THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 0- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION HIPPOLYTE TAINE 0- Translated by John Durand VOLUME II LIBERTY FUND Indianapolis This book is published by Liberty Fund, Inc., a foundation established to encourage study ofthe ideal ofa society offree and responsible individuals. The cuneiform inscription that serves as our logo and as the design motif for our endpapers is the earliest-known written appearance of the word “freedom” (amagi), or “liberty.” It is taken from a clay document written about 2300 B.C. in the Sumerian city-state ofLagash. ᭧ 2002 Liberty Fund, Inc. All rights reserved. The French Revolution is a translation of La Re´volution, which is the second part ofTaine’s Origines de la France contemporaine. Printed in the United States ofAmerica 02 03 04 05 06 C 54321 02 03 04 05 06 P 54321 Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Taine, Hippolyte, 1828–1893. [Origines de la France contemporaine. English. Selections] The French Revolution / Hippolyte Taine; translated by John Durand. p. cm. “The French Revolution is a translation ofLa Re´volution, which is the second part ofTaine’s Origines de la France contemporaine”—T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-86597-126-9 (alk. paper) ISBN 0-86597-127-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. France—History—Revolution, 1789–1799. I. Title. DC148.T35 2002 944.04—dc21 2002016023 ISBN 0-86597-126-9 (set: hc.) ISBN 0-86597-127-7 (set: pb.) ISBN 0-86597-363-6 (v. 1: hc.) ISBN 0-86597-366-0 (v. 1: pb.) ISBN 0-86597-364-4 (v. 2: hc.) ISBN 0-86597-367-9 (v. 2: pb.) ISBN 0-86597-365-2 (v. 3: hc.) ISBN 0-86597-368-7 (v. 3: pb.) Liberty Fund, Inc. 8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300 Indianapolis, Indiana 46250-1684 9 CONTENTS = Preface / xiii BOOK FOURTH. The Jacobin Conquest Chapter I / 413 Rise of the New Political Organ— I. Principle of the revolutionary party— Its applications— II. Formation of the Jacobin—The common human ele- ments of his character—Self-conceit and dogmatism are sensitive and rebellious inevery community—How kept downinall well-founded societies—Their development in the new order of things—Effect of milieu on imaginations and ambitions—The stimulants of Utopianism, abuses of speech, and derangement of ideas—Changes in office; interests played upon and perverted feeling— III. Psychology of the Jacobin—His intel- lectual method—Tyranny of formulae and suppression of facts—Mental balance disturbed—Signs of this in the revolutionary language—Scope and expressionof the Jacobinintellect—Inwhat respect his method is mis- chievous—How it is successful—Illusions produced by it— IV. What the theory promises—How it flatters wounded self-esteem—The ruling pas- sion of the Jacobin—Apparent both in style and conduct—He alone is virtuous inhis ownestimation,while his adversaries are vile—They must accordingly be put out of the way—Perfection of this character—Common sense and moral sense both perverted. Chapter II / 439 I. Formationof the Party—Its recruits—These are rare inthe upper class and amongst the masses—They are numerous in the low bourgeois class and in the upper stratum of the people—The position and education which enroll a man in the party— II. Spontaneous associations after July 14, 1789—How these dissolve—Withdrawal of people of sense and occupa- tion—Number of those absent at elections—Birth and multiplication of vi / Contents Jacobin societies—Their influence over their adherents—Their manoeu- vres and despotism— III. How they view the liberty of the press—Their political doings— IV. Their rallying-points—Origin and composition of the Paris Jacobinclub—It affiliates with provincialclubs—Its Leaders— The Fanatics—The Intriguers—Their object—Their means— V. Small number of Jacobins—Sources of their power—They form a league—They have faith—Their unscrupulousness—The power of the party vested in the group which best fulfills these conditions. Chapter III / 473 The Jacobins in Power—The elections of 1791—Proportion of places gained by them— I. Their siege operations—Means used by them to dis- courage the majority of electors and conservative candidates—Frequency of elections—Effect of the oath— II. Annoyances and dangers of public offices—The Constituents excluded from the Legislative body— III. The friends of order deprived of the right of free assemblage—Violent treat- ment of their clubs in Paris and the provinces—Legal prevention of con- servative associations— IV. Turmoil at the elections of 1790—Elections in 1791—Effect of the King’s flight—Domiciliary visits—Mortagne during the electoral period— V. Intimidation and withdrawal of the Conserva- tives—Popular outbreaks in Burgundy, Lyonnais, Provence, and the large cities—Electoral proceedings of the Jacobins; examples at Aix, Dax, and Montpellier—Agitators go unpunished—Denunciations by name—Ma- noeuvres with the peasantry—General tactics of the