the origins of contemporary france-3-第33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！



clergy；　it　withholds　bread；　the　small　pension　allowed　them　for　food；

which　is　the　ransom　of　their　confiscated　possessions；＇17＇　it　declares

them　〃suspected　of　revolt　against　the　law　and　of　bad　intentions

against　the　country；〃　it　subjects　them　to　special　surveillance；　it

authorizes　their　expulsion　without　trial　by　local　rulers　in　case　of

disturbances；　it　decrees　that　in　such　cases　they　shall　be

banished。＇18＇　　It　suppresses　〃all　secular　congregations　of　men　and

women　ecclesiastic　or　laic；　even　those　wholly　devoted　to　hospital

service　will　take　away　from　600；000　children　the　means　of　learning　to

read　and　write。〃＇19＇　　It　lays　injunctions　on　their　dress；　it　places

episcopal　palaces　in　the　market　for　sale；　also　the　buildings　still

occupied　by　monks　and　nuns。＇20＇　It　welcomes　with　rounds　of　applause　a

married　priest　who　introduces　his　wife　to　the　Assembly。　　Not　only　is

the　Assembly　destructive　but　it　is　insulting；　the　authors　of　each

decree　passed　by　it　add　to　its　thunderbolt　the　rattling　hail　of　their

own　abuse　and　slander。



　〃Children；〃　says　a　deputy；　〃have　the　poison　of　aristocracy　and

fanaticism　injected　into　them　by　the　congregations。〃＇21＇



〃Purge　the　rural　districts　of　the　vermin　which　is　devouring　them！〃　…

〃Everybody　knows；〃　says　Isnard；　〃that　the　priest　is　as　cowardly　as　he

is　vindictive。　。　。　　Let　these　pestiferous　fellows　be　sent　back　to

Roman　and　Italian　lazarettos　。　。　　What　religion　is　that　which；　in　its

nature；　is　unsocial　and　rebellious　in　principle？〃



Whether　unsworn；　whether　immigrants　actually　or　in　feeling；　〃large

proprietors；　rich　merchants；　false　conservatives；〃＇22＇　are　all

outspoken　conspirators　or　concealed　enemies。　All　public　disasters　are

imputed　to　them。　〃The　cause　of　the　troubles；〃　says　Brissot；＇23＇　〃which

lay　waste　the　colonies；　is　the　infernal　vanity　of　the　whites　who　have

three　times　violated　an　engagement　which　they　have　three　times　sworn

to　maintain。〃　Scarcity　of　work　and　short　crops　are　accounted　for

through　their　cunning　malevolence。



　〃A　large　number　of　rich　men；　〃says　Fran？ois　de　Nantes；＇24＇　〃allow

their　property　to　run　down　and　their　fields　to　lie　fallow；　so　as　to

enjoy　seeing　the　suffering　of　the　people。〃



France　is　divided　into　two　parties；　on　the　one　hand；　the　aristocracy

to　which　is　attributed　every　vice；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　people

