《the origins of contemporary france-4》

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government the more does the government rely on men with bludgeons and

pikes; on the strikers 〃 turned out of the primary assemblies;〃 on the

heroes of September 2 and May 31; dangerous nomads; inmates of

Bicêtre; paid assassins out of employment; and roughs of the Quinze…

Vingts and faubourg Saint… Antoine。'21' Finally on the 11th of

Vendémiaire; it gathers together fifteen or eighteen hundred of them

and arms them in battalions。'22' Such brigands are they; that Menon;

〃major…general of the army of the interior and commandant of the armed

force of Paris;〃 comes the next day with several of his staff…officers

and tells the Committee of Five that he 〃will not have such bandits in

his army nor under his orders〃。 〃I will not march with a lot of

rascals and assassins organized in battalions 〃under the name of

〃patriots of '89。〃   Indeed; the true patriots of '89 are on the other

side; the constitutionalists of 1791; sincere liberals; 〃forty

thousand proprietors and merchants;〃 the elite and mass of the

Parisian population;'23' 〃the majority of men really interested in

public matters;〃 and at this moment; the common welfare is all that

concerns them。  Republic or royalty is merely a secondary thought; an

idea in the back…ground; nobody dreams of restoring the ancient

régime; but very few are preoccupied with the restoration of a limited

monarchy。'24'  〃On asking those most in earnest what government they

would like in place of the Convention; they reply 'We want that no

longer; we want nothing belonging to it; we want the Republic and

honest people for our rulers。'〃'25' … That is all; their upraisal is

not a political insurrection against the form of the government; but a

moral insurrection against the criminals in office。  Hence; on seeing

the Convention arm their old executioners; 〃the tigers〃 of the Reign

of Terror; admitted malefactors; against them; they cannot contain

themselves。'26' 〃That day;〃 says a foreigner; who visited many public

places in Paris; 〃I saw everywhere the deepest despair; the greatest

expression of rage and fury。  。  。  。  Without that unfortunate order

the insurrection would probably not have broken out。〃 If they take up

arms it is because they are brought back under the pikes of the

Septembriseurs; and under Robespierre's axe。  …  But they are only

national guards; most of them have no guns;'27' they are in want of

gunpowder; those who have any having only five or six charges ; 〃the

great majority do not think of fighting;〃 they imagine that 〃their

presence is merely needed to enforce a petition;〃 they have no

artillery; no positive leader; it is simply excitement; precipitation;

disorder and mistaken maneuvers。'28'  On the contrary; on the side of

the Convention; with Henriot's old bullies; there are eight or nine

thousand regular troops; and Bonaparte; his cannon; which rake the rue

Saint Honoré and the Quai Voltaire; mow down five or six hundred

sectionists。  The rest disperse; and henceforth the check…mated

Parisians are not to take up their guns against the Jacobin faction

whatever it does。



III。   A Directory of Regicides。



The Directory chosen among the regicides。  … It selects agents of

its own species。  … Leading Jacobins are deprived of their civic

rights。  … The Terrorists are set free and restored to their civic

rights。  … Example at Blois of these releases and of the new

administrative staff。



Supreme authority is now once more in the hands of the revolutionary

band。  … In conformity with its decrees of Fructidor; it first obliges

electors to take two…thirds of their new representatives from the

Convention。  And as; notwithstanding its decrees; the electoral

assemblies have not re…elected a sufficient number of the

Conventionalists; it nominates itself; from a list prepared by its

Committee of Public Safety; the one hundred and four which are

lacking: In this way; both in the council of the Five Hundred; as well

as in the council of the Ancients; it secures a clear majority in both

the houses of the Legislative Corps。  In the executive branch; in the

Directory; it assures itself of unanimity。  The Five Hundred; by

adroitly preparing the lists; impose their candidates on the Ancients;

selecting the five names beforehand: Barras; La Révellière de Lépeaux;

