the origins of contemporary france-3-第74章

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is　here　the　subordinate　Jacobin；　the　pillar　of　the　club；　the　maker　of

motions；　the　street　rioter；　Panis　Sergent；　Hébert；　Varlet；　Henriot；

Maillard；　Fournier；　Lazowski；　or；　still　lower　in　the　scale；　the

Marseilles　〃rough；〃　the　Faubourg　gunner；　the　drinking　market…porter

who　elaborates　his　political　conceptions　in　the　interval　between　his

hiccups。＇2＇　　　For　information　he　has　the　rumors　circulating　in　the

streets　which　tell　of　a　traitor　to　each　house；　and　for　confirmed

knowledge　the　club　slogans　inciting　him　to　rule　over　the　vast　machine。

A　machinery　so　vast　and　complicated；　a　whole　assembly　of　entangled

services　ramifying　in　innumerable　offices；　with　so　much　apparatus　of

special　import；　so　delicate　as　to　require　constant　adaptation　to

changing　circumstances；　diplomacy；　finances；　justice；　army

administration　　all　this　surpasses　his　limited　comprehension；　a

bottle　cannot　be　made　to　contain　the　bulk　of　a　hogshead。＇3＇　　In　his

narrow　brain；　perverted　and　turned　topsy…turvy　by　the　disproportionate

notions　put　into　it；　only　one　idea　suited　to　his　gross　instincts　and

aptitudes　finds　a　place　there；　and　that　is　the　desire　to　kill　his

enemies；　and　these　are　also　the　State's　enemies；　however　open　or

concealed；　present　or　future；　probable　or　even　possible。　He　carries

this　savagery　and　bewilderment　into　politics；　and　hence　the　evil

arising　from　his　government。　Simply　a　brigand；　he　would　have　murdered

only　to　rob；　and　his　murders　would　have　been　restricted。　As

representing　the　State；　he　undertakes　wholesale　massacres；　of　which　he

has　the　means　ready　at　hand。　　　For　he　has　not　yet　had　time　enough　to

take　apart　the　old　administrative　implements；　at　all　events　the　minor

wheels；　gendarmes；　jailers；　employees；　book…keepers；　and　accountants；

are　always　in　their　places　and　under　control。　There　can　be　no

resistance　on　the　part　of　those　arrested；　accustomed　to　the　protection

of　the　laws　and　to　peaceable　ways　and　times；　they　have　never　relied　on

defending　themselves　nor　ever　could　imagine　that　any　one　could　be　so

summarily　slain。　As　to　the　mass；　rendered　incapable　of　any　effort　of

its　own　by　ancient　centralization；　it　remains　inert　and　passive　and

lets　things　go　their　own　way。　　Hence；　during　many　long；　successive

days；　without　being　hurried　or　impeded；　with　official　papers　quite

correct　and　accounts　in　perfect　order；　a　massacre　can　be　carried　out

with　the　same　impunity　and　as　methodically　as　cleaning　the　streets　or

clubbing　stray　dogs。＇4＇







II。



The　development　of　the　ideas　of　killings　in　the　mass　of　the　party。　

The　morning　after　August　10。　　The　tribunal　of　August　17。　　　The

funereal　fête　of　August　27。　　　The　prison　plot。



Let　us　trace　the　progress　of　the　homicidal　idea　in　the　mass　of　the

party。　It　lies　at　the　very　bottom　of　the　revolutionary　creed。　Collot

d'Herbois；　two　months　after　this；　aptly　says　in　the　Jacobin　tribune：

〃The　second　of　September　is　the　great　article　in　the　credo　　of　our

freedom。〃＇5＇　It　is　peculiar　to　the　Jacobin　to　consider　himself　as　a

legitimate　sovereign；　and　to　treat　his　adversaries　not　as

belligerents；　but　as　criminals。　They　are　guilty　of　lèse…　nation；　they

are　outlaws；　fit　to　be　killed　at　all　times　and　places；　and　deserve

extinction；　even　when　no　longer　able　or　in　a　condition　do　any　harm。　

Consequently；　on　the　10th　of　August　the　Swiss　Guards；　who　do　not　fire

a　gun　and　who　surrender；　the　wounded　lying　on　the　ground；　their

surgeons；　the　palace　domestics；　are　killed；　and　worse　still；　persons

like　M。　de　Clermont…Tonnerre　who　pass　quietly　along　the　street。　　All

this　is　now　called　in　official　phraseology　the　justice　of　the　people。

　On　the　11th　the　Swiss　Guards；　collected　in　the　Feuillants　building；

come　near　being　massacred；　the　mob　on　the　outside　of　it　demand　their

heads；＇6＇　〃it　conceives　the　project　of　visiting　all　the　prisons　in

Paris　to　take　out　the　prisoners　and　administer　prompt　justice　on

them。〃　…　On　the　12th　in　the　markets　〃diverse　groups　of　the　low　class

