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them no bread; and he wants them then to eat grass。〃 〃He wants them

to eat grass like horses。〃 〃He has said that they could very well

eat hay; and that they are no better than horses。〃  The same story

is found in many of the contemporary jacqueries。



'54' Bailly; II。  108。  〃The people; less enlightened and as

imperious as despots; recognize no positive signs of good

administration but success。〃



'55' Bailly; II; 108; 95。  … Malouet; II; 14。



'56' De Ferrières; I。  168。









CHAPTER III。



I。



Anarchy from July 14th to October 6th; 1789。 … Destruction of the

Government。 … To whom does real power belong?



However bad a particular government may be; there is something still

worse; and that is the suppression of all government。  For; it is

owing to government that human wills form a harmony instead of

chaos。  It serves society as the brain serves a living being。

Incapable; inconsiderate; extravagant; engrossing; it often abuses

its position; overstraining or misleading the body for which it

should care; and which it should direct。  But; taking all things

into account; whatever it may do; more good than harm is done; for

through it the body stands erect; marches on and guides its steps。

Without it there is no organized deliberate action; serviceable to

the whole body。  In it alone do we find the comprehensive views;

knowledge of the members of which it consists and of their aims; an

idea of outward relationships; full and accurate information; in

short; the superior intelligence which conceives what is best for

the common interests; and adapts means to ends。  If it falters and

is no longer obeyed; if it is forced and pushed from without by a

violent pressure; it ceases to control public affairs; and the

social organization retrogrades by many steps。  Through the

dissolution of society; and the isolation of individuals; each man

returns to his original feeble state; while power is vested in

passing aggregates that like whirlwinds spring up from the human

dust。   One may divine how this power; which the most competent

find it difficult to apply properly; is exercised by bands of men

springing out of nowhere。  It is a matter of supplies; of their

possessions; price and distribution。  It is a matter of taxes; its

proportion; apportionment and collection; of private property; its

varieties; rights; and limitations It is a problem of public

authority; its allocation and its limits; of all those delicate

cogwheels which; working into each other; constitute the great

economic; social; and political machine。  Each band in its own

canton lays its rude hands on the wheels within its reach。  They

wrench or break them haphazardly; under the impulse of the moment;

heedless and indifferent to consequences; even when the reaction of

to…morrow crushes them in the ruin that they cause to day。  Thus do

unchained Negroes; each pulling and hauling his own way; undertake

to manage a ship of which they have just obtained mastery。   In

such a state of things white men are hardly worth more than black

ones。  For; not only is the band; whose aim is violence; composed of

those who are most destitute; most wildly enthusiastic; and most

inclined to destructiveness and to license。  But also; as this band

tumultuously carries out its violent action; each individual the

most brutal; the most irrational; and most corrupt; descends lower

than himself; even to the darkness; the madness; and the savagery of

the dregs of society。  In fact; a man who in the interchange of

blows; would resist the excitement of murder; and not use his

strength like a savage; must be familiar with arms。  He must be

accustomed to danger; be cool…blooded; alive to the sentiment of

honor; and above all; sensitive to that stern military code which;

to the imagination of the soldier; ever holds out to him the

provost's gibbet to which he is sure to rise; should he strike one

blow too many。  Should all these restraints; inward as well as

outward; be wanting; the man plunges into insurrection。  He is a

novice in the acts of violence; which he carries out。  He has no

fear of the law; because he abolishes it。  The action begun carries

him further than he intended to go。  Peril and resistance exasperate

his anger。  He catches the fever from contact with those who are

fevered; and follows robbers who have become his comrades。'1'  Add

to this the clamors; the drunkenness; the spectacle of destruction;

the nervous tremor of the body strained beyond its powers of

endurance; and we can comprehend how; from the peasant; the laborer;

and the bourgeois; pacified and tamed by an old civilization; we see

all of a sudden spring forth the barbarian。  Or still worse; the

primitive animal; the grinning; sanguinary; wanton baboon; who

giggles while he slays; and gambols over the ruin he has

accomplished。  Such is the actual government to which France is

given up; and after eighteen months' experience; the best qualified;

most judicious and profoundest observer of the Revolution will find

nothing to compare it to but the invasion of the Roman Empire in the

fourth century。'2' 〃The Huns; the Heruli; the Vandals; and the Goths

will come neither from the north nor from the Black Sea; they are in

our very midst。〃



 II。



The provinces。  …  Destruction of old Authorities。  …  Inadequacy of

new Authorities



When in a building the principal beam gives way; cracks follow and

multiply; and the secondary joists fall in one by one for lack of

the prop; which supported them。  In a similar manner the authority

of the King being broken; all the powers; which he delegated; fall

to the ground。'3'  Intendants; parliaments; military commands; grand

provosts; administrative; judicial; and police functionaries in

every province; and of every branch of the service; who maintain

order and protect property; taught by the murder of M。 de Launey;

the imprisonment of M。 de Besenval; the flight of Marshal de

Broglie; the assassinations of Foullon and Bertier; know what it

costs should they try to perform their duties。  Should it be

forgotten local insurrections intervene; and keep them in mind of

it。



The officer in command in Burgundy is a prisoner at Dijon; with a

guard at his door; and he is not allowed to speak with any one

without permission; and without the presence of witnesses。'4'  The

Commandant of Caen is besieged in the old palace and capitulates。

The Commandant of Bordeaux surrenders Chateau…Trompette with its

guns and equipment。  The Commandant at Metz; who remains firm;

suffers the insults and the orders of the populace。  The Commandant

of Brittany wanders about his province 〃like a vagabond;〃 while at

Rennes his people; furniture; and plate are kept as pledges。  As

soon as he sets foot in Normandy he is surrounded; and a sentinel is

placed at his door。   The Intendant of Besan?on takes to flight;

that of Rouen sees his dwelling sacked from top to bottom; and

escapes amid the shouts of a mob demanding his head。  …  At Rennes;

the Dean of the Parliament is arrested; maltreated; kept in his room

with a guard over him; and then; although ill; sent out of the town

under an escort。   At Strasbourg 〃thirty…six houses of magistrates

are marked for pillage。〃'5'   At Besan?on; the President of the

Parliament is constrained to let out of prison the insurgents

arrested in a late out…break; and to publicly burn the whole of the

papers belonging to the prosecution。  …  In Alsace; since the

beginning of the troubles; the provosts were obliged to fly; the

bailiffs and manorial judges hid themselves; the forest…inspectors

ran away; and the houses of the guards were demolished。  One man;

sixty years of age; is outrageously beaten and marched about the

village; the people; meanwhile; pulling out his hair; nothing

remains of his dwelling but the walls and a portion of the roof。

All his furniture and effects are broken up; burnt or stolen。  H

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