The French Revolution 0

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 0- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION HIPPOLYTE TAINE 0- Translated by John Durand VOLUME III 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 of Taine’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 / xv BOOK FIFTH Establishment of the Revolutionary Government Chapter I / 841 I. Weakness of Former Governments—Energy of the new government— The despotic creed and instincts of the Jacobin— II. Contrast between his words and his acts—How he dissimulates his change of front—The Con- stitution of June, 1793—Its promises of freedom— III. Primary Assem- blies—Proportion of Absentees—Number of Primary Assemblies—Una- nimity of the voters—Their motives for accepting the Constitution— Pressure brought to bear on voters—Choice of Delegates— IV. They reach Paris—Precautions taken against them—Constraints and Seduc- tions— V. They make their profession of Jacobin faith—Their part in the Feˆte of August 10th—Their enthusiasm— VI. Manoeuvres of the “Moun- tain”—The Jacobin Club on the eve of August 11th—Session of the Con- vention on the 11th of August—The Delegates initiate Terror—Popular consecration of the Jacobin dictatorship— VII. Effect of this manoeuvre— Extent and Manifesto of the departmental insurrection—Its fundamental weakness—The mass of the population inert and distrustful—The small number of Girondists—Their lukewarm adherents—Scruples of fugitive deputies and insurgent administrators—They form no central government—They leave military authority in the hands of the Convention— Fatal progress of their concessions —Withdrawal of the departments one by one—Palinode of the compromised authorities—Effect of administra- tive habits—Failings and illusions of the Moderates—Opposite character of the Jacobins— VIII. The last local resistances—Political orthodoxy of the insurgent towns—They stipulate but one condition—Reasons of State for granting this—Party arguments against it— IX. The rebel cities vi / Contents crushed—Bordeaux—Marseilles—Lyons—Toulon— X. Destruction of the Girondist party—Proscription of the Deputies of the “Right”—Im- prisonment of the 73—Execution of the 21—Execution, suicide, or flight of the rest— XI. Institutions of the Revolutionary Government—Its principle, object, proceedings, tools, and structure—The Committee of Public Safety—Subordination of the Convention and ministry—The use of the Committee of General Security and the Revolutionary Tribunal—Admin- istrative centralization—Representatives on Mission, National Agents and Revolutionary Committees—Law of Le`se-majesty—Restoration and Ag- gravation of the institutions of the old monarchy. BOOK SIXTH. The Jacobin Programme Chapter I / 901 I. Programme of the Jacobin Party—Abstract principle and spontaneous development of the theory— II. The Jacobin conception of Society—The Contrat-Social.—Total surrender of the Individual to the Community— Everything belongs to the State—Confiscations and Sequestrations—Pre- emption and requisitions of produce and merchandise—Individuals belong to the State—Drafts of persons for Military service—Drafts of persons for the Civil service—Personal sentiments and ideas subject to the State, at once philanthropist, pedagogue, theologian, censor, moralist, and direc- tor— III. The object of the State is the regeneration of man—Two branches of this work—Restoration of the Natural man—Formation of the Social man—Grandeur of the undertaking—Force a right and duty in carrying it out— IV. The two distortions of the natural man—Positive religion—Proscription of the orthodox cult—Measures against unsworn priests—Measures against the loyal orthodox—Destruction of the consti- tutional cult—Pressure on the sworn priests—Churches closed and cere- monies suppressed—Prolongation of these persecutions until the Consu- late— V. Social inequality—Evil doings of the upper aristocracy— Measures against the King and Nobles—Evil doings of the aristocracy of wealth—Measures against landowners, capitalists and people with in- comes—Destruction of large fortunes—Measures taken to prevent large fortunes— VI. Conditions requisite for making a citizen—Plans for sup- pressing poverty—Measures in favor of the poor— VII. Repression of Egoism—Measures against agriculturists, manufacturers and merchants— Socialistic projects—Repression of Federalism—Measures against the lo- Contents / vii