the origins of contemporary france-4-第83章

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hand。



〃When　something　has　to　be　effected　that　depends　on　intrigue　or　on

private　interest；＇22＇　the　motion　is　always　put　by　one　of　the　members

of　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　the　section；　or　by　one　of　those

fanatical　patriots　who　join　in　with　the　Committee；　and　otherwise　act

as　its　spies。　　Immediately　the　ignorant　men；　to　whom　Danton　has

allowed　forty　sous　for　each　meeting；　and　who；　from　now　on　crowd　an

assembly；　where　they　never　came　before；　welcome　the　proposition　with

loud　applause；　shouting　and　demanding　a　vote；　and　the　act　is　passed

unanimously；　notwithstanding　the　contrary　opinions　of　all　well…

informed　and　honest　citizens。　　Should　any　one　dare　make　an　objection；

he　would　run　the　risk　of　imprisonment　as　a　suspect；＇23＇　after　being

treated　as　an　aristocrat　or　federalist；　or　at　least；　refused　a

certificate　of　civism；　（　a　serious　matter）　if　he　had　the　misfortune　to

need　one；　did　his　survival　depend　on　this；　either　as　employee　or

pensioner。〃　…　In　the　Maison…Commune　section；　most　of　the　auditory　are

masons；　〃excellent　patriots；〃　says　one　of　the　clubbists　of　the

quarter：＇24＇　they　always　vote　on　our　side；　we　make　them　do　what　we

want。〃　Numbers　of　day…laborers；　cab…drivers；　cartmen　and　workmen　of

every　class；　thus　earn　their　forty　sous；　and　have　no　idea　that

anything　else　might　be　demanded　from　them。　　On　entering　the　hall；　when

the　meeting　opens；　they　write　down　their　names；　after　which　they　go

out　〃to　take　a　drink；〃　without　thinking　themselves　obliged　to　listen

to　the　rigmarole　of　the　orators；　towards　the　end；　they　come　back；　make

all　the　noise　that　is　required　of　them　with　their　lungs；　feet　and

hands；　and　then　go　and　〃take　back　their　card　and　get　their　money。〃＇25＇

…　With　paid　applauders　of　this　stamp；　they　soon　get　the　better　of　any

opponents；　or；　rather；　all　opposition　is　suppressed　beforehand。　　〃The

best　citizens　keep　silent〃　in　the　section　assemblies；　or　〃stay　away；〃

these　are　simply　〃gambling…shops〃　where　〃the　most　absurd；　the　most

unjust；　the　most　impolitic　of　resolutions　are　passed　at　every

moment。＇26＇　　Moreover；　citizens　are　ruined　there　by　the　unlimited

sectional　expenditure；　which　exceeds　the　usual　taxation　and　the

communal　expenses；　already　very　heavy。　　At　one　time；　some　carpenter　or

locksmith；　member　of　the　Revolutionary　Committee；　wants　to　construct；

enlarge　or　decorate　a　hall；　and　it　is　necessary　to　agree　with　him。

Again；　a　poor　speech　is　made；　full　of　exaggeration　and　political

extravagance；　of　which　three；　four；　five　and　six　thousand　impressions

are　ordered　to　be　printed。　　Then；　to　cap　the　climax；　following　the

example　of　the　Commune；　no　accounts　are　rendered；　or；　if　this　is　done

for　form's　sake；　no　fault　must　be　found　with　them；　under　penalty　of

suspicion；　etc。〃　　The　twelve　leaders；　proprietors　and　distributors

of　civism；　have　only　to　agree　amongst　themselves　to　share　the　profits；

each　according　to　his　appetite；　henceforth；　cupidity　and　vanity　are

free　to　sacrifice　the　common　weal；　under　cover　of　the　common　interest。

…　The　pasture　is　vast　and　it　is　at　the　disposal　of　the　leaders。　　In

one　of　his　orders　of　the　day；　Henriot　says：＇27＇



　〃I　am　very　glad　to　announce　to　my　brethren　in　arms　that　all　the

positions　are　at　the　disposal　of　the　government。　　The　actual

government；　which　is　revolutionary；　whose　intentions　are　pure；　and

which　merely　desires　the　happiness　of　all；　。　　。　　。　　。　　will　search

everywhere；　even　into　the　attics　for　virtuous　men；　。　　。　　。　　。　　poor

and　genuine　sans…culottes。〃　And　there　is　enough　to　satisfy　them

thirty…five　thousand　places　of　public　employment　in　the　capital

alone：＇28＇　it　is　a　rich　mine；　already；　before　the　month　of　May；　1793；

〃the　Jacobin　club　boasted　of　having　placed　nine　thousand　agents　in　the

administration；〃＇29＇　and　since　the　2nd　of　June；　〃virtuous　men；　poor；

genuine　sans…culottes；〃　arrive　in　crowds　from　〃their　garrets；〃　dens

and　hired　rooms；　each　to　grab　his　share。　　　They　besiege　and　install

