the origins of contemporary france-3-第122章

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with　tables；　inkstands；　paper　and　registers；　promenade　about　Paris

preceded　by　drums　and　a　body　of　militia。〃　From　time　to　time；　they　make

〃a　solemn　halt；〃　and　declaim　against　Brissot；　Vergniaud；　Guadet；　and

then　〃demand　and　obtain　signatures。〃＇108＇　Thus　extorted　and　borne　to

the　Convention　by　the　mayor；　in　the　name　of　the　council…general　of　the

Commune　and　of　the　thirty…five　sections；　the　imperious　petition

denounces　twenty…two　Girondists　as　traitors；　and　insolently　demands

their　expulsion。　　Another　day　it　is　found　that　a　similar　summons　and

similarly　presented；　in　the　name　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　is

authorized　only　by　thirteen　or　fourteen。＇109＇　　Sometimes　the

political　parade　is　still　more　incautious。　Pretended　deputies　of　the

Faubourg　St。　Antoine　appear　before　the　Convention　and　assert　the

revolutionary　program。　〃If　you　do　not　adopt　it；〃　they　say；　〃we　will

declare　ourselves　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　there　are　40；000　men　at

the　door。〃＇110＇　The　truth　is；　〃about　fifty　bandits；　scarcely　known　in

the　Faubourg；〃　and　led　by　a　former　upholsterer；　now　a　commissary　of

police；　〃have　gathered　together　on　their　route〃　all　they　could　find　in

the　workshops　〃and　in　the　stores；〃　the　multitude　packed　into　the　Place

Vend？me　not　knowing　what　was　demanded　in　their　name。＇111＇　　　These

dummy　tumults　are；　however；　useful；　they　show　the　Convention　its

master；　and　prepare　the　way　for　a　more　efficient　invasion。　The　day

Marat　was　acquitted；　the　whole　of　his　sewer；　male　and　female；　came

along　with　him；　under　pretext　of　parading　before　the　Convention；　they

invaded　the　hall；　scattered　themselves　over　the　benches　and　steps；

and；　supported　by　the　galleries；　installed　anew　in　the　tribune；　amidst

a　tempest　of　applause　and　of　tumult；　the　usual　promoter　of

insurrection；　pillage　and　assassination。＇112＇　…　And　yet；　however

energetic　and　however　persistent　　the　pressure；　the　Convention；　which

has　yielded　on　so　many　points；　will　not　consent　to　mutilate　itself。　It

pronounces　the　petition　presented　against　the　Twenty…two　calumnious；

it　institutes　a　special　commission　of　twelve　members　to　search　the

papers　of　the　Commune　and　the　sections　for　legal　proofs　of　the　plot

openly　and　steadily　maintained　by　the　Jacobins　against　the　national

representation；　Mayor　Pache　is　summoned　to　the　bar　of　the　house；

warrants　of　arrest　are　issued　against　Hébert；　Dobsen　and　Varlet。　

Since　popular　manifestations　have　not　answered　the　purpose；　and　the

Convention；　instead　of　obeying；　is　rebellious；　nothing　is　left　but　to

employ　force。



〃Since　the　10th　of　March；〃　says　Vergniaud；　in　the　tribune；＇113＇

〃murder　is　openly　and　unceasingly　fomented　against　you。〃　　〃It　is　a

terrible　time；〃　says　an　observer；　〃strongly　resembling　that　preceding

the　2nd　of　September。〃＇114＇　　That　same　evening；　at　the　Jacobin　club；

a　member　proposes　to　〃exterminate　the　scoundrels　before　leaving。　　〃I

have　studied　the　Convention；〃　he　says＇115＇　〃it　is　composed　in　part　of

scoundrels　who　ought　to　be　punished。　All　the　supporters　of　Dumouriez

and　the　other　conspirators　should　be　put　out　of　the　way；　fire　the

alarm　gun　and　close　the　barriers！〃　The　following　forenoon；　〃all　the

walls　in　Paris　are　covered　with　posters；〃　calling　on　the　Parisians　to

〃hurry　up　and　slit　the　throats　of　the　statesmen。〃＇116＇　　〃　We　must　do

something　to　put　an　end　to　this！〃　is　the　slogan　of　the　sans…culottes。

　The　following　week；　at　the　Jacobin　club；　as　elsewhere；　〃immediate

insurrection　is　the　order　of　the　day。　。　。　。　What　we　formerly　called

the　sacred　enthusiasm　of　freedom　and　patriotism；　is　now　metamorphosed

into　the　fury　of　an　excited　populace；　which　can　no　longer　be　regulated

or　disciplined　except　by　force。　There　is　not　one　of　these　scoundrels

who　would　not　accept　a　counter…revolution；　provided　they　could　be

allowed　to　crush　and　stamp　on　the　most　noted　conservatives。＇117＇　。　。

。　　The　conclusion　is　that　the　day；　the　hour；　the　minute　that　the

