the origins of contemporary france-4- 第129部分

Their　heads；　perhaps；　…　but　certainly　their　power；　places；　fortunes；

comforts　and　pleasures；　all　that　in　their　eyes　makes　it　worth　while　to

live。　　…　Every　morning；　seventy　Paris　newspapers　and　as　many　local

gazettes　in　the　large　towns　of　the　provinces　expose；　with　supporting

documents；　details　and　figures；　not　merely　their　former　crimes；　but；

again；　their　actual　corruption；　their　sudden　opulence　founded　on

prevarication　and　rapine；　their　bribes　and　peculations　…



*　one；　rewarded　with　a　sumptuously　furnished　mansion　by　a　company　of

grateful　contractors；



*　another；　son　of　a　bailiwick　attorney　and　a　would…be　Carthusian；　now

possessor　of　ecclesiastical　property；　restored　by　him　at　a　great

outlay　for　hunting…grounds；　another　also　monopolizes　the　finest　land

in　Seine…et…Oise；



*　another；　the　improvised　owner　of　four　chateaux；



*　another；　who　has　feathered　his　nest　with　fifteen　or　eighteen

millions；＇62＇



With　their　loose　or　arbitrary　ways　of　doing　things；　their　habits　as

hoarders　or　spendthrifts；　their　display　and　effrontery；　their

dissipations；　their　courtiers　and　their　prostitutes。　　How　can　they

renounce　all　this？　…　And　all　the　more　because　this　is　all　they　have。

These　jaded　consciences　are　wholly　indifferent　to　abstract　principles；

to　popular　sovereignty；　to　the　common　weal；　to　public　security；　the

thin　and　brittle　coating　of　sonorous　phrases　under　which　they　formerly

tried　to　hide　the　selfishness　and　perversity　of　their　lusts；　scales

off　and　falls　to　the　ground。　　They　themselves　confess　that　it　is　not

the　Republic　for　which　they　are　concerned；　but　for　themselves　above

everything　else；　and　for　themselves　alone。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the

Republic　if　its　interest　is　opposed　to　their　interest；　as　Siéyès　will

soon　express　it；　the　object　is　not　to　save　the　Revolution　but　the

revolutionaries。　　…　Thus　disabused；　unscrupulous；　knowing　that　they

are　staking　their　all；　and　resolute；　like　their　colleagues　of　August

10；　September　2　and　May31　and　like　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；

they　are　determined　to　win；　no　matter　at　what　cost　or　by　what　means。



For　this　time　again；　the　Moderates　do　not　want　to　comprehend　that　the

war　has　been　declared；　and　that　it　is　war　to　the　knife。　　They　do　not

agree　amongst　themselves；　they　want　to　gain　time；　they　hesitate　and

take　refuge　in　constitutional　forms　…　they　do　not　act。　　The　strong

measures　which　the　eighty　decided　and　clear…sighted　deputies　propose；

are　weakened　or　suspended　by　the　precautions　of　the　three　hundred

others；　short…sighted；　unreliable　or　timid。＇63＇　They　dare　not　even

avail　themselves　of　their　legal　arms：



*　annul　the　military　division　of　the　interior；



*　suppress　Augereau's　commission；



*　and　break　the　sword　presented　at　their　throats　by　the　three

conspiring　Directors。



In　the　Directory；　they　have　only　passive　or　neutral　allies；

Barthélémy；　who　had　rather　be　assassinated　than　murder；　Carnot；　the

servant　of　his　legal　pass…word；　fearing　to　risk　his　Republic；　and；

moreover；　calling　to　mind　that　he　had　voted　for　the　King's　death。

Among　the　〃Five　Hundred〃　and　the　〃Ancients；〃　Thibaudeau　and　Tron？on…

Ducoudray；　the　two　leaders　〃du　ventre；〃　arrest　the　arms　of　Pichegru

and　other　energetic　men；　prevent　them　from　striking；　allow　them　only

to　ward　off　the　blow；　and　always　too　late。　　Three　days　after　the　10th

of　Fructidor；　when；　as　everybody　knew　and　saw；　the　final　blow　was　to

be　struck；　the　eighty　deputies；　who　change　their　quarters　so　as　not　to

be　seized　in　their　beds；　cannot　yet　make　up　their　minds　to　take　the

offensive。　　On　that　day；　an　eye…witness＇64＇　came　to　Mathieu　Dumas　and

told　him　that；　the　evening　before；　in　Barras'　house；　they　discussed

the　slaughter　or　transportation　to　Cayenne　of　about　forty　members　of

the　two　Councils；　and　that　the　second　measure　was　adopted。　　On　which　a

commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　having　led　Dumas　at　night　into　the

