the origins of contemporary france-2-第79章

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

march　being　prepared；　the　municipality　is　duly　advised　of　them。　　But

the　municipality　will　tolerate　no　delay；　and　immediately　〃draws　up；

prints；　and　issues　a　denunciation　to　the　National　Assembly〃　against

the　commandant　and　the　two　ministers　who；　according　to　it；　are

guilty　of　having　forged　or　suppressed　the　King's　orders。　　In　the

meantime　it　equips　and　fortifies　itself　as　for　a　combat。　　At　its

first　establishment　the　municipality　broke　up　the　bourgeois　guard；

which　was　too　great　a　lover　of　order；　and　organized　a　National

Guard；　in　which　those　who　have　no　property　are　soon　to　be　admitted。

〃Daily　additions　are　made　to　its　military　apparatus；＇29＇

entrenchments　and　barricades　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　are　increasing；

the　artillery　is　increased；　the　town　is　filled　with　the　excitement

of　a　military　camp　in　the　immediate　presence　of　an　enemy。〃　Thus；　in

possession　of　force；　it　makes　use　of　it；　and　in　the　first　place

against　justice。　　　A　popular　insurrection　had　been　suppressed　in

the　month　of　August　1789；　and　the　three　principal　leaders；　Rebecqui；

Pascal；　and　Granet；　had　been　imprisoned　in　the　Chateau　d'If。　　They

are　the　friends　of　the　municipal　authorities；　and　they　must　be　set

free。　　At　the　demand　of　this　body　the　affair　is　taken　out　of　the

hands　of　the　grand…prév？t　and　put　into　those　of　the　sénéchaussée；

the　former；　meanwhile；　together　with　his　councilors；　undergoing

punishment　for　having　performed　their　duty。　　The　municipality；　on

its　own　authority；　forbids　them　from　further　exercise　of　their

functions。　　They　are　publicly　denounced；　〃threatened　with　poniards；

the　scaffold；　and　every　species　of　assassination。〃　＇30＇　No　printer

dares　publish　their　defense；　for　fear　of　〃municipal　annoyances。〃　It

is　not　long　before　the　royal　procureur　and　a　councillor　are　reduced

to　seeking　refuge　in　Fort　Saint…Jean；　while　the　grand…prév？t　after

having　resisted　a　little　longer；　leaves　Marseilles　in　order　to　save

his　life。　　As　to　the　three　imprisoned　men；　the　municipal　authorities

visit　them　in　a　body　and　demand　their　provisional　release。　　One　of

them　having　made　his　escape；　they　refuse　to　give　the　commandant　the

order　for　his　re…arrest。　　The　other　two　triumphantly　leave　the

chateau　on　the　11th　of　April；　escorted　by　eight　hundred　National

Guards。　　They　go；　for　form's　sake；　to　the　prisons　of　the

sénéchaussée　but　the　next　day　are　set　at　liberty；　and　further

prosecution　ceases。　　As　an　offset　to　this；　M。　　d'Ambert；　colonel　in

the　Royal　Marine；　guilty　of　expressing　himself　too　warmly　against

the　National　Guard；　although　acquitted　by　the　tribunal　before　which

he　was　brought；　can　be　set　at　liberty　only　in　secret　and　under　the

protection　of　two　thousand　soldiers。　　The　populace　want　to　burn　the

house　of　the　criminal　lieutenant　that　dared　absolve　him。　　The

magistrate　himself　is　in　danger；　and　is　forced　to　take　refuge　in　the

house　of　the　military　commander。＇31＇　　Meanwhile；　printed　and　written

papers；　insulting　libels　by　the　municipal　body　and　the　club；　the

seditious　or　violent　discussions　of　the　district　assemblies；　and　a

lot　of　pamphlets；　are　freely　distributed　among　the　people　and　the

soldiers：　the　latter　are　purposely　stirred　up　in　advance　against

their　chiefs。　…　　…　In　vain　are　the　officers　mild；　conciliatory；　and

cautious。　　In　vain　does　the　commander…in…chief　depart　with　a　portion

of　the　troops。　　The　object　now　is　to　dislodge　the　regiment　occupying

the　three　forts。　　The　club　sets　the　ball　in　motion；　and；　forcibly　or

otherwise；　the　will　of　the　people　must　be　carried　out。　　On　the　29th

of　April；　two　actors；　supported　by　fifty　volunteers；　surprise　a

sentinel　and　get　possession　of　Notre…Dame　de　la　Garde。　　On　the　same

day；　six　thousand　National　Guards　invest　the　forts　of　Saint…Jean　and

Saint…Nicolas。　　The　municipal　authorities；　summoned　to　respect　the

fortresses；　reply　by　demanding　the　opening　of　the　gates　to　the

National　Guard；　that　it　may　do　duty　jointly　with　the　soldiers。　　The

commandants　hesitate；　refer　to　the　law；　and　demand　time　to　consult

their　superiors。　　A　second　requisition；　more　urgent；　is　made；　the

commandants　are　held　responsible　for　the　disturbances　they　provoke

by　their　refusal。　　If　they　resist　they　are　declared　promoters　of

civil　war。＇32＇　　They　accordingly　yield　and　sign　　a　capitulation。

One　among　them；　the　Chevalier　de　Beausset；　major　in　Fort　Saint…Jean；

is　opposed　to　this；　and　refuses　his　signature。　　On　the　following　day

he　is　seized　as　he　is　about　to　enter　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　and

