the origins of contemporary france-4-第81章

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III。　　Restitution　of　the　confiscated　property　of　Alexander　Long　to　his

son。）　Dartigoyte；　at　Auch；　did　what　Carrier　did　at　Nantes。　　〃It

follows　from　the　above　abstract　duly　signed　that　on　the　27th　Germinal；

year　II。；　between　eight　and　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　Alexandre

Long；　Sr。；　was　put　to　death　on　the　public　square　of　the　commune　of

Auch　by　the　executioner　of　criminal　sentences；　without　any　judgment

having　been　rendered　against　the　said　Long。〃　…　In　many　places　an

execution　becomes　a　spectacle　for　the　Jacobins　of　the　town　and　a　party

of　pleasure。　　For　instance；　at　Arras；　on　the　square　devoted　to

executions；　a　gallery　was　erected　for　spectators　with　a　room　for　the

sale　of　refreshments；　and；　during　the　execution　of　M。　de　Montgon；　the

〃？a　ira〃　is　played　on　the　bass　drum。　　（Paris；　II。；　158；　and　I。；　159。）

A　certain　facetious　representative　has　rehearsals　of　the　performance

in　his　own　house。　　〃Lejeune；　to　feed　his　bloodthirsty　imagination；　had

a　small　guillotine　put　up；　on　which　he　cut　off　the　heads　of　all　the

poultry　consumed　at　his　table。　　。　　。　　。　　Often；　in　the　middle　of　the

repast；　he　had　it　brought　in　and　set　to　work　for　the　amusement　of　his

guests。〃　（Moniteur；　XXIV。；　607；　session　of　June　I；　1795；　letter　from

the　district　of　Besan？on；　and　with　the　letter；　the　confirmatory

document。）　〃This　guillotine；　says　the　reporter；　is　deposited　with　the

Committee　of　Legislation。〃





CHAPTER　III。　　THE　RULERS。　　（continued）。



I。　　　The　Central　Government　Administration。



The　administrative　body　at　Paris。　　…　Composition　of　the　group　out　of

which　it　was　recruited。　　…　Deterioration　of　this　group。　　…　Weeding…out

of　the　Section　Assemblies。　　…　Weeding　out　of　the　popular　clubs。　　…

Pressure　of　the　government。



To　provide　these　local　sovereigns　with　the　subordinate　lieutenants　and

agents　which　they　require；　we　have　the　local　Jacobin　population；　and

we　have　seen　the　composition　of　the　recruits；＇1＇



*　the　distressed　and　the　perverted　of　every　class　and　degree；

especially　the　lowest；

*　the　castaways；

*　envious　and　resentful　subordinates；

*　small　shopkeepers　in　debt；

*　the　migrating；　high…living　workers；

*　barflies；

*　vagrants；

*　men　of　the　gutters；

*　street…walkers；



　…　in　short；　every　species　of　〃anti…social　vermin；〃　male　and

female；＇2＇　including　a　few　honest　crack…brains　into　which　the

fashionable　theory　had　freely　found　its　way；　the　rest；　and　by　far　the

largest　number；　are　veritable　beasts　of　prey；　speculating　on　the

established　order　of　things　and　adopting　the　revolutionary　faith　only

because　it　provides　food　for　their　appetites。　　…　In　Paris；　they　number

five　or　six　thousand；　and；　after　Thermidor；　there　is　about　the　same

number；　the　same　appetites　rallying　them　around　the　same　dogma；＇3＇

levelers　and　terrorists；　〃some　because　they　are　poor；　others　because

they　have　broken　off　the　habit　of　working　at　their　trade；〃　furious

with　〃the　scoundrels　who　own　a　coach　house；　against　the　rich　and　the

hoarders　of　objects　of　prime　necessity。〃　Many　of　them　〃having　soiled

themselves　during　the　Revolution；　ready　to　do　it　again　provided　the

rich　rascals；　monopolists　and　merchants　can　all　be　killed；〃　all

〃frequenters　of　popular　clubs　who　think　themselves　philosophers；

although　most　of　them　are　unable　to　read；〃　at　the　head　of　them　the

remnant　of　the　most　notorious　political　bandits；



*　the　famous　post…master；　Drouet；　who；　in　the　tribune　at　the

Convention；　declared　himself　a　〃brigand；〃＇4＇

*　Javogues；　the　robber　of　Montbrison　and　the　〃Nero　of　Ain；〃

*　the　drunkard　Casset；　formerly　a　silk…worker　and　later　the　pasha　of

Thionville；

*　Bertrand；　the　friend　of　Charlier；　the　ex…mayor　and　executioner　of

Lyons；

*　Darthé；　ex…secretary　of　Lebon　and　the　executioner　at　Arras；

*　Rossignol　and　nine　other　Septembriseurs　of　the　Abbaye　and　the

Carmelites；　and；　finally；　the　great　apostle　of　despotic　communism；

*　Babeuf；　who；　sentenced　to　twenty　years　in　irons　for　the

