the origins of contemporary france-3-第22章

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a　curé　died　after　being　stabbed　six　times。　　A　warning　for　priests

and　for　gentlemen：　they　had　better　not　vote；　and　the　same　good　advice

may　be　given　to　dealers　in　grain；　to　land…owners；　and　every　other

suspected　person。　　For　this　is　the　day　on　which　the　people　recover

their　sovereignty；　the　violent　believe　that　they　have　the　right　to　do

exactly　what　suits　them；　nothing　being　more　natural　than　to　exclude

candidates　in　advance　who　are　distrusted；　or　electors　who　do　not　vote

as　they　ought　to。　　At　Villeneuve…St。…Georges；　near　Paris；＇24＇　a

barrister；　a　man　of　austere　and　energetic　character；　is　about　to　be

elected　judge　by　the　district　electors；　the　proletariat；　however；

mistrust　a　judge　likely　to　condemn　marauders；　and　forty　or　fifty

vagabonds　collect　together　under　the　windows　and　cry　out：　〃We　don't

want　him　elected。〃　The　curé　of　Crosne；　president　of　the　electoral

assembly；　informs　them　in　vain　that　the　assembled　electors　represent

90　communes；　nearly　100；000　inhabitants；　and　that　〃40　persons　should

not　prevail　against　100；000。　　Shouts　redouble　and　the　electors

renounce　their　candidate。…　At　Pau；　patriots　among　the　militia＇25＇

forcibly　release　one　of　their　imprisoned　leaders；　circulate　a　list　for

proscriptions；　attack　a　poll…teller　with　their　fists　and　afterwards

with　sabers；　until　the　proscribed　hide　themselves　away；　on　the

following　day　〃nobody　is　disposed　to　attend　the　electoral　assembly。〃　…

…　Things　are　much　worse　in　1791。　　In　the　month　of　June；　just　at　the

time　of　the　opening　of　the　primary　meetings；　the　king　has　fled　to

Varennes；　the　Revolution　seems　compromised；　civil　war　and　a　foreign

war　loom　up　on　the　horizon　like　two　ghosts；　the　National　Guard　had

everywhere　taken　up　arms；　and　the　Jacobins　were　making　the　most　of　the

universal　panic　for　their　own　advantage。　To　dispute　their　votes　is　no

longer　the　question；　it　is　not　well　to　be　visible：　among　so　many

turbulent　gatherings　a　popular　execution　is　soon　over。　The　best　thing

now　for　royalists；　constitutionalists；　conservatives　and　moderates　of

every　kind；　for　the　friends　of　law　and　of　order；　is　to　stay　at　home　

too　happy　if　they　may　be　allowed　to　remain　there；　to　which　the　armed

rabble　agrees；　on　the　condition　of　frequently　paying　them　visits。



Consider　their　situation　during　the　whole　of　the　electoral　period；　in

a　calm　district；　and　judge　of　the　rest　of　France　by　this　corner　of　it。

At　Mortagne；＇26＇　a　small　town　of　6；000　souls；　the　laudable　spirit　of

1789　still　existed　up　to　the　journey　to　Varennes。　　Among　the　forty　or

fifty　noble　families　were　a　good　many　liberals。　Here；　as　elsewhere

among　the　gentry；　the　clergy　and　the　middle　class；　the　philosophic

education　of　the　eighteenth　century　had　revived　the　old　provincial

spirit　of　initiative；　and　the　entire　upper　class　had　zealously　and

gratuitously　undertaken　the　public　duties　which　it　alone　could　perform

well。　　District　presidents；　mayors；　and　municipal　officers；　were　all

chosen　from　among　ecclesiastics　and　the　nobles；　the　three　principal

officers　of　the　National　Guard　were　chevaliers　of　St。　Louis；　while

other　grades　were　filled　by　the　leading　people　of　the　community。　　Thus

had　the　free　elections　placed　authority　in　the　hands　of　the　socially

superior；　the　new　order　of　things　resting　on　the　legitimate　hierarchy

of　conditions；　educations；　and　capacities。　…　But　for　six　months　the

club；　formed　out　of　〃a　dozen　hot…headed；　turbulent　fellows；　under　the

presidency　and　in　the　hands　of　a　certain　Rattier；　formerly　a　cook；〃

worked　upon　the　population　and　the　rural　districts。　　Immediately　on

the　receipt　of　the　news　of　the　King's　flight；　the　Jacobins　〃give　out

that　nobles　and　priests　had　supplied　him　with　money　for　his　departure；

to　bring　about　a　counter…revolution。〃　　One　family　had　given　such　an

amount；　and　another　so　much；　there　was　no　doubt　about　it；　the　precise

figures　are　given；　and　given　for　each　family　according　to　its　known

