the origins of contemporary france-3-第13章

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

who　intended　to　interfere　in　the　trial。〃　…　They　intervene；　indeed；　and

first　against　the　plaintiff。　　M。　Etienne　is　attacked　at　the　entrance

of　the　court…room　and　nearly　knocked　down　He　is　so　maltreated　that　he

is　obliged　to　seek　shelter　in　the　guard…room。　He　is　spit　upon；　and

they　〃move　to　cut　off　his　ears。〃　　His　friends　receive　〃hundreds　of

kicks；〃　while　he　runs　away；　and　the　case　is　postponed。　　　It　is

called　up　again　several　times；　so　no　the　judges　have　to　be　restrained。

A　certain　Mandart　in　the　audience；　author　of　a　pamphlet　on　〃Popular

Sovereignty；〃　springs　to　his　feet　and；　addressing　Bailly；　mayor　of

Paris；　and　president　of　the　tribunal；　challenges　the　court。　As　usual

Bailly　yields；　attempting　to　cover　up　his　weakness　with　an　honorable

pretext：　〃Although　a　judge　can　be　challenged　only　by　the　parties　to　a

suit；　the　appeal　of　one　citizen　is　sufficient　for　me　and　I　leave　the

bench。〃　The　other　judges；　who　are　likewise　insulted　and　menaced；　yield

also；　and；　through　a　sophism　which　admirably　illustrates　the　times；

they　discover　in　the　oppression　to　which　the　plaintiff　is　subject　a

legal　device　by　which　they　can　give　a　fair　color　to　their　denial　of

justice。　M。　Etienne　having　signified　to　them　that　neither　he　nor　his

counsel　could　attend　in　court；　because　their　lives　were　in　danger；　the

court　decides　that　M。　Etienne；　〃failing　to　appear　in　person；　or　by

counsel；　is　non…suited。〃　　Victorious　shouts　at　once　proceed　from　the

two　journalists；　while　their　articles　on　the　case　disseminated

throughout　France　set　a　precedence　contained　in　the　。ruling。　　Any

Jacobin　may　after　this　with　impunity　denounce；　insult；　and　calumniate

whomsoever　he　pleases；　sheltered　as　he　is　from　the　action　of　courts；

and　held　superior　to　the　law。



Let　us　see；　on　the　other　hand；　what　liberty　they　allow　their

adversaries。　A　fortnight　before　this；　Mallet　du　Pan；　a　writer　of　great

ability；　who；　in　the　best　periodical　of　the　day；　discusses　questions

week　after　week　free　of　all　personalities；　the　most　independent；

straight…forward；　and　honorable　of　men；　the　most　eloquent　and

judicious　advocate　of　public　order　and　true　liberty；　is　waited　upon　by

a　deputation　from　the　Palais…Royal；＇26＇　consisting　of　about　a　dozen

well…dressed　individuals；　civil　enough　and　not　too　ill…disposed；　but

quite　satisfied　that　they　have　a　right　to　interfere。　The　conversation

which　ensues　shows　to　what　extent　the　current　political　creed　had

turned　peoples'　heads。



〃One　of　the　party；　addressing　me；　informed　me　that　he　and　his

associates　were　deputies　of　the　Palais…Royal　clubs；　and　that　they　had

called　to　notify　me　that　I　would　do　well　to　change　my　principles　and

stop　attacking　the　constitution；　otherwise　extreme　violence　would　be

brought　to　bear　on　me。　　I　replied　that　I　recognized　no　authority　but

the　law　and　that　of　the　courts；　the　law　is　your　master　and　mine；　and

no　respect　is　shown　to　the　constitution　by　assailing　the　freedom　of

the　press。〃





〃The　constitution　is　the　common　will；　resumed　the　spokesman。　　The　law；

is　the　authority　of　the　strongest。　　You　are　subject　to　the　strongest

and　you　ought　to　submit。　　We　notify　you　of　the　will　of　the　nation　and

that　is　the　law。'〃





Mallet　du　Pan　stated　to　them　that　he　was　not　in　favor　of　the　ancient

régime；　but　that　he　did　approve　of　royal　authority。







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　all　together；　〃　we　should　be　sorry　not　to　have　a　king。

