the origins of contemporary france-3-第2章

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proclaim　it　untiringly　in　the　political　clubs；　in　the　newspapers；　and

in　the　assembly。　The　government；　according　to　them；　whether　local　or

central；　trespasses　everywhere。　Why；　after　having　overthrown　one

despotism；　should　we　install　another？　　We　are　freed　from　the　yoke　of　a

privileged　aristocracy；　but　we　still　suffer　from　〃the　aristocracy　of

our　representatives。〃＇4＇　　Already　at　Paris；　〃the　population　is

nothing；　while　the　municipality　is　everything〃。　It　encroaches　on　our

imprescriptible　rights　in　refusing　to　let　a　district　revoke　at　will

the　five　members　elected　to　represent　it　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　in

passing　ordinances　without　obtaining　the　approval　of　voters；　in

preventing　citizens　from　assembling　where　they　please；　in　interrupting

the　out…door　meetings　of　the　clubs　in　the　Palais　Royal　where

〃Patriots　are　driven　away　be　the　patrol。〃　　　Mayor　Bailly；　〃who　keeps

liveried　servants；　who　gives　himself　a　salary　of　110；000　livres；〃　who

distributes　captains'　commissions；　who　forces　peddlers　to　wear

metallic　badges；　and　who　compels　newspapers　to　have　signatures　to

their　articles　is　not　only　a　tyrant；　but　a　crook；　thief　and　〃guilty　of

lése…nation。〃　　　Worse　are　the　abuses　of　the　National　Assembly。　To

swear　fidelity　to　the　constitution；　as　this　body　has　just　done；　to

impose　its　work　on　us；　forcing　us　to　take　a　similar　oath；　disregarding

our　superior　rights　to　veto　or　ratify　their　decisions；＇5＇　is　to

〃slight　and　scorn　our　sovereignty〃。　By　substituting　the　will　of　1200

individuals　for　that　of　the　people；　　〃our　representatives　have　failed

to　treat　us　with　respect。〃　　　This　is　not　the　first　time；　and　it　is　not

to　be　the　last。　Often　do　they　exceed　their　mandate；　they　disarm；

mutilate；　and　gag　their　legitimate　sovereign　and　they　pass　decrees

against　the　people　in　the　people's　name。　Such　is　their　martial　law；

specially　devised　for　〃suppressing　the　uprising　of　citizens〃；　that　is

to　say；　the　only　means　left　to　us　against　conspirators；　monopolists；

and　traitors。　Such　a　decree　against　publishing　any　kind　of　joint

placard　or　petition；　is　a　decree　〃null　and　void；〃　and　〃constitutes　a

most　flagrant　attack　on　the　nation's　rights。〃＇6＇　Especially　is　the

electoral　law　one　of　these；　a　law　which；　requiring　a　small

qualification　tax　for　electors　and　a　larger　one　for　those　who　are

eligible；　〃consecrates　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。〃　　The　poor；　who　are