resources。　Forthwith；　〃the　principal　clubbists；　associated　with　the

dubious　part　of　the　National　Guard；〃　spread　through　the　streets　in

squads：　the　houses　of　the　nobles　and　of　other　suspected　persons　are

invaded。　All　the　arms；　〃guns；　pistols；　swords；　hunting…knives；　and

sword…canes；〃　are　carried　off。　Every　hole　and　corner　is　ransacked；

they　make　the　inmates　open；　or　they　force　open；　secretaries　and

clothes…presses　in　search　of　ammunition；　the　search　extending　〃even　to

the　ladies'　toilette…tables〃。　By　way　of　precaution　〃they　break　sticks

of　pomatum　in　two；　presuming　that　musket…balls　are　concealed　in　them；

and　they　take　away　hair…powder　under　the　pretext　that　it　is　either

colored　or　masked　gunpowder。〃　　Then；　without　disbanding；　the　troop

betakes　itself　to　the　environs　and　into　the　country；　where　it　operates

with　the　same　promptness　in　the　chateaux；　so　that　〃in　one　day　all

honest　citizens；　those　with　the　most　property　and　furniture　to

protect；　are　left　without　arms　at　the　mercy　of　the　first　robber　that

comes　along。〃　All　reputed　aristocrats　are　disarmed。　　As　such　are

considered　those　who　〃disapprove　of　the　enthusiasm　of　the　day；　or　who

do　not　attend　the　club；　or　who　harbor　any　unsworn　ecclesiastic；〃　and；

first　of　all；　〃the　officers　of　the　National　Guard　who　are　nobles；

beginning　with　the　commander　and　his　entire　staff。〃　　The　latter

allow　their　swords　to　be　taken　without　resistance；　and　with　a

forbearance　and　patriotic　spirit　of　which　their　brethren　everywhere

furnish　an　example　〃they　are　obliging　enough　to　remain　at　their　posts

so　as　not　to　disorganize　the　army；　hoping　that　this　frenzy　will　soon

come　to　an　end；〃　contenting　themselves　with　making　their　complaint　to

the　department。　　But　in　vain　the　department　orders　their　arms　to　be

restored　to　them。　　The　clubbists　refuse　to　give　them　up　so　long　as　the

king　refuses　to　accept　the　Constitution；　meanwhile　they　do　not

hesitate　to　say　that　〃at　the　very　first　gun　on　the　frontier；　they　will

cut　the　throats　of　all　the　nobles　and　unsworn　priests。〃　　After　the

royal　oath　to　the　Constitution　is　taken；　the　department　again　insists；

but　no　attention　is　paid　to　it。　　On　the　contrary；　the　National　Guard；

dragging　cannons　along　with　them；　purposely　station　themselves　before

the　mansions　of　the　unarmed　gentry；　the　ladies　of　their　families　are

followed　in　the　streets　by　urchins　who　sing　？A　IRA＇27＇　in　their　faces；

and；　in　the　final　refrain；　they　mention　them　by　name　and　promise　them

the　lantern；　　〃not　one　of　them　could　invite　a　dozen　of　his　friends　to

supper　without　incurring　the　risk　of　an　uproar。〃　　On　the　strength　of

this；　the　old　chiefs　of　the　National　Guard　resign；　and　the　Jacobins

turn　the　opportunity　to　account。　In　contempt　of　the　law　the　whole　body

of　officers　is　renewed；　and；　as　peaceable　folks　dare　not　deposit　their

votes；　the　new　staff　〃is　composed　of　maniacs；　taken　for　the　most　part；

from　the　lowest　class。〃　With　this　purged　militia　the　club　expels　nuns；

drives　off　unsworn　priests；　organizes　expeditions　in　the　neighborhood；

and　goes　so　far　as　to　purify　suspected　municipalities。＇28＇　　So　many

acts　of　violence　committed　in　town　and　country；　render　town　and

country　uninhabitable；　and　for　the　élite　of　the　propriety　owners；　or

for　well…bred　persons；　there　is　no　longer　any　asylum　but　Paris。　After

the　first　disarmament　seven　or　eight　families　take　refuge　there；　and　a

dozen　or　fifteen　more　join　them　after　a　threat　of　having　their　throats

cut；　after　the　religious　persecution；　unsworn　ecclesiastics；　the　rest

of　the　nobles；　and　countless　other　townspeople；　〃even　with　little

means；〃　betake　themselves　there　in　a　mass。　There；　at　least；　one　is

lost　in　the　crowd；　one　is　protected　by　an　incognito　against　the

outrages　of　the　commonalty；　one　can　live　there　as　a　private

individual。　　In　the　provinces　even　civil　rights　do　not　exist；　how

could　any　one　there　exercise　political　rights？　　〃All　honest　citizens

are　kept　away　from　the　primary　meetings　by　threats　or　maltreatment　。　。

。　The　electoral　battlefield　is　left　for　those　who　pay　forty…five　sous

of　taxes；　more　than　o