the origins of contemporary france-3-第19节

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dragged　from　his　carriage；　and　the　crowd　around　him　cry　out；　〃There

goes　the　bastard　　who　denounced　the　people！　〃…　At　length；　its

founders；　who；　out　of　consideration　for　the　municipality；　have　waited

two　months；　hire　another　hall　in　the　Rue　des　Petites…Ecuries；　and　on

the　28th　of　March　begin　their　sessions。　　〃On　reaching　it；〃　writes　one

of　them；　〃we　found　a　mob　composed　of　drunkards；　screaming　boys；　ragged

women；　soldiers　exciting　them　on；　and　especially　those　frightful

hounds；　armed　with　stout；　knotty　cudgels；　two　feet　long；　which　are

excellent　skull…crackers。〃＇19＇　　The　thing　was　made　up　beforehand。　At

first　there　were　only　three　or　four　hundred　of　them；　and；　ten　minutes

after；　five　or　six　hundred；　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　there　are　perhaps

four　thousand　flocking　in　from　all　sides；　in　short；　the　usual　make…up

of　an　insurrection。　　〃The　people　of　the　quarter　certified　that　they

did　not　recognize　one　of　the　faces。〃　　Jokes；　insults；　cuffs；

clubbings；　and　saber…cuts；　　the　members　of　the　club　〃who　agreed　to

come　unarmed〃　being　dispersed；　while　several　are　knocked　down；　dragged

by　the　hair；　and　a　dozen　or　fifteen　more　are　wounded。　To　justify　the

attack；　white　cockades　are　shown；　which；　it　is　pretended；　were　found

in　their　pockets。　　Mayor　Bailly　arrives　only　when　it　is　all　over；　and；

as　a　measure　of　〃public　order；〃　the　municipal　authorities　have　the

club　of　Constitutional　Monarchists　closed　for　good。



Owing　to　these　outrages　by　the　faction；　with　the　connivance　of　the

authorities；　other　similar　clubs　are　suppressed　in　the　same　way。　There

are　a　good　many　of　them；　and　in　the　principal　towns　〃Friends　of

Peace；〃　〃Friends　of　the　Country；〃　〃Friends　of　the　King；　of　Peace；　and

of　Religion；〃　〃Defenders　of　Religion；　Persons；　and　Property〃。

Magistrates　and　officers；　the　most　cultivated　and　polished　people；　are

generally　members；　in　short；　the　élite　of　the　place。　Formerly；

meetings　took　place　for　conversation　and　debate；　and；　being　long…

established；　the　club　naturally　passes　over　from　literature　to

politics。　　　The　watch…word　against　all　these　provincial　clubs　is

given　from　the　Rue　St。　Honoré。＇20＇　　〃They　are　centers　of　conspiracy；

and　must　be　looked　after〃　forthwith；　and　be　at　once　trodden　out。　

At　one　time；　as　at　Cahors；＇21＇　a　squad　of　the　National　Guard；　on　its

return　from　an　expedition　against　the　neighboring　gentry；　and　to

finish　its　task　breaks　in　on　the　club；　〃throws　its　furniture　out　of

the　windows　and　demolishes　the　house。〃　　　At　another　time；　as　at

Perpignan；　the　excited　mob　surrounds　the　club；　dancing　a　fandango；　and

yell　out；　to　the　lantern！　　The　club…house　is　sacked；　while　eighty　of

its　members；　covered　with　bruises；　are　shut　up　in　the　citadel　for

their　safety。＇22＇　　At　another　time；　as　at　Aix；　the　Jacobin　club

insults　its　adversaries　on　their　own　premises　and　provokes　a　scuffle；

whereupon　the　municipality　causes　the　doors　of　the　assailed　club　to　be

walled　up　and　issues　warrants　of　arrest　against　its　members。　

Always　punishment　awaits　them　for　whatever　violence　they　have　to

submit　to。　Their　mere　existence　seems　an　offense。　At　Grenoble；　they

scarcely　assemble　before　they　are　dispersed。　The　fact　is；　they　are

suspected　of　〃incivism；〃　　their　intentions　may　not　be　right；　in　any

event；　they　cause　a　division　of　the　place　into　two　camps；　and　that　is

enough。　In　the　department　of　Gard；　their　clubs　are　all　broken　up；　by

order　of　the　department；　because　〃they　are　centers　of　malevolence。〃　At

Bordeaux；　the　municipality；　considering　that　〃alarming　reports　are

current　of　priests　and　privileged　persons　returning　to　town；〃

prohibits　all　reunions；　except　that　of　the　Jacobin　club。　　Thus；

〃under　a　system　of　liberty　of　the　most　exalted　kind；　in　the　presence

of　the　famous　Declaration　of　the　Rights　of　Man　which　legitimates

whatever　is　not　unlawful；〃　and　which　postulates　equality　as　the

principle　of　the　French　constitution；　whoever　is　not　a　Jacobin　is

excluded　from　common　rights。　An　intolerant　club　sets　itself　up　as　a

holy　church；　and　proscribes　others　which　have　not　received　from　it

〃orthodox　baptism；　civic　inspiration；　and　the　aptitude　of　languages。〃

To　her　alone　belongs　the　right　of　assemblage；　and　the　right　of　making

proselytes。　Conservative；　thoughtful　men　in　all　towns　throughout　the

kingdom　are　forbidden　to　form　electoral　committees；　to　possess　a

tribune；　a　fund；　subscribers　and　adherents；　to　cast　the　weight　of

