the origins of contemporary france-2-第67章

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council…general　of　the　commune；　they　prepare　the　schedule　of

taxation　of　real　and　personal　property；　fix　the　quota　of　each　tax…

payer；　adjust　assessments；　verify　the　registers　and　the　collector's

receipts；　audit　his　accounts；　discharge　the　insolvent；　answer　for

returns　and　authorize　prosecutions。＇19＇　Private　purses　are；　in　this

way；　at　their　mercy；　and　they　take　from　them　whatever　they　determine

to　belong　to　the　public。　…　With　the　purse　and　the　sword　in　their

hands　they　lack　nothing　that　is　necessary　to　make　them　masters；　and

all　the　more　because　the　application　of　every　law　belongs　to　them；

because　no　orders　of　the　Assembly　to　the　King；　of　the　King　to　the

ministers；　of　ministers　to　the　departments；　of　departments　to　the

districts；　of　the　districts　to　the　communes；　brings　about　any　real

local　result　except　through　them；　because　each　measure　of　general

application　undergoes　their　special　interpretation；　and　can　always

be　optionally　disfigured；　softened；　or　exaggerated　according　to

their　timidity；　inertia；　violence　or　partiality。　　Moreover；　they　are

not　long　in　discovering　their　strength。　　We　see　them　on　all　sides

arguing　with　their　superiors　against　district；　departmental；　and

ministerial　orders；　and　even　against　the　Assembly　itself；　alleging

circumstances；　lack　of　means；　their　own　danger　and　the　public

safety；　failing　to　obey；　acting　for　themselves；　openly　disobeying

and　glorying　in　the　act；＇20＇　and　claiming；　as　a　right；　the

omnipotence　which　they　exercise　in　point　of　fact。　　Those　of　Troyes；

at　the　festival　of　the　Federation；　refuse　to　submit　to　the

precedence　of　the　department　and　claim　it　for　themselves；　as

〃immediate　representatives　of　the　people。〃　Those　of　Brest；

notwithstanding　the　reiterated　prohibitions　of　their　district；

dispatch　four　hundred　men　and　two　cannon　to　force　the　submission　of

a　neighboring　commune　to　a　cure'　who　has　taken　the　oath。　　Those　of

Arnay…le…Duc　arrest　Mesdames　（the　King's　aunts）；　in　spite　of　their

passport　signed　by　the　ministers；　hold　them　in　spite　of　departmental

and　district　orders；　persist　in　barring　the　way　to　them　in　spite　of

a　special　decree　of　the　National　Assembly；　and　send　two　deputies　to

Paris　to　obtain　the　sanction　of　their　decision。　　What　with　arsenals

pillaged；　citadels　invaded；　convoys　arrested；　couriers　stopped；

letters　intercepted；　constant　and　increasing　insubordination；

usurpations　without　truce　or　measure；　the　municipalities　arrogate　to

themselves　every　species　of　license　on　their　own　territory　and

frequently　outside　of　it。　　Henceforth；　forty　thousand　sovereign

bodies　exist　in　the　kingdom。　　Force　is　placed　in　their　hands；　and

they　make　good　use　of　it。　　They　make　such　good　use　of　it　that　one　of

them；　the　commune　of　Paris；　taking　advantage　of　its　proximity；　lays

siege　to；　mutilates；　and　rules　the　National　Convention；　and　through

it　France。







III。　　MUNICIPAL　KINGDOMS。



The　Municipal　bodies。　…　Their　great　task。　…　Their　incapacity。　…

Their　feeble　authority。…　Insufficiency　of　their　means　of　action。　…

The　role　of　the　National　Guard。　　…



Let　us　follow　these　municipal　kings　into　their　own　domain：　the

burden　on　their　shoulders　is　immense；　and　much　beyond　what　human

strength　can　support。　　All　the　details　of　executive　duty　are

confided　to　them；　they　have　not　to　busy　themselves　with　a　petty

routine；　but　with　a　complete　social　system　which　is　being　taken　to

pieces；　while　another　is　reconstructed　in　its　place。　…　They　are　in

possession　of　four　milliards　of　ecclesiastical　property；　real　and

personal；　and　soon　there　will　be　two　and　a　half　milliards　of

property　belonging　to　the　emigrants；　which　must　be　sequestered；

valued；　managed；　inventoried；　divided；　sold；　and　the　proceeds

received。　　They　have　seven　or　eight　thousand　monks　and　thirty

thousand　nuns　to　displace；　install；　sanction；　and　provide　for。　　They

have　forty…six　thousand　ecclesiastics；　bishops；　canons；　curés；　and