We　respect　the　King　and　maintain　his　authority。　　But　you　are　forbidden

to　oppose　the　dominant　opinion　and　the　liberty　which　is　decreed　by　the

National　Assembly。〃







Mallet　du　Pan；　apparently；　knows　more　about　this　than　they　do；　for　he

is　a　Swiss　by　birth；　and　has　lived　under　a　republic　for　twenty　years。

But　this　does　not　concern　them。　They　persist　all　the　same；　five　or　six

talking　at　once；　misconstruing　the　sense　the　words　they　use；　and　each

contradicting　the　other　in　point　of　detail；　but　all　agreeing　to　impose

silence　on　him：





〃You　should　not　run　counter　to　the　popular　will；　for　in　doing　this　you

preach　civil　war；　bring　the　assembly's　decrees　into　contempt；　and

irritate　the　nation。〃





Evidently；　for　them；　they　constitute　the　nation；　or；　more　or　less；

they　represent　it。　Through　this　self…investiture　they　are　at　once

magistrates；　censors；　and　police；　while　the　scolded　journalist　is　only

too　glad；　in　his　case；　to　have　them　stop　at　injunctions。　　Three　days

before　this　he　is　advised　that　a　body　of　rioters　in　his　neighborhood

〃threatened　to　treat　his　house　like　that　of　M。　de　Castries；〃　in　which

everything　had　been　smashed　and　thrown　out　the　windows。　At　another

time；　apropos　of　the　suspensive　or　absolute　veto；　〃four　savage　fellows

came　to　his　domicile　to　warn　him；　showing　him　their　pistols；　that　if

he　dared　write　in　behalf　of　M。　Mounier　he　should　answer　for　it　with

his　life。〃　Thus；　from　the　outset；



〃just　as　the　nation　begins　to　enjoy　the　inestimable　right　of　free

thought　and　free　speech；　factional　tyrants　lose　no　time　in　depriving

citizens　of　these；　proclaiming　to　all　that　would　maintain　the

integrity　of　their　consciences：　Tremble；　die；　or　believe　as　we　do！〃



After　this；　to　impose　silence　on　those　who　express　what　is　offensive；

the　crowd；　the　club；　the　section；　decree　and　execute；　each　on　its　own

authority；＇27＇　searches；　arrests；　assaults；　and；　at　length；

assassinations。　　During　the　month　of　June；　1792；　〃three　decrees　of

arrest　and　fifteen　denunciations；　two　acts　of　affixing　seals；　four

civic　invasions　of　his　premises；　and　the　confiscation　of　whatever

belonged　to　him　in　France〃　is　the　experience　of　Mallet　du　Pan。　　He

passes　four　years　〃without　knowing　with　any　certainty　on　going　to　bed

whether　he　should　get　out　of　it　in　the　morning　alive　and　free。〃　Later

on；　if　he　escapes　the　guillotine　and　the　lantern；　it　is　owing　to

exile。　　On　the　10th　of　August；　Suleau；　a　conservative　journalist；　is

massacred　in　the　street。　　This　shows　how　the　party　regards　the

freedom　of　the　press。　　Other　liberties　may　be　judged　of　by　its

encroachments　on　this　domain。　　Law；　in　its　eyes；　is　null　when　it

proves　an　obstacle；　and　when　it　affords　protection　to　adversaries；

consequently　there　is　no　excess　which　it　does　not　sanction　for　itself；

and　no　right　which　it　does　not　refuse　to　others。



There　is　no　escape　from　the　tyranny　of　the　clubs。　　〃That　of　Marseilles

has　forced　the　city　officials　to　resign；＇28＇　it　has　summoned　the

municipal　body　to　appear　before　it；　it　has　ignored　the　authority　of

the　department；　and　has　insulted　the　administrators　of　the　law。

Members　of　the　Orleans　club　have　kept　the　national　Supreme　Court　under

supervision；　and　taken　part　in　its　proceedings。　Those　of　the　Caen　club

have　insulted　the　magistrates；　and　seized　and　burnt　the　records　of　the

proceedings　commenced　against　the　destroyers　of　the　statue　of　Louis

XIV。　At　Alby　they　have　forcibly　abstracted　from　the　record…office　the

papers　relating　to　an　assassin's　trial；　and　burnt　them。〃　The　club　at

Coutance　gives　the　deputies　of　its　district　to　understand　that　〃no

reflections　must　be　cast　on　the　laws　of　the　people。〃　That　of　Lyons

stops　an　artillery　train；　under　the　pretext　that　the　ministry　in

office　does　not　enjoy　the　nation's　confidence。　　Thus　does　the　club

everywhere　govern；　or　prepare　to　govern。　　On　the　one　hand；　at　the

elections；　it　sets　aside　or　supports　candidates；　it　alone　votes；　or；

at　least；　controls　the　voting。　In　short；　the　club　is　the　elective

power；　and　practically；　if　not　legally；　enjoys　the　privileges　of　a

political　aristocracy。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　assumes　to　be　a

spontaneous　police…board；　it　prepares　and　circulates　the　lists　which

designate　the　ill…disposed；　suspected；　and　lukewarm；　it　lodges

information　against　nobles　whose　sons　have　emigrated；　against　unsworn

priests　who　still　reside　in　their　former　parishes；　and　against　nuns；

〃whose　conduct　is　unconstitutional〃。　It　prompts；　directs；　and　rebukes

local　authorities；