the origins of contemporary france-3-第69节

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drag　out　the　traitors；　especially　the　Swiss　officers　and　their

accomplices；　and　put　them　to　the　sword。　What　folly　it　is　to　give　them

a　trial！　That　is　already　done。　You　have　massacred　the　soldiers；　why

should　you　spare　the　officers；　ten　times　guiltier？〃　　Also；　two　days

later；　his　brain　teeming　with　an　executioner's　fancies；　insisting　that

〃the　soldiers　deserved　a　thousand　deaths。　As　to　the　officers；　they

should　be　drawn　and　quartered；　like　Louis　Capet　and　his　tools　of　the

Manège。〃＇47＇　　On　the　strength　of　this　the　Commune　adopts　him　as　its

official　editor；　assigns　him　a　tribune　in　its　assembly　room；　entrusts

him　to　report　its　acts；　and　soon　puts　him　on　its　supervisory　or

executive　committee。



A　fanatic　of　this　stamp；　however；　is　good　for　nothing　but　as　a

mouthpiece　or　instigator；　he　may；　at　best；　figure　in　the　end　among　the

subordinate　managers。　　The　chief　of　the　enterprise；＇48＇　Danton；　is

of　another　species；　and　of　another　stature；　a　veritable　leader　of　men：

Through　his　past　career　and　actual　position；　through　his　popular

cynicism；　ways　and　language；　through　his　capacity　for　taking　the

initiative　and　for　command；　through　his　excessive　corporeal　and

intellectual　vigor；　through　his　physical　ascendancy　due　to　his　ardent；

absorbing　will；　he　is　well　calculated　for　his　terrible　office。　　He

alone　of　the　Commune　has　become　Minister；　and　there　is　no　one　but　him

to　shelter　the　violations　of　the　Commune　under　the　protection　or　under

the　passivity　of　the　central　authority。　　He　alone　of　the　Commune　and

of　the　ministry　is　able　to　push　things　through　and　harmonize　action　in

the　pell…mell　of　the　revolutionary　chaos；　both　in　the　councils　of　the

ministry　which　he　governs；　as　he　formerly　governed　at　the　H？tel…de

ville。　　In　the　constant　uproar　of　incoherent　discussions；＇49＇　athwart

〃propositions　ex　abrupto；　　among　shouts；　swearing；　and　the　going　and

coming　of　questioning　petitioners；〃　he　is　seen　mastering　his　new

colleagues　with　his　〃stentorian　voice；　his　gestures　of　an　athlete；　his

fearful　threats；〃　taking　upon　himself　their　duties；　dictating　to　them

what　and　whom　he　chooses；　〃fetching　in　commissions　already　drawn　up；〃

taking　charge　of　everything；　〃making　propositions；　arrests；　and

proclamations；　issuing　brevets；〃　and　drawing　millions　out　of　the

public　treasury；　casting　a　sop　to　his　dogs　in　the　Cordeliers　and　the

Commune；　〃to　one　20；000　francs；　and　to　another　10；000；〃　〃for　the

Revolution；　and　on　account　of　their　patriotism；〃　　such　is　a　summary

report　of　his　doings。　Thus　gorged；　the　pack　of　hungry　〃brawlers〃　and

grasping　intriguers；　the　whole　serviceable　force　of　the　sections　and

of　the　clubs；　is　in　his　hands。　One　is　strong　in　times　of　anarchy　at

the　head　of　such　a　herd。　Indeed；　during　the　months　of　August　and

September；　Danton　was　king；　and；　later　on；　he　may　well　say　of　the　2d

of　September；　as　he　did　of　the　10th　of　August；　〃I　did　it！〃＇50＇



Not　that　he　is　naturally　vindictive　or　sanguinary：　on　the　contrary；

with　a　butcher's　temperament；　he　has　a　man's　heart；　and；　at　the　risk

of　compromising　himself；　against　the　wills　of　Marat　and　Robespierre；

he　will；　by…and…by；　save　his　political　adversaries；　Duport；　Brissot；

and　the　Girondists；　the　old　party　of　the　〃　Right。　〃＇51＇　Not　that　he　is

blinded　by　fear；　enmities；　or　the　theory；　furious　as　a　clubbist；　he

has　the　clear…sightedness　of　the　politician；　he　is　not　the　dupe　of　the

sonorous　phrases　he　utters；　he　knows　the　value　of　the　rogues　he

employs；＇52＇　he　has　no　illusions　about　men　or　things；　about　other

people　or　about　himself；　if　he　slays；　it　is　with　a　full　consciousness

of　what　he　is　doing；　of　his　party；　of　the　situation；　of　the

revolution；　while　the　crude　expressions　which；　in　the　tones　of　his

bull's　voice；　he　flings　out　as　he　passes　along；　are　but　a　vivid

statement　of　the　precise　truth　〃We　are　the　rabble！　We　spring　from　the

gutters！〃　With　the　normal　principles　of　mankind；　〃we　should　soon　get

back　into　them。　We　can　only　rule　through　fear！〃＇53＇　〃The　Parisians　are

so　many　j　。　。　。　　f　。　。　。　；　a　river　of　blood　must　flow　between　them　and

the　émigrés。〃＇54＇　　The　tocsin　about　to　be　rung　is　not　a　signal　of

alarm；　but　a　charge　on　the　enemies　of　the　country。　。　。　What　is

necessary　to　overcome　them？　　Boldness；　boldness；　always　boldness！＇55＇

I　have　brought　my　mother　here；　seventy　years　of　age；　I　have　sent　for

my　children；　and　they　came　last　night。　Before　the　Prussians　enter

Paris；　I　want　my　family　to　die　with　me。　Let　twenty　thousand　torches　be

