the origins of contemporary france-2- 第34部分

daredevils　who　become　leaders。







　III。　　THE　POWER　OF　SIMPLE；　GENERAL　IDEAS。



　Ascendancy　of　the　revolutionary　party　…　Theory　in　its　favor　…　The

constraint　thus　imposed　on　men's　minds　…　Appeal　to　the　passions　…

Brute　force　on　the　side　of　the　party　…　It　profits　by　this　…

Oppression　of　the　minority。



　Two　advantages　give　this　party　the　ascendancy；　and　these　advantages

are　of　such　importance　that　henceforth　whoever　possesses　them　is

sure　of　being　master。　…　In　the　first　place　the　prevailing　theory　is

on　the　side　of　the　revolutionaries；　and　they　alone　are；　in　the

second　place；　determined　thoroughly　to　apply　it。　　　This　party；

therefore；　is　the　only　one　which　is　consistent　and　popular　in　the

face　of　adversaries　who　are　unpopular　and　inconsequent。　　　Nearly　all

of　the　latter；　indeed；　defenders　of　the　ancient　régime；　or　partisans

of　a　limited　monarchy；　are　likewise　imbued　with　abstract　principles

and　philosophical　speculation。　　　The　most　refractory　nobles　have

advocated　the　rights　of　man　in　their　memorials。　　　Mounier；　the

principal　opponent　of　the　demagogues；　was　the　leader　of　the　commons

when　they　proclaimed　themselves　to　be　the　National　…Assembly。＇33＇

This　is　enough：　they　have　entered　the　narrow　defile　which　leads　to

the　abyss。　　　They　had　no　idea　of　it　at　the　first　start；　but　one　step

leads　to　another；　and；　willing　or　unwilling；　they　march　on；　or　are

pushed　on。　　　When　the　abyss　comes　in　sight　it　is　too　late；　they　have

been　driven　there　by　the　logical　results　of　their　own　concessions；

they　can　do　nothing　but　wax　eloquent　and　indignant；　having　abandoned

their　vantage　ground；　they　find　no　halting…place　remaining。　…　　There

is　an　enormous　power　in　general　ideas；　especially　if　they　are

simple；　and　appeal　to　the　passions。　　　None　are　simpler　than　these；

since　they　are　reducible　to　the　axiom　which　assumes　the　rights　of

man；　and　subordinate　to　them　every　institution；　old　or　new。　　　None

are　better　calculated　to　inflame　the　sentiments；　since　the　doctrine

enlists　human　arrogance　and　pride　in　its　service；　and；　in　the　name

of　justice；　consecrates　all　the　demands　of　independence　and

domination。　　　Consider　three…fourths　of　the　deputies；　immature　and

prejudiced；　possessing　no　information　but　a　few　formulas　of　the

current　philosophy；　with　no　thread　to　guide　them　but　pure　logic；

abandoned　to　the　declamation　of　lawyers；　to　the　wild　utterances　of

the　newspapers；　to　the　promptings　of　self…esteem；　to　the　hundred

thousand　tongues　which；　on　all　sides；　at　the　bar　of　the　Assembly；　at

the　tribune；　in　the　clubs；　in　the　streets；　in　their　own　breasts；

repeat　unanimously　to　them；　and　every　day；　the　same　flattery：



　　〃You　are　sovereign　and　omnipotent。　　　Right　is　vested　in　you　alone。

The　King　exists　only　to　execute　your　will。　　　Every　order；　every

corporation；　every　power；　every　civil　or　ecclesiastical　association

is　illegitimate　and　null　the　moment　you　declare　it　to　be　so。　　　You

may　even　transform　religion。　　　You　are　the　fathers　of　the　country。

You　have　saved　France；　you　will　regenerate　humanity。　　　The　whole

world　looks　on　you　in　admiration；　finish　your　glorious　work　

forward；　always　forward。〃



　Superior　good　sense　and　rooted　convictions　could　alone　stand　firm

against　this　flood　of　seductions　and　solicitations；　but　vacillating