excluded　by　the　decree；　must　regard　it　as　invalid；　register　themselves

as　they　please　and　vote　without　scruple；　because　natural　law　has

precedence　over　written　law。　It　would　simply　be　〃fair　reprisal〃　if；　at

the　end　of　the　session；　the　millions　of　citizens　lately　deprived　of

their　vote　unjustly；　should　seize　the　usurping　majority　by　the　threat

and　tell　them：



〃You　cut　us　off　from　society　in　your　chamber；　because　you　are　the

strongest　there；　we；　in　our　turn；　cut　you　off　from　the　living　society；

because　we　are　strongest　in　the　street。　You　have　killed　us　civilly　…

we　kill　you　physically。〃



Accordingly；　from　this　point　of　view；　all　riots　are　legitimate。

Robespierre　from　the　rostrum＇7＇　excuses　jacqueries；　refuses　to　call

castle…burners　brigands；　and　justifies　the　insurgents　of　Soissons；

Nancy；　Avignon；　and　the　colonies。　Desmoulins；　alluding　to　two　men　hung

at　Douai；　states　that　it　was　done　by　the　people　and　soldiers　combined；

and　declares　that：　　〃Henceforth；　　I　have　no　hesitation　in　saying　it

　they　have　legitimated　the　insurrection；〃　they　were　guilty；　and　it

was　well　to　hang　them。＇8＇　　Not　only　do　the　party　leaders　excuse

assassinations；　but　they　provoke　them。　Desmoulins；　〃attorney…general

of　the　Lantern；　insists　on　each　of　the　83　departments　being　threatened

with　at　least　one　lamppost　hanging。〃　（This　sobriquet　is　bestowed　on

Desmoulins　on　account　of　his　advocacy　of　street　executions；　the

victims　of　revolutionary　passions　being　often　hung　at　the　nearest

lanterne；　or　street　lamp；　at　that　time　in　Paris　suspended　across　the

street　by　ropes　or　chains。　…　（Tr。））　Meanwhile　Marat；　in　the　name　of

principle；　constantly　sounds　the　alarm　in　his　journal：



　〃When　public　safety　is　in　peril；　the　people　must　take　power　out　of

the　hands　of　those　whom　it　is　entrusted　。　。　。　Put　that　Austrian　woman

and　her　brother…in…law　in　prison　。　。　。　Seize　the　ministers　and　their

clerks　and　put　them　in　irons　。　。　。　Make　sure　of　the　mayor　and　his

lieutenants；　keep　the　general　in　sight；　and　arrests　his　staff。　。　。　The

heir　to　the　throne　has　no　rights　to　a　dinner　while　you　want　bread。

Organize　bodies　of　armed　men。　March　to　the　National　Assembly　and

demand　food　at　once；　supplied　to　you　out　of　the　national　stocks。　。　。

Demand　that　the　nation's　poor　have　a　future　secured　to　them　out　of　the

national　contribution。　If　you　are　refused　join　the　army；　take　the

land；　as　well　as　gold　which　the　rascals　who　want　to　force　you　to　come

to　terms　by　hunger　have　buried　and　share　it　amongst　you。　Off　with　the

heads　of　the　ministers　and　their　underlings；　for　now　is　the　time；　that

of　Lafayette　and　of　every　rascal　on　his　staff；　and　of　every

unpatriotic　battalion　officer；　including　Bailly　and　those　municipal

reactionaries　…　all　the　traitors　in　the　National　Assembly！〃



　Marat；　indeed；　still　passes　for　a　furious　ranter　among　people　of　some

intelligence。　　But　for　all　that；　this　is　the　sum　and　substance　of　his

theory：　It　installs　in　the　political　establishment；　over　the　heads　of

delegated；　regular；　and　legal　powers　an　anonymous；　imbecile；　and

terrific　power　whose　decisions　are　absolute；　whose　projects　are

constantly　adopted；　and　whose　intervention　is　sanguinary。　This　power

is　that　of　the　crowd；　of　a　ferocious；　suspicious　sultan；　who；

appointing　his　viziers；　keeps　his　hands　free　to　direct　them　and　his

scimitar　ready　sharpened　to　cut　of　their　heads。



II。　　The　Jacobins。　…



Formation　of　the　Jacobins。　…　The　common　human　elements　of　his

character。　…　Conceit　and　dogmatism　are　sensitive　and　rebellious　in

every　community。　…　How　kept　down　in　all　well…founded　societies。　…

Their　development　in　the　new　order　of　things。　…Effect　of　milieu　on

imagination　and　ambitions。　…　The　stimulants　of　Utopianism；　abuses　of

speech；　and　derangement　of　ideas。　…　Changes　in　office；　interests

playing　upon　and　perverted　feeling。



That　a　speculator　in　his　closet　should　have　concocted　such　a　theory　is

comprehensible；　paper　will　take　all　that　is　put　upon　it；　while

abstract　beings；　the　hollow　simulacra　and　philosophic　puppets　he

concocts；　are　adapted　to　every　sort　of　combination。　…　That　a　lunatic

in　his　cell　should　adopt　and　preach　this　theory　is　also

comprehensible；　he　is　beset　with　phantoms　and　lives　outside　the　actual

world；　and；　moreover　in　this　ever…agitated　democracy　he　is　the　eternal

informer　and　instigator　of　every　riot　and　murder　that　takes　place；　he

it　is　who　under　the　name　of　　〃the　people's　friend〃　becomes　the　arbiter

of　lives　and　the　veritable　sovereign。　　That　a　people　borne　down　with

taxes；　wretched　and　starving；　indoctrinated　by　public　speakers　and

sophists；　should　have　welcomed　this　theory　and　acted　under　it　is　again

comprehensible；　necessity　knows　no　law；　and　where　the　is　oppression；

that　doctrine　is　true　which　serves　to　throw　oppression　off。



But　that　public　men；　legislators　and　statesmen；　with；　at　last；

ministers　and　heads　of　the　government；　should　have　made　this　theory

their　own；



*　that　they　should　have　more　fondly　clung　to　it　as　it　became　more

destructive；



*　that；　daily　for　three　years　they　should　have　seen　social　order

crumbling　away　piecemeal　under　its　blows　and　not　have　recognized　it　as

the　instrument　of　such　vast　ruin；



*　that；　in　the　light　of　the　most　disastrous　experience；　instead　of

regarding　it　as　a　curse　they　should　have　glorified　it　as　a　boon；



*　that　many　of　them　…　an　entire　party；　almost　all　of　the　Assembly　…

should　have　venerated　it　as　a　religious　dogma　and　carried　it　to

extremes　with　enthusiasm　and　rigor　of　faith；



*　that；　driven　by　it　into　a　narrow　strait；　ever　getting　narrower　and

narrower；　they　sho