applied；　and　Paris　instantly　reduced　to　ashes！〃＇56＇　〃We　must　maintain

ourselves　in　Paris　at　all　hazards。　Republicans　are　in　an　extreme

minority；　and；　for　fighting；　we　can　rely　only　on　them。　The　rest　of

France　is　devoted　to　royalty。　The　royalists　must　be　terrified！〃＇57＇　

It　is　he　who；　on　the　28th　of　August；　obtains　from　the　Assembly　the

great　domiciliary　visit；　by　which　the　Commune　fills　the　prisons。　It　is

he　who；　on　the　2d　of　September；　to　paralyze　the　resistance　of　honest

people；　causes　the　penalty　of　death　to　be　decreed　against　whoever；

〃directly　or　indirectly　shall；　in　any　manner　whatsoever；　refuse　to

execute；　or　who　shall　interfere　with　the　orders　issued；　or　with　the

measures　of　the　executive　power。〃　　It　is　he　who；　on　that　day；　informs

the　journalist　Prudhomme　of　the　pretended　prison　plot；　and　who；　the

second　day　after；　sends　his　secretary；　Camille　Desmoulins；　to　falsify

the　report　of　the　massacres；＇58＇　　It　is　he　who；　on　the　3rd　of

September；　at　the　office　of　the　Minister　of　Justice；　before　the

battalion　officers　and　the　heads　of　the　service；　before　Lacroix；

president　of　the　Assembly；　and　Pétion；　mayor　of　Paris；　before

Clavières；　Servan；　Monge；　Lebrun；　and　the　entire　Executive　Council；

except　Roland；　reduces　at　one　stroke　the　head　men　of　the　government　to

the　position　of　passive　accomplices；　replying　to　a　man　of　feeling；　who

rises　to　stay　the　slaughter；　〃Sit　down　　it　was　necessary！〃＇59＇　　It

is　he　who；　the　same　day；　dispatches　the　circular；　countersigned　by

him；　by　which　the　Committee　of　Supervision　announces　the　massacre；　and

invites　〃their　brethren　of　the　departments〃　to　follow　the　example　of

Paris。＇60＇　　It　is　he　who；　on　the　10th　of　September；　〃not　as　Minister

of　Justice；　but　as　Minister　of　the　People；〃　is　to　congratulate　and

thank　the　slaughterers　of　Versailles。＇61＇　　After　the　10th　of　August；

through　Billaud…Varennes；　his　former　secretary；　through　Fabre

d'Eglantine；　his　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　through　Tallien；　secretary　of

the　Commune　and　his　most　trusty　henchman；　he　is　present　at　all

deliberations　in　the　H？tel…de…ville；　and；　at　the　last　hour；　is　careful

to　put　on　the　Committee　of　Supervision　one　of　his　own　men；　the　head

clerk；　Desforges。＇62＇　　Not　only　was　the　reaping…machine　constructed

under　his　own　eye；　and　with　his　assent；　but；　again；　when　it　is　put　in

motion；　he　holds　the　handle；　so　as　to　guide　the　scythe。



He　is　right；　if　he　did　not　sometimes　put　on　the　brake；　it　would　go　to

pieces　through　its　own　action。　　Introduced　into　the　Committee　as

professor　of　political　blood…letting；　Marat；　stubbornly　following　out

a　fixed　idea；　cuts　down　deep；　much　below　the　designated　line；　warrants

of　arrest　were　already　out　against　thirty　deputies；　Brissot's　papers

were　rummaged；　Roland's　house　was　surrounded；　while　Duport；　seized　in

a　neighboring　department；　　is　deposed　in　the　slaughterhouse。　The

latter　is　saved　with　the　utmost　difficulty；　many　a　blow　is　necessary

before　he　can　be　wrested　from　the　maniac　who　had　seized　him。　　With　a

surgeon　like　Marat；　and　medics　like　the　four　or　five　hundred　leaders

of　the　Commune　and　of　the　sections；　it　is　not　essential　to　guide　the

knife；　it　is　a　foregone　conclusion　that　the　amputation　will　be

extensive。　　Their　names　speak　for　themselves：　in　the　Commune；　Manuel；

the　syndic…attorney；　　and　his　two　deputies　Hébert　and　Billaud…

Varennes；　Huguenin；　Lhuillier；　M。…J。　Chénier；　Audoin；　Léonard　Bourdon；

Boula　and　Truchon；　presidents　in　succession。　In　the　Commune　and　the

sections；　Panis；　Sergent；　Tallien；　Rossignol；　Chaumette；　Fabre

d'Eglantine；　Pache；　Hassenfratz；　the　cobbler　Simon；　and　the　printer

Momoro。　From　the　National　Guard；　　the　commanding…general；　Santerre；

and　the　battalion　commander　Henriot；　and；　lower　down；　the　common　herd

of　district　demagogues；　Danton's；　Hébert's；　or　Robespierre's　side

kicks；　guillotined　later　on　with　their　file…leaders；　in　brief；　the

flower　of　the　future　terrorists。＇63＇　…　Today　they　are　taking　their

first　steps　in　blood；　each　with　their　own　attitude　and　motives：





*　Chénier　denounced　as　a　member　of　the　Sainte…Chapelle　club；　in　danger

because　he　is　among　the　suspected；＇64＇



*　Manuel；　poor；　excitable；　bewildered；　carried　away；　and　afterwards

shuddering　at　the　sight　of　his　own　work；



*　Santerre；　a　fine　circumspect　figure…head；　who；　on　the　2nd　of

September；　under　pretense　of　watching　the　baggage；　climbs　on　the　seat

of　a　landau　standing　on　the　street；　where　he　remains　a　couple　of

hours；　to　avoid　doing　his　duty　as　commanding…genera