the origins of contemporary france-4-第140节

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government　the　more　does　the　government　rely　on　men　with　bludgeons　and

pikes；　on　the　strikers　〃　turned　out　of　the　primary　assemblies；〃　on　the

heroes　of　September　2　and　May　31；　dangerous　nomads；　inmates　of

Bicêtre；　paid　assassins　out　of　employment；　and　roughs　of　the　Quinze…

Vingts　and　faubourg　Saint…　Antoine。＇21＇　Finally　on　the　11th　of

Vendémiaire；　it　gathers　together　fifteen　or　eighteen　hundred　of　them

and　arms　them　in　battalions。＇22＇　Such　brigands　are　they；　that　Menon；

〃major…general　of　the　army　of　the　interior　and　commandant　of　the　armed

force　of　Paris；〃　comes　the　next　day　with　several　of　his　staff…officers

and　tells　the　Committee　of　Five　that　he　〃will　not　have　such　bandits　in

his　army　nor　under　his　orders〃。　〃I　will　not　march　with　a　lot　of

rascals　and　assassins　organized　in　battalions　〃under　the　name　of

〃patriots　of　'89。〃　　　Indeed；　the　true　patriots　of　'89　are　on　the　other

side；　the　constitutionalists　of　1791；　sincere　liberals；　〃forty

thousand　proprietors　and　merchants；〃　the　elite　and　mass　of　the

Parisian　population；＇23＇　〃the　majority　of　men　really　interested　in

public　matters；〃　and　at　this　moment；　the　common　welfare　is　all　that

concerns　them。　　Republic　or　royalty　is　merely　a　secondary　thought；　an

idea　in　the　back…ground；　nobody　dreams　of　restoring　the　ancient

régime；　but　very　few　are　preoccupied　with　the　restoration　of　a　limited

monarchy。＇24＇　　〃On　asking　those　most　in　earnest　what　government　they

would　like　in　place　of　the　Convention；　they　reply　'We　want　that　no

longer；　we　want　nothing　belonging　to　it；　we　want　the　Republic　and

honest　people　for　our　rulers。'〃＇25＇　…　That　is　all；　their　upraisal　is

not　a　political　insurrection　against　the　form　of　the　government；　but　a

moral　insurrection　against　the　criminals　in　office。　　Hence；　on　seeing

the　Convention　arm　their　old　executioners；　〃the　tigers〃　of　the　Reign

of　Terror；　admitted　malefactors；　against　them；　they　cannot　contain

themselves。＇26＇　〃That　day；〃　says　a　foreigner；　who　visited　many　public

places　in　Paris；　〃I　saw　everywhere　the　deepest　despair；　the　greatest

expression　of　rage　and　fury。　　。　　。　　。　　Without　that　unfortunate　order

the　insurrection　would　probably　not　have　broken　out。〃　If　they　take　up

arms　it　is　because　they　are　brought　back　under　the　pikes　of　the

Septembriseurs；　and　under　Robespierre's　axe。　　…　　But　they　are　only

national　guards；　most　of　them　have　no　guns；＇27＇　they　are　in　want　of

gunpowder；　those　who　have　any　having　only　five　or　six　charges　；　〃the

great　majority　do　not　think　of　fighting；〃　they　imagine　that　〃their

presence　is　merely　needed　to　enforce　a　petition；〃　they　have　no

artillery；　no　positive　leader；　it　is　simply　excitement；　precipitation；

disorder　and　mistaken　maneuvers。＇28＇　　On　the　contrary；　on　the　side　of

the　Convention；　with　Henriot's　old　bullies；　there　are　eight　or　nine

thousand　regular　troops；　and　Bonaparte；　his　cannon；　which　rake　the　rue

Saint　Honoré　and　the　Quai　Voltaire；　mow　down　five　or　six　hundred

sectionists。　　The　rest　disperse；　and　henceforth　the　check…mated

Parisians　are　not　to　take　up　their　guns　against　the　Jacobin　faction

whatever　it　does。



III。　　　A　Directory　of　Regicides。



The　Directory　chosen　among　the　regicides。　　…　It　selects　agents　of

its　own　species。　　…　Leading　Jacobins　are　deprived　of　their　civic

rights。　　…　The　Terrorists　are　set　free　and　restored　to　their　civic

rights。　　…　Example　at　Blois　of　these　releases　and　of　the　new

administrative　staff。



Supreme　authority　is　now　once　more　in　the　hands　of　the　revolutionary

band。　　…　In　conformity　with　its　decrees　of　Fructidor；　it　first　obliges

electors　to　take　two…thirds　of　their　new　representatives　from　the

Convention。　　And　as；　notwithstanding　its　decrees；　the　electoral

assemblies　have　not　re…elected　a　sufficient　number　of　the

Conventionalists；　it　nominates　itself；　from　a　list　prepared　by　its

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　the　one　hundred　and　four　which　are

