第 41 节
作者:开了      更新:2021-02-18 23:01      字数:9311
  and feasting their eyes on his ugly face; the living type of envy。〃
  (The first months of 1790。)
  '37' Moniteur; V。   237 (July 26; 1790); V。   594。   (September 8;
  1790); V。   631 (September 12; 1790); VI。   310 (October 6; 1790)。
  (Letter of the Abbé Peretti。)
  '38' De Ferrières; II。   75。  …  Moniteur; VI。   373 (September 6;
  1790)。  …  M。 de Virieu。   〃Those who insult certain members and
  hinder the freedom of debate by hooting or applause must be
  silenced。   Is it the three hundred spectators who are to be our
  judges; or the nation?〃 M。 Chasset; President: 〃Monsieur opinionist;
  I call you to order。   You speak of hindrances to a free vote; there
  has never been anything of the kind in this Assembly。〃
  '39' Sauzay; I 140。  Letter of M。 Lompré; liberal deputy; to M。
  Séguin; chanoine (towards the end of November; 1789)。   〃The service
  becomes more difficult every day; we have become objects of popular
  fury; and; when no other resource was left to us to avoid the
  tempest but to get rid of the endowments of the clergy; we yielded
  to force。   It had become a pressing necessity; and I should have
  been sorry to have had you still here; exposed to the outrages and
  violence with which I have been repeatedly threatened。〃
  '40' Mercure de France; Nos。   of January 15; 1791; October 2; 1790;
  May 14;1791。 Buchez and Roux; V。   343 (April 13; 1790); VII。   76
  (September 2; 1790); X。   225 ( June 21; 1791)。  …  De Montlosier;
  I。   357。  …  Moniteur; IV; 427。
  '41' Archives of the Police; exposed by the Committee of the
  district of Saint…Roch。   Judgment of the Police Tribunal; May 15;
  1790。
  '42' Malouet; II。   68。  …  De Montlosier; II。   217; 257 (Speech of
  M。 Lavie; September 18; 1791)。
  '43' I。e。   members of the old local parlements。
  '44' Mercure; October 1; 1791。   (Article by Mallet du Pan。)
  '45' Malouet II。   66。   〃Those only who were not intimidated by
  insults or threats; nor by actual blows; could come forward as
  opponents。〃
  '46' Buchez and Roux; X。   432; 465。
  '47' Malouet; II; 153。
  '48' Decrees of July 23rd and 28th; 1789。  …  〃Archives Nationales。〃
  Papers of Committee of Investigation; passim。   Among other affairs
  see that of Madame de Persan (Moniteur; V。 611; sitting of September
  9; 1790); and that of Malouet (〃Mémoires II。   12)。
  '49' Buchez and Roux; IV。 56 (Report of Garan de Coulon); V。 49
  (Decision of the Committee of Investigation; December 28; 1789)。
  '50' The arrests of M。 de Riolles; M。 de Bussy; etc。; of Madame de
  Jumilhac; of two other ladies; one at Bar…le…Duc and the other of
  Nancy; etc。
  '51' Sitting of July 28; 1789; the speeches of Duport and Rewbell;
  etc。  …  Mercure; No。   of January 1; 1791 (article by Mallet du
  Pan)。  …  Buchez and Roux; V。   146l 〃Behold five or six successive
  conspiracies  that of the sacks of flour; that of the sacks of
  money; etc。   (Article by Camille Desmoulins。)
  '52' 〃Archives de la Préfecture de Police。〃 Extract from the
  registers of the deliberations of the Conseil…Général of the
  district of Saint…Roch; October 10 1789: Arrête: to request all the
  men in the commune to devote themselves; with all the prudence;
  activity; and force of which they are capable; to the discovery;
  exposure; and publication of the horrible plots and infernal
  treachery which are constantly meditated against the inhabitants of
  the capital; to denounce to the public the authors; abettors; and
  adherents of the said plots; whatever their rank may be; to secure
  their persons and insure their punishment with all the rigor which
  outrages of this kind call for。〃 The commandant of the battalion and
  the district captains come daily to consult with the committee。
  〃While the alarm lasts; the first story of each house is to be
  lighted with lamps during the night: all citizens of the district
  are requested to be at home by ten o'clock in the evening at the
  latest; unless they should be on duty。 。 。  。   All citizens are
  invited to communicate whatever they may learn or discover in
  relation to the abominable plots which are secretly going on in the
  capital。〃
  '53' Letter of M。 de Guillermy; July 31; 1790 (〃Actes des Ap?tres;〃
  V。 56)。 〃During these two nights (July 13th and 14th; 1789) that we
  remained in session I heard one deputy try to get it believed that
  an artillery corps had been ordered to point its guns against our
  hall; another; that it was undermined; and that it was to be blown
