the origins of contemporary france-4-第74部分

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of　police；　and　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　of　the　former　ministers

of　state。〃　In　the　Convention；　〃it　is　considered　an　honor　to　talk　with

them；　and　a　privilege　to　shake　hands　with　them；　one　seems　to　read

one's　duty　on　their　brows。〃　On　the　days　on　which　their　orders　are　to

be　converted　into　laws　〃the　members　of　the　Committee　and　the　reporter

of　the　bill；　keep　people　waiting；　the　same　as　the　heads　and

representatives　of　the　former　sovereign　power；　on　their　way　to　the

Assembly　hall；　they　are　preceded　by　a　group　of　courtiers　who　seem　to

announce　the　masters　of　the　world。〃＇49＇　…　In　fact；　they　reign　…　but

observe　on　what　conditions。



〃Make　no　complaints；〃　said　Barère；＇50＇　to　the　composer　of　an　opera；

the　performance　of　which　had　just　been　suspended：　〃as　times　go；　you

must　not　attract　public　attention。　　Do　we　not　all　stand　at　the　foot　of

the　guillotine；　all；　beginning　with　myself？〃　Again；　twenty　years

later；　in　a　private　conversation；　on　being　interrogated　as　to　the

veritable　object；　the　secret　motive　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；

he　replied：



〃As　we　were　animated　by　but　one　sentiment；＇51＇　my　dear　sir；　that　of

self…preservation；　we　had　but　one　desire；　that　of　maintaining　an

existence　which　each　of　us　believed　to　be　menaced。　　You　had　your

neighbor　guillotined　to　prevent　your　neighbor　from　guillotining

you。〃＇52＇



The　same　apprehension　exists　in　stouter　souls；　although　there　may　have

been；　along　with　fear；　motives　of　a　less　debased　order。



　〃How　many　times；〃　says　Carnot；＇53＇　〃we　undertook　some　work　that

required　time；　with　the　conviction　that　we　should　not　be　allowed　to

complete　it！〃　…　〃　It　was　uncertain＇54＇　whether；　the　next　time　the

clock　struck　the　hour；　we　should　not　be　standing　before　the

revolutionary　Tribunal　on　our　way　to　the　scaffold　without；　perhaps；

having　had　time　to　bid　adieu　to　our　families。　　。　　。　　。　　We　pursued　our

daily　task　so　as　not　to　let　the　machine　stand　still；　as　if　a　long　life

were　before　us；　when　it　was　probable　that　we　should　not　see　the　next

day's　sun。〃



It　is　impossible　to　count　on　one's　life；　or　that　of　another；　for

twenty…four　hours；　should　the　iron　hand　which　holds　one　by　the　throat

tighten　its　grasp；　all　will　be　over　that　evening。



　〃There　were　certain　days　so　difficult　that　one　could　see　no　way　to

control　circumstances；　those　who　were　directly　menaced　resigned

themselves　wholly　to　chance。〃＇55＇　…　〃　The　decisions　for　which　we　are

so　much　blamed；〃　says　another；＇56＇　〃were　not　generally　thought　of　two

days；　or　one　day；　beforehand；　they　sprung　out　of　the　crisis　of　the

moment。　　We　did　not　desire　to　kill　for　the　sake　of　killing　。　　。　　。

but　to　conquer　at　all　hazards；　remain　masters；　and　ensure　the　sway　of

our　principles。〃　…　That　is　true；　…　they　are　subjects　as　well　as

despots。　　At　the　Committee　table；　during　their　nocturnal　sessions；

their　sovereign　presides；　a　formidable　figure；　the　revolutionary　Idea

which　confers　on　them　the　right　to　slay；　on　condition　of　exercising　it

against　everybody；　and　therefore　on　themselves。　　Towards　two　o'clock；

or　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　exhausted；　out　of　words　and　ideas；

