the origins of contemporary france-2-第110章

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that　of　M。　de　Belzunce；　murdered　at　Caen　　…　　　that　of　M。　de

Beausset；　murdered　at　Marseilles　　…　　　that　of　M。　de　Voisins；

murdered　at　Valence　…　　that　of　M。　de　Rully；　murdered　at　Bastia；　or

that　of　M。　de　Rochetailler；　murdered　at　Port…au…Prince。＇35＇　　All

this　is　endured　by　the　officers　among　the　nobles。　　Not　one　of　the

municipalities；　even　Jacobin；　can　find　any　pretext　which　will

warrant　the　charge　of　disobeying　orders。　　Through　tact　and　deference

they　avoid　all　conflict　with　the　National　Guards。　　Never　do　they

give　provocation；　and；　even　when　insulted；　rarely　defend　themselves。

Their　gravest　faults　consist　of　imprudent　conversations；　vivacious

expressions　and　witticisms。　　Like　good　watch…dogs　amongst　a

frightened　herd　which　trample　them　under　foot；　or　pierce　them　with

their　horns；　they　allow　themselves　to　be　pierced　and　trampled　on

without　biting；　and　would　remain　at　their　post　to　the　end　were　they

not　driven　away　from　it。



All　to　no　purpose：　doubly　suspicious　as　members　of　a　proscribed

class；　and　as　heads　of　the　army；　it　is　against　them　that　public

distrust　excites　the　most　frequent　explosions；　and　so　much　the　more

as　the　instrument　they　handle　is　singularly　explosive。　　Recruited　by

volunteer　enlistment　〃amongst　a　passionate；　turbulent；　and　somewhat

debauched　people；〃　the　army　is　composed　of　〃all　that　are　most　fiery；

most　turbulent；　and　most　debauched　in　the　nation。〃＇36＇　　Add　to　these

the　sweepings　of　the　alms…houses；　and　you　find　a　good　many

blackguards　in　uniform！　When　we　consider　that　the　pay　is　small；　the

food　bad；　discipline　severe；　no　promotion；　and　desertion　endemic；　we

are　no　longer　surprised　at　the　general　disorder：　license；　to　such

men；　is　too　powerful　a　temptation。　　With　wine；　women；　and　money　they

have　from　the　first　been　made　turncoats；　and　from　Paris　the

contagion　has　spread　to　the　provinces。　　In　Brittany；＇37＇　the

grenadiers　and　chasseurs　of　Ile…de…France　〃sell　their　coats；　their

guns；　and　their　shoes；　exacting　advances　in　order　to　consume　it　in

the　tavern；〃　fifty…six　soldiers　of　Penthièvre　〃wanted　to　murder

their　officers；〃　and　it　is　foreseen　that；　left　to　themselves；　they

will　soon；　for　lack　of　pay；　〃betake　themselves　to　the　highways；　to

rob　and　assassinate。〃　In　Euree…et…Loir；　the　dragoons；＇38＇　with　saber

and　pistols　in　hand；　visit　the　farmers'　houses　and　take　bread　and

money；　while　the　foot　soldiers　of　the　〃Royal…Comtois〃　and　the

dragoons　of　the　〃Colonel…Général〃　desert　in　bands　in　order　to　go　to

Paris；　where　amusement　is　to　be　had。　　The　main　thing　with　them　is

〃to　have　a　jolly　time。〃　In　fact；　the　extensive　military

insurrections　of　the　earliest　date；　those　of　Paris；　Versailles；

Besan？on；　and　Strasbourg；　began　or　ended　with　a　revel。　　　…　　　Out　of

these　depths　of　gross　desires　there　has　sprung　up　natural　or

legitimate　ambitions。　　A　number　of　soldiers；　for　twenty　years　past；

have　learned　how　to　read；　and　think　themselves　qualified　to　be

officers。　　One　quarter　of　those　enlisted；　moreover；　are　young　men

born　in　good　circumstances；　and　whom　a　caprice　has　thrown　into　the

army。　　They　choke　in　this　narrow；　low；　dark；　confined　passage　where

the　privileged　by　birth　close　up　the　issue；　and　they　will　march　over

their　chiefs　to　secure　advancement。　　These　are　the　discontented；　the

disputants；　the　orators　of　the　mess…room；　and　between　these　barrack

politicians　and　the　politicians　of　the　street　an　alliance　is　at　once

formed。　　　…　　　Starting　from　the　same　point　they　march　on　to　the　same

end；　and　the　imagination　which　has　labored　to　blacken　the　Government

in　the　minds　of　the　people；　blackens　the　officers　in　the　minds　of

the　soldiers。



The　Treasury　is　empty　and　there　are　arrears　of　pay。　　The　towns；

burdened　with　debt；　no　longer　furnish　their　quotas　of　supplies；　and

at　Orleans；　with　the　distress　of　the　municipality　before　them；　the

Swiss　of　Chateauvieux　were　obliged　to　impose　on　themselves　a

stoppage　of　one　sou　per　day　and　per　man　to　have　wood　in　winter。＇39＇