massacred；　his　head　being　borne　about　on　the　end　of　a　pike；　while

the　band　of　assassins；　the　soldiers；　and　the　rabble　dance　about　and

shout　over　his　remains。　…　〃　It　is　a　sad　accident；〃　writes　the

municipality。＇33＇　　How　does　it　happen　that；　〃after　having　thus　far

merited　and　obtained　all　praise；　a　Beausset；　whom　we　were　unable　to

protect　against　the　decrees　of　Providence；　should　sully　our　laurels？

Having　had　nothing　to　do　with　this　tragic　affair；　it　is　not　for　us

to　prosecute　the　authors　of　it。〃　Moreover；　he　was　〃culpable　。　　。　　。。

rebellious；　condemned　by　public　opinion；　and　Providence　itself　seems

to　have　abandoned　him　to　the　irrevocable　decrees　of　its　vengeance。〃

…　As　to　the　taking　of　the　forts；　nothing　is　more　legitimate。　　〃These

places　were　in　the　hands　of　the　enemies　of　the　State；　while　now　they

are　in　the　hands　of　the　defenders　of　the　Constitution　of　the　empire。

Woe　to　whoever　would　take　them　from　us　again；　to　convert　them　into　a

focus　of　counter…revolution　〃　　…　M。　　de　Miran；　commandant　of　the

province；　has；　it　is　true；　made　a　demand　for　them。　　But；　〃is　it　not

somewhat　pitiable　to　see　the　requisition　of　a　Sieur　de　Miran；　made

in　the　name　of　the　King　he　betrays；　to　surrender　to　his　Majesty's

troops　places　which；　henceforth　in　our　hands；　guarantee　public

security　to　the　nation；　to　the　law；　and　to　the　King？〃　In　vain　does

the　King；　at　the　request　of　the　National　Assembly；＇34＇　order　the

municipality　to　restore　the　forts　to　the　commandants；　and　to　make

the　National　Guards　leave　them。　　The　municipal　authorities　become

indignant；　and　resist。　　According　to　them　the　wrong　is　all　on　the

side　of　the　commandant　and　the　ministers。　　It　is　the　commandants

who；　〃with　the　threatening　equipment　of　their　citadels；　their　stores

of　provisions　and　of　artillery；　are　disturbers　of　the　public　peace。

What　does　the　minister　mean　by　driving　the　national　troops　out　of

the　forts；　in　order　to　entrust　their　guardianship　to　foreign　troops？

His　object　is　apparent　in　this　plan　。　　。　　。　　。　　he　wants　to　kindle

civil　war。〃　　…　〃All　the　misfortunes　of　Marseilles　originate　in　the

secret　under…standing　existing　between　the　ministers　and　the　enemies

of　the　State。〃　The　municipal　corps　is　at　last　obliged　to　evacuate

the　forts；　but　it　is　determined　not　to　give　them　up。　　The　day

following　that　on　which　it　receives　the　decree　of　the　National

Assembly；　it　conceives　the　design　of　demolishing　them。　　On　the　17th

of　May；　two　hundred　laborers；　paid　in　advance；　begin　the　work　of

destruction。　　To　save　appearances　the　municipal　body　betakes　itself

at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　the　different　localities；　and

orders　them　to　stop。　　But；　on　its　departure；　the　laborers　keep　on；

and；　at　six　o'clock　in　the　evening；　a　resolution　is　passed　that；　〃to

prevent　the　entire　demolition　of　the　citadel；　it　is　deemed　advisable

to　authorize　only　that　of　the　part　overlooking　the　town。〃　On　the

18th　of　May　the　Jacobin　club；　at　once　agent；　accomplice；　and

councilor　of　the　municipal　body；　compels　private　individuals　to

contribute　something　towards　defraying　the　expenses　of　the

demolition。　　It　〃sends　round　to　every　house；　and　to　the　syndics　of

all　corporations；　exacting　their　quotas；　and　making　all　citizens

subscribe　a　document　by　which　they　appear　to　sanction　the　action　of

the　municipal　body；　and　to　express　their　thanks　to　it。　　People　had

to　sign　it；　pay；　and　keep　silent。　　Woe　to　any　one　that　refused　！〃　On

the　20th　of　May　the　m