〃Mountain;〃 hence; when the provincial insurrection breaks out; many
Feuillants and even Royalists follow them to the section assemblies
and join in their protests。 But the majority goes no further; and
soon falls back into is accustomed inertia。 It is not in harmony with
its leaders:'58' its latent preferences are opposed to their avowed
program; it does not wholly trust them; it has only a half…way
affection for them; its recent sympathies are deadened by old
animosities: everywhere; instead of firmness there is only caprice。
All this affords no assurance of steadfast loyalty and practical
adhesion。 The Girondin deputies scattered through the provinces
relied upon each department arousing itself at their summons and
forming a republican Vendée against the 〃Mountain:〃 nowhere do they
find anything beyond mild approval and speculative hopes。
There remains to support them the élite of the republican party; the
scholars and lovers of literature; who are honest and sincere
thinkers; who; worked upon by the current dogmas; have accepted the
philosophical catechism literally and seriously。 Elected judges; or
department; district; and city administrators; commanders and officers
of the National Guard; presidents and secretaries of sections; they
occupy most of the places conferred by local authority; and hence
their almost unanimous protest seems at first to be the voice of
France。 In reality; it is only the despairing cry of a group of
staff…officers without an army。 Chosen under the electoral pressure
with which we are familiar; they possess rank; office and titles; but
no credit or influence; they are supported only by those whom they
really represent; that is to say; those who elected them; a tenth of
the population; and forming a sectarian minority。 Again; in this
minority there are a good many who are lukewarm; with most men the
distance is great between conviction and action; the interval is
filled up with acquired habits; indolence; fear and egoism。 One's
belief in the abstractions of the 〃Contrat…social〃 is of little
account; no one readily bestirs oneself for an abstract end。
Uncertainties beset one at the outset; the road one has to follow is
found to be perilous and obscure; and one hesitates and postpones; one
feels himself a home…body and is afraid of engaging too deeply and of
going too far。 Having expended one's breath in words one is less
willing to give one's money; another may open his purse but he may not
be disposed to give himself; which is as true of the Girondins as it
is of the Feuillants。
〃At Marseilles;'59' at Bordeaux;〃 says a deputy; 〃in nearly all the
principal towns; the proprietor; slow; indifferent and timid; could
not make up his mind to leave home for a moment; it was to mercenaries
that he entrusted his cause his arms。〃
Only the federates of Mayenne; Ile…et…Vilaine; and especially of
Finisterre; were 〃young men well brought up and well informed about
the cause they were going to support。〃 In Normandy; the Central
Committee; unable to do better; has to recruit its soldiers; and
especially gunners; from the band of Carabots; former Jacobins; a lot
of ruffians ready for anything; pillagers and runaways at the first
canon…shot。 At Caen; Wimpffen; having ordered the eight battalions of
the National Guard to assemble in the court; demands volunteers and
finds that only seventeen step forth; on the following day a formal
requisition brings out only one hundred and thirty combatants; other
towns; except Vire; which furnishes about twenty; refuse their
contingent。 In short; a marching army cannot be formed; or; if it
does march; it halts at the first station; that of Evreux before
reaching Vernon; and that of Marseilles at the walls of Avignon。
On the other hand; by virtue of being sincere and logical; those who
have rebelled entertain scruples and themselves define the limits of
their insurrection。 The fugitive deputies at their head would believe
themselves guilty of usurpation had they; like the 〃Mountain〃 at
Paris; constituted themselves at Caen en sovereign assembly'60':
according to them; their right and their duty is reduced to giving
testimony concerning the 31st of May and the 1st of June; and to
exhorting the people and to being eloquent。 They are not legally
qualified to take executive power; it is for the local magistrates;
the élus(elected) of the sections; and better still; the department committees
to command in the departments。 Lodged as they are in official
quarters; they are merely to print formal statements; write letters;
and; behaving properly; wait until the sovereign people; their
employer; reinstates them。 It has been outraged in their persons; it
must avenge itself for this outrage; since it approves of its
mandatories; it is bound to restore them to office; it being the
master of the house; it is bound to have its own way in the house。
As to the department committees; it is true that; in the heat of the
