the origins of contemporary france-3-第124章

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a　central　and　revolutionary　executive　committee。　　These　nine　persons

are　entirely　unknown；＇135＇　all　are　obscure　subordinates；＇136＇　mere

puppets　and　manikins；　eight　days　later；　on　finishing　their

performance；　when　they　are　no　longer　needed；　they　will　be　withdrawn

behind　the　scenes。　In　the　mean　time　they　pass　for　the　mandatories　of

the　popular　sovereign；　with　full　power　in　all　directions；　because　he

has　delegated　his　omnipotence　to　them；　and　the　sole　power；　because

their　investiture　is　the　most　recent；　under　this　sanction；　they　stalk

around　somewhat　like　supernumeraries　at　the　Opera；　dressed　in　purple

and　gold；　representing　a　conclave　of　cardinals　or　the　Diet　of　the　Holy

Empire。　　Never　has　the　political　drama　degenerated　into　such　an

impudent　farce！　　On　the　31st；　at　half…past　six　in　the　morning；

Dobsen　and　his　bullies　present　themselves　at　the　council…general　of

the　Commune；　tender　their　credentials；　and　make　known　to　it　its

deposition。　The　Council；　with　edifying　complacency；　accepts　the　fiat

and　leaves　the　department。　　With　no　less　grateful　readiness　Dobsen

summons　it　back；　and　reinstates　it　in　all　its　functions；　in　the　name

of　the　people；　and　declares　that　it　merits　the　esteem　of　the

country。＇137＇　　At　the　same　time　another　demagogue；　Varlet；　performs

the　same　ceremony　with　the　Council　of　the　department；　and　both　bodies；

consecrated　by　a　new　baptism；　join　the　sixty…six　commissaries　to　share

the　dictatorship。　　What　could　be　more　legitimate？　The　Convention

would　err　in　making　any　opposition：



〃It　was　elected　merely　to　condemn　the　tyrant　and　to　frame　a

constitution；　the　sovereign　people　has　invested　it　with　no　other

power；＇138＇　accordingly；　the　other　acts；　its　warrants　of　arrest；　are

simply　usurpations　and　despotism。　Paris；　moreover；　represents　France

better　than　it　does；　for　Paris　is　〃the　extract　of　all　the　departments；

the　mirror　of　opinion；〃＇139＇　the　advance…guard　of　patriotism。

〃Remember　the　10th　of　August；＇140＇　　previous　to　that　time；　the

opinions　in　the　Republic　were　divided；　but；　scarcely　had　you　struck

the　decisive　blow　when　all　subsided　into　silence。　Have　no　fear　of　the

departments；　with　a　little　terror　and　a　few　instructions；　we　shall

turn　all　minds　in　our　favor。〃　Grumblers　persist　in　demanding　the

convocation　of　primary　assemblies。　〃Was　not　the　10th　of　August

necessary？　Did　not　the　departments　then　endorse　what　Paris　did？　They

will　do　so　this　time。　It　is　Paris　which　saved　them。〃＇141＇



Consequently；　the　new　government　places　Henriot；　a　reliable　man；　and

one　of　the　September　slaughterers；　in　full　command　of　the　armed　force；

then；　through　a　violation　by　law　declared　as　a　capital　offense；　it

orders　the　alarm　gun　to　be　fired；　then；　on　the　other　hand；　it　beats　a

general　call　to　arms；　sounds　the　tocsin　and　closes　the　barriers；　the

post　office　managers　are　put　in　arrest；　and　letters　are　intercepted

and　opened；　the　order　is　given　to　disarm　the　suspected　and　hand　their

arms　over　to　patriots；　〃forty　sous　a　day　are　allowed　to　citizens　with

small　means　while　under　arms。〃＇142＇　　Notice　is　given　without　fail　the

preceding　evening　to　the　trusty　men　of　the　quarter；　accordingly；　early

in　the　morning；　the　Committee　of　Supervision　has　already　selected　from

the　Jacobin　sections　〃the　most　needy　companies　in　order　to　arm　those

the　most　worthy　of　combating　for　liberty；〃　while　all　its　guns　are

distributed　〃to　the　good　republican　workmen。〃　＇143＇　　From　hour　to

hour　as　the　day　advances；　we　see　in　the　refractory　sections　all

authority　passing　over　to　the　side　of　force；　at　the　Finistère；　Butte…

des…Moulins；　Lombards；　Fraternité；　and　Marais＇144＇　sections；　the

encouraged　sans…culottes　obtain　the　ascendancy；　nullify　the

deliberations　of　the　moderates；　and；　in　the　afternoon；　their　delegates

go　and　take　the　oath　at　the　H？tel…de…ville。



Meanwhile　the　Commune；　dragging　behind　it　the　semblance　of　popular

unanimity；　besieges　the　Convention　with　multiplied　and　threatening

