Читать книгу The History of French Revolution - Taine Hippolyte - Страница 38

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This time there can be no mistake: the Reign of Terror is fully and firmly established. On this very day the mob stops a vehicle, in which it hopes to find M. de Virieu, and declares, on searching it, that "they are looking for the deputy to massacre him, as well as others of whom they have a list."1445 Two days afterwards the Abbé Grégoire tells the National Assembly that not a day passes without ecclesiastics being insulted in Paris, and pursued with "horrible threats." Malouet is advised that "as soon as guns are distributed among the militia, the first use made of them will be to get rid of those deputies who are bad citizens," and among others of the Abbé Maury. "The moment I stepped out into the streets," writes Mounier, "I was publicly followed. It was a crime to be seen in my company. Wherever I happened to go, along with two or three of my companions, it was stated that an assembly of aristocrats was forming. I had become such an object of terror that they threatened to set fire to a country-house where I had passed twenty-four hours; and, to relieve their minds, a promise had to be given that neither myself nor my friends should be again received into it." In one week five or six hundred deputies have their passports1446 made out, and hold themselves ready to depart. During the following month one hundred and twenty give in their resignations, or no longer appear in the Assembly. Mounier, Lally-Tollendal, the Bishop of Langres, and others besides, quit Paris, and afterwards France. Mallet du Pan writes, "Opinion now dictates its judgment with steel in hand. Believe or die is the anathema which vehement spirits pronounce, and this in the name of Liberty. Moderation has become a crime." After the 7th of October, Mirabeau says to the Comte de la Marck:

"If you have any influence with the King or the Queen, persuade them that they and France are lost if the royal family does not leave Paris. I am busy with a plan for getting them away."

He prefers everything to the present situation, "even civil war;" for "war, at least, invigorates the soul," while here, "under the dictatorship of demagogues, we are being drowned in slime." Given up to itself, Paris, in three months, "will certainly be a hospital, and, perhaps, a theater of horrors." Against the rabble and its leaders, it is essential that the King should at once coalesce "with his people," that he should go to Rouen, appeal to the provinces, provide a Centre for public opinion, and, if necessary, resort to armed resistance. Malouet, on his side, declares that "the Revolution, since the 5th of October, "horrifies all sensible men, and every party, but that it is complete and irresistible." Thus the three best minds that are associated with the Revolution—those whose verified prophecies attest genius or good sense; the only ones who, for two or three years, and from week to week, have always predicted wisely, and who have employed reason in their demonstrations—these three, Mallet du Pan, Mirabeau, Mabuet, agree in their estimate of the event, and in measuring its consequences. The nation is gliding down a declivity, and no one possesses the means or the force to arrest it. The King cannot do it: "undecided and weak beyond all expression, his character resembles those oiled ivory balls which one vainly strives to keep together."1447 And as for the Assembly, blinded, violated, and impelled on by the theory it proclaims, and by the faction which supports it, each of its grand decrees only renders its fall the more precipitate.

1401 (return) [ Bailly, "Mémoires," II. 195, 242.]

1402 (return) [ Elysée Loustalot, journalist, editor of the paper "Révolutions de Paris," was a young lawyer who had shown a natural genius for innovative journalism. He was to die already in 1790. (SR.)]

1403 (return) [ Montjoie, ch. LXX, p. 65.]

1404 (return) [ Bailly, II. 74, 174, 242, 261, 282, 345, 392.]

1405 (return) [ Such as domiciliary visits and arrests apparently made by lunatics. ("Archives de la Préfecture de Police de Paris.")—And Montjoie, ch. LXX. p.67. Expedition of the National Guard against imaginary brigands who are cutting down the crops at Montmorency and the volley fired in the air.—Conquest of Ile-Adam and Chantilly.]

1406 (return) [ Bailly, II. 46, 95, 232, 287, 296.]

1407 (return) [ "Archives de la Préfecture de Police," minutes of the meeting of the section of Butte des Moulins, October 5, 1789.]

