第284章

In accordance with this， the "left " has made its arrangements； its fanaticism has no scruples； it is principle， it is absolute truth that is at stake； this must triumph at any cost. Besides， can there be any hesitation in having recourse to the people in the people's own cause？ A little compulsion will help along the good cause， and hence the siege of the Assembly is continually renewed.

This was the practice already at Versailles before the 6th of October， while now， at Paris， it is kept up more actively and with less disguise.

At the beginning of the year 1790，[36] the band under pay comprises seven hundred and fifty effective men， most of them deserters or soldiers drummed out of their regiments， who are at first paid five francs and then forty sous a day. It is their business to make or support motions in the coffee-houses and in the streets， to mix with the spectators at the sittings of the sections， with the groups at the Palais-Royal， and especially in the galleries of the National-Assembly， where they are to hoot or applaud at a given signal.

Their leader is a Chevalier de Saint-Louis， to whom they swear obedience， and who receives his orders from the Committee of Jacobins. His first lieutenant at the Assembly is a M. Saule， "a stout， small， stunted old fellow， formerly an upholsterer， then a charlatan hawker of four penny boxes of grease (made from the fat of those that had been hung - for the cure of diseases of the kidneys)and all his life a sot .... who， by means of a tolerably shrill voice， which was always well moistened， has acquired some reputation in the galleries of the Assembly." In fact， he has forged admission tickets he has been turned out； he has been obliged to resume "the box of ointment， and travel for one or two months in the provinces with a man of letters for his companion." But on his return， "through the protection of a groom of the Court， he obtained a piece of ground for a coffee-house against the wall of the Tuileries garden， almost alongside of the National Assembly，" and now it is at home in his coffee-shop behind his counter that the hirelings of the galleries " come to him to know what they must say， and to be told the order of the day in regard to applause." Besides this， he is there himself； "it is he who for three years is to regulate public sentiment in the galleries confided to his care， and， for his useful and satisfactory services， the Constituent Assembly will award him a recompense，" to which the Legislative Assembly will add " a pension of six hundred livres， besides a lodging in an apartment of the Feuillants."We can divine how men of this stamp， thus compensated， do their work. From the top of the galleries[37] they drown the demands of the "right" by the force of their lungs； this or that decree， as， for instance， the abolition of titles of nobility， is carried， "not by shouts， but by terrific howls."[38] On the arrival of the news of the sacking of the H？tel de Castries by the populace， they applaud.

On the question coming up as to the decision whether the Catholic faith shall be dominant， "they shout out that the aristocrats must all be hung， and then things will go on well." Their outrages not only remain unpunished， but are encouraged： this or that noble who complains of their hooting is called to order， while their interference and vociferations， their insults and their menaces， are from this time introduced as one of the regular wheels of legislative operations. Their pressure is still worse outside the Chamber.[39] The Assembly is obliged several times to double its guard. On the 27th of September， 1790， there are 40，000 men around the building to extort the dismissal of the Ministers， and "motions for assassination" are made under the windows， On the 4th of January， 1791， whilst on a call of the house the ecclesiastical deputies pass in turn to the tribune， to take or refuse the oath to the civil constitution of the clergy， a furious clamor ascends in the Tuileries， and even penetrates into the Chamber. "To the lamp post with all those who refuse！ " On the 27th of September， 1790， M.

Dupont， economist， having spoken against the assignats， is surrounded on leaving the Chamber and hooted at， hustled， pushed against the basin of the Tuileries， into which he was being thrown when the guard rescued him. On the 21st of June， 1790， M. de Cazalès just misses "being torn to pieces by the people."[40]

Deputies of the "right" are threatened over and over again by gestures in the streets and in the coffee-houses； effigies of them with ropes about the neck are publicly displayed. The Abbé Maury is several times on the point of being hung： he saves himself once by presenting a pistol. Another time the Vicomte de Mirabeau is obliged to draw his sword. M. de Clermont-Tonnerre， having voted against the annexation of the Comtat to France， is assailed with chairs and clubs in the Palais-Royal， pursued into a porter's room and from thence to his dwelling； the howling crowd break in the doors， and are only repelled with great difficulty. It is impossible for the members of the "right" to assemble together； they are "stoned" in the church of the Capuchins， then in the Salon Fran？ais in the Rue Royale， and then， to crown the whole， an ordinance of the new judges shuts up their hall， and punishes them for the violence which they have to suffer.[41] In short they are at the mercy of the mob. The most moderate， the most liberal， and the most manly both in heart and head， Malouet， declares that "in going to the Assembly he rarely forgot to carry his pistols with him."[42]