and　ordinary　men　are　carried　away　by　it。　　　In　the　harmony　of

applause　which　rises；　they　do　not　hear　the　crash　of　the　ruins　they

produce。　　　In　any　case；　they　stop　their　ears；　and　shun　the　cries　of

the　oppressed；　they　refuse　to　admit　that　their　work　could　possibly

bring　about　evil　results；　they　accept　the　sophisms　and　untruths

which　justify　it；　they　allow　the　assassinated　to　be　calumniated　in

order　to　excuse　the　assassins；　they　listen　to　Merlin　de　Douay；　who；

after　three　or　four　jacqueries；　when　pillaging；　arson；　and　murder

are　going　on　in　all　the　provinces；　has　just　declared　in　the　name　of

the　Committee　on　Feudalism＇34＇　that　〃a　law　must　be　presented　to　the

people；　the　justice　of　which　may　enforce　silence　on　the　feudatory

egoists　who；　for　the　past　six　months；　so　indecently　protest　against

plunder；　the　wisdom　of　which　may　restore　to　a　sense　of　duty　the

peasant　who　has　been　led　astray　for　a　moment　by　his　resentment　of　a

long　oppression。〃　And　when　Raynal；　the　surviving　patriarch　of　the

philosophic　party；　one　day；　for　a　wonder；　takes　the　plain　truth　with

him　into　their　tribune；　they　resent　his　straightforwardness　as　an

outrage；　and　excuse　it　solely　on　the　ground　of　his　imbecility。　　　An

omnipotent　legislator　cannot　depreciate　himself；　like　a　king　he　is

condemned　to　self…admiration　in　his　public　capacity。　　　〃There　were

not　thirty　deputies　amongst　us；〃　says　a　witness；　〃who　thought

differently　from　Raynal；〃　but　〃in　each　other's　presence　the　credit

of　the　Revolution；　the　perspective　of　its　blessings；　was　an　article

of　faith　which　had　to　be　believed　in；〃　and；　against　their　own

reason；　against　their　conscience；　the　moderates；　caught　in　the　net

of　their　own　acts；　join　the　revolutionaries　to　complete　the

Revolution。



　Had　they　refused；　they　would　have　been　compelled；　for；　to　obtain

the　power；　the　Assembly　has；　from　the　very　first；　either　tolerated

or　solicited　the　violence　of　the　streets。　　　But；　in　accepting

insurrectionists　for　its　allies；　it　makes　them　masters；　and

henceforth；　in　Paris　as　in　the　provinces；　illegal　and　brutal　force

becomes　the　principal　power　of　the　State。　　　〃The　triumph　was

accomplished　through　the　people；　it　was　impossible　to　be　severe　with

them；〃＇35＇　hence；　when　insurrections　were　to　be　put　down；　the

Assembly　had　neither　the　courage　nor　the　force　necessary。　　　〃They

blame　for　the　sake　of　decency；　they　frame　their　deeds　by

expediency。〃　and　in　turn　justly　undergo　the　pressure　which　they

themselves　have　sanctioned　against　others。　　　Only　three　or　four

times　do　the　majority；　when　the　insurrection　becomes　too　daring　

after　the　murder　of　the　baker　Fran？ois；　the　insurrection　of　the

Swiss　Guard　at　Nancy；　and　the　outbreak　of　the　Champ　de　Mars　　　feel

that　they　themselves　are　menaced；　vote　for　and　apply　martial　law；

and　repel　force　with　force。　　　But；　in　general；　when　the　despotism　of

the　people　is　exercised　only　against　the　royalist　minority；　they

allow　their　adversaries　to　be　oppressed；　and　do　not　consider

themselves　affected　by　the　violence　which　assails　the　party　of　the

〃right：〃　they　are　enemies；　and　may　be　given　up　to　the　wild　beasts。

In　accordance　with　this；　the　〃left　〃　has　made　its　arrangements；　its

fanaticism　has　no　scruples；　it　is　principle；　it　is　absolute　truth

that　is　at　stake；　this　must　triumph　at　any　cost。　　　Besides；　can

