the origins of contemporary france-3-第107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！



to　the　Committee〃；＇81＇　or　that　his　certificate　of　civism　is　less　than

one　month　old；＇82＇　to　make　a　delegate；　accompanied　by　ten　armed　men；

search　his　house。　　In　the　section　of　the　Réunion　alone；　on　the　first

day；　57　denounced　persons　are　thus　disarmed　for　〃acts　of　incivism　or

expressions　adverse　to　the　Republic；〃　not　merely　lawyers；　notaries；

architects；　and　other　prominent　men；　but　petty　tradesmen　and　shop…

keepers；　hatters；　dyers；　locksmiths；　mechanics；　gilders；　and　bar…

keepers。　　One　section；　in　defiance　of　the　law；　adds　to　these　in　block

the　signers　of　the　petition　of　the　eight　thousand　and　that　of　the

twenty　thousand。　〃Through　such　schemes；〃　says　an　observer；＇83＇　〃all

the　guns　in　Paris；　numbering　more　than　a　hundred　thousand；　pass　into

the　hands　of　the　faction。　　None　remain　for　its　adversaries；　even　in

the　gunshops；　for；　through　an　ordinance　of　the　Commune；　no　one　may

purchase　a　gun　without　a　certificate　issued　by　the　Committee　of

Supervision　of　the　section。＇84＇　　On　the　other　hand；　owing　to　the

power　of　granting　or　refusing　certificates　of　civism；　each　Committee；

on　its　own　authority；　interposes　barriers　as　it　pleases　in　all

directions；　public　or　private；　to　every　inhabitant　within　its　bounds。

It　is　impossible　for　any　person　who　has　not　obtained　his

certificate＇85＇　to　have　a　passport　for　traveling；　although　a

tradesman；　no　public　employee；　no　clerk　of　the　administration；

advocate　or　notary　can　keep　his　place　without　it；　no　one　can　go　out　of

Paris　or　return　late　at　night。　　If　one　goes　out　to　take　a　walk；　there

is　danger　of　being　arrested　and　brought　back　between　two　soldiers　to

the　committee　of　the　section；　if　one　stays　at　home；　it　is　with　the

chance　of　being　inspected　as　a　harbourer　of　priests　or　nobles。　Any

Parisian　opening　his　windows　in　the　morning　may　find　his　house

surrounded　by　a　company　of　carmagnoles；　if　he　has　not　the

indispensable　certificate　in　his　pocket。＇86＇　　In　the　eyes　of　a　Jacobin

committee；　there　is　no　civism　but　in　Jacobinism；　and　we　can　imagine

whether　this　patent　would　be　willingly　conferred　on　opponents；　or　even

on　the　lukewarm；　what　examinations　they　would　have　to　undergo；　what

questions　they　would　be　obliged　to　answer；　how　many　goings　and

comings；　solicitations；　appearances　and　waitings　would　be　imposed　on

them；　with　what　persistency　it　would　excite　delay；　and　with　what

satisfaction　it　would　be　refused。　Buzot　presented　himself　four　times

at　the　Committee　of　Quatre…Nations　to　obtain　a　certificate　for　his

domestic；　and　failed　to　get　it。＇87＇　　There　is　another　still　more

effective　expedient　for　keeping　the　ill…disposed　in　check　The

committee　of　each　section；　aided　by　a　member　of　the　Commune；＇88＇

designates　the　twelve　thousand　men　drafted　for　the　expedition　into　La

Vendée；　and　picks　them　by　name；　one　by　one；　as　it　may　select　them；　the

effect　of　this　is　to　purge　Paris　of　twelve　thousand　anti…Jacobins；　and

tranquilize　the　section　assemblies；　where　opposition　is　often

objectionable。　　To　this　end　the　committee　selects　first；　and　gives　the

preference　to；　the　clerks　of　lawyers　and　notaries；　those　of　banking…

houses；　the　administration；　and　of　merchants；　the　unmarried　in　all

offices　and　counting…rooms；　in　short；　all　the　Parisian　middle　class

bachelors；　of　which　there　are　more　than　twenty…five　thousand。＇89＇　The

ordinance　stipulates　that　one　out　of　two　should　be　taken；　undoubtedly

those　with　the　poorest　reputation　with　the　Committee；　this　proceeding

will　silence　the　others　and　prevent　them　from　speaking　up　in　their

sections。＇90＇



While　one　hand　clutches　the　collar；　the　other　rummages　the　pocket。　The

Committee　of　Supervision　of　each　section；　always　aided　by　a　member　of

the　Commune；＇91＇　designates　all　persons　in　easy　circumstances；

estimates　their　incomes　as　it　pleases；　or　according　to　common　report；

and　sends　them　an　order　to　pay　a　particular　sum　in　proportion　to　their

surplus；　and　according　to　a　progressive　tax。　The　allowance　which　is

exempt　for　the　head　of　a　family　is　1；500　francs　per　annum；　besides

1；000　francs　for　his　wife　and　1；000　francs　for　each　child；　if　the

excess　is　over　15；000　or　20；000　francs；　they　assess　it　5；000　francs；

if　more　than　40；000　or　50；000　francs；　they　assess　it　20；000；　in　no

case　may　the　surplus　retained　exceed　30；000　francs；　all　above　this

amount　goes　to　the　State。　The　first　third　of　this　sudden　contribution

to　the　public　funds　is　required　in　forty…eight　hours；　the　second　in　a