faction　believes　that　it　can　usefully　and　without　risk　bring　into　play

all　the　brigands　in　Paris；＇118＇　then　the　insurrection　will　undoubtedly

take　place。〃　Already　the　plan　of　the　massacre　is　under　consideration

by　the　lowest　class　of　fanatics　at　the　mayoralty；　the　Evêché；　and　the

Jacobin　club。＇119＇



Some　isolated　house　is　to　be　selected；　with　a　suite　of　three　rooms　on

the　ground　floor；　and　a　small　court　in　the　rear；　the　twenty…two

Girondists　are　to　be　caught　in　the　night　and　brought　to　this

slaughter…house　arranged　beforehand；　each　in　turn　is　to　be　passed

along　to　the　last　room；　where　he　is　to　be　killed　and　his　body　tumbled

into　a　hole　dug　in　the　middle　of　the　court；　and　then　the　whole　covered

over　with　quick…lime；　it　will　be　supposed　that　they　have　emigrated；

and；　to　establish　the　fact；　false　correspondence　will　be　printed。＇120＇

A　member　of　the　Committee　on　the　Municipal　Police　declares　that　the

plan　is　feasible：



〃We　will　Septemberize（kill）　them　　not　we　ourselves；　but　men　who　are

ready；　and　who　will　be　well　paid　for　it。〃



The　Montagnards　present　Léonard　Bourdon　and　Legendre；　make　no

objection。　　The　latter　simply　remarks　that　the　Girondists　should　not

be　seized　in　the　Convention；　outside　the　Convention　〃they　are

scoundrels　whose　death　would　save　the　Republic；〃　and　the　act　is

lawful；　he　would　like　to　see　〃with　them　every　rascal　on　the　'black'

side　perish　without　interfering。〃　　Several；　instead　of　22　deputies；

demand　30　or　32；　and　some　300；　the　suspected　of　each　district　may　be

added；　while　ten　or　a　dozen　proscription　lists　are　already　made　out。

Through　a　clean　sweep；　executed　the　same　night；　at　the　same　hour；　they

may　be　conducted　to　the　Carmelites；　near　the　Luxembourg；　and；　〃if

there　is　not　room　enough　there；〃　to　Bicêtre；　here；　〃they　will

disappear　from　the　surface　of　the　globe。〃＇121＇　Certain　leaders　desired

to　entrust　the　purification　of　Paris　to　the　sagacity　of　popular

instinct。　〃In　loose　and　disconnected　phrases〃　they　address　the　people：

〃Rouse　yourselves；　and　act　according　to　your　inclinations；　as　my

indications　might　only　startle　those　you　should　strike　down　and

thereby　allow　them　to　escape！〃　Varlet　proposes；　on　the　contrary；　　a

plan　of　public　safety；　very　full　and　explicit；　in　fifteen　articles：



　〃Sweep　away　the　deputies　of　the　'Plain；'　and　other　deputies　of　the

Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　all　nobles；　priests；

pettifoggers；　etc。；　exterminate　the　whole　of　that　race；　and　the

Bourbons；　too；　with　entire　suppression　of　the　Ministers。〃



Hébert；　for　his　part；　alluding　to　the　Girondists；　writes　in　his

gazette　that　〃the　last　hour　of　their　death　is　going　to　strike；〃　and

that；　〃when　their　foul　blood　shall　have　been　spilled；　aristocratic

brawlers　will　return　to　their　holes；　the　same　as　on　the　10th　of

August。　〃Naturally；　the　professional　slaughterers　are　notified。　A

certain　Laforet；　an　old…clothes　dealer　on　the　Quai…du…Louvre；　who；

with　his　wife；　had　already　distinguished　themselves　on　the　2nd　of

September；　reckons　that　〃there　are　in　Paris　6；000　sans…culottes　ready

to　massacre　at　the　first　sign　all　dangerous　deputies；　and　eight

thousand　petitioners；〃　undoubtedly　those　who；　in　the　several　sections；

signed　the　addresses　to　the　Convention　against　the　Commune。　　Another

〃Septemberizer；〃＇122＇　commanding　the　battalion　of　the　Jardin　des

Plantes；　Henriot；　on　meeting　a　gang　of　men　working　on　the　wharves；

exclaims　in　his　rough　voice：



〃Good　morning；　my　good　fellows；　we　shall　need　you　soon；　and　at　better

work。　You　won't　have　wood　to　carry　in　your　carts　　you'll　have　to

carry　dead　bodies。〃



　〃All　right；〃　replies　one　of　the　hands；　half　tipsy；　〃we'll　do　it　as　we

did　the　2nd　　of　September。　　We'll　turn　a　penny　by　it。〃　…



Cheynard；　a　locksmith　and　machinist　at　the　mint；　is　manufacturing

daggers；　and　the　women　of　the　tribunes　are　already　supplied　with　two

hundred　of　them。〃　…



Finally；　on　the　29th　of　May；　Hébert　proposes；　in　the　Jacobin

club；＇123＇　〃to　pounce　down　on　the　Commission　of　Twelve；〃　and　another

Jacobin　declares　that　〃those　who　have　usu