Grain　is　scarce；　the　flour　is　spoilt；　and　the　army　bread；　which　was

bad；　has　become　worse。　　The　administration；　worm…eaten　by　old

abuses；　is　deranged　through　the　new　disorder；　the　soldiers　suffering

as　well　through　its　dissolution　as　through　their　extravagance。　　　…

They　think　themselves　robbed　and　they　complain；　at　first　with

moderation；　and　justice　is　done　to　their　well…founded　claims。　　Soon

they　exact　accounts；　and　these　are　made　out　for　them。　At　Strasbourg；

on　these　being　verified　before　Kellermann　and　a　commissioner　of　the

National　Assembly；　it　is　proved　that　they　have　not　been　wronged　out

of　a　sou；　nevertheless　a　gratification　of　six　francs　a　head　is　given

to　them；　and　they　cry　out　that　they　are　content　and　have　nothing

more　to　ask　for。　　A　few　months　after　this　fresh　complaints　arise；

and　there　is　a　new　verification：　an　ensign；　accused　of　embezzlement

and　whom　they　wished　to　hang；　is　tried　in　their　presence；　his

accounting　is　tidy；　none　of　them　can　cite　against　him　a　proven

charge；　and；　once　more；　they　remain　silent。　　On　other　occasions；

after　hearing　the　reading　of　registers　for　several　hours；　they　yawn；

cease　to　listen；　and　go　outside　to　get　something　to　drink。　　　…　　　But

the　figures　of　their　demands；　as　these　have　been　summed　up　by　their

mess…room　calculators；　remain　implanted　in　their　brains；　they　have

taken　root　there；　and　are　constantly　springing　up　without　any

account　or　refutation　being　able　to　extirpate　them。　No　more　writings

nor　speeches　　…　　　what　they　want　is　money：　11；000　livres　for　the

Beaune　regiment；　39；500　livres　for　that　of　Forez；　44；000　livres　for

that　of　Salm；　200；000　livres　for　that　of　Chateauvieux；　and　similarly

for　the　rest。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the　officers　if　the　money…chest

does　not　suffice　for　them；　let　them　assess　each　other；　or　borrow　on

their　note　of　hand　from　the　municipality；　or　from　the　rich　men　of

the　town。　　　…　　　For　greater　security；　in　divers　places；　the　soldiers

take　possession　of　the　military　chest　and　mount　guard　around　it：　it

belongs　to　them；　since　they　form　the　regiment；　and；　in　any　case；　it

is　better　that　it　should　be　in　their　hands　than　in　suspected　hands。

…　　　Already；　on　the　4th　of　June；　1790；　the　Minister　of　War　announces

to　the　Assembly　that　〃the　military　body　threatens　to　fall　into　a

perfect　state　of　anarchy。〃　His　report　shows　〃the　most　incredible

pretensions　put　forth　in　the　most　plain…spoken　way　　…　　　orders

without　force；　chiefs　without　authority；　the　military　chest　and

flags　carried　away；　the　orders　of　the　King　himself　openly　defied；

the　officers　condemned；　insulted；　threatened；　driven　off；　some　of

them　even　captive　amidst　their　own　troops；　leading　a　precarious　life

in　the　midst　of　disgust　and　humiliations；　and；　as　the　climax　of

horror；　commanders　having　their　throat　cut　under　the　eyes　and　almost

in　the　arms　of　their　own　soldiers。〃



It　is　much　worse　after　the　July　Federation。　　Entertained；　flattered；

and　indoctrinated　at　the　clubs；　their　delegates；　inferior　officers

and　privates；　return　to　the　regiment　Jacobins；　and　henceforth

correspond　with　the　Jacobins　of　Paris；　〃receiving　their　instructions

and　reporting　to　them；〃＇40＇　　…　　Three　weeks　later；　the　Minister　of

War　gives　notice　to　the　National　Assembly　that　there　is　no　limit　to

the　license　in　the　army。　　〃Couriers；　the　bearers　of　fresh

complaints；　are　arriving　constantly。〃　In　one　place　〃a　statement　of

the　fund　is　demanded；　and　it　is　proposed　to　divide　it。〃　Elsewhere；　a

garrison；　with　drums　beating；　leaves　the　town；　deposes　its　officers；

and　comes　back　sword　in　hand。　　Each　regiment　is　governed　by　a

committee　of　soldiers。　　〃It　is　in　this　committee　that　the　detention

of　the　lieutenant…colonel　of　Poitou　has　been　twice　arranged；　here　it

is　that　'Royal…Champagne'　conceived　the　insurrection〃　by　which　it

refused　to　recognize　a　sub…lieutenant　sent　to　it。　　〃Every　day　the

minister's　cabinet　is　filled　with　soldiers　who　are　sent　as

representatives　to　him；　and　who　proudly　come　and　intimate　to　him　the

will　of　their　constituents。