  up; another went so far as to declare that he smelt powder; upon
  which M。 le Comte de Virieu replied that power had no odor until it
  was burnt。〃
  '54' Dumont; 351。  〃Each constitutional law was a party triumph。〃
  '55' Here Taine indicates how subversive parties may proceed to
  weaken a nation prior to their take…over。(SR。)
  CHAPTER II。  DESTRUCTION。
  I。
  Two principal vices of the ancient régime。  … Two principal reforms
  proposed by the King and the privileged classes。  … They suffice for
  actual needs。  … Impracticable if carried further。
  In the structure of the old society there were two fundamental vices
  which called for two reforms of corresponding importance。'1'
  In the first place; those who were privileged having ceased to
  render the services for which the advantages they enjoyed
  constituted their compensation and their privileges were no longer
  anything but a gratuitous charge imposed on one portion of the
  nation for the benefit of the other。  Hence the necessity for
  suppressing them。
  In the second place; the Government; being absolute; made use of
  public resources as if they were its own private property;
  arbitrarily and wastefully;'2' it was therefore necessary to impose
  upon it some effective and regular restraints。
  To render all citizens equal before taxation; to put the purse of
  the tax…payers into the hands of their representatives; such was the
  twofold operation to be carried out in 1789; and the privileged
  class as well as the King willingly lent themselves to it。  Not
  only; in this respect; were the memorials of nobles and clergy in
  perfect harmony; but the monarch himself; in his declaration of the
  23rd of June; 1789; decreed the two articles。  Henceforth; every tax
  or loan was to obtain the consent of the States…General; this
  consent was to be renewed at each new meeting of the States; the
  public estimates were to be annually published; discussed;
  specified; apportioned; voted on and verified by the States; there
  were to be no arbitrary assessments or use of public funds;
  allowances were to be specially assigned for all separate services;
  the household of the King included。  In each province or district…
  general; there was to be an elected Provincial Assembly; one…half
  composed of ecclesiastics and nobles; and the other half of members
  of the Third…Estate; to apportion general taxes; to manage local
  affairs; to decree and direct public works; to administer hospitals;
  prisons; workhouses; and to continue its function; in the interval
  of the sessions; through an intermediary commission chosen by
  itself; so that; besides the principal control of the center; there
  were to be thirty subordinate controlling powers at the extremities。
  There was to be no more exemption or distinction in the matter of
  taxation; the roadtax (covée) was to be abolished; also the right of
  franc…fief'3' imposed on plebeians; the rights of mortmain;'4'
  subject to indemnity; and internal customs duties。  There was to be
  a reduction of the captaincies; a modification of the salt…tax and
  of the excise; the transformation of civil justice; too costly for
  the poor; and of criminal justice; too severe for the humbler
  classes。  Here we have; besides the principal reform; equalization
  of taxes; the beginning and inducement of the more complete
  operation which is to strike off the last of the feudal manacles。
  Moreover; six weeks later; on the 4th of August; the privileged; in
  an outburst of generosity; come forward of their own accord to cut
  off or undo the whole of them。  This double reform thus encountered
  no obstacles; and; as Arthur Young reported to his friends; it
  merely required one vote to have it adopted。'5'
  This was enough; for all real necessities were now satisfied。  On
  the one hand; through the abolition of privileges in the matter of
  taxation; the burden of the peasant and; in general; on the small
  tax…payer was diminished one…half; and perhaps two thirds; instead
  of paying fifty…three francs on one hundred francs of net income; he
  paid no more than twenty…five or even sixteen;'6' an enormous
  relief; and one which; with the proposed revision of the excise and
  salt duties; made a complete change in his condition。  Add to this
  the gradual redemption of ecclesiastical and feudal dues: and after
  twenty years the peasant; already proprietor of a fifth of the soil;
  would; without the violent events of the Revolution; in any