the origins of contemporary france-3-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



simultaneous　impulses；　which　scatter　their　seeds　over　the　entire

territory。　　On　the　one　hand；　at　then　end　of　July；　1791；　all　moderate

men；　the　friends　of　law　and　order；　who　still　hold　the　clubs　in　check；

all　constitutionalists；　or　Feuillants；　withdraw　from　them　and　leave

them　to　exaggeration　or　the　triviality　of　proposing　motions；　the

political　tone　immediately　falls　to　that　of　the　tavern　and　guard…

house；　so　that　wherever　one　or　the　other　is　found；　there　is　a

political　club。　On　the　other　hand；　a　convocation　of　the　electoral　body

is　held　at　the　same　date　for　the　election　of　a　new　National　Assembly；

and　for　the　renewal　of　local　governments；　the　prey　being　in　sight；

hunting…parties　are　everywhere　formed　to　capture　it。　In　two

months；＇19＇　six　hundred　new　clubs　spring　up；　by　the　end　of　September

they　amount　to　one　thousand；　and　in　June；　1792；　to　twelve　hundred　

as　many　as　there　are　towns　and　walled　boroughs。　On　the　fall　of　the

throne；　and　at　the　panic　caused　by　the　Prussian　invasion；　during　a

period　of　anarchy　which　equaled　that　of　July；　1789；　there　were；

according　to　Roederer；　almost　as　many　clubs　as　there　were　communes；

26；000；　one　for　every　village　containing　five　or　six　hot…headed；

boisterous　fellows；　or　roughs；　（tape…durs）；　with　a　clerk　able　to　pen　a

petition。



After　November；　1790；＇20＇　〃every　street　in　every　town　and　hamlet；〃

says　a　Journal　of　large　circulation；　〃must　have　a　club　of　its　own。　Let

some　honest　craftsman　invite　his　neighbors　to　his　house；　where；　with

using　a　shared　candle；　he　may　read　aloud　the　decrees　of　the　National

Assembly；　on　which　he　and　his　neighbors　may　comment。　Before　the

meeting　closes；　in　order　to　enliven　the　company；　which　may　feel　a

little　disturbed　on　account　of　Marat's　articles；　let　him　read　the

patriotic　oaths　in　'Pêre　Duchesne。'〃＇21＇　　The　advice　is　followed。　At

the　meetings　in　the　club　are　read　aloud　pamphlets；　newspapers；　and

catechisms　dispatched　from　Paris；　the　〃Gazette　Villageoise；〃　the

〃Journal　du　Soir；〃　the　〃Journal　de　la　Montagne；〃　〃Pêre　Duchesne；〃　the

〃Révolutions　de　Paris；〃　　and　〃Laclos'　Gazette。〃　Revolutionary　songs

are　sung；　and；　if　a　good　speaker　happens　to　be　present；　a　former　monk

（oratorien）；　lawyer；　or　school…master；　he　pours　out　his　stock　of

phrases；　speaking　of　　the　Greeks　and　Romans；　proclaiming　the

regeneration　of　the　human　species。　One　of　them；　appealing　to　the

women；　wants　to　see



　〃the　declaration　of　the　Rights　of　Man　suspended　on　the　walls　of　their

bedrooms　as　their　principal　ornament；　and；　should　war　break　out；　these

virtuous　supporters；　marching　at　the　head　of　our　armies　like　new

bacchantes　with　flowing　hair；　the　wand　of　Bacchus　in　their　hand。〃



Shouts　of　applause　greet　this　sentiment。　The　minds　of　the　listeners；

swept　away　by　this　gale　of　declamation；　become　overheated　and　ignite

through　mutual　contact；　like　half…consumed　embers　that　would　die　out

if　let　alone；　they　kindle　into　a　blaze　when　gathered　together　in　a

heap。　…　…　Their　convictions；　at　the　same　time；　gain　strength。　There　is

nothing　like　a　coterie　to　make　these　take　root。　In　politics；　as　in

religion；　faith　generating　the　church；　the　latter；　in　its　turn；

nourishes　faith。　In　the　club；　as　in　the　private　religious　meeting；

each　derives　authority　from　the　common　unanimity；　every　word　and

action　of　the　whole　tending　to　prove　each　in　the　right。　And　all　the

more　because　a　dogma　which　remains　uncontested；　ends　in　seeming

incontestable；　as　the　Jacobin　lives　in　a　narrow　circle；　carefully

guarded；　no　contrary　opinions　find　their　way　to　him。　The　public；　in

his　eyes；　seems　two　hundred　persons；　their　opinion　weighs　on　him

without　any　counterpoise；　and；　outside　of　their　belief；　which　is　his

also；　every　other　belief　is　absurd　and　even　culpable。　Moreover；　he

discovers　through　this　constant　system　of　preaching；　which　is　nothing

but　flattery；　that　he　is　patriotic；　intelligent；　virtuous；　of　which　he