Jacobins. Chapter IV / 492 I. Compositionof the Legislative Assembly—Social rankof the Deputies. Their inexperience, incompetence, and prejudices— II. Degree and quality of their intelligence and culture— III. Aspect of their sessions—Scenes and display at the club—Co-operation of spectators— IV. Parties—The “Right”—The “Centre”—The “Left”—Opinions and sentiments of the Girondists—Their allies of the extreme “Left”— V. Their means of ac- tion—Dispersion of the Feuillants club—Pressure of the tribunes on the Assembly—Street mobs— VI. Parliamentary manoeuvres—Abuses of urgency—Vote on the principle—Call by name—Intimidation of the “Centre”—Opponents inactive—The majority finally disposed of. Contents / vii Chapter V / 512 Policy of the Assembly— I. State of France at the end of 1791—Power- lessness of the Law— II. The Assembly hostile to the oppressed and fa- voring oppressors—Decrees against the nobles and clergy—Amnesty for deserters, convicts, and bandits—Anarchical and levelling maxims— III. War—Dispositionof foreignpowers—The King’s dislikes—Provo- cations of the Girondists—Date and causes of the rupture— IV. Secret motives of the leaders—Their control compromised by peace—Discontent of the rich and cultivated class—Formation and increase of the party of order—The King and this party reconciled— V. Effect of the war on the commonalty—Its alarm and its rage—The second revolutionary outburst and its characteristics—Alliance of the Girondists with the populace—The red cap and pikes—Universal substitution of government by force for government by law. Chapter VI / 542 The Departments— I. Provence in 1792—Early supremacy of the Jacobins in Marseilles—Composition of the party—The club and the municipal- ity—Expulsion of the Ernest regiment— II. The expedition to Aix—The regiment disarms—The Directory driven out—Pressure on the new Di- rectory— III. The Constitutionalists of Arles—The Marseilles expedition against Arles—Excesses committed by them in the town and its vicinity— Invasion of Apt, the club and its volunteers— IV. The Jacobins of Avi- gnon—How they obtain recruits—Their robberies in the Comtat—The Avignon municipality in flight or in prison—Murder of Le´cuyer and the Glacie`re massacre—Entry of the murderers, supported by their Marseilles allies—Jacobindictatorship inVaucluse andthe Bouches-du-Rho ˆne— V. Other departments—Uniform process of the Jacobin conquest—Pre- conceived formation of a Jacobin State. Chapter VII / 574 Paris— I. Pressure of the Assembly on the King—His veto rendered void or eluded—His ministers insulted and driven away—The usurpations of his Girondist ministry—He removes them—Insurrectionary prepara- tions— II. The floating and poor population of Paris—Disposition of the workmen—Effect of poverty and want of work—Effect of Jacobin preach- ing—The revolutionary army—Character of its reviews—Its first re- viii / Contents view—Its actual effective force— III. Its leaders—Their committee— How they created excitement— IV. The 20th of June—The programme— The muster—The processionbefore the Assembly—Irruptionintothe chaˆteau—The King in the presence of the people. Chapter VIII / 596 I. Indignation of the Constitutionalists—Cause of their weakness—The Girondists renew the attack—Their double plan— II. Pressure on the King—Pe´tion and Manuel brought to the Hoˆtel-de-Ville—The Ministry obliged to resign—Jacobin agitation against the King—Pressure on the Assembly—Petition of the Paris Commune—Threats of the petitioners and of the galleries—Session of August 8th—Girondist strategy foiled in two ways— III. The Girondists work for the benefit of the Jacobins— The armed force sent away or disorganized—The Federates summoned— Brest and Marseilles send men—Public sessions of administrative bod- ies—Permanence of administrative bodies and of the sections—Effect of these two measures—The central bureau of the Hoˆtel-de-Ville—Origin and formation of the revolutionary Commune— IV. Vain attempts of the Girondists to put it down—Jacobin alarm, their enthusiasm, and their programme— V. Evening of August 8—Session of August 9—Morning of August 10—The Assembly purged— VI. Nights of August 9 and 10— The sections—Commissioners of the sections at the Hoˆtel-de-Ville—The revolutionary Commune is substituted for the legal Commune— VII. Au- gust 10—The King’s forces—Resistance abandoned—The King in the National Assembly—Conflict at the palace and discharge of the Swiss Guard—The palace evacuated by the King’s order—The massacres—The enslaved Assembly and its decrees— VIII. State of Paris in the interreg- num—The mass of the population—Subaltern Jacobins—The Jacobin leaders. Chapter IX / 644 I. Mob Rule in Times of Anarchy—Case of anarchy recently and suddenly brought on—The band that succeeds the fallen government and its ad- ministrative tools— II. Progress of the homicidal idea in the mass of the party—The morning after August 10—The tribunal of August 17—The funereal feˆte of August 27—The prisonplot— III.