the origins of contemporary france-2-第23章

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devastated　and　his　papers　and　effects　are　burned；　they　put　a　knife

to　the　throat　of　his　son；　a　child　six　years　of　age；　saying；　〃Thou

must　perish　that　there　may　be　no　more　of　thy　race。〃

For　four　hours　the　clerks　are　on　the　point　of　being　torn　to　pieces；

through　the　entreaties　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；　who　sees　scythes

and　sabers　aimed　at　his　own　head；　they　are　released　only　on　the

condition　that　they　〃abjure　their　employment。〃　　Again；　for　two

months　following　the　taking　of　the　Bastille；　insurrections　break　out

by　hundreds；　like　a　volley　of　musketry；　against　indirect　taxation。

》From　the　23rd　of　July　the　Intendant　of　Champagne　reports　that　〃the

uprising　is　general　in　almost　all　the　towns　under　his　command。〃　On

the　following　day　the　Intendant　of　Alen？on　writes　that；　in　his

province；　〃the　royal　dues　will　no　longer　be　paid　anywhere。〃　On　the

7th　of　August；　M。　Necker　states　to　the　National　Assembly　that　in　the

two　intendants'　districts　of　Caen　and　Alen？on　it　has　been　necessary

to　reduce　the　price　of　salt　one…half；　that　〃in　an　infinity　of　places

〃　the　collection　of　the　excise　is　stopped　or　suspended；　that　the

smuggling　of　salt　and　tobacco　is　done　by　〃convoys　and　by　open　force

〃　in　Picardy；　in　Lorraine；　and　in　the　Trois…évêchés；　that　the

indirect　tax　does　not　come　in；　that　the　receivers…general　and　the

receivers　of　the　taille　are　〃at　bay〃　and　can　no　longer　keep　their

engagements。　　The　public　income　diminishes　from　month　to　month；　in

the　social　body；　the　heart；　already　so　feeble；　faints；　deprived　of

the　blood　which　no　longer　reaches　it；　it　ceases　to　propel　to　the

muscles　the　vivifying　current　which　restores　their　waste　and　adds　to

their　energy。



〃All　controlling　power　is　slackened；〃　says　Necker；　〃everything　is　a

prey　to　the　passions　of　individuals。〃　Where　is　the　power　to

constrain　them　and　to　secure　to　the　State　its　dues？　　The　clergy；

the　nobles；　wealthy　townsmen；　and　certain　brave　artisans　and

farmers；　undoubtedly　pay；　and　even　sometimes　give　spontaneously。

But　in　society　those　who　possess　intelligence；　who　are　in　easy

circumstances　and　conscientious；　form　a　small　select　class；　the

great　mass　is　egotistic；　ignorant；　and　needy；　and　lets　its　money　go

only　under　constraint；　there　is　but　one　way　to　collect　the　taxes；

and　that　is　to　extort　them。　　From　time　immemorial；　direct　taxes　in

France　have　been　collected　only　by　bailiffs　and　seizures；　which　is

not　surprising；　as　they　take　away　a　full　half　of　the　net　income。

Now　that　the　peasants　of　each　village　are　armed　and　form　a　band；　let

the　collector　come　and　make　seizures　if　he　dare　！　　〃　Immediately

after　the　decree　on　the　equality　of　the　taxes；〃　writes　the

provincial　commission　of　Alsace；＇28＇　〃the　people　generally　refused

to　make　any　payments；　until　those　who　were　exempt　and　privileged

should　have　been　inscribed　on　the　local　lists。〃　In　many　places　the

peasants　threaten　to　obtain　the　reimbursement　of　their　installments；

while　in　others　they　insist　that　the　decree　should　be　retrospective

and　that　the　new　rate…payers　should　pay　for　the　past　year。　　〃No

collector　dare　send　an　official　to　distrain；　none　that　are　sent　dare

fulfill　their　mission。〃　　〃　It　is　not　the　good　bourgeois〃　of　whom

there　is　any　fear；　〃but　the　rabble　who　make　the　latter　and　every　one

else　afraid　of　them；〃　resistance　and　disorder　everywhere　come　from

〃people　that　have　nothing　to　lose。〃　　Not　only　do　they　shake　off

taxation；　but　they　usurp　property；　and　declare　that；　being　the

Nation；　whatever　belongs　to　the　Nation　belongs　to　them。　　The　forests

of　Alsace　are　laid　waste；　the　seignorial　as　well　as　communal；　and

wantonly　destroyed　with　the　wastefulness　of　children　or　of　maniacs。

〃In　many　places；　to　avoid　the　trouble　of　removing　the　woods；　they

are　burnt；　and　the　people　content　themselves　with　carrying　off　the

ashes。〃　　After　the　decrees　of　August　4th；　and　in　spite　of　the　law

which　licenses　the　proprietor　only　to　hunt　on　his　own　grounds；　the

