the origins of contemporary france-3-第34章

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

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

electorate。＇41＇　　　On　the　other　hand；　according　to　treaties；　the

German　princes；　who　owned　estates　in　Alsace；　made　claims　for　the

feudal　rights　abolished　on　their　French　possessions　and　the　Diet

forbade　them　to　accept　the　offered　indemnity。　But；　as　far　as　the　Diet

is　concerned；　nothing　was　easier　nor　more　customary　than　to　let

negotiations　drag　along；　there　being　no　risk　or　inconvenience

attending　the　suit　as；　during　the　delay；　the　claimants　remained　empty…

handed。　　If；　now；　behind　the　ostensible　motives；　the　real　intentions

are　sought　for；　it　is　certain　that；　up　to　January；　1792；　the

intentions　of　Austria　were　pacific。　　The　grants　made　to　the　Comte

d'Artois；　in　the　Declaration　of　Pilnitz；　were　merely　a　court…

sprinkling　of　holy…water；　the　semblance　of　an　illusory　promise　and

subject　to　a　European　concert　of　action；　that　is　to　say；　annulled

beforehand　by　an　indefinite　postponement；　while　this　pretended　league

of　sovereigns　is　at　once　〃placed　by　the　politicians　in　the　class　of

august　comedies。＇42＇〃　　Far　from　taking　up　arms　against　〃New　France〃　in

the　name　of　old　France；　the　emperor　Leopold　and　his　prime　minister

Kaunitz；　were　delighted　to　see　the　constitution　completed　and　accepted

by　the　King；　it　〃got　them　out　of　an　embarrassing　position；〃＇43＇　　and

Prussia　as　well。　　In　the　running　of　governments；　political　advantage

is　the　great　incentive　and　both　powers　needed　all　their　forces　in

another　direction；　in　Poland。　One　for　retarding；　and　the　other　for

accelerating　the　division　of　this　country；　and　both；　when　the

partition　took　place；　to　get　enough　for　themselves　and　prevent　Russia

from　getting　too　much。　　The　sovereigns　of　Prussia　and　Austria；

accordingly；　did　not　have　any　idea　of　saving　Louis　XVI；　nor　of

conducting　the　émigrés　　back；　nor　of　conquering　French　provinces。　If

anything　was　to　be　expected　from　them　on　account　of　personal　ill…will；

there　was　no　fear　of　their　armed　intervention。　　In　France　it　is　not

the　King　who　urges　a　rupture；　he　knows　too　well　that　the　hazards　of

war　will　place　him　and　his　dependents　in　mortal　danger。　Secretly　as

well　as　publicly；　in　writing　to　the　émigrés；　his　wishes　are　to　bring

them　back　or　to　restrain　them。　　In　his　private　correspondence　he　asks

of　the　European　powers　not　physical　but　moral　aid；　the　external

support　of　a　congress　which　will　permit　moderate　men；　the　partisans　of

order；　all　owners　of　property；　to　raise　their　heads　and　rally　around

the　throne　and　the　laws　against　anarchy。　In　his　ministerial

correspondence　every　precaution　is　taken　not　to　touch　off　or　let

someone　touch　off　an　explosion。　At　the　critical　moment　of　the

discussion＇44＇　he　entreats　the　deputies；　through　M。　Delessart；　his

Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　to　weigh　their　words　and　especially　not

