the origins of contemporary france-4-第75节

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Woe　to　the　imprudent　who；　never　concerning　themselves　with　public

affairs；　and　relying　on　their　innocence；　discard　the　officious　broker

and　fail　to　pay　up　at　once！　Brichard；　the　notary；　having　refused　or

tendered　too　late；　the　hundred　thousand　crowns　demanded　of　him；　is　to

put　his　head　〃at　the　red　window。〃　…　And　I　omit　ordinary　rapine；　the

vast　field　open　to　extortion　through　innumerable　inventories；

sequestrations　and　adjudications；　through　the　enormities　of

contractors；　through　hastily　executed　purchases　and　deliveries；

through　the　waste　of　two　or　three　millions　given　weekly　by　the

government　to　the　Commune　for　supplies　for　the　capital；　through　the

requisitions　of　grain　which　give　fifteen　hundred　men　of　the

revolutionary　army　an　opportunity　to　clean　out　all　the　neighboring

farms；　as　far　as　Corbeil　and　Meaux；　and　benefit　by　this　after　the

fashion　of　the　chauffeurs。＇40＇　…　With　such　a　staff；　these　anonymous

thefts　cannot　surprise　us。　　Babeuf；　the　falsifier　of　public　contracts；

is　secretary　for　provisions　to　the　Commune；　Maillard；　the　Abbaye

Septembriseur；　receives　eight　thousand　francs　for　his　direction；　in

the　forty…eight　sections；　of　the　ninety…six　observers　and　leaders　of

public　opinion；　Chrétien；　whose　smoking…shop　serves　as　the　rendezvous

of　rowdies；　becomes　a　juryman　at　eighteen　francs　a　day　in　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；　and　leads　his　section　with　uplifted　saber；＇41＇

De　Sade；　professor　of　crimes；　is　now　the　oracle　of　his　quarter；　and；

in　the　name　of　the　Piques　Section；　he　reads　addresses　to　the

Convention。



III。



A　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs。　　…　A　General　in　command。　　…　The　Paris

Commune。　　…　A　Revolutionary　Committee。



Let　us　examine　some　of　these　figures　closely：　the　nearer　they　are　to

the　eye　and　foremost　in　position；　the　more　the　importance　of　the　duty

brings　into　light　the　unworthiness　of　the　potentate。　　…　　There　is

already　one　of　them；　whom　we　have　seen　in　passing；　Buchot；　twice

noticed　by　Robespierre　under　his　own　hand　as　〃a　man　of　probity；

energetic　and　capable　of　fulfilling　the　most　important　functions；〃＇42＇

appointed　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　〃Commissioner　on　External

Relations；〃　that　is　to　say；　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　and　kept　in

this　important　position　for　nearly　six　months。　　He　is　a　school…master

from　the　Jura；＇43＇　recently　disembarked　from　his　small　town　and　whose

〃ignorance；　low　habits　and　stupidity　surpass　anything　that　can　be

imagined　。　　。　　。　　The　chief　clerks　have　nothing　to　do　with　him；　he

neither　sees　nor　asks　for　them。　　He　is　never　found　in　his　office；　and

when　it　is　indispensable　to　ask　for　his　signature　on　any　legislative

matter；　the　sole　act　to　which　he　has　reduced　his　functions；　they　are

compelled　to　go　and　force　it　from　him　in　the　Café　Hardy；　where　he

usually　passes　his　days。〃　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　is　envious

