the origins of contemporary france-2-第19章

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

forced　to　sign；　along　with　his　wife；　an　act　by　which　he　binds

himself　to　refund　all　penalties　inflicted　by　him；　and　to　abandon　all

claims　for　damages　for　the　injuries　to　which　he　has　just　been

subjected。　　　In　Franche…Comté　the　authorities　dare　not　condemn

delinquents；　and　the　police　do　not　arrest　them；　the　military

commandant　writes　that　〃crimes　of　every　kind　are　on　the　increase；

and　that　he　has　no　means　of　punishing　them。〃　Insubordination　is

permanent　in　all　the　provinces；　one　of　the　provincial　commissions

states　with　sadness：



　〃When　all　powers　are　in　confusion　and　annihilated；　when　public

force　no　longer　exists；　when　all　ties　are　sundered；　when　every

individual　considers　himself　relieved　from　all　kinds　of　obligation；

when　public　authority　no　longer　dares　make　itself　felt；　and　it　is　a

crime　to　have　been　clothed　with　it；　what　can　be　expected　of　our

efforts　to　restore　order？　〃＇6＇



　All　that　remains　of　this　great　demolished　State　is　forty　thousand

groups　of　people；　each　separated　and　isolated；　in　towns　and　small

market　villages　where　municipal　bodies；　elected　committees；　and

improvised　National　Guards　strive　to　prevent　the　worst　excesses。　　

But　these　local　chiefs　are　novices；　they　are　human；　and　they　are

timid。　　Chosen　by　acclamation　they　believe　in　popular　rights；　in　the

midst　of　riots　they　feel　themselves　in　danger。　　Hence；　they

generally　obey　the　crowd。



〃Rarely；〃　says　one　of　the　provincial　commissions　reports；　〃do　the

municipal　authorities　issue　a　summons；　they　allow　the　greatest

excesses　rather　than　enter　upon　prosecutions　for　which；　sooner　or

later；　they　may　be　held　responsible　by　their　fellow…citizens。　　。　　。

。　　Municipal　bodies　have　no　longer　the　power　to　resist　anything。〃



Especially　in　the　rural　districts　the　mayor　or　syndic；　who　is　a

farmer；　makes　it　his　first　aim　to　make　no　enemies；　and　would　resign

his　place　if　it　were　to　bring　him　any　〃unpleasantness〃　with　it。　　His

rule　in　the　towns；　and　especially　in　large　cities；　is　almost　as　lax

and　more　precarious；　because　explosive　material　is　accumulated　here

to　a　much　larger　extent；　and　the　municipal　officers；　in　their　arm…

chairs　at　the　town…hall；　sit　over　a　mine　which　may　explode　at　any

time。　　To…morrow；　perhaps；　some　resolution　passed　at　a　tavern　in　the

suburbs；　or　some　incendiary　newspaper　just　received　from　Paris；　will

furnish　the　spark。　　…　　No　other　defense　against　the　populace　is　at

hand　than　the　sentimental　proclamations　of　the　National　Assembly；

the　useless　presence　of　troops　who　stand　by　and　look　on；　and　the

uncertain　help　of　a　National　Guard　which　will　arrive　too　late。

Occasionally　these　townspeople；　who　are　now　the　rulers；　utter　a　cry

of　distress　from　under　the　hands　of　the　sovereigns　of　the　street　who

grasp　them　by　the　throat。　　At　Puy…en…Velay；＇7＇　a　town　of　twenty

thousand　inhabitants；　the　présidial；＇8＇　the　committee　of　twenty…four

commissioners；　a　body　of　two　hundred　dragoons；　and　eight　hundred　men

of　the　guard　of　burgesses；　are　〃paralyzed；　and　completely　stupefied；

by　the　vile　populace。　　A　mild　treatment　only　increases　its

insubordination　and　insolence。〃　This　populace　proscribes　whomsoever　it

pleases；　and　six　days　ago　a　gibbet；　erected　by　its　hands；　has　announced

to　the　new　magistrates　the　fate　that　awaits　them。



　〃　What　will　become　of　us　this　winter；〃　they　exclaim；　〃in　our

impoverished　country；　where　bread　is　not　to　be　had！　We　shall　be　the

prey　of　wild　beasts！〃



　III。



Public　feeling。　　…　Famine



These　people；　in　truth；　are　hungry；　and；　since　the　Revolution；　their

misery　has　increased。　　Around　Puy…en…Velay　the　country　is　laid

waste；　and　the　soil　broken　up　by　a　terrible　tempest；　a　fierce

hailstorm；　and　a　deluge　of　rain。　　In　the　south；　the　crop　proved　to

be　moderate　and　even　insufficient。



〃To　trace　a　picture　of　the　condition　of　Languedoc；〃　writes　the

intendant；＇9＇　〃would　be　to　give　an　account　of　calamities　of　every

