the origins of contemporary france-2-第77章

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man　of　executive　power；　he　expounds　his　ordinances　from　the　pulpit；

and　threatens　the　refractory。　　He　passes　decrees　and　renders

judgments　in　the　town…hall：　outside　the　town　limits；　at　the　head　of

the　National　Guard；　saber　in　hand；　he　will　enforce　his　own

decisions。　　He　causes　it　to　be　decided　that；　on　the　written　order　of

the　committee；　every　citizen　may　be　imprisoned。　　He　imposes　and

collects　taxes；　he　has　boundary　walls　torn　down；　he　goes　in　person

to　the　houses　of　cultivators　and　makes　requisitions　for　grain；　he

seizes　the　convoys　which　have　not　deposited　their　quote　in　his　own

richly　stored　granaries。　　One　day；　preceded　by　a　drummer；　he　marches

outside　the　walls；　makes　proclamation　of　〃his　agrarian　laws；〃　and

proceeds　at　once　to　the　partition　of　the　territory；　and；　by　virtue

of　the　ancient　communal　or　church　property　rights；　to　assign　to

himself　a　portion　of　it。　　All　this　is　done　in　public　and

consciously；　the　notary　and　the　scrivener　being　called　in　to　draw　up

the　official　record　of　his　acts；　he　is　satisfied　that　human　society

has　come　to　an　end；　and　that　each　local　group　has　the　right　to　begin

over　again　and　apply　in　its　own　way　the　Constitution　which　it　has

accorded　to　itself　without　reference　to　anybody　else。　…　This　man；

undoubtedly；　talks　too　loudly；　an　proceeds　too　quickly；　and　first

the　bailiwick；　next　the　Chatelet；　and　afterwards　the　National

Assembly　temporarily　put　a　stop　to　his　proceedings；　but　his

principle　is　a　popular　one；　and　the　forty　thousand　communes　of

France　are　about　to　act　like　so　many　distinct　republics；　under　the

sentimental　and　constantly　more　powerless　reprimands　of　the　central

authority。



Excited　and　invigorated　by　a　new　sentiment；　men　now　abandon

themselves　to　the　proud　consciousness　of　their　own　power　and

independence。　　Nowhere　is　greater　satisfaction　found　than　among　the

new　local　chiefs；　the　municipal　officers　and　commanders　of　the

National　Guard；　for　never　before　has　such　supreme　authority　and　such

great　dignity　fallen　upon　men　previously　so　submissive　and　so

insignificant。　…　Formerly　the　subordinates　of　an　intendant　or　sub…

delegate；　appointed；　maintained；　and　ill…used　by　him；　kept　aloof

from　transactions　of　any　importance；　unable　to　defend　themselves

except　by　humble　protestations　against　the　aggravation　of　taxation；

concerned　with　precedence　and　the　conflicts　of　etiquette；＇16＇　plain

townspeople　or　peasants　who　never　dreamt　of　interfering　in　military

matters；　henceforth　become　sovereigns　in　all　military　and　civil

affairs。　　This　or　that　mayor　or　syndic　of　a　little　town　or　parish；　a

petty　bourgeois　or　villager　in　a　blouse；　whom　the　intendant　or

military　commander　could　imprison　at　will；　now　orders　a　gentleman；　a

captain　of　dragoons；　to　march　or　stand　still；　and　the　captain　stands

still　or　marches　at　his　command。　　On　the　same　bourgeois　or　villager

depends　the　safety　of　the　neighboring　chateau；　of　the　large　land…

owner　and　his　family；　of　the　prelate；　and　of　all　the　prominent

personages　of　the　district。　　in　order　that　they　may　be　out　of　harm's

way　he　must　protect　them；　they　will　be　pillaged　if；　in　case　of

insurrection；　he　does　not　send　troops　and　the　National　Guard　to

their　assistance。　　It　is　he　who；　lending　or　refusing　public　force　to

the　collection　of　their　rents；　gives　them　or　deprives　them　of　the

means　of　living。　　He　accordingly　rules；　and　on　the　sole　condition　of

ruling　according　to　the　wishes　of　his　equals；　the　vociferous

multitude；　the　restless；　dominant　mob　which　has　elected　him。　…　In

the　towns；　especially；　and　notably　in　the　large　towns；　the　contrast

between　what　he　was　and　what　he　is　immense；　since　to　the　plenitude

of　his　power　is　added　the　extent　of　his　jurisdiction。　　Judge　of　the

effect　on　his　brain　in　cities　like　those　of　Marseilles；　Bordeaux；

Nantes；　Rouen　and　Lyons；　where　he　holds　in　his　hand　the　lives　and

property　of　eighty　or　a　hundred　thousand　men。　　And　the　more　as；　amid

