the origins of contemporary france-2-第78章

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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　the　way　of　any　foreign　control；　and

this　is　what　is　called　liberty。　　Its　adversary；　therefore；　is　the

central　power。　　This　must　be　disarmed　for　fear　that　it　may

interpose。　　On　all　sides；　with　a　sure　and　persistent　instinct；

through　the　capture　of　fortresses；　the　pillage　of　arsenals；　the

seduction　of　the　soldiery；　and　the　expulsion　of　generals；　the

municipality　ensures　its　omnipotence　by　guaranteeing　itself

beforehand　against　all　repression。



At　Brest　the　municipal　authorities　insist　that　a　naval　officer　shall

be　surrendered　to　the　people；　and　on　the　refusal　of　the　King's

lieutenant　to　give　him　up；　the　permanent　committee　orders　the

National　Guard　to　load　its　guns。＇20＇　　At　Nantes　the　municipal　body

refuses　to　recognize　M。　　d'Hervilly；　sent　to　take　command　of　a　camp；

and　the　towns　of　the　province　write　to　declare　that　they　will　suffer

no　other　than　the　federated　troops　on　their　territory。　　At　Lille　the

permanent　committee　insists　that　the　military　authorities　shall

place　the　keys　of　the　town　in　its　keeping　every　evening；　and；　a　few

months　after　this；　the　National　Guard；　joined　by　mutinous　soldiers；

seize　the　citadel　and　the　person　of　Livarot；　its　commander。　　At

Toulon　the　commander　of　the　arsenal；　M。　　de　Rioms；　and　several　naval

officers；　are　put　in　the　dungeon。　　At　Montpellier　the　citadel　is

surprised；　and　the　club　writes　to　the　National　Assembly　to　demand

its　demolition。　　At　Valence；　the　commandant；　M。　　de　Voisin；　on

taking　measures　of　defense；　is　massacred；　and　henceforth　the

municipality　issues　all　orders　to　the　garrison。　　At　Bastia；　Colonel

de　Rully　falls　under　a　shower　of　bullets；　and　the　National　Guard

takes　possession　of　the　citadel　and　the　powder　magazine。　　These　are

not　passing　outbursts：　at　the　end　of　two　years　the　same

insubordinate　spirit　is　apparent　everywhere。＇21＇　　In　vain　do　the

commissioners　of　the　National　Assembly　seek　to　transfer　the　Nassau

regiment　from　Metz。　　Sedan　refuses　to　receive　it；　while　Thionville

declares　that；　if　it　comes；　she　will　blow　up　the　bridges；　and

Sarrebuis　threatens；　if　it　approaches；　that　it　will　open　fire　on　it。

At　Caen　neither　the　municipality　nor　the　directory　dares　enforce　the

law　which　assigns　the　castle　to　the　troops　of　the　line；　the　National

Guard　refuses　to　leave　it；　and　forbids　the　director　of　the　artillery

to　inspect　the　munitions。　…　In　this　state　of　things　a　Government

subsists　in　name　but　not　in　fact；　for　it　no　longer　possesses　the

means　of　enforcing　obedience。　　Each　commune　arrogates　to　itself　the

right　of　suspending　or　preventing　the　execution　of　the　simplest　and

most　urgent　orders。　　Arnay…le…Duc；　in　spite　of　passports　and　legal

injunctions；　persists　in　retaining　Mesdames；　Arcis…sur…Aube　retains

Necker；　and　Montigny　is　about　to　retain　M。　　Caillard；　Ambassador　of

France。＇22＇　　…　　In　the　month　of　June；　1791；　a　convoy　of　eighty

thousand　crowns　of　six　livres　sets　out　from　Paris　for　Switzerland；

this　is　a　repayment　by　the　French　Government　to　that　of　Soleure；　the

date　of　payment　is　fixed；　the　itinerary　marked　out；　all　the

necessary　documents　are　provided；　it　is　important　that　it　should

arrive　on　the　day　when　the　bill　falls　due。　　But　they　have　counted

without　the　municipalities　and　the　National　Guards。　　Arrested　at

Bar…sur…Aube；　it　is　only　at　the　end　of　a　month；　and　on　a　decree　of

the　National　Assembly；　that　the　convoy　can　resume。　　its　march。　　At

Belfort　it　is　seized　again；　and　it　still　remains　there　in　the　month

of　November。　　In　vain　has　the　directory　of　the　Bas…Rhin　ordered　its

release；　the　Belfort　municipality　paid　no　attention　to　the　order。

In　vain　the　same　directory　dispatches　a　commissioner；　who　is　near

being　cut　to　pieces。　　The　personal　interference　of　General　Luckner；

with　the　strong　arm；　is　necessary；　before　the　convoy　can　pass　the

frontier；　after　five　months　of　delay。＇23＇　In　the　month　of　July　1791；

