the origins of contemporary france-4- 第51部分

8th　of　Thermidor；　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　Robespierre's

speech；＇29＇　it　has　again　stretched　this　out；　and　would　probably　have

succumbed；　had　not　five　or　six　of　them；　whom　Robespierre　designated　or

named；　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　Vadier；　Cambon；　Billaud　and　Panis；

stimulated　by　the　animal　instinct　of　self…preservation；　raised　their

arms　to　ward　off　the　knife。　　Nothing　but　imminent；　personal；　mortal

danger　could；　in　these　prostrated　beings；　supplant　long…continued　fear

with　still　greater　fear。　　Later　on；　Siéyès；　on　being　asked　how　he

acted　in　these　times；　replied；　〃I　lived。〃　　In　effect；　he　and　others

are　reduced　to　that；　they　succeeded　in　doing　this；　at　all　costs；　and

at　what　a　price！＇30＇　　His　secret　notes；　his　most　private　sketches

confirm　this＇31＇。　　。　　。



　〃On　the　Committee　of　March　20；　〃Paillasse；　half　drunk；　gives　a

dissertation　on　the　way　to　carry　on　the　war；　and　interrogates　and

censures　the　Minister。　　The　poor　Minister　evades　his　questions　with

café　gossip　and　a　review　of　campaigns。　　These　are　the　men　placed　at

the　head　of　the　government　to　save　the　Republic！〃　…　〃　H。。。。；　in　his

distraction；　had　the　air　of　a　sly　fox　inwardly　smiling　at　his　own

knavish　thoughts。　　Ruit　irrevocabile　vulgus　。　　。　　。　　Jusque　Datum

sceleri。〃　…　〃Are　you　keeping　silent？〃　…　〃Of　what　use　is　my　glass　of

wine　in　this　torrent　of　ardent　spirits？　〃　…



　All　this　is　very　well；　but　he　did　not　merely　keep　silent　and　abstain。

He　voted；　legislated　and　decreed；　along　with　the　unanimous　Convention；

he　was　a　collaborator；　not　only　passively；　through　his　presence；　but

also　through　his　active　participation　in　the　acts　of　the　government

which　he　elected　and　enthroned；　re…elected　twelve　times；　cheered　every

week；　and　flattered　daily；　authorizing　and　keeping　on　to　the　end　its

work　of　spoliation　and　massacre。



〃Everybody　is　guilty　here；〃　said　Carrier　in　the　Convention；　〃even　to

the　president's　bell。〃



In　vain　do　they　constantly　repeat　to　themselves　that　they　were　forced

to　obey　under　penalty　of　death：　the　conscience　of　the　purest　among

them；　if　he　has　any；　replies：



〃You　too；　in　spite　of　yourself；　I　admit；　less　than　others；　if　you

please；　but　　you　were　a　terrorist；　that　is　to　say；　a　brigand　and　an

assassin。〃＇32＇



III。　　The　Committee　of　Public　Safety。



The　Men　who　do　the　work。　　…　Carnot；　Prieur　de…la…C？te　d'Or；　Jean　Bon

Saint　André；　Robert　Lindet。



On　a　man　becoming　a　slave；　said　old　Homer；　the　Gods　take　away　the　half

of　his　soul；　the　same　is　true　of　a　man　who　becomes　a　tyrant。　　…　In　the

Pavilion　de　Flore；　alongside　of　and　above　the　enslaved　Convention；　sit

the　twelve　kings　it　has　enthroned；　twice　a　day；＇33＇　ruling　over　it　as

well　as　over　France。＇34＇　　Of　course；　some　guarantee　is　required　from

those　who　fill　this　place；　there　is　not　one　of　them　who　is　not　a

revolutionary　of　long　standing；　an　impenitent　regicide；　a　fanatic　in

essence　and　a　despot　through　principle；　but　the　fumes　of　omnipotence

have　not　intoxicated　them　all　to　the　same　degree。　　…　Three　or　four　of

them；　Robert　Lindet；　Jean　Bon　St。　　André；　Prieur　de　la　C？te…d'Or　and

Carnot；　confine　themselves　to　useful　and　secondary　duties；　this

suffices　to　keep　them　partially　safe。　　As　specialists；　charged　with　an

