the origins of contemporary france-2-第33节

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！



…　Cf。　　Lafayette；　〃Mémoires；〃　and　Madame　Campan；　〃Mémoires。〃



＇39＇　〃Procédure　Criminelle　du　Chatelet。〃　Deposition　24。　　A　number　of

butcher…boys　run　after　the　carriages　issuing　from　the　Petite…Ecurie

shouting　out；　〃Don't　let　the　curs　escape！〃



＇40＇　〃Procédure　Criminelle　du　Chatelet。〃　Depositions　101；　91；　89；

and　17。　　M。　de　Miomandre；　a　body…guard；　mildly　says　to　the　ruffians

mounting　the　staircase：　〃My　friends；　you　love　your　King；　and　yet　you

come　to　annoy　him　even　in　his　palace！〃



＇41＇　Malouet；　II。　　2。　　〃I　felt　no　distrust；〃　says　Lafayette　in　1798；

〃the　people　promised　to　remain　quiet。〃



＇42＇　〃Procédure　Criminelle　du　Chatelet。〃　Depositions　9；　16；　60；　128；

129；　130；　139；　158；　168；　170。　　M。　du　Repaire；　body…guard；　being

sentry　at　the　railing　from　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　a　man　passes

his　pike　through　the　bars　saying；　〃You　embroidered　b。　　。　　。　　；　your

turn　will　come　before　long。〃　M。　de　Repaire；　〃　retires　within　the

sentry…box　without　saying　a　word　to　this　man；　considering　the　orders

that　have　been　issued　not　to　act。〃



＇43＇　〃Procédure　Criminelle　du　Chatelet。〃　Depositions　82；　170　

Madame　Campan。　　II。　　87。　　De　Lavalette；　I。33。　　Cf。　　Bertrand　de

Molleville；　Mémoires。〃



＇44＇　Duval；〃　Souvenirs　de　la　Terreur；〃　I。　　78。　（Doubtful　in　almost

everything；　but　here　he　is　an　eye…witness。　　He　dined　opposite　the

hair…dresser's；　near　the　railing　of　the　Park　of　Saint…Cloud。）　　M。

de　Lally…Tollendal's　second　letter　to　a　friend。　　〃At　the　moment　the

King　entered　his　capital　with　two　bishops　of　his　council　with　him　in

the　carriage；　the　cry　was　heard；　〃Off　to　the　lamp　post　with　the

bishops！〃



＇45＇　De　Montlosier；　I。　303。　　Moniteur；　sessions　of　the　8th；　9th；

and　10th　of　October。　　Malouet；　II。　　9；　10；　20。　　Mounier；

Recherches　sur　les　Causes；　etc。；〃　and　〃Addresse　aux　Dauphinois。〃



＇46＇　De　Ferrières；　I。　　346。　（On　the　9th　of　October；　300　members　have

already　taken　their　passports。）　Mercure　de　France；　No。　　of　the　17th

October。　　Correspondence　of　Mirabeau　and　M。　de　la　Marck；　I。　116；

126；　364。



＇47＇　Correspondence　of　Mirabeau　and　M。　de　la　Marck；　I。175。　（The

words　of　Monsieur　to　M。　de　la　Marck。）









BOOK　SECOND。　　　THE　CONSTITUENT　ASSEMBLY；　AND　THE　RESULT　OF　ITS

LABORS。



CHAPTER　I。



THE　CONSTITUENT　ASSEMBLY。　…　CONDITIONS　REQUIRED　FOR　THE　FRAMING　OF

GOOD　LAWS。



Among　the　most　difficult　undertakings　in　this　world　is　the

formulation　of　a　national　constitution；　especially　if　this　is　to　be

a　complete　and　comprehensive　work。　　　To　replace　the　old　structures

inside　which　a　great　people　has　lived　by　a　new；　different；

appropriate　and　durable　set　of　laws；　to　apply　a　mold　of　one　hundred

thousand　compartments　on　to　the　life　of　twenty…six　million　people；

to　construct　it　so　harmoniously；　adapt　it　so　well；　so　closely；　with

such　an　exact　appreciation　of　their　needs　and　their　faculties；　that

they　enter　it　of　themselves　and　move　about　it　without　collisions；

and　that　their　spontaneous　activity　should　at　once　find　the　ease　of

familiar　routine；　…　is　an　extraordinary　undertaking　and　probably

beyond　the　powers　of　the　human　mind。　　　In　any　event；　the　mind

requires　all　its　powers　to　carry　the　undertaking　out；　and　it　cannot

protect　itself　carefully　enough　against　all　sources　of　disturbance

and　error。　　　An　Assembly；　especially　a　Constituent　Assembly；

requires；　outwardly；　security　and　independence；　inwardly；　silence

and　order；　and　generally；　calmness；　good　sense；　practical　ability

and　discipline　under　competent　and　recognized　leaders。　　　Do　we　find

anything　of　all　this　in　the　Constituent　Assembly？



　I。





These　conditions　absent　in　the　Assembly　…　Causes　of　disorder　and

irrationality　…　The　place　of　meeting　…　The　large　number　of　deputies

…　Interference　of　the　galleries　…　Rules　of　procedure　wanting；

defective；　or　disregarded。…　The　parliamentary　leaders　…

Susceptibility　and　over…excitement　of　the　Assembly　…　Its　paroxysms

of　enthusiasm。　…　Its　tendency　to　emotion。　　　…It　encourages

theatrical　display　…　Changes　which　these　displays　introduce　in　its

good　intentions。



　We　have　only　to　look　at　it　outwardly　to　have　some　doubts　about　it。

At　Versailles；　and　then　at　Paris；　the　sessions　are　held　in　an

immense　hall　capable　of　seating　2；000　persons；　in　which　the　most

powerful　voice　must　be　strained　in　order　to　be　heard。　　　It　is　not

calculated　for　the　moderate　tone　suitable　for　the　discussion　of

business；　the　speaker　is　obliged　to　shout；　and　the　strain　on　the

