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the origins of contemporary france-3-第21章

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more complete。 The votes are deposited; the ballot…boxes closed and

sealed up and the conservatives obtain a majority。 Thereupon the

Jacobin club; with the Society of  the 〃iron…clubs;〃 calling itself

the Executive power; betake themselves in force to the sectional

meetings; burn one of the ballots; use firearms and kill two men。 To

restore order the municipality stations each company of the National

Guard at its captain's door; The moderates among them naturally obey

orders; but the violent party do not。 They overrun the town; numbering

about 2;000 inhabitants; enter the houses; kill three men in the

street or in their domiciles; and force the administrative body to

suspend its electoral assemblies。  In addition to this they require

the disarmament 〃of the aristocrats;〃 and this not being done soon

enough; they kill an artisan who is walking in the street with his

mother; cut off his head; bear it aloft in triumph; and suspend it in

front of his dwelling。 The authorities are now convinced and

accordingly decree a disarmament; and the victors parade the streets

in a body。  In exuberance or as a precaution; they fire; as they pass

along; at the windows of suspected houses and happen to kill an

additional man and woman。  During the three following days six hundred

families emigrate; while the authorities report that everything is

going on well; and that order is restored。 〃The elections;〃 they say;

〃are now proceeding in the quietest manner since the ill…intentioned

voluntarily keeping away from them; a large number having left the

town。 〃'34'  A void is created around the ballot…box and this is

called the unanimity of voters。  The effect of such assassinations

is great and only a few are required; especially when they go

unpunished; which is always the case。  Henceforth all that the

Jacobins have to do is to threaten; people no longer resist them for

they know that it costs too much to face them down。 They do not care

to attend electoral meetings where they meet insult and danger; they

acknowledge defeat at the start。  Have not the Jacobins irresistible

arguments; without taking blows into account? At Paris;'35' Marat in

three successive numbers of his paper has just denounced by name 〃the

rascals and thieves〃 who canvass for electoral nominations; not the

nobles and priests but ordinary citizens; lawyers; architects;

physicians; jewellers; stationers; printers; upholsterers and other

artisans; each name being given in full with the professions;

addresses and one of the following qualifications; 〃hypocrite

(tartufe); immoral; dishonest; bankrupt; informer; usurer; cheat;〃 not

to mention others that I cannot write down。 It must be noted that this

slanderous list may become a proscriptive list; and that in every town

and village in France similar lists are constantly drawn up and

circulated by the local dub; which enables us to judge whether the

struggle between it and its adversaries is a fair one。…As to rural

electors; it has suitable means for persuading them; especially in the

innumerable cantons ravaged or threatened by the jacqueries; (country…

riots)  or; for example; in Corrèze; where 〃the whole department is

smattered with insurrections and devastation's; and where nobody talks

of anything but of hanging the officers who serve papers。〃'36'

Through…out the electoral operations the sittings of the dub are

permanent; 〃its electors are incessantly summoned to its meetings; 〃

at each of these 〃the main question is the destruction of fish…ponds

and rentals; their principal speakers summing it all up by saying that

none ought to be paid。〃  The majority of electors; composed of

rustics; are found to be sensitive to speeches like this; all its

candidates are obliged to express themselves against fishponds and

rentals; its deputies and the public prosecuting attorney are

nominated on this profession of faith; in other words; to be elected;

the Jacobins promise to greedy tenants the incomes and property of

their owners。  We already see in the proceedings by which they

secure one…third of the offices in 1791 the germ of the methods by

which they will secure the whole of them in 1792; in this first

electoral campaign their acts indicate not merely their maxims and

policy but; again; the condition; education; spirit and character of

the men whom they place in power locally as well as at the capital。





NOTES:



'1' Law of May 28; 29; 1791 (according to official statements; the

total of active citizens amounted to 4;288;360)。  Laws of July 23;

