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condition may be； my incompetence； my ignorance； my insignificance in
the career in which I have plodded along； I have full control over the
fortunes； lives； and consciences of twenty…six million French people；
being accordingly Czar and Pope； according to my share of authority。 …
… But if I adhere strictly to this doctrine； I am yet more so than my
quota warrants。 This royal prerogative with which I am endowed is only
conferred on those who； like myself； sign the Social Contract in full；
others； merely because they reject some clause of it； incur a
forfeiture； no one must enjoy the advantages of a pact of which some
of the conditions are repudiated。 … Even better； as this pact is based
on natural right and is obligatory； he who rejects it or withdraws
from it； becomes by that act a miscreant； a public wrong…doer and an
enemy of the people。 There were once crimes of royal lèse…majesty； now
there are crimes of popular lèse…majesty。 Such crimes are committed
when by deed； word； or thought； any portion whatever of the more than
royal authority belonging to the people is denied or contested。 The
dogma through which popular sovereignty is proclaimed thus actually
ends in a dictatorship of the few； and a proscription of the many。
Outside of the sect you are outside of the laws。 We； the five or six
thousand Jacobins of Paris； are the legitimate monarch； the infallible
Pontiff； and woe betide the refractory and the lukewarm； all
government agents； all private persons； the clergy； the nobles； the
rich； merchants； traders； the indifferent among all classes； who；
steadily opposing or yielding uncertain adhesion； dare to throw doubt
on our unquestionable right。
One by one these consequences are to come into light； and it is
evident that； let the logical machinery by which they unfold
themselves be what it may； no ordinary person； unless of consummate
vanity； will fully adopt them。 He must have an exalted opinion of
himself to consider himself sovereign otherwise than by his vote； to
conduct public business with no more misgivings than his private
business； to directly and forcibly interfere with this； to set himself
up； he and his clique； as guides； censors and rulers of his
government； to persuade himself that； with his mediocre education and
average intellect； with his few scraps of Latin and such information
as is obtained in reading…rooms； coffee…houses； and newspapers； with
no other experience than that of a club； or a municipal council； he
could discourse wisely and well on the vast； complex questions which
superior men； specially devoted to them； hesitate to take up。 At first
this presumption existed in him only in germ； and； in ordinary times；
it would have remained； for lack of nourishment； as dry…rot or
creeping mold； But the heart knows not what strange seeds it contains！
Any of these； feeble and seemingly inoffensive； needs only air and
sunshine to become a noxious excrescence and a colossal plant。 Whether
third or fourth rate attorney； counselor； surgeon； journalist； curé；
artist； or author； the Jacobin is like the shepherd that has just
found； in one corner of his hut； a lot of old parchments which entitle
him to the throne。 What a contrasts between the meanness of his
calling and the importance with which the theory invests him！ With
what rapture he accepts a dogma that raises him so high in his own
estimation！ Diligently conning the Declaration of Rights； the
Constitution； all the official documents that confer on him such
glorious prerogatives； charging his imagination with them； he
immediately assumes a tone befitting his new position。＇23＇ Nothing
surpasses the haughtiness and arrogance of this tone。 It declares
itself at the outset in the harangues of the clubs and in the
petitions to the Constituent Assembly。 Loustalot； Fréron； Danton；
Marat； Robespierre； St。 Just； always employ dictatorial language； that
of the sect； and which finally becomes the jargon of their meanest
valets。 Courtesy or toleration； anything that denotes regard or
respect for others； find no place in their utterances nor in their
acts； a swaggering； tyrannical conceit creates for itself a language
in its own image； and we see not only the foremost actors； but their
minor associates； enthroned on their grandiloquent platform。 Each in
his own eyes is Roman； savior； hero； and great man。
〃I stood in the tribune of the palace；〃 writes Anarcharsis
Clootz；＇24＇ 〃at the head of the foreigners； acting as ambassador of
the human species； while the ministers of the tyrants regarded me with
a jealous and disconcerted air。〃
A schoolmaster at Troyes； on the opening of the club in that town；
advises the women 〃to teach their children； as soon as they can utter
a word； that they are free and have equal rights with the mightiest
potentates of the universe。〃＇25＇ Pétion's account of the journey in
the king's carriage； on the return from Varennes； must be read to see
how far self…importance of a pedant and the self…conceit of a lout can
be carried。＇26＇ In their memoirs and even down to their epitaphs；
Barbaroux； Buzot； Pétion； Roland； and Madame Roland＇27＇ give
themselves certificates of virtue and； if we could take their word for
it； they would pass for Plutarch's model characters。 This
infatuation； from the Girondins to the Montagnards； continues to grow。
St。 Just； at the age of twenty…four； and merely a private individual；
is already consumed with suppressed ambition。 Marat says：
〃I believe that I have exhausted every combination of the human
intellect in relation to morality； philosophy and political science。〃
Robespierre； from the beginning to the end of the Revolution； is
always； in his own eyes； Robespierre the unique； the one pure man； the
infallible and the impeccable； no man ever burnt to himself the
incense of his own praise so constantly and so directly。 … At this
level； conceit may drink the theory to the bottom； however revolting
the dregs and however fatal its poison even to those defy its nausea
for the sake of swallowing it。 And； since it is virtue； no one may
refuse it without committing a crime。 Thus construed； the theory
divides Frenchmen into two groups： one consisting of aristocrats；
fanatics； egoists； the corrupt； bad citizens in short； and the other
patriots； philosophers； and the virtuous； that is to say； those
belonging to the sect。＇28＇ Thanks to this reduction； the vast moral
and social world with which they deal finds its definition；
expression； and representation in a ready…made antithesis。 The aim of
the government is now clear： the wicked must submit to the good； or；
which is briefer； the wicked must be suppressed。 To this end let us
employ confiscation； imprisonment； exile； drowning and the guillotine
and a large scale。 All means are justifiable and meritorious against
these traitors； now that the Jacobin has canonized his slaughter； he
slays through philanthropy。 Thus is the forming of his personality
completed like that of a theologian who becomes inquisitor。
Extraordinary contrasts are gathered to construct it： … a lunatic that
is logical； and a monster that pretends to have a conscience。 Under
the pressure of his faith and egotism； he has developed two
deformities； one of the head and the other of the heart； his common
sense is gone； and his moral sense is utterly perverted。 In fixing his
mind on abstract formulas； he is no longer able to see men as they
are。 His self…admiration makes him consider his adversaries； and even
his rivals； as miscreants deserving of death。 On this downhill road
nothing stops him； for； in qualifying things inversely to their true
meaning； he has violated within himself the precious concepts which
brings us back to truth and justice。 No light reaches eyes which
regard blindness as clear…sightedness； no remorse affects a soul which
erects barbarism into patriotism； and which sanctions murder with
duty。
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