petitions。　As　on　the　27th　of　May；　the　petitioners　invade　the　hall；　and

〃mix　in　fraternally　with　the　members　of　the　'Left。〃'　Forthwith；　on　the

motion　of　Levasseur；　the　〃Mountain；〃　〃confident　of　its　place　being

well　guarded；〃　leaves　it　and　passes　over　to　the　〃Right。〃＇145＇　　Invaded

in　its　turn；　the　〃Right〃　refuses　to　join　in　the　deliberations；

Vergniaud　demands　that　〃the　Assembly　join　the　armed　force　on　the

square；　and　put　itself　under　its　protection〃；　he　and　his　friends　leave

the　hall；　and　the　decapitated　majority　falls　back　upon　its　usual

hesitating　course。　All　is　hubbub　and　uproar　around　it。　In　the　hall　the

clamors　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　the　petitioners；　and　the　galleries；　seem

like　the　constant　roar　of　a　tempest。　Outside；　twenty　or　thirty

thousand　men　will　probably　clash　in　the　streets；＇146＇　the　battalion　of

Butte…des…Moulins；　with　detachments　sent　by　neighboring　sections；　is

entrenched　in　the　Palais…Royal；　and　Henriot；　spreading　the　report　that

the　rich　sections　of　the　center　have　displayed　the　white　cockade；　send

against　it　the　sans…culottes　of　the　faubourgs　Saint…Antoine　and　Saint…

Marceau；　cannon　are　pointed　on　both　sides。　　These　loaded　cannon　must

not　be　discharged；　the　signal　of　civil　war　must　not　be　given；　it　is

simply　necessary　〃to　forestall　the　consequences　of　a　movement　which

could　be　only　disastrous　to　liberty；〃＇147＇　and　it　is　important　to

ensure　public　order。　The　majority；　accordingly；　think　that　it　is

acting　courageously　in　refusing　to　the　Commune　the　arrest　of　the

Twenty…two；　and　of　the　Ministers；　Lebrun　and　Clavière；　in　exchange　for

this　it　consents　to　suppress　its　commission　of　Twelve；　it　confirms　the

act　of　the　Commune　which　allows　forty　sous　a　day　to　the　workmen　under

arms；　it　declares　freedom　of　entry　into　its　tribunes；　and；　thanking

all　the　sections；　those　who　defended　as　well　as　those　who　attacked　it；

it　maintains　the　National　Guard　on　permanent　call；　announces　a　general

federation　for　the　10th　of　August　following；　and　goes　off　to

fraternize　with　the　battalions　in　the　PalaisRoyal；　in　battle　array

against　each　other　through　the　calumnies　of　the　Commune；　and　which；

set　right　at　the　last　moment；　now　embrace　instead　of　cutting　each

other's　throats。



This　time；　again；　the　advantage　is　on　the　side　of　the　Commune。　　Not

only　have　many　of　its　requirements　been　converted　into　decrees；　but

again；　its　revolutionary　baptism　remains　in　full　force；　its　executive

committee　is　tacitly　recognized；　the　new　government　performs　its

functions；　its　usurpations　are　endorsed；　its　general；　Henriot；　keeps

command　of　the　entire　armed　force；　and　all　its　dictatorial　measures

are　carried　out　without　let　or　hindrance。　　There　is　another　reason

why　they　should　be　maintained　and　aggravated。　　〃Your　victory　is　only

half…won；〃　writes　Hébert　in　his　Père　Duchesne；　〃all　those　bastards　of

intriguers　still　live！　〃　　　On　the　evening　of　the　31st　of　May　the

Commune　issues　warrants　of　arrest　against　the　ministers　Clavière　and

Lebrun；　and　against　Roland　and　his　wife。　　That　same　evening　and

throughout　the　following　day　and　night；　and　again　the　day　after；　the

Committees　of　Supervision　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　according　to

instructions　from　the　H？tel…de…ville＇148＇　study　the　lists　of　their

quarters；＇149＇　add　new　names　to　these；　and　send　commissaries　to　disarm

and　arrest　the　suspected。　Whoever　has　spoken　against　revolutionary

committees；　or　disapproved　of　the　assaults　of　the　31st　of　May；　or　not

openly　shown　himself　on　the　10th　of　August；　or　voted　on　the　wrong　side

in　the　old　Legislative　Assembly；　might　be　arrested。　It　is　a　general；

simultaneous　raid；　in　all　the　streets　we　see　nothing　but　people　seized

and　under　escort　sent　to　prison；　or　put　before　the　section　committee。

〃Anti…patriotic〃　journalists　are　arrested　first　of　all；　the　entire

impression　of　their　journals　being　additionally　confiscated；　and　the

journal　suppressed；　the　printing…rooms　of　Gorsas　are　sacked；　seals

placed　on　his　presses；＇150＇　and　Prudhomme　himself　is　locked　up。　All

resistance　is　overcome　in　the