第616章

The insurgents are thus conscious of their false position； they have a vague sort of feeling that， in recognizing the military authority of the Convention， they admit its authority in full； insensibly they glide down this slope， from concession to concession， until they reach complete submission. From the 16th of June， at Lyons，[64] "people begin to feel that it ought not break with the Convention." Five weeks later， the authorities of Lyons "solemnly recognize that the Convention is the sole central rallying point of all French citizens and republicans，" and decree that "all acts emanating from it concerning the general interests of the republic are to be executed."[65] Consequently， at Lyons and in other departments， the administrations convoke the primary assemblies as the Convention has prescribed； consequently， the primary assemblies accept the Constitution which it has proposed； consequently， the delegates of the primary assemblies betake themselves to Paris according to its orders.

-- Henceforth， the Girondins' cause is lost； the discharge of a few cannon at Vernon and Avignon disperse the only two columns of soldiery that have set out on their march. In each department， the Jacobins， encouraged by the representatives on mission， raise their heads；everywhere the local club enjoins the local government to submit，[66]

everywhere the local governments report the acts they pass， make excuses and ask forgiveness. Proportionately to the retraction of one department， the rest， feeling themselves abandoned， are more disposed to retract. On the 9th of July forty-nine departments are enumerated as having given in their adhesion. Several of them declare that the scales have dropped from their eyes， that they approve of the acts of May 31 and June 2， and thus ensure their safety by manifesting their zeal. The administration of Calvados notifies the Breton fédérés that "having accepted the Constitution it can no longer tolerate their presence in Caen；" it sends them home， and secretly makes peace with the "Mountain；" and only informs the deputies， who are its guests， of this proceeding， three days afterwards， by postings on their door the decree that declares them outlaws.

Disguised as soldiers， the latter depart along with the Breton fédérés； on the way， they are able to ascertain the veritable sentiments of this people whom they believe imbued with their rights and capable of taking a political initiative.[67] The pretended citizens and republicans they have to do with are， in sum， the former subjects of Louis XVI. and the future subjects of Napoleon I.， that is to say， administrators and people， disciplined by habit and instinctively subordinate， requiring a government just as sheep require a shepherd and a watch-dog， accepting or submitting to shepherd and dog， provided these look and act the part， even if the shepherd be a butcher and the dog a wolf. To avoid isolation， to rejoin the most numerous herd as soon as possible， to always form masses and bodies and thus follow the impulsion which comes from above， and gather together scattered individuals， such is the instinct of the flock.