the origins of contemporary france-4-第55节

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made　use　of　this　conclusive　document　before　I　did；　most　of　it　being

quoted　in　〃Les　Types　Revolutionnaires。〃）



＇172＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXIII。；　434。







CHAPTER　II。　　THE　RULERS　OF　THE　COUNTRY。



Let　us　follow　the　operations　of　the　new　government　from　top　to　bottom；

from　those　of　its　ruling　bodies　and　leaders；　to　its　assemblies；

committees；　delegates；　administrators　and　underlings　of　every　kind　and

degree。　　Like　living　flesh　stamped　with　a　red…hot　iron；　so　will　the

situation　put　one　their　brows　the　two　marks；　each　with　its　own

different　depth　and　discoloration。　　In　vain　do　they；　too；　strive　to

conceal　their　scars：　we　detect　under　the　crowns　and　titles　they　assume

the　brand　of　the　slave　or　the　mark　of　the　tyrant。



I。　　　The　Convention。



The　Convention。　　…　The　〃Plain。〃　…　The　〃Mountain。〃　…　Degradation　of

Souls。　　…　Parades　which　the　Convention　is　obligated　to　make。



At　the　Tuileries；　the　omnipotent　Convention　sits　enthroned　in　the

theater；　converted　into　an　Assembly　room。　　It　carries　on　its

deliberations　daily；　in　grand　style。　　Its　decrees；　received　with　blind

obedience；　startle　France　and　upset　all　Europe。　　At　a　distance；　its

majesty　is　imposing；　more　august　than　that　of　the　Republican　senate　in

Rome。　　Near　by；　the　effect　is　quite　otherwise；　these　undisputed

sovereigns　are　serfs　who　live　in　trances；　and　justly　so；　for；　nowhere；

even　in　prison；　is　there　more　constraint　and　less　security　than　on

their　benches。　　After　the　2nd　of　June；　1793；　their　inviolable

precincts；　the　grand　official　reservoir　from　which　legal　authority

flows；　becomes　a　sort　of　tank；　into　which　the　revolutionary　net

plunges　and　successfully　brings　out　its　choicest　fish；　singly　or　by

the　dozen；　and　sometimes　in　vast　numbers；　at　first；　the　sixty…seven

Girondist　deputies；　who　are　executed　or　proscribed；　then；　the　seventy…

three　members　of　the　〃Right；〃　swept　off　in　one　day　and　lodged　in　the

prison　of　La　Force；　next；　the　prominent　Jacobins：



Osselin；　arrested　on　the　19th　of　Brumaire；　Bazire；　Chabot；　and

Delaunay；　accused　by　decree　on　the　24th　Brumaire；　Fabre　d'Eglantine；

arrested　on　the　24th　of　Niv？se；　Bernard；　guillotined　on　the　3rd　of

Pluvi？se；　Anacharsis　Clootz　guillotined　on　the　4th　of　Germinal；

Hérault　de　Séchelles；　Lacroix；　Philippeaux；　Camille　Desmoulins　and

Danton；　guillotined　with　four　others　on　the　10th　of　Germinal；　Simon；

guillotined　on　the　24th　of　Germinal；　and　Osselin；　guillotined　on　the

8th　of　Messidor。　　…　Naturally；　the　others　take　warning　and　are

careful。　　At　the　opening　of　the　session　they　are　seen　entering　the

hall；　looking　uneasy；　full　of　distrust；〃＇1＇　like　animals　driven　into　a

pen　and　suspicious　of　a　trap。



〃Each；〃　writes　an　eye…witness；　〃acted　and　spoke　with　circumspection；

for　fear　of　being　charged　with　some　crime：　in　effect；　nothing　was

unimportant；　the　seat　one　took；　a　glance　of　the　eye；　a　gesture；　a

murmur；　a　smile。〃



Hence；　they　flock　instinctively　to　the　side　which　is　best　sheltered；

the　left　side。



　〃The　tide　flowed　towards　the　summit　of　the　Mountain；　the　right　side

was　deserted。　　。　　。　　。　　Many　took　no　side　at　all；　and；　during　the

session；　often　changed　their　seats；　thinking　that　they　might　thus

elude　the　spy　by　donning　a　mixed　hue　and　keeping　on　good　terms　with

everybody。　　The　most　prudent　never　sat　down；　they　kept　off　the

benches；　at　the　foot　of　the　tribune；　and；　on　matters　getting　to　be

serious；　slipped　quietly　out　of　the　hall。〃



Most　of　them　took　refuge　in　their　committee…rooms；　each　tries　to　be

over…looked；　to　be　obscure；　to　appear　insignificant　or　absent。＇2＇

During　the　four　months　following　the　2nd　of　June；　the　hall　of　the

Convention　is　half　or　three…quarters　empty；　the　election　of　a

president　does　not　bring　out　two　hundred　and　fifty　voters；＇3＇　only　two

hundred；　one　hundred；　fifty　votes；　elect　the　Committees　of　Public

Safety　and　General　Security；　about　fifty　votes　elect　the　judges　of　the

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　less　than　ten　votes　elect　their