not　knowing　where　to　slay；　on　the　right　or　on　the　left；　they　anxiously

turn　to　this　figure　and　try　to　read　its　will　in　its　fixed　eyes。



　〃Who　shall　fall　to…morrow？　〃　…



Ever　the　same　reply　steadily　expressed　on　the　features　of　the

impassable　phantom：　〃the　counter…revolutionaries；〃　under　which　name　is

comprised　all　who　by　act；　speech；　thought　or　inmost　sentiment；　either

through　irritation　or　carelessness；　through　humanity　or　moderation；

through　egoism　or　nonchalance；　through　passive；　neutral　or　indifferent

feeling；　serve　well　or　ill　the　Revolution。＇57＇　…　All　that　remains　is

to　add　names　to　this　horribly　comprehensive　decree。　　Shall　Billaud　do

it？　Shall　Robespierre　do　it？　Will　Billaud　put　down　Robespierre's　name；

or　Robespierre　put　down　Billaud's；　or　each　the　name　of　the　other；　with

those　he　chooses　to　select　from　among　the　two　Committees？　Osselin；

Chabot；　Bazire；　Julien　de　Toulouse；　Lacroix；　Danton；　were　on　them；　and

when　they　left；　their　heads　fell。＇58＇　　　Hérault…Séchelles；　again；　was

on　them；　maintained　in　office　with　honor　through　the　recent

approbation　of　the　Convention；＇59＇　one　of　the　titular　twelve；　and　on

duty　when　an　order　issued　by　the　other　eleven　suddenly　handed　him　over

to　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　for　execution。　　…　Whose　turn　is　it　now

among　the　eleven？　Seized　unawares；　the　docile　Convention　unanimously

applauding；　after　three　days　of　a　judicial　farce；　the　cart　will　bear

him　to　the　Place　de　la　Révolution；　Samson　will　tie　him　fast；　shouters

at　thirty　sous　a　day　will　clap　their　hands；　and；　on　the　following

morning；　the　popular　politicians　will　congratulate　each　other　on

seeing　the　name　of　a　great　traitor　on　the　bulletin　of　the

guillotined。＇60＇　　To　this　end；　to　enable　this　or　that　king　of　the　day

to　pass　from　the　national　Almanac　to　the　mortuary　list；　merely

required　an　understanding　among　his　colleagues；　and；　perhaps；　this　is

already　arrived　at。　　Among　whom　and　against　whom？　…　It　is　certain

that；　as　this　idea　occurs　to　the　eleven；　seated　around　the　table；　they

eye　each　other　with　a　shudder　they　calculate　the　chances　and　turn

things　over　in　their　minds；　words　have　been　uttered　that　are　not

forgotten。　　Carnot　often　made　this　charge　against　Saint…Just：　〃You　and

Robespierre　are　after　a　dictatorship。〃＇61＇　Robespierre　replied　to

Carnot　：　〃I　am　ready　for　you　on　the　first　defeat。〃＇62＇　On　another

occasion；　Robespierre；　in　a　rage；　exclaimed：　〃The　Committee　is

conspiring　against　me！〃　and；　turning　to　Billaud；　〃I　know　you；　now！〃

Billaud　retorted；　〃I　know　you　too；　you　are　a　counter…

revolutionary！〃＇63＇　There　are　conspirators　and　counter…

revolutionaries；　then；　on　the　committee　itself；　what　can　be　done　to

avoid　this　appellation；　which　is　a　sentence　of　death　？　…　Silently；　the

fatal　phantom　enthroned　in　their　midst；　the　Erinyes＇64＇　through　which

they　rule；　renders　his　oracle　and　all　take　it　to　heart：



〃All　who　are　unwilling　to　become　executioners　are　conspirators　and

counter…revolutionaries。〃



V。



Official　Jacobin　organs。…　　Reports　by　Saint…Just　are　Barère。　　…

Quality　of　reports　and　reporters。



Thus　do　they　march　along　during　twelve　months；　goaded　on　by　the　two

sharp　thongs　of　theory　and　fear；　traversing　the　red　pool　which　they

have　created；　and　which　is　daily　becoming　deeper　and　deeper；　all

together　and　united；　neither　of　them　daring　to　separate　from　the

group；　and　each　spattered　with　the　blood　thrown　in　his　face　by　the

others'　feet。　　It　is　not　long　before　their　eyesight　fails　them；　they

no　longer　see　their　way；　while　the　degradation　of　their　language

betrays　the　stupor　of　their　intellect。　　…　When　a　government　brings　to

the　tribune　and　moves　the　enactment　of　important　laws；　it　confronts

the　nation；　faces　Europe；　and　takes　a　historical　position。　　If　it

cares　for　its　own　honor　it　will　select　reporters　of　bills　that　are　not

unworthy；　and　instruct　them　to