important　service；　their　first　object　is　to　do　this　well；　and　hence

they　subordinate　the　rest　to　this；　even　theoretical　exigencies　and　the

outcries　of　the　clubs。



Lindet's　prime　object　is　to　feed　the　departments　that　are　without

wheat；　and　the　towns　that　are　soon　to　be　short　of　bread。



Prieur's　business　is　to　see　that　biscuits；　brandy；　clothes；　shoes；

gunpowder　and　arms　are　manufactured。＇35＇



Jean　Bon；　that　vessels　are　equipped　and　crews　drilled。



Carnot；　to　draw　up　campaign　plans　and　direct　the　march　of　armies：　the

dispatch　of　so　many　bags　of　grain　during　the　coming　fortnight　to　this

or　that　town；　or　warehouse　in　this　or　that　district；　the　making　up　of

so　many　weekly　rations；　to　be　deported　during　the　month　to　certain

places　on　the　frontier；　the　transformation　of　so　many　fishermen　into

artillerymen　or　marines；　and　to　set　afloat　so　many　vessels　in　three

months；　to　expedite　certain　Corps　of　Cavalry；　infantry　and　artillery；

so　as　to　arrive　by　such　and　such　roads　at　this　or　that　pass　…



These　are　precise　combinations　which　purge　the　brain　of　dogmatic

phrases；　which　force　revolutionary　jargon　into　the　background　and　keep

a　man　sensible　and　practical；　and　all　the　more　because　three　of　them；

Jean　Bon；　former　captain　of　a　merchantman；　Prieur　and　Carnot；

engineering　officers；　are　professional　men　and　go　to　the　front　to　put

their　shoulders　to　the　wheel　on　the　spot。　　Jean　Bon；　always　visiting

the　coasts；　goes　on　board　a　vessel　of　the　fleet　leaving　Brest　to　save

the　great　American　convoy；　Carnot；　at　Watignies；　orders　Jourdan　to

make　a　decisive　move；　and；　shouldering　his　musket；　marches　along　with

the　attacking　column。＇36＇　　Naturally；　they　have　no　leisure　for

speechmaking　in　the　Jacobin　club；　or　for　intrigues　in　the　Convention：

Carnot　lives　in　his　own　office　and　in　the　committee…room；　he　does　not

allow　himself　time　enough　to　eat　with　his　wife；　dines　on　a　crust　of

bread　and　a　glass　of　lemonade；　and　works　sixteen　and　eighteen　hours　a

day；＇37＇　Lindet；　more　overtasked　than　any　body　else；　because　hunger

will　not　wait；　reads　every　report　himself；　and　passes　days　and　nights

at　it；〃＇38＇　Jean　Bon；　in　wooden　shoes　and　woolen　vest；　with　a　bit　of

coarse　bread　and　a　glass　of　bad　beer；＇39＇　writes　and　dictates　until

his　strength　fails　him；　and　he　has　to　lie　down　and　sleep　on　a　mattress

on　the　floor。　　…　Naturally；　again；　when　interfered　with；　and　the　tools

in　their　hands　are　broken；　they　are　dissatisfied；　they　know　well　the

worth　of　a　good　instrument；　and　for　the　service；　as　they　comprehend

it；　good　tools　are　essential；　competent；　faithful　employees；　regular

in　attendance　at　their　offices；　and　not　at　the　club。　　When　they　have　a

subordinate　of　this　kind　they　defend　him；　often　at　the　risk　of　their

lives；　even　to　incurring　the　enmity　of　Robespierre。　　Cambon；＇40＇　who；

on　his　financial　committee；　is　also　a　sort　of　sovereign；　retains　at

the　Treasury　five　or　six　hundred　employees　unable　to　procure　their

certificate　of　civism；　and　whom　the　Jacobins　incessantly　denounce　so

as　to　get　their　places。　　Carnot　saves　and　employs　eminent　engineers；

D'Arcon；　de　Montalembert；　d'Obenheim；　all　of　them　nobles；　and　one　of

them　an　anti…Jacobin；　without　counting　a　number　of　accused　officers

whom　he　justifies；　replaces；　or　maintains。＇41＇　…　Through　these

courageous　and　humane　acts；　they　solace　themselves　for　their　scruples；

