the origins of contemporary france-2-第112章

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see　enemies。　　。　　。　　。　　Whoever　has　detested　the　enormities　of

fanaticism　and　of　public　ferocity；　whoever　has　awarded　pity　to　the

victims　heaped　together　under　the　ruins　of　so　many　legitimate　rights

and　odious　abuses；　whoever；　finally；　has　dared　to　raise　a　doubt　or　a

complaint；　has　been　proclaimed　an　enemy　of　the　nation。　　After　this

representation　of　malcontents　as　so　many　conspirators；　every　crime

committed　against　them　has　been　legitimated　in　public　opinion。＇48＇

The　public　conscience；　formed　by　the　factions　and　by　that　band　of

political　corsairs　who　would　be　the　disgrace　of　a　barbarous　nation；

have　considered　attacks　against　property　and　towns　simply　as

national　justice；　while；　more　than　once；　the　news　of　the　murder　of

an　innocent　person；　or　of　a　sentence　which　threatened　him　with

death；　has　been　welcomed　with　shouts　of　joy　Two　systems　of　natural

right；　two　orders　of　justice；　two　standards　of　morality　were

accordingly　established；　by　one　of　these　it　was　allowable　to　do

against　one's　fellow…creature；　a　reputed　aristocrat；　that　which

would　be　criminal　if　he　were　a　patriot。　　。　　。　　。　　Was　it　foreseen

that；　at　the　end　of　two　years；　France；　teeming　with　laws；　with

magistrates；　with　courts；　with　citizen…guards；　bound　by　solemn　oaths

in　the　defense　of　order　and　the　public　safety；　would　still　and

continually　be　an　arena　in　which　wild　beasts　would　devour　unarmed

men　〃　　…　　With　all；　even　with　old　men；　widows　and　children；　it　is　a

crime　to　escape　from　their　clutches。　　Without　distinguishing　between

those　who　fly　to　avoid　becoming　a　prey；　and　those　who　arm　to　attack

the　frontier；　the　Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies　alike

condemn　all　absentees。　　The　Constituent　Assembly＇49＇　trebled　their

real　and　personal　taxes；　and　prescribed　that　there　should　be　a

triple　lien　on　their　rents　and　dues。　　The　Legislative　Assembly

sequestrates；　confiscates；　and　puts　into　the　market　their

possessions；　real　and　personal；　amounting　to　nearly　fifteen　hundred

millions　of　cash　value。　　Let　them　return　and　place　themselves　under

the　knives　of　the　populace；　otherwise　they　and　their　posterity　shall

all　be　beggars。　　…　　At　this　stroke　indignation　overflows；　and　a

bourgeois　who　is　liberal　and　a　foreigner；　Mallet　du　Pan；

exclaims；＇50＇　〃What！　twenty　thousand　families　absolutely　ignorant　of

the　Coblentz　plans　and　of　its　assemblies；　twenty　thousand　families

dispersed　over　the　soil　of　Europe　by　the　fury　of　clubs；　by　the

crimes　of　brigands；　by　constant　lack　of　security；　by　the　stupid　and

cowardly　inertia　of　petrified　authorities；　by　the　pillage　of

estates；　by　the　insolence　of　it　cohort　of　tyrants　without　bread　or

clothes；　by　assassinations　and　incendiarism；　by　the　base　servility

of　silent　ministers；　by　the　whole　series　of　revolutionary　scourges；

…　　what'　these　twenty　thousand　desolate　families；　women　and　old　men；

must　see　their　inheritances　become　the　prey　of　national　robbery！

What！　Madame　Guillin；　who　was　obliged　to　fly　with　horror　from　the

land　where　monsters　have　burnt　her　dwelling；　slaughtered　and　eaten

her　husband；　and　who　live　with　impunity　by　the　side　of　her　home　　…

shall　Madame　Guillin　see　her　fortune　confiscated　for　the　benefit　of

the　communities　to　which　she　owes　her　dreadful　misfortunes！　Shall　M。

de　Clarac；　under　penalty　of　the　same　punishment；　go　and　restore　the

ruins　of　his　chateau；　where　an　army　of　scoundrels　failed　to　smother

him！〃　　…　　So　much　the　worse　for　them　if　they　dare　not　come　back！

They　are　to　undergo　civil　death；　perpetual　banishment；　and；　in　case

the　ban　be　violated；　they　will　be　given　up　to　the　guillotine。　　In

the　same　case　with　them　are　others　who；　with　still　greater

innocence；　have　left　the　territory；　magistrates；　ordinary　rich

people；　burgesses；　or　peasants；　Catholics；　and　particularly　one

entire　class；　the　nonjuring　clergy；　from　the　cardinal　archbishop

down　to　the　simple　village　vicar；　all　prosecuted；　then　despoiled；

