paper；　at　a

distance；　against　categories　of　abstract；　anonymous　and　vague　beings；

his　work　is　not　merely　an　effort　of　the　intellect；　but　also　of　the

senses　and　the　imagination。　　If　he　belongs　to　the　region；　like

Lecarpentier；　Barras；　Lebon；　Javogue；　Couthon；　André　Dumont　and　many

others；　he　is　well　acquainted　with　the　families　he　proscribes；　names

to　him　are　not　merely　so　many　letters　strung　together；　but　they　recall

personal　souvenirs　and　evoke　living　forms。　　At　all　events；　he　is　the

spectator；　artisan　and　beneficiary　of　his　own　dictatorship；　the

silver…plate　and　money　he　confiscates　passes　under　his　eye；　through

his　hands；　he　sees　the　〃suspects〃　he　incarcerates　march　before　him；　he

is　in　the　court…room　on　the　rendering　of　the　sentence　of　death；

frequently；　the　guillotine　he　has　supplied　with　heads　works　under　his

windows；　he　sleeps　in　the　mansion　of　an　emigré　he　makes　requisitions

for　the　furniture；　linen　and　wine　belonging　to　the　decapitated　and　the

imprisoned；＇96＇　lies　in　their　beds；　drinks　their　wine　and　revels　with

plenty　of　company　at　their　expense；　and　in　their　place。　　In　the　same

way　as　a　bandit　chief　who　neither　kills　nor　robs　with　his　own　hands；

but　has　murder　and　robbery　committed　in　his　presence；　by　which　he

substantially　profits；　not　by　proxy；　but　personally；　through　the　well…

directed　blows　ordered　by　him。　　…　To　this　degree；　and　in　such

proximity　to　physical　action；　omnipotence　is　a　noxious　atmosphere

which　no　state　of　health　can　resist。　　Restored　to　the　conditions　which

poisoned　man　in　barbarous　times　or　countries；　he　is　again　attacked　by

moral　maladies　from　which　he　was　thenceforth　believed　to　be　exempt；　he

retrogrades　even　to　the　strange　corruptions　of　the　Orient　and　the

Middle　Ages；　forgotten　leprosies；　apparently　extinct；　with　exotic

pestilences　to　which　civilized　lands　seemed　closed；　reappear　in　his

soul　with　their　issues　and　tumors。



VII。　　Brutal　Instincts。



Eruption　of　brutal　instincts。　　…　Duquesnoy　at　Metz。　　…　Dumont　at

Amiens。　　…　Drunkards。　　…　Cusset；　Bourbotte；　Moustier；　Bourdon　de

l'Oise；　Dartigoyte。



〃It　seems；〃　says　a　witness　who　was　long　acquainted　with　Maignet；　〃that

all　he　did　for　these　five　or　six　years　was　simply　the　delirious　phase

of　an　illness；　after　which　he　recovered；　and　lived　on　as　if　nothing

had　happened。〃＇97＇　And　Maignet　himself　writes　〃I　was　not　made　for

these　tempests。〃　That　goes　for　everyone　but　especially　for　the　coarser

natures；　subordination　would　have　restrained　them　while　dictatorial

power　make　the　instincts　of　the　brute　and　the　mob　appear。



Contemplate　Duquesnoy；　a　sort　of　mastiff；　always　barking　and　biting；

when　gorged　he　is　even　more　furious。　　Delegate　to　the　army　of　the

Moselle；　and　passing　by　Metz＇98＇　he　summoned　before　him　Altmayer；　the

public　prosecutor；　although　he　had　sat　down　to　dinner。　　The　latter

waits　three　hours　and　a　half　in　the　ante…chamber；　is　not　admitted；

returns；　and；　at　length　received；　is　greeted　with　a　thundering

exclamation：



　〃Who　are　you？〃



　〃The　public　prosecutor；〃　he　replies。



〃You　look　like　a　bishop　…　you　were　once　a　curé　or　monk　…　you　can't　be

a　revolutionary　。　　。　　。　　。　　I　have　come　to　Metz　with　unlimited　powers。

Public　opinion　here　is　not　satisfactory。　　I　am　going　to　drill　it。　　I

am　going　to　set　folks　straight　here。　　I　mean　to　shoot；　here　in　Metz；

as　well　as　in　Nancy；　five　or　six　hundred　every　fortnight。〃



The　same　at　the　house　of　General　Bessières；　commandant　of　the　town

encountering　there　M。　Cledat；　an　old　officer；　the　second　in　command；

he　measures　him　from　head　to　foot：



〃You　look　like　a　muscadin。　　Where　did　you　come　from？　You　must　be　a　bad

republican　…　you　look　as　if　you　belonged　to　the　ancient　régime。〃



　〃My　hair　is　gray；〃　he　responds；　〃but　I　am　not　the　less　a　good

republican：　you　may　ask　the　General　and　the　whole　town。〃



　〃Be　off！　Go　to　the　devil；　and　be　quick　about　it；　or　I　will　have　you

arrested！〃　…



　The　same；　in　the　street；　where　he　lays　hold　of　a　man　passing；　on

account　of　his　looks；　the　justice　of　the　peace；　Joly；　certifies　to　the

civism　of　this　person；　and　he　〃eyes〃　Joly：



　〃You　too；　you　are　an　aristocrat！　I　see　it　in　your　eyes！　I　never　make

a　mistake。〃



Whereupon；　tearing　off　the　Judge's　badge；　he　sends　him　to　prison。　　…

Meanwhile；　a　fire；　soon　extinguished；　breaks　out　in　the　army　bakery；

officers；　townspeople；　laborers；　peasants　and　even　children　form　a

line　（for　passing　water）　and　Duquesnoy　appears　to　urge　them　on　in　his

way：　using　his　fists　and　his　foot；　he　falls　on　whoever　he　meets；　on　an

employee　in　the　commissariat；　on　a　convalescent　officer；　on　two　men　in

the　line；　and　many　others。　　He　shouts　to　one　of　them；　〃You　are　a

muscadin！〃　To　another：



〃I　see　by　your　eyes　that　you　are　an　aristocrat！〃



To　another：



〃You　are　a　bloody　beggar；　an　aristocrat；　a　rascal；〃



and　he　strikes　him　in　the　stomach；　he　seizes　a　fourth　by　his　collar

and　throws　him　down　on　the　pavement。＇99＇　In　addition　to　this；　all　are

imprisoned。　　The　fire　being　extinguished；　an　indiscreet　fellow；　who

stood　by　looking　on；　recommends　〃　the　dispenser　of　blows　〃to　wipe　his

forehead。〃　〃You　can't　see　straight　…　who　are　you？　Answer　me；　I　am　the

representative。〃　The　other　replies　mildly：　〃Representative；　nothing

could　be　more　respectable。〃　Duquesnoy　gives　the　unlucky　courtier　a

blow　under