the origins of contemporary france-3-第105节

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evening；　and　〃about　six　thousand　men；　found　without　a　certificate　of

civism；〃　are　arrested；　subject　to　the　decision　one　by　one　of　their

section。　　Not　only　does　the　lightning　flash；　but　already　the　bolt

descends　in　isolated　places。＇38＇　　　On　the　31st　of　December　a　man　named

Louvain；　formerly　denounced　by　Marat　as　Lafayette's　agent；　is　slain　in

the　faubourg　St。　Antoine；　and　his　corpse　dragged　through　the　streets

to　the　Morgue。　　On　the　25th　of　February；　the　grocer　shops　are　pillaged

at　the　instigation　of　Marat；　with　the　connivance　or　sanction　of　the

Commune。　　On　the　9th　of　March　the　printing　establishment　of　Gorsas　is

sacked　by　two　hundred　men　armed　with　sabers　and　pistols。　The　same

evening　and　on　the　next　morning　the　riot　extends　to　the　Convention

itself；　〃the　committee　of　the　Jacobin　club　summons　every　section　in

Paris　to　arms　to　〃get　rid〃　of　the　appelant　deputies　and　the　ministers；

the　Cordeliers　club　requests　the　Parisian　authorities　〃to　take

sovereignty　into　their　own　hands　and　place　the　treacherous　deputies

under　arrest〃；　Fournier；　Varlet；　and　Champion　ask　the　Commune　〃to

declare　itself　in　insurrection　and　close　the　barriers〃；　all　the


approaches　to　the　Convention　are　occupied　by　the　〃dictators　of

massacre；〃　Pétion＇39＇　and　Beurnonville　being　recognized　on　their

passing；　pursued　and　in　danger　of　death；　while　furious　mobs　gather　on

the　Feuillants　terrace　〃to　award　popular　judgment；〃　〃to　cut　off　heads〃

and　〃send　them　into　the　departments。〃　　Luckily；　it　rains；　which

always　cools　down　popular　effervescence。　Kervélegan；　a　deputy　from

Finistère；　who　escapes；　finds　means　of　sending　to　the　other　end　of　the

faubourg　St。　Marceau　for　a　battalion　of　volunteers　from　Brest　that　had

arrived　a　few　days　before；　and　who　were　still　loyal；　these　come　in

time　and　save　the　Convention。　　Thus　does　the　majority　live　under　the

triple　pressure　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　the　galleries　and　the　outside

