the origins of contemporary france-4-第142节

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Elections　of　year　V。　　…　Character　and　sentiments　of　the　elected。　　…

The　new　majority　in　the　Corps　Legislatif。　　…　Its　principles　and

program。　　…　Danger　and　anxiety　of　the　Jacobin　minority。　　…　Indecision；

division；　scruples　and　weakness　of　the　moderate　party。　　…　Decision；

want　of　scruples；　force　and　modes　of　procedure　of　the　Jacobin　faction。

…　The　18th　of　Fructidor。　　…



〃It　was　a　long　time；〃　writes　a　small　trader　of　Evreux；　〃since　so　many

people　were　seen　at　the　elections。＇46＇。　　。　　。　　。　　The　eight　electors

for　the　town　obtained　at　the　first　ballot　the　absolute　majority　of

suffrages。　　。　　。　　。　　Everybody　went　to　the　polls　so　as　to　prevent　the

nomination　of　any　elector　among　the　terrorists；　who　had　declared　that

their　reign　was　going　to　return。〃　…　In　the　environs　of　Blois；　a　rural

proprietor；　the　most　circumspect　and　most　peaceable　of　men；　notes　in

his　journal＇47＇that　〃　now　is　the　time　to　take　a　personal　interest。　　。

。　　。　　Every　sound…thinking　man　has　promised　not　to　refuse　any　office

tendered　to　him　so　as　to　keep　out　the　Jacobins。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is

reasonably　hoped　that　the　largest　number　of　the　electors　will　not　be

terrorists　and　that　the　majority　of　the　Legislative　Corps　being　all

right；　the　minority　of　the　furious；　who　have　only　one　more　year　of

office；　will　give　way　（in　1798）　to　men　of　probity　not　steeped　in

crime。　　。　　　。　　。　　In　the　country；　the　Jacobins　have　tried　in　vain：

people　of　means　who　employed　a　portion　of　the　voters；　obtained　their

suffrages；　every　proprietor　wishing　to　have　order。　　。　　。　　。　　The

Moderates　have　agreed　to　vote　for　no　matter　what　candidate；　provided

he　is　not　a　Jacobin。　　。　　。　　。　　Out　of　two　hundred　and　thirty　electors

for　the　department；　one　hundred　and　fifty　are　honest　and　upright

people。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　They　adhered　to　the　last　Constitution　as　to　their

