the origins of contemporary france-3-第107章

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away　from　the　polls。　Let　the　〃Right〃　or　the　〃Left〃　of　the　Convention

be　victors　or　vanquished；　that　is　a　matter　which　concerns　them；　the

public　at　large　does　not　enter　into　the　discussions　of　its　conquerors；

and　no　longer　cares　for　either　Gironde　or　〃Mountain。〃　Its　old

grievances　always　revive　〃against　the　Vergniauds；　Guadets〃　and

company；＇64＇　it　does　not　like　them；　and　has　no　confidence　in　them；　and

will　let　them　be　crushed　without　helping　them。　The　infuriates　may

expel　the　Thirty…Two；　if　they　choose；　and　put　them　under　lock　and　key。

〃There　is　nothing　the　aristocracy　（meaning　by　this；　owners　of

property；　merchants；　bankers；　the　rich；　and　the　well…to…do）；　desire　so

much　as　to　see　them　guillotined。〃＇65＇　'Even　the　inferior　aristocracy

（meaning　petty　tradesmen　and　head…workmen）　take　no　more　interest　in

their　fate　than　if　they　were　so　many　escaped　wild　beasts　　。　　。　　。

again　caught　and　put　in　their　cages。〃＇66＇　〃Guadet；　Pétion；　Brissot；

would　not　find　thirty　persons　in　Paris　who　would　take　their　part；　or

even　take　the　first　step　to　save　them。〃＇67＇



Apart　from　all　this；　it　makes　little　difference　whether　the　majority

has　any　preferences；　its　sympathies；　if　it　has　any；　will　never　be

other　than　platonic。　It　no　longer　counts　for　anything　in　either　camp；

it　has　withdrawn　from　the　battle…field；　it　is　now　simply　the　stakes　of

the　conflict；　the　prey　and　the　booty　of　the　winner。　For；　unable　or

unwilling　to　comply　with　the　political　system　imposed　on　it；　it　is

self…condemned　to　utter　powerlessness。　　This　system　is　the　direct

government　of　the　people　by　the　people；　with　all　that　ensues；

permanence　of　the　section　assemblies；　club　debates　in　public；　uproar

in　the　galleries；　motions　in　the　open　air；　mobs　and　manifestations　in

the　streets；　nothing　is　less　attractive　and　more　impracticable　to

civilized　and　busy　people。　In　our　modern　communities；　work；　the

family；　and　social　intercourse　absorb　nearly　all　our　time；　hence；　such

a　system　suits　only　the　idle　and　rough　outcasts　who　feel　at　home

there；　the　others　refuse　to　enter　an　environment　expressly　set　up　for

singles；　orphans；　unskilled　persons；　living　in　lodgings；　foul…mouthed；

lacking　the　sense　of　smell；　with　a　gift　of　the　gab；　robust　arms；　tough

hide；　solid　haunches；　expert　in　hustling；　and　with　whom　blows　replace

arguments。＇68＇　　　After　the　September　massacres；　and　on　the　opening

of　the　barriers；　a　number　of　proprietors　and　persons　living　on　their

incomes；　not　alone　the　suspected　but　those　who　thought　they　might

become　so；　escaped　from　Paris；　and；　during　the　following　months；　the

emigration　increases　along　with　the　danger。　Towards　December　rumor　has

it　that　lists　have　been　made　up　of　former　Feuillants；　〃we　are　assured

that　during　the　past　eight　days　more　than　fourteen　thousand　persons

have　left　the　capital。〃＇69＇　According　to　the　report　of　the　Minister

himself；＇70＇　〃many　who　are　independent　in　fortune　and　position　abandon

a　city　where　the　renewal　of　proscription　is　talked　of　daily。〃　　〃

Grass　grows　in　the　finest　streets；〃　writes　a　deputy；　〃while　the

silence　of　the　grave　reigns　in　the　Théba？des　（isolated　villas）　of　the

faubourg　Saint…Germain。〃　　As　to　the　conservatives　who　remain；　they

confine　themselves　to　private　life；　from　which　it　follows　that；　in　the

political　balance；　those　present　are　of　no　more　account　than　the

absentees。　At　the　municipal　elections　in　October；　November；　and

December；　out　of　160；000　registered　voters；　there　are　at　first

144；000；　then　150；000；　and　finally　153；000　who　stay　away　from　the

polls；　these；　certainly；　and　for　a　much　better　reason；　do　not　show

themselves　at　the　assemblies　of　their　sections。　Commonly；　out　of　three

or　four　thousand　citizens；　only　fifty　or　sixty　attend；　one　of　these；

called　a　general　assembly；　which　signifies　the　will　of　the　people　to

the　Convention；　is　composed　of　twenty…five　voters。＇71＇　　Accordingly；

what　would　a　sensible　man；　a　friend　of　order；　do　in　these　dens　of

