《the origins of contemporary france-4》

下载本书

添加书签

the origins of contemporary france-4- 第77部分


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!

with the butt ends of the muskets。  Some of the Germans then rifle the

bodies; while others strip them and 〃place them on their backs。〃 … To

find workmen for this task; it is necessary to descend; not only to

the lowest wretches in France but; again; to the brutes of a foreign

race and tongue; and yet lower still; to an inferior race degraded by

slavery and perverted by license。



Such; from the top to the bottom of the ladder; at every stage of

authority and obedience; is the ruling staff of the revolutionary

government。'170' Through its recruits and its work; through its morals

and modes of proceeding; it evokes the almost forgotten image of its

predecessors; for there is an image of it in the period from the

fourteenth to the seventeenth century。  At that time also; society was

frequently overcome and ravaged by barbarians; dangerous nomads;

malevolent outcasts; bandits turned into soldiers suddenly pounced

down on an industrious and peaceful population。  Such was the case in

France with the 〃Routiers〃 and the 〃Tard…venus;〃 at Rome with the army

of the Constable of Bourbon; in Flanders with the bands of the Duke of

Alba and the Duke of Parma; in Westphalia and in Alsace; with

Wallenstein's veterans; and those of Bernard of Saxe…Weimar。  They

lived upon a town or province for six months; fifteen months; two

years; until the town or province was exhausted。  They alone were

armed; master of the inhabitants; using and abusing things and persons

according to their caprices。  But they were declared bandits; calling

themselves scorchers; (ecorcheurs) riders and adventurers; and not

pretending to be humanitarian philosophers。  Moreover; beyond an

immediate and personal enjoyment; they demanded nothing; they employed

brutal force only to satiate their greed; their cruelty; their lust。

… The latter add to private appetites a far greater devastation; the

systematic and gratuitous ravages enforced upon them by the

superficial theory with which they are imbued。



________________________________________________________________________



Notes:



'1' 〃The Revolution;〃 II。; pp。  298…304; and p。  351。



'2' 〃The Revolution;〃 II。; pp。298…304; and p。  351。  Should the

foregoing testimony be deemed insufficient; the following; by those

foreigners who had good opportunities for judging; may be added:

(Gouverneur Morris; letter of December 3; 1794。) 〃The French are

plunged into an abyss of poverty and slavery; a slavery all the more

degrading because the men who have plunged them into it merit the

utmost contempt。〃… Meissner; 〃Voyage à Paris;〃 (at the end of 1795;)

p。  160。  〃The (revolutionary) army and the revolutionary committees

were really associations organized by crime for committing every

species of injustice; murder; rapine; and brigandage with impunity。

The government had deprived all men of any talent or integrity of

their places and given these to its creatures; that is to say; to the

dregs of humanity。〃 … Baron Brinckmann; Chargé d'Affaires from Sweden。

(Letter of July 11; 1799。) 〃I do not believe that the different

classes of society in France are more corrupt than elsewhere; but I

trust that no people may ever be ruled by as imbecile and cruel

scoundrels as those that have ruled France since the advent of its new

state of freedom。  。  。  The dregs of the people; stimulated from

above by sudden and violent excitement; have everywhere brought to the

surface the scum of immorality。〃



'3' Fleury; 〃Babeuf;〃 139; 150。  … Granier de Cassagnac; 〃Histoire du

Directoire;〃 II。; 24…170。  … (Trial of Babeuf; passim。) The above

quotations are from documents seized in Babeuf's house; also from

affidavits made by witnesses; and especially by captain Grizel。



'4' Moniteur; session of September 5; 1793。  〃Since our virtue; our

moderation; our philosophic ideas; are of no use to us; let us be

brigands for the good of the people; let us be brigands!〃



'5' Babeuf; 〃Le Tribun du Peuple;〃 No。40。  Apologia for the men of

September; 〃who have only been the priests; the sacrificers of a just

immolation for public security。  If anything is to be regretted it is

that a larger and more general Second of September did not sweep away

all starvers and all despoilers。〃



'6' Granier de Cassagnac; II。; 90。  (Deposition of Grisel。) Rossignol

said; 〃That snuff…box is all I have left; here it is so that I may

exist。〃 … 〃Massard owned a pair of boots which he could not collect

because he had no money with which to pay the shoemaker。〃



'7' Archives Nationales; Cf。  31167。  (Report of Robin; Niv?se 9。):

〃The women always had a deliberative voice in the popular assemblies

of the Pantheon section;〃 and in all the other clubs they attended the

meetings。



'8' Moniteur; XIX。; 103。  (Meeting of the Jacobin club; Dec。  28;

1793。) Dubois…Crancé introduces the following question to each member

who is subjected to the weeding…out vote: 〃What have you done that

would get you hung in case of a counter revolution?〃



'9' Ibid。; XVII。; 410。  (Speech by Maribon…Montaut; Jacobin club;

Brumaire 21; year II。)