can　have　no　doubt；　because；　before　being　admitted　into　the　club；　his

civic　virtues　have　been　verified　and　he　carries　a　printed　certificate

of　them　in　his　pocket。　…　…　Accordingly；　he　is　one　of　an　élite　corps；　a

corps　which；　enjoying　a　monopoly　of　patriotism；　holds　itself　aloof；

talks　loud；　and　is　distinguished　from　ordinary　citizens　by　its　tone

and　way　of　conducting　things。　The　club　of　Pontarlier；＇22＇　from　the

first；　prohibits　its　members　from　using　the　common　forms　of

politeness。



　〃Members　are　to　abstain　from　saluting　their　fellow…citizens　by

removing　the　hat；　and　are　to　avoid　the　phrase；　'I　have　the　honor　to

be；'　and　others　of　like　import；　in　addressing　persons。〃



A　proper　idea　of　one's　importance　is　indispensable。



〃Does　not　the　famous　tribune　of　the　Jacobins　in　Paris　inspire　traitors

and　impostors　with　fear？　And　do　not　anti…Revolutionaries　return　to

dust　on　beholding　it？〃



All　this　is　true；　in　the　provinces　as　well　as　at　the　capital；　for；

scarcely　is　a　club　organized　before　it　sets　to　work　on　the　population。

In　may　of　the　large　cities；　in　Paris；　Lyons；　Aix　and　Bordeaux；　there

are　two　clubs　in　partnership；＇23＇　one；　more　or　less　respectable　and

parliamentary；　〃composed　partly　of　the　members　of　the　different

branches　of　the　administration　and　specially　devoted　to　purposes　of

general　utility；〃　and　the　other；　practical　and　active；　made　up　of　bar…

room　politicians　and　club…haranguers；　who　indoctrinate　workmen；

market…gardeners　and　the　rest　of　the　lower　bourgeois　class。　The　latter

is　a　branch　of　the　former；　and；　in　urgent　cases；　supplies　it　with

rioters。



　〃We　are　placed　amongst　the　people；〃　says　one　of　these　subaltern

clubs；　〃we　read　to　them　the　decrees；　and；　through　lectures　and

counsel；　we　warn　them　against　the　publications　and　intrigues　of　the

aristocrats。　We　ferret　out　and　track　plotters　and　their　machinations。

We　welcome　and　advise　all　complainants；　we　enforce　their　demands；　when

just；　finally；　we；　in　some　way；　attend　to　all　details。〃



Thanks　to　these　vulgar　auxiliaries；　but　whose　lungs　and　arms　are

strong；　the　party　soon　becomes　dominant；　it　has　force　and　uses　it；

and；　denying　that　its　adversaries　have　any　rights；　it　re…establishes

all　the　privileges　for　its　own　advantage。＇24＇







III。



How　they　view　the　liberty　of　the　press。　…　Their　political　doings。



Let　us　consider　its　mode　of　procedure　in　one　instance　and　upon　a

limited　field；　the　freedom　of　the　press。＇25＇　　In　December；　1790；　M。

Etienne；　an　engineer；　whom　Marat　and　Fréron　had　denounced　as　a　spy　in

their　periodicals；　brought　a　suit　against　them　in　the　police　court。

The　numbers　containing　the　libel　were　seized；　the　printers　summoned　to

appear；　and　M。　Etienne　claimed　a　public　retraction　or　25；000　francs

damages　with　costs。　At　this　the　two　journalists；　considering

themselves　infallible　as　well　as　exempt　from　arrest；　are　indignant。



〃　It　is　of　the　utmost　importance；〃　writes　Marat；　〃that　the　informer

should　not　be　liable　to　prosecution　as　he　is　accountable　only　to　the

public　for　what　he　says　and　does　for　the　public　good。〃



M。　Etienne　（surnamed　Languedoc）；　therefore；　is　a　traitor：　　〃Monsieur

Languedoc；　I　advise　you　to　keep　your　mouth　shut；　if　I　can　have　you

hung　I　will。〃　　M。　Etienne；　nevertheless；　persists　and　obtains　a　first

decision　in　his　favor。　Fire　and　flame　are　at　once　belched　forth　by

Marat　and　Fréon：



　〃Master　Thorillon；〃　exclaims　Fréron　to　the　commissary　of　police；　〃you

shall　be　punished　and　held　up　to　the　people　as　an　example；　this

infamous　decision　must　be　canceled。〃　　　〃Citizens；〃　writes　Marat；　〃go

in　a　body　to　the　H？tel…de…Ville　and　do　not　allow　one　of　the　guards　to

enter　the　court…room。　〃　　On　the　day　of　the　trial；　and　in　the　most

condescending　spirit；　but　two　grenadiers　are　let　in。　Even　these；

however；　are　too　many　and　shouts　from　the　Jacobin　crowd　arise　〃Turn

'em　out！　We　rule　here；〃　upon　which　the　two　grenadiers　withdraw。　On　the

other　hand；　says　Fréron　triumphantly；　that　there　were　in　the　court…

room　〃sixty　of　the　victors　at　the　Bastille　led　by　the　brave　Santerre