the origins of contemporary france-3-第23章

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

of　taxes；　more　than　one…half　of　them　being　registered　on　the　poor

list。〃　…　Thus　the　elections　are　decided　beforehand！　The　former　cook　is

the　one　who　authorizes　or　creates　candidatures；　and　on　the　election　of

the　department　deputies　at　the　county　town；　the　electors　elected　are；

like　himself；　true　Jacobins。＇29＇





V。



Intimidation　and　withdrawal　of　the　Conservatives。　　Popular　outbreaks

in　Burgundy；　Lyonnais；　Provence；　and　the　large　cities。　　Electoral

proceedings　of　the　Jacobins；　examples　at　Aix；　Dax；　and　Montpellier。　

Agitators　go　unpunishes　　Denunciations　by　name。　　Manoeuvres　with

the　peasantry。　　General　tactics　of　the　Jacobins。



Such　is　the　pressure　under　which　voting　takes　place　in　France　during

the　summer　and　fall　of　1791。　　Domiciliary　visits＇30＇　and　disarmament

everywhere　force　nobles　and　ecclesiastics；　landed　proprietors　and

people　of　culture；　to　abandon　their　homes；　to　seek　refuge　in　the　large

towns　and　to　emigrate；＇31＇　or；　at　least；　confine　themselves　strictly

to　private　life；　to　abstain　from　all　propaganda；　from　every

candidature；　and　from　all　voting。　　It　would　be　madness　to　be　seen　in

so　many　cantons　where　searches　end　in　a　riot；　　in　Burgundy　and　the

Lyonnais；　where　castles　are　sacked；　where　aged　gentlemen　are　mauled

and　left　for　dead；　where　M。　de　Guillin　has　just　been　assassinated　and

cut　to　pieces；　at　Marseilles；　where　conservative　party　leaders　are

imprisoned；　where　a　regiment　of　Swiss　guards　under　arms　scarcely

suffices　to　enforce　the　verdict　of　the　court　which　sets　them　at

liberty；　where；　if　any　indiscreet　person　opposes　Jacobin　resolutions

his　mouth　is　closed　by　being　notified　that　he　will　be　buried　alive；　at

Toulon；　where　the　Jacobins　shoot　down　all　conservatives　and　the

regular　troops；　where　M。　de　Beaucaire；　captain　in　the　navy；　is　killed

by　a　shot　in　the　back；　where　the　club；　supported　by　the　needy；　by

sailors；　by　navvies；　and　〃vagabond　peddlers；〃　maintains　a　dictatorship

by　right　of　conquest；　at　Brest；　at　Tulle；　at　Cahors；　where　at　this

very　moment　gentlemen　and　officers　are　massacred　in　the　street。　It　is

not　surprising　that　honest　people　turn　away　from　the　ballot…box　as

from　a　center　of　cut…throats。　　Nevertheless；　let　them　come　if　they

like；　it　will　be　easy　to　get　rid　of　them。　At　Aix；　the　assessor　whose

duty　it　is　to　read　the　electors'　names　is　informed　that　〃the　names

should　be　called　out　by　an　unsullied　mouth；　that；　being　an　aristocrat

and　fanatical；　he　could　neither　speak　nor　vote；〃　and；　without　further

ceremony；　they　put　him　out　of　the　room。＇32＇　　　The　process　is　an

admirable　one　for　converting　a　minority　into　a　majority　and　yet　here

is　another；　still　more　effective。　　At　Dax；　the　Feuillants；　taking

the　title　of　〃Friends　of　the　French　Constitution；〃　have　split　up　with

the　Jacobins；＇33＇　and；　moreover；　they　insist　on　excluding　from　the

National　Guard　〃foreigners　without　property　or　position；〃　the　passive

citizens　who　are　admitted　into　it　in　spite　of　the　law；　who　usurp　the

right　of　voting　and　who　〃daily　affront　tranquil　inhabitants。〃

Consequently；　on　election　day；　in　the　church　where　the　primary　meeting

is　held；　two　of　the　Feuillants；　Laurède；　formerly　collector　of　the

vingtièmes；；　and　Brunache；　a　glazier；　propose　to　exclude　an　intruder；

a　servant　on　wages。　The　Jacobins　at　once　rush　forward。　Laurède　is

pressed　back　on　the　holy…water　basin　and　wounded　on　the　head；　on

trying　to　escape　he　is　seized　by　the　hair；　thrown　down；　pierced　in　the

arm　with　a　bayonet；　put　in　prison；　and　Brunache　along　with　him。　　Eight

days　afterwards；　at　the　second　meeting　none　are　present　but　Jacobins；

naturally；　〃they　are　all　elected〃。　They　form　the　new　municipality；

which；　notwithstanding　the　orders　of　the　department；　not　only　refuses

to　liberate　the　two　prisoners；　but　throws　them　into　a　dungeon。　　　At

Montpellier；　the　delay　in　the　operation　is　greater；　but　it　is　only　the

more　complete。　The　votes　are　deposited；　the　ballot…boxes　closed　and

