the origins of contemporary france-4-第5节

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second　distinct　body；　the　largest　of　all；　and　on　which　all　eyes　are

centered。　　For；　in　their　wake；　〃their　is　no　longer　any　distinction

between　persons　and　functionaries；〃　all　being　confounded　together；

marching　pell…mell；　executive　council；　city　officials；　judges

scattered　about　haphazard　and；　by　virtue　of　equality；　lost　in　the

crowd。　　At　each　station；　thanks　to　their　insignia；　the　delegates　form

the　most　conspicuous　element。　　On　reaching　the　last　one；　that　of　the

Champ　de　Mars；　they　alone　with　the　Convention；　ascend　the　steps

leading　to　the　alter　of　the　country；　on　the　highest　platform　stands

the　eldest　of　all　alongside　the　president　of　the　Convention；　also

standing；　thus　graded　above　each　other；　the　seven　thousand；　who

envelope　the　seven　hundred　and　fifty；　form　〃the　veritable　Sacred

Mountain。〃　Now；　the　president；　on　the　highest　platform；　turns　toward

the　eighty…seven　elders；　he　confides　to　the　Ark　containing　the

Constitutional　Act　and　the　list　of　those　who　voted　for　it；　they；　on

their　part；　then　advance　and　hand　him　their　pikes；　which　he　gathers

together　into　one　bundle　as　an　emblem　of　national　unity　and

indivisibility。　　At　this；　shouts　arise　from　every　point　of　the　immense

enclosure；　salvoes　of　artillery　follow　again　and　again；　〃one　would　say

that　heaven　and　earth　answered　each　other〃　in　honor　〃of　the　greatest

epoch　of　humanity。〃　　Certainly；　the　delegates　are　beside　themselves；

their　nerves；　strained　to　the　utmost；　vibrates　too　powerfully；　the

millennium　discloses　itself　before　their　eyes。　　Already；　many　among

them　on　the　Place　de　la　Bastille；　had　addressed　the　universe；　others；

〃seized　with　a　prophetic　spirit；〃　promise　eternity　to　the

Constitution。　　They　feel　themselves　〃reborn　again；　along　with　the

human　species；〃　they　regard　themselves　as　beings　of　a　new　world。

History　is　consummated　in　them；　the　future　is　in　their　hands；　they

believe　themselves　gods　on　earth。　　　In　this　critical　state；　their

reason；　like　a　pair　of　ill…balanced　scales；　yields　to　the　slightest

touch；　under　the　pressure　of　the　manufacturers　of　enthusiasm；　a　sudden

reaction　will　carry　them　away。　　They　consider　the　Constitution　as　a

panacea；　and　they　are　going　to　consign　it；　like　some　dangerous　drug；

to　this　coffer　which　they　call　an　ark。　　They　have　just　proclaimed　the

liberty　of　the　people；　and　are　going　to　perpetuate　the　dictatorship　of

the　Convention。









VI。　　　The　Mountain。



Maneuvers　of　the　〃Mountain。〃　　The　Jacobin　Club　on　the　eve　of　August

11th。　　　Session　of　the　Convention　on　the　11th　of　August。　　　The

Delegates　initiate　Terror。　　　Popular　consecration　of　the　Jacobin

dictatorship。



This　volteface　has；　of　course；　to　appear　spontaneous　and　the　hand　of

the　titular　rulers　remain　invisible：　the　Convention；　as　usual　with

usurpers；　is　to　simulate　reserve　and　disinterestedness。　…

Consequently；　the　following　morning；　August　11；　on　the　opening　of

the　session；　it　simply　declares　that　〃its　mission　is　fulfilled：〃＇41＇

on　the　motion　of　Lacroix；　a　confederate　of　Danton's；　it　passes　a　law

that　a　new　census　of　the　population　and　of　electors　shall　be　made　with

as　little　delay　as　possible；　in　order　to　convoke　the　primary

assemblies　at　once；　it　welcomes　with　joy　the　delegates　who　bring　to　it

the　Constitutional　Ark；　the　entire　Assembly　rises　in　the　presence　of

this　sacred　receptacle；　and　allows　the　delegates　to　exhort　it　and

instruct　it　concerning　its　duties。＇42＇　　But　in　the　evening；　at　the

Jacobin　Club；　Robespierre；　after　a　long　and　vague　discourse　on　public

dangers；　conspiracies；　and　traitors；　suddenly　utters　the　decisive

words：



　〃The　most　important　of　my　reflections　was　about　to　escape　me＇43＇。　　。

。　　The　proposition　made　this　morning　will　only　facilitate　the

replacement　of　the　purified　members　of　this　Convention　by　the　envoys

of　Pitt　and　Cobourg。〃



Dreadful　words　in　the　mouth　of　a　man　of　principles！　They　are　at　once

understood　by　the　leaders；　great　and　small；　also　by　the　selected

fifteen　hundred　Jacobins　then　filling　the　hall。　　〃No！　no！　shouts　the

entire　club。〃　The　delegates　are　carried　away：



　〃I　demand；〃　exclaims　one　of　them；　〃that　the　dissolution　of　the

Convention　be　postponed　until　the　end　of　the　war。〃　…



　At　last；　the　precious　motion；　so　long　desired　and　anticipated；　is

made：　the　calumnies　of　the　Girondins　now　fall　the　ground；　it　is

demonstrated　that　the　Convention　does　not　desire　to　perpetuate　itself

and　that　it　has　no　ambition；　if　it　remains　in　power　it　is　because　it