their　names　and　common　strength　into　the　scale　of　public　opinion；　to

gather　around　their　permanent　nucleus　the　scattered　multitude　of

sensible　people；　who　would　like　to　escape　from　the　Revolution　without

falling　back　into　the　ancient　régime。　Let　them　whisper　amongst

themselves　in　corners；　and　they　may　still　be　tolerated；　but　woe　to

them　if　they　would　leave　their　lonely　retreat　to　act　in　concert；　to

canvass　voters；　and　support　a　candidate。　Up　to　the　day　of　voting　they

must　remain　in　the　presence　of　their　combined；　active；　and

obstreperous　adversaries；　scattered；　inert；　and　mute。



IV。

Turmoil　of　the　elections　of　1790。　　　Elections　in　1791。　　　Effect　of

the　King's　flight。　　Domiciliary　visits。　　　Montagne　during　the

electoral　period。



Will　they　at　least　be　able　to　vote　freely　on　that　day？　They　are　not

sure　of　it；　and；　judging　by　occurrences　during　the　past　year；　it　is

doubtful。　　In　April；　1790；　at　Bois　d'Aisy；　in　Burgundy；　M。　de　Bois

d'Aisy；　a　deputy；　who　had　returned　from　Paris　to　deposit　his　vote；＇23＇

was　publicly　menaced。　He　was　informed　that　nobles　and　priests　must

take　no　part　m　the　elections；　while　many　were　heard　to　say；　in　his

hearing；　that　in　order　to　prevent　this　it　would　be　better　to　hang　him。

Not　far　off；　at　Ste。　Colombe；　M。　de　Viteaux　was　driven　out　of　the

electoral　assembly；　and　then　put　to　death　after　three　hours　of

torture。　The　same　thing　occurred　at　Semur；　two　gentlemen　were　knocked

down　with　clubs　and　stones；　another　saved　himself　with　difficulty；　and

a　curé　died　after　being　stabbed　six　times。　　A　warning　for　priests

and　for　gentlemen：　they　had　better　not　vote；　and　the　same　good　advice

may　be　given　to　dealers　in　grain；　to　land…owners；　and　every　other

suspected　person。　　For　this　is　the　day　on　which　the　people　recover

their　sovereignty；　the　violent　believe　that　they　have　the　right　to　do

exactly　what　suits　them；　nothing　being　more　natural　than　to　exclude

candidates　in　advance　who　are　distrusted；　or　electors　who　do　not　vote

as　they　ought　to。　　At　Villeneuve…St。…Georges；　near　Paris；＇24＇　a

barrister；　a　man　of　austere　and　energetic　character；　is　about　to　be

elected　judge　by　the　district　electors；　the　proletariat；　however；

mistrust　a　judge　likely　to　condemn　marauders；　and　forty　or　fifty

vagabonds　collect　together　under　the　windows　and　cry　out：　〃We　don't

want　him　elected。〃　The　curé　of　Crosne；　president　of　the　electoral

assembly；　informs　them　in　vain　that　the　assembled　electors　represent

90　communes；　nearly　100；000　inhabitants；　and　that　〃40　persons　should

not　prevail　against　100；000。　　Shouts　redouble　and　the　electors

renounce　their　candidate。…　At　Pau；　patriots　among　the　militia＇25＇

forcibly　release　one　of　their　imprisoned　leaders；　circulate　a　list　for

proscriptions；　attack　a　poll…teller　with　their　fists　and　afterwards

with　sabers；　until　the　proscribed　hide　themselves　away；　on　the

following　day　〃nobody　is　disposed　to　attend　the　electoral　assembly。〃　…

…　Things　are　much　worse　in　1791。　　In　the　month　of　June；　just　at　the

time　of　the　opening　of　the　primary　meetings；　the　king　has　fled　to

Varennes；　the　Revolution　seems　compromised；　civil　war　and　a　foreign

war　loom　up　on　the　horizon　like　two　ghosts；　the　National　Guard　had

everywhere　taken　up　arms；　and　the　Jacobins　were　making　the　most　of　the

universal　panic　for　their　own　advantage。　To　dispute　their　votes　is　no

longer　the　question；　it　is　not　well　to　be　visible：　among　so　many

turbulent　gatherings　a　popular　execution　is　soon　over。　The　best　thing

now　for　royalists；　constitutionalists；　conservatives　and　moderates　of

every　kind；　for　the　friends　of　law　and　of　order；　is　to　stay　at　home　

too　happy　if　they　may　be　allowed　to　remain　there；　to　which　the　armed

rabble　agrees；　on　the　condition　of　frequently　paying　them　visits。



Consider　their　situation　during　the　whole　of　the　electoral　period；　in

a　calm　district；　and　judge　of　the　rest　of　France　by　this　corner　of　it。

At　Mortagne；＇26＇　a　small　town　of　6；000　souls；　the　laudable　spirit　of

1789　still　existed　up　to　the　journey　to　Varennes。　　Among　the　forty　or

fifty　noble　families　were　a　good　many　liberals。　Here；　as　elsewhere

among　the　gentry；　the　clergy　and　the　middle　class；　the　philosophic

education　of　the　eighteenth　century　had　revived　the　old　provincial

spirit　of　initiative；　and　the　entire　upper　class　had　zealously　and

gratuitously　undertaken　the　public　duties　which　it　alone　could　perform

well。　　District　presidents；　mayors；　and　municipal　officers；　were　all

chosen　from　among　ecclesiastics　and　the　nobles；　the　three　principal

officers　of　the　National　Guard　were　chevaliers　of　St。　Lou