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even less disposed than the independent gentleman； to give up his
private affairs for public affairs。 His business will not wait for
him； he being confined to his office； store or counting…room。 For
example； 〃the wine…dealers＇76＇ are nearly all aristocrats in the sense
of this word at this period；〃 but 〃never were their sales so great as
during the insurrections of the people and in revolutionary days。〃
Hence the impossibility of obtaining their services in those days。
〃They are seen on their premises very active； with three or four of
their assistants；〃 and turn a deaf ear to every appeal。 〃How can we
leave when custom is so good？ People must have their wants supplied。
Who will attend to them if I and the waiters should go away？ 〃
There are other causes of their weakness。 All grades in the National
Guard and all places in the municipality having been given up to the
Jacobin extremists； they have no chiefs： the Girondists are incapable
of rallying them； while Garat； the Minister； is unwilling to employ
them。 Moreover； they are divided amongst themselves； no one having any
confidence in the other； 〃it being necessary to chain them together to
have anything accomplished。〃＇77＇ Besides this； the remembrance of
September weighs upon their spirits like a nightmare。 All this
converts people into a timid flock； ready to scamper at the slightest
alarm。 〃In the Contrat Social section；〃 says an officer of the
National Guard； 〃one…third of those who are able to defend the section
are off in the country； another third are hiding away in their houses；
and the other third dare not do anything。〃＇78＇ 〃If； out of fifty
thousand moderates； you can collect together three thousand； I shall
be very much astonished。 And if； out of these three thousand； five
hundred only are found to agree； and have courage enough to express
their opinion； I shall be still more astonished。 The latter； for
instance； must expect to be Septemberized！〃＇79＇ This they know； and
hence they keep silent and bend beneath the yoke。 〃What； indeed； would
the majority of the sections do when it is demonstrated that a dozen
raving maniacs at the head of a sans…culottes section puts the other
forty…seven sections of Paris to flight？ 〃 Through this desertion
of the state and themselves； they surrender in advance； and； in this
great city； as formerly in ancient Athens and Rome； we see alongside
of an immense population of subjects without any rights； a small
despotic oligarchy in itself composing the sovereign people。＇80＇
VI。
Composition of the party。 Its numbers and quality decline。 The
Underlings。 Idle and dissipated workmen。 The suburban rabble。
Bandits and blackguards。 Prostitutes。 The September actors。
Not that this minority has been on the increase since the 10th of
August； quite the reverse。 On the 19th of November； 1792； its
candidate for the office of Mayor of Paris； Lhuillier； obtains only
4；896 votes。＇81＇ On the 18th of June； 1793； its candidate for the
command of the National Guard； Henriot； will secure but 4；573 votes；
to ensure his election it will be necessary to cancel the election
twice； impose the open vote； and relieve voters from showing their
section tickets； which will permit the trusty to vote successively in
other quarters and apparently double their number by allowing each to
vote two or three times。＇82＇ Putting all together； there are not six
thousand Jacobins in Paris； all of them sans…culottes and partisans of
the 〃Mountain。〃＇83＇ Ordinarily； in a section assembly； they number
〃ten or fifteen；〃 at most 〃thirty or forty；〃 〃organized into a
permanent tyrannical board。〃 。 。 。 〃The rest listen and raise their
hands mechanically。〃 。 。 。 〃Three or four hundred Visionaries； whose
devotion is as frank as it is stupid； and two or three hundred more to
whom the result of the last revolution did not bring the places and
honors they too evidently relied on；〃 form the entire staff of the
party； 〃these are the clamorers of the sections and of the groups； the
only ones who have clearly declared themselves against order； the
apostles of a new sedition； scathed or ruined men who need disturbance
to keep alive；〃 while under these comes the train of Marat； vile
women； worthless wretches； and 〃paid shouters at three francs a
day。〃＇84＇
To this must be added that the quality of the factious is still more
reduced than their number。 Plenty of honest men； small tradesmen； wine
