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the origins of contemporary france-3-第55章

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this; but of the most unmistakable proof。〃'48'  〃It is the Trojan

horse;〃 exclaimed Panis; 〃We are lost if we do not succeed in

disemboweling it。 。 。 。  The bomb explodes on the night of August 9…

10。 。 。  Fifteen thousand aristocrats stand ready to slaughter all

patriots。〃   Patriots; consequently; attribute to themselves the right

to slaughter aristocrats。   Late in June; in the Minimes section; 〃a

French guardsman had already determined to kill the King;〃 if the King

persisted in his veto。 When the president of the section wanted to

expulse the regicide; it was the latter who was retained and the

president was expelled。'49'  On the 14th of July; the day of the

Federation festival; another predecessor of Louvel and Fieschi;

provided with a cutlass; had introduced himself into the battalion on

duty at the palace; for the same purpose; during the ceremony the

crowd warmed up; and; for a moment; the King owed his life to the

firmness of his escort。 On the 27th of July; in the garden of the

Tuileries; d'Espréménil; the old Constituent'50'; beaten; slashed; and

his clothes torn; pursued like a stag across the Palais Royal; falls

bleedings on a mattress at the gates of the Treasury。'51'  On the 29th

of July; whilst one of Lafayette's aides; M。 Bureau de Pusy; is at the

bar of the house; 〃they try to have a motion passed in the Palais

Royal to parade his head on the end of a pike。〃'52'   At this level

of rage and fear; the brutal and the excited can wait no longer。 On

the 4th of August;'53' the Mauconseil section declares 〃to the

Assembly; to the municipality; and to all the citizens of Paris; that

it no longer recognizes Louis XVI。 as King of the French〃。 Its

president; the foreman of a tailor's shop; and its secretary; employed

in the leather market; support their manifesto with three lines of a

tragedy floating vaguely in their minds;'54' and name the Boulevard

Madeleine St。 Honoré as a rendezvous on the following Sunday for all

well…disposed persons。 On the 6th of August; Varlet; a post…office

clerk; makes known to the Assembly; in the name of the petitioners of

the Champ de Mars; the program of the faction:



1。 the dethronement of the King;



2。 the indictment; arrest; and speedy condemnation of Lafayette;



3。 the immediate convoking of the primary assemblies;



4。 universal suffrage;



5。 the discharge of all staff officers;



6。 the renewal of the departmental directories;



7。 the recall of all ambassadors;



8。  the suppression of diplomacy;



9。  and a return to the state of nature。



The Girondins may now delay; negotiate; beat about and argue as much

as they please; their hesitation has no other effect that to consign

them into the background; as being lukewarm and timid。 Thanks to them;

the (Jacobin) faction now has its deliberative assemblies; its

executive powers; its central seat of government; its enlarged; tried;

and ready army; and; forcibly or otherwise; its program will be

carried out。







V。



Evening of August 8。   Session of August 9。   Morning of August

10。… Assembly purged。 







The Assembly must first of all be made to depose the King。 Several

times already;'55' on the 26th of July and August 4; clandestine

meetings had been held where strangers decided the fate of France; and

gave the signal for insurrection。  Restrained with great difficulty;

they consented 〃to have patience until August 9; at 11 o'clock in the

evening。〃'56' On that day the discussion of the dethronement is to

take place in the Assembly; and calculations are made on a favorable

vote under such a positive threat; its reluctance must yield to the

certainty of a military occupation  On the 8th of August; however;

the Assembly refuses; by a majority of two…thirds; to indict the great

enemy; Lafayette。 The double amputation essential for State security;

must therefore begin with the destruction of this majority。



The moment Lafayette's acquittal is announced; the galleries; usually

so vociferous; maintain 〃gloomy silence。〃'57' The word of command for

them is to keep themselves in reserve for the streets。 One by one the

deputies who voted for Lafayette are pointed out to the mob at the

doors; and a shout is raised; 〃the rascals; the knaves; the traitors

living on the civil list! Hang them! Kill them! Put an end to them!

