the origins of contemporary france-3-第29章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



law；　but　what　he　called　a　principle；　for　instance；　a　decree　should　be

passed　confiscating　the　property　of　the　émigrés；　。　。　or　that　unsworn

priests　should　be　subject　to　special　surveillance。＇41＇　。　。　。　　In

reply；　he　was　told　that　his　principle　was　the　core　of　a　law；　　the　very

law　itself；　so　let　it　be　debated　by　referring　it　to　a　committee　to

make　a　report　on　it。　　Not　at　all　　the　matter　is　urgent；　a

committee　might　fix　the　articles　as　it　pleases；　they　are　worthless　if

the　principle　is　not　common　sense。〃　　　Through　this　expeditious　method

discussion　is　stifled。　The　Jacobins　purposely　prevent　the　Assembly

from　giving　the　matter　any　consideration。　They　count　on　its

bewilderment。　In　the　name　of　reason；　they　discard　reason　as　far　as

they　can；　and　hasten　a　vote　because　their　decrees　do　not　stand　up　to

analysis。　　At　other　times；　and　especially　on　grand　occasions；　they

compel　a　vote。　In　general；　votes　are　given　by　the　members　either

sitting　down　or　standing　up；　and；　for　the　four　hundred　deputies　of　the

〃Center；〃　subject　to　the　scolding　of　the　exasperated　galleries；　it　is

a　tolerably　hard　trial。　〃Part　of　them　do　not　arise；　or　they　rise　with

the　'Left'。〃＇42＇　　If　the　〃Right〃　happens　to　have　a　majority；　〃this　is

contested　in　bad　faith　and　a　call　of　the　house　is　demanded。〃　Now；　〃the

calls　of　the　house；　through　an　intolerable　abuse；　are　always

published；　the　Jacobins　declaring　that　it　is　well　for　the　people　to

know　their　friends　from　their　enemies。〃　The　meaning　of　this　is　that

this　list　of　the　opposition　will　soon　serve　as　a　list　of　the　outlaws；

on　which　the　timid　are　not　disposed　to　inscribe　themselves。　The　result

is　an　immediate　defection　in　the　heavy　battalions　of　the　〃Centre〃；

〃this　is　a　positive　fact；〃　says　Hua；　〃of　which　we　were　all　witnesses；

we　always　lost　a　hundred　votes　on　the　call　of　the　house。〃　　Towards

the　end　they　give　up；　and　protest　no　more；　except　by　staying　away：　on

the　14th　of　June；　when　the　abolishment　of　the　whole　system　of　feudal

credit　was　being　dealt　with；　only　the　extreme　left　was　attending；　the

rest　of　the　〃Assembly　hall　was　nearly　empty〃；　out　of　497　deputies　in

attendance；　200　had　left　the　session。＇43＇　　Encouraged　for　a　moment　by

the　appearance　of　some　possible　protection；　they　twice　exonerate

General　Lafayette；　behind　whom　they　see　an　army；＇44＇　and　brave　the

despots　of　the　Assembly；　the　clubs；　and　the　streets。　But；　for　lack　of

a　military　chief　and　base；　the　visible　majority　is　twice　obliged　to

yield；　to　keep　silent；　and　fly　or　retreat　under　the　dictatorship　of

the　victorious　faction；　which　has　strained　and　forced　the　legislative

machine　until　it　has　become　disjointed　and　broken　down。＇45＇





NOTES：



＇1＇〃Correspondence　（manuscript）　of　Baron　de　Sta？l；〃　with　his　Court　in

Sweden。　Oct。　6；　1791。



＇2＇　〃Souvenirs〃；　by　PASQUIER　（Etienne…Dennis；　duc）；　chancelier　de

France。　in　VI　volumes；　Librarie　Plon；　　Paris　1893。　…　Dumouriez；

〃Mémoires；〃　III。　ch。　V：　〃The　Jacobin　party；　having　branches　all　over

the　country；　used　its　provincial　clubs　to　control　the　elections。　Every

crackbrain；　every　seditious　scribbler；　all　the　agitators　were　elected

。　。　。　very　few　enlightened　or　prudent　men；　and　still　fewer　of　the

nobles；　were　chosen。〃　Moniteur；　XII。　199　（meeting　of　April　23；

1792）。　Speech　M。　Lecointe…Puyravaux。　〃We　need　not　dissimulate；　indeed；

we　are　proud　to　say；　that　this　legislature　is　composed　of　persons　who

are　not　rich。〃



＇3＇　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　521。　〃The　excitement　in　the