themselves　by　hundreds　the　ancient　offices　in　the　War；　Navy　and

Public…Works　departments；　in　the　Treasury　and　Ministry　of　Foreign

Affairs。　　Here　they　rule；　constantly　denouncing　all　the　remaining；

able　employees　thus　creating　vacancies　in　order　to　fill　them。＇30＇　Then

there　are　twenty　new　administrative　departments　which　they　keep　for

themselves：　commissioners　of　the　first　confiscation　of　national

property；　commissioners　of　national　property　arising　from　emigrants

and　the　convicted；　commissioners　of　conscripted　carriage…horses；

commissioners　on　clothing；　commissioners　on　the　collecting　and

manufacturing　of　saltpeter；　commissioners　on　monopolies；　civil…

commissioners　in　each　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　commissioners　on

propagandas　in　the　departments；　Commissioners　on　provisions；　and　many

others。　　Fifteen　hundred　places　are　counted　in　the　single　department

of　subsistence　in　Paris；＇31＇　and　all　are　salaried。　　Here；　already；　are

a　number　of　desirable　offices。　　…　Some　are　for　the　lowest　rabble；　two

hundred；　at　twenty　sous　a　day；　paid　to　〃stump…speakers；〃　employed　to

direct　opinion　in　the　Palais…Royal；　also　among　the　Tuileries　groups；

as　well　as　in　the　tribunes　of　the　Convention　and　of　the　H？tel…de…

Ville；＇32＇　two　hundred　more　at　four　hundred　francs　per　annum；　to

waiters　in　coffee…houses；　gambling…saloons　and　hotels；　for　watching

foreigners　and　customers；　hundreds　of　places　at　two；　three；　and　five

francs　a　day　with　meals；　for　the　guardians　of　seals；　and　for

garrisoning　the　domiciles　of　〃suspects〃；　thousands；　with　premiums；

pay；　and　full　license；　for　brigands　who；　under　Ronsin；　compose　the

revolutionary　army；　and　for　the　gunners；　paid　guard　and　gendarmes　of

Henriot。　　…　　The　principal　posts；　however；　are　those　which　subject

lives　and　freedom　to　the　discretion　of　those　who　occupy　them：　for；

through　this　more　than　regal　power；　they　possess　all　other　power；　and

such　is　that　of　the　men　composing　the　forty…eight　revolutionary

committees；　the　bureaus　of　the　Committee　of　General　Security　and　of

the　Commune；　and　the　staff…officers　of　the　armed　force。　　They　are　the

prime…movers　and　active　incentives　of　the　system　of　Terror；　all　picked

Jacobins　and　tested　by　repeated　selection；　all　designated　or　approved

by　the　Central　Club；　which　claims　for　itself　the　monopoly　of

patriotism；　and　which；　erected　into　a　supreme　council　of　the　party；

issues　no　patent　of　orthodoxy　except　to　its　own　henchmen。＇33＇



They　immediately　assume　the　tone　and　arrogance　of　dictatorship。　　〃

Pride　has　reached　its　highest　point：＇34＇　。。。　　One　who；　yesterday；　had

no　post　and　was　amiable　and　honest；　has　become　haughty　and　insolent

because；　deceived　by　appearances；　his　fellow…citizens　have　elected　him

commissioner；　or　given　him　some　employment　or　other。〃　Henceforth；　he

behaves　like　a　Turkish　agha　amongst　infidels；　and；　in　command；　carries

things　out　with　a　high　hand。　　…　　On　the　20th　of　Vendémiaire；　year　II。；

〃in　the　middle　of　the　night；〃　the　committee　of　the　Piques　section

summons　M。　Bélanger；　the　architect。　　He　is　notified　that　his　house　is

wanted　immediately　for　a　new　Bastille。　　…　〃But；　said　he；　'I　own　no

other；　and　it　is　occupied　by　several　tenants；　it　is　decorated　with

models　of　art；　and　is　fit　only　for　that　purpose。'　…　'Your　house　or　you

go　to　prison！'　…　'But　I　shall　be　obliged　to　indemnify　my　tenants。'　…

'Either　your　house　or　you　go　to　prison；　as　to　indemnities；　we　have

vacant　lodgings　for　your　tenants；　as　well　as　for　yourself；　in　（the

prisons　of）　La　Force；　or　Sainte…Pélagie。'　Twelve　sentinels　on　the　post

start　off　at　once　and　take　possession　of　the　premises；　the　owner　is

allowed　six　hours　to　move　out　and　is　forbidden；　henceforth；　to　return；

the　bureaus；　to　which　he　appeals；　interpret　his　obedience　as　'tacit

adhesion；'　and；　very　soon；　he　himself　is　locked　up。〃＇35＇　…

Administrative　tools　that　cut　so　sharply　need　the　greatest　care；　and；

from　time　to　time；　they　are　carefully　oiled：＇36＇　on　the　20th　of　July；

1793；　two　thousand　francs　are　given　to　each　of　the　forty…eight

committees；　and　eight　thousand