the origins of contemporary france-4-第76部分

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reflected　in　a　mirror。〃　No　individual　on　the　Committee；　or　in　the

Convention；　equaled　him　in　promptness　and　fluency；　for　the　reason　that

he　was　not　obliged　to　think　before　he　spoke：　with　him；　the　faculty　of

speaking；　like　an　independent　organ；　acted　by　itself；　the　empty　brain

or　indifferent　heart　contributing　nothing　to　his　loquacity。

Naturally；　whatever　issues　from　his　mouth　comes　forth　in　ready…made

bombast；　the　current　jargon　of　the　Jacobin　club；　sonorous；　nauseous

commonplace；　schoolboy　metaphors　and　similes　derived　from　the

shambles。＇77＇　　Not　an　idea　is　found　in　all　this　rhetoric；　nothing

acquired；　no　real　mental　application。　　When　Bonaparte；　who　employed

everybody；　even　Fouché；　were　disposed　to　employ　Barère；　they　could

make　nothing　out　of　him　for　lack　of　substance；　except　as　a　low

newsmonger；　common　spy；　or　agent　engaged　to　stir　up　surviving

Jacobins；　later　on；　a　listener　at　keyholes；　and　a　paid　weekly

collector　of　public　rumors；　he　was　not　even　fit　for　this　vile　service；

for　his　wages　were　soon　stopped　Napoleon；　who；　having　no　time　to

waste；　cut　short　his　driveling　verbiage。　　…　It　is　this　verbiage　which；

authorized　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　now　forms　the　eloquence

of　France；　it　is　this　manufacturer　of　phrases　by　the　dozen；　this

future　informer　and　prison…spy　under　the　empire；　this　frolicking

inventor　of　the　blonde…wig　conspiracy；　that　the　government　sends　into

the　tribune　to　announce　victories；　trumpet　forth　military　heroism　and

proclaim　war　unto　death。　　On　the　7th　of　Prairial；＇78＇　Barère；　in　the

name　of　the　committee；　proposes　a　return　to　savage　law　：　〃No　English

or　Hanoverian　prisoner　shall　henceforth　be　made；〃　the　decree　is

endorsed　by　Carnot　and　passes　the　Convention　unanimously。　　Had　it　been

executed；　as　reprisals；　and　according　to　the　proportion　of　prisoners；

there　would　have　been　for　one　Englishman　shot；　three　Frenchmen　hung：

honor　and　humanity　would　have　disappeared　from　the　camps；　the

hostilities　between　Christians　would　have　become　as　deadly　as　among

savages。　　Happily；　French　soldiers　felt　the　nobleness　of　their

profession；　on　the　order　being　given　to　shoot　the　prisoners；　a　decent

sergeant　replied：



　〃We　will　not　shoot　…　send　them　to　the　Convention。　　If　the

representatives　delight　in　killing　prisoners　…　let　them　do　it

themselves；　and　eat　them；　too；　savages　as　they　are！〃



The　sergeant；　an　ordinary　man；　is　not　on　a　level　with　the　Committee；

or　with　Barère；　and　yet　Barère　did　his　best　in　a　bill　of　indictment　of

twenty…seven　pages；　full　of　grand　flourishes；　every　possible

ritornello；　glaring　falsehood　and　silly　inflation；　explaining　how　〃the

Britannic　leopard〃　paid　assassins　to　murder　the　representatives；　how

the　London　cabinet　had　armed　little　Cécile　Renault；　〃the　new　Corday；〃

against　Robespierre；　how　the　Englishman；　naturally　barbarous；　〃is

unable　to　deny　his　origins；　how　he　descends　from　the　Carthaginians　and

Phenicians；　and　formerly　dealt　in　the　skins　of　wild　beasts　and　slaves；

how　his　trading　occupation　is　not　changed；　how　Cesar；　formerly；　on

landing　in　the　country；　found　nothing　but　a　ferocious　tribe　battling

with　wolves　in　the　forest　and　threatening　to　burn　every　vessel　which

would　try　to　land　there；　and　how　he　still　remains　like　that。〃　A

lecture　from　a　fairground　surgeon　who；　using　bombastic　words；

recommends　extensive　amputations；　a　fairground…prospectus　so　crude

that　it　does　not　even　deceive　a　poor　sergeant；　…　such　is　the

exposition　of　motives　by　a　government　for　the　purpose　of　enforcing　a

decree　that　might　have　been　drawn　up　by　redskins；　to　horrible　acts　he

adds　debased　language；　and　employs　the　inept　to　justify　their

atrocities。



VI。　　Commissars　of　the　Revolution。



Representatives　on　Mission。　　…　Their　absolute　power。　　…　Their　perils

and　their　fear。　　…　Fit　for　their　work。　　…　Effect　of　this　situation。



A　hundred　or　so　representatives　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　are

