the origins of contemporary france-4-第87章

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fruitful　in　disordered　intellects；　the　provinces　supply　a　corps　of

inquisitors　and　terrorists　with　greater　difficulty。



And　first；　in　the　thousands　of　communes　which　have　less　than　five

hundred　inhabitants；＇59＇　in　many　other　villages　of　greater　population；

but　scattered＇60＇　and　purely　agricultural；　especially　in　those　in

which　patois　is　spoken；　there　is　a　scarcity　of　suitable　subjects　for　a

revolutionary　committee。　　People　make　use　of　their　hands　too　much；

horny　hands　do　not　write　every　day；　nobody　desires　to　take　up　a　pen；

especially　to　keep　a　register　that　may　be　preserved　and　some　day　or

other　prove　compromising。　　It　is　already　a　difficult　matter　to　recruit

a　municipal　council；　to　find　a　mayor；　the　two　additional　municipal

officers；　and　the　national　agent　which　the　law　requires；　in　the　small

communes；　these　are　the　only　agents　of　the　revolutionary　government；

and　I　fancy　that；　in　most　cases；　their　Jacobin　fervor　is　moderate。

Municipal　officer；　national　agent　or　mayor；　the　real　peasant　of　that

day　belongs　to　no　party；　neither　royalist　nor　republican；＇61＇　his

ideas　are　rare；　too　transient　and　too　sluggish；　to　enable　him　to　form

a　political　opinion。　　All　he　comprehends　of　the　Revolution　is　that

which　nettles　him；　or　that　which　he　sees　every　day　around　him；　with

his　own　eyes；　to　him　'93　and　'94　are　and　will　remain　〃the　time　of　bad

paper　（money）　and　great　fright；〃　and　nothing　more。＇62＇　Patient　in　his

habits。；　he　submits　to　the　new　as　he　did　to　the　ancient　régime；

bearing　the　load　put　on　his　shoulders；　and　stooping　down　for　fear　of　a

heavier　one。　　He　is　often　mayor　or　national　agent　in　spite　of　himself；

he　has　been　obliged　to　take　the　place　and　would　gladly　throw　the

burden　off。　　For；　as　times　go；　it　is　onerous；　if　he　executes　decrees

and　orders；　he　is　certain　to　make　enemies；　if　he　does　not　execute

them；　he　is　sure　to　be　imprisoned；　he　had　better　remain；　or　go　back

home　〃Gros…Jean；〃　as　he　was　before。　　But　he　has　no　choice；　the

appointment　being　once　made　and　confirmed；　he　cannot　decline；　nor

resign；　under　penalty　of　being　a　〃suspect；〃　he　must　be　the　hammer　in

order　not　to　become　the　anvil。　　Whether　he　is　a　wine…grower；　miller；

ploughman　or　quarry…man；　he　acts　reluctantly；　〃submitting　a　petition

for　resignation；〃　as　soon　as　the　Terror　diminishes；　on　the　ground　that

〃he　writes　badly；〃　that　〃he　knows　nothing　whatever　about　law　and　is

unable　to　enforce　it；〃　that　〃he　has　to　support　himself　with　his　own

hands；〃　that　〃he　has　a　family　to　provide　for；　and　is　obliged　to　drive

his　own　cart〃　or　vehicle；　in　short；　entreating　that　he　〃may　be

relieved　of　his　charge。〃＇63＇　…　These　involuntary　recruits　are

evidently　nothing　more　than　common　laborers；　if　they　drag　along　the

revolutionary　cart　they　do　it　like　their　horses；　because　they　are

pressed　into　the　service。



Above　the　small　communes；　in　the　large　villages　possessing　a

revolutionary　committee；　and　also　in　certain　bourgs；　the　horses　in

harness　often　pretend　to　draw　and　do　not；　for　fear　of　crushing　some

one。　　…　At　this　epoch；　a　straggling　village；　especially　when　isolated；

in　an　out…of…the…way　place　and　on　no　highway；　is　a　small　world　in

itself；　much　more　secluded　than　now…a…days；　much　less　accessible　to

Parisian　verbiage　and　outside　pressure；　local　opinion　here

preponderates；　neighbors　support　each　other；　they　would　shrink　from

denouncing　a　worthy　man　whom　they　had　known　for　twenty　years；　the

moral　sway　of　honest　folks　suffices　for　keeping　down

〃blackguards。〃＇64＇　If　the　mayor　is　republican；　it　is　only　in　words；

perhaps　for　self…protection；　to　protect　his　commune；　and　because　one

must　howl　along　with　the　other　wolves。　　…　…　…Moreover；　in　other

bourgs；　and　in　the　small　towns；　the　fanatics　and　rascals　are　not

sufficiently　numerous　to　fill　all　the　offices；　and；　in　order　to　fill

the　vacancies；　those　who　are　not　good　Jacobins　have　been　pushed

forward　or　admitted　into　the　new　administrative　corps；　lukewarm；

