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competent in the affairs of both worlds； in reality he is one of those
presuming； threadbare； talkative fellows； who； living in a garret；
lecture foreign cabinets and reconstruct all Europe。 Things； to them；
seem to be as easily worked out as words and sentences： one day；＇5＇ to
entice the English into an alliance with France； Brissot proposes to
place two towns； Dunkirk and Calais； in their hands as security；
another day； he proposes 〃to make a descent on Spain； and； at the same
time； to send a fleet to conquer Mexico。〃 The leading member on the
committee on finances is Cambon； a merchant from Montpellier； a good
accountant； who； at a later period； is to simplify accounting and
regulate the Grand Livre of the public debt； which means public
bankruptcy。 Mean…while； he hastens this on with all his might by
encouraging the Assembly to undertake the ruinous and terrible war
that is to last for twenty…three years； according to him； 〃there is
more money than is needed for it。〃＇6＇ In actual fact； the guarantee
of assignats is used up and the taxes do not come in。 They live only
on the paper money they issue。 The assignats lose forty per centum；
and the ascertained deficit for 1792 is four hundred millions。＇7＇ But
this revolutionary financier relies upon the confiscations which he
instigates in France； and which are to be set agoing in Belgium； here
lies all his invention； a systematic robbery on a grand scale within
and without the kingdom。
As to the legislators and manufacturers of constitutions； we have
Condorcet； a cold…blooded fanatic and systematic leveler； satisfied
that a mathematical method suits the social sciences fed on
abstractions； blinded by formul？； and the most chimerical of perverted
intellects。 Never was a man versed in books more ignorant of mankind；
never did a lover of scientific precision better succeed in changing
the character of facts。 It was he who； two days before the 20th of
June； amidst the most brutal public excitement； admired 〃the calmness〃
and rationality of the multitude； 〃considering the way people
interpret events； it might be supposed that they had given some hours
of each day to the study of analysis。〃 It is he who； two days after
the 20th of June； extolled the red cap in which the head of Louis XVI。
had been muffled。 〃That crown is as good as any other。 Marcus
Aurelius would not have despised it。〃＇8＇ Such is the discernment
and practical judgment of the leaders； from these one can form an
opinion of the flock。 It consists of novices arriving from the
provinces and bringing with them the principles and prejudices of the
newspaper。 So remote from the center； having no knowledge of general
affairs or of their unity； they are two years behind their brethren of
the Constituent Assembly。 They are described in the following manner
by Malouet；＇9＇
〃Most of them； without having decided against a monarchy； had decided
against the court； the aristocracy； and the clergy； ever imagining
conspiracies and believing that defense consisted solely in attack。
There were still many men of talent among them； but with no
experience； they even lacked that which we had obtained。 Our patriot
deputies； in great part； were aware of their errors； the novices were
not； they were ready to begin all over again。〃
Moreover； they have their own political bent； for nearly all of them
are upstarts of the new régime。 We find in their ranks 264 department
administrators； 109 district administrators； 125 justices and
prosecuting…attorneys； 68 mayors and town officers； besides about
twenty officers of the National Guard； constitutional bishops and
curés。 The whole amounting to 566 of the elected functionaries； who；
for the past twenty months； have carried on the government under the
direction of their electors。 We have seen how this was done and under
what conditions； with what compliances and with what complicity； with
what deference to clamorous opinion； with what docility in the
presence of rioters； with what submission to the orders of the mob；
with what a deluge of sentimental phrases and commonplace
abstractions。 Sent to Paris as deputies； through the choice or
toleration of the clubs； they bear along with them their politics and
their rhetoric。 The result is an assemblage of narrow； perverted；
hasty； inflated and feeble minds； at each daily session； twenty word…
mills turn to no purpose； the greatest of public powers at once