then　crushed　by　the　same　popular　oppression　and　by　the　same

legislative　oppression；　each　of　these　two　persecutions　exciting　and

aggravating　the　other　to　such　an　extent　that；　at　last；　the　populace

and　the　law；　one　the　accomplice　of　the　other；　no　longer　leave　a　roof

nor　a　piece　of　bread；　nor　an　hour's　safety　to　a　gentleman　or　to　a

priest。＇51＇



VIII。



Attitude　of　the　non…juring　priests。　　…　　How　they　become　distrusted。

…　　Illegal　arrests　by　local　administrations。　　…　　Violence　or

complicity　of　the　National　Guards。　　…　　Outrages　by　the　populace。　　…

Executive　power　in　the　south。　　…　　The　sixth　jacquerie。　　…　　Its　two

causes。　　…　　Isolated　outbreaks　in　the　north；　east；　and　west；　…

General　eruption　in　the　south　and　in　the　center。



The　ruling　passion　flings　itself　on　all　obstacles；　even　those　placed

by　itself　across　its　own　track。　　Through　a　vast　usurpation　the

minority　of　non…believers；　indifferent　or　lukewarm；　has　striven　to

impose　its　ecclesiastical　forms　on　the　Catholic　majority；　and　the

situation　thereby　created　for　the　Catholic　priest　is　such　that

unless　he　becomes　schismatic；　he　cannot　fail　to　appear　as　an　enemy。

In　vain　has　he　obeyed！　He　has　allowed　his　property　to　be　taken；　he

has　left　his　parsonage；　he　has　given　the　keys　of　the　church　to　his

successor；　he　has　kept　aloof；　he　does　not　transgress；　either　by

omission　or　commission；　any　article　of　any　decree。　　In　vain　does　he

avail　himself　of　his　legal　right　to　abstain　from　taking　an　oath

repugnant　to　his　conscience。　　This　alone　makes　him　appear　to　refuse

the　civic　oath　in　which　the　ecclesiastical　oath　is　included；　to

reject　the　constitution　which　he　accepts　in　full　minus　a　parasite

chapter；　to　conspire　against　the　new　social　and　political　order　of

things　which　he　often　approves　of；　and　to　which　he　almost　always

submits。＇52＇　　In　vain　does　he　confine　himself　to　his　special　and

recognized　domain；　the　spiritual　direction　of　things。　　Through　this

alone　he　resists　the　new　legislators　who　pretend　to　furnish　a

spiritual　guidance；　for；　by　virtue　of　being　orthodox；　he　must

believe　that　the　priest　whom　they　elect　is　excommunicated；　that　his

sacraments　are　vain；　and；　in　his　office　as　pastor；　he　must　prevent

his　sheep　from　going　to　drink　at　an　impure　source。　　In　vain　might　he

preach　to　them　moderation　and　respect。　　Through　the　mere　fact　that

the　schism　is　effected；　its　consequences　unfold　them　selves；　and　the

peasants　will　not　always　remain　as　patient　as　their　pastor。　　They

have　known　him　for　twenty　years；　he　has　baptized　them　and　married

them；　they　believe　that　his　is　the　only　true　mass；　they　are　not

satisfied　to　be　obliged　to　attend　another　two　or　three　leagues　away；

and　to　leave　the　church；　their　church　which　their　ancestors　built；

and　where　from　father　to　son　they　have　prayed　for　centuries；　in　the

hands　of　a　stranger；　an　intruder　and　heretic；　who　officiates　before

almost　empty　benches；　and　whom　gendarmes；　with　guns　in　their　hands；

have　installed。　　Assuredly；　as　he　passes　through　the　street；　they

will　look　upon　him　askance：　it　is　not　surprising　that　the　women　and

children　soon　hoot　at　him；　that　stones　are　thrown　at　night　through

his　windows；　that　in　the　strongly　Catholic　departments；　Upper　and

Lower　Rhine；　Doubs　and　Jura；　Lozère；　Deux…Sêvres　and　Vendée；

Finistère；　Morbihan；　and　C？tes…du…Nord；　he　is　greeted　with　universal

desertion；　and　then　expelled　through　public　ill…will。　　It　is　not

surprising　that　his　mass　is　interrupted　and　that　his　person　is

threatened；＇53＇　that　disaffection　which　thus　far　had　only　reached

the　upper　class；　descends　to　the　popular　strata；　that；　from　one　end

of　France　to　the　other；　a　sullen　hostility　prevails　against　the　new

institutions；　for　now　the　political　and　social　constitution　is

joined　to　the　ecclesiastical　constitution　like　an　edifice　to　its

spire；　and；　through　this　sharp　pinnacle；　seeks　the　storm　even　within

the　darkening　clouds　of　heaven。　　The　evil　all　springs　out　of　this

unskillful；　gratuitous；　compulsory　fusion；　and；　consequently；　from

those　who　effected　it。



But　never　will　a　victorious　party　ad