'10' Dauban; 〃Paris in 1794;〃 142。  (Police report of Vent?se 13; year

II。)



'11' Morellet; 〃 Mémoires;〃 II。  449。



'12' Dauban; ib。;; 35。  (Note drawn up in January; 1794; probably by

the physician Quêvremont de Lamotte。) … Ibid。; 82。  … Cf。  Morellet;

II。; 434…470。  (Details on the issue of certificates of civism; in

September; 1793。)



'13' Archives Nationales; F。7; 31167。  (Report by Latour…Lamontagne;

Vent?se 1; year II。): 〃 It is giving these associations too much

influence; it is destroying the jurisdiction of the general assemblies

(of the section。) We find accordingly; that these are being deserted

and that the plotters and intriguers succeed in making popular clubs

the centers of public business in order to control affairs more

easily。〃



'14' Dauban; ibid。; 203。  (Report by Bacon…Tacon; Ventose 19。) 〃In the

general assembly of the Maison Commune section all citizens of any

rank in the companies have been weeded out。  The slightest stain of

incivism; the slightest negligence in the service; caused their

rejection。  Out of twenty…five who passed censorship…nineteen at least

were rejected。  。  。  。Most of them due to their trade such as eating…

house keeper; shoe…maker; cook; carpenter; tailor etc。〃



'15' Ibid。; 141。  (Report by Charmont; Vent?se 12。) … Ibid; 140。

〃There is only one way; it is said at the Café des Grands Hommes; on

the boulevard; to keep from being arrested; and that is to scheme for

admission into the civil and revolutionary committees when there

happens to be a vacancy。  Before salaries were attached to these

places nobody wanted them; since that; there are disputes as to who

shall be appointed。〃



'16' Ibid。; 307。  (Report of Germinal 7。)



'17' Wallon; 〃 Histoire du Tribunal Revolutionaire;〃 IV。; 129。



'18' Archives Nationales; AF。; II。; 46。  (Act of the Committee of

Public Safety; Prairial 15。): 〃Citizens Pillon; Gouste and Né; members

of the Revolutionary committee of the Marat section; are removed。

Their duties will be performed by citizens Martin; Majon and Mirel。

Mauvielle; rue de la Liberté; No。  32; is appointed on the said

Revolutionary Committee to complete it; as it was only composed of

eleven members。〃 … And other similar acts。



'19' Duverger; decree of Frimaire 14; year II。  〃The application of

revolutionary laws and measures of general security and public safety

is confided to the municipalities and revolutionary committees。〃 See;

in chapter II。; the extent of the domain thus defined。  It embraces

nearly everything。  It suffices to run through the registers of a few

of the revolutionary committees; to verify this enormous power and see

how they interfere in every detail of individual life



'20' Archives Nationales; F。7; 31167。  (Report; Niv?se 1; year II。; by

Leharival。)



'21' Dauban; 〃Paris en 1794;〃 307。  (Report of March 29; 1794。) It

here relates to the 〃Piques〃 Section; Place Vendome。



'22' Dauban; ib。; 308。  (Note found among Danton's papers and probably

written by the physician; Quevremont de Lamotte。)



'23' Dauban; ib。; 125。  (Report of Bérard; Vent?se 10。) In the words

of a woman belonging to the Bonne…Novelle section: 〃My husband has

been in prison four months。  And what for? He was one of the first at

the Bastille; he has always refused places so that the good sans…

culottes might have them; and; if he has made enemies; it was because

he was unwilling to see these filled by ignoramuses or new…comers;

who; vociferating and apparently thirsting for blood; have created a

barrier of partisans around them。〃



'24' Dauban; ibid。; 307。  (Report of March 29; 1794。)



'25' Ibid。; 150。  (Report of Vent?se 14。) … Archives Nationales; F。7;

31167。  (Reports of Niv?se 9 and 25。): 〃A great many citizens are

found in the sections who are called out after the meeting; to get

forty sous。  I notice that most of them are masons; and even a few

coach drivers belonging to the nation; who can do without the nation's

indemnity; which merely serves them for drink to make them very

noisy。〃 … 〃 The people complain; because the persons to whom the forty

sous are given; to attend the section assemblies do nothing all day;

being able to work at different trades。。。。  and they relay upon these

forty sous。〃



'26' Dauban; ibid。; 312。  (Note by Quevremont。) … Moniteur; XVIII。;

568; (Meeting of the commune; Frimaire 11; year II。): 〃The Beaurepaire

section advertises that wishing to put a stop to the cupidity of the

wine…dealers of the arrondissement; it has put seals on all their

cellars。〃



'27' Dauban; ibid。; 345。  (Order of the day by Henriot; Floreal 9。)



'28' Mallet…Dupan; II。; 56。  (March; 1794。)



'29' Buchez et Roux; XXVII。; 10。  (Speech by Barbaroux; May 14; 1793。)

… Report on the papers found in Robespierre's apartment b
小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架