Tuileries　garden；　showed　him　his　men　concealed　behind　the　trees；　armed

and　ready　to　march　at　the　first　signal。　　He　is　to　possess　himself　at

once　of　the　Luxembourg　（palace）＇65＇　which　is　badly　guarded；　and　put　an

end　to　Barras　and　Reubell　on　the　spot：　in　war　one　kills　so　as　not　to

be　killed；　and；　when　the　enemy　takes　aim；　you　have　the　right　to　fire

without　waiting。　　〃Only；〃　says　the　commandant；　〃promise　me　that　you

will　state　in　the　tribune　that　you　ordered　this　attack；　and　give　me

your　word　of　honor。〃＇66＇　　Mathieu　Dumas　refuses；　simply　because　he　is

a　man　of　honor。　　〃You　were　a　fool；〃　Napoleon　afterwards　said　to　him　in

this　connection；　〃you　know　nothing　about　revolutions。〃　…　In　effect；

honor；　loyalty；　horror　of　blood；　respect　for　the　law；　such　are　the

weak　points　of　the　party。



The　opposite　sentiments　form　the　strong　points　of　the　other　party。　　On

the　side　of　the　triumvirs　nobody　knows　twinges　of　conscience；　neither

Barras；　a　condottiere　open　to　the　highest　bidder；　and　who　understands

the　value　of　blows；　nor　Reubell；　a　sort　of　bull；　who；　becoming

excited；　sees　red；　nor　Merlin　de　Douai；　the　terrible　legist；　lay

inquisitor　and　executioner　in　private。＇67＇　As　usual　with　the　Jacobins；

these　men　have　unsheathed　the　sword　and　brandished　it。　　In　contempt　of

the　constitution；　they　provoked　discussions　in　the　army　and　let　the

Legislative　Corps　see　that；　if　it　did　not　yield；　it　would　be　put　out

at　the　point　of　the　bayonet。　　They　let　loose　against　it；　〃　as　in　the

good　old　times；〃＇68＇　their　executive　riff…raff；　and　line　the　avenues

and　tribunes　with　〃their　bandits　of　both　sexes。〃　They　collect　together

their　gangs　of　roughs；　five　or　six　thousand　terrorists　from　Paris　and

the　departments；　and　two　thousand　officers　awaiting　orders　or　on　half…

pay。　　In　default　of　Hoche；　whose　unconstitutional　approach　was

reported　and　then　prevented；　they　have　Augereau；　arrived　expressly

from　Italy；　and　who　states　publicly；　〃I　am　sent　for　to　kill　the

royalists。〃　It　is　impossible　to　find　a　more　narrow…minded　and　greater

military　bully；　Reubell；　himself；　on　seeing　him；　could　not　help　but

exclaim：　What　a　sturdy　brigand！〃　…　On　the　18th　of　Fructidor　this

official　swordsman；　with　eight　or　ten　thousand　troops；　surrounds　and

invades　the　Tuileries。　　The　representatives　are　arrested　in　their

committee…rooms　or　domiciles；　or　pursued；　tracked　and　hunted　down；

while　the　rest　of　their　opponents；　notables；　officers；　heads　of

bureaux；　journalists；　former　ministers　and　directors；　Barthélémy　and

Carnot；　are　treated　in　the　same　way。　　Barbé…Marbois；　on　demanding　by

virtue　of　what　law　they　were　arrested；＇69＇　is　told；　〃by　the　law　of　the

saber；〃　while　Sotin；　Minister　of　the　Police；　adds　with　a　smile；　〃You

may　be　sure　that　after　what　I　have　taken　on　myself；　it　matters　little

whether　one　is　more　or　less　compromised。〃　…　Thus　purged；　the　two

Councils　complete　themselves　their　purgation；　they　cancel；　in　forty…

nine　departments；　the　election　of　their　colleagues；　through　this

decree　and　transportation；　through　forced　and　voluntary　resignations；

