the origins of contemporary france-4-第89章

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Frauds。…A　procès…verbal　in　the　office　of　the　mayor　of　Strasbourg。　　…

Sales　of　real…estate。　　…　Commissioners　on　declarations　at　Toulouse。　　…

The　administrative　staff　and　clubs　of　buyers　in　Provence。　　…　The

Revolutionary　Committee　of　Nantes。



But　when　we　regard　the　final　and　last　set　of　officials　of　the

revolutionary　government　closely；　in　the　provinces　as　well　as　at

Paris；　we　find　among　them　we　hardly　anyone　who　is　noteworthy　except　in

vice；　dishonesty　and　misconduct；　or；　at　the　very　least；　in　stupidity

and　grossness。　　…　First；　as　is　indicated　by　their　name；　they　all　must

be；　and　nearly　all　are；　sans…culottes；　that　is　to　say；　men　who　live

from　day　to　day　on　their　daily　earnings；　possessing　no　income　from

capital；　confined　to　subordinate　places；　to　petty　trading；　to　manual

services；　lodged　or　encamped　on　the　lowest　steps　of　the　social　ladder；

and　therefore　requiring　pay　to　enable　them　to　attend　to　public

business；＇87＇　it　is　on　this　account　that　decrees　and　orders　allow　them

wages　of　three；　five；　six；　ten；　and　even　eighteen　francs　a　day。　　…　At

Grenoble；　the　representatives　form　the　municipal　body　and　the

revolutionary　committee；　along　with　two　health…officers；　three

glovers；　two　farmers；　one　tobacco…merchant；　one　perfumer；　one　grocer；

one　belt…maker；　one　innkeeper；　one　joiner；　one　shoemaker；　one　mason；

while　the　official　order　by　which　they　are　installed；　appoints

〃Teyssière；　licoriste；〃　national　agent。＇88＇　…　At　Troyes；＇89＇　among　the

men　in　authority　we　find　a　confectioner；　a　weaver；　a　journeyman…

weaver；　a　hatter；　a　hosier；　a　grocer；　a　carpenter；　a　dancing…master；

and　a　policeman；　while　the　mayor；　Gachez；　formerly　a　private　soldier

in　the　regiment　of　Vexin；　was；　when　appointed；　a　school…teacher　in　the

vicinity。　　…　At　Toulouse；＇90＇　a　man　named　Terrain；　a　paté　dealer；　is

installed　as　president　of　the　administration；　the　revolutionary

committee　is　presided　over　by　Pio；　a　journeyman…barber；　the

inspiration；　〃the　soul　of　the　club；〃　is　a　concierge；　that　of　the

prison。　　…　The　last　and　most　significant　trait　is　found　at

Rochefort；＇91＇　where　the　president　of　the　popular　club　is　the

executioner。　　…　If　such　persons　form　the　select　body　of　officials　in

the　large　towns；　what　must　they　be　in　the　small　ones；　in　the　bourgs

and　in　the　villages？　〃　Everywhere　they　are　of　the　meanest〃＇92＇

cartmen；　sabot　…　（wooden　shoe）　makers；　thatchers；　stone…cutters；

dealers　in　rabbit…skins；　day　laborers；　unemployed　craftsmen；　many

without　any　pursuit；　or　mere　vagabonds　who　had　already　participated　in

riots　or　jacqueries；　bar　flies；　having　given　up　work　and　designated

for　a　public　career　only　by　their　irregular　habits　and　incompetence　to

follow　a　private　career。　　…　Even　in　the　large　towns；　it　is　evident

that　discretionary　power　has　fallen　into　the　hands　of　nearly　raw

barbarians；　one　has　only　to　note　in　the　old　documents；　at　the

Archives；　the　orthography　and　style　of　the　committees　empowered　to

grant　or　refuse　civic　cards；　and　draw　up　reports　on　the　opinions　and

pursuits　of　prisoners。　　〃His　opinions　appear　insipid　（Ces　opignons

paroisse　insipide）＇93＇　。　　。　　。　　。　　He　is　married　with　no　children。〃

（Il　est　marie　cent　（sans）　enfants）。。　　。　　。　　Her　profession　is　wife　of

Paillot…Montabert；　she　is　living　on　her　income；　his　relations　are　with

a　woman　we　pay　no　attention　to；　we　presume　her　opinions　are　like　her

husband's。〃＇94＇　The　handwriting；　unfortunately；　cannot　be　represented

here；　being　that　of　a　child　five　years　old。＇95＇



〃As　stupid　as　they　are　immoral；〃＇96＇　says　Representative　Albert；　of

the　Jacobins　he　finds　in　office　at　Troyes。　　Low；　indeed；　as　their

condition　may　be；　their　feeling　and　intelligence　are　yet　lower

because；　in　their　professions　or　occupations；　they　are　the　refuse

instead　of　the　élite；　and；　especially　on　this　account；　they　are　turned

out　after　Thermidor；　some；　it　is　true；　as　Terrorists；　but　the　larger

number　as　either　dolts；　scandalous　or　crazy；　simply　intruders；　or　mere

