the origins of contemporary france-3-第102章
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have just made hint marry。 Look here; we said to him; it is time that
to put a stop to that behavior! Down with prejudice! Marquises and
dancers ought to marry each other。 He made her his wife; and it is
well he did; otherwise he would have been done for a long time ago; or
caged behind the Luxembourg walls。〃 … Elsewhere; on passing a chateau
being demolished; the former chair…letter quotes Rousseau: 〃For every
chateau that falls; twenty cottages rise in its place。〃 His mind was
stored with similar phrases and tirades; uttered by him as the
occasion warranted。 This man may be considered as an excellent
specimen of the average Jacobin。
'106' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3;207。 Letter of the administrators
of the C?te d'Or to the Minister; Oct。 6; 1792。
'107' 〃Archives Nationales〃 F7; 3195。 Letter of the administrators
of the Bouche…du…Rh?ne; Oct 29; and the Minister's answer on the
margin。
'108' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3249。 Letter of the administrators
of the Orne; Sept。 7; and the Minister's reply noted on the margin。
'109' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F'; 3;249。 Correspondence with the
municipality of Saint…Firmin (Oise)。 Letter of Roland; Dec。 3: 〃I have
read the letter addressed to me on the 25th of the past month; and I
cannot conceal from you the pain it gives me to find in it principles
so destructive of all the ties of subordination existing between
constituted authorities; principles so erroneous that should the
communes adopt them every form of government would be impossible and
all society broken up。 Can the commune of Saint…Firmin; indeed; have
persuaded itself that it is sovereign; as the letter states? and have
the citizens composing it forgotten that the sovereign is the entire
nation; and not the forty…four thousandth part of it? that Saint…
Firmin is simply a fraction of it; contributing its share to endowing
the deputies of the National Convention; the administrators of
departments and districts with the power of acting for the greatest
advantage of the commune; but which; the moment it elects its own
administrators and agents; can no longer revoke the powers it has
bestowed; without a total subversion of order? etc。〃 All the
documents belonging to this affair ought to be quoted; there is
nothing more instructive or ludicrous; and especially the style of the
secretary…clerk of Saint…Firmin: 〃We conjure you to remember that the
administrators of the district of Senlis strive to play the part of
the sirens who sought to enchant Ulysses。〃
'110' Letter of the central bureau of the Rouen sections; Aug。 30。
'111' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3195。 Letter of the three
administrative bodies and commissaries of the sections of Marseilles;
Nov。 15; 1792。 Letter of the electors of Bouches…du…Rh?ne; Nov。 28。
(Forms of politeness are omitted at the end of these letters; and no
doubt purposely。) Roland replies (Dec。 31): 〃While fully admiring the
civism of the brave Marseilles people; 。 。 。 do not fully agree with
you on the exercise of popular Sovereignty。〃 He ends by stating that
all their letters with replies have been transmitted to the deputies
of the Bouches…du…Rh?ne; and that the latter are in accord with him
and will arrange matters。
CHAPTER III。
I。
The second stage of the Jacobin conquest。 The importance and
multitude of vacant offices。
The second stage of the Jacobin conquest will;'1' after August 10th
and during the next three months; extend and multiply all vacancies
from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy; for the purpose of
filling them with their own men。 In the first place; the faction
(the party) installs representatives on the summits of public
authority which represent itself alone; seven hundred and forty…nine
omnipotent deputies; in a Convention which; curbed neither by
collateral powers nor by a previously established constitution;
disposes at pleasure of the property; the lives and the consciences of
all French people。 Then; through this barely installed convention;
it decrees the complete renewal'2' of all administrative and judicial
bodies; councils and directories of departments; councils and communal
municipalities; civil; criminal and commercial tribunals; justices and
their assistants in the lower courts; deputies of the justices;
national commissaries of the civil courts; with secretaries and
bailiffs belonging to the various tribunals and administrations。'3'
The obligation of having practiced as a lawyer is abolished by the
same stroke; so that the first comer; if he belongs to the club
(party) may become a judge without knowing how to write; and even
without being able to read。'4' Just before this the staff of the
National Guard; in all towns above fifty thousand souls; and
afterwards in all the towns on the frontier; has again passed through
the electoral sieve。'5' In like manner; the officers of the
gendarmerie at Paris and throughout France once more undergo an
election by their men。 Finally; all post…masters and post…office
comptrollers have to submit to election。 Even better; below or
alongside the elected officials; this administrative purge concerns
all non…elective functionaries and employees; no matter how
insignificant their service; however feeble and indirect their office
may be connected with political matters。 This is because tax receivers
and assessors; directors and other agents of rivers and forests;
engineers; notaries; attorneys; clerks and scribes belonging to the
administrative branch; are all subject to dismissal if they do not
obtain a certificate of civism from their municipality。 At Troyes; out
of fifteen notaries; it is refused to four;'6' which leaves four
places to be filled by their Jacobin clerks。 At Paris;'7' 〃all honest
folks; all clerks who are educated;〃 are driven out of the navy
offices; the war department is getting to be 〃a den where everybody on
duty wears a red cap; where all thee…and…thou each other; even the
Minister; where four hundred employees; among which are a number of
women; show off in the dirtiest dress; affect the coolest cynicism; do
nothing; and steal on all sides。〃 Under the denunciation of the
clubs; the broom is applied even at the bottom of the hierarchical
scale; even to secretaries of village councils; to messengers and
call…boys in the towns; to jail…keepers and door…keepers; to beadles
and sextons; to foresters; field…custodians; and others of this
class。'8' All these persons must be; or appear to be; Jacobin;
otherwise; their place slips away from them; for there is always some
one to covet it; apply for it and take it。 Outside of employees
the sweeping operation reaches the suppliers and contractors; even
here there are the faithful to be provided for; and nowhere is the
bait so important。 The State; even in ordinary times; is always the
largest of consumers; and; at this moment; it is expending monthly;
merely on the war; two hundred millions extra。 What fish may be caught
in such disturbed waters!'9' All these lucrative orders as well as
all these remunerated positions are at the disposition of the
Jacobins; and they seize the opportunity; they are the lawful owner;
who comes home after a long absence and gives or withdraws his custom
as the pleases; while he makes a clean sweep in his own household。
The administrative and judicial services alone number 1;300;000
places; all those in the treasury department; in that of public works;
in that of public education; and in the Church; all posts in the
National Guard and in the army; from that of commander…in…chief down
to a drummer; the whole of the central or local power; with the vast
patronage flowing from this。 Never had such rich spoils been made
available to the general public in one go。 Lots will be drawn;
apparently; by vote; but it is evident that the Jacobins have no
intention of surrendering their prey to the hazards of a free ballot;
they mean to kee