the　municipal　officers　of　the　towns；　three…quarters　of　them；

prosecutors　or　lawyers；　are　imbued　with　the　new　dogmas；　and　are

persuaded　that　in　themselves　alone；　the　directly　elected　of　the

people；　is　vested　all　legitimate　authority。　　Bewildered　by　their

recent　elevation；　distrustful　as　upstarts；　in　revolt　against　all

ancient　or　rival　powers；　they　are　additionally　alarmed　by　their

imagination　and　ignorance；　their　minds　being　vaguely　disturbed　by

the　contrast　between　their　role　in　the　past　and　their　present　role：

anxious　on　their　own　account；　they　find　no　security　but　in　abuse　and

use　of　power。　　The　municipalities；　on　the　strength　of　the　reports

emanating　from　the　coffee…houses；　decide　that　the　ministry　are

traitors。　　With　an　obstinacy　of　conviction　and　a　boldness　of

presumption　alike　extraordinary；　they　believe　that　they　have　the

right　to　act　without　and　against　their　orders；　and　against　the

orders　of　the　National　Assembly　itself；　as　if；　in　the　now

disintegrated　France；　each　municipality　constituted　the　nation。



Thus；　if　the　armed　force　of　the　country　is　now　obedient　to　any　body；

it　is　to　them　and　to　them　alone；　and　not　only　the　National　Guard；

but　also　the　regular　troops　which；　placed　under　the　orders　of

municipalities　by　a　decree　of　the　National　Assembly；＇17＇　will　comply

with　no　other。　　Military　commanders　in　the　provinces；　after

September；　1787；　declare　themselves　powerless；　when　they　and　the

municipality　give　orders；　it　is　only　those　of　the　municipality　which

the　troops　recognize。　　〃However　pressing　may　be　the　necessity　for

moving　the　troops　where　their　presence　is　required；　they　are　stopped

by　the　resistance　of　the　village　committee。〃＇18＇　〃Without　any

reasonable　motive；〃　writes　the　commander　of　the　forces　in　Brittany；

〃Vannes　and　Auray　made　opposition　to　the　detachment　which　I　thought

it　prudent　to　send　to　Belle…Ile；　to　replace　another　one　。　　。　　。　　The

Government　cannot　move　without　encountering　obstacles。　　。　　。　　。　　The

Minister　of　War　no　longer　has　the　direction　of　the　army。　　。　　。　　。

No　orders　are　executed。　　。　　。　　Every　one　wants　to　command；　and　no

one　to　obey。　　。　　。　　How　could　the　King；　the　Government；　or　the

Minister　of　War　send　troops　where　they　are　wanted　if　the　towns

believe　that　they　have　the　right　to　countermand　the　orders　given　to

the　regiments　and　change　their　destination？　〃…And　it　is　still　worse；

for；　〃on　the　false　supposition　of　brigands　and　conspiracies　which　do

not　exist；＇19＇　the　towns　and　villages　make　demands　on　me　for　arms

and　even　cannon。　　。　　。　　The　whole　of　Brittany　will　soon　be　in　a

frightful　　belligerent　state　on　this　account；　for；　having　no　real

enemies；　they　will　turn　their　arms　against　each　other。〃　　…　This　is

of　no　consequence。　　The　panic　is　an　〃epidemic。〃　People　are

determined　to　believe　in　〃brigands　and　enemies。〃　At　Nantes；　the

assertion　is　constantly　repeated　that　the　Spaniards　are　going　to

land；　that　the　French　regiments　are　going　to　make　an　attack；　that　an

army　of　brigands　is　approaching；　that　the　castle　is　threatened；　that

it　is　threatening；　and　that　it　contains　too　many　engines　of　war。

The　commandant　of　the　province　writes　in　vain　to　the　mayor　to

reassure　him；　and　to　explain　to　him　that　〃the　municipality；　being

master　of　the　chateau；　is　likewise　master　of　its　magazine。　　Why　then

should　it　entertain　fear　about　that　which　is　in　its　own　possession？

Why　should　any　surprise　be　manifested　at　an　arsenal　containing　arms

and　gunpowder？　〃　…　Nothing　is　of　any　effect。　　The　chateau　is

invaded；　two　hundred　workmen　set　to　work　to　demolish　the

fortifications；　they　listen　only　to　their　fears；　and　cannot　exercise

too　great　precaution。　　However　inoffensive　the　citadels　may　be；　they

are　held　to　be　dangerous；　however　accommodating　the　commanders　may

be；　they　are　regarded　with　suspicion。　　The　people　chafe　against　the

bridle；　relaxed　and　slack　as　it　is。　　It　is　broken　and　cast　aside；

that　it　may　not　be　used　again　when　occasion　requires。　　Each

municipal　body；　each　company　of　the　National　Guard；　wants　to　reign

on　its　own　plot　of　ground　out　of　t