the origins of contemporary france-4-第10节

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Bourgneuf；　and　many　others；　the　cost　of　all　this　amounts　to　four

hundred　thousand　livres　per　decade；　in　six　months　the　Republic　expends

fifteen　millions　in　destroying　property　valued　at　three　or　four

hundred　millions；　all　belonging　to　the　Republic。＇101＇　　Since　the

Mongols　of　the　fifth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　no　such　vast　and

irrational　waste　had　been　seen　　such　frenzy　against　the　most

profitable　fruits　of　industry　and　human　civilization。　　　Again；　one

can　understand　how　the　Mongols；　who　were　nomads；　desired　to　convert

the　soil　into　one　vast　steppe。　　But；　to　demolish　a　town　whose　arsenal

and　harbor　is　maintained　by　it；　to　destroy　the　leaders　of

manufacturing　interests　and　their　dwellings　in　a　city　where　its

workmen　and　factories　are　preserved；　to　keep　up　a　fountain　and　stop

the　stream　which　flows　from　it；　or　the　stream　without　the　fountain；　is

so　absurd　that　the　idea　could　only　enter　the　head　of　a　Jacobin。　　His

imagination　has　run　so　wild　and　his　prevision　become　so　limited　that

he　is　no　longer　aware　of　contradictions；　the　ferocious　stupidity　of

the　barbarian　and　the　fixed　idea　of　the　inquisition　meet　on　common

ground；　the　earth　is　not　big　enough　for　any　but　himself　and　the

orthodox　of　his　species。　　Employing　absurd；　inflated　and　sinister

terms　he　decrees　the　extermination　of　heretics：　not　only　shall　their

monuments；　dwellings　and　persons　be　destroyed；　but　every　vestige　of

them　shall　be　eradicated　and　their　names　lost　to　the　memory　of

man。＇102＇



　〃The　name　of　Toulon　shall　be　abolished；　that　commune　shall　henceforth

bear　the　name　of　Port…la…Montagne。〃　…　〃The　name　of　Lyons　shall　be

stricken　off　the　list　of　towns　belonging　to　the　Republic；　the

remaining　collection　of　houses　shall　henceforth　bear　the　name　of

Ville…Affranchie。　　A　column　shall　be　erected　on　the　ruins　of　Lyons

bearing　this　inscription：　'Lyons　made　war　on　Liberty！　Lyons　is　no

more！'〃







X。



Destruction　of　the　Girondin　party。　　　Proscription　of　the　Deputies　of

the　〃Right〃。　　　Imprisonment　of　the　73。　　　Execution　of　the　21。　　

Execution；　suicide；　or　flight　of　the　rest。



In　all　this　there　is　no　intention　to　spare　in　Paris　the　chiefs　of　the

insurrection　or　of　the　party；　either　deputies　or　ministers；　on　the

contrary；　the　object　is　to　complete　the　subjection　of　the　Convention；

to　stifle　the　murmurs　of　the　〃Right；〃　to　impose　silence　on　Ducos；

Boyer…Fonfrède；　Vernier；　and　Couhey；　who　still　speak　and　protest。＇103＇

Hence　the　decrees　of　arrest　or　death；　launched　weekly　from　the　top　of

the　〃Mountain；〃　fall　on　the　majority　like　guns　fired　into　a　crowd。

Decrees　of　accusation　follow：　on　the　15th　of　June；　against　Duchatel；

on　the　17th　against　Barbaroux；　on　the　23rd　against　Brissot；　on　the　8th

of　July　against　Devérité　and　Condorcet；　on　the　14th　against　Lauze…

Deperret　and　Fauchet；　on　the　30th　against　Duprat　Jr。；　Valée　and

Mainvielle；　on　the　2nd　of　August　against　Rouyer；　Brunel　and　Carra；

Carra；　Lauze…Deperret　and　Fauchet；　present　during　the　session；　are

seized　on　the　spot；　which　is　plain　physical　warning：　none　is　more

effective　to　check　the　unruly。　　　Decrees　are　passed　on　the　18th　of

July　accusing　Coustard；　on　the　28th　of　July　against　Gensonné；　La

Source；　Vergniaud；　Mollevaut；　Gardien；　Grangeneuve；　Fauchet；　Boilleau；

Valazé；　Cussy；　Meillan；　each　being　aware　that　the　tribunal　before

which　he　must　appear　is　the　waiting　room　to　the　guillotine。　　

Decrees　of　condemnation　are　passed　on　the　12th　of　July　against

Birotteau；　the　28　of　July　against　Buzot；　Barbaroux；　Gorsas；

Lanjuniais；　Salles；　Louvet；　Bergoeing；　Pétion；　Guadet；　Chasset；

Chambon；　Lidon；　Valady；　Defermon；　Kervelégen；　Larivière；　Rabaut…Saint…

étienne；　and　Lesage；　pronounced　outlaws　and　traitors；　they　are　to　be

led　to　the　scaffold　without　trial　as　soon　as　they　can　be　got　hold　of。

　Finally；　on　the　3rd　of　October；　a　great　haul　of　the　net　in　the

Assembly　itself　sweeps　off　the　benches　all　the　deputies　that　still

seem　capable　of　any　independence：　the　first　thing　is　to　close　the

doors　of　the　hall；　which　is　done　by　Amar；　reporter　of　the　Committee　of

General　Security；＇104＇　then；　after　a　declamatory　and　calumnious

speech；　which　lasts　two　hours；　he　reads　off　names　on　two　lists　of

proscriptions：　forty…five　deputies；　more　or　less　prominent　among　the

Girondins；　are　to　be　at　once　summoned　before　the　revolutionary

tribunal；　seventy…three　others；　who　have　signed　secret　protests

against　the　31st　of　May　and　2nd　of　June；　are　to　be　put　in　jail。　　No

