the origins of contemporary france-2-第102章

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communities　of　mendicant　monks；　and　all　three　have　been　suppressed。

We　have　sold　all　national　possessions　without　exception。〃　　…　　The

commander　of　their　gendarmerie　is；　in　fact；　an　old　member　of　the

body…guard；　while　the　superior　officers　of　the　National　Guard　are

gentlemen；　or　belong　to　the　order　of　Saint…Louis。　　It　is　very

evident　that；　if　they　defend　themselves　against　Jacobins；　they　are

not　insurgent　against　the　National　Assembly。　　…　　In　Arles；＇2＇　which

has　put　down　its　populace；　which　has　armed　itself；　which　has　shut

its　gates；　and　which　passes　for　a　focus　of　royalist　conspiracy；　the

commissioners　sent　by　the　King　and　by　the　National　Assembly；　men　of

discretion　and　of　consideration；　find　nothing；　after　a　month's

investigation；　but　submission　to　the　decrees　and　zeal　for　the　public

welfare。



　〃Such；〃　they　say；　〃are　the　men　who　have　been　calumniated　because；

cherishing　the　Constitution；　they　hold　fanaticism；　demagogues　and

anarchy；　in　horror。　　If　the　citizens　had　not　roused　themselves　when

the　moment　of　danger　arrived；　they　would　have　been　slaughtered　like

their　neighbors　（of　Avignon）。　　It　is　this　insurrection　against　crime

which　the　brigands　have　slandered。〃　If　their　gates　were　shut　it　was

because　〃the　National　Guard　of　Marseilles；　the　same　which　behaved　so

badly　in　the　Comtat；　flocked　there　under　the　pretext　of　maintaining

liberty　and　of　forestalling　the　counter…revolution；　but；　in　reality；

to　village　the　town。〃



　Vive　la　Nation！　Vive　la　Loi！　Vive　le　Roi　were　the　only　cries　heard

at　the　very　quiet　and　orderly　elections　that　had　just　taken　place。



　〃The　attachment　of　the　citizens　to　the　Constitution　has　been　spoken

of。　　。　　。　　。　　Obedience　to　the　laws；　the　readiest　disposition　to

discharge　public　contributions；　were　remarked　by　us　among　these

pretended　counter…revolutionaries。　　Those　who　are　subject　to　the

license…tax　came　in　crowds　to　the　H？tel…de…Ville。〃　Scarcely　〃was　the

bureau　of　receipts　opened　when　it　was　filled　with　respectable

people；　those　on　the　contrary　who　style　themselves　good　patriots；

republicans　or　anarchists；　were　not　conspicuous　on　this　occasion；

but　a　very　small　number　among　them　have　made　their　submission。　　The

rest　are　surprised　at　being　called　upon　for　money；　they　had　been

given　a　quite　different　hope。〃



In　short；　during　more　than　thirty　months；　and　under　a　steady　fire　of

threats；　outrages；　and　plunder；　the　nobles　who　remain　in　France

neither　commit　nor　undertake　any　hostile　act　against　the　Government

that　persecutes　them。　None　of　them；　not　even　M。　de　Bouillé；　attempts

to　carry　out　any　real　plan　of　civil　war；　I　find　but　one　resolute　man

in　their　ranks　at　this　date；　ready　for　action；　and　who　labors　to

form　one　militant　party　against　another　militant　party：　he　is　really

a　politician　and　conspirator；　he　has　an　understanding　with　the　Comte

d'Artois；　he　gets　petitions　signed　for　the　freedom　of　the　King　and

of　the　Church；　he　organizes　armed　companies；　he　recruits　the

peasants；　he　prepares　a　Vendée　for　Languedoc　and　Provence；　and　this

person　is　a　bourgeois；　Froment　of　N？mes。＇3＇　　But；　at　the　moment　of

action；　he　finds　only　three　out　of　eighteen　companies；　supposed　by

him　to　be　enlisted　in　his　cause；　that　are　willing　to　march　with　him。

Others　remain　in　their　quarters　until；　Froment　being　overcome；　they

are　found　there　and　slaughtered；　the　survivors；　who　escape　to　Jalès；

find；　not　a　stronghold；　but　a　temporary　asylum；　where　they　never

succeed　in　transforming　their　inclinations　into　determinations。＇4＇

…　　The　nobles　too；　like　other　Frenchmen；　have　been　subject　to　the

lasting　pressure　of　monarchical　centralization。　　They　no　longer　form

one　body。；　they　have　lost　the　instinct　of　association。　　They　no

longer　know　how　to　act　for　themselves；　they　are　the　puppets　of

administration　awaiting　an　impulse　from　the　center；　while　at　the

center　the　King；　their　hereditary　general；　a　captive　in　the　hands　of

the　people；　commands　them　to　be　resigned　and　to　do　nothing。＇5＇

Moreover；　like　other　Frenchmen；　they　have　been　brought　up　in　the

philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　〃Liberty　is　so　precious；〃

