第 72 节
作者:开了      更新:2021-02-18 23:01      字数:9321
  take long for his way of thinking to become prevalent。  In ordinary
  times; social and political ideas slumber in uncultured minds in the
  shape of vague antipathies; restrained aspirations; and fleeting
  desires。  Behold them aroused  … energetic; imperious; stubborn; and
  unbridled。  Objection or opposition is not to be tolerated; dissent;
  with them; is a sure sign of treachery。 … Apropos of the nonjuring
  priests;'40' five hundred and twenty…seven of the National Guards of
  Arras write; 〃that no one could doubt their iniquity without being
  suspected of being their accomplices。  。  。  。  Should the whole
  town combine and express a contrary opinion; it would simply show
  that it is filled with enemies of the Constitution;〃 and forthwith;
  in spite of the law and the remonstrances of the authorities; they
  insist on the closing of the churches。  At Boulogne…sur…Mer; an
  English vessel having shipped a quantity of poultry; game; and eggs;
  〃the National Guards; of their own authority;〃 go on board and
  remove the cargo。  On the strength of this; the accommodating
  municipal body approves of the act; declares the cargo confiscated;
  orders it to be sold; and awards one…half of the proceeds to the
  National Guards and the other half to charitable purposes。  The
  concession is a vain one; for the National Guards consider that one…
  half is too little; 〃insult and threaten the municipal officers;〃
  and immediately proceed to divide the booty in kind; each one going
  home with a share of stolen hams and chickens。'41'  The magistrates
  must necessarily keep quiet with the guns of those they govern
  pointed at them。 … Sometimes; and it is generally the case; they are
  timid; and do not try to resist。  At Douai;'42' the municipal
  officers; on being summoned three times to proclaim martial law;
  refuse; and end by avowing that they dare not unfold the red flag:
  〃Were we to take this course we should all be sacrificed on the
  spot。〃 Neither the troops nor the National Guards; in fact; are to
  be relied on。  In this universal state of apathy the field is open
  to savages; and a dealer in wheat is hung。 … Sometimes the
  administrative corps tries to resist; but in the end it has to
  succumb to violence。  〃For more than six hours;〃 writes one of the
  members of the district of Etampes;'43' 〃we were closed in by
  bayonets leveled at us and with pistols at our breasts ; and they
  were obliged to sign a dismissal of the troops which had arrived to
  protect the market。  At present 〃we are all away from Etampes; there
  is no longer a district or a municipality;〃 almost all have handed
  in their resignations; or are to return for that purpose。 …
  Sometimes; and this is the rarest case;'44' the officials do their
  duty to the end; and perish。  In this same town; six months later;
  Simoneau; the mayor; having refused to cut down the price of wheat;
  is beaten with iron…pointed sticks; and his corpse is riddled with
  balls by the murderers。 … Municipal bodies must take heed how they
  undertake to stem the torrent; the; slightest opposition will soon
  be at the expense of their lives。  In Touraine;'45' 〃as the
  publication of the tax…rolls takes place; riots break out against
  the municipal authorities; they are forced to surrender the rolls
  they have drawn up; and their papers are torn up。〃 And still more;
  〃they kill; they assassinate the municipal authorities。〃 In that
  large commune men and women 〃beat and kick them with their fists and
  sabots。  。  。  。  The mayor is laid up after it; and the procureur
  of the commune died between nine and ten o'clock in the morning。
  Véteau; a municipal officer; received the last sacrament this
  morning ;〃 the rest have fled; being constantly threatened with
  death and incendiarism。  They do not; consequently; return; and 〃no
  one now will take the office of either mayor or administrator。〃  …
  The outrages which the municipalities thus commit against their
  superiors are committed against themselves。  The National Guards;
  the mob; the controlling faction; arrogating to themselves in the
  commune the same violent sovereignty which the commune pretends to
  exercise against the State。
  I should never finish if I undertook to enumerate the outbreaks in
  which the magistrates are constrained to tolerate or to sanction
  popular usurpations; to shut up churches; to drive off or imprison
  priests; to suppress octrois; tax grain; and allow clerks; bakers;
  corn…dealers; ecclesiastics; nobles; and officers to be hung; beaten
