the origins of contemporary france-3-第103章

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intention　of　surrendering　their　prey　to　the　hazards　of　a　free　ballot；

they　mean　to　keep　it　the　way　they　got　it；　by　force；　and　will　leave　no

stone　unturned　to　control　the　elections。



II。



The　elections。　　The　young　and　the　poor　invited　to　the　ballot…box。

Danger　of　the　Conservatives　if　candidates。　…　…Their　chiefs　absent

themselves。　　Proportion　of　absentees　at　the　primary　assemblies。



They　begin　by　paving　their　way。＇10＇　A　new　decree　has　at　once

suppressed　the　feeble　and　last　legal　requirement　for　impartiality；

integrity　and　competence　of　the　elector　and　the　eligible　candidate。　No

more　discrimination　between　active　and　passive　citizens；　no　longer　any

difference　between　　poll　tax　of　an　elector　of　the　first　degree　and

that　of　the　second　degree：　no　electoral　poll　tax　qualification

whatever。　All　Frenchmen；　except　domestics；　of　whom　they　are

distrustful；　supposing　them　under　their　employer's　influence；　may　vote

at　the　primary　assemblies；　and　not　longer　at　the　age　of　twenty…five；

but　at　twenty…one；　which　brings　to　the　polls　the　two　most

revolutionary　groups；　on　the　one　hand　the　young；　and　on　the　other　the

poor；　the　latter　in　great　numbers　in　these　times　of　unemployment；

dearth　and　poverty；　amounting　in　all　to　two　millions　and　a　half；　and；

perhaps；　three　millions　of　new　electors。　…　At　Besan？on　the　number　of

the　registered　voters　is　doubled。＇11＇　　Thus　are　the　usual　clients　of

the　Jacobins　admitted　within　the　electoral　boundaries；　from　which　they

had　hitherto　been　excluded；＇12＇　and；　to　ensure　their　coming；　their

leaders　decide　that　every　elector　obliged　to　travel　〃shall　receive

twenty　sous　mileage；〃　besides　〃three　francs　per　diem　during　his

stay。〃＇13＇



While　　attracting　their　supporters　they　drove　their　adversaries　away。

The　political　banditry；　through　which　they　dominate　and　terrify

France；　has　already　taken　care　of　that。　Many　arbitrary　arrests　and

unpunished　murders　are　a　warning　to　all　candidates　who　do　not　belong

to　their　party；　and　I　do　not　speak　about　to　the　nobles　or　friends　of

the　ancient　regime　that　have　fled　or　are　in　prison；　but　the

Constitutionalists　and　the　Feuillants。　Any　electoral　enterprise　on

their　part　would　be　madness；　almost　a　suicide。　Accordingly；　none　of

them　call　attention　to　themselves。　If　any　outrageous　moderate；　like

Durand　de　Maillane；　appears　on　a　list；　it　is　because　the

revolutionaries　have　adopted　him　without　knowing　him；　and　because　he

swears　that　he　hates　　royalty。＇14＇　The　others；　more　honest；　　do　not

want　to　don　the　popular　livery　and　resort　to　club　patronage；　so　they

carefully　stay　away；　they　know　too　well　that　to　do　otherwise　would

mark　their　heads　for　pikes　and　their　homes　for　pillage。　At　the　very

moment　of　depositing　the　vote　the　domains　of　several　deputies　are

sacked　simply　because；　〃on　the　comparative　lists　of　seven　calls　by

name；〃　sent　to　the　departments　from　Paris　by　the　Jacobins；　their　names

are　found　on　the　right。＇15＇　　Through　an　excess　of　precaution　the

Constitutionalists　of　the　Legislative　body　are　kept　at　the　capital；

their　passports　being　refused　to　them　to　prevent　them　from　returning

into　the　provinces　and　obtaining　votes　by　publicly　stating　the　truth

in　relation　to　the　recent　revolution。　　In　the　same　way；　all

conservative　journals　are　suppressed；　reduced　to　silence；　or　compelled

to　become　turncoats。　　Now；　when　one　has　neither　the　possibility　to

speak　up　nor　a　candidate　which　might　become　one's　representative；　of

what　use　is　it　to　vote？　　And　especially；　since　the　primary　assemblies

are　places　of　disorder　and　violence；＇16＇　patriots　alone；　in　many

places；　being　admitted；＇17＇　a　conservative　being　〃insulted　and

overwhelmed　with　numbers；〃　and；　if　he　utters　an　opinion；　exposed　to

danger；　also；　if　he　remains　silent；　incurring　the　risk　of

denunciations；　threats；　and　blows。　To　keep　in　the　background；　remain

on　the　sidelines；　avoid　being　seen；　and　to　strive　to　be　forgotten；　is

the　rule　under　a　pasha；　and　especially　when　this　pasha　is　a　mob。　Hence

