the origins of contemporary france-2-第18章

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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