falsification　of　public　contracts；　and　as　needy　as　he　is　vicious；

rambles　about　Paris　airing　his　disappointed　ambitions　and　empty

pockets　along　with　the　swaggering　crew　who；　if　not　striving　to　reach

the　throne　by　a　new　massacre；＇5＇　tramp　through　the　streets　slipshod；

for　lack　of　money　〃to　redeem　a　pair　of　boots　at　the　shoemakers；〃　or　to

sell　some　snuff…box　their　last　resource；　for　a　morning　dram。＇6＇



In　this　class　we　see　the　governing　rabble　fully　and　distinctly。

Separated　from　its　forced　adherents　and　the　official　robots　who　serve

it　as　they　would　any　other　power；　it　stands　out　pure　and　unalloyed　by

any　neutral　influx；　we　recognize　here　the　permanent　residue；　the　deep；

settled　slime　of　the　social　sewer。　　It　is　to　this　sink　of　vice　and

ignorance　that　the　revolutionary　government　betakes　itself　for　its

staff…officers　and　its　administrative　bodies。



Nowhere　else　could　they　be　found。　　For　the　daily　task　imposed　upon

them；　and　which　must　be　done　by　them；　is　robbery　and　murder；　excepting

the　pure　fanatics；　who　are　few　in　number；　only　brutes　and　blackguards

have　the　aptitudes　and　tastes　for　such　business。　　In　Paris；　as　in　the

provinces；　it　is　from　the　clubs　or　popular　associations　in　which　they

congregate；　that　they　are　sought　for。　　…　Each　section　of　Paris

contains　one　of　these　clubs；　in　all　forty…eight；　rallied　around　the

central　club　in　the　Rue　St。　　Honoré；　forty…eight　district　alliances　of

professional　rioters　and　brawlers；　the　rebels　and　blackguards　of　the

social　army；　all　the　men　and　women　incapable　of　devoting　themselves　to

a　regular　life　and　useful　labor；＇7＇　especially　those　who；　on　the　31st

of　May　and　2nd　of　June；　had　aided　the　Paris　Commune　and　the　〃Mountain〃

in　violating　the　Convention。　　They　recognize　each　other　by　this　sign

that；　〃each　would　be　hung　in　case　of　a　counter…revolution；〃＇8＇　laying

it　down　〃as　an　incontestable　fact　that；　should　a　single　aristocrat　be

spared；　all　of　them　would　mount　the　scaffold。〃＇9＇　They　are　naturally

wary　and　they　stick　together：　in　their　clique　〃everything　is　done　on

the　basis　of　good　fellowship；〃＇10＇　no　one　is　admitted　except　on　the

condition　of　having　proved　his　qualifications　〃on　the　10th　of　August

and　31st　of　May。〃＇11＇　　And；　as　they　have　made　their　way　into　the

Commune　and　into　the　revolutionary　committees　behind　victorious

leaders；　they　are　able；　through　the　certificates　of　civism　which　these

arbitrarily　grant　or　refuse；　to　exclude；　not　only　from　political　life

but；　again；　from　civil　life；　whoever　is　not　of　their　party。



〃See；〃　writes　one　of　Danton's　correspondents；＇12＇　〃the　sort　of　persons

who　easily　obtain　these　certificates；　…　the　Ronsins；　the　Jourdans；　the

Maillards；　the　Vincents；　all　bankrupts；　keepers　of　gambling…hells　and

cut…throats。　　Ask　these　individuals　whether　they　have　paid　the

patriotic　contribution；　whether　they　regularly　pay　the　usual　taxes；

whether　they　give　to　the　poor　of　their　sections；　to　the　volunteer

soldiers；　etc。；　whether　they　mount　guard　or　see　it　regularly　done；

whether　they　have　made　a　loyal　declaration　for　the　forced　loan。　　You

will　find　that　they　have　not。　　。　　。　　。　　The　Commune　issues

certificates　of　civism　to　its　satellites　and　refuses　them　to　the　best

citizens。〃



The　monopoly　is　obvious；　they　make　no　attempt　to　conceal　it；　six　weeks

later；＇13＇　it　becomes　official：　several　revolutionary　committees

decide　not　to　grant　certificates　of　civism　to　citizens　who　are　not

members　of　a　popular　club。〃　　And　strict　exclusion　goes　on　increasing

from　month　to　month。　　Old　certificates　are　canceled　and　new　ones

imposed；　which　new　certificates　have　new　formalities　added　to　them；　a

larger　number　of　endorsers　being　required　and　certain　kinds　of

guarantees　being　rejected；　there　is　greater　strictness　in　relation　to

the　requisite　securities　and　qualifications；　the　candidate　is　put　off

until　fuller　information　can　be　obtained　about　him；　he　is　rejected　at

the　slightest　suspicion：＇14＇　he　is　only　too　fortunate　if　he　is

tolerated　in　the　Republic　as　a　passive　subject；　if　he　is　conte