Sansculottism Accoutred.
Let us look, however, at the grand internal Sansculottism and
Revolution Prodigy, whether it stirs and waxes: there and not
elsewhere hope may still be for France. The Revolution Prodigy,
as Decree after Decree issues from the Mountain, like creative
_fiats_, accordant with the nature of the Thing,—is shaping
itself rapidly, in these days, into terrific stature and
articulation, limb after limb. Last March, 1792, we saw all
France flowing in blind terror; shutting town-barriers, boiling
pitch for Brigands: happier, this March, that it is a seeing
terror; that a creative Mountain exists, which can say _fiat!_
Recruitment proceeds with fierce celerity: nevertheless our
Volunteers hesitate to set out, till Treason be punished at home;
they do not fly to the frontiers; but only fly hither and
thither, demanding and denouncing. The Mountain must speak new
_fiat_, and new _fiats_.
And does it not speak such? Take, as first example, those
_Comités Révolutionnaires_ for the arrestment of Persons Suspect.
Revolutionary Committee, of Twelve chosen Patriots, sits in every
Township of France; examining the Suspect, seeking arms, making
domiciliary visits and arrestments;—caring, generally, that the
Republic suffer no detriment. Chosen by universal suffrage, each
in its Section, they are a kind of elixir of Jacobinism; some
Forty-four Thousand of them awake and alive over France! In Paris
and all Towns, every house-door must have the names of the
inmates legibly printed on it, “at a height not exceeding five
feet from the ground;” every Citizen must produce his
certificatory _Carte de Civisme_, signed by Section-President;
every man be ready to give account of the faith that is in him.
Persons Suspect had as well depart this soil of Liberty! And yet
departure too is bad: all Emigrants are declared Traitors, their
property become National; they are “dead in Law,”—save indeed
that for _our_ behoof they shall “live yet fifty years in Law,”
and what heritages may fall to them in that time become National
too! A mad vitality of Jacobinism, with Forty-four Thousand
centres of activity, circulates through all fibres of France.
Very notable also is the _Tribunal Extraordinaire:_[630] decreed
by the Mountain; some Girondins dissenting, for surely such a
Court contradicts every formula;—other Girondins assenting, nay
co-operating, for do not we all hate Traitors, O ye people of
Paris?—Tribunal of the Seventeenth in Autumn last was swift; but
this shall be swifter. Five Judges; a standing Jury, which is
named from Paris and the Neighbourhood, that there be not delay
in naming it: they are subject to no Appeal; to hardly any
Law-forms, but must “get themselves convinced” in all readiest
ways; and for security are bound “to vote audibly;” audibly, in
the hearing of a Paris Public. This is the _Tribunal
Extraordinaire;_ which, in few months, getting into most lively
action, shall be entitled _Tribunal Revolutionnaire;_ as indeed
it from the very first has entitled itself: with a Herman or a
Dumas for Judge President, with a Fouquier-Tinville for
Attorney-General, and a Jury of such as Citizen Leroi, who has
surnamed himself _Dix-Août_, “Leroi _August-Tenth_,” it will
become the wonder of the world. Herein has Sansculottism
fashioned for itself a Sword of Sharpness: a weapon magical;
tempered in the Stygian hell-waters; to the edge of it all
armour, and defence of strength or of cunning shall be soft; it
shall mow down Lives and Brazen-gates; and the waving of it shed
terror through the souls of men.
But speaking of an amorphous Sansculottism taking form, ought we
not above all things to specify how the Amorphous gets itself a
Head? Without metaphor, this Revolution Government continues
hitherto in a very anarchic state. Executive Council of
Ministers, Six in number, there is; but they, especially since
Roland’s retreat, have hardly known whether they were Ministers
or not. Convention Committees sit supreme over them; but then
each Committee as supreme as the others: Committee of Twenty-one,
of Defence, of General Surety; simultaneous or successive, for
specific purposes. The Convention alone is
all-powerful,—especially if the Commune go with it; but is too
numerous for an administrative body. Wherefore, in this perilous
quick-whirling condition of the Republic, before the end of
March, we obtain our small _Comité de Salut Public;_[631] as it
were, for miscellaneous accidental purposes, requiring
despatch;—as it proves, for a sort of universal supervision, and
universal subjection. They are to report weekly, these new
Committee-men; but to deliberate in secret. Their number is Nine,
firm Patriots all, Danton one of them: Renewable every month;—yet
why not reelect them if they turn out well? The flower of the
matter is that they are but nine; that they sit in secret. An
insignificant-looking thing at first, this Committee; but with a
principle of growth in it! Forwarded by fortune, by internal
Jacobin energy, it will reduce all Committees and the Convention
itself to mute obedience, the Six Ministers to Six assiduous
Clerks; and work its will on the Earth and under Heaven, for a
season. “A Committee of Public Salvation,” whereat the world
still shrieks and shudders.
If we call that Revolutionary Tribunal a Sword, which
Sansculottism has provided for itself, then let us call the “Law
of the Maximum,” a Provender-scrip, or Haversack, wherein better
or worse some ration of bread may be found. It is true, Political
Economy, Girondin free-trade, and all law of supply and demand,
are hereby hurled topsyturvy: but what help? Patriotism must
live; the “cupidity of farmers” seems to have no bowels.
Wherefore this Law of the Maximum, fixing the highest price of
grains, is, with infinite effort, got passed;[632] and shall
gradually extend itself into a Maximum for all manner of
_comestibles_ and commodities: with such scrambling and
topsyturvying as may be fancied! For now, if, for example, the
farmer will not sell? The farmer shall be forced to sell. An
accurate Account of what grain he has shall be delivered in to
the Constituted Authorities: let him see that he say not too
much; for in that case, his rents, taxes and contributions will
rise proportionally: let him see that he say not too little; for,
on or before a set day, we shall suppose in April, _less_ than
one-third of this declared quantity, must remain in his barns,
more than two-thirds of it must have been thrashed and sold. One
can denounce him, and raise penalties.
By such inextricable overturning of all Commercial relation will
Sansculottism keep life in; since not otherwise. On the whole, as
Camille Desmoulins says once, ‘while the Sansculottes fight, the
Monsieurs must pay.’ So there come _Impôts Progressifs_,
Ascending Taxes; which consume, with fast-increasing voracity,
and “superfluous-revenue’ of men: beyond fifty-pounds a-year you
are not exempt; rising into the hundreds you bleed freely; into
the thousands and tens of thousands, you bleed gushing. Also
there come Requisitions; there comes “Forced-Loan of a Milliard,”
some Fifty-Millions Sterling; which of course they that _have_
must lend. Unexampled enough: it has grown to be no country for
the Rich, this; but a country for the Poor! And then if one fly,
what steads it? Dead in Law; nay kept alive fifty years yet, for
_their_ accursed behoof! In this manner, therefore, it goes;
topsyturvying, _ça-ira_-ing;—and withal there is endless sale of
Emigrant National-Property, there is Cambon with endless
cornucopia of Assignats. The Trade and Finance of Sansculottism;
and how, with Maximum and Bakers’-queues, with Cupidity, Hunger,
Denunciation and Paper-money, it led its galvanic-life, and began
and ended,—remains the most interesting of all Chapters in
Political Economy: still to be written.
All which things are they not clean against Formula? O Girondin
Friends, it is not a Republic of the Virtues we are getting; but
only a Republic of the Strengths, virtuous and other!