dealers； cook…shop keepers； clerks； who； on the 10th of August； were
against the Court； are now against the Commune。＇85＇ The September
affair； probably； disgusted them； and they were not disposed to
recommence the massacres。 A workman named Gonchon； for example； the
usual spokesman of the faubourg SaintAntoine； an upright man； sincere
and disinterested； supports Roland； and； very soon； at Lyons； seeing
how things are with his own eyes； he is to loyally endorse the revolt
of the moderates against the Maratists。＇86＇ 〃The respectable class
of the arts； says observers； 〃 is gradually leaving the faction to
join the sane party。〃＇87＇ 〃Now that water…carriers； porters and the
like storm the loudest in the sections； it is plain to all eyes that
the gangrene of disgust has reached the fruit…sellers； tailors； shoe…
makers； bar owners；〃 and others of that class。＇88＇ Towards the
end； 〃butchers of both classes； high and low； are aristocratized。〃
In the same way； 〃the women in the markets； except a few who are paid
and whose husbands are Jacobins； curse and swear； fume； fret and
storm。〃 〃This morning；〃 says a merchant； 〃four or five of them were
here； they no longer insist on being called citoyennes； they declare
that they 〃spit on the republic。〃＇89＇ … The only remaining patriot
females are from the lowest of the low class； the harpies who pillage
shops as much through envy as through necessity； 〃boat…women；
embittered by hard labor；＇90＇ 。 。 。 jealous of the grocer's wife；
better dressed than herself； as the latter was of the wives of the
attorney and counselor； as these were of those of the financier and
noble。 The woman of the people thinks she cannot do too much to lower
the grocer's wife to her own level。〃
Thus reduced to its dregs through the withdrawal of its tolerably
honest recruits； the faction now comprises none but the scum of the
populace； first； 〃subordinate workmen who look upon the downfall of
their employers with a certain satisfaction；〃 then； the small
retailers； the old…clothes dealers； plasterers； 〃those who offer
second…hand coats for sale on the fringes of the market； fourth…rate
cooks who； at the cemetery of the Innocents； sell meat and beans under
umbrella tops；〃＇91＇ next； domestics highly pleased with now being
masters of their masters； kitchen helpers； grooms； lackeys； janitors；
every species of valet； who； in contempt of the law； voted at the
elections＇92＇ and at the Jacobin club form a group of 〃silly people〃
satisfied 〃that they were universal geographers because they had
ridden post once or twice；〃 and that they were politicians 〃because
they had read 'The Four Sons of Aymon。'〃＇93＇ But； in this mud；
spouting and spreading around in broad daylight； it is the ordinary
scum of great cities which forms the grossest flux； the outcasts of
every trade and profession； dissipated workmen of all kinds； the
irregular and marauding troops of the social army； the class which；
〃discharged from La Pitié； run through a career of disorder and end in
Bicêtre。〃＇94＇ 〃From La Pitié to Bicêtre〃 is a well known popular
adage。 Men of this stamp are without any principle whatever。 If they
have fifty francs they live on fifty； and if they have only five they
live on five； spending everything； they are always out of pocket and
save nothing。 This is the class that took the Bastille；＇95＇ got up the
10th of August； etc。 It is the same class which filled the galleries
in the Assembly with all sorts of characters； filling up the groups；〃
and； during all this time it never did a stroke of work。 Consequently；
〃a wife who owns a watch； ear…rings； finger…rings； any jewels； first
takes them to the pawnbrokers where they end up being sold。 At this
period many of these people owe the butcher； the baker； the wine…
dealer； etc。； nobody trusts them any more。 They have ceased to love
their wives； and their children cry for food； while the father is at
the Jacobin club or at the Tuileries。 Many of them have abandoned
their position and trade；〃 while； either through 〃indolence〃 or
consciousness 〃of their incapacity；〃 。 。 。 〃they would with a kind of
sadness see this trade come back to life。〃 That of a political gossip；
of a paid claqueur； is more agreeable； and such is the opinion of all
the idlers； summoned by the bugle to work on the camps around Paris。 …
… Here；＇96＇ eight thousand men are paid forty sous a day 〃to do
nothing〃； 〃the workmen come along at eight； nine and ten o'clock in