《the origins of contemporary france-4》

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rendered themselves suspects。〃



'115' Mallet…Dupan; II。; 8。  (February; 1794)。  〃At this moment the

entire people is disarmed。  Not a gun can be found either in town or

country。  If anything attests the super…natural power which the

leaders of the Convention enjoy; it is to see; in one instant; through

one act of the will and nobody offering any resistance; or complaining

of it; the nation from Perpignan to Lille; deprived of every means of

defense against oppression; with a facility still more unprecedented

than that which attended the universal arming of the nation in 1789。〃

… 〃A Residence in France;〃 II。; 409。  〃The National Guard as a regular

institution was in great part suppressed after the summer of 1793;

those who composed it being gradually disarmed。  Guard…mounting was

continued; but the citizens performing this service were; with very

few exceptions; armed with pikes; and these again were not fully

entrusted to them; each man; on quitting his post; gave up his arms

more punctually than if he had been bound to do so through

capitulation with a victorious enemy。〃



'116' Moniteur; XVIII。; 106。  (Report by Saint…Just; Oct。  10th)。



'117' Ibid。; 473。  (Report of Billaud…Varennes; Nov。  13th)。



'118' Ibid。; XVIII。; 591。  (Speech by Couthon; December 4th)。  Ibid。;

Barère: 〃Electoral assemblies are monarchical institutions; they

attach to royalism; they must be specially avoided in revolutionary

times。〃



'119' Mortimer…Ternaux; VIII。; 40。  (Decree passed on the proposition

of Danton; session of September 13th)。  The motive alleged by Danton

is that 〃members are still found on the committees whose opinions; at

least; approach federalism。〃 Consequently the committees are purified;

and particularly the Committee of General Security。  Six of its

members are stricken off (Sept。  14); and the list sent in by the

Committee of Public safety passes without discussion。



'120' Moniteur; XVIII。; 592。  (Session of December 4; speech by

Robespierre)。



'121' Miot de Melito; 〃Mémoires;〃 I。; 47。



'122' Buchez et Roux; XXVIII。; 153。  Mortimer…Ternaux; VIII。; 443。

(Decree of September 28th)。  … Wallon; 〃Histoire du Tribunal

Révolutionaire de Paris;〃 IV。; 112。



'123' Buchez et Roux; XXXIV。; 300。  (Trial of Fouquier…Tinville and

associates)。  Bill of indictment: 〃One of these publicly boasted of

always having voted death。  Others state that they were content to see

people to give their judgment; physical inspection alone determined

them to vote death。  Another said; that when there was no offense

committed it was necessary to imagine one。  Another is a regular sot

and has never sat in judgment but in a state of intoxication。  Others

came to the bench only to fire their volleys。〃 Etc。  (Supporting

evidence。) … Observe; moreover; that judges and juries are bound to

kill under penalty of death (Ibid。;30)。〃 Fouquier…Tinville states that

on the 22nd of Prairial he took the same step (to resign) with

Chatelet; Brochet and Lerry; when they met Robespierre; returning to

the National Convention arm…in…arm with Barère。  Fouquier adds; that

they were treated as aristocrats and anti…revolutionaries; and

threatened with death if they refused to remain on their posts。〃

Analogous declarations by Pigeot; Ganne; Girard; Dupley; Foucault;

Nollin and Madre。  〃Sellier adds; that the tribunal having

remonstrated against the law of Prairial 22; he was threatened with

arrest by Dumas。  Had we resigned; he says; Dumas would have

guillotined us。



'124' Moniteur; XXIV。; 12。  (Session of Vent?se 29; year III。; speech

by Baileul)。  〃Terror subdued all minds; suppressed all emotions; it

was the force of the government; while such was this government that

the numerous inhabitants of a vast territory seemed to have lost the

qualities which distinguish man from a domestic animal。  They seemed

even to have no life except what the government accorded to them。

Human personality no longer existed; each individual was simply a

machine; going; coming; thinking or not thinking as he was impelled or

stimulated by tyranny。〃



'125' Decree of Frimaire 14; year II。; Dec。  4; 1793。



'126' Moniteur; XVII。; 473; 474; 478。  (Speech by Billaud…Varennes)。

〃The sword of Damocles must henceforth be brandished over the entire

surface。〃 This expression of Billaud sums up the spirit of every new

institution。



'127' Moniteur; XVIII。; 275。  (Session of Oct。  26。  1793; speech by

Barère。) 〃This is the most revolutionary step you can take。〃

(Applause。)