populace；　and　from　month　to　month；　especially　after　March　10；　the

pressure　gets　to　be　worse　and　worse。







III。　　　Physical　fear　and　moral　cowardice。



Defection　among　the　majority。　　Effect　of　physical　fear。　　　Effect

of　moral　cowardice。　　Effect　of　political　necessity。　　　Internal

weakness　of　the　Girondins。　　　Accomplices　in　principle　of　the

Montagnards。



Month　by　month　the　majority　relents　under　this　pressure。　　Some　are

simply　overcome　by　physical　fear。　　On　the　King's　trial；　at　the　third

call　of　the　House；　as　the　deputies　on　the　upper　benches　voted　one　by

one　for　his　death；　the　deputy　alongside　Daunou　〃showed　in　a　most

energetic　manner　his　disapproval　of　this。〃　　On　his　turn　coming；　〃the

galleries；　which　had　undoubtedly　noticed　his　attitude；〃　burst　out　in

such　violent　threats　that　for　some　minutes　his　voice　could　not　be

heard；　〃silence　was　at　length　restored；　and　he　voted　　death。〃＇40＇　

Others；　like　Durand…Maillane；　〃warned　by　Robespierre　that　the

strongest　party　is　the　safest；〃　say　to　themselves　〃that　it　is　prudent；

and　necessary　not　to　annoy　the　people　in　their　furor；〃　make　up　their

minds　〃to　keep　aloof　shielded　by　their　silence　and

insignificance。〃＇41＇　Among　the　five　hundred　deputies　of　the　Plain；

many　are　of　this　stamp。　They　begin　to　be　called　〃the　Marsh　Frogs。〃　　In

six　months　they　settle　down　of　themselves　into　so　many　silent

onlookers；　or；　rather；　homicidal　puppets；　〃whose　hearts；　shrunk

through　fear；　rise　in　their　throats〃＇42＇　every　time　that　Robespierre

looks　at　them。　　Long　before　the　fall　of　the　Girondists；　〃downcast　at

the　present　state　of　things；　and　no　longer　finding　any　inspiration　in

their　heart；〃　their　faces　already　disclosing　〃the　pallor　of　fear　or

the　resignation　of　despair。＇43＇　Cambacérès　hedges　to　find　shelter　in

his　Committee　on　Legislation。＇44＇　Barrère；　born　a　valet；　and　a　valet

ready　for　anything；　places　his　southern　mode　of　doing　things　at　the

service　of　the　probable　majority；　up　to　the　time　of　devoting　his　cruel

rhetoric　to　the　service　of　the　dominant　minority。　　Sièyes；　after

casting　his　vote　for　death；　maintains　an　obstinate　silence；　as　much

through　disgust　as　through　prudence：



〃What　does　my　glass　of　wine　matter　in　this　torrent　of　booze？〃＇45＇



Many；　even　among　the　Girondists；　use　sophistry　to　color　their

concessions　in　their　own　eyes。　Some　among　these　〃think　that　they　enjoy

some　degree　of　popularity；　and　fear　that　this　will　be　compromised。＇46＇

Again；　they　put　forth　the　pretext　of　the　necessity　of　maintaining

one's　influence　for　important　occasions。　　Occasionally；　they　affect　to

say；　or　say　it　in　good　faith；　Let　them　（the　extravagant）　keep　on；　they

will　find　each　other　out　and　use　themselves　up。〃　　Frequently；　the

motives　alleged　are　scandalous　or　grotesque。　According　to　Barbaroux；

immediate　execution　must　be　voted；　because　that　is　the　best　way　to

exculpate　the　Gironde　and　shut　the　mouths　of　their　Jacobin

calumniators。＇47＇　According　to　Berlier；　it　is　essential　to　vote　death

for；　why　vote　for　exile？　Louis　XVI。　would　be　torn　to　pieces　before

reaching　the　frontier。＇48＇　　On　the　eve　of　the　verdict；　Vergniaud

says　to　M。　de　Ségur：　〃I　vote　Death？　It　is　an　insult　to　suppose　me

capable　of　such　a　disgraceful　act！〃　And；　〃he　sets　forth　the　frightful

iniquity　of　such　a　course；　its　uselessness；　and　even　its　danger。〃　〃I

would　rather　stand　alone　in　my　opinion　than　vote　Death！〃＇49＇　　The　next

day；　having　voted　Death；　he　excuses　himself　by　saying　〃that　he　did　not

think　he　ought　to　put　the　life　of　one　man　in　the　scale　against　the

public　welfare。〃＇50＇　　Fifteen　or　twenty　deputies；　influenced　by　his

example；　voted　as　he　did；　which　was　　enough　to　turn　the　majority。＇51＇

The　same　weakness　is　found　at　other　decisive　moments。　Charged　with　the

denunciation　of　the　conspiracy　of　the　10th　of　March；　Vergniaud

attributes　it　to　the　aristocrats；　and　admits　to　Louvet　that　〃he　did

not　wish　to　name　the　real　conspirators　for　fear　of　embittering　violent

men　already　pushing　things　to　excess。〃＇52＇　The　truth　is；　the

Girondists；　as　formerly　the　Constitutionalists；　are　too　civilized　for

their　adversaries；　and　submit　to　force　for　lack　of　resolution　to

employ　it　themselves。



〃To　put　down　the　faction；〃　says　one　of　them；＇53＇　〃can　be　done　only　by

cutting　its　throat；　which；　perhaps；　would　not　be　difficult　to　do。　All

Paris　is　as　weary　as　we　are　of　its　yoke；　and　if　we　had　any　liking　for

or　knowledge　how　to　deal　with　insurrections；　we　could　soon　throw　it

off。　But　how　can　we　make　men　adopt　such　necessary　atrocious　measures

when　they　are　criticizing　their　adversaries　for　taking　these？　And　yet

they　would　have　saved　the　country。〃　Consequently；　incapable　of　action；

able　only　to　talk；　reduced　to　protests；　to　barring　the　way　to

revolutionary　decrees；　to　making　appeals　to　the　department　against

Paris；　they　stand　as　an　obstacle　to　all　the　practical　people　who　are

heartily　engaged　in　the　brunt　of　the　action。　　　　〃There　is　no　doubt

that　Carnot　is　as　honest　as　they　are；　as　honest　as　a　fanatic　spectator

can　be。〃＇54＇　Cambon；　undoubtedly　with　as　much　integrity　as　Roland；

spoke　as　loudly　up　as　he　against　the　2nd　　of　September；　the　Commune；

and　anarchy。＇55＇　　But；　to　Carnot　and　Cambon；　who　pass　their　nights；

one　in　establishing　his　budgets；　and　the　other　in　studying　his

military　maps；　they　require；　first　of　all；　a　government　which　will

provide　them　with　money　and　with　soldiers；　and；　therefore；　an

unscrupulous　and　unanimous　Convention　；　that　is　to　say；　there　being　no

other　expedient；　a　Convention　under　compulsion；　i。e。　a　Convention

purged　of　troublesome　some；　dissentient　speakers；＇56＇　in　other　words；

the　dictatorship　of　the　Parisian　proletariat。　After　the　15th　of

December；　1792；　Cambon　completely　accepts　this；　and　even　erects　the

dictatorship　of　the　proletariat　into　an　European　system。　From　that

time＇57＇　he　preaches　universal　sans…culotterie；　a　form　of　government

in　which　the　poor　will　rule　and　the　rich　will　pay；　in　short；　the

restoration　of　privileges　in　an　inverse　sense。　The　later　expression　of

Siéyès　which　has　already　come　true：　　the　problem　is　no　longer　how　to

apply　the　principles　of　the　Revolution；　but　the　salvation　of　its　men。

Faced　with　this　more　and　more　distressing　imperative；　many　of

undecided　deputies　go　with　the　tide；　letting　the　Montagnards　have

their　own　way　and　separate　themselves　from　the　Girondists。



And；　what　is　graver　still；　the　Girondists；　apart　from　all　these

defections；　are　untrue　to　themselves。　Not　only　are　they　ignorant　of

how　to　draw　a　line；　of　how　to　form　themselves　into　a　compact　body：　not

only　〃is　the　very　idea　of　a　collective　proceeding　repulsive；　each

member　desiring　to　keep　himself　independent。　and　act　as　he　thinks

best；〃＇58＇　make　motions　without　consulting　others；　and　vote　as　the

occasion　calls　for　against　his　party；　but；　through　its　abstract

principle；　they　are　in　accord　with　their　adversaries；　and；　on　the

fatal　declivity　whereon　their　honorable　and　humane　instincts　still

retain　them；　this　common　dogma；　like　a　concealed　weight；　causes　them

to　sink　lower　and　lower　down；