there　be　any　hesitation　in　having　recourse　to　the　people　in　the

people's　own　cause？　A　little　compulsion　will　help　along　the　good

cause；　and　hence　the　siege　of　the　Assembly　is　continually　renewed。

This　was　the　practice　already　at　Versailles　before　the　6th　of

October；　while　now；　at　Paris；　it　is　kept　up　more　actively　and　with

less　disguise。



　At　the　beginning　of　the　year　1790；＇36＇　the　band　under　pay　comprises

seven　hundred　and　fifty　effective　men；　most　of　them　deserters　or

soldiers　drummed　out　of　their　regiments；　who　are　at　first　paid　five

francs　and　then　forty　sous　a　day。　　　It　is　their　business　to　make　or

support　motions　in　the　coffee…houses　and　in　the　streets；　to　mix　with

the　spectators　at　the　sittings　of　the　sections；　with　the　groups　at

the　Palais…Royal；　and　especially　in　the　galleries　of　the　National…

Assembly；　where　they　are　to　hoot　or　applaud　at　a　given　signal。

Their　leader　is　a　Chevalier　de　Saint…Louis；　to　whom　they　swear

obedience；　and　who　receives　his　orders　from　the　Committee　of

Jacobins。　　　His　first　lieutenant　at　the　Assembly　is　a　M。　Saule；　〃a

stout；　small；　stunted　old　fellow；　formerly　an　upholsterer；　then　a

charlatan　hawker　of　four　penny　boxes　of　grease　（made　from　the　fat　of

those　that　had　been　hung　…　for　the　cure　of　diseases　of　the　kidneys）

and　all　his　life　a　sot　。。。。　　　who；　by　means　of　a　tolerably　shrill

voice；　which　was　always　well　moistened；　has　acquired　some　reputation

in　the　galleries　of　the　Assembly。〃　In　fact；　he　has　forged　admission

tickets　he　has　been　turned　out；　he　has　been　obliged　to　resume　〃the

box　of　ointment；　and　travel　for　one　or　two　months　in　the　provinces

with　a　man　of　letters　for　his　companion。〃　But　on　his　return；

〃through　the　protection　of　a　groom　of　the　Court；　he　obtained　a　piece

of　ground　for　a　coffee…house　against　the　wall　of　the　Tuileries

garden；　almost　alongside　of　the　National　Assembly；〃　and　now　it　is　at

home　in　his　coffee…shop　behind　his　counter　that　the　hirelings　of　the

galleries　〃　come　to　him　to　know　what　they　must　say；　and　to　be　told

the　order　of　the　day　in　regard　to　applause。〃　Besides　this；　he　is

there　himself；　〃it　is　he　who　for　three　years　is　to　regulate　public

sentiment　in　the　galleries　confided　to　his　care；　and；　for　his　useful

and　satisfactory　services；　the　Constituent　Assembly　will　award　him　a

recompense；〃　to　which　the　Legislative　Assembly　will　add　〃　a　pension

of　six　hundred　livres；　besides　a　lodging　in　an　apartment　of　the

Feuillants。〃



　We　can　divine　how　men　of　this　stamp；　thus　compensated；　do　their

work。　　　From　the　top　of　the　galleries＇37＇　they　drown　the　demands　of

the　〃right〃　by　the　force　of　their　lungs；　this　or　that　decree；　as；

for　instance；　the　abolition　of　titles　of　nobility；　is　carried；　〃not

by　shouts；　but　by　terrific　howls。〃＇38＇　On　the　arrival　of　the　news　of

the　sacking　of　the　H？tel　de　Castries　by　the　populace；　they　applaud。

On　the　question　coming　up　as　to　the　decision　whether　the　Catholic

faith　shall　be　dominant；　〃they　shout　out　that　the　aristocrats　must

all　be　hung；　and　then　things　will　go　on　well。〃　Their　outrages　not

only　remain　unpunished；　but　are　encouraged：　this　or　that　noble　who

complains　of　their　hooting　is　called　to　order；　while　their

interference　and　vociferations；　their　insults　and　their　menaces；　are

from　this　time　introduced　as　one　of　the　regular　wheels　of

legislative　operations。　　　Their　pressure