vicars；　to　dispossess；　replace；　often　by　force；　and　later　on　to

expel；　intern；　imprison；　and　support。　　They　are　obliged　to　discuss；

trace　out；　teach　and　make　public　new　territorial　boundaries；　those

of　the　commune；　of　the　district　and　of　the　department。　　They　have　to

convoke；　lodge；　and　protect　the　numerous　primary　and　secondary

Assemblies；　to　supervise　their　operations；　which　sometimes　last　for

weeks。　　They　must　install　those　elected　by　them；　justices　of　the

peace；　officers　of　the　National　Guard；　judges；　public　prosecutors；

curés；　bishops；　district　and　departmental　administrators。　　They　are

to　form　new　lists　of　tax…payers；　apportion　amongst　themselves；

according　to　a　new　system　of　impost；　entirely　new　real　and　personal

taxes；　decide　on　claims；　appoint　an　assessor；　regularly　audit　his

accounts　and　verify　his　books；　aid　him　with　force；　use　force　in　the

collection　of　the　excise　and　salt　duties；　which　being　reduced；

equalized；　and　transformed　in　vain　by　the　National　Assembly；　afford

no　returns　in　spite　of　its　decrees。　　They　are　obliged　to　find　the

funds　for　dressing；　equipping；　and　arming　the　National　Guard；　to

step　in　between　it　and　the　military　commanders；　and　to　maintain

concord　between　its　diverse　battalions。　　They　have　to　protect

forests　from　pillage；　communal　land　from　being　invaded；　to　maintain

the　octroi；　to　protect　former　functionaries；　ecclesiastics；　and

nobles；　suspected　and　threatened；　and；　above　all；　to　provide；　no

matter　how；　provisions　for　the　commune　which　lacks　food；　and

consequently；　to　raise　subscriptions；　negotiate　purchases　at　a

distance　and　even　abroad；　organize　escorts；　indemnify　bakers；　supply

the　market　every　week　notwithstanding　the　dearth；　the　insecurity　of

roads；　and　the　resistance　of　cultivators。　…　Even　an　absolute　chief；

sent　from　a　distance　and　from　high　place；　the　most　energetic　and

expert　possible；　supported　by　the　best…disciplined　and　most　obedient

troops；　would　scarcely　succeed　in　such　an　undertaking；　and　there　is

instead　only　a　municipality　which　has　neither　the　authority；　the

means；　the　experience；　the　capacity；　nor　the　will。



In　the　country；　says　an　orator　in　the　tribune；＇21＇　〃the　municipal

officers；　in　twenty　thousand　out　of　forty　thousand　municipalities；

do　not　know　how　to　read　or　write。〃　The　curé；　in　effect；　is　excluded

from　such　offices　by　law；　and；　save　in　La　Vendée　and　the　noble　is

excluded　by　public　opinion。　　Besides；　in　many　of　the　provinces；

nothing　but　patois　is　spoken。＇22＇　French；　especially　the　philosophic

and　abstract　phraseology　of　the　new　laws　and　proclamations；　remains

gibberish　to　their　inhabitants。　　They　cannot　possibly　understand　and

apply　the　complicated　decrees　and　fine…spun　instructions　which　reach

them　from　Paris。　　They　hurry　off　to　the　towns；　get　the　duties　of　the

office　imposed　on　them　explained　and　commented　on　in　detail；　try　to

comprehend；　imagine　they　do；　and　then；　the　following　week；　come　back

again　without　having　understood　anything；　either　the　mode　of　keeping

state　registers；　the　distinction　between　feudal　rights　which　are

abolished　and　those　retained；　the　regulations　they　should　enforce　in

cases　of　election；　the　limits　which　the　law　imposes　as　to　their

powers　and　subordination。　　Nothing　of　all　this　finds　its　way　into

their　rude；　untrained　brains；　instead　of　a　peasant　who　has　just　left

his　oxen；　there　is　needed　here　a　legal　adept　aided　by　a　trained

clerk。　…　Prudential　considerations　must　be　added　to　their　ignorance。

They　do　not　wish　to　make　enemies　for　themselves　in　their　commune；

and　they　abstain　from　any　positive　action；　especially　in　all　tax

matters。　　Nine　months　after　the　decree　on　the　patriotic

contribution；　〃twenty…eight　thousand　municipalities　are　overdue；　not

having　（yet）　returned　either　rolls　or　estimates。〃＇23＇　　At　the　end　of

January；　1792；　〃out　of　forty　thousand　nine　hundred　and　eleven

municipalities；　only　five　thousand　four　hundred　and　forty…eight　have

deposited　their　registers；　two　thousand　five　hundred　and　eighty

rolls　only　are　definitive　and　in　process　of　collection。　　A　large