'128' Ibid。; 520。  (Report of Barère and decree in conformity)。  〃The

representatives sent on mission are required to conform strictly to

the acts of the Committee of Public Safety。  Generals and other agents

of the executive power will; under no pretext; obey any special order;

that they may refuse to carry out the said acts。〃 … Moniteur; XVIII。;

291。  (Report by Barère; Oct。  29; 1793。) At this date one hundred and

forty representatives are on mission。



'129' Archives Nationales; AF。  II。; 22。  (Papers of the 'Committee of

Public Safety。  Note on the results of the revolutionary government

without either date or signature。) 〃The law of Frimaire 14 created two

centers of influence from which action spread; in the sense of the

Committee; and which affected the authorities。  These two pivots of

revolutionary rule outside the Committee were the representatives of

the people on missions and the national agents controlling the

district committees。  The word revolutionary government alone

exercised an incalculable magical influence。〃 … Mallet…Dupan;

〃Mémoires;〃 II。; p。  2; and following pages。







BOOK SECOND。  THE JACOBIN PROGRAM。



CHAPTER I。



I。   The Doctrine。



Program of the Jacobin party。   Abstract principle and spontaneous

development of the theory。



Nothing is more dangerous than a general idea in narrow and empty

minds: as they are empty; it finds no knowledge there to interfere

with it; as they are narrow it is not long before it occupies the

place entirely。  Henceforth they no longer belong to themselves but

are mastered by it; it works in them and through them; the man; in the

true sense of the word; being possessed。  Something which is not

himself; a monstrous parasite; a foreign and disproportionate

conception; lives within him; developing and giving birth to the evil

purposes with which it is pregnant。  He did not foresee that he would

have them; he did not know what his dogma contained; what venomous and

murderous consequences were to issue from it。  They issue from it

fatally; each in its turn; and under the pressure of circumstances; at

first anarchical consequences and now despotic consequences。  Having

obtained power; the Jacobin brings his fixed idea along with him;

whether at the head of the government or in opposition to it; this

idea is fruitful; and the all…powerful dogma projects over a new

domain the innumerable links of its endless chain。



II。   A Communist State。。



The Jacobin concept of Society。   The Contrat…Social。   Total

surrender of the Individual to the Community。   Everything belongs

to the State。   Confiscations and Sequestrations。   Pre…emption

and requisition and requisition of produce and merchandise。  

Individuals belong to the State。 Drafts of persons for Military

service。   Drafts of persons for the Civil service。   The State

philanthropist; educator; theologian; moralist; censor and director of

ideas and intimate feelings。



Let us trace this inward development and go back; along with the

Jacobin; to first principles; to the original pact; to the first

organization of society。  There is but one just and sound society; the

one founded on the 〃contrat…social;〃 and



 〃the clauses of this contract; fully understood; reduce themselves to

one; the total transfer of each individual; with all his rights; to

the community; 。  。  。  。  each surrendering himself up absolutely;

just as he actually stands; he and all his forces; of which the

property he possesses forms a part。〃'1'



There must be no exception or reservation。  Nothing of what he

previously was; or had; now belongs to him in his own right;

henceforth; what he is; or has; devolves upon him only through

delegation。  His property and his person now form a portion of the

commonwealth。  If he is in possession of these; his ownership is at

second hand; if he derives any benefit there from; it is as a

concession。  He is their depository; trustee and administrator; and

nothing more。'2'  In other words; with respect to these he is simply a

managing director; that is to say a functionary like others; with a

precarious appointment and always revocable by the State which has

appointed him。



 〃As nature gives to every man absolute power over the members of his

body the social pact gives the social body absolute power over all its

members。〃



The State; as omnipotent sover
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