valets。　　…　At　Rheims；　the　president　of　the　district　is＇97＇　〃a　former

bailiff；　on　familiar　terms　with　the　spies　of　the　Robespierre　régime；

acting　in　concert　with　them；　but　without　being　their　accomplice；

possessing　none　of　the　requisite　qualities　for　administration。〃

Another　administrator　is　likewise　〃a　former　bailiff；　without　means；

negligent　in　the　highest　degree　and　a　confirmed　drunkard。〃　Alongside

of　these　sit　〃a　horse…dealer；　without　any　means；　more　fit　for　shady

dealings　than　governing；　moreover　a　drunkard；　a　dyer；　lacking

judgment；　open　to　all　sorts　of　influences；　pushed　ahead　by　the　Jacobin

faction；　and　having　used　power　in　the　most　arbitrary　manner；　rather；

perhaps；　through　ignorance　than　through　cruelty；　a　shoemaker；　entirely

uninstructed；　knowing　only　how　to　sign　his　name；〃　and　others　of　the

same　character。　　In　the　Tribunal；　a　judge　is　noted　as



〃true　in　principle；　but　whom　poverty　and　want　of　resources　have　driven

to　every　excess；　a　turncoat　according　to　circumstances　in　order　to　get

a　place；　associated　with　the　leaders　in　order　to　keep　the　place；　and

yet　not　without　sensibility；　having；　perhaps；　acted　criminally　merely

to　keep　himself　and　his　family　alive。〃



In　the　municipal　body；　the　majority　is　composed　of　an　incompetent　lot；

some　of　them　being　journeymen…spinners　or　thread　twisters；　and　others

second…hand　dealers　or　shopkeepers；　〃incapable；〃　〃without　means；〃　with

a　few　crack…brains　among　them：　one；　〃his　brain　being　crazed；

absolutely　of　no　account；　anarchist　and　Jacobin；〃　another；　〃very

dangerous　through　lack　of　judgment；　a　Jacobin；　over…excited；　〃　a

third；　〃an　instrument　of　tyranny；　a　man　of　blood　capable　of　every

vice；　having　assumed　the　name　of　Mutius　Sc？vola；　of　recognized

depravity　and　unable　to　write。〃　…　Similarly；　in　the　Aube　districts；　we

find　some　of　the　heads　feverish　with　the　prevailing　epidemic；　for

instance；　at　Nogent；　the　national　agent；　Delaporte；　〃who　has　the　words

'guillotine'　and　'revolutionary　tribunal'　always　on　his　lips；　and　who

declares　that　if　he　were　the　government　he　would　imprison　doctor；

surgeon　and　lawyer；　who　delights　in　finding　people　guilty　and　says

that　he　is　never　content　except　when　he　gets　three　pounds'　weight　of

denunciations　a　day。〃　But；　apart　from　these　madcaps；　most　of　the

administrators　or　judges　are　either　people　wholly　unworthy　of　their

offices；　because　they　are　〃inept；〃　〃too　uneducated；〃　〃good　for

nothing；〃　〃too　little　familiar　with　administrative　forms；〃　〃too　little

accustomed　to　judicial　action；〃　〃　without　information；〃　〃too　busy　with

their　own　affairs；〃　〃unable　to　read　or　write；〃　or；　because　〃they　have

no　delicacy；〃　are　〃violent；〃　〃agitators；〃　〃knaves；〃　〃without　public

esteem；〃　and　more　or　less　dishonest　and　despised。＇98＇　…　As　an　example

a　fellow　from　Paris；　who　was　at　first　at　Troyes；　a　baker's

apprentice；＇99＇　and　afterwards　a　dancing…master；　then　he　appeared　at

the　Club；　making　headway；　doubtless；　through　his　Parisian　chatter；

until　he　stood　first　and　soon　became　a　member　of　the　district。

Appointed　an　officer　in　the　sixth　battalion　of　Aube；　he　behaved　in

such　a　manner　in　Vendée　that；　on　his　return；　〃　his　brethren　in　arms〃

broke　up　the　banner　presented　to　him；　〃declaring　him　unworthy　of　such

an　honor；　because　he　cowardly　fled　before　the　enemy。〃　Nevertheless；

after　a　short　plunge；　he　came　back　to　the　surface　and；　thanks　to　his

civil　compeers；　was　reinstated　in　his　administrative　functions；　during

the　Terror；　he　was　intimate　with　all　the　Terrorists；　being　one　of　the

important　men　of　Troyes。　　…　The　mayor　of　the　town；　Gachez；　an　old

soldier　and　ex…schoolmaster；　is　of　the　same　stuff　as　this　baker's

apprentice。　　He；　likewise；　was　a　Vendéan　hero；　only；　he　was　unable　to

distinguish　himself　as　much　as　he　liked；　for；　after　enlisting；　he

failed　to　march；　having　pocketed　the　bounty　of　three　hundred　livres；

he　discovered　that　he　had　infirmities　and；　getting　himself

invalidated；　he　served　the　nation　in　a　civil　capacity。　　〃His　own

partisans　admit　that　he　is　a　drunkard　and　that　he