the origins of contemporary france-3-第77章

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masters。　A　deputation　from　the　Lombards　section；　and　another　from　the

Corn…market；　come　to　the　Assembly　and　protest　against　the　Commune's

usurpations。＇39＇　　Choudieu；　the　Montagnard；　denounces　its　blatant

corrupt　practices。　　Cambon；　a　stern　financier；　will　no　longer　consent

to　have　his　accounts　tampered　with　by　thieving　tricksters。＇40＇　The

Assembly　at　last　seems　to　have　recovered　itself。　It　extends　its

protection　to　Géray；　the　journalist；　against　whom　the　new　pashas　had

issued　a　warrant；　it　summons　to　its　own　bar　the　signers　of　the

warrant；　and　orders　them　to　confine　themselves　in　future　to　the　exact

limits　of　the　law　which　they　transgress。　　Better　still；　it　dissolves

the　interloping　Council；　and　substitutes　for　it　ninety…six　delegates；

to　be　elected　by　the　sections　in　twenty…four　hours。　　And；　even　still

better；　it　orders　an　account　to　be　rendered　within　two　days　of　the

objects　it　has　seized；　and　the　return　of　all　gold　or　silver　articles

to　the　Treasury。　　Quashed；　and　summoned　to　disgorge　their　booty；　the

autocrats　of　the　H？tel…de…ville　come　in　vain　to　the　Assembly　in　force

on　the　following　day＇41＇　to　extort　from　it　a　repeal　of　its　decrees；

the　Assembly；　in　spite　of　their　threats　and　those　of　their　satellites；

stands　its　ground。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the　stubborn；　if　they　are

not　disposed　to　regard　the　flash　of　the　saber；　they　will　feel　its

sharp　edge　and　point。　The　Commune；　on　the　motion　of　Manuel；　decides

that；　so　long　as　public　danger　continues；　they　will　stay　where　they

are；　it　adopts　an　address　by　Robespierre　to　〃restore　sovereign　power

to　the　people；〃　which　means　to　fill　the　streets　with　armed　bands；＇42＇

it　collects　together　its　brigands　by　giving　them　the　ownership　of　all

that　they　stole　on　the　10th　of　August。＇43＇　The　session；　prolonged　into

the　night；　does　not　terminate　until　one　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Sunday

