the origins of contemporary france-3-第56节

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philosophic　address　to　the　people；　〃instructing　it　what　to　do　in　the

exercise　of　its　sovereignty。〃



How　this　is　done；　it　may　see　the　next　morning。　At　7　o'clock；　a　Jacobin

deputy　stops　in　a　cab　before　the　door　of　the　Feuillants　club；　a　crowd

gathers　around　him；　and　he　gives　his　name；　Delmas。　The　crowd

understood　it　as　Dumas；　a　well…known　Constitutionalist；　and；　in　a

rage；　drag　him　out　of　the　vehicle　and　knock　him　down；　had　not　other

deputies　run　up　and　given　assurances　that　he　was　the　patriot　Delmas；

of　Toulouse；　instead　of　〃the　traitor；　Mathieu　Dumas；〃　he　was　a　lost

man。＇64＇　　Dumas　makes　no　effort　to　enter。　He　finds　on　the　Place

Vend？me　a　second　and　not　less　instructive　warning。　Some　wretches；

followed　by　the　usual　rabble；　carry　about　a　number　of　heads　on　pikes；

those　probably　of　the　journalist　Suleau；　and　three　others；　massacred　a

quarter　of　an　hour　before；　〃boys　quite　young；　mere　children；　play　with

these　heads　by　tossing　them　in　the　air；　and　catching　them　on　the　ends

of　their　sticks。〃　　There　is　no　doubt　but　that　the　deputies　of　the

〃Right〃　and　even　the　〃Center；〃　would　do　well　to　go　home　and　stay

there。　In　fact；　they　are　no　longer　seen　in　the　Assembly。＇65＇　　In　the

afternoon；　out　of　the　630　members　still　present　the　evening　before；

346　do　not　answer　the　call；　while　about　thirty　others；　had　either

withdrawn　before　this　or　sent　in　their　resignations。＇66＇　The　　purging

is　complete；　like　that　to　which　Cromwell；　in　1648；　subjected　the　Long

Parliament。　Henceforth　the　Legislative　body；　reduced　to　224　Jacobins

or　Girondins；　with　60　frightened　or　tractable　neutrals；　will　obey　the

orders　of　the　street　without　any　difficulty。　A　change　has　come　over

the　spirit　of　the　body　as　well　as　over　its　composition；　it　is　nothing

more　now　than　a　servile　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　seditious；　who

have　mutilated　it；　and　who；　masters　of　it　through　a　first　misdeed；　are

going　to　use　it　to　legalize　other　crimes。







VI。



Nights　of　August　9　and　10。　　　The　sections。　　　Commissioners　of　the

sections　at　the　H？tel…de…ville。　　　The　revolutionary　Commune　is

substituted　for　the　legal　Commune。



During　the　night　of　the　9th　and　10th　of　August　their　government　forms

itself　for　action；　it　has　been　set　up　as　it　will　behave；　with　violence

and　fraud。　i　　　In　vain　have　they　annoyed　and　worked　on　the　sections

for　the　past　fortnight；　they　are　not　yet　submissive；　only　six　out　of

forty…eight　at　the　present　hour；　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　being　found

sufficiently　excited　or　purged　to　send　their　commissioners　forthwith；

with　full　power；　to　the　H？tel…de…ville。　The　others　will　follow；　but

the　majority　rests　inert　or　recalcitrant。＇67＇　　　It　is　necessary；

therefore；　to　deceive　or　force　this　majority；　and；　to　this　end；

darkness；　the　late　hour；　disorder；　dread　of　the　coming　day；　and　the

uncertainty　of　what　to　do；　are　precious　auxiliaries。　In　many　of　the

sections；＇68＇　the　meetings　are　already　adjourned　or　deserted；　only　a

few　members　of　the　permanent　bureau　in　the　room；　with　a　few　men；

perhaps　asleep；　on　the　nearly　empty　benches。　An　emissary　arrives　from

the　insurgent　sections；　along　with　a　company　of　trusty　fellows

belonging　to　the　quarter；　and　cries　out；　Save　the　country！　The

sleepers　open　their　eyes；　stretch　themselves；　raise　their　hands；　and

elect　whoever　is　designated；　sometimes　strangers　and　other　unknown

individuals；　who　will　be　disowned　the　coming　day　at　a　full　meeting　of

the　section。　There　is　no　official　report　drawn　up；　no　balloting；　the

course　pursued　being　the　most　prompt。　At　the　Arsenal　section；　six

electors　present　choose　three　among　their　own　number　to　represent

1；400　active　citizens。　Elsewhere；　a　throng　of　shrews；　night…brawlers

and　dishonorable　persons；　invade　the　premises；　chase　out　the　believers

in　law　and　order；　and　win　all　the　desired　appointments。＇69＇　　Other

sections　consent　to　elect；　but　without　consenting　to　give　power　of

attorney。　Several　make　express　reservations；　stipulating　that　their

delegates　shall　act　in　concert　with　the　legal　municipality；

distrusting　the　future　committee；　and　declaring　in　advance　that　they

will　not　obey　it。　A　few　elect　their　commissioners　only　to　obtain

information；　and；　at　the　same　time；　to　show　that　they　intend　earnestly

to　stop　all　rioting。＇70＇　　Finally；　at　least　twenty　sections　abstain

from　or　disapprove　of　the　proceedings　and　send　no　delegates。　　　Never

mind；　they　can　be　dispensed　with。　　At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　19

