the origins of contemporary france-4-第183部分

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Colomès；　Pichegru；　Willot；　Delarne　…　who　may　be　in　correspondence　with

Louis　XVIII。　　and　disposed　to　raise　the　royal　flag。　　For　the　other

five　hundred；　the　restoration　of　the　legitimate　King；　or　the

establishment　of　any　royalty　whatever；　is　only　in　the　background；　they

regard　it　only　at　a　distance；　as　a　possible　accompaniment　and　remote

consequence　of　their　present　undertaking。　　In　any　event；　they　would

accept　only　〃the　mitigated　monarchy；〃＇53＇　that　which　the　Liberals　of

1788　hoped　for；　that　which　Mounier　demanded　after　the　days　of　October

5　and　6；　that　advocated　by　Barnave　after　the　return　from　Varennes；

that　which　Malouet；　Gouverneur　Morris；　Mallet…Dupan　and　all　good

observers　and　wise　councillors　of　France；　always　recommended。　　None　of

them　propose　to　proclaim　divine　right　and　return　to　aristocratic

feudalism；　each　proposes　to　abrogate　revolutionary　right　and　destroy

Jacobin　feudalism。　　The　principle　condemned　by　them　is　that　which

sustains　the　theory　of　anarchy　and　despotism；



*　the　application　of　the　Contrat　Social；＇54＇



*　a　dictatorship　established　by　coups　détat；　carried　on　arbitrarily

and　supported　by　terror；



*　the　systematic　and　dogmatic　persistence　of　assaults　on　persons；

property　and　consciences；



*　the　usurpation　of　a　vicious；　fanatical　minority　which　has　devastated

France　for　five　years　and；　under　the　pretext　of　everywhere　setting　up

the　rights　of　man；　purposely　maintaining　a　war　to　propagate　its　system

abroad。



That　which　they　are　really　averse　to　is　the　Directory　and　its　clique；

Barras　with　his　court　of　gorged　contractors　and　kept　women；　Reubell

with　his　family　of　extortioners；　stamp　of　a　parvenu　and　ways　of　a

tavern　keeper；　La　Révellière…Lepaux　with　his　hunchback　vanity；

philosophic　pretensions；　sectarian　intolerance　and　silly　airs　of　a

pedantic　dupe。　　What　they　demand　in　the　tribune；＇55＇　is　the

purification　of　the　administration；　the　suppression　of　jobbery；　an　end

to　persecution　and；　according　as　they　are　more　or　less　excited　or

circumspect；　they　demand　legal　sentences　or　simply　the　removal　of

Jacobins　in　office；　the　immediate　and　entire　suppression　or　partial

and　careful　reform　of　the　laws　against　priests　and　worship；　against

émigrés　and　the　nobles。＇56＇　　Nobody　has　any　idea　of　innovation　with

respect　to　the　distribution　of　public　powers；　or　to　the　way　of

appointing　central　or　local　authorities。　　〃　I　swear　on　my　honor；〃

writes　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃that　it　has　always　been　my　intention　to