indifferent；　timid　or　needy　men；　who　take　the　place　as　an　asylum　or

ask　for　it　as　a　means　of　subsistence。　　〃　Citizens；〃　one　of　the

recruits；　more　or　less　under　restraint；　writes　later　on；＇65＇　〃　I　was

put　on　the　Committee　of　Surveillance　of　Aignay　by　force；　and　installed

by　force。〃　Three　or　four　madmen　on　it　ruled；　and　if　one　held　any

discussion　with　them；　〃it　was　always　threats　。　　。　　。　　。　　Always

trembling；　always　afraid；　…　that　is　the　way　I　passed　eight　months

doing　duty　in　that　miserable　place。〃　…　Finally；　in　medium…sized　or

large　towns；　the　dead…lock　produced　by　collective　dismissals；　the

pell…mell　of　improvised　appointments；　and　the　sudden　renewal　of　an

entire　set　of　officials；　threw　into　the　administration；　willingly　or

not；　a　lot　of　pretended　Jacobins　who；　at　heart；　are　Girondists　or

Feuillantists；　but　who；　having　been　excessively　long…winded；　are

assigned　offices　on　account　of　their　stump…speeches；　and　who

thenceforth　sit　alongside　of　the　worst　Jacobins；　in　the　worst

employment。　　〃Members　of　the　Feurs　Revolutionary　Committee　…　those　who

make　that　objection　to　me；〃　wrote　a　lawyer　in　Clermont；＇66＇　〃are

persuaded　that　those　only　who　secluded　themselves；　felt　the　Terror。

They　are　not　aware；　perhaps；　that　nobody　felt　it　more　than　those　who

were　compelled　to　execute　its　decrees。　　Remember　that　the　handwriting

of　Couthon　which　designated　some　citizen　for　an　office　also　conveyed　a

threat；　and　in　case　of　refusal；　of　being　declared　'suspect；'　a　threat

which　promised　in　perspective　the　loss　of　liberty　and　the

sequestration　of　property！　Was　I　free；　then；　to　refuse？〃　…　Once

installed；　the　man　must　act；　and　many　of　those　who　do　act　let　their

repugnance　be　seen　in　spite　of　themselves：　at　best；　they　cannot　be　got

to　do　more　than　mechanical　service。



　〃Before　going　to　court；〃　says　a　judge　at　Cambray；　〃I　swallowed　a　big

glass



　　of　spirits　to　give　me　strength　enough　to　preside。〃



He　leaves　his　house　with　no　other　intention　than　to　finish　the　job；

and；　the　sentence　once　pronounced；　to　return　home；　shut　himself　up；

and　close　his　eyes　and　ears。



　〃I　had　to　pronounce　judgment　according　to　the　jury's　declaration　…

what　could　I　do？〃＇67＇



　Nothing；　but　remain　blind　and　deaf：　〃I　drank。　　I　tried　to　ignore

everything；　even　the　names　of　the　accused。〃　…　It　is　plain　enough　that；

in　the　local　official　body；　there　are　too　many　agents　who　are　weak；

not　zealous；　without　any　push；　unreliable；　or　even　secretly　hostile；

these　must　be　replaced　by　others　who　are　energetic　and　reliable；　and

the　latter　must　be　taken　wherever　they　can　be　found。＇68＇　　This

reservoir　in　each　department　or　district　is　the　Jacobin　nursery　of　the

principal　town；　from　this；　they　are　sent　into　the　bourgs　and　communes

of　the　conscription。　　The　central　Jacobin　nursery　for　France　is　in

Paris；　from　whence　they　are　dispatched　to　the　towns　and　departments。



V。　　Jacobins　sent　to　the　Provinces。



Importation　of　a　staff　of　strangers。　　…　Paris　Jacobins　sent　into　the

provinces。　　…　Jacobins　of　enthusiastic　towns　deported　to　moderate

ones。　　…　The　Jacobins　of　a　district　headquarters　spread　through　the

district。　　…　Resistance　of　public　opinion。　　…　Distribution　and　small

number　of　really　Jacobin　agents。



　Consequently；　swarms　of　Jacobin　locusts　spread　from　Paris　out　over

the　provinces；　and　from　the　local　country…towns　over　the　surrounding

country。　　…　In　this　cloud　of　destructive　insects；　there　are　various

figures　of　different　sizes：　in　the　front　rank；　are　the　representatives

on　mission；　who　are　to　take　command　in　the　departments；　in　the　second

rank；　〃the　political　agents；〃　who；　assigned　the　duty　of　watching　the

neighboring　frontier；　take　upon　themselves　the　additional　duty　of

leading　the　popular　club　of　the　town　they　reside　in；　or　of　urging　on

its　administrative　body。＇69＇　Besides　that；　there　issue　from　the　Paris

headquarters　in　the　rue　St。　　Honoré；　select　sans…culottes　who；

authorized　or　delegated　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　proceed　to

Lyons；　Marseilles；　Bordeaux；　Tonnerre；　Rochefort　a