Page 2032 - les-miserables

defended the shop, that immense diminutive of the father-
land, with Lacedaemonian enthusiasm.
At bottom, we will observe, there was nothing in all this
that was not extremely serious. It was social elements en-
tering into strife, while awaiting the day when they should
enter into equilibrium.
Another sign of the times was the anarchy mingled
with governmentalism [the barbarous name of the correct
party]. People were for order in combination with lack of
discipline.
The drum suddenly beat capricious calls, at the command
of such or such a Colonel of the National Guard; such and
such a captain went into action through inspiration; such
and such National Guardsmen fought, ‘for an idea,’ and on
their own account. At critical moments, on ‘days’ they took
counsel less of their leaders than of their instincts. There
existed in the army of order, veritable guerilleros, some of
the sword, like Fannicot, others of the pen, like Henri Fon-
frede.
Civilization, unfortunately, represented at this epoch
rather by an aggregation of interests than by a group of
principles, was or thought itself, in peril; it set up the cry of
alarm; each, constituting himself a centre, defended it, suc-
cored it, and protected it with his own head; and the first
comer took it upon himself to save society.
Zeal sometimes proceeded to extermination. A platoon
of the National Guard would constitute itself on its own au-
thority a private council of war, and judge and execute a
captured insurgent in five minutes. It was an improvisation

2032 Les Miserables