fanatics？　He　stays　at　home；　as　on　stormy　days；　he　lets　the　shower　of

words　spend　itself；　not　caring　to　be　spattered　in　the　gutter　of

nonsense　which　carries　off　the　filth　of　this　district。



If　he　leaves　his　house　at　all　he　goes　out　for　a　walk；　the　same　as　in

old　times；　to　indulge　the　tastes　he　had　under　the　old　régime；　those　of

a　talkative；　curious　on…looker　and　friendly　stroller；　of　a　Parisian

safe　in　his　well　run　town。　　〃Yesterday　evening；〃　writes　a　man　who

feels　the　coming　Reign　of　Terror；　〃I　took　my　stand　in　the　middle　of

the　right　alley　of　the　Champs…Elysées；＇72＇　it　was　thronged　with　　who

do　you　think？　Would　you　believe　it；　with　　moderates；　aristocrats；

owners　of　property；　and　very　pretty　women；　elegantly　dressed；　seeking

the　caresses　of　the　balmy　spring　breeze！　It　was　a　charming　sight。　All

were　gay　and　smiling。　　I　was　the　only　one　that　was　not　so。　。　。　I

withdrew　hastily；　and；　on　passing　through　the　Tuileries　garden；　I　saw

a　repetition　of　what　I　had　seen　before；　forty　thousand　wealthy　people

scattered　here　and　there；　almost　as　many　as　Paris　contains。〃　　These

are　evidently　the　sheep　ready　for　the　slaughter…house。　They　no　longer

think　of　defense；　they　have　abandoned　their　posts　to　the　sans…

culottes；　〃they　refuse　all　civil　and　military　functions；〃＇73＇　they

avoid　doing　duty　in　the　National　Guard　and　instead　pay　their

substitutes。　In　short；　they　withdraw　from　a　game　which；　in　1789；　they

desired　to　play　without　understanding　it；　and　in　which；　since　the　end

of　1791；　they　have　always　burnt　their　fingers。　The　cards　may　be　handed

over　to　others；　especially　as　the　cards　are　dirty　and　the　players

fling　them　in　each　others'　faces；　as　for　themselves　they　are

spectators；　they　have　no　other　ambitions。　　〃Leave　them　their　old

enjoyments；＇74＇　leave　them　the　pleasure　of　going　and　coming　throughout

the　kingdom；　but　do　not　force　them　to　take　part　in　the　war。　Subject

them　to　the　heaviest　taxation　and　they　will　not　complain；　nobody　will

even　know　that　they　exist；　while　the　most　serious　question　that

disturbs　them　in　their　thoughtful　days　is；　can　one　amuse　one's　self　as

much　under　a　republican　form　of　government　as　under　the　ancient

régime？〃　They　hope；　perhaps；　to　escape　under　cover　of　inoffensive

neutrality。　Is　it　likely　that　the　victor；　whoever　he　is；　will　regard

people　as　enemies　who　are　resigned　to　his　rule　before…hand？　〃A

dandy＇75＇　alongside　of　me　remarked；　yesterday　morning；　'They　will　not

take　my　arms　away；　for　I　never　had　any。'　Alas；'　I　replied　to　him；

'don't　make　a　boast　of　it；　for　you　may　find　forty　thousand　simpletons

in　Paris　that　would　say　the　same　thing；　and；　indeed；　it　is　not　at　all

to　the　credit　of　Paris。'〃　　Such　is　the　blindness　or　self…complacency

of　the　city　dweller　who；　having　always　lived　under　a　good　police；　is

unwilling　to　change　his　habits；　and　is　not　aware　that　the　time　has

come　for　him　to　turn　fighting　man　in　his　turn。



The　manufacturers；　the　merchants　and　the　man　living　on　his　income　are

even　less　disposed　than　the　independent　gentleman；　to　give　up　his

private　affairs　for　public　affairs。　His　business　will　not　wait　for

him；　he　being　confined　to　his　office；　store　or　counting…room。　For

example；　〃the　wine…dealers＇76＇　are　nearly　all　aristocrats　in　the　sense

of　this　word　at　this　period；〃　but　〃never　were　their　sales　so　great　as

during　the　insurrections　of　the　people　and　in　revolutionary　days。〃

Hence　the　impossibility　of　obtaining　their　services　in　those　days。

〃They　are　seen　on　their　premises　very　active；　with　three　or　four　of

their　assistants；〃　and　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　every　appeal。　〃How　can　we

leave　when　custom　is　so　good？　People　must　have　their　wants　supplied。

Who　will　attend　to　them　if　I　and　the　waiters　should　go　away？　〃　

There　are　other　causes　of　their　weakness。　All　grades　in　the　National

Guard　and　all　places　in　the　municipality　having　been　given　up　to　the

Jacobin　extremists；　they　have　no　chiefs：　the　Girondists　are　incapable

of　rallying　them；　while　Garat；　the　Minister；　is　unwilling　to　employ

them。　Moreover；　they　are　divided　amongst　themselv