1408 (return) [ Bailly, II. 224.—Dusaulx, 418, 202, 257, 174, 158. The powder transported was called poudre de traite (transport); the people understood it as poudre de traître (traitor). M. de la Salle was near being killed through the addition of an r. It is he who had taken command of the National Guard on the 13th of July.]

1409 (return) [ Floquet, VII. 54. There is the same scene at Granville, in Normandy, on the 16th of October. A woman had assassinated her husband, while a soldier who was her lover is her accomplice; the woman was about to be hung and the man broken on the wheel, when the populace shout, "The nation has the right of pardon," upset the scaffold, and save the two assassins.]

1410 (return) [ Bailly, II. 274 (August 17th).]

1411 (return) [ Bailly, II, 83, 202, 230, 235, 283, 299.]

1412 (return) [ Mercure de France, the number for September 26th.—De Goncourt, p. 111.]

1413 (return) [ Mercier, "Tableau de Paris," I, 58; X. 151.]

1414 (return) [ De Ferrières, I. 178.—Buchez and Roux, II. 311, 316.—Bai11y, II. 104, 174, 207, 246, 257, 282.]

1415 (return) [ Mercure de France, September 5th, 1789. Horace Walpole's Letters, September 5, 1789.—M. de Lafayette, "Mémoires," I. 272. During the week following the 14th of July, 6,000 soldiers deserted and went over to the people, besides 400 and 800 Swiss Guards and six battalions of the French Guards, who remain without officers, and do as they please. Vagabonds from the neighboring villages flock in, and there are more than "30,000 strangers and vagrants" in Paris.]

1416 (return) [ Bailly, II. 282. The crowd of deserters was so great that Lafayette was obliged to place a guard at the barriers to keep them from entering the city. "Without this precaution the whole army would have come in."]

1417 (return) [ De Ferrières, I. 103.—De Lavalette, I. 39.—Bailly, I. 53 (on the lawyers). "It may be said that the success of the Revolution is due to this class."—Marmontel, II. 243 "Since the first elections of Paris, in 1789, I remarked," he says, "this species of restless intriguing men, contending with each other to be heard, impatient to make themselves prominent. … It is well known what interest this body (the lawyers) had to change Reform into Revolution, the Monarchy into a Republic; the object was to organize for itself a perpetual aristocracy."—Buchez and Roux, II. 358 (article by C. Desmoulins). "In the districts everybody exhausts his lungs and his time in trying to be president, vice-president, secretary or vice-secretary"]

1418 (return) [ Eugène Hatin, "Histoire de la Presse," vol. V. p. 113. "Le Patriote français" by Brissot, July 28, 1789.—"L'Ami du Peuple," by Marat, September 12, 1789.—"Annales patriotiques et littéraires," by Carra and Mercier, October 5, 1789—"Les Révolutions de Paris," chief editor Loustalot, July 17th, 1789.—"Le Tribun du peuple," letters by (middle of 1789).—"Révolutions de France et de Brabant," by C. Desmoulins, November 28, 1789; his "France libre" (I believe of the month of August, and his "Discours de la Lanterne" of the month of September).—"The Moniteur" does not make its appearance until November 24, 1789. In the seventy numbers which follow, up to February 3, 1790, the debates of the Assembly were afterwards written out, amplified, and put in a dramatic form. All numbers anterior to February 3, 1790, are the result of a compilation executed in the year IV. The narrative part during the first six months of the Revolution is of no value. The report of the sittings of the Assembly is more exact, but should be revised sitting by sitting and discourse by discourse for a detailed history of the National Assembly. The principal authorities which are really contemporary are, "Le Mercure de France," "Le Journal de Paris," "Le point de Jour" by Barrère, the "Courrier de Versailles," by Gorsas, the "Courrier de Provence" by Mirabeau, the "Journal des Débats et Décrets," the official reports of the National assembly, the "Bulletin de l'Asemblée Nationale," by Marat, besides the newspapers above cited for the period following the 14th of July, and the speeches, which are printed separately.]

