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Frenchmen。 The social body is disintegrated； amongst the millions of
disconnected atoms not a nucleus of spontaneous cohesion and stable
co…ordination remains。 It is impossible for civil France to
reconstruct itself； as impossible as it would be to build a Notre Dame
of Paris； or a St。 Peter's of Rome out of the slime of the streets or
the dust of the highways。
With military France it is otherwise。 Here； men have made trial of
each other； and are devoted to each other； subordinates to their
leaders； and all to one great work。 The sentiments are strong and
healthy which bind human wills in a cluster of mutual sympathy； trust；
esteem and admiration； and all these super abound； while the free
companionship which still subsists between inferior and superior；＇147＇
that gay unrestrained familiarity so dear to the French； draws the
knot still closer。 In this world unsullied by political defilements
and ennobled by habits of abnegation；＇148＇ there is all that
constitutes an organized and visible society； a hierarchy； not
external and veneered； but moral and deep…seated； with uncontested
titles； recognized superiorities； an accepted subordination； rights
and duties stamped on all consciences； in brief； what has always been
wanting in revolutionary institutions； the discipline of sentiments
and emotions。 Give to these men a countersign and they do not
discuss； provided it is legal； or seems so； they act accordingly； not
merely against strangers； but against Frenchmen： thus； already on the
13th Vendémiaire they mowed down the Parisians； and on the 18th of
Fructidor they purged the Legislative Corps。 Let a famous general
appear； and provided he respects formalities； they will follow him and
once more repeat the operation。 … One does appear； one who for three
years has thought of nothing else； but who on this occasion will
repeat the operation only for his own advantage。 He is the most
illustrious of all； and precisely the conductor or promoter of the two
previous ones； the very same who personally brought about the 13th of
Vendémiaire； and likewise； at the hands of his lieutenant； Augereau；
the 18th of Fructidor。 … Let him be authorized by the semblance of a
decree； let him be appointed major…general of the armed force by a
minority of one of the Councils； and the army will march behind him。
… Let him issue the usual proclamations； let him summon 〃his comrades〃
to save the Republic and clear the hall of the Five Hundred； his
grenadiers will enter with fixed bayonets and even laugh at the sight
of the deputies； dressed as for the opera； scrambling off
precipitately out of the windows。＇149＇ … Let him manage the
transitions； let him avoid the ill…sounding name of dictator； let him
assume a modest and yet classic revolutionary Roman title； let him
along with two others be simple consuls； the soldiers； who have
neither time nor leisure to be publicists and who are only skin…deep
republicans； will ask nothing more。 They regard their system as a
very good one for the French people； the despotic system without which
there can be no army； that which places the absolute command in the
hands of one individual。 … Let him put down other Jacobins； let him
revoke their late decrees on hostages and the forced loan； let him
restore safety and security to persons； property and consciences； let
him bring back order； economy and efficiency to the administrations；
let him provide for public services； hospitals； roads and schools； the
whole of civil France will welcome its liberator； protector and
restorer。＇150＇ … In his own words； the system he brings is that of
〃the alliance of Philosophy with the Sword；〃 philosophy meaning； as
it was then understood； the application of abstract principles to
politics； the logical construction of a State according to general
and simple notices with a social plan； uniform and rectilinear。
Now as we have seen；＇151＇ two of these plans square with this
theory； one anarchical and the other despotic； naturally； the
master adopts the latter； and； like a practical man； he builds
according to that theory a substantial edifice； with sand and lime；
habitable and well suited to its purposes。 All the masses of the
great work…civil code； university； Concordat； prefectoral and
centralized administration…all the details of its arrangement and
distribution of places； tend to one general effect； which is the