the　absenteeism　of　the　majority；　around　the　ballot…box　there　is　an

enormous　void。　At　Paris；　in　the　election　of　mayor　and　municipal

officers；　the　balloting　of　October；　November　and　December　collect

together　only　14；000　out　of　160；000　registered　voters；　later　10；000；

and；　later　again；　only　7；000。＇18＇　　At　Besan？on；　7；000。　registered

voters　result　in　less　than　600；　there　is　the　same　proportion　in　other

towns；　as　for　example；　in　Troyes。　In　like　manner；　in　the　rural

cantons；　east　of　Doubs　and　west　of　Loire…Inférieure；　but　one…tenth　of

the　electors　dare　exercise　their　right　to　vote。＇19＇　　The　electoral

source　is　so　exhausted；　so　often　disturbed；　and　so　stopped　up　as　to　be

almost　dry：　in　these　primary　assemblies　which；　directly　or　indirectly；

delegate　all　public　powers；　and　which；　in　the　expression　of　the　common

will；　should　be　full；　there　are　lacking　six　millions　three　hundred

thousands　electors　out　of　seven　millions。＇20＇



III。



Composition　and　tone　of　the　secondary　assemblies。　…　Exclusion　of

〃Feuillant〃　electors。　…　Pressure　on　other　electors。…　Persons　elected

by　the　conservatives　obliged　to　resign。　…　Elections　by　the　Catholics

canceled。　…　Secession　of　the　Jacobin　minorities。　…　The　election　of

their　men　made　valid。　…　Public　opinion　not　in　accord　with　official

selections。



Through　this　anticipated　purge　the　assemblies　of　the　first　degree　find

themselves；　for　the　most　part；　Jacobin；　consequently　the　electors　of

the　second　degree；　appointed　by　them；　are　for　the　most　part；　Jacobin；

in　many　departments；　their　assembly　becomes　the　most　anarchical；　the

most　turbulent；　and　the　most　usurping　of　all　the　clubs。　Here　there　is

only　shouting；　denunciations；　oath…taking；　incendiary　motions；

cheering　which　carry　all　questions；　furious　speeches　by　Parisian

commissaries；　by　delegates　from　the　local　club；　by　passing　Federates；

and　by　female　wretches　demanding　arms。＇21＇　　The　Pas…de…Calais

assemblage　sets　free　and　applauds　a　woman　imprisoned　for　having　beaten

a　drum　in　a　mob。　The　Paris　assembly　fraternizes　with　the　Versailles

slaughterers　and　the　assassins　of　the　mayor　of　Etampes。　The　assembly

of　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne　gives　a　certificate　o　virtue　to　Jourdan；　the

Glacière　murderer。　The　assembly　of　Seine…et…Marne　applauds　the

proposal　to　cast　a　cannon　which　might　contain　the　head　of　Louis　XVI。

for　a　cannon…ball　to　be　fired　at　the　enemy。　　It　is　not　surprising

that　an　electoral　body　without　self…respect　should　respect　nothing；

and　practice　self…mutilation　under　the　pretext　of　purification。＇22＇

The　object　of　the　despotic　majority　was　to　reign　at　once；　without　any

contest；　on　its　own　authority；　and　to　expel　all　offensive　electors。　At

Paris；　in　the　Aisne；　in　Haute…Loire；　in　Ille…et…Vilaine；　in　Maine…et…

Loire；　it　excludes　as　unworthy　the　members　of　old　Feuillants　and

monarchical　clubs；　and　the　signers　of　Constitutionalist　protests。　In

Hérault　it　cancels　the　elections　in　the　canton　of　Servian；　because　the

elected　men；　it　says；　are　〃mad　aristocrats。〃　In　Orne　it　drives　away　an

old　Constituent；　Goupil　de　Préfeln；　because　he　voted　for　the　revision；

also；　his　son…in…law；　because　he　is　his　son…in…law。　　In　the　Bouches…

du…Rh？ne；　where　the　canton　of　Seignon；　by　mistake　or　through　routine；

swore　〃to　maintain　the　constitution　of　the　kingdom；〃　it　sets　aside

these　retrograde　elected　representatives；　commences　proceedings

against　the　〃crime　committed；〃　and　sends　troops　against　Noves　because

the　Noves　elector；　a　justice　who　is　denounced　and　in　peril；　has

escaped　from　the　electoral　den。　　　　After　the　purification　of　persons

it　proceeds　to　the　purification　of　sentiments。　At　Paris；　and　in　at

least　nine　departments；＇23＇　and　in　contempt　of　the　law；　is　suppresses

the　secret　ballot；　the　last　refuge　of　timid　conservatives；　and　imposes

on　each　elector　a　verbal　public　vote；　loud　and　clear；　on　his　name

being　called；　that　is　to　say；　if　he　does　not　vote　as　he　ought　to；　he

risks　the　gallows。＇24＇　Nothing　could　more　surely　convert　hesitation

and　indecisi