sections；　and；　at　seven　o'clock；　24　or　25；＇71＇　are　represented　one　way

or　another　at　the　Town…hall　（H？tel…de…ville）；　and　this　representation

forms　a　central　committee。　Anyhow；　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　seventy

or　eighty　subordinate　intriguers　and　desperadoes；　who　have　slipped　in

or　pushed　through；　from　calling　themselves　authorized　delegates　and

ministers　plenipotentiary　of　the　entire　Paris　population；＇72＇　and　to

operate　accordingly。　　Scarcely　are　they　installed　under　the

presidency　of　Huguenin；　with　Tallien　as　secretary；　when　they　issue　a

summons　for　〃twenty…five　armed　men　from　each　section；〃　five　hundred

strapping　lads；　to　act　as　guards　and　serve　as　an　executive　force。　

Against　a　band　of　this　description　the　municipal　council；　in　session

in　the　opposite　chamber；　is　feeble　enough。　Moreover；　the　most　moderate

and　firmest　of　its　members；　sent　away　on　purpose；　are　on　missions　to

the　Assembly；　at　the　palace；　and　in　different　quarters　of　Paris；　while

its　galleries　are　crammed　with　villainous　looking　men；　posted　there　to

create　an　uproar；　its　deliberations　being　carried　on　under　menaces　of

death。　　　That's　why；　as　the　night　passes；　the　equilibrium　between

the　two　assemblages；　one　legal　the　other　illegal；　facing　each　other

like　the　two　sides　of　a　scale；　disappears。　Lassitude；　fear；

discouragement；　desertion；　increase　on　one　side；　　while　numbers；

audacity；　force　and　usurpation　increase　on　the　other。　At　length；　the

latter　wrests　from　the　former　all　the　acts　it　needs　to　start　the

insurrection　and　render　defense　impossible。　About　six　o'clock　in　the

morning　the　intruding　committee；　in　the　name　of　the　people；　ends　the

matter　by　suspending　the　legitimate　council；　which　it　then　expels；　and

takes　possession　of　its　chairs。



The　first　act　of　the　new　sovereign　rulers　indicates　at　once　what　they

mean　to　do。　M。　de　Mandat；　in　　command　of　the　National　guard；　summoned

to　the　H？tel…de…ville；　　had　come　to　explain　to　the　council　what

disposition　he　had　made　of　his　troops；　and　what　orders　he　had　issued。

They　seize　him；　interrogate　him　in　their　turn；＇73＇　depose　him；　appoint

Santerre　in　his　place；　and；　to　derive　all　the　benefit　they　can　from

his　capture；　they　order　him　to　withdraw　one…half　of　his　men　stationed

around　the　palace。　Fully　aware　of　what　he　was　exposed　to　in　this　den

of　thieves；　he　nobly　refuses；　forthwith　they　consign　him　to　prison；

and　send　him　to　the　Abbaye　〃for　his　greater　safety。〃　At　these

significant　words　from　Danton；＇74＇　he　is　murdered　at　the　door　as　he

leaves　by　Rossignol；　one　of　Danton's　acolytes；　with　a　pistol…shot　at

arm's　length。　　　After　tragedy　comes　comedy。　At　the　repeated

entreaties　of　Pétion；　who　does　not　want　to　be　requisitioned　against

the　rioters；＇75＇　they　send　him　a　guard　of　400　men；　thus　confining　him

in　his　own　house；　and；　apparently　in　spite　of　himself。



On　one　side；　sheltered　by　treachery　and；　on　the　other　side；　by

assassination；　the　insurrection　may　now　go　on　in　full　security　in

front　of　the　terrible　hypocrite　who　solemnly　complains　of　his

voluntary　captivity；　and　before　the　corpse；　with　shattered　brow；　lying

on　the　steps　of　the　H？tel…de…ville。　　On　the　right　bank　of　the　river；

the　battalions　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　and；　on　the　left；　those

of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Marcel；　the　Bretons；　and　the　Marseilles　band；

march　forth　as　freely　as　if　going　to　parade。　Measures　of　defense　are

frustrated　by　the　murder　of　the　commanding　general；　and　by　the　mayor's

duplicity；　there　is　not　resistance　on　guarded　spots；　at　the　arcade

Saint…Jean；　the　passages　of　the　bridges；　along　the　quays；　and　in　the

court　of　the　Louvre。　An　advance　guard　of　the　mob；　women；　children；　and

men；　armed　with　cutters；　cudgels；　and　pikes；　spread　over　the　abandoned

Carrousel；　and；　towards　eight　o'clock；　the　advance　column；　led　by

Westerman；　appears　in　front　of　the　palace。







VII。



August　10。　　　The　King's　forces。　　　Resistance　abandoned。　…　…The

King　in　the　National　Assembly。　　　Conflict　at　the　palace　and

discharge　of　the　Swiss　Guard。　　　The　palace　evacuated　by　the　King's

order。　　　The　massacres。　　　The　enslaved　Assembly　and　its　decrees。



If　the　King　had　wanted　to　fight；　he　might　still　have　defended　himself；

saved　himself；　and　even　been　victorious。＇76＇　　In　the　Tuileries；　950

of　the　Swiss　Guard　and　200　gentlemen　stood　ready　to　die　for　him　to　the

last　man。　Around　the　Tuileries；　two　or　three　thousand　National　Guard；

the　élite　of　the　Parisian　population；　had　just　cheered　him　as　he

passed。＇77＇　　〃Hurrah　for　the　King！　Hurrah　for　Louis　XVI。！