at　least　partially　and　for　the　time　being；　moreover；　they　are

statesmen　only　because　the　occasion　and　superior　force　makes　it

imperative；　more　led　by　others　than　leading；　terrorists　through

accident　and　necessity；　rather　than　through　system　and　instinct。　　If；

in　concert　with　ten　others；　Prieur　and　Carnot　order　wholesale　robbery

and　murder；　if　they　sign　orders　by　twenties　and　hundreds；　amounting　to

assassinations；　it　is　owing　to　their　forming　part　of　a　body。　　When　the

whole　committee　deliberates；　they　are　bound；　in　important　decrees；　to

submit　to　the　preponderating　opinion　of　the　majority；　after　voting　in

the　negative。　　In　relation　to　secondary　decrees；　in　which　there　has

been　no　preliminary　discussion　in　common；　the　only　responsible　member

is　the　one　whose　signature　stands　first；　the　following　signatures

affixed；　without　reading　the　document；　are　simply　a　〃formality　which

the　law　requires；〃　merely　a　visa；　necessarily　mechanical；　with　〃four

or　five　hundred　business　matters　to　attend　to　daily；〃　it　is　impossible

to　do　otherwise。　　To　read　all　and　vote　in　every　case；　would　be　〃a

physical　impossibility。〃＇42＇　…　Finally；　as　things　are；　〃is　not　the

general　will；　at　least　the　apparent　general　will；　that　alone　on　which

the　government　can　decide；　itself　ultra…revolutionary？〃＇43＇　　In　other

words；　should　not　the　five　or　six　rascals　in　a　State　who　vociferate；

be　listened　to；　rather　than　a　hundred　honest　folks　who　keep　their

mouths　shut？　With　this　sophism；　gross　as　it　is；　but　of　pure　Jacobin

manufacture；　Carnot　ends　by　hoodwinking　his　honor　and　his　conscience；

otherwise　intact；　and　far　more　so　than　his　colleagues；　he　likewise

undergoes　moral　and　mental　mutilation；　constrained　by　the　duties　of

his　post　and　the　illusions　of　his　creed；　he　succeeded　in　an　inward

decapitation　of　the　two　noblest　of　human　faculties；　common…sense；　the

most　useful；　and　the　moral　sense；　the　most　exalted　of　all。







IV。　　The　Statesmen。



Billaud…Varennes；　Collot　d'Herbois；　Robespierre；　Couthon　and　Saint…

Just。　　…　Conditions　of　this　rule。　　…　Dangers　to　which　they　are

subject。　　…　Their　dissensions。　　…　Pressure　of　Fear　and　Theory。



If　such　are　the　ravages　which　are　made　in　an　upright；　firm　and　healthy

personality；　what　must　be　the　havoc　in　corrupt　or　weak　natures；　in

which　bad　instincts　already　predominate！　…　And　note　that　they　are

without　the　protection　provided　by　a　pursuit　of　some　specific　and

useful　objective。　　They　are　〃government　men；〃　also　〃revolutionaries〃

or　〃the　people　in　total　control；〃＇44＇　they　are　in　actual　fact　men　with

an　overall　concept　of　things；　also　direct　these。　　The　creation；

organization　and　application　of　Terror　belongs　wholly　to　them；　they

are　the　constructors；　regulators　and　engineers　of　the　machine；＇45＇　the

recognized　heads　of　the　party；　of　the　sect　and　of　the　government；

especially　Billaud　and　Robespierre；　who　never　serve　on　missions；＇46＇

nor　relax　their　hold　for　a　moment　on　the　central　motor。　　The　former；

an　active　politician；　with　Collot　for　his　second；　is　charged　with

urging　on　the　constituted　authorities；　the　districts；　the

municipalities；　the　national　agents；　the　revolutionary　committees；　and

the　representatives　on　mission　in　the　interior。＇47＇　The　latter；　a

theologian；　moralist；　titular　doctor　and　preacher；　is　charged　with

ruling　the　Convention　and　indoctrinating　the　Jacobins　wit