cal, professional and family spirit— VIII. Formation of soul and intellect— Civil religion—National education—Measures for equality—Obligatory civism—The recasting and reduction of human nature to the Jacobin type. Chapter II / 946 I. Retrograde conception of the State—Analogy between this idea of the State and that of antiquity—Difference between antique and modern society—Difference in circumstances— II. Difference between men’s souls—Conscience and its Christian origin—Honor and its feudal origin— The individual of today refuses to surrender himself entirely—His motives—Additional motives in modern democracy—Character of the elec- tive process and nature of the mandatory— III. Origin and nature of the modern State—Its functions, rights and limits— IV. Temptation to en- croachments—Precedents and reasons for its pretensions— V. Direct common interest—This consists in the absence of constraint—Two reasons in favor of freedom of action—Character, in general, of the individual man— Modern complications— VI. Indirect common interest—This consists in the most economical and most productive employment of spontaneous forces—Difference between voluntary labor and forced labor—Sources of man’s spontaneous action—Conditions of their energy, work and prod- ucts—Motives for leaving them under personal control—Extent of the private domain—Individuals voluntarily extend it—What they leave to the State—Obligatory functions of the State—Optional functions of the State— VII. Fabrication of social instrumentalities—Application of this principle—How all kinds of useful laborers are formed—Respect for spontaneous sources, the essential and adequate condition—Obligation of the State to respect these—They dry up when it monopolises them—The aim of Patriotism—The aim of other liberal dispositions—Impoverishment of all the productive faculties—Destructive effect of the Jacobin system— VIII. Comparison between despotisms—Philip II. and Louis XIV.— Cromwell and Frederic the Great—Peter the Great and the Sultans— Proportions of the weight they sustain and the forces they control—Dis- proportion between the Jacobins’ attempt to raise this weight and their forces—Folly of their undertaking—Physical force the only governmental force they possess—They are compelled to exercise it—They are compelled to abuse it—Character of their government—Character requisite in their leaders. viii / Contents BOOK SEVENTH. The Governors Chapter I / 981 I. Psychology of the Jacobin Leaders— I. Marat—Disparity between his faculties and pretensions—The Maniac—The Ambitious delirium—Rage for persecution—A confirmed nightmare insanity—Homicidal frenzy— II. Danton—Richness of his faculties—Disparity between his condition and instincts—The Barbarian—His Work—His Weakness— III. Robes- pierre—Mediocrity of his faculties—The Cuistre—Absence of ideas— Study of phrases—Wounded self-esteem—Intensity of this trait—Satisfied self-esteem—His infatuation—He plays the victim—His gloomy fan- cies—His resemblance to Marat—Difference between him and Marat— The sincere hypocrite—The Festival in honor of the Supreme Being, and the law of Prairial 22—The external and internal characters of Robespierre and the Revolution. Chapter II / 1036 The Rulers of the Country— I. The Convention—The “Plain”—The “Mountain”—Degradation of Souls—Parades which the Convention is obliged to make— II. How these are carried out—Its slavery and servil- ity—Its participation in crime— III. The Committee of Public Safety— Men who do the work—Carnot, Prieur de la-Coˆte d’Or, Jean Bon Saint Andre´, Robert Lindet— IV. The Statesmen—Billaud-Varennes, Collot d’Herbois, Robespierre, Couthon, and Saint-Just—Conditions of this rule—Dangers to which they are subject—Their dissensions—Pressure of Fear and Theory— V. Their official organs—Reports of Saint-Just and Bare`re—Quality of reports and reporters— VI. Representatives on Mis- sion—Their absolute power—Their perils and their fear—Fit for their work—Effect of this situation— VII. Eruption of brutal instincts—Du- quesnoy at Metz—Dumont at Amiens—Drunkards—Cusset, Bourbotte, Moustier, Bourdon de l’Oise, Dartigoyte— VIII. Approach of madness— Loss of common-sense—Fabre, Gaston, Guiter, in the army of the Eastern Pyrenees—Baudot, Lebas, Saint-Just, and their predecessors and succes- sors in the army of the Rhine—Furious excitement—Lebon at Arras, and Carrier at Nantes— IX.

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