electoral　assemblages　was　very　great；　the　aristocrats　and　large　land…

owners　abstained　from　coming　there。〃　　Correspondance　de　Mirabeau　et

du　Comte　de　la　Mark；　III。　246；　Oct。10；　1791。　〃Nineteen　twentieths　of

this　legislature　have　no　other　transportation　（turn…out）　than　galoshes

and　umbrellas。　It　has　been　estimated；　that　all　these　deputies　put

together　do　not　possess　300；000　livres　solid　income。　The　majority　of

the　members　of　this　Assembly　have　received　no　education　whatever。〃



＇4＇　They　rank　as　Maréchaux　de　camp；　a　grade　corresponding　to　that　of

brigadier…general。　They　are　Dupuy…Montbrun　（deceased　in　March；　1792）；

Descrots…d'Estrée；　a　weak　and　worn　old　man　whom　his　children　forced

into　the　Legislative　Assembly；　and；　lastly；　Mathieu　Dumas；　a

conservative；　and　the　only　prominent　one。



＇5＇　〃Correspondance　du　Baron　de　Sta？l；〃　Jan。19；　1792。　　Gouverneur

Morris　（II。162；　Feb。　4；　1792）　writes　to　Washington　that　M。　de

Warville；　on　the　diplomatic　committee；　proposed　to　cede　Dunkirk　and

Calais　to　England；　as　a　pledge　of　fidelity　by　France；　in　any

engagement　which　she　might　enter　into。　You　can　judge；　by　this；　of　the

wisdom　and　virtue　of　the　faction　to　which　he　belongs　　Buchez　et

Roux；　XXX　89　（defense　of　　Brissot；　Jan。　5；　1793）　〃Brissot；　like　all

noisy；　reckless；　ambitious　men；　started　in　full　blast　with　the

strangest　paradoxes。　In　1780。　in　his　'Recherches　philosophiques　sur　le

droit　de　propriété；'　he　wrote　as　follows：　'If　40　crowns　suffice　to

maintain　existence；　the　possession　of　200；000　crowns　is　plainly　unjust

and　a　robbery　　。　。　。　　Exclusive　ownership　is　a　veritable　crime　against

nature　。　。　。　The　punishment　of　robbery　in　our　institutions　is　an　act

of　virtue　which　nature　herself　commands。'〃



＇6＇　Moniteur；　speech　by　Cambon；　sittings　of　Feb。　2　and　April　20；　1792。



＇7＇　Ibid。；　（sitting　of　April　3）。　Speech　by　M。　Cailliasson。　The

property　belonging　to　the　nation；　sold　and　to　be　sold；　is　valued　at

2；195　millions；　while　the　assignats　already　issued　amount　to　2；100

millions。　　Cf。　Mercure　de　France；　Dec。　17；　1791；　p。201；　Jan。28；

1792；　p。　215；　May　19；　1792；　p。　205。　　Dumouriez；　〃Mémoires；〃　III。

296；　and　339；　340；　344；　346。　…　〃Cambon；　a　raving　lunatic；　without

education；　humane　principle；　or　integrity　（public）　a　meddler；　an

ignoramus；　and　very　giddy。　He　tells　me　that　one　resource　remained　to

him；　which　is；　to　seize　all　the　coin　in　Belgium；　all　the　plate

belonging　to　the　churches；　and　all　the　cash　deposits　。　。　。　that；　on

ruining　the　Belgians；　on　reducing　them　to　the　same　state　of　　suffering

as　the　French；　they　would　necessarily　share　their　fate　with　them；　that

they　would　then　be　admitted　members　of　the　Republic；　with　the　prospect

of　always　making　headway；　through　the　same　line　of　policy；　that　the

decree　of　Dec。　15；　1792；　admirably　favored　this　and；　because　it　tended

to　a　complete　disorganization；　and　that　the　luckiest　thing　that　could

happen　to　France　was　to　disorganize　all　its　neighbors　and　reduce　them

to　the　same　state　of　anarchy。〃　（This　conversation　between　Cambon　and

Dumouriez　occurs　in　the　middle　of　January；　1793。）　…　Moniteur；　XIV。　758

（sitting　of　Dec。　15；　1792）。　Report　by　Cambon。



＇8＇　Chronique　de　Paris；　Sept。　4；　1792。　〃It　is　a　sad　and　terrible

situation　which　forces　a　people；　naturally　amiable　and　generous；　to

take　such　vengeance！　〃　…　Cf。　the　very　acute　article；　by　St。　Beuve；　on

Condorcet；　in　〃Causeries　du　Lundi；〃　　Hua　（a　colleague　of　Condorcet；

in　the　Legislative　Assembly）；　〃Mémoires；〃　89。　〃Condorcet；　in　his

journal；　regularly　falsified　things；　with　an　audacity　which　is

unparelleled。　The　opinions　of　the　'Right'　were　so　mutilated　and

travestied　the　next　day　in　his　journal；　that　we；　who　had　uttered　them；

could　scarcely　recognise　them。　On　complaining　of　this　to　him　and　on

charging　him　with　perfidy；　the　philosopher　only　smiled。〃



＇9＇　Malouet；　II。　215。　　Dumouriez；　III。　ch。　V。　〃They　were　elected　to

represent　the　nation　to　defend；　they　say；　its　interests　against　a

perfidious　court。〃



＇10＇　Moniteur；　X。　223　（session　of　Oct。　26；　1791）。　Speech　by　M。

Fran？ois　Duval。　　Grandiloquence　is　the　order　of　the　day　at　the　very

first　meeting。　　On　the　1st　of　October；　1791；　twelve　old　men；　marching

in　procession；　go　out　to　fetch　the　constitutional　act。　〃M。　Camus；

keeper　of　the　records；　with　a　composed　air　and　downcast　eyes；　enters

with　measured　steps；〃　bearing　in　both　hands　the　sacred　document　which

he　holds　against　his　breast；　while　the　deputies　stand　up　and　bare

their　heads。　〃People　of　France；〃　says　an　orato