the origins of contemporary france-4-第7章

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

usurpers　if　they　persisted　in　not　yielding　up　their　borrowed

sovereignty　〃to　its　inalienable　sovereignty。〃　　To　this　stroke；　which

strikes　deep；　the　〃Mountain〃　replies　by　a　similar　stroke；　it　also

renders　homage　to　principles　and　falls　back　on　the　popular　will。

Through　the　sudden　manufacture　of　an　ultra…democratic　constitution；

through　a　convocation　of　the　primary　assemblies；　and　a　ratification　of

its　work　by　the　people　in　these　assemblies；　through　the　summoning　of

delegates　to　Paris；　through　the　assent　of　these　converted；　fascinated；

or　constrained　delegates；　it　exonerates　and　justifies　itself；　and　thus

deprives　the　Girondins　of　the　grievances　to　which　they　had　given

currency；　of　the　axioms　they　had　displayed　on　their　standards；　and　of

the　popularity　they　thought　they　had　acquired。＇54＇　　Henceforth；　the

ground　their　opponents　had　built　on　sinks　under　their　feet；　the

materials　collected　by　them　disintegrate　in　their　hands；　their　league

dissolves　before　it　is　completed；　and　the　incurable　weakness　of　the

party　appears　in　full　daylight。



Firstly；　in　the　departments；　as　at　Paris；＇55＇　the　party　has　no　roots。

For　the　past　three　years　all　the　sensible　and　orderly　people；　occupied

with　their　own　affairs；　who　has　no　taste　or　interest　in　politics；

nine…tenths　of　the　electors；　abstain　from　voting　and　in　this　large

mass　the　Girondins　have　no　adherents。　　As　they　themselves　admit；＇56＇

this　class　remains　attached　to　the　institutions　of　1791；　which　they

have　overthrown；　if　it　has　any　esteem　for　them；　it　is　as　〃extremely

honest　madmen。〃　Again；　this　esteem　is　mingled　with　aversion：　it

reproaches　them　with　the　violent　decrees　they　have　passed　in　concert

with　the　〃Mountain；〃　with　persecutions；　confiscations；　every　species

of　injustice　and　cruelty；　it　always　sees　the　King's　blood　on　their

hands；　they；　too；　are　regicides；　anti…Catholics；　anti…Christians；

demolishers　and　levelers。＇57＇　　Undoubtedly　they　are　less　so　than　the

〃Mountain；〃　hence；　when　the　provincial　insurrection　breaks　out；　many

Feuillants　and　even　Royalists　follow　them　to　the　section　assemblies

and　join　in　their　protests。　　But　the　majority　goes　no　further；　and

soon　falls　back　into　is　accustomed　inertia。　　It　is　not　in　harmony　with

its　leaders：＇58＇　　its　latent　preferences　are　opposed　to　their　avowed

program；　it　does　not　wholly　trust　them；　it　has　only　a　half…way

affection　for　them；　its　recent　sympathies　are　deadened　by　old

animosities：　everywhere；　instead　of　firmness　there　is　only　caprice。

All　this　affords　no　assurance　of　steadfast　loyalty　and　practical

adhesion。　　The　Girondin　deputies　scattered　through　the　provinces

relied　upon　each　department　arousing　itself　at　their　summons　and

forming　a　republican　Vendée　against　the　〃Mountain：〃　nowhere　do　they

find　anything　beyond　mild　approval　and　speculative　hopes。



There　remains　to　support　them　the　élite　of　the　republican　party；　the

scholars　and　lovers　of　literature；　who　are　honest　and　sincere

thinkers；　who；　worked　upon　by　the　current　dogmas；　have　accepted　the

philosophical　catechism　literally　and　seriously。　　Elected　judges；　or

department；　district；　and　city　administrators；　commanders　and　officers

of　the　National　Guard；　presidents　and　secretaries　of　sections；　they

occupy　most　of　the　places　conferred　by　local　authority；　and　hence

their　almost　unanimous　protest　seems　at　first　to　be　the　voice　of

France。　　In　reality；　it　is　only　the　despairing　cry　of　a　group　of

staff…officers　without　an　army。　　Chosen　under　the　electoral　pressure

with　which　we　are　familiar；　they　possess　rank；　office　and　titles；　but

no　credit　or　influence；　they　are　supported　only　by　those　whom　they

really　represent；　that　is　to　say；　those　who　elected　them；　a　tenth　of

the　population；　and　forming　a　sectarian　minority。　　Again；　in　this

minority　there　are　a　good　many　who　are　lukewarm；　with　most　men　the

distance　is　great　between　conviction　and　action；　the　interval　is