fortnight；　and　the　remaining　third　in　a　month；　under　serious

penalties。　　If　the　tax　happens　to　be　exaggerated；　if　an　income　is

uncertain　or　imaginary；　if　receipts　are　yet　to　come　in；　if　there　is　no

ready　money；　if；　like　Franc？ur；　the　opera　manager；　a　man　〃has　nothing

but　debts；〃　so　much　the　worse。　　〃In　case　of　refusal；〃　writes　the

section　of　Bon…Conseil；　〃his　personal　and　real　property　shall　be　sold

by　the　revolutionary　committee；　and　his　person　declared

suspected。〃＇92＇　　Even　this　is　simply　an　installment　on　account：



〃There　is　no　desire　on　the　part　of　the　Committee　at　the　present　moment

to　demand　more　than　a　portion　of　your　surplus；〃　that　which　rest　will

be　taken　later。　Desfieux；　the　bankrupt；＇93＇　has　already；　in　the

tribune　of　the　Jacobin　club；　estimated　the　fortunes　of　one　hundred　of

the　wealthiest　notaries　and　financiers　in　Paris　at　640；000；000　francs；

the　municipality　sent　a　list　of　their　names　to　the　sections　to　have　it

completed；　if　only　one…tenth　was　taken　from　them；　it　would　amount　to

64；000；000；　which　〃big　sponges；〃　thoroughly　squeezed；　would　disgorge　a

much　larger　amount。



〃The　richest　of　Frenchmen；〃　says　Robespierre；　〃should　not　have　more

than　3；000　francs　a　year。〃＇94＇



The　contributions　of　〃these　gentlemen〃　suffice　to　arm　the　sans…

culottes；　〃remunerate　artisans　for　their　attendance　in　the　section

meetings；　and　support　laborers　without　work。〃＇95＇　　Already　through　the

sovereign　virtue　of　summary　requisitions；　everything　is　spoil；

carriage…horses　are　seized　in　their　stables；　while　vehicles　belonging

to　aged　ladies；　mostly　widows；　and　the　last　of　the　berlins　and　elegant

carriages　still　remaining　in　Paris；　are　taken　out　of　the　livery…

stables。＇96＇



With　such　powers　used　in　this　way；　the　section　makes　the　most　of　the

old　deep…seated　enmity　of　the　poor　against　the　rich；＇97＇　it　secures

the　firm　loyalty　of　the　needy　and　of　vagabonds；　thanks　to　the　vigorous

arms　of　its　active　clients；　it　completely　overcomes　the　feeble；

transient；　poorly…contrived　resistance　which　the　National　Convention

and　the　Parisian　population　still　oppose　to　its　rule。



On　the　13th　of　April　Marat；　accused　three　months　before　and　daily

becoming　bolder　in　his　fractiousness；　is　finally　indicted　through　a

decree　of　the　incensed　majority；＇98＇　on　the　24th　he　appears　before　the

revolutionary　tribunal。　But　the　revolutionary　tribunal；　like　other

newly　organized　institutions；　is　composed　of　pure　Jacobins；　and；

moreover；　the　party　has　taken　its　precautions。　　Marat；　for　his　escort

to　the　court…room　has　〃the　municipal　commissaries；　envoys　from　the

various　sections；　delegates　from　all　the　patriotic　clubs〃；　besides

these；　〃a　multitude　of　good　patriots〃　fill　the　hall　beforehand；　〃early

in　the　morning　the　other　chambers　of　the　Palais　de　Justice；　the

corridors；　the　courts　and　adjacent　streets〃　overflow　with　〃sans…

culottes　ready　to　avenge　any　outrage　that　may　be　perpetrated　on　their

favorite　defender。〃＇99＇　　Naturally；　excessively　conceited；　he　speaks

not　like　an　accused；　but　〃as　an　apostle　and　martyr。〃　He　is　overwhelmed

with　applause；　unanimously　acquitted；　crowned　with　laurel；　borne　in

triumph　to　the　Convention；　where　he　thunders　a　song　of　victory；　while

the　Girondist　majority　is　obliged　to　suffer　his　presence　awaiting　to

be　subjected　to　their　banishments。　　Equally　as　impotent　as　the

moderates　of　the　Legislative　Assembly　are　the　moderates　in　the　street

who　recover　themselves　only　again　to　be　felled　to　the　ground。　On　the

4th　and　5th　of　May；　five　or　six　hundred　young　fellows；　well…dressed

and　without　arms；　have　assembled　in　the　Champs…Elysées　and　at　the

Luxembourg　to　protest　against　the　ordinance　of　the　Commune；　which

drafts　them　for　the　expedition　to　La　Vendée；＇100＇　they　shout；　〃Vive　la

Republique！　Vive　la　Loi！　　Down　with　anarchists！　Send　Marat；　Danton　and

Robespierre　to　the　Devil！〃　Naturally；　Santerre's　paid　guard　disperses

these　young　sparks；　about　a　thousand　are　arrested；　and　henceforth　the

rest　will　be　careful　not　to　make　any　open　demonstration　on　the　public

thoroughfares。　　Again；　for　lack　of　something　better　to　do；　we　see

them　frequently　returning　to　the　section　assemblies；　especially　early

in　May；　they　find　themselves　in　a　majority；　and　enter　on　discussions

against　Jacobin　tyranny；　at　the　Bon…Conseil　section；　and　at　those　of

Marseilles　and　l'Unité；　Lhuillier　is　hooted　at；　Marat　threatened；　and

Chaumette　denounced。＇101＇　　But　these　are　only　flashes　in　the　pan；　to

be　firmly　in　charge　in　these　permanent　assemblies；　the　moderates；　like

the　sans…culot