description。　　The　panic　which　prevails　in　all　communities；　and　which

is　stronger　than　all　laws；　stops　traffic；　and　would　cause　famine

even　in　the　midst　of　plenty。　　Commodities　are　enormously　expensive；

and　there　is　a　lack　of　cash。　　Communities　are　ruined　by　the　enormous

outlays　to　which　they　are　exposed：　The　payment　of　the　deputies　to

the　seneschal's　court；　the　establishment　of　the　burgess　guards；

guardhouses　for　this　militia；　and　the　purchase　of　arms；　uniforms；

and　outlays　in　forming　communes　and　permanent　councils。　　To　this

must　be　add　the　cost　of　the　printing　of　all　kinds；　and　the

publication　of　trivial　deliberations。　　Further　the　loss　of　time　due

to　disturbances　occasioned　by　these　circumstances；　and　the　utter

stagnation　of　manufactures　and　of　trade。〃　All　these　causes　combined

〃have　reduced　Languedoc　to　the　last　extremity。〃…



In　the　Center；　and　in　the　North；　where　the　crops　are　good；

provisions　are　not　less　scarce；　because　wheat　is　not　put　in

circulation；　and　is　kept　concealed。



　〃For　five　months；〃　writes　the　municipal　assembly　of　Louviers；＇10＇

〃not　a　farmer　has　made　his　appearance　in　the　markets　of　this　town。

Such　a　circumstance　was　never　known　before；　although；　from　time　to

time；　high　prices　have　prevailed　to　a　considerable　extent。　　On　the

contrary；　the　markets　were　always　well　supplied　in　proportion　to　the

high　price　of　grain。〃



　In　vain　the　municipality　orders　the　surrounding　forty…seven

parishes　to　provide　them　with　wheat。　　They　pay　no　attention　to　the

mandate；　each　for　himself　and　each　for　his　own　house；　the　intendant

is　no　longer　present　to　compel　local　interests　to　give　way　to　public

interests。



〃In　the　wheat　districts　around　us；〃　says　a　letter　from　one　of　the

Burgundy　towns；　〃we　cannot　rely　on　being　able　to　make　free

purchases。　　Special　regulations；　supported　by　the　civic　guard；

prevent　grain　from　being　sent　out；　and　put　a　stop　to　its

circulation。　　The　adjacent　markets　are　of　no　use　to　us。　　Not　a　sack

of　grain　has　been　brought　into　our　market　for　about　eight　months。〃



At　Troyes；　bread　costs　four　sous　per　pound；　at　Bar…sur…Aube；　and　in

the　vicinity；　four　and　a　half　sous　per　pound。　　The　artisan　who　is

out　of　work　now　earns　twelve　sous　a　day　at　the　relief　works；　and；　on

going　into　the　country；　he　sees　that　the　grain　crop　is　good。　　What

conclusion　can　he　come　to　but　that　the　dearth　is　due　to　the

monopolists；　and　that；　if　he　should　die　of　hunger；　it　would　be

because　those　scoundrels　have　starved　him？　　By　virtue　of　this

reasoning　whoever　has　to　do　with　these　provisions；　whether

proprietor；　farmer；　merchant　or　administrator；　all　are　considered

traitors。　　It　is　plain　that　there　is　a　plot　against　the　people：　the

government；　the　Queen；　the　clergy；　the　nobles　are　all　parties　to　it；

and　likewise　the　magistrates　and　the　wealthy　amongst　the　bourgeoisie

and　the　rich。　　A　rumor　is　current　in　the　Ile…de…France　that　sacks　of

flour　are　thrown　into　the　Seine；　and　that　the　cavalry　horses　are

purposely　made　to　eat　unripe　wheat　in　stalk。　　In　Brittany；　it　is

maintained　that　grain　is　exported　and　stored　up　abroad。　　In

Touraine；　it　is　certain　that　this　or　that　wholesale　dealer　allows　it

to　sprout　in　his　granaries　rather　than　sell　it。　　At　Troyes；　a　story

prevails　that　another　has　poisoned　his　flour　with　alum　and　arsenic；

commissioned　to　do　so　by　the　bakers。　　　Conceive　the　effect　of

suspicions　like　these　upon　a　suffering　multitude！　A　wave　of　hatred

ascends　from　the　empty　stomach　to　the　morbid　brain。　　The　people　are

everywhere　in　quest　of　their　imaginary　enemies；　plunging　forward

with　closed　eyes　no　matter　on　whom　or　on　what；　not　merely　with　all

the　weight　of　their　mass；　but　with　all　the　energy　of　their　fury。



　IV。



Panic。　　…　General　arming。



》From　the　earliest　of　these　weeks　they　were　already　alarmed。

Accustomed　to　being　led；　the　human　herd　is　scared　at　being　left　to

itself；　it　misses　its　leaders　who　it　has　trodden　under　foot；　in

throwing　off　their　trammels　it　has　deprived　itsel