filled　up　with　acquired　habits；　indolence；　fear　and　egoism。　　One's

belief　in　the　abstractions　of　the　〃Contrat…social〃　is　of　little

account；　no　one　readily　bestirs　oneself　for　an　abstract　end。

Uncertainties　beset　one　at　the　outset；　the　road　one　has　to　follow　is

found　to　be　perilous　and　obscure；　and　one　hesitates　and　postpones；　one

feels　himself　a　home…body　and　is　afraid　of　engaging　too　deeply　and　of

going　too　far。　　Having　expended　one's　breath　in　words　one　is　less

willing　to　give　one's　money；　another　may　open　his　purse　but　he　may　not

be　disposed　to　give　himself；　which　is　as　true　of　the　Girondins　as　it

is　of　the　Feuillants。



〃At　Marseilles；＇59＇　at　Bordeaux；〃　says　a　deputy；　〃in　nearly　all　the

principal　towns；　the　proprietor；　slow；　indifferent　and　timid；　could

not　make　up　his　mind　to　leave　home　for　a　moment；　it　was　to　mercenaries

that　he　entrusted　his　cause　his　arms。〃



Only　the　federates　of　Mayenne；　Ile…et…Vilaine；　and　especially　of

Finisterre；　were　〃young　men　well　brought　up　and　well　informed　about

the　cause　they　were　going　to　support。〃　In　Normandy；　the　Central

Committee；　unable　to　do　better；　has　to　recruit　its　soldiers；　and

especially　gunners；　from　the　band　of　Carabots；　former　Jacobins；　a　lot

of　ruffians　ready　for　anything；　pillagers　and　runaways　at　the　first

canon…shot。　　At　Caen；　Wimpffen；　having　ordered　the　eight　battalions　of

the　National　Guard　to　assemble　in　the　court；　demands　volunteers　and

finds　that　only　seventeen　step　forth；　on　the　following　day　a　formal

requisition　brings　out　only　one　hundred　and　thirty　combatants；　other

towns；　except　Vire；　which　furnishes　about　twenty；　refuse　their

contingent。　　In　short；　a　marching　army　cannot　be　formed；　or；　if　it

does　march；　it　halts　at　the　first　station；　that　of　Evreux　before

reaching　Vernon；　and　that　of　Marseilles　at　the　walls　of　Avignon。



On　the　other　hand；　by　virtue　of　being　sincere　and　logical；　those　who

have　rebelled　entertain　scruples　and　themselves　define　the　limits　of

their　insurrection。　　The　fugitive　deputies　at　their　head　would　believe

themselves　guilty　of　usurpation　had　they；　like　the　〃Mountain〃　at

Paris；　constituted　themselves　at　Caen　en　sovereign　assembly＇60＇：

according　to　them；　their　right　and　their　duty　is　reduced　to　giving

testimony　concerning　the　31st　of　May　and　the　1st　of　June；　and　to

exhorting　the　people　and　to　being　eloquent。　　They　are　not　legally

qualified　to　take　executive　power；　it　is　for　the　local　magistrates；

the　élus（elected）　of　the　sections；　and　better　still；　the　department　committees

to　command　in　the　departments。　　Lodged　as　they　are　in　official

quarters；　they　are　merely　to　print　formal　statements；　write　letters；

and；　behaving　properly；　wait　until　the　sovereign　people；　their

employer；　reinstates　them。　　It　has　been　outraged　in　their　persons；　it

must　avenge　itself　for　this　outrage；　since　it　approves　of　its

mandatories；　it　is　bound　to　restore　them　to　office；　it　being　the

master　of　the　house；　it　is　bound　to　have　its　own　way　in　the　house。　　

As　to　the　department　committees；　it　is　true　that；　in　the　heat　of　the

first　excitement；　they　thought　of　forming　a　new　Convention　at

Bourges；＇61＇　either　through　a　muster　of　substitute　deputies；　or

through　the　convocation　of　a　national　commission　of　one　hundred　and

seventy　members。　　But　time　is　wanting；　also　the　means；　to　carry　out

the　plan；　it　remains　suspended　in　the　air　like　vain　menace；　at　the　end

of　a　fortnight　it　vanishes　in　smoke；　the　departments　succeed　in

federating　only　in　scattered　groups；　they　desist　from　the　formation　of

a　central　government；　and　thus；　through　this　fact　alone；　condemn

themselves　to　succumb；　one　after　the　other；　in　detail；　and　each　at

home。　　　What　is　worse；　through　conscientiousness　and　patriotism；

they　prepare　their　own　defeat：　the　refrain　from　calling　upon　the

armies　and　from　stripping　the　frontiers；　they　do　not　contest　the　right

of　the　Convention　to　provide　as　it　pleases　for　the　national　defense。

Lyons　allows　the　passage　of　convoys　of　cannon…balls　which　are　to　be

subsequently