1419 (return) [ C. Desmoulins, letters of September 20th and of subsequent dates. (He quote, a passage from Lucan in the sense indicated).—Brissot, "Mémoires," passim.—Biography of Danton by Robinet. (See the testimony of Madame Roland and of Rousselin de Saint-Albin.)]

1420 (return) [ "Discours de la Lanterne." See the epigraph of the engraving.]

1421 (return) [ Buchez and Roux; III. 55; article of Marat, October lst. "Sweep all the suspected men out of the Hôtel-de-Ville. … . Reduce the deputies of the communes to fifty; do not let them remain in office more than a month or six weeks, and compel them to transact business only in public."—And II. 412, another article by Marat.—Ibid. III. 21. An article by Loustalot.—C. Desmoulins, "Discours de la Lanterne," passim.—Bailly, II. 326.]

1422 (return) [ Mounier, "Des causes qui ont empêche les Français d'être libre," I. 59.—Lally-Tollendal, second letter, 104.—Bailly, II. 203.]

1423 (return) [ De Bouillé, 207.—Lally-Tollendal, ibid, 141, 146.—Mounier, ibid., 41, 60.]

1424 (return) [ Mercure de France, October 2, 1790 (article of Mallet du Pan: "I saw it"). Criminal proceedings at the Châtelet on the events of October 5th and 6th. Deposition of M. Feydel, a deputy, No. 178.——De Montlosier, i. 259.—Desmoulins (La Lanterne). "Some members of the communes are gradually won over by pensions, by plans for making a fortune and by flattery. Happily, the incorruptible galleries are always on the side of the patriots. They represent the tribunes of the people seated on a bench in attendance on the deliberations of the Senate and who had the veto. They represent the metropolis and, fortunately, it is under the batteries of the metropolis that the constitution is being framed." (C. Desmoulins, simple-minded politician, always let the cat out of the bag.)]

1425 (return) [ "Procédure du Châtelet," Ibid. Deposition of M. Malouet (No. 111). "I received every day, as well as MM. Lally and Mounier, anonymous letters and lists of proscriptions on which we were inscribed. These letters announced a prompt and violent death to every deputy that advocated the authority of the King."]

1426 (return) [ Buchez and Roux, I. 368, 376.—Bailly, II. 326, 341.—Mounier, ibid., 62, 75.]

1427 (return) [ Etienne Dumont, 145.—Correspondence between Comte de Mirabeau and Comte de la Marck.]

1428 (return) [ "Procédure criminelle du Châtelet," Deposition 148.—Buchez and Roux, III. 67, 65. (Narrative of Desmoulins, article of Loustalot.) Mercure de France, number for September 5, 1789. "Sunday evening, August 30, at the Palais-Royal, the expulsion of several deputies of every class was demanded, and especially some of those from Dauphiny … They spoke of bringing the King to Paris as well as the Dauphin. All virtuous citizens, every incorruptible patriot, was exhorted to set out immediately for Versailles."]

1429 (return) [ These acts of violence were not reprisals; nothing of the kind took place at the banquet of the body-guards (October 1st). "Amidst the general joy," says an eye-witness, "I heard no insults against the National Assembly, nor against the popular party, nor against anybody. The only cries were 'Vive le Roi! Vive la Reine! We will defend them to the death!'" (Madame de Larochejacquelein, p.40.—Ibid. Madame Campan, another eye-witness.)—It appears to be certain, however, that the younger members of the National Guard at Versailles turned their cockades so as to be like other people, and it is also probable that some of the ladies distributed white cockades. The rest is a story made up before and after the event to justify the insurrection.—Cf. Lerol, "Histoire de Versailles," II. 20–107. Ibid. p. 141. "As to that proscription of the national cockade, all witnesses deny it." The originator of the calumny is Gorsas, editor of the Courrier de Versailles.]

1430 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 88, 110, 120, 126, 127, 140, 146, 148.—Marmontel, "Mémoires," a conversation with Champfort, in May, 1789.—Morellet, "Mémoires," I. 398. (According to the evidence of Garat, Champfort gave all his savings, 3,000 livres, to defray the expenses of maneuvers of this description.)—Malouet (II. 2). knew four of the deputies "who took direct part in this conspiracy."]