first excitement; they thought of forming a new Convention at
Bourges;'61' either through a muster of substitute deputies; or
through the convocation of a national commission of one hundred and
seventy members。 But time is wanting; also the means; to carry out
the plan; it remains suspended in the air like vain menace; at the end
of a fortnight it vanishes in smoke; the departments succeed in
federating only in scattered groups; they desist from the formation of
a central government; and thus; through this fact alone; condemn
themselves to succumb; one after the other; in detail; and each at
home。 What is worse; through conscientiousness and patriotism;
they prepare their own defeat: the refrain from calling upon the
armies and from stripping the frontiers; they do not contest the right
of the Convention to provide as it pleases for the national defense。
Lyons allows the passage of convoys of cannon…balls which are to be
subsequently used in cannonading its defenders'62'。 The authorities
of Puy…de…Dome aid by sending to Vendée the battalion that they had
organized against the 〃Mountain。〃 Bordeaux is to surrender Chateau…
Trompette; its munitions of war and supplies; to the representatives
on mission; and; without a word; with exemplary docility; both the
Bordeaux battalions which guard Blaye suffer themselves to be
dislodged by two Jacobin battalions。'63' Comprehending the
insurrection in this way; defeat is certain beforehand。
The insurgents are thus conscious of their false position; they have a
vague sort of feeling that; in recognizing the military authority of
the Convention; they admit its authority in full; insensibly they
glide down this slope; from concession to concession; until they reach
complete submission。 From the 16th of June; at Lyons;'64' 〃people
begin to feel that it ought not break with the Convention。〃 Five weeks
later; the authorities of Lyons 〃solemnly recognize that the
Convention is the sole central rallying point of all French citizens
and republicans;〃 and decree that 〃all acts emanating from it
concerning the general interests of the republic are to be
executed。〃'65' Consequently; at Lyons and in other departments; the
administrations convoke the primary assemblies as the Convention has
prescribed; consequently; the primary assemblies accept the
Constitution which it has proposed; consequently; the delegates of the
primary assemblies betake themselves to Paris according to its orders。
Henceforth; the Girondins' cause is lost; the discharge of a few
cannon at Vernon and Avignon disperse the only two columns of soldiery
that have set out on their march。 In each department; the Jacobins;
encouraged by the representatives on mission; raise their heads;
everywhere the local club enjoins the local government to submit;'66'
everywhere the local governments report the acts they pass; make
excuses and ask forgiveness。 Proportionately to the retraction of one
department; the rest; feeling themselves abandoned; are more disposed
to retract。 On the 9th of July forty…nine departments are enumerated
as having given in their adhesion。 Several of them declare that the
scales have dropped from their eyes; that they approve of the acts of
May 31 and June 2; and thus ensure their safety by manifesting their
zeal。 The administration of Calvados notifies the Breton fédérés that
〃having accepted the Constitution it can no longer tolerate their
presence in Caen;〃 it sends them home; and secretly makes peace with
the 〃Mountain;〃 and only informs the deputies; who are its guests; of
this proceeding; three days afterwards; by postings on their door the
decree that declares them outlaws。
Disguised as soldiers; the latter depart along with the Breton
fédérés; on the way; they are able to ascertain the veritable
sentiments of this people whom they believe imbued with their rights
and capable of taking a political initiative。'67' The pretended
citizens and republicans they have to do with are; in sum; the former
subjects of Louis XVI。 and the future subjects of Napoleon I。; that
is to say; administrators and people; disciplined by habit and
instinctively subordinate; requiring a government just as sheep
require a shepherd and a watch…dog; accepting or submitting to
shepherd and dog; provided these look and act the part; even if the
shepherd be a butcher and the dog a wolf。 To avoid isolation; to
rejoin the most numerous herd as soon as possible; to always form
masses and bodies and thus follow the impulsion which comes from
above; and gather together scattered individuals; such is the instinct
of the flock。
In the battalion of federates; they begin by saying that; as the
Constitution is now accepted and the convention recognized; it is no
longer allowed to protect deputies whom it has declared outlaws: 〃that
would be creating a faction。〃 Thereupon; the deputies withdraw from
the battalion
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