maintain　the　Republican　Constitution；　persuaded　as　I　am　that；　with　a

temperate　and　equitable　administration；　it　might　give　repose　to

France；　make　liberty　known　and　cherished；　and　repair　in　time　the　evils

of　the　Revolution。　　I　swear　that　no　proposals；　direct　or　indirect；

have　ever　been　made　to　me　to　serve；　either　by　my　actions；　speech　or

silence；　or　cause　to　prevail　in　any　near　or　remote　manner；　any　other

interest　than　that　of　the　Republic　and　the　Constitution。〃　　〃Among

the　deputies；〃　says　Camille　Jordan；　〃several　might　prefer　royalty；　but

they　did　not　conspire；　regarding　the　Constitution　as　a　deposit

entrusted　to　their　honor　。　　。　　They　kept　their　most　cherished　plans

subordinate　to　the　national　will；　they　comprehended　that　royalty　could

not　be　re…established　without　blows　and　through　the　development　of

this　bill。〃　　〃　Between　ourselves；〃　says　again　Barbé…Marbois；　〃there

were　disagreements　as　to　the　way　of　getting　along　with　the　Directory；

but　none　at　all　as　to　the　maintenance　of　the　Constitution。〃＇57＇

Almost　up　to　the　last　moment　they　confined　themselves　strictly　to

their　legal　rights；　and　when；　towards　the　end；　they　were　disposed　to

set　these　aside；　it　was　simply　to　defend　themselves　against　the

uplifted　saber　above　their　heads。＇58＇　　It　is　incontestable　that　their

leaders　are　〃the　most　estimable　and　the　ablest　men　in　the

Republic；〃＇59＇　the　only　representatives　of　free　suffrage；　mature

opinions　and　long　experience；　the　only　ones　at　least　in　whose　hands

the　Republic；　restored　to　order　and　justice；　would　have　any　chance　of

becoming　viable；　in　fact；　the　only　liberals。　　And　this　is　the　reason

why　the　merely　nominal　Republicans　were　bound　to　crush　them。



In　effect；　under　a　government　which　disavows　attacks　on　persons　and　on

public　or　private　property；　not　only　is　the　Jacobin　theory　impossible；

but　Jacobin　wrongs　are　condemned。　　Now；　the　Jacobins；　even　if　they

have　abjured　their　principles；　remember　their　acts。　　They　become

alarmed　on　the　arrival　of　the　first　Third；　in　October；　1795：　〃The

Conventionalists；〃　writes　one　of　the　new　deputies；＇60＇　〃look　upon　us

as　men　who　will　one　day　give　them　up　to　justice。〃　After　the　entry　of

the　second　Third；　in　May；　1797；　their　fright　increased；　the　regicides；

especially；　feel　that　〃their　safety　depends　only　on　an　exclusive　and

absolute　dominion。〃＇61＇　One　day；　Treilhard；　one　of　their　notables；

alone　with　Mathieu　Dumas；　says　to　this　old　Feuillant　and　friend　of

Lafayette；　of　well　known　loyalty　and　moderation：　〃You　are　very　honest

and　very　able　men；　and　I　believe　that　you　really　desire　to　maintain

the　government　as　it　is；　because　neither　for　you　nor　for　us　is　there

any　sure　way　of　substituting　another　for　it。　　But　we　Conventionalists

cannot　allow　you　to　go　on；　whether　you　mean　it　or　not；　you　are

gradually　leading　us　to　our　certain　ruin；　there　is　nothing　in　common

between　us。〃　　　〃What　guarantee　do　you　then　require？〃　　　〃Only　one。

After　that；　we'll　do　all　you　want　…　we'll　let　you　relax　the　springs　…

give　us　this　guarantee　and　we'll　follow　you　blindly！　　〃Well；　what　do

you　mean　by　that？〃　…



　〃Enter　the　tribune　and　declare　that　if　you　had　been　a　member　of　the

Convention；　you　would　have　voted　the　death　of　Louis　XVI。　　as　we　did！〃

…



　〃You　demand　an　impossibility。　　You　would　not　do　this　in　our　place。

You　sacrifice　France　to　vain　terrors。〃　…



　〃No；　the　risk　is　not　equal；　our　heads　are　at　stake！〃



Their　heads；　perhaps；　…　but　certainly　their　power；　places；　fortunes；

comforts　and　pleasures；　all　that　in　their　eyes　makes　it　worth　while　to

live。　　…　Every　morning；　seventy　Paris　newspapers　and　as　many　local

gazettes　in　the　large　towns　of　the　provinces　expose；　with　supporting

documents；　details　and　figures；　not　merely　their　former　crimes；　but；

again；　their　actual　corruption；　their　sudden　opulence　founded　on

prevarication　and　rapine；　their　bribes　and　peculations　…



*　one；　rewarded　with　a　sumptuously　furnished　mansion　by　a　company　of

grateful　contractors；



*　another；　son　of　a　bailiwick　attorney　and　a　would…be　Carthusian；　now

possessor　of　ecclesiastical　property；　restored　by　him　at　a　great

outlay　for　hunting…grounds；　another　also　monopolizes　the　finest　land

in　Seine…et…Oise；



*　another；　the　improvised　owner　of　four　chateaux；



*　another；　who　has　feathered　his　nest　with　fifteen　or　eighteen

millions；＇62＇



With　their　loose　or　arbitrary　ways　of　doing　things；　their　habits　as

hoarders　or　spendthrifts；　their　display　and　effrontery；　their

dissipations；　their　courtiers