  to death; or to have their throats cut。  Ninety…four thick files of
  records in the national archives are filled with these acts of
  violence; and do not contain two…thirds of them。  It is worth while
  to take in detail one case more; a special one; and one that is
  authentic; which serves as a specimen; and which presents a
  foreshortened image of France during one tranquil year。  At Aix; in
  the month of December; 1790;'46' in Opposition to the two Jacobin
  clubs; a club had been organized; had complied with all the
  formalities; and; like the 〃 Club des Monarchiens〃 at Paris; claimed
  the same right of meeting as the others。  But here; as at Paris; the
  Jacobins recognize no rights but for themselves alone; and refuse to
  admit their adversaries to the privileges of the law。  Moreover;
  alarming rumors are circulated。  A person who has arrived from Nice
  states that he had 〃heard that there were twenty thousand men
  between Turin and Nice; under the pay of the emigrants; and that at
  Nice a neuvaine'47' was held in Saint Fran?ois…de…Paule to pray God
  to enlighten the French。〃 A counter…revolution is certainly under
  way。  Some of the aristocrats have stated 〃with an air of triumph;
  that the National Guard and municipalities are a mere toy; and that
  this sort of thing will not last long。〃 One of the leading members
  of the new club; M。  de Guiraitiand; an old officer of seventy…eight
  years; makes speeches in public against the National Assembly; tries
  to enlist artisans in his party; 〃affects to wear a white button on
  his hat fastened by pins with their points jutting out;〃 and; as it
  is stated; he has given to several mercers a large order for white
  cockades。  In reality; on examination; not one is found in any shop;
  and all the dealers in ribbons; on being interrogated; reply that
  they know of no transaction of that description。  But this simply
  proves that the culprit is a clever dissimulator; and the more
  dangerous because he is eager to save the country。 … On the 12th of
  December; at four o'clock in the afternoon; the two Jacobin clubs
  fraternise; and pass in long procession before the place of meeting;
  〃where some of the members; a few officers of the Lyons regiment and
  other individuals; are quietly engaged at play or seeing others
  play。〃 The crowd hoot; but they remain quiet。  The procession passes
  by again; and they hoot and shout; 〃Down with the aristocrats to the
  lamp post with them! 〃 Two or three of the officers standing on the
  threshold of the door become irritated; and one of them; drawing his
  sword; threatens to strike a young man if he keeps on。  Upon this
  the crowd cries out; 〃Guard! Help! An assassin!〃 and rushes at the
  officer; who withdraws into the house; exclaiming; 〃To arms!〃 His
  comrades; sword in hand; descend in order to defend the door; M。  de
  Guiramand fires two pistol shots and receives a stab in the thigh。
  A shower of stones smashes in the windows; and the door is on the
  point of being burst open when several of the members of the club
  save themselves by taking to the roof。  About a dozen others; most
  of them officers; form in line; penetrate the crowd with uplifted
  swords; strike and get struck; and escape; five of them being
  wounded。  The municipality orders the doors and windows of the club…
  house to be walled up; sends the Lyons regiment away; decrees the
  arrest of seven officers and of M。  de Guiramand; and all this in a
  few hours; with no other testimony than that of the conquerors。
  But these prompt; vigorous and partial measures are not sufficient
  for the Jacobin club; other conspirators must be seized; and it is
  the club which designates them and goes to take them。 … Three months
  before this; M。  Pascalis; an advocate; on addressing along with
  some of his professional brethren the dissolved parliament; deplored
  the blindness of the people; 〃exalted by prerogatives of which they
  knew not the danger。〃 A man who dared talk in this way is evidently
  a traitor。 … There is another; M。  Morellet de la Roquette; who
  refused to join the proscribed club。  His former vassals; however;
  had been obliged to bring an action against him to make him accept
  the redemption of his feudal dues; also; six years before this; his
  carriage; passing along the public promenade; had run over a child;
  he likewise is an enemy of the people。  While the municipal officers
  are deliberating; 〃a few members of the club〃 get together and
  decide that M。  Pascalis and M。  de la Ro