two　hundred　and　fourteen　representatives　are　withdrawn　from　the

Legislative　Corps；　while　one　hundred　and　eighty　others；　through　fear

or　disgust；　cease　to　attend　its　meetings。＇70＇　Nothing　remains　of　the

two　Councils；　except；　as　in　the　English　Parliament　under　Cromwell；　a

〃rump；〃　which　rump　does　business　under　drawn　swords。　　In　the　Council

of　the　Ancients；　which；　on　the　18th　of　Fructidor；　discussed　at

midnight＇71＇　the　decree　of　transportation；　〃groups　of　grenadiers；　with

a　haggard　look；　in　brusque　language；　with　threatening　gestures〃　and

fixed　bayonets；　surround　the　amphitheatre；　and；　mingled　with　the

soldiers　and　civil　cut…throats；　shout　out　their　orders。　　Such　are　the

supporters　of　the　slanderous　tale　cooked　up　by　the　Directory。　　The

voters　need　such　arguments　to　make　themselves　believe　in　the　grand

conspiracy　which　it　denounces；　to　associate　Barthélemy；　Carnot；

Siméon；　Barbé…Marbois；　Boissy　d'Anglas；　Mathieu　Dumas；　Pastoret；

Tronson　du　Coudray　as　accomplices　with　a　knot　of　subordinate

intriguers；　contemptible　〃monkeys〃　（marmosets）；　dolts　or　spies；　whose

papers　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　police　for　six　months；　and　whom

it　forces　to　speak　under　lock　and　key。＇72＇　All　are　enveloped　in　the

same　net；　all　are　confounded　together　under　the　same　title；　all　are

condemned　en　masse　without　evidence　or　formality。　　〃Proofs！〃　exclaims

an　orator；　〃none　are　necessary　against　the　royalist　faction。　　I　have

my　own　convictions。〃＇73＇　…　〃Formalities　！〃　exclaims　another；　〃the

enemies　of　the　country　cannot　invoke　formalities　which　they　would　have

despised　had　they　triumphed。〃　…　〃The　people　are　there；〃　says　a　third；

pointing　to　a　dozen　ill…looking　men　who　are　present；　〃the　whole　people

ought　to　prevail　against　a　few　individuals！〃　…　〃Hurry　up！〃　shouts　a

soldier；　who　wants　the　discussion　ended；　〃patriots；　march；　double…

quick！〃　…　The　debate；　nevertheless；　drags　along；　and　the　Government；

growing　impatient；　is　obliged　to　intervene　with　a　message：　〃The

people；〃　says　the　message；　〃want　to　know　what　has　become　of　the

Republic；　what　you　have　done　with　it。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　conspirators

have　agents；　even　among　yourselves。〃　The　message　is　understood；　and

the　representatives　now　understand　that　if　they　do　not　transport；　they

themselves　will　be　deported。　　Therefore；　〃about　fourteen　or　fifteen

stand　up　for　the　decree；　while　seven　are　against　it；　the　rest　remain

motionless：〃　it　is　thus　that　the　decree　to　save　the　Constitution　is

freely　and　legally　passed。　　　Four　years　before　this　a　similar　decree

had　passed　to　expel　the　Girondists；　in　just　the　same　manner；　with　the

exception　that；　at　that　time；　the　Mountain　made　use　of　the　populace；

while　now　the　army　is　employed；　but　save　the　difference　in　the

figurants；　the　performance　is　simply　a　repetition　of　the　same　drama

that　was　played　on　the　2nd　of　June；　and　is　now　again　played　on　the

18th　of　Fructidor。＇74＇



VI。　　　The　Directory。



Dictatorship　of　the　Directory。　　…　Its　new　prerogatives。　　…　Pu