substitutes；＇4＇　not　one　vote　is　cast　for　the　adoption　of　the　decree

indicting　the　deputy；　Dulaure；＇5＇　〃no　member　rises　for　or　against　it；

there　is　no　vote；〃　the　president；　nevertheless；　pronounces　the　act

passed　and　the　Marais　lets　things　take　their　course。〃　…　〃Marais

frogs〃＇6＇　is　the　appellation　bestowed　on　them　before　the　2nd　of　June；

when；　amongst　the　dregs　of　the　〃Center；〃　they　〃broke〃　with　the

〃Mountain；〃　now；　they　still　number　four　hundred　and　fifty；　three　times

as　many　as　the　〃　Montagnards；　〃but　they　purposely　keep　quiet；　their

old　name　〃renders　them；　so　to　say；　soft；　their　ears　ring　with　eternal

menaces；　their　hearts　shrivel　up　with　terror；＇7＇　while　their　tongues；

paralyzed　by　habitual　silence；　remain　as　if　glued　to　the　roofs　of

their　mouths。　　In　vain　do　they　keep　in　the　back…ground；　consent　to

everything；　ask　nothing　for　themselves　but　personal　safety；　and

surrender　all　else；　their　votes；　their　wills　and　their　consciences；

they　feel　that　their　life　hangs　by　a　thread。　　The　greatest　mute　among

them　all；　Siéyès；　denounced　in　the　Jacobin　Club；　barely　escapes；　and

through　the　protection　of　his　shoemaker；　who　rises　and　exclaims　：

〃That　Siéyès　！　I　know　him。　　He　don't　meddle　with　politics。　　He　does

nothing　but　read　his　book。　　I　make　his　shoes　and　will　answer　for

him。〃＇8＇



Of　course；　previous　to　the　9th　of　Thermidor；　none　of　them　open　their

mouths；　it　is　only　the　〃Montagnards〃　who　make　speeches；　and　on　the

countersign　being　given。　　If　Legendre；　the　admirer；　disciple　and

confidential　friend　of　Danton；　dares　at　one　time　interfere　in　relation

to　the　decree　which　sends　his　friend　to　the　scaffold；　asking　that　he

may　first　be　heard；　it　is　only　to　retract　immediately；　that　very

evening；　at　the　Jacobin　club；　for　greater　security；　〃he　wallows　in　the

mud；〃＇9＇　he　declares　〃that　he　submits　to　the　judgment　of　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；〃　and　swears　to　denounce　〃whoever　shall　oppose

any　obstacle　to　the　execution　of　the　decree。〃＇10＇　Has　not　Robespierre

taught　him　a　lesson；　and　in　his　most　pedantic　manner？　What　is　more

beautiful；　says　the　great　moralist；　more　sublime；　than　an　Assembly

which　purges　itself？＇11＇　…　Thus；　not　only　is　the　net　which　has　already

dragged　out　so　many　palpitating　victims　still　intact；　but　it　is

enlarged　and　set　again；　only；　the　fish　are　now　caught　on　the　〃Left〃　as

well　as　on　the　〃Right；〃　and　preferably　on　the　topmost　benches　of　the

〃Mountain。〃＇12＇　And　better　still；　through　the　law　of　Prairial　22；　its

meshes　are　reduced　in　size　and　its　width　increased；　with　such

admirable　contraption；　the　fishpond　could　not　fail　to　be　exhausted。　　A

little　before　the　9th　of　Thermidor；　David；　who　was　one　of

Robespierre's　devoted　adherents；　himself　exclaimed：　〃Will　twenty　of　us

be　left　on　the　Mountain？〃　About　the　same　time；　Legendic；　Thuriot；

Léonard　Bourdon；　Tallien；　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　and　others；　each　has　a

spy　all　day　long　at　his　heels。　　There　are　thirty　deputies　to　be

proscribed　and　their　names　are　whispered　about；　whereupon；　sixty　stay

out　all　night；　convinced　that　they　will　be　seized　the　next　morning

before　they　can　get　up。＇13＇



Subject　to　such　a　system；　prolonged　for　so　many　months；　people　sink

down　and　become　discouraged。　　〃Everybody　made　themselves　small　so　as

to　pass　beneath　the　popular　yoke。＇14＇　Everybody　became　one　of　the　low

class。　　。　　。　　。　　Clothes；　manners；　refinement；　cleanliness；　the

conveniences　of　life；　civility　and　politeness　were　all　renounced。〃　…

People　wear　their　clothes　indecently　and　curse　and　swear；　they　try　to

resemble　the　sans…culottes　Montagnards　〃who　are　profane　and　dress

themselves　like　so　many　dock…loafers；〃＇15＇　at　Armonville；　the　carder；

who　presides　（at　a　meeting）　wears　a　woolen　cap；　and　similarly　at

Cusset；　a　gauze…workman；　who　is　always　drunk。　　Only　Robespierre　dares

appear　in　neat　attire；　among　the　others；　who　do　not　have　his

influence；　among　the　demi…suspects　with　a　pot…belly；　such　a　residue　of

the　ancient　régime　might　become　dangerous；　they　do　well　not　to　attract

the　attention　of　the　foul…mouthed　spy　who　cannot　spell；＇16＇　especially

is　it　important　at　a　meeting　to　be　one　of　the　crowd　and　remain

unnoticed　by　the　paid　claqueurs；　drunken　swaggerers　and　〃fat

petticoats〃　of　the　tribunes。　　It　is　even　essential　to　shout　in　harmony

with　them　and　join　in　their　bar…room　dances。　　The　deputations　of　the

popular　clubs　come　for　fourteen　months　to　the　bar　of　the　house　and

recite　their　common…place　or　bombastic　tirades；　and　the　Convention　is

forced　to　applaud　them。　　For　nine　months；＇17＇　street　ballad…singers

and　coffee…house　ranters　attend　in　full　session　and　sing　the　rhymes　of

the　day；　while　the　Convention　is　obliged　to　join　in　the　chorus。　　For

six　weeks；＇18＇　the　profaners　of　churches　come　to　the　hall　and　display

their　dance…house　buffooneries；　and　the　Convention　has　not　only　to　put

up　with　these；　but　also　to　take　part　in　them。　　…　Never；　even　in

imperial　Rome；　under　Nero　and　Heliogabalus；　did　a　senate　descend　so

low。



II。



How　the　para