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the origins of contemporary france-4-第178章

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'139' Words of De Tocqueville。  … 〃Le Duc de Broglie;〃 by M。 Guizot;

p。  16。  (Words of the Duc de Broglie。) 〃Those who were not living at

this time could form no idea of the profound discouragement into which

France had fallen in the interval between Fructidor 18 and Brumaire

18。〃



'140' Buchez et Roux; XXXVIII。; 480。  (Message of the Directory;

Floréal 13; year IV。; and report of Bailleul; Floreal 18。) 〃When an

election of deputies presented a bad result to us we thought it our

duty to propose setting it aside。  。  。  。  It will be said that your

project is a veritable proscription。〃 … 〃Not more so than the 19 of

Fructidor。〃 … Cf。  for dismissals in the provinces; Sauzay; V。; ch。

86。  … Albert Babeau; II。; 486。  During the four years the Directory

lasted the municipal council of Troyes was renewed seven times; in

whole or in part。



'141' Buchez et Roux; XXXIX。; 61。  (Session of Prairial 30; year

VII。)…Sauzay; X。; ch。  87。  … Léouzon…Leduc; 〃Correspondence

Diplomatique avec la cour de Suede;〃 P。  203。  … (Letters of July 1; 7

11; 19 August 4; September 23; 1799。) 〃The purification of

functionaries; so much talked about now; has absolutely no other end

in view but the removal of the partisans of one faction in order to

substitute those of another faction without any regard to moral

character。  。  。  。  It is this choice of persons without probity;

justice or any principles of honesty whatever for the most important

offices which makes one tremble; and especially; at this moment; all

who are really attached to their country。〃 … 〃The opening of the clubs

must; in every relation; be deemed a disastrous circumstance。  。  。  。

All classes of society are panic…stricken at the faintest probability

of the re…establishment of a republican government copied after that

of 1793〃 。  。  。  。  The party of political incendiaries in France is

the only one which carries out such designs energetically and

directly。〃



'142' Leouzon…Leduc; ibid; 328; 329。  (Dispatches of September 19 and

23。) … Mallet…Dupan; 〃Mercure Britannique。〃 (No。  for October 25;

1799。  Letter from Paris。  September 15。  Exposition of the situation

and tableau of the parties。) 〃I will add that the war waged with

success by the Directory against the Jacobins; (for; although the

Directory is itself a Jacobin production; it wants no more of its

masters); that this war; I say; has rallied people somewhat to the

government without having converted anyone to the Revolution or really

frightened the Jacobins who will pay them back if they have time to do

it。〃



'143' Gohier; 〃Mémoires;〃 conversation with Sieyès on his entry into

the Directory。  〃Here we are;〃 says Sieyès to him; 〃members of a

government which; as we cannot conceal from ourselves; is threatened

with a coming fall。  But when the ice melts skilful pilots can escape

in the breaking up。  A falling government does not always imperil

those at the head of it。〃



'144' Tacitus; 〃Annales;〃 book VI。; § 50。   〃Macro; intrepidus;

opprimi senem injectu mu1t? vestis discedique a limine。〃



'145' Mallet…Dupan;〃 Mercure Britannique。〃 (Nos。  for December 25;

1798 and December 1799。) 〃From the very beginning of the Revolution;

there never was; in the uproar of patriotic protestations; amidst so

many popular effusions of devotion to the popular cause to Liberty in

the different parties; but one fundamental conception; that of

grasping power after having instituted it; of using every means of

strengthening themselves; and of excluding the largest number from it;

in order to center themselves in a privileged committee。  As soon as

they had hurried through the articles of their constitution and seized

the reins of government; the dominant party conjured the nation to

trust to it; notwithstanding that the farce of their reasoning would

not bring about obedience; 。  。  。  Power and money and money and

power; all projects for guaranteeing their own heads and disposing of

those of their competitors; end in that。  From the agitators of 1789

to the tyrants of 1798; from Mirabeau to Barras; each labors only to

forcibly open the gates of riches and authority and to close them

behind them。〃



'146' Mallet…Dupan; ibid。; No。  for April 10; 1799。  On the Jacobins。

〃The sources of their enmities; the prime motive of their fury; their

coup…d'état lay in their constant mistrust of each other 。  。  。  。

Systematic; immoral factionists; cruel through necessity and

treacherous through prudence; will always attribute perverse

intentions。  Carnot admits that there were not ten men in the

Convention that were conscious of probity。〃



'147' See in this respect 〃Histoire de ma Vie;〃 by George Sand;

volumes 2; 3 and 4; the correspondence of her father enlisted as a

volunteer in 1798 and a lieutenant at Marengo。  … Cf。  Marshal

Marmont; 〃Memoires;〃 I。; 186; 282; 296; 304。  〃Our ambition; at this

moment; was wholly secondary; we were occupied solely with our duties

or pleasures。  The most cordial and frankest union prevailed amongst

us all。〃



'148' 〃Journal de Marche du sergent Fracasse。〃 … 〃 Les Cahiers du

capitaine Coignet。〃 … Correspondence of Maurice Dupin in 〃Histoire de

ma Vie;〃 by George Sand。



'149' 〃Les Cahiers du Capitaine Coignet;〃 p。76。  〃And then we saw the

big gentlemen getting out of the windows。  Mantles; caps and feathers

lay on the floor and the grenadiers ripped off the lace。〃 … Ibid。; 78;

Narration by the grenadier Chome: 〃 The pigeons all flew out of the

window and we had the hall to ourselves。〃



'150' Dufort de Cheverney; 〃 Mémoires;〃 September 1; 1800。

〃Bonaparte; being fortunately placed at the head of the government;

advanced the Revolution more than fifty years; the cup of crimes was

full and overflowing。  He cut off the seven hundred and fifty heads of

the hydra; concentrated power in his own hands; and prevented the

primary assemblies from sending us another third of fresh scoundrels

in the place of those about to take themselves off。  。  。  。  Since I

stopped writing things are so changed as to make revolutionary events

appear as if they had transpired more than twenty years ago。  。  。  。

The people are no longer tormented on account of the decade; which is

no longer observed except by the authorities。  。  。  。  One can travel

about the country without a passport。  。  。  。  Subordination is

established among the troops; all the conscripts are coming back。  。

。  。  The government knows no party; a royalist is placed along with a

determined republican; each being; so to say; neutralized by the

other。  The First Consul; more a King than Louis XIV。; has called the

ablest men to his councils without caring what they were。〃 … Anne

Plumptre; 〃A Narrative of Three Years' Residence in France from 1802

to 1805;〃 I。; 326; 329。  〃The class denominated the people is most

certainly; taking it in the aggregate; favorably disposed to

Bonaparte。  Any tale of distress from the Revolution was among this

class always ended with this; 'but now; we are quiet; thanks to God

and to Bonaparte。'〃 … Mallet…Dupan; with his accustomed perspicacity;

(〃Mercure Britainnique;〃 Nos。 for November 25 and December 10; 1799);

at once comprehended the character and harmony of this last

revolution。  〃The possible domination of the Jacobins chilled all ages

and most conditions。  。  。  。  Is that nothing; to be preserved; even

for one year; against the ravages of a faction; under whose empire

nobody can sleep tranquilly; and find that faction driven from all

places of authority just at a time when everybody feared its second

outburst; with its torches; its assassins; its assessors; and its

agrarian laws; over the whole French territory?。。。。  That Revolution;

of an entirely new species; appeared to us as fundamental as that of

1789。



'151' The Ancient Régime; p。  144。















End of The French Revolution; Volume 3


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