voice　communicates　itself　to　the　mind；　the　place　itself　suggests

declamation；　and　this　all　the　more　readily　because　the　assemblage

consists　of　1；200；　that　is　to　say；　a　crowd；　and　almost　a　mob。　　　'At

the　present　day　（1877）；　in　our　assemblies　of　five　or　six　hundred

deputies；　there　are　constant　interruptions　and　an　incessant　buzz；

there　is　nothing　so　rare　as　self…control；　and　the　firm　resolve　to

give　an　hour's　attention　to　a　discourse　opposed　to　the　opinions　of

the　hearers。　　What　can　be　done　here　to　compel　silence　and

patience？　Arthur　Young　on　different　occasions　sees　〃a　hundred

members　on　the　floor　at　once；〃　shouting　and　gesticulating。

〃Gentlemen；　you　are　killing　me！〃　says　Bailly；　one　day；　sinking　with

exhaustion。　Another　president　exclaims　in　despair；　〃Two　hundred

speaking　at　the　same　time　cannot　be　heard；　will　you　make　it

impossible　then　to　restore　order　in　the　Assembly？〃　The　rumbling；

discordant　din　is　further　increased　by　the　uproar　of　the

galleries。＇1＇



　〃In　the　British　Parliament；〃　writes　Mallet　du　Pan；　〃I　saw　the

galleries　cleared　in　a　trice　because　the　Duchess　of　Gordon　happened

unintentionally　to　laugh　too　loud。〃



Here；　the　thronging　crowd　of　spectators；　stringers；　delegates　from

the　Palais…Royal；　soldiers　disguised　as　citizens；　and　prostitutes

collected　and　marshaled；　applaud；　clap　their　hands；　stamp　and　hoot；

at　their　pleasure。　　　This　is　carried　to　so　great　an　extent　that　M。

de　Montlosier　ironically　proposes　〃to　give　the　galleries　a　voice　in

the　deliberations。〃＇2＇　Another　member　wishes　to　know　whether　the

representatives　are　so　many　actors；　whom　the　nation　sends　there　to

endure　the　hisses　of　the　Paris　public。　　Interruptions；　in　fact；　take

place　as　in　a　theater；　and；　frequently；　if　the　members　do　not　give

satisfaction；　they　are　forced　to　desist。　　On　the　other　hand；　the

deputies　who　are　popular　with　this　energetic　audience；　on　which　they

keep　and　eye；　are　actors　before　the　footlights：　they　involuntarily

yield　to　its　influence；　and　exaggerate　their　ideas　as　well　as　their

words　to　be　in　unison　with　it。　　　Tumult　and　violence；　under　such

circumstances；　become　a　matter　of　course；　and　the　chances　of　an

Assembly　acting　wisely　are　diminished　by　one…half；　on　becoming　a

club　of　agitators；　it　ceases　to　be　a　conclave　of　legislators。





Let　us　enter　and　see　how　this　one　proceeds。　　　Thus　encumbered；　thus

surrounded　and　agitated；　does　it　take　at　least　those　precautions

without　which　no　assembly　of　men　can　govern　itself。　　　When　several

hundred　persons　assemble　together　for　deliberation；　it　is　evident

that　some　sort　of　an　internal　police　is　necessary；　first　of　all；

some　code　of　accepted　usage；　some　written　precedents；　by　which　its

acts　may　be　prepared　and　defined；　considered　in　detail；　and　properly

passed。　　　The　best　of　these　codes　it　ready　to　hand：　at　the　request

of　Mirabeau；　Romilly　has　sent　over　the　standing　orders　of　the

English　House　of　Commons。＇3｝　But　with　the　presumption　of　novices；

they　pay　no　attention　to　this　code；　they　imagine　it　is　needless　for

them；　they　will　borrow　nothing　from　foreigners；　they　accord　no

authority　to　experience；　and；　not　content　with　rejecting　the　forms

it　prescribes；　〃it　is　with　difficulty　they　can　be　made　to　follow　any

rule　whatever。〃　They　leave　the　field　open　to　the　impulsiveness　of

individuals；　any　kind　of　influence；　even　that　of　a　deputy；　even　of

one　elected　by　themselves；　is　suspected　by　them；　hence　their　choice

of　a　new　president　every　fortnight。　　…　　They　submit　to　no　constraint

or　control；　neither　to　the　legal　authority　of　a　parliamentary　code；

nor　to　the　moral　authority　of　parliamentary　chiefs。　　　They　are

without　any　such；　they　are　not　organized　in　parties；　neither　on　one

side　nor　on　the　other　is　a　recognized　leader　found　who　fixes　the

time；　arranges　the　debate；　draws　up　the　motion；　assigns　parts；　and

gives　the　rein　to　or　restrains　his　supporters。　　　Mirabeau　is　the

only　one　capable　of　obtaining　this　ascendancy；　but；　on　the　opening

of　the　Assembly；　he　is　discredited　by　the　notoriety　of　his　vices；

and；　towards　the　last；　is　compromised　by　his　connections　with　the

Court。　　　No　other　is　of　sufficient　eminence　to　have　any　influence；

there　is　too　much　of　average　and　too　little　of　superior　talent。　　…

Their　self…esteem　is；　moreover；　as　yet　too　strong　to　allow　any

concessions。　　　Each　of　these　improvised　legislators　has　come

satisfied　with　his　own　system；　and　to　submit　to　a　leader　to　whom　he

would　entrust　his　political　conscience；　to　make　of　him　what