becoming a manufactory of nonsense； a school of extravagancies； and a
theatre for declamation。
II。
Degree and quality of their intelligence and Culture。
Is it possible that serious men could have listened to such weird
nonsense until the bitter end？
〃I am a tiller of the soil；〃＇10＇ says one deputy； 〃I now dare speak
of the antique nobility of my plow。 A yoke of oxen once constituted
the pure； incorruptible legal worthies before whom my good ancestors
executed their contracts； the authenticity of which； far better
recorded on the soil than on flimsy parchment； is protected from any
species of revolution whatever。〃
Is it conceivable that the reporter of a law； that is about to exile
or imprison forty thousand priests； should employ in an argument such
silly bombast as the following？＇11＇
〃I have seen in the rural districts the hymeneal torch diffusing only
pale and somber rays； or； transformed into the flambeaux of furies；
the hideous skeleton of superstition seated even on the nuptial couch；
placed between nature and the wedded； and arresting； etc。 。 。 。 Oh
Rome； art thou satisfied？ Art thou then like Saturn； to whom fresh
holocausts were daily imperative？ 。 。 。 Depart； ye creators of
discord！ The soil of liberty is weary of bearing you。 Would ye breathe
the atmosphere of the Aventine mount？ The national ship is already
prepared for you。 I hear on the shore the impatient cries of the
crew； I see the breezes of liberty swelling its sails。 Like
Telemachus； ye will go forth on the waters to seek your father； but
never will you have to dread the Sicilian rocks； nor the seductions of
a Eucharis。〃
Courtesies of pedants； rhetorical personifications； and the invective
of maniacs is the prevailing tone。 The same defect characterizes the
best speeches； namely； an overexcited brain； a passion for high…
sounding terms； the constant use of stilts and an incapacity for
seeing things as they are and of so describing them。 Men of talent；
Isnard； Guadet； Vergniaud himself； are carried away by hollow sonorous
phrases like a ship with too much canvas for its ballast。 Their minds
are stimulated by souvenirs of their school lessons； the modern world
revealing itself to them only through their Latin reminiscences。
Fran？ois de Nantes is exasperated at the pope 〃who holds in servitude
the posterity of Cato and of Sc？vola。〃 Isnard proposes to follow
the example of the Roman senate which； to allay discord at home； got
up an outside war： between old Rome and France of 1792； indeed； there
is a striking resemblance。 Roux insists that the Emperor （of
Austria） should give satisfaction before the 1st of March； 〃in a case
like this the Roman people would have fixed the term of delay； why
shouldn't the French people fix one？ 。 。 。〃 〃The circle of Popilius〃
should be drawn around those petty； hesitating German princes。 When
money is needed to establish camps around Paris and the large towns；
Lasource proposes to dispose of the national forests and is amazed at
any objection to the measure。 〃C？sar's soldiers；〃 he exclaims；
〃believing that an ancient forest in Gaul was sacred； dared not lay
the axe to it； are we to share their superstitious respect？〃＇12＇ …
Add to this collegiate lore the philosophic dregs deposited in all
minds by the great sophist then in vogue。 Larivière reads in the
tribune＇13＇ that page of the 〃Contrat Social；〃 where Rousseau declares
that the sovereign may banish members 〃of an unsocial religion；〃 and
punish with death 〃one who； having publicly recognized the dogmas of
civil religion； acts as if he did not believe in them。〃 On which；
another hissing parrot； M。 Filassier； exclaims； 〃I put J。 J。
Rousseau's proposition into the form of a motion and demand a vote on
it。〃 In like manner it is proposed to grant very young girls the
right of marrying in spite of their parents by stating； according to
the 〃Nouvelle Héloise〃
〃that a girl thirteen or fourteen years old begins to sigh for the
union which nature dictates。 She struggles between passion and duty；
so that； if she triumphs； she becomes a martyr； something that is rare
in nature。 It may happen that a young person prefers the serene shame
of defeat to a wearisome eight year long struggle。〃
Divorce is inaugurated to 〃preserve in matrimony that happy peace of
mind which renders the sentiments livelier。〃＇14＇ Henceforth this will
no longer be a chain but 〃the acquittance of an agreeable debt which