to　send　a　demand　containing　a　〃dead　line。〃　　He　resists；　as　far　as　his

passive　nature　allows　him；　to　the　very　last。　On　being　forced　to

declare　war　he　requires　beforehand　the　signed　advice　of　all　his

ministers。　He　does　not　utter　the　fatal　words；　until　he；　〃with　tears　in

his　eyes〃　and　in　the　most　dire　straits；　is　dragged　on　by　an　Assembly

qualifying　all　caution　as　treason　and　which　has　just　dispatched　M。

Delessart　to　appear；　under　a　capital　charge；　before　the　supreme　court

at　Orléans。



It　is　the　Assembly　then　which　launches　the　disabled　ship　on　the

roaring　abysses　of　an　unknown　sea；　without　a　rudder　and　leaking　at

every　seam。　It　alone　slips　the　cable　which　held　it　in　port　and　which

the　foreign　powers　neither　dared　nor　desired　to　sever。　Here；　again；

the　Girondists　are　the　leaders　and　hold　the　axe；　since　the　last　of

October　they　have　grasped　it　and　struck　repeated　blows。＇45＇　　　As　an

exception；　the　extreme　Jacobins；　Couthon；　Collot　d'Herbois；　Danton；

Robespierre；　do　not　side　with　them。　Robespierre；　who　at　first　proposed

to　confine　the　Emperor　〃within　the　circle　of　Popilius；〃＇46＇　fears　the

placing　of　too　great　a　power　in　the　King's　hands；　and；　growing

mistrustful；　preaches　distrust。　　But　the　great　mass　of　the　party；

led　by　clamorous　public　opinion；　impels　on　the　timid　marching　in

front。　　Of　the　many　things　of　which　knowledge　is　necessary　to　conduct

successfully　such　a　complex　and　delicate　affair；　they　know　nothing。

They　are　ignorant　about　cabinets；　courts；　populations；　treaties；

precedents；　timely　forms　and　requisite　style。　Their　guide　and

counselor　in　foreign　relations　is　Brissot　whose　pre…eminence　is　based

on　their　ignorance　and　who；　exalted　into　a　statesman；　becomes　for　a

few　months　the　most　conspicuous　figure　in　Europe。＇47＇　　To　whatever

extent　a　European　calamity　may　be　attributed　to　any　one　man；　this　one

is　to　be　attributed　to　him。　It　is　this　wretch；　born　in　a　pastry…cook's

shop；　brought　up　in　an　attorney's　office；　formerly　a　police　agent　at

150　francs　per　month；　once　in　league　with　scandal…mongers　and　black…

mailers；＇48＇　a　penny…a…liner；　busybody；　and　meddler；　who；　with　the

half…information　of　a　nomad；　scraps　of　newspaper　ideas　and　reading…

room　lore；＇49＇　added　to　his　scribblings　as　a　writer　and　his　club

declamation；　directs　the　destinies　of　France　and　starts　a　war　in

Europe　which　is　to　destroy　six　millions　of　lives。　In　the　attic　where

his　wife　is　washing　his　shirts；　he　enjoys　rebuking　rulers　and；　on　the

20th　of　October；　in　the　tribune；＇50＇　he　begins　by　insulting　thirty

foreign　sovereigns。　Such　keen；　intense　enjoyment　is　the　stuff　on　which

the　new　fanaticism　daily　feeds　itself。　Madame　Roland　herself　delights；

with　evident　complacency；　in　it；　something　which　can　be　seen　in　the

two　famous　letters　in　which；　with　a　supercilious　tone；　she　first

instructs　the　King　and　next　the　Pope。＇51＇　　Brissot；　at　bottom；　regards

himself　as　a　Louis　XIV；　and　expressly　invites　the　Jacobins　to　imitate

the　haughty　ways　of　the　Great　Monarch。＇52＇　　　To　the　tactlessness　of

the　intruder；　and　the　touchiness　of　the　parvenu；　we　can　add　the

rigidity　of　the　sectarian。　The　Jacobins；　in　the　name　of　abstract

rights；　deny　historic　rights；　they　impose　from　above；　and　by　force；

that　truth　of　which　they　are　the　apostles；　and　allow　themselves　every

provocation　which　they　prohibit　to　others。



〃Let　us　tell　Europe；〃　cries　Isnard；＇53＇　〃that　ten　millions　of

Frenchmen；　armed　with　the　sword；　with　the　pen；　with　reason；　with

eloquence；　might；　if　provoked；　change　the　face　of　the　world　and　make

tyrants　tremble　on　their　thrones　of　clay。〃



〃Wherever　a　throne　exists；〃　says　Hérault　de　Séchelles；　〃there　is　an

enemy。〃＇54＇



　〃An　honest　peace　between　tyranny　and　liberty；〃　says　Brissot；　〃is

impossible。　　Our　Constitution　is　an　eternal　anathema　to　absolute

monarchs　。　。　。　　It　places　them　on　trial；　it　pronounces　judgment　on

them；　it　seems　to　say　to　each：　to…morrow　thou　have　ceased　to　be　or

shalt　be　king　only　through　the　people。　。　。　War　is　now　a　national

benefit；　and　not　to　have　war　is　the　only　calamity　to　be　dreaded。〃　＇55＇



　〃　Tell　the　king；〃　says　Gensonné；　〃that　the　war　is　a　must；　that　public

opinion　demands　it；　that　the　safety　of　the　empire　makes　it　a　law。〃＇56＇



　〃The　state　we　are　in；〃　concludes　Vergniaud；　〃is　a　veritable　state　of

destruction　that　may　lead　us　to　disgrace　and　death。　So　then　to　arms！

to　arms！　Citizens；　freemen；　defend　your　liberty；　confirm　the　hopes　of

that　of　the　human　race。　。　。　Lose　not　the　advantage　of　your　position。

Attack　now　that　there　is　every　sign　of　complete　success。　。　。　The

spirits　of　past　generations　seem　to　me　crowding　into　this　temple　to

conjure　you；　in　the　name　of　the　evils　which　slavery　had　compelled　them

to　endure；　to　protect　the　future　generations　whose　destinies　are　in

your　hands！　　Let　this　prayer　be　granted！　Be　for　the　future　a　new

Providence！　Ally　yourselves　with　eternal　justice！〃＇57＇



Among　the　Marseilles　speakers　there　is　no　longer　any　room　for　serious

discussion。　　Brissot；　in　reply　to　the　claim　made　by　the　Emperor　on

behalf　of　the　princes'　property　in　Alsatia；　replies