Reubell; Letourneur and Siéyès; and then; on Siéyès refusing; Carnot。

All of them are regicides and; under this terrible qualification;

bound at the risk of their heads; to maintain the regicide faction in

power。  … Naturally the Directory chooses its agents from among their

own people;'29' their ministers and the employees of their

departments; ambassadors and consuls; officers of all ranks;

collectors of taxes direct and indirect; administrators of the

national domains; commissioners of civil and Criminal courts; and the

commissioners of the departmental and municipal administrations。

Again; having the right to suspend and dismiss all elected

administrative bodies; it exercises this right。  If the local

authorities of any town; canton; or department seem to be anti…

Jacobin; it sets them aside and; either on its own authority; or with

the assent of the Legislative Corps; replaces them with Jacobins on

the spot。'30' In other respects; the Convention has done its best to

relieve its clients of their principal adversaries and most popular

rivals。  The night before its dissolution; it excluded from every 〃

legislative; municipal; administrative and judicial function;〃'31'

even that of juryman; not only the individuals who; rightly or

wrongly; had been put on a list of émigrés and not yet stricken off;

but likewise their fathers; sons and grandsons; brothers and brothers…

in…law; their connections of the same degree; uncles and nephews。  In

all; probably two or three hundred thousand Frenchmen; nearly the

whole of the élite of the nation。  To this it adds the rest of this

élite; all the honest and energetic who; in the late primary or

electoral assemblies have 〃provoked or signed〃 any manifestation

against its despotism; if still in office they are to resign within

twenty…four hours; or be sent into perpetual exile。 … Through this

legal incapacity of the anti…Jacobins; the field is free to the

Jacobins。  In many places; for lack of candidates that please them;

most of the electors stay away from the polls; besides this; the

terrorists resort to their old system; that is to say to brutal

violence。'32'  On again obtaining the support of the government they

have raised their heads and are now the titular favorites。  The

Convention has restored to them the civic rights of which they had

deprived their adversaries: 〃every decree of indictment or arrest〃

rendered against them; 〃every warrant executed or not; all proceedings

and suits〃 begun; every sentence bearing on their revolutionary acts;

is cancelled。  The most 〃atrocious〃 Montagnards; the most sanguinary

and foul proconsuls; Dartigoyte and Piochefer…Bernard; Darthé; Lebon's

secretary; Rossignol the great September massacrer; the presidents of

former revolutionary committees; 〃patriotic robbers; seal…breakers〃

and garroters; brazenly promenade the streets of Paris。'33' Barère

himself; who; condemned to transportation; universally execrated as he

traverses France; and who; everywhere on his journey; at Orleans;

Tours; Poitiers; Niort; comes near being torn to pieces by the people;

Barère is not sent off to Guienne; he is allowed to escape; to conceal

himself and live tranquilly at Bordeaux。  Furthermore;

Conventionalists of the worst species; like Monestier and Foussedoire

return to their natal department to govern it as government

commissioners。



Consider the effect of these releases and of these appointments in a

town which; like Blois; has seen the assassins at work; and which; for

two months; follows their trial。'34' … Seven of them; members of the

Revolutionary Committee; commanders of the armed force; members of the

district or department; national agents in Indre…et…Loire; charged

with conducting or receiving a column of eight hundred laborers;

peasant women; priests and 〃suspects;〃 cause nearly six hundred of

them to be shot; sabered; drowned or knocked down on the road; not in

self…defense or to prevent escape; for these poor creatures tied two

and two marched along like sheep without a murmur; but to set a good

revolutionary example; so as to keep the people in proper subjection

by terror and enable them to line their pockets。'35' A minute

investigation has unfolded before the judges; jury and public of Blois

a long series of authentic facts and proofs; with eight days of

pleading and the most complete and glaring evidence; the sentence is

about to be pronounced。  Suddenly; two weeks before Vendémiaire 13; a

decree annuls the proceedings; which have already cost over 600;000

livres; and orders a new trial in another form。  Next; after

Vendémiaire 13; a representative arri
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