and　spiteful；　avenging　himself　for　his　incapacity　on　those　whose

competency　makes　him　sensible　of　his　incompetence；　he　denounces　them

as　Moderates；　and；　at　last；　succeeds　in　having　a　warrant　of　arrest

issued　against　his　four　chief　clerks；　on　the　morning　of　Thermidor　9；

with　a　wicked　leer；　he　himself　carries　the　news　to　one　of　them；　M。

Miot。　　Unfortunately　for　him；　after　Thermidor；　he　is　turned　out　and　M。

Miot　is　put　in　his　place。　　With　diplomatic　politeness；　the　latter

calls　on　his　predecessor　and　〃expresses　to　him　the　usual　compliments。〃

Buchot；　insensible　to　compliments；　immediately　thinks　of　the

substantial；　and　the　first　thing　he　asks　for　is　to　keep　provisionally

his　apartment　in　the　ministry。　　On　this　being　granted；　he　expresses

his　thanks　and　tells　M。　Miot　that　it　was　very　well　to　appoint　him；

but　〃for　myself；　it　is　very　disagreeable。　　I　have　been　obliged　to　come

to　Paris　and　quit　my　post　in　the　provinces；　and　now　they　leave　me　in

the　street。〃　Thereupon；　with　astounding　impudence；　he　asks　the　man

whom　he　wished　to　guillotine　to　give　him　a　place　as　ministerial　clerk。

M。　Miot　tries　to　make　him　understand　that　for　a　former　minister　to

descend　so　low　would　be　improper。　　Buchot　regards　such　delicacy　as

strange；　and；　seeing　M。　Miot's　embarrassment；　he　ends　by　saying：　〃If

you　don't　find　me　fit　for　a　clerk；　I　shall　be　content　with　the　place

of　a　servant。〃　This　estimate　of　himself　shows　his　proper　value。



The　other；　whom　we　have　also　met　before；　and　who　is　already　known　by

his　acts；＇44＇　general　in　Paris　of　the　entire　armed　force；　commander…

in…chief　of　one　hundred　and　ten　thousand　men；　is　that　former　servant

or　under…clerk　of　the　procureur　Formey；　who；　dismissed　by　his　employer

for　robbery；　shut　up　in　Bicêtre；　by　turns　a　runner　and　announcer　for　a

traveling　show；　barrier…clerk　and　September　assassin；　has　purged　the

Convention　on　the　2nd　of　June　…　in　short；　the　famous　Henriot；　and　now

simply　a　brute　and　a　sot。　　In　this　latter　capacity；　spared　on　the

trial　of　the　Hébertists；　he　is　kept　as　a　tool；　for　the　reason；

doubtless；　that　he　is　narrow；　coarse　and　manageable；　more　compromised

than　anybody　else；　good　for　any　job；　without　the　slightest　chance　of

becoming　independent；　unemployed　in　the　army；45　having　no　prestige

with　true　soldiers；　a　general　for　street　parade　and　an　interloper　and

lower　than　the　lowest　of　the　mob；　his　mansion；　his　box　at　the　Opera…

Comique；　his　horses；　his　importance　at　festivals　and　reviews；　and；

above　all；　his　orgies　make　him　perfectly　content。　　…　Every　evening；　in

full　uniform；　escorted　by　his　aides…de…camp；　he　gallops　to　Choisy…sur…

Seine；　where；　in　the　domicile　of　a　flatterer　named　Fauvel；　along　with

some　of　Robespierre's　confederates　or　the　local　demagogues；　he　revels。

They　toss　off　the　wines　of　the　Duc　de　Coigny；　smash　the　glasses；

plates　and　bottles；　betake　themselves　to　neighboring　dance…rooms　and

kick　up　a　row；　bursting　in　doors；　and　breaking　benches　and　chairs　to

pieces　…　in　short；　they　have　a　good　time。　　…　The　next　morning；　having

slept　himself　sober；　he　dictates　his　orders　for　the　day；　veritable

masterpieces　in　which　the　silliness；　imbecility　and　credulity　of　a

numskull；　the　sentimentality　of　the　drunkard；　the　clap…trap　of　a

mountebank　and　the　tirades　of　a　cheap　philosopher　form　an　unique

compound；　at　once　sickening　and　irritating；　like　the　fiery；　pungent

mixtures　of　cheap　bars；　which　suit　his　audience　better　because　they

contain　the　biting；　mawkish　ingredients　that　compose　the　adulterated

brandy　of　the　Revolution。　　…　　He　is　posted　on　foreign　maneuvers；　and

enlarges　upon　the　true　reasons　for　the　famine：　〃A　lot　of　bread　has

been　lately　found　in　the　privies：　the　Pitts　and　Cobourgs　and　other

rascals　who　want　to　enslave　justice　and　reason；　and　assassinate

philosophy；　must　be　called　to　account　for　this。　　Headquarters；

etc。〃＇46＇　He　has　theories　on　religions　and　preaches　civic　modesty　to

all　dissenters：　〃The　ministers　and　sectaries　of　every　form　of　worship

are　requested　not　to　practice　any　further　religious　ceremonies　outside

their　temples。　　Every　good　sectarian　will　see　the　propriety　of

observing　this　order。　　The　interior　of　a　temple　is　large　enough　for

paying　one's　homage　to　the　Eternal；　who　requires　no　rites　that　are

repulsive　to　every　thinking　man。　　The　wise　agree　that　a　pure　heart　is

the　sublimest　homage　that　Divinity　can　desire。　　Headquarters；　etc。〃　…

He　sighs　for　the　universal　idyllic　state；　and　invokes　the　suppression

of　the　armed　force：



　〃I　beg　my　fellow…citizens；　who　are　led　to　the　criminal　courts　out　of

curiosity；　to　act　as　their　own　police；　this　is　a　task　which　every　good

citizen　should　fulfill　wherever　he　happens　to　be。　　In　a　free　country；

justice　should　not　be　secured　by　pikes　and　bayonets；　but　through

reason　and　philosophy。　　These　must　maintain　a　watchful　eye　over

society；　these　must　purify　it　and　proscribe　thieves　and　evil…doers。

Each　individual　must　bring　his　small　philosophic　portion　with　him　and；

with　these　small　portions；　compose　a　rational　totality　that　will　turn

out　to　be　of　benefit　and　to　the　welfare　of　all。　　Oh；　for　the　time　when

functionaries　shall　be　rare；　when　the　wicked　shall　be　overthrown；　when

the　law　shall　become　the　sole　functionary　in　society！　Headquarters；

etc。　　〃　　Every　morning；　he　preaches　in　the　same　pontifical　strain。

Imagine　the　scene　…　Henriot's　levee　at　head…quarters；　and　a　writing

table；　with；　perhaps；　a　bottle　of　brandy　on　it；　on　one　side　of　the

table；　the　rascal　who；　while　buckling　on　his　belt　or　drawing　on　his

boots；　softens　his　husky　voice；　and；　with　his　nervous　twitchings；

flounders　through　his　humanitarian　homily；　on　the　other　side　the　mute；

uneasy　secretary；　who　may　probably　be　able　to　spell；　but　who　dares　not

materially　change　the　grotesque　phraseology　of　his　master。



The　Commune　which　employs　the　commanding…general　is　of　about　the　same

alloy；　for；　in　the　municipal　sword；　the　blade　and　hilt；　forged

together　in　the　Jacobin　shop；　are　composed　of　the　same　base　metal。　　…

Fifty…six；　out　of　eighty…eight　members；　whose　qualifications　and

occupations　are　known；　are　decidedly　illiterate；　or　nearly　s