omnipotence of the State； the omnipresence of the government； the
abolition of local and private initiative； the suppression of
voluntary free association； the gradual dispersion of small
spontaneous groupings； the preventive ban of prolonged hereditary
works； the extinction of sentiments by which the individual lives
beyond himself in the past or in the future。 Never were finer
barracks constructed； more symmetrical and more decorative in aspect；
more satisfactory to superficial views； more acceptable to vulgar good
sense； more suited to narrow egoism； better kept and cleaner； better
adapted to the discipline of the average and low elements of human
nature； and better adapted to dispersing or perverting the superior
elements of human nature。 In this philosophical barracks we have
lived for eighty years。
THE END。
（written in 1889）。
__________________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ Gaudin； Duc de Ga？te； 〃Memoires；〃 I。； 28。 Gaudin； commissioner of
the Treasury； meets the president of the revolutionary committee of
his quarter； an excellent Jacobin； who says to him： 〃Eh； well； what's
all this？ Robespierre proscribed！ Is it possible？ What is wanted …
everything was going on so well！〃 （It is true that fifty or sixty
heads fell daily。） 〃I replied； 'Just so； there are some folks that are
never satisfied。'〃
＇2＇ Mallet…Dupan； 〃Mémoires；〃 II。； 16。 （Letter of January 8； 1795。） …
Ibid。； 〃Correspondance avec la cour de Vienne；〃 I。； 23； 25； 32； 34；
（January 8； 1795； on the four parties com posing the Convention）。
＇3＇ Marshal Marmont： 〃Memoires；〃 I。； 120。 （Report of General
Dugommier on the capture of Toulon。） 〃That memorable day avenged the
general will of a partial and gangrened will； the delirium of which
caused the greatest misfortunes。〃
＇4＇ Memorial of the ninety…four survivors Thermidor 30； year II。；
acquitted Fructidor 28。
＇5＇ Carrier indicted Brumaire 21； year III。 Decree of arrest passed
by 498 out of 500 votes； Frimaire 3； execution Frimaire 26。 Fouquier…
Tinville indicted Frimaire 28； execution Floréal 28； there being 419
witnesses heard。 Joseph Lebon indicted Messidor I； year III。 Trial
adjourned to the Somme court； Messidor 29； execution Vendémiaire 24；
year IV。
＇6＇ Cf。 chapters 4； 5 and 6 of the present volume。 Numbers of
printed documents of this epoch show what these local sovereigns were。
The principal ones in the department of Ain were 〃Anselm； who had
placed Marat's head in his shop。 Duclos； a joiner； living before the
31st of May on his earnings； he became after that a gentleman living
on his rents； owning national domains； sheep； horses and pocket books
filled with assignats。 Laimant； a tailor； in debt； furnishing his
apartment suddenly with all the luxuriousness of the ancient regime；
such as beds at one hundred pistoles etc。 Alban； mayor； placing seals
everywhere； was a blacksmith and father of a family which he supported
by his labor； all at once he stops working； and passes from a state of
dependence to one of splendor； he has diamonds and earrings； always
wearing new clothes； fine linen shirts； muslin cravates； silk
stockings； etc。； on removing the seals in the houses of those
imprisoned and guillotined； little or nothing was found in them。
Alban was denounced and incarcerated for having obliged a woman of
Macon to give him four hundred francs on promising to interest himself
in her husband。 Such are the Ain patriots。 Rollet； another； had so
frightened the rural districts that the people ran away on his
approach； on one occasion he had two of them harnessed to his carriage
and drove them along for some time in this manner 。 。 。 Another；
Charcot （of Virieu）； before the Revolution； was a highway assassin；
and was banished for three years for an act of this description。〃
（Bibliotheque Nationale。 Lb。 41； No。 1318。 〃The truth in reply to
calumnious charges against the department of Ain。〃 Letter of Roux；
Vendémiaire； year III。）
＇7＇ Decree of Germinal 12； year III： for the transportation of Collot；
Barère； Billaud…Varennes and Vadier。 Eight Montagnards are put under
arrest。 … Decree of Germinal 14： the same against nine other
Montagnards。 ？Decree of Germinal 29： the same against Maribon…
Montant。 … Decree of Prairial 6： twenty…nine Montagnards are
indicted。 … Decree of Prairial 8： putting six Montagnards under
arrest。 … Decree of Prairial 9： the same against nine members of
former committees。 … Decrees