is　kept　there；　the　delegates　of　the　people　compel　it　to　stay。



And　better　still；　they　are　going　to　mark　out　its　course　of　action。　　

The　next　day；　the　12th　of　August；　with　the　zeal　of　new　converts；　they

spread　themselves　through　the　hall　in　such　numbers　that　Assembly；　no

longer　able　to　carry　on　is　deliberations；　crowds　toward　the　left　and

yields　the　whole　of　the　space　on　the　right　that　they　may　occupy　and

〃purify〃〃　it。＇44＇　　All　the　combustible　material　in　their　minds；

accumulated　during　the　past　fortnight；　takes　fire　and　explodes；　they

are　more　furious　than　the　most　ultra　Jacobins；　they　repeat　at　the　bar

of　the　house　the　extravagances　of　Rose　Lacombe；　and　of　the　lowest

clubs；　they　even　transcend　the　program　drawn　up　by　the　〃Mountain。〃

〃The　time　for　deliberation　is　past；〃　exclaims　their　spokesman；　〃we

must　act＇45＇。　　。　　。　　Let　the　people　rouse　themselves　in　a　mass。　　。　　。

it　alone　can　annihilate　its　enemies。　　。　　。　　We　demand　that　all

'suspects'　be　put　under　arrest；　that　they　be　dispatched　to　the

frontiers；　followed　by　the　terrible　mass　of　sans…culottes。　　There；　in

the　front　ranks；　they　will　be　obliged　to　fight　for　that　liberty　which

they　have　outraged　for　the　past　four　years；　or　be　immolated　on　the

tyrants'　cannon。　　。　　。　　。　　Women；　children；　old　men　and　the　infirm

shall　be　kept　as　hostages　by　the　women　and　children　of　sans…culottes。〃

Danton　seizes　the　opportunity。　　With　his　usual　lucidity　he　finds　the

expression　which　describes　the　situation：



〃The　deputies　of　the　primary　assemblies；〃　he　says；　〃have　just　begun　to

practice　among　us　the　initiative　of　terror。〃



He　moreover　reduces　the　absurd　notions　of　the　fanatics　to　a　practical

measure：　〃A　mobilization　en　masse；　yes；　but　with　order〃　by　at　once

calling　out　the　first　class　of　conscript；　all　men　from　eighteen　to

twenty…five　years　of　age；　the　arrest　of　all　'suspects'；　yes；　but　not

to　lead　them　against　the　enemy；　〃they　would　be　more　dangerous　than

useful　in　our　armies；　let　us　shut　them　up；　they　will　be　our　hostages。〃

　He　also　proposes　employment　for　the　delegates　who　are　only　in　the

way　in　Paris　and　might　be　useful　in　the　provinces。　　Let　us　make　of

them　〃various　kinds　of　representatives　charged　with　animating

citizens。　　。　　。　　Let　them；　along　with　all　good　citizens　and　the

constituted　authorities；　take　charge　of　the　inventories　of　grain　and

arms；　and　make　requisitions　for　men；　and　let　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety　direct　this　sublime　movement。　　。　　。　　。　　All　will　swear　that；　on

returning　to　their　homes；　they　will　give　this　impulse　their　fellow

citizens。〃　Universal　applause；　the　delegates　exclaim　in　one　voice；　〃We

swear！〃　Everybody　springs　to　his　feet；　the　men　in　the　tribunes　wave

their　hats　and　likewise　should　the　same　oath。　　　The　scheme　is

successful；　a　semblance　of　popular　will　has　authorized　the　staff　of

officials；　the　policy；　the　principles　and　the　very　name　of　Terror。　　As

to　the　instruments　for　the　operation　they　are　all　there　ready　to　be

back　into　action。　　The　delegates；　of　whose　demands　and　interference

the　〃Mountain〃　is　still　in　dread；　are　sent　back　to　their　departmental

holes；　where　they　shall　serve　as　agents　and　missionaries。＇46＇　There　is

no　further　mention　of　putting　the　Constitution　into　operation；　this

was　simply　a　bait；　a　decoy；　contrived　for　fishing　in　turbid　waters：

the　fishing　ended；　the　Constitution　is　now　placed　in　a　conspicuous

place　in　the　hall；　in　a　small　monument　for　which　David　furnished　the

design。＇47＇　　The　Convention；　now；　says　Danton；　〃will　rise　to　a　sense

of　its　dignity；　for　it　is　now　invested　with　the　full　power　of　the

nation。〃　In　other　words；　artifice　completes　what　violence　has　begun。

Through　the　outrages　committed　in　May　and　June；　the　Convention　had

lost　its　legitimacy；　through　the　maneuvers　of　July　and　August　it

recovered　the　semblance　of　it。　　The　Montagnards　still　hold　their　slave

by　his　lash；　but　they　have　restored　his　prestige　so　as　to　make　the

most　of　him　to　their　own　profit。







VII。



Effect　of　this　maneuver。　　　Extent　and　Manifesto　of　the　departmental

insurrection。　　　Its　fundamental　weakness。　　　The　mass　of　the

population　inert　and　distrustful。　　　The　small　number　of　Girondists。

　Their　lukewarm　adherents。　　　Scruples　of　fugitive　deputies　and

insurgent　administrators。　　　They　form　no　central　government。　　

They　leave　military　authority　in　the　hands　of　the　Convention。　　

Fatal　progress　of　their　concessions。　　　Withdrawal　of　the　departments

one　by　one。　　　Retraction　of　the　compromised　authorities