has　come　and　there　is　no　time　to　lose；　for；　in　a　few　hours；　the

sections；　by　virtue　of　the　decree　of　the　National　Assembly；　and

following　the　example　of　the　Temple　section　the　evening　before；　may

revoke　the　pretended　representatives　at　the　H？tel…de…ville。　To　remain

at　the　H？tel…de…ville；　and　to　be　elected　to　the　convention；　demands　on

the　part　of　the　leaders　some　striking　action；　and　this　they　require

that　very　day。　　That　day　is　the　second　of　September。







IV。



Date　of　the　determination　of　this。　　　The　actors　and　their　parts。　…

Marat。　　　Danton。　…　The　Commune。　　　Its　co…operators。　　　Harmony　of

dispositions　and　readiness　of　operation。



Since　the　23rd　of　August　their　resolution　is　taken。＇44＇　　They　have

arranged　in　their　minds　a　plan　of　the　massacre；　and　each　one；　little

by　little；　spontaneously；　according　to　his　aptitudes；　takes　the　part

that　suits　him　or　is　assigned　to　him。



Marat；　foremost　among　them　all；　is　the　proposer　and　preacher　of　the

operation；　which；　for　him；　is　a　perfectly　natural　one。　It　is　the

epitome　of　his　political　system：　a　dictator　or　tribune；　with　full

power　to　slay；　and　with　no　other　power　but　that；　a　good　master

executioner；　responsible；　and　〃tied　hand　and　foot〃；　this　is　his

program　for　a　government　since　July　the　14th；　1789；　and　he　does　not

blush　at　it：　〃so　much　the　worse　for　those　who　are　not　on　a　level　with

it！〃＇45＇　　He　appreciated　the　character　of　the　Revolution　from　the

first；　not　through　genius；　but　sympathetically；　he　himself　being

equally　as　one…sided　and　monstrous；　crazy　with　suspicion　and　beset

with　a　homicidal　mania　for　the　past　three　years；　reduced　to　one　idea

through　mental　impoverishment；　that　of　murder；　having　lost　the　faculty

for　even　the　lowest　order　of　reasoning；　the　poorest　of　journalists；

save　for　pikemen　and　Billingsgate　market…women；　so　monotonous　in　his

constant　paroxysms　that　the　regular　reading　of　his　journal　is　like

listening　to　hoarse　cries　from　the　cells　of　a　madhouse。＇46＇　　From　the

19th　of　August　he　excites　people　to　attack　the　prisons。　〃The　wisest

and　best　course　to　pursue；〃　he　says；　〃is　to　go　armed　to　the　Abbaye；

drag　out　the　traitors；　especially　the　Swiss　officers　and　their

accomplices；　and　put　them　to　the　sword。　What　folly　it　is　to　give　them

a　trial！　That　is　already　done。　You　have　massacred　the　soldiers；　why

should　you　spare　the　officers；　ten　times　guiltier？〃　　Also；　two　days

later；　his　brain　teeming　with　an　executioner's　fancies；　insisting　that

〃the　soldiers　deserved　a　thousand　deaths。　As　to　the　officers；　they

should　be　drawn　and　quartered；　like　Louis　Capet　and　his　tools　of　the

Manège。〃＇47＇　　On　the　strength　of　this　the　Commune　adopts　him　as　its

official　editor；　assigns　him　a　tribune　in　its　assembly　room；　entrusts

him　to　report　its　acts；　and　soon　puts　him　on　its　supervisory　or

executive　committee。



A　fanatic　of　this　stamp；　however；　is　good　for　nothing　but　as　a

mouthpiece　or　instigator；　he　may；　at　best；　figure　in　the　end　among　the

subordinate　managers。　　The　chief　of　the　enterprise；＇48＇　Danton；　is

of　another　species；　and　of　another　stature；　a　veritable　leader　of　men：

Through　his　past　career　and　actual　position；　through　his　popular

cynicism；　ways　and　language；　through　his　capacity　for　taking　the

initiative　and　for　command；　through　his　excessive　corporeal　and

intellectual　vigor；　through　his　physical　ascendancy　due　to　his　ardent；

absorbing　will；　he　is　well　calculated　for　his　terrible　office。　　He

alone　of　the　Commune　has　become　Minister；　and　there　is　no　one　but　him

to　shelter　the　violations　of　the　Commune　under　the　protection　or　under

the　passivity　of　the　central　authority。　　He　alone　of　the　Commune　and

of　the　ministry　is　able　to　push　things　through　and　harmonize　action　in

the　pell…mell　of　the　revolutionary　chaos；　both　in　the　councils　of　the

ministry　which　he　governs；　as　he　formerly　governed　at　the　H？tel…de

ville。　　In　the　constant　uproar　of　incoherent　discussions；＇49＇　athwart

〃propositions　ex　abrupto；　　among　shouts；　swearing；　and　the　going　and

coming　of　questioning　petitioners；〃　he　is　seen　mastering　his　new

colleagues　with　his　〃stentorian　voice；　his　gestures　of　an　athlete；　his

fearful　threats；〃　taking　upon　himself　their　duties；　dictating　to　them

what　and　whom　he　chooses；　〃fetching　in　commissions　already　drawn　up；〃

taking　charge　of　everything；　〃making　propositions；　arrests；　and

proclamations；　issuing　brevets；〃　and　drawing　millions　out　of　the

public　treasury；　casting　a　sop　to　his　dogs　in　the　Cordeliers　and　the

Commune；　〃to　one　20；000　francs；　and　to　another　10；000；〃　〃for　the

Revolution；　and　on　account　of　their　patriotism；〃　　such　is　a　summary

report　of　his　doings。　Thus　gorged；　the　pack　of　hungry　〃brawlers〃　and

grasping　intriguers；　the　whole　serviceable　force　of　the　sections　and

of　the　clubs；　is　in　his　hands。　One　is　strong　in　times　of　anarchy　at

the　head　of　such　a　herd。　Indeed；　during　the　months　of　August　and

September；　Danton　was　king；　and；　later　on；　he　may　well　say　of　the　2d

of　September；　as　he　did　of　the　10th　of　August；　〃I　did　it！〃＇50＇



Not　that　he　is　naturally　vindictive　or　sanguinary：　on　the　contrary；

with　a　butcher's　temperament；　he　has　a　man's　heart；　and；　at　the　risk

of　compromising　himself；　against　the　wills　of　Marat　and　Robespierre；

he　will；　by…and…by；　save　his　political　adversaries；　Duport；　Brissot；

and　the　Girondists；　the　old　party　of　the　〃　Right。　〃＇51＇　Not　that　he　is

blinded　by　fear；　enmities；　or　the　theory；　furious　as　a　clubbist；　he

has　the　clear…sightedness　of　the　politician；　he　is　not　the　dupe　of　the

sonorous　phrases　he　utters；　he　knows　the　value　of　the　rogues　he

employs；＇52＇　he　has　no　illusions　about　men　or　things；　about　other

people　or　about　himself；　if　he　slays；　it　is　with　a　full　consciousness

of　what　he　is　doing；　of　his　party；　of　the　situation；　of　the

revolution；　while　the　crude　expressions　which；　in　the　tones　of　his

bull's　voice；　he　flings　out　as　he　passes　along；　are　but　a　vivid

statement　of　the　precise　truth　〃We　are　the　rabble！　We　spring　from　the

gutters！〃　With　the　normal　principles　of　mankind；　〃we　should　soon　get

back　into　them。　We　can　only　rule　through　fear！〃＇53＇　〃The　Parisians　are

so