1431 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." 1st. On the Flemish soldiers. Depositions 17, 20, 24, 35, 87, 89, 98.—2nd. On the men disguised as women. Depositions 5, 10, 14, 44, 49, 59, 60, 110, 120, 139, 145, 146, 148. The prosecutor designates six of them to be seized.—3rd. On the condition of the women of the expedition. Depositions 35, 83, 91, 98, 146, and 24.—4th. On the money distributed. Depositions 49, 56, 71, 82, 110, 126.]

1432 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Deposition 61. "During the night scenes, not very decent, occurred among these people, which the witness thought it useless to relate."]

1433 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 35, 44, 81.—Buchez and Roux, III. 120. (Minutes of the meeting of the Commune, October 5th.) Journal de Paris, October 12th. A few days after, M. Pic, clerk of the prosecutor, brought "a package of 100,000 francs which he had saved from the enemies' hands," and another package of notes was found thrown, in the hubbub, into a receipt-box.]

1434 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 61, 77, 81, 148, 154.—Dumont, 181.—Mounier, "Exposé justificatif," and specially "Fait relatif à la dernière insurrection."]

1435 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Deposition 168. The witness sees on leaving the King's apartment "several women dressed as fish-wives, one of whom, with a pretty face, has a paper in her hand, and who exclaims as she holds it up, 'He! F … , we have forced the guy to sign.' "]

1436 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 89, 91, 98. "Promising all, even raising their petticoats before them."]

1437 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet," Depositions 9, 20, 24, 30, 49, 61, 82, 115, 149, 155.]

1438 (return) [ Procédure criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 7, 30, 35, 40.—Cf. Lafayette, "Mémoires," and Madame Campan, "Mémoires."]

1439 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Deposition 24. A number of butcher-boys run after the carriages issuing from the Petite-Ecurie shouting out, "Don't let the curs escape!"]

1440 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 101, 91, 89, and 17. M. de Miomandre, a body-guard, mildly says to the ruffians mounting the staircase: "My friends, you love your King, and yet you come to annoy him even in his palace!"]

1441 (return) [ Malouet, II. 2. "I felt no distrust," says Lafayette in 1798; "the people promised to remain quiet."]

1442 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Chatelet." Depositions 9, 16, 60, 128, 129, 130, 139, 158, 168, 170.—M. du Repaire, body-guard, being sentry at the railing from two o'clock in the morning, a man passes his pike through the bars saying, "You embroidered b … , your turn will come before long." M. de Repaire, "retires within the sentry-box without saying a word to this man, considering the orders that have been issued not to act."]

1443 (return) [ "Procédure Criminelle du Châtelet." Depositions 82, 170—Madame Campan. II. 87.—De Lavalette, I.33.—Cf. Bertrand de Molleville, Mémoires.]

1444 (return) [ Duval, "Souvenirs de la Terreur," I. 78. (Doubtful in almost everything, but here he is an eye-witness. He dined opposite the hair-dresser's, near the railing of the Park of Saint-Cloud.)—M. de Lally-Tollendal's second letter to a friend. "At the moment the King entered his capital with two bishops of his council with him in the carriage, the cry was heard, 'Off to the lamp post with the bishops!'"]

1445 (return) [ De Montlosier, I. 303.—Moniteur, sessions of the 8th, 9th, and 10th of October.—Malouet, II. 9, 10, 20.—Mounier, Recherches sur les Causes, etc., and "Addresse aux Dauphinois."]

1446 (return) [ De Ferrières, I. 346. (On the 9th of October, 300 members have already taken their passports.) Mercure de France, No. of the 17th October. Correspondence of Mirabeau and M. de la Marck, I. 116, 126, 364.]

1447 (return) [ Correspondence of Mirabeau and M. de la Marck, I.175. (The words of Monsieur to M. de la Marck.)]