lacking：　In　this　way；　both　in　the　council　of　the　Five　Hundred；　as　well

as　in　the　council　of　the　Ancients；　it　secures　a　clear　majority　in　both

the　houses　of　the　Legislative　Corps。　　In　the　executive　branch；　in　the

Directory；　it　assures　itself　of　unanimity。　　The　Five　Hundred；　by

adroitly　preparing　the　lists；　impose　their　candidates　on　the　Ancients；

selecting　the　five　names　beforehand：　Barras；　La　Révellière　de　Lépeaux；

Reubell；　Letourneur　and　Siéyès；　and　then；　on　Siéyès　refusing；　Carnot。

All　of　them　are　regicides　and；　under　this　terrible　qualification；

bound　at　the　risk　of　their　heads；　to　maintain　the　regicide　faction　in

power。　　…　Naturally　the　Directory　chooses　its　agents　from　among　their

own　people；＇29＇　their　ministers　and　the　employees　of　their

departments；　ambassadors　and　consuls；　officers　of　all　ranks；

collectors　of　taxes　direct　and　indirect；　administrators　of　the

national　domains；　commissioners　of　civil　and　Criminal　courts；　and　the

commissioners　of　the　departmental　and　municipal　administrations。

Again；　having　the　right　to　suspend　and　dismiss　all　elected

administrative　bodies；　it　exercises　this　right。　　If　the　local

authorities　of　any　town；　canton；　or　department　seem　to　be　anti…

Jacobin；　it　sets　them　aside　and；　either　on　its　own　authority；　or　with

the　assent　of　the　Legislative　Corps；　replaces　them　with　Jacobins　on

the　spot。＇30＇　In　other　respects；　the　Convention　has　done　its　best　to

relieve　its　clients　of　their　principal　adversaries　and　most　popular

rivals。　　The　night　before　its　dissolution；　it　excluded　from　every　〃

legislative；　municipal；　administrative　and　judicial　function；〃＇31＇

even　that　of　juryman；　not　only　the　individuals　who；　rightly　or

wrongly；　had　been　put　on　a　list　of　émigrés　and　not　yet　stricken　off；

but　likewise　their　fathers；　sons　and　grandsons；　brothers　and　brothers…

in…law；　their　connections　of　the　same　degree；　uncles　and　nephews。　　In

all；　probably　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　Frenchmen；　nearly　the

whole　of　the　élite　of　the　nation。　　To　this　it　adds　the　rest　of　this

élite；　all　the　honest　and　energetic　who；　in　the　late　primary　or

electoral　assemblies　have　〃provoked　or　signed〃　any　manifestation

against　its　despotism；　if　still　in　office　they　are　to　resign　within

twenty…four　hours；　or　be　sent　into　perpetual　exile。　…　Through　this

legal　incapacity　of　the　anti…Jacobins；　the　field　is　free　to　the

Jacobins。　　In　many　places；　for　lack　of　candidates　that　please　them；

most　of　the　electors　stay　away　from　the　polls；　besides　this；　the

terrorists　resort　to　their　old　system；　that　is　to　say　to　brutal

violence。＇32＇　　On　again　obtaining　the　support　of　the　government　they

have　raised　their　heads　and　are　now　the　titular　favorites。　　The

Convention　has　restored　to　them　the　civic　rights　of　which　they　had

deprived　their　adversaries：　〃every　decree　of　indictment　or　arrest〃

rendered　against　them；　〃every　warrant　executed　or　not；　all　proceedings

and　suits〃　begun；　every　sentence　bearing　on　their　revolutionary　acts；

is　cancelled。　　The　most　〃atrocious〃　Montagnards；　the　most　sanguinary

and　foul　proconsuls；　Dartigoyte　and　Piochefer…Bernard；　Darthé；　Lebon's

secretary；　Rossignol　the　great　September　massacrer；　the　presidents　of

former　revolutionary　committees；　〃patriotic　robbers；　seal…breakers〃

and　garroters；　brazenly　promenade　the　streets　of　Paris。＇33＇　Barère

himself；　who；　condemned　to　transportation；　universally　execrated　as　he

traverses　France；　and　who；　everywhere　on　his　journey；　at　Orleans；

Tours；　Poitiers；　Niort；　comes　near　being　torn　to　pieces　by　the　people；

Barère　is　not　sent　off　to　Guienne；　he　is　allowed　to　escape；　to　conceal

himself　and　live　tranquilly　at　Bordeaux。　　Furthermore；

Conventionalists　of　the　worst　species；　like　Monestier　and　Foussedoire

return　to　their　natal　department　to　govern　it　as　government

commissioners。



Consider　the　effect　of　these　releases　and　of　these　appointments　in　a

town　which；　like　Blois；　has　seen　the　assassins　at　work；　and　which；　for

two　months；　follows　their　trial。＇34＇　…　Seven　of　them；　members　of　the

Revolutionary　Committee；　commanders　of　the　armed　force；　members　of　the

district　or　department；　national　agents　in　Indre…et…Loire；　charged

with　conducting　or　receiving　a　column　of　eight　hundred　laborers；

peasant　women；　priests　and　〃suspects；〃　cause　nearly　six　hundred　of

them　to　be　shot；　sabered；　drowned　or　knocked　down　on　the　road；　not　in

self…defense　or　to　prevent　escape；　for　these　poor　creatures　tied　two

and　two　marched　along　like　sheep　without　a　murmur；　but　to　set　a　good

revolutionary　example；　so　as　to　keep　the　people　in　proper　subjection

by　terror　and　enable　them　to　line　their　pockets。＇35＇　A　minute

investigation　has　unfolded　before　the　judges；　jury　and　public　of　Blois

a　long　series　of　authentic　facts　and　proofs；　with　eight　days　of

pleading　and　the　most　complete　and　glaring　evidence；　the　sentence　is

about　to　be　pronounced。　　Suddenly；　two　weeks　before　Vendémiaire　13；　a

decree　annuls　the　proceedings；　which　have　already　cost　over　600；000

livres；　and　orders　a　new　trial　in　another　form。　　Next；　after

Vendémiaire　13；　a　representative　arri