sealed　up　and　the　conservatives　obtain　a　majority。　Thereupon　the

Jacobin　club；　with　the　Society　of　　the　〃iron…clubs；〃　calling　itself

the　Executive　power；　betake　themselves　in　force　to　the　sectional

meetings；　burn　one　of　the　ballots；　use　firearms　and　kill　two　men。　To

restore　order　the　municipality　stations　each　company　of　the　National

Guard　at　its　captain's　door；　The　moderates　among　them　naturally　obey

orders；　but　the　violent　party　do　not。　They　overrun　the　town；　numbering

about　2；000　inhabitants；　enter　the　houses；　kill　three　men　in　the

street　or　in　their　domiciles；　and　force　the　administrative　body　to

suspend　its　electoral　assemblies。　　In　addition　to　this　they　require

the　disarmament　〃of　the　aristocrats；〃　and　this　not　being　done　soon

enough；　they　kill　an　artisan　who　is　walking　in　the　street　with　his

mother；　cut　off　his　head；　bear　it　aloft　in　triumph；　and　suspend　it　in

front　of　his　dwelling。　The　authorities　are　now　convinced　and

accordingly　decree　a　disarmament；　and　the　victors　parade　the　streets

in　a　body。　　In　exuberance　or　as　a　precaution；　they　fire；　as　they　pass

along；　at　the　windows　of　suspected　houses　and　happen　to　kill　an

additional　man　and　woman。　　During　the　three　following　days　six　hundred

families　emigrate；　while　the　authorities　report　that　everything　is

going　on　well；　and　that　order　is　restored。　〃The　elections；〃　they　say；

〃are　now　proceeding　in　the　quietest　manner　since　the　ill…intentioned

voluntarily　keeping　away　from　them；　a　large　number　having　left　the

town。　〃＇34＇　　A　void　is　created　around　the　ballot…box　and　this　is

called　the　unanimity　of　voters。　　The　effect　of　such　assassinations

is　great　and　only　a　few　are　required；　especially　when　they　go

unpunished；　which　is　always　the　case。　　Henceforth　all　that　the

Jacobins　have　to　do　is　to　threaten；　people　no　longer　resist　them　for

they　know　that　it　costs　too　much　to　face　them　down。　They　do　not　care

to　attend　electoral　meetings　where　they　meet　insult　and　danger；　they

acknowledge　defeat　at　the　start。　　Have　not　the　Jacobins　irresistible

arguments；　without　taking　blows　into　account？　At　Paris；＇35＇　Marat　in

three　successive　numbers　of　his　paper　has　just　denounced　by　name　〃the

rascals　and　thieves〃　who　canvass　for　electoral　nominations；　not　the

nobles　and　priests　but　ordinary　citizens；　lawyers；　architects；

physicians；　jewellers；　stationers；　printers；　upholsterers　and　other

artisans；　each　name　being　given　in　full　with　the　professions；

addresses　and　one　of　the　following　qualifications；　〃hypocrite

（tartufe）；　immoral；　dishonest；　bankrupt；　informer；　usurer；　cheat；〃　not

to　mention　others　that　I　cannot　write　down。　It　must　be　noted　that　this

slanderous　list　may　become　a　proscriptive　list；　and　that　in　every　town

and　village　in　France　similar　lists　are　constantly　drawn　up　and

circulated　by　the　local　dub；　which　enables　us　to　judge　whether　the

struggle　between　it　and　its　adversaries　is　a　fair　one。…As　to　rural

electors；　it　has　suitable　means　for　persuading　them；　especially　in　the

innumerable　cantons　ravaged　or　threatened　by　the　jacqueries；　（country…

riots）　　or；　for　example；　in　Corrèze；　where　〃the　whole　department　is

smattered　with　insurrections　and　devastation's；　and　where　nobody　talks

of　anything　but　of　hanging　the　officers　who　serve　papers。〃＇36＇

Through…out　the　electoral　operations　the　sittings　of　the　dub　are

permanent；　〃its　electors　are　incessantly　summoned　to　its　meetings；　〃

at　each　of　these　〃the　main　question　is　the　destruction　of　fish…ponds

and　rentals；　their　principal　speakers　summing　it　all　up　by　saying　that

none　ought　to　be　paid。〃　　The　majority　of　electors；　composed　of

rustics；　are　found　to　be　sensitive　to　speeches　like　this；　all　its

candidates　are　obliged　to　express　themselves　against　fishponds　and

rentals；　its　deputies　and　the　public　prosecuting　attorney　are

nominated　on　this　profession　of　faith；　in　other　words；　to　be　elected；

the　Jacobins　promise　to　greedy　tenants　the　incomes　and　property　of

their　owners。　　We　already　see　in　the　procee