sole　palladium；　only　a　very　few　of　them　dreaming　of　re…establishing

the　ancient　régime。〃　Their　object　is　plain　enough；　they　are　for　the

Constitution　against　the　Revolution；　for　limited　power　against

discretionary　power；　for　property　against　robbery；　for　upright　men

against　thieves。　　…　〃Would　you　prevent；　say　the　administrative

authorities　of　Aube；＇48＇　a　return　to　the　disastrous　laws　of　the

maximum；　of　monopolies；　to　the　resurrection　of　paper…money？　。　　。　　。

Would　you；　as　the　price　of　a　blameless　life；　be　once　more　humiliated；

robbed；　imprisoned；　tortured　by　the　vilest；　most　repulsive　and　most

shameless　of　tyrants？　You　have　only　one　recourse：　do　not　fail　to　go　to

your　primary　assemblies　and　remain　there。〃　The　electors；　warned　by

their　late　personal　and　bloody　souvenirs；　rush　to　the　polls　in　crowds

and　vote　according　to　their　consciences；　although　the　government

through　the　oaths　it　imposes；　its　official　candidatures；　its　special

commissioners；　its　intimidation　and　its　money；　bears　down　with　all　its

weight　on　the　resolutions　they　have　taken。　　Although　the　Jacobins　at

Nevers；　Macon　and　elsewhere；　have　forcibly　expelled　officers　legally

elected　from　their　bureaux；　and　stained　the　hall　with　their　blood；＇49＇

〃out　of　84　departments　66　elected　a　plurality　of　electors　from　among

the　anti…republicans；　eight　being　neither　good　nor　bad；　while　only　ten

remained　loyal　to　the　Jacobins。〃＇50＇　…　Appointed　by　such　electors；　we

can　divine　what　the　new　Third　will　be。　　〃Of　the　250　Conventionalists

excluded　by　the　draw　scarcely　five　or　six　have　been　re…elected；　there

are　but　eight　departments　in　which　the　Jacobins　have　had　any　success。

〃…Immediately　after　the　arrival　of　the　new　representatives；　the　roll

of　the　Legislative　Corps　having　been　checked　off；　it　is　found　that

〃the　Government　has　70　out　of　250　votes　among　the　Ancients；　and　200

out　of　500　among　the　Council　of　the　Young；〃　and　soon　less　than　200　in

this　Council；＇51＇　130　at　the　most；　who　will　certainly　be　excluded　at

the　coming　renewal　of　the　chambers　in　elections　which　are　becoming

more　and　more　anti…Jacobin。　　One　year　more；　as　the　rulers　themselves

admit；　and　not　one　Conventionalist；　not　one　pure　Jacobin；　will　sit　in

the　Legislative　Corps。　　Consequently；　according　to　the

revolutionaries；　the　counter…revolution　will　have　taken　place　in　the

year　VI。



This　means　that　the　Revolution　is　to　end　in　the　year　VI。；　and　that　the

pacific　reign　of　law　will　be　substituted　for　the　brutal　reign　of

force。　　In　fact；　the　great　majority　of　the　representatives　and　almost

the　entire　French　nation　have　no　other　end　in　view：　they　wish　to　rid

themselves　of　the　social　and　civil　régime　to　which　they　have　been

subject　since　the　10th　of　August；　1792；　and　which；　relaxed　after

Thermidor　9；　but　renewed　by　the　13th　of　Vendémiaire；　has　lasted　up　to

the　present　time；　through　the　enforcement　of　its　most　odious　laws　and

the　maintenance　of　its　most　disreputable　agents。　　This　is　all。　　…　Not

twenty　avowed　or　decided　royalists　could　be　found　in　the　two

Councils。＇52＇　　There　are　scarcely　more　than　five　or　six　…　Imbert…

Colomès；　Pichegru；　Willot；　Delarne　…　who　may　be　in　correspondence　with

Louis　XVIII。　　and　disposed　to　raise　the　royal　flag。　　For　the　other

five　hundred；　the　restoration　of　the　legitimate　King；　or　the

establishment　of　any　royalty　whatever；　is　only　in　the　background；　they

regard　it　only　at　a　distance；　as　a　possible　accompaniment　and　remote

consequence　of　their　present　undertaking。　　In　any　event；　they　would

accept　only　〃the　mitigated　monarchy；〃＇53＇　that　which　the　Liberals　of

1788　hoped　for；　that　which　Mounier　demanded　after　the　days　of　October

5　and　6；　that　advocated　by　Barnave　after　the　return　from　Varennes；

that　which　Malouet；　Gouverneur　Morris；　Mallet…Dupan　and　all　good

observers　and　wise　councillors　of　France；　always　recommended。　　None　of

them　propose　to　proclaim　divine　right　and　return　to　aristocratic

feudalism；　each　proposes　to　abrogate　revolutionary　right　and　destroy

Jacobin　feudalism。　　The　principle　condemned　by　them　is　that　which

sustains　the　theory　of　anarchy　and　despotism；



*　the　application　of　the　Contrat　Social；＇54＇



*　a　dictatorship　established　by　coups　détat；　carried　on　arbitrarily

and　supported　by　terror；



*　the　systematic　and　dogmatic　persistence　of　assaults　on　persons；

property　and　consciences；



*　the　usurpation　of　a　vicious；　fanatical　minority　which　has　devastated

France　for　five　years　and；　under　the　pretext　of　everywhere　setting　up

the　rights　of　man；　purposely　maintaining　a　war　to　propagate　its　system

abroad。



That　which　they　are　really　averse　to　is　the　Directory　and　its　clique；

Barras　with　his　court　of　gorged　contractors　and　kept　women；　Reubell

with　his　family　of　extortioners；　stamp　of　a　parvenu　and　ways　of　a

tavern　keeper；　La　Révellière…Lepaux　with　his　hunchback　vanity；

philosophic　pretensions；　sectarian　intolerance　and　silly　airs　of　a

pedantic　dupe。　　What　they　demand　in　the　tribune；＇55＇　is　the

purification　of　the　administration；　the　suppression　of　jobbery；　an　end

to　persecution　and；　according　as　they　are　more　or　less　excited　or

circumspect；　they　demand　legal　sentences　or　simply　the　removal　of

Jacobins　in　office；　the　immediate　and　entire　suppression　or　partial

and　careful　reform　of　the　laws　against　priests　and　worship；　against

émigrés　and　the　nobles。＇56＇　　Nobody　has　any　idea　of　innovation　with

respect　to　the　distribution　of　public　powers；　or　to　the　way　of

appointing　central　or　local　authorities。　　〃　I　swear　on　my　honor；〃

writes　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃that　it　has　always　been　my　intention　to

maintain　the　Republican　Constitution；　persuaded　as　I　am　that；　with　a

temperate　and　equitable　administration；　it　might　give　repose　to

France；　make　liberty　known　and　cherished；　and　repair　in　time　the　evils

of　the　Revolution。　　I　swear　that　no　proposals；　direct　or　indirect；

have　ever　been　made　to　me　to　serve；　either　by　my　actions；　speech　or

silence；　or　cause　to　prevail　in　any　near　or　remote　manner；　any　other

interest　than　that　of　the　Republic　and　the　Constitution。〃　　〃Among

the　deputies；〃　says　Camille　Jordan；　〃several　might　prefer　royalty；　but

they　did　not　conspire；　regarding　the　Constitution　as　a　deposit

entrusted　to　their　honor　。　　。　　They　kept　their　most　cherished　plans

subordinate　to　the　national　will；　they　comprehended　that　royalty　could

not　be　re…established　without　blows　and　through　the　development　of

this　bill。〃　　〃　Between　ourselves；〃　says　again　Barbé…Marbois；　〃there

were　disagreements　as　to　the　way　of　getting　along　with　the　Directory；

but　none　at　all　as　to　the　maintenance　of　the　Constitution。〃＇57＇

Almost　up　to　the　last　moment　they　confined　themselves　strictly　to

their　legal　rights；　and　when；　towards　the　end；　they　were　disposed　to

set　these　aside；　it　was　simply　to　defend　themselves　against　the

uplifted　saber　above　their　heads。＇58＇　　It　is　incontestable　that　their

leaders　are　〃the　most　estimable　and　the　ablest　men　in　the

Republic；〃＇59＇　the　only　representatives　of　free　suffrage；　mature

opinions　and　long　experience；　the　only　ones　at　least　in　whose　hands

the　Republic；　restored　to　order　and　justice；　would　have　any　chance　of

becoming　via