a　French　vessel　on　the　way　from　Rouen　to　Caudebec；　said　to　be　loaded

with　kegs　of　gold　and　silver；　is　stopped。　　On　the　examination　being

made；　it　has　a　right　to　leave；　its　papers　are　all　correct；　and　the

department　enjoins　the　district　to　respect　the　law。　　The　district；

however；　replies　that　it　is　impossible；　since　〃all　the

municipalities　on　the　banks　of　the　Seine　have　armed　and　are　awaiting

the　passing　of　the　vessel；〃　and　the　National　Assembly　itself　is

obliged　to　pass　a　decree　that　the　vessel　shall　be　discharged。



If　the　rebellion　of　the　small　communes　is　of　this　stamp；　what　must

be　that　of　the　larger　ones？＇24＇　The　departments　and　districts　summon

the　municipality　in　vain；　it　disobeys　or　pays　no　attention　to　the

summons。



　〃Since　the　session　began；〃　writes　the　directory　of　Sa？ne…et…Loire；

〃the　municipality　of　Ma？on　has　taken　no　step　in　relation　to　us　which

has　not　been　an　encroachment。　　It　has　not　uttered　a　word；　which　has

not　been　an　insult。　　It　has　not　entered　upon　a　deliberation　which

has　not　been　an　outrage。〃



　〃If　the　regiment　of　Aunis　is　not　ordered　here　immediately；〃　writes

the　directory　of　Calvados；　〃if　prompt　and　efficient　measures　are　not

taken　to　provide　us　with　an　armed　force；　we　shall　abandon　a　post

which　we　can　not　longer　hold　due　to　insubordination；　license；

contempt　for　all　the　authorities。　We　shall　in　this　case　be　unable　to

perform　the　duties　which　were　imposed　upon　us。〃



The　directory　of　the　Bouches…du…Rhone；　on　being　attacked；　flies

before　the　bayonets　of　Marseilles。　　The　members　of　the　directory　of

Gers；　in　conflict　with　the　municipality　of　Auch；　are　almost　beaten

to　death。　　As　to　the　ministers；　who　are　distrusted　by　virtue　of

their　office；　they　are　still　less　respected　than　the　directories；

They　are　constantly　denounced　to　the　Assembly；　while　the

municipalities　send　back　their　dispatches　without　deigning　to　open

them；＇25＇　and；　towards　the　end　of　1791；　their　increasing

powerlessness　ends　in　complete　annihilation。　　We　can　judge　of　this

by　one　example。　　In　the　month　of　December　1791；　Limoges　is　not

allowed　to　carry　away　the　grain；　which　it　had　just　purchased　in

Indre；　a　force　of　sixty　horsemen　being　necessary　to　protect　its

transportation。　　The　directory　of　Indre　at　once　calls　upon　the

ministers　to　furnish　them　with　this　small　troop。＇26＇　After　trying

for　three　weeks；　the　minister　replies　that　it　is　out　of　his　power；

he　has　knocked　at　all　doors　in　vain。　　〃I　have　pointed　out　one　way；〃

he　says；　〃to　the　deputies　of　your　department　in　the　National

Assembly；　namely；　to　withdraw　the　20th　regiment　of　cavalry　from

Orleans；　and　I　have　recommended　them　to　broach　the　matter　to　the

deputies　of　Loiret。〃　The　answer　is　still　delayed：　the　deputies　of

the　two　departments　have　to　come　to　an　agreement；　for；　otherwise；

the　minister　dares　not　displace　sixty　men　to　protect　a　convoy　of

grain。　　It　is　plain　enough　that　there　is　no　longer　any　executive

power。　　There　is　no　longer　a　central　authority。　　There　is　no　longer

a　France；　but　merely　so　many　disintegrated　and　independent　communes；

like　Orleans　and　Limoges；　which；　through　their　representatives；

carry　on　negotiations　with　each　other；　one　to　secure　itself　from　a

deficiency　of　troops；　and　the　other　to　secure　itself　from　a　want　of

bread。



Let　us　consider　this　general　dissolution　on　the　spot；　and　take　up　a

case　in　detail。　　On　the　18th　of　January　1790；　the　new　municipal

authorities　of　Marseilles　enter　upon　their　duties。　　As　is　generally

the　case；　the　majority　of　the　electors　have　had　nothing　to　do　with

the　balloting。　　The　mayor；　Martin；　having　been　elected　by　only　an

eighth　of　the　active　citizens。＇27＇　　If；　however；　the　dominant

minority　is　a　small　one；　it　is　resolute　and　not　inclined　to　stop　at

trifles。　　〃Scarcely　is　it　organized；〃＇28＇　when　it　sends　deputies　to

the　King　to　have　him　withdraw　his　troops　from　Marseilles。　　The　King；

always　weak　and　accommodating；　finally　consents；　and；　the　orders　to

march　bein