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