wrote　the　Duc　de　Brissac；＇6＇　〃that　it　may　well　be　purchased　with

some　suffering；　a　destroyed　feudalism　will　not　prevent　the　good　and

the　true　from　being　respected　and　loved。〃　　…　　They　persist　in　this

illusion　for　a　long　time　and　remain　optimists。　　As　they　feel　kindly

towards　the　people；　they　cannot　comprehend　that　the　people　should

entertain　other　sentiments　toward　them；　they　firmly　believe　that　the

troubles　are　transient。　　Immediately　on　the　proclamation　of　the

Constitution　they　return　in　crowds　from　Spain；　Belgium；　and　Germany；

at　Troyes　there　are　not　enough　post…horses　for　many　days　to　supply

the　emigrants　who　are　coming　back。＇7＇　　Thus　they　accept　not　only　the

abolition　of　feudalism　with　civil　equality；　but　also　political

equality　and　numerical　sovereignty。



Some　consideration　for　them；　some　outward　signs　of　respect；　a　few

bows；　would；　in　all　probability；　have　rallied　them　sincerely　to

democratic　institutions。　　They　would　soon　consent　to　be　confounded

with　the　crowd；　to　submit　to　the　common　level；　and　to　live　as

private　individuals。　　Had　they　been　treated　like　the　bourgeois　or

the　peasant；　their　neighbors；　had　their　property　and　persons　been

respected；　they　might　have　accepted　the　new　régime　without　any

bitterness　of　feeling。　　That　the　leading　emigrant　nobles　and　those

forming　a　part　of　the　old　court　carry　on　intrigues　at　Coblentz　or　at

Turin　is　natural；　since　they　have　lost　everything：　authority；

places；　pensions；　sinecures；　pleasures；　and　the　rest。　　But；　to　the

gentry　and　inferior　nobles　of　the　provinces；　chevaliers　of　Saint…

Louis；　subaltern　officers　and　resident　proprietors；　the　loss　is

insignificant。　　The　law　has　suppressed　one…half　of　their　seignorial

dues；　but　by　virtue　of　the　same　law　their　lands　are　no　longer

burdened　with　tithes。　　Popular　elections　will　not　provide　them　with

places；　but　they　did　not　enjoy　them　under　the　arbitrary　ministerial

rule。　　Little　does　it　matter　to　them　that　power；　whether　ministerial

or　popular；　has　changed　hands：　they　are　not　accustomed　to　its

favors；　and　will　pursue　their　ordinary　avocations　　…　　the　chase；

promenading；　reading；　visiting；　and　conversing　　…　　provided　they；

like　the　first…comer；　the　grocer　at　the　corner；　or　their　farm…

servant；　find　protection；　safety；　and　security　on　the　public　road

and　in　their　dwellings。＇8＇



II。



Workings　of　the　popular　imagination　with　respect　to　them。　…　　The

monomania　of　suspicion。　　…　　The　nobles　distrusted　and　treated　as

enemies。　　…　　Situation　of　a　gentleman　on　his　domain。　　…　　M。　de。

Bussy



Popular　passion；　unfortunately；　is　a　blind　power；　and；　for　lack　of

enlightenment；　suffers　itself　to　be　guided　by　spectral　illusions。

Imaginary　conceptions　work；　and　work　in　conformity　with　the

structure　of　the　excited　brain　which　has　given　birth　to　them：



What　if　the　Ancient　Regime　should　return！



What　if　we　were　obliged　to　restore　the　property　of　the　clergy！



What　if　we　should　be　again　forced　to　pay　the　salt　tax；　the　excise；

the　taille；　and　other　dues　which；　thanks　to　the　law；　we　no　longer

pay；　besides　other　taxes　and　dues　that　we　do　not　pay　in　spite　of　the

law！



What　if　all　the　nobles　whose　chateaux　are　burnt；　and　who　have　given

rent　acquittances　at　the　point　of　the　sword；　should　find　some　way　to

avenge　themselves　and　recover　their　former　privileges！



Undoubtedly　they　brood　over　these　things；　make　agreements　amongst

each　other；　and　plot　with　the　strangers；　at　the　first　opportunity

they　will　fall　upon　us：　we　must　watch　them；　repress　them；　and；　if

needs　be；　destroy　them。　…　　This　instinctive　process　of　reasoning

prevailed　from　the　outset；　and；　in　proportion　as　excesses　increase；

prevails　to　a　much　greater　extent。　　The　noble　is　ever　the　past；

present；　and　future　creditor；　or；　at　the　very　least；　a　possible　one；

which　means　that　he　is　the　worst　and　most　odious　of　enemies。　　All