the origins of contemporary france-4-第93部分

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falsification　of　public　contracts；　and　as　needy　as　he　is　vicious；

rambles　about　Paris　airing　his　disappointed　ambitions　and　empty

pockets　along　with　the　swaggering　crew　who；　if　not　striving　to　reach

the　throne　by　a　new　massacre；＇5＇　tramp　through　the　streets　slipshod；

for　lack　of　money　〃to　redeem　a　pair　of　boots　at　the　shoemakers；〃　or　to

sell　some　snuff…box　their　last　resource；　for　a　morning　dram。＇6＇



In　this　class　we　see　the　governing　rabble　fully　and　distinctly。

Separated　from　its　forced　adherents　and　the　official　robots　who　serve

it　as　they　would　any　other　power；　it　stands　out　pure　and　unalloyed　by

any　neutral　influx；　we　recognize　here　the　permanent　residue；　the　deep；

settled　slime　of　the　social　sewer。　　It　is　to　this　sink　of　vice　and

ignorance　that　the　revolutionary　government　betakes　itself　for　its

staff…officers　and　its　administrative　bodies。



Nowhere　else　could　they　be　found。　　For　the　daily　task　imposed　upon

them；　and　which　must　be　done　by　them；　is　robbery　and　murder；　excepting

the　pure　fanatics；　who　are　few　in　number；　only　brutes　and　blackguards

have　the　aptitudes　and　tastes　for　such　business。　　In　Paris；　as　in　the

provinces；　it　is　from　the　clubs　or　popular　associations　in　which　they

congregate；　that　they　are　sought　for。　　…　Each　section　of　Paris

contains　one　of　these　clubs；　in　all　forty…eight；　rallied　around　the

central　club　in　the　Rue　St。　　Honoré；　forty…eight　district　alliances　of

professional　rioters　and　brawlers；　the　rebels　and　blackguards　of　the

social　army；　all　the　men　and　women　incapable　of　devoting　themselves　to

a　regular　life　and　useful　labor；＇7＇　especially　those　who；　on　the　31st

of　May　and　2nd　of　June；　had　aided　the　Paris　Commune　and　the　〃Mountain〃

in　violating　the　Convention。　　They　recognize　each　other　by　this　sign

that；　〃each　would　be　hung　in　case　of　a　counter…revolution；〃＇8＇　laying

it　down　〃as　an　incontestable　fact　that；　should　a　single　aristocrat　be

spared；　all　of　them　would　mount　the　scaffold。〃＇9＇　They　are　naturally

wary　and　they　stick　together：　in　their　clique　〃everything　is　done　on

the　basis　of　good　fellowship；〃＇10＇　no　one　is　admitted　except　on　the

condition　of　having　proved　his　qualifications　〃on　the　10th　of　August

and　31st　of　May。〃＇11＇　　And；　as　they　have　made　their　way　into　the

Commune　and　into　the　revolutionary　committees　behind　victorious

leaders；　they　are　able；　through　the　certificates　of　civism　which　these

arbitrarily　grant　or　refuse；　to　exclude；　not　only　from　political　life

but；　again；　from　civil　life；　whoever　is　not　of　their　party。



〃See；〃　writes　one　of　Danton's　correspondents；＇12＇　〃the　sort　of　persons

who　easily　obtain　these　certificates；　…　the　Ronsins；　the　Jourdans；　the

Maillards；　the　Vincents；　all　bankrupts；　keepers　of　gambling…hells　and

cut…throats。　　Ask　these　individuals　whether　they　have　paid　the

patriotic　contribution；　whether　they　regularly　pay　the　usual　taxes；

whether　they　give　to　the　poor　of　their　sections；　to　the　volunteer

soldiers；　etc。；　whether　they　mount　guard　or　see　it　regularly　done；

whether　they　have　made　a　loyal　declaration　for　the　forced　loan。　　You

will　find　that　they　have　not。　　。　　。　　。　　The　Commune　issues

certificates　of　civism　to　its　satellites　and　refuses　them　to　the　best

citizens。〃



The　monopoly　is　obvious；　they　make　no　attempt　to　conceal　it；　six　weeks

later；＇13＇　it　becomes　official：　several　revolutionary　committees

decide　not　to　grant　certificates　of　civism　to　citizens　who　are　not