arguing！　the　majority　dares　not　even　express　an　opinion。　　Some　of　the

proscribed　attempt　to　exculpate　themselves；　but　they　are　not　allowed

to　be　heard；　none　but　the　Montagnards　have　the　floor；　and　they　do　no

more　than　add　to　the　lists；　each　according　to　personal　enmity；

Levasseur　has　Vigée　put　down；　and　Duroi　adds　the　name　of　Richon。　　One

their　names　being　called；　all　the　poor　creatures　who　happen　to　be

inscribed；　quietly　advance　and　〃huddle　together　within　the　bar　of　the

house；　like　lambs　destined　to　slaughter；〃　and　here　they　are　separated

into　two　flocks；　on　the　one　hand　the　seventy…three；　and　on　the　other；

the　ten　or　twelve　who；　with　the　Girondins　already　kept　under　lock　and

key；　are　to　furnish　the　sacramental　and　popular　number；　the　twenty…two

traitors；　whose　punishment　is　a　requirement　of　the　Jacobin

imagination；＇105＇　on　the　left；　the　batch　for　the　prison；　on　the　right；

the　batch　for　the　guillotine。



To　those　who　might　be　tempted　to　imitate　them　or　defend　them　this　is　a

sufficient　lesson。　　…　Subject　to　the　boos；　hisses　and　insults　from　the

hags　lining　the　streets；　the　seventy…three＇106＇　are　conducted　to　the

prisoners'　room　in　the　town　hall。　　This；　already　full；　is　where　they

pass　the　night　standing　on　benches；　scarcely　able　to　breathe。　　The

next　day　they　are　crammed　into　the　prison　for　assassins　and　robbers；

〃la　Force；〃　on　the　sixth　story；　under　the　roof；　in　this　narrow　garret

their　beds　touch　each　other；　while　two　of　the　deputies　are　obliged　to

sleep　on　the　floor　for　lack　of　room。　　Under　the　skylights；　which　serve

for　windows；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase　are　two　pig…pens；　at　the

end　of　the　apartment　are　the　privies；　and　in　one　corner　a　night…tub；

which　completes　the　poisoning　of　the　atmosphere　already　vitiated　by

this　crowded　mass　of　human　beings。　　The　beds　consist　of　sacks　of　straw

swarming　with　vermin；　they　are　compelled　to　endure　the

discipline；＇107＇　rations　and　mess　of　convicts。　　And　they　are　lucky　to

escape　at　this　rate：　for　Amar　takes　advantage　of　their　silent

deportment　to　tax　them　with　conspiracy；　other　Montagnards　likewise

want　to　arraign　them　at　the　revolutionary　Tribunal：　at　all　events；　it

is　agreed　that　the　Committee　of　General　Security　shall　examine　their

records　and　maintain　the　right　of　designating　new　culprits　amongst

them。　　For　ten　months　they　thus　remain　under　the　knife；　in　daily

expectation　of　joining　the　twenty…two　on　the　Place　de　la　Révolution。

　With　respect　to　the　latter；　the　object　is　not　to　try　them　but　to

kill　them；　and　the　semblance　of　a　trial　is　simply　judicial

assassination；　the　bill　of　indictment　against　them　consists　of　club

gossip；　they　are　accused　of　having　desired　the　restoration　of　the

monarchy；　of　being　in　correspondence　with　Pitt　and　Coburg；＇108＇　of

having　excited　Vendée　to　insurrection。　　The　betrayal　of　Dumouriez　is

imputed　to　them；　also　the　murder　of　Lepelletier；　and　the　assassination

of　Marat；　while　pretended　witnesses；　selected　from　amongst　their

personal　enemies；　come　and　repeat；　like　a　theme　agreed　upon；　the　same


ill…contrived　fable：　nothing　but　vague　allegations　and　manifest

falsehoods；　not　one　definite　fact；　not　once　convincing　document；　the

lack　of　proof　is　such　that　the　trial　has　to　be　stopped　as　soon　as

possible。　　〃You　brave　b　forming　the　court；〃　writes　Hébert；

〃don't　trifle　away　your　time。　　Why　so　much　ceremony　in　shortening　the

days　of　wretches　whom　the　people　have　already　condemned？〃　Care　is

especially　taken　not　to　let　them　have　a　chance　to　speak。　　The

eloquence　of　Vergniaud　and　logic　of　Guadet　might　turn　the　tables　at

the　last　moment。　　Consequently；　a　prompt　decree　authorizes　the

tribunal　to　stop　proceedings　as　soon　as　the　jury　becomes　sufficiently

enlightened；　which　is　the　case　after　the　seventh　session　of　the　court；

the　record　of　death　suddenly　greeting　the　accused；　who　are　not　allowed

to　defend　themselves。　　One　of　them；　Valazé；　stabs　himself　in　open

court；　and　the　next　day　the　national　head…chopper　strikes　off　the

remaining　twenty　heads　in　thirty…eight　minutes。　　…　Still　more

expeditious　are　the　proceedings　against　the　accused　who　avoid　a　trial。

Gorsas；　seized　in　Paris　on　the　8th　of　October；　is　guillotined　the　same

day。　　Birotteau；　seized　at　Bordeaux；　on　the　24th　of　October；　mounts

the　scaffold　within　twenty…four　hours。　　The　others；　tracked　like

wolves；　wandering　in　disguise　from　one　hiding…place　to　another；　and

most　of　them　arrested　in　turn；　have　only　choice　of　several　kinds　of

death。　　Cambon　is　killed　in　defending　himself。