on　whom　is　conferred　every　virtue。＇25＇



〃The　defense　of　liberty；〃　says　Lamarque；＇26＇　〃is　basely　abandoned

every　day　by　the　rich　and　by　the　former　nobility；　who　put　on　the　mask

of　patriotism　only　to　cheat　us。　It　is　not　in　this　class；　but　only　in

that　of　citizens　who　are　disdainfully　called　the　people；　that　we　find

pure　beings；　those　ardent　souls　really　worthy　of　liberty。〃　　One　step

more　and　everything　will　be　permitted　to　the　virtuous　against　the

wicked；　if　misfortune　befalls　the　aristocrats　so　much　the　worse　for

them。　　Those　officers　who　are　stoned；　M。　de　la　Jaille　and　others；

〃wouldn't　they　do　better　not　to　deserve　being　sacrificed　to　popular

fury？〃＇27＇　Isnard　exclaims　in　the　tribune；　〃it　is　the　long…continued

immunity　enjoyed　by　criminals　which　has　rendered　the　people

executioners。　Yes；　an　angry　people；　like　an　angry　God；　is　only　too

often　the　terrible　supplement　of　silent　laws。〃＇28＇　　In　other　words

crimes　are　justified　and　assassinations　still　provoked　against　those

who　have　been　assassinated　for　the　past　two　years。



By　a　forced　conclusion；　if　the　victims　are　criminals；　their

executioners　are　honest；　and　the　Assembly；　which　rigorously　proceeds

against　the　former；　reserves　all　its　indulgence　for　the　latter。　It

reinstates　the　numerous　deserters　who　abandoned　their　flags　previous

to　the　1st　of　January；　1789；＇29＇　it　allows　them　three　sous　per　league

mileage；　and　brings　them　back　to　their　homes　or　to　their　regiments　to

become；　along　with　their　brethren　whose　desertion　is　more　recent；

either　leaders　or　recruits　for　the　mob。　It　releases　from　the　galleys

the　forty　Swiss　guards　of　Chateauroux　whom　their　own　cantons　desired

to　have　kept　there；　it　permits　these　〃'martyrs　to　Liberty　〃　to

promenade　the　streets　of　Paris　in　a　triumphal　car；＇30＇　it　admits　them

to　the　bar　of　the　house；　and；　taking　a　formal　vote　on　it；　extends　to

them　the　honors　of　the　session。＇31＇　Finally；　as　if　it　were　their

special　business　to　let　loose　on　the　public　the　most　ferocious　and

foulest　of　the　rabble；　it　amnesties　Jourdan；　Mainvielle；　Duprat；　and

Raphel；　fugitive　convicts；　jail…birds；　the　condottieri　of　all　lands

assuming　the　title　of　〃the　brave　brigands　of　Avignon；〃　and　who；　for

eighteen　months；　have　pillaged　and　plundered　the　Comtat＇32＇；　it　stops

the　trial；　almost　over；　of　the　Glacière　butchers；　it　tolerates　the

return　of　these　as　victors；＇33＇　and　their　installation　by　their　own

act　in　the　places　of　the　fugitive　magistrates；　allowing　Avignon　to　be

treated　as　a　conquered　city；　and；　henceforth；　to　become　their　prey　and

their　booty。　This　is　a　willful　restoration　of　the　vermin　to　the　social

body；　and；　in　this　feverish　body；　nothing　is　overlooked　that　will

increase　the　fever。　The　most　anarchical　and　deleterious　maxims

emanate；　like　miasma；　from　the　Assembly　benches。　The　reduction　of

things　to　an　absolute　level　is　adopted　as　a　principle；　〃equality　of

rights；〃　says　Lamarque；＇34＇　〃is　to　be　maintained　only　by　tending

steadily　to　an　equality　of　fortunes；〃　this　theory　is　practically

applied　on　all　sides　since　the　proletariat　is　pillaging　all　who　own

property。　　〃Let　the　communal　possessions　be　partitioned　among　the

citizens　of　the　surrounding　villages；〃　says　Fran？ois　de　Nantes；　〃in　an

inverse　ratio　to　their　fortunes；　and　let　him　who　has　the　least

inheritance　take　the　largest　share　in　the　divisions。〃＇35＇　Conceive　the

effect　of　this　motion　read　at　evening　to　peasants　who　are　at　this　very

moment　claiming　their　lord's　forest　for　their　commune。　M。　Corneille

prohibits　any　tax　to　be　levied　for　the　public　treasury　on　the　wages　of

manual　labor；　because　nature；　and　not　society；　gives　us　the　〃right　to

live。〃＇36＇　On　the　other　hand；　he　confers　on　the　public　treasury　the

right　of　taking　the　whole　of　an　income；　because　it　is　society；　and　not

nature；　which　institutes　public　funds；　hence；　according　to　him；　the

poor　majority　must　be　relieved　of　all　taxation；　and　all　taxes　must

fall　on　the　rich　minority。　The　system　is　well…timed　and　the　argument

apt　for　convincing　indigent　or　straitened　tax…payers；　namely；　the

refractory　majority；　that　its　taxes　are　just；　and　that　it　should　not

refuse　to　be　taxed。　…



〃Under　the　reign　of　liberty；〃　says　President　Daverhoult；＇37＇　〃the

people　have　the　right　to　insist　not　merely　on　subsistence；　but　again

on　plenty　and　happiness。〃＇38＇



Accordingly；　being　in　a　state　of　poverty　they　have　been　betrayed。　

〃Elevated　to　the　height　achieved　by　the　French　people；〃　says　another

president；　〃it　looks　down　upon　the　tempests　under　its　feet。〃＇39＇　　The

tempest　is　at　hand　and　bursts　over　its　head。　War；　like　a　black　cloud；

rises　above　the　horizon；　overspreads　the　sky；　thunders　and　wraps

France　filled　with　explosive　materials　in　a　circle　of　lightening；　and

it　is　the　Assembly　which；　through　the　greatest　of　its　mistakes；　draws

down　the　bolt　on　the　nation's　head。









III。



War。　…　…Disposition　of　foreign　powers。　…　…　The　King's　dislikes。　

Provocation　of　the　Girondins。　　Dates　and　causes　of　the　rupture。



It　might　have　been　turned　aside　with　a　little　prudence。　Two　principal

grievances　were　alleged；　one　by　France　and　the　other　by　the　Empire。　

On　the　one　hand；　and　very　justly；　France　complained　of　the　gathering

of　émigré's；　which　the　Emperor　and　Electors　tolerated　against　it　on

the　frontier。　　In　the　first　place；　however；　a　few　thousand　gentlemen；

without　troops　or　stores；　and　nearly　without　money；＇40＇　were　hardly　to

be　feared；　and；　besides　this；　long　before　the　decisive　hour　came　these

troops　were　dispersed；　at　once　by　the　Emperor　in　his　own　dominions；

and；　fifteen　days　afterwards；　by　the　Elector　of　Trèves　in　his

electorate。＇4