Sept。 12; Sept。 29; 1791。  Buchez et Roux; XII。 310。



'2' Bucher Ct Roux; XII。 33。  Mortimer…Ternaux; 〃Histoire de la

Terreur;〃 II。 205; 348。  Sauzay; II。 ch。 XVIII   AIbert Babeau; I。

ch。 XX。



'3' Lenin repeated this performance in 1917 and  Stalin attempted to

do the same in the rest of the World。 (SR)。。



'4' The following letter; by Camille Desmoulins (April 3; 1792); shows

at once the time consumed by public affairs; the sort of attraction

they had; and the kind of men which they diverted from their business。

〃I have gone back to my old profession of the law; to which I give

nearly all the time which my municipal or electoral functions; and the

Jacobins (club); allow me  that is to say; very little。 It is very

disagreeable to me to come down to pleading bourgeois cases after

having managed interests of such importance; and the affairs of the

government; in the face of all Europe。〃



'5'  I cannot help but think of the willful proliferation of idle

functionaries; pensioners and other receivers of public funds which

today vote for the party which represents their interests。 (SR。)



'6' Sauzay; II。 83…89 and 123。 A resolution of the inhabitants of

Chalèze; who; headed by their municipal officers; declare themselves

unanimously 〃non…conformists;〃 and demand 〃the right of using a temple

for the exercise of their religious opinions; belonging to them and

built with their contributions〃 On the strength of this; the municipal

officers of Chalèze are soundly rated by the district administration;

which thus states what principles are: 〃Liberty; indefinite for the

private individual; must be restricted for the public man whose

opinions must conform to the law: otherwise; 。  。 he must renounce all

public functions。〃



'7' Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3;253 (letter of the department

directory; April 7; 1792)。 〃On the 25th of January; in our report to

the National Assembly; we stated the almost general opposition which

the execution of the laws relating to the clergy has found in this

department 。 。 。 nine…tenths; at least; of the Catholics refusing to

recognize the sworn priests。 The teachers; influenced by their old

curés or vicars; are willing to take the civic oath; but they refuse

to recognize their legitimate pastors and attend their services。 We

are; therefore; obliged to remove them; and to look out for others to

replace them。 The citizens of a large number of the communes;

persisting in trusting these; will lend no assistance whatever to the

election of the new ones; the result is; that we are obliged; in

selecting these people; to refer the matter to persons whom we

scarcely know; and who are scarcely better known to the directories of

the district。 As they are elected against the will of the citizens;

they do not gain their confidence; and draw their salaries from the

commune treasury; without any advantage to public instruction;〃



'8' Mercure de France; Sep。 3; 1791。 〃The right of attending primary

meetings is that of every citizen who pays a tax of three livres;

owing to the violence to which opinions are subject; more than one…

half of the French are compelled to stay away from these reunions;

which are abandoned to persons who have the least interest in

maintaining public order and in securing stable laws; with the least

property; and who pay the fewest taxes。〃



'9'  〃The French Revolution;〃 Vol。 I。 p。 182 and following pages。



'10' 〃Correspondence of M。 de Sta?l〃 (manuscript); Swedish ambassador;

with his court; Sept 4; 1791。 〃The change in the way of thinking of

the democrats is extraordinary; they now seem convinced that it is

impossible to make the Constitution work。 Barnave; to my own

knowledge; has declared that the influence of assemblies in the future

should be limited to a council of notables; and that all power should

be in the government〃



'11' Ibid。 Letter of July 17; 1791。 〃All the members of the Assembly;

with the exception of three or four; have passed a resolution to

separate from the Jacobins; they number about 3oo。〃   The seven

deputies who remain at the Jacobin Club; are Robespierre; Pétion;

Grégoire; Buzot; Coroller; and Abbé Royer。



'12' 〃Les Feuillants〃 Was a political club consisting of

constitutional monarchists who held their meetings in the former

Feuillants monastery in Paris from 1791 to 1792。 (SR)。



'13' Decree of Sept 29; 30; 17
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