impulse　to　break　the　law　becomes　irresistible。　　Every　man　who　can

procure　a　gun　begins　operations；＇29＇　the　crops　which　are　still

standing　are　trodden　under　foot；　the　lordly　residences　are　invaded

and　the　palings　are　scaled；　the　King　himself　at　Versailles　is

wakened　by　shots　fired　in　his　park。　　Stags；　fawns；　deer；　wild　boars；

hares；　and　rabbits；　are　slain　by　thousands；　cooked　with　stolen　wood；

and　eaten　up　on　the　spot。　　There　is　a　constant　discharge　of　musketry

throughout　France　for　more　than　two　months；　and；　as　on　an　American

prairie；　every　living　animal　belongs　to　him　who　kills　it。　　At

Choiseul；　in　Champagne；　not　only　are　all　the　hares　and　partridges　of

the　barony　exterminated；　but　the　ponds　are　exhausted　of　fish；　the

court　of　the　chateau　even　is　entered；　to　fire　on　the　pigeon…house

and　destroy　the　pigeons；　and　then　the　pigeons　and　fish；　of　which

they　have　too　many；　are　offered　to　the　proprietor　for　sale　　　It　is

〃the　patriots〃　of　the　village　with　〃smugglers　and　bad　characters〃

belonging　to　the　neighborhood　who　make　this　expedition；　they　are

seen　in　the　front　ranks　of　every　act　of　violence；　and　it　is　not

difficult　to　foresee　that；　under　their　leadership；　attacks　on　public

persons　and　public　property　will　be　followed　by　attacks　on　private

persons　and　private　property。



　VII。



Attack　upon　private　individuals　and　private　property。　　…　Aristocrats

denounced　to　the　people　as　their　enemies。　　…　Effect　of　news　from

Paris。…　Influence　of　the　village　attorneys。　　…　Isolated　acts　of

violence。　　…　A　general　rising　of　the　peasantry　in　the　east。　　…　War

against　the　castles；　feudal　estates；　and　property。　　…　Preparations

for　other　Jacqueries。



Indeed；　an　outlawed　class　already　exists；　they　are　called　〃

aristocrats。〃　This　deadly　term；　applied　at　first　to　the　nobles　and

prelates　in　the　States…General　who　declined　to　take　part　in　the

reunion　of　the　three　orders；　is　extended　so　as　to　embrace　all　whose

titles；　offices；　alliances；　and　manner　of　living　distinguish　them

from　the　multitude。　　That　which　entitled　them　to　respect　is　that

which　marks　them　out　as　objects　of　ill…will；　while　the　people；　who；

though　suffering　from　their　privileges；　did　not　regard　them

personally　with　hatred；　are　now　taught　to　consider　them　as　their

enemies。　　Each；　on　his　own　estate；　is　held　accountable　for　the　evil

designs　attributed　to　his　brethren　at　Versailles；　and；　on　the　false

report　of　a　plot　at　the　center；　the　peasants　classify　him　as　one　of

the　conspirators。＇30＇　　Thus　does　the　peasant　jacquerie　commence；　and

the　fanatics　who　have　fanned　the　flame　in　Paris　are　to　do　the　same

in　the　provinces。　　〃You　wish　to　know　the　authors　of　the　agitation；〃

writes　a　sensible　man　to　the　committee　of　investigation；　〃you　will

find　them　amongst　the　deputies　of　the　Third…Estate；〃　and　especially

among　the　attorneys　and　advocates。　　〃These　dispatch　incendiary

letters　to　their　constituents；　which　letters　are　received　by

municipal　bodies　alike　composed　of　attorneys　and　of　advocates。。。。

they　are　read　aloud　in　the　public　squares；　while　copies　of　them　are

distributed　among　all　the　villages。　　In　these　villages；　if　any　one

knows　how　to　read　besides　the　priest　and　the　lord　of　the　manor；　it

is　the　legal　practitioner；〃　the　born　enemy　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；

whose　place　he　covets；　vain　of　his　oratorical　powers；　embittered　by

his　power；　and　never　failing　to　blacken　everything。＇31＇　　It　is

highly　probable　that　he　is　the　one　who　composes　and　circulates　the

placards　calling　on　the　people；　in　the　King's　name；　to　resort　to

violence。　　　At　Secondigny；　in　Poitou；　on　the　23rd　of　July；＇32＇　the

laborers　in　the　forest　receive　a　letter　〃which　summons　them　to

attack　all　the　country　gentlemen　round　about；　and　to　massacre

without　mercy　all　those　who　refuse　to　renounce　their　privileges。。。。

promising　them　that　not　only　will　their　crimes　go　unpunished；　but

that　they　will　even　be　rewarded。〃　M。　Despretz…Montpezat；

correspondent　of　the　deputies　of　the　nobles；　is　seized；　and　dragged

with　his　son　to　the　dwelling　of　the　procurator…fiscal；　t