sent　to　the　provinces；　〃with　unlimited　power；〃　to　establish；　enforce

or　exacerbate　the　revolutionary　government；　and　their　proclamations　at

once　explain　the　nature　of　this　government。＇79＇　…　〃　Brave　and　vigorous

sans…culottes　！〃　writes　a　deputy　on　leaving　a　mission　and　announcing

his　successor；＇80＇　〃You　seem　to　have　desired　a　good　b。　　。　　。　　of　a

representative；　who　has　never　swerved　from　his　principles；　that　is　to

say；　a　regular　Montagnard。　　I　have　fulfilled　your　wishes；　and　you　will

have　the　same　thing　in　citizen　Ingrand。　　Remember；　brave　sans…

culottes；　that；　with　the　patriot　Ingrand；　you　can　do　everything；　get

anything；　cancel　whatever　you　please；　imprison；　bring　to　trial；　deport

and　guillotine　every…body　and　regenerate　society。　　Don't　try　to　play

with　him；　everybody　is　afraid　of　him；　he　overcomes　all　resistance　and

restores　at　once　the　most　complete　order！　〃　…　The　representative

arrives　at　the　center　of　the　department　by　post；　and　presents　his

credentials。　　All　the　authorities　at　once　bow　to　the　ground。　　In　the

evening；　in　his　saber　and　plume；　he　harangues　the　popular　club；

blowing　into　a　flame　the　smoldering　embers　of　Jacobinism。　　Then；

according　to　his　personal　acquaintances；　if　he　has　any　in　the　place；

or　according　to　the　votes　of　the　Committee　of　General　Security；　if　he

is　a　new…comer；　he　selects　five　or　six　of　the　〃warmest　sans…culottes〃

there；　and；　forming　them　into　a　Revolutionary　Committee；　installs　them

permanently　at　his　side；　sometimes　in　the　same　building；　in　a　room

next　to　his　own；　where；　on　lists　or　with　verbal　communications

furnished　to　him；　he　works　with　a　will　and　without　stopping。＇81＇



First　comes　a　purification　of　all　the　local　authorities。　　They　must

always　remember　that　〃there　can　be　no　exaggeration　in　behalf　of　the

people；　he　who　is　not　imbued　with　this　principle；　who　has　not　put　it

in　practice；　cannot　remain　on　an　advanced　post；〃＇82＇　consequently；　at

the　popular　club；　in　the　department；　in　the　district；　in　the

municipality；　all　doubtful　men　are　excluded；　discharged；　or

incarcerated；　if　a　few　weak　ones　are　retained　provisionally；　or　by

favor；　they　are　berated　and　taught　their　duty　very　summarily：



〃They　will　strive；　by　a　more　energetic　and　assiduous　patriotism；　to

atone　for　the　evil　committed　by　them　in　not　doing　all　the　good　they

could　do。〃



Sometimes；　through　a　sudden　change　of　scene；　the　entire　administrative

staff　is　kicked　out　so　as　to　give　place　to　a　no　less　complete　staff；

which　the　same　kick　brings　up　out　of　the　ground。　　Considering　that

〃everything　stagnates　in　Vaucluse；　and　that　a　frightful　moderation

paralyses　the　most　revolutionary　measures；〃　Maignet；　in　one　order＇83＇

appoints　the　administrators　and　secretary　of　the　department；　the

national　agent；　the　administrators　and　council…general　of　the

district；　the　administrators；　council…general　and　national　agent　of

Avignon；　the　president；　public　prosecutor　and　recorder　of　the　criminal

court；　members　of　the　Tribunal　de　Commerce；　the　collector　of　the

district；　the　post…master　and　the　head　of　the　squadron　of　gen