members　of　a　popular　club。〃　　And　strict　exclusion　goes　on　increasing

from　month　to　month。　　Old　certificates　are　canceled　and　new　ones

imposed；　which　new　certificates　have　new　formalities　added　to　them；　a

larger　number　of　endorsers　being　required　and　certain　kinds　of

guarantees　being　rejected；　there　is　greater　strictness　in　relation　to

the　requisite　securities　and　qualifications；　the　candidate　is　put　off

until　fuller　information　can　be　obtained　about　him；　he　is　rejected　at

the　slightest　suspicion：＇14＇　he　is　only　too　fortunate　if　he　is

tolerated　in　the　Republic　as　a　passive　subject；　if　he　is　content　to　be

taxed　and　taxed　when　they　please；　and　if　he　is　not　sent　to　join　the

〃suspects〃　in　prison；　whoever　does　not　belong　to　the　band　does　not

belong　to　the　community。



Amongst　themselves　and　in　their　popular　club　it　is　worse；　for



　〃the　eagerness　to　get　any　office　leads　to　every　one　denouncing　each

other；　〃＇15＇



consequently；　at　the　Jacobin　club　in　the　rue　St。　　Honoré；　and　in　the

branch　clubs　of　the　quarter；　there　is　constant　purging；　and　always　in

the　same　sense；　until　the　faction　is　cleansed　of　all　honest　or

passable　alloy　and　only　a　minority　remains；　which　has　its　own　way　at

every　balloting。　　One　of　them　announces　that；　in　his　club；　eighty

doubtful　members　have　already　been　gotten　rid　of；　another　that；　in　his

club；　one　hundred　are　going　to　be　excluded。＇16＇　　On　Ventose　23；　in　the

〃Bon…Consei1〃　club；　most　of　the　members　examined　are　rejected：　〃they

are　so　strict　that　a　man　who　cannot　show　that　he　acted　energetically

in　critical　times；　cannot　form　part　of　the　assembly；　he　is　set　aside

for　a　mere　trifle。〃　On　Vent？se　13；　in　the　same　club；　〃out　of　twenty…

six　examined；　seven　only　are　admitted；　one　citizen；　a　tobacco　dealer；

aged　sixty…eight；　who　has　always　performed　his　duty；　is　rejected　for

having　called　the　president　Monsieur；　and　for　having　spoken　in　the

tribune　bareheaded；　two　members；　after　this；　insisted　on　his　being　a

Moderate；　which　is　enough　to　keep　him　out。〃　Those　who　remain；　consist

of　the　most　restless　and　most　loquacious；　the　most　eager　for　office；

the　self…mutilated　club　being　thus　reduced　to　a　nucleus　of　charlatans

and　scoundrels。



To　these　spontaneous　eliminations　through　which　the　club　deteriorates；

add　the　constant　pressure　through　which　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety

frightens　and　degrades　it。　　The　lower　the　revolutionary　government

sinks；　and　the　more　it　concentrates　its　power；　the　more　servile　and

sanguinary　do　its　agents　and　employees　become。　　It　strikes　right　and

left　as　a　warning；　it　imprisons　or　decapitates　the　turbulent　among　its

own　clients；　the　secondary　demagogues　who　are　impatient　at　not　being

principal　demagogues；　the　bold　who　think　of　striking　a　fresh　blow　in

the　streets；　Jacques　Roux；　Vincent；　Momoro；　Hébert；　leaders　of　the

Cordeliers　club　and　of　the　Commune。　　After　these；　the　indulgent　who

are　disposed　to　exercise　some　discernment　or　moderation　in　terrorism；

Camille　Desmoulins；　Danton　and　their　adherents；　and　lastly；　many

others　who　are　more　or　less　doubtful；　compromised　or　compromising；

wearied　or　eccentric；　from　Maillard　to　Chaumette；　from　Antonelle　to

Chabot；　from　Westermann　to　Clootz。　　　Each　of　the　proscribed　has　a　gang

of　followers；　and　suddenly　the　whole　gang　are　obliged　to　do　a　volte…

face；　those　who　were　able　to　show　initiative；　grovel；　while　those　who

could　show　mercy；　become　hardened。　　Henceforth；　amongst　the　subaltern

Jacobins；　the　roots　of　independence；　humanity；　and　loyalty；　hard　to

extirpate　even　in　an　ignoble　and　cruel　nature；　are