call　Pétion　a　scoundrel；〃　because　〃he　saved　the　Swiss　in　the　Palais

Bourbon〃；　accordingly；　〃he　and　the　Swiss　must　be　hung　to…day。〃…In

these　minds　turned　topsy…turvy　the　actual；　palpable　truth　gives　way　to

its　opposite；　〃the　attack　was　not　begun　by　them；　the　order　to　sound

the　tocsin　came　from　the　palace；　it　is　the　palace　which　was　besieging

the　nation；　and　not　the　nation　which　was　besieging　　the　palace。〃＇7＇

The　vanquished　〃are　the　assassins　of　the　people；〃　caught　in　the　act；

and　on　the　14th　of　August　the　Federates　demand　a　court…martial　〃to

avenge　the　death　of　their　comrades。〃＇8＇　　And　even　a　court…martial　will

not　answer。　　〃It　is　not　sufficient　to　mete　out　punishment　for　crimes

committed　on　the　10th　of　August；　but　the　vengeance　of　the　people　must

be　extended　to　all　conspirators；〃　to　that　〃Lafayette；　who　probably　was

not　in　Paris；　but　who　may　have　been　there；〃　to　all　the　ministers；

generals；　judges；　and　other　officials　guilty　of　maintaining　legal

order　wherever　it　had　been　maintained；　and　of　not　having　recognized

the　Jacobin　government　before　it　came　into　being。　Let　them　be　brought

before；　not　the　ordinary　courts；　which　are　not　to　be　trusted　because

they　belong　to　the　defunct　régime；　but　before　a　specially　organized

tribunal；　a　sort　of　〃chambre　ardente；〃＇9＇　elected　by　the　sections；

that　is　to　say；　by　a　Jacobin　minority。　These　improvised　judges　must

give　judgment　on　conviction；　without　appeal；　there　must　be　no

preliminary　examinations；　no　interval　of　time　between　arrest　and

execution；　no　dilatory　and　protective　formalities。　And　above　all；　the

Assembly　must　be　expeditious　in　passing　the　decree；　〃otherwise；〃　it　is

informed　by　a　delegate　from　the　Commune；＇10＇　〃the　tocsin　will　be　rung

at　midnight　and　the　general　alarm　sounded；　for　the　people　are　tired　of

waiting　to　be　avenged。　Look　out　lest　they　do　themselves　justice！　　A

moment　later；　new　threats　and　with　an　advanced　deadline。　〃If　the

juries　are　not　ready　to　act　in　two　or　three　hours　great　misfortunes

will　overtake　Paris。〃







Even　if　the　new　tribunal；　　set　up　on　the　spot；　is　quick；　guillotining

three　innocent　persons　in　five　days；　it　does　not　move　fast　enough。　　On

the　23rd　of　August　one　of　the　sections　declares　to　the　Commune　in

furious　language　that　the　people　themselves；　〃wearied　and　indignant〃

with　so　many　delays；　mean　to　force　open　the　prisons　and　massacre　the

inmates。＇11＇　　Not　only　do　the　sections　harass　the　judges；　but　they

force　the　accused　into　their　presence：　a　deputation　from　the　Commune

and　the　Federates　summons　the　Assembly　〃　to　transfer　the　criminals　at

Orleans　to　Paris　to　undergo　the　penalty　of　their　heinous　crimes〃。

〃Otherwise；〃　says　the　speaker；　〃we　will　not　answer　for　the　vengeance

of　the　people。〃＇12＇　And　in　a　still　more　imperative　manner：



〃You　have　heard　and　you　know　that　insurrection　is　a　sacred　duty；〃　a

sacred　duty　towards　and　against　all：　towards　the　Assembly　if　it

refuses；　and　towards　the　tribunal　if　it　acquits。　They　dash　at　their

prey　contrary　to　all　legislative　and　judicial　formalities；　like　a　kite

across　the　web　of　a　spider；　while　nothing　detach　them　from　their　fixed

ideas。　　On　the　acquittal　of　M。　Luce　de　Montmorin＇13＇　the　gross

audience；　mistaking　him　for　his　cousin　the　former　minister　of　Louis

XVI。；　break　out　in　murmurs。　　The　president　tries　to　enforce　silence；

which　increases　the　uproar；　and　M。　de　Montmorin　is　in　danger。　　On　this

the　president；　discovering　a　side　issue；　announces　that　one　of　the

jurors　is　related　to　the　accused；　and　that　in　such　a　case　a　new　jury

must　be　impaneled　and　a　new　trial　take　place；　that　the　matter　will　be

inquired　into；　and　meanwhile　the　prisoner　will　be　returned　to　the

Conciergerie　prison。　Thereupon　he　takes　M。　de　Montmorin　by　the　arm　and

leads　him　out　of　the　court…room；　amidst　the　yells　of　the　audience　and

not　without　risks　to　himself；　in　the　outside　court　a　soldier　of　the

National　Guard　strikes　at　him　with　a　saber；　and　the　following　day　the

court　is　obliged　to　authorize　eight　delegates　from　the　audienc