Mud; mortar; plaster; stones are thrown at them; and they are severely

pummeled。   M。 Mézières; in the Rue du Dauphin; is seized by the

throat; and a woman strikes at him; which he parries。 In the Rue St。

Honoré; a number of men in red caps surround M。 Regnault…Beauceron;

and decide to 〃string him up at the lantern〃; a man in his jacket had

already grabbed him from behind and raised him up; when the grenadiers

of Sainte…Opportune arrive in time to set him free。 In the Rue St。

Louis; M。 Deuzy; repeatedly struck on the back with stones; has a

saber twice raised over his head。 In the Passage des  Feuillants; M。

Desbois is pummeled; and a 〃snuff…box; his pocket…book; and cane〃 are

stolen from him。 In the lobbies of the Assembly; M。 Girardin is on the

point of being assassinated。'58' Eight deputies besides these are

pursued; and take refuge in the guard…room of the Palais Royal。 A

Federate enters along with them; and 〃there; his eyes sparkling with

rage and thumping on the table like a madman;〃 he exclaims to M。

Dumolard; who is the best known:〃  〃If you are unlucky enough to put

your feet in the Assembly again; I'll cut off your head with my

sword!〃   As to the principal defender of Lafayette; M。 Vaublanc; he

is assailed three times; but he is wary enough not to return home; a

number of infuriates; however; invest his house; yelling out that

〃eighty citizens are to perish by their hands; and he is one of the

first〃; a dozen of the gang ascend to his apartments; rummage them in

every corner; make another effort to find him in the adjoining houses;

and; not being able to secure him; try to find his family; he is

notified that; if he returns to his house; he will be massacred。  In

the evening; on the Feuillants terrace; other deputies are subjected

to the same outrages; the gendarmerie tries in vain to protect them;

while the 'commandant of the National Guard; on leaving his post; is

attacked and cut down。〃'59'   Meanwhile; some of the Jacobins in the

lobbies 〃doom the majority of the Assembly to destruction〃; one orator

declares that 〃the people have a right to form lists of proscription;〃

and the club accordingly decides on printing and publishing the names

of all the deputies who acquitted Lafayette。  Never was physical

constraint displayed and applied with such open shamelessness。'60'



On the following day; August 9; armed men gather around the approaches

to the Assembly; and sabers are seen even in the corridors。'61'  The

galleries; more imperious than ever; cheer; and break out in ironic

shouts of triumph and approval every time the attacks of the previous

evening are denounced in the tribune。 The president calls the

offenders to order more than twenty times; but his voice and his bell

are drowned in the uproar。 It is impossible to express an opinion。

Most of the representatives who were maltreated the evening before;

write that they will not return; while others; who are present;

declare that they will not vote again 〃if they cannot be secure of

freedom of conscience in their deliberations。〃  At this utterance;

which expresses the secret sentiment of  〃nearly the whole of the

Assembly;〃'62'  〃all the members of the 'Right'; and many of the

'Left' arise simultaneously and exclaim: 'Yes; yes; we will debate no

longer unless we are free!〃   As usual; however; the majority gives

away the moment effective measures are to be adopted; its heart sinks;

as it always has done; on being called upon to act in self…defense;

while these official declarations; one on top of the other; in hiding

from it the gravity of the danger; sink it deeper in its own timidity。

At this same session the syndic…attorney of the department reports

that the mob is ready; that 900 armed men had just entered Paris; that

the tocsin would be rung at midnight; and that the municipality

tolerates or favors the insurrection。 At this same session; the

Minister of Justice gives notice that 〃the laws are powerless;〃 and

that the government is no longer responsible。 At this same session;

Pétion; the mayor; almost avowing his complicity; appears at the bar

of the house; and declares positively that he will have nothing to do

with the public forces; because 〃it would be arming one body of

citizens against another。〃'63'  Every support is evidently knocked

away。   Feeling that it is abandoned; the National Assembly gives up;

and; as a last expedient; and with a degree of weakness or simplicity

which admirably depicts the legislators of the epoch; it adopts a

philosophic address to the people; 〃instructing it what to do in the

exerci
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