the origins of contemporary france-2-第81章

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remove　the　cargo。　　On　the　strength　of　this；　the　accommodating

municipal　body　approves　of　the　act；　declares　the　cargo　confiscated；

orders　it　to　be　sold；　and　awards　one…half　of　the　proceeds　to　the

National　Guards　and　the　other　half　to　charitable　purposes。　　The

concession　is　a　vain　one；　for　the　National　Guards　consider　that　one…

half　is　too　little；　〃insult　and　threaten　the　municipal　officers；〃

and　immediately　proceed　to　divide　the　booty　in　kind；　each　one　going

home　with　a　share　of　stolen　hams　and　chickens。＇41＇　　The　magistrates

must　necessarily　keep　quiet　with　the　guns　of　those　they　govern

pointed　at　them。　…　Sometimes；　and　it　is　generally　the　case；　they　are

timid；　and　do　not　try　to　resist。　　At　Douai；＇42＇　the　municipal

officers；　on　being　summoned　three　times　to　proclaim　martial　law；

refuse；　and　end　by　avowing　that　they　dare　not　unfold　the　red　flag：

〃Were　we　to　take　this　course　we　should　all　be　sacrificed　on　the

spot。〃　Neither　the　troops　nor　the　National　Guards；　in　fact；　are　to

be　relied　on。　　In　this　universal　state　of　apathy　the　field　is　open

to　savages；　and　a　dealer　in　wheat　is　hung。　…　Sometimes　the

administrative　corps　tries　to　resist；　but　in　the　end　it　has　to

succumb　to　violence。　　〃For　more　than　six　hours；〃　writes　one　of　the

members　of　the　district　of　Etampes；＇43＇　〃we　were　closed　in　by

bayonets　leveled　at　us　and　with　pistols　at　our　breasts　；　and　they

were　obliged　to　sign　a　dismissal　of　the　troops　which　had　arrived　to

protect　the　market。　　At　present　〃we　are　all　away　from　Etampes；　there

is　no　longer　a　district　or　a　municipality；〃　almost　all　have　handed

in　their　resignations；　or　are　to　return　for　that　purpose。　…

Sometimes；　and　this　is　the　rarest　case；＇44＇　the　officials　do　their

duty　to　the　end；　and　perish。　　In　this　same　town；　six　months　later；

Simoneau；　the　mayor；　having　refused　to　cut　down　the　price　of　wheat；

is　beaten　with　iron…pointed　sticks；　and　his　corpse　is　riddled　with

balls　by　the　murderers。　…　Municipal　bodies　must　take　heed　how　they

undertake　to　stem　the　torrent；　the；　slightest　opposition　will　soon

be　at　the　expense　of　their　lives。　　In　Touraine；＇45＇　〃as　the

publication　of　the　tax…rolls　takes　place；　riots　break　out　against

the　municipal　authorities；　they　are　forced　to　surrender　the　rolls

they　have　drawn　up；　and　their　papers　are　torn　up。〃　And　still　more；

〃they　kill；　they　assassinate　the　municipal　authorities。〃　In　that

large　commune　men　and　women　〃beat　and　kick　them　with　their　fists　and

sabots。　　。　　。　　。　　The　mayor　is　laid　up　after　it；　and　the　procureur

of　the　commune　died　between　nine　and　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning。

Véteau；　a　municipal　officer；　received　the　last　sacrament　this

morning　；〃　the　rest　have　fled；　being　constantly　threatened　with

death　and　incendiarism。　　They　do　not；　consequently；　return；　and　〃no

one　now　will　take　the　office　of　either　mayor　or　administrator。〃　　…

The　outrages　which　the　municipalities　thus　commit　against　their

superiors　are　committed　against　themselves。　　The　National　Guards；

the　mob；　the　controlling　faction；　arrogating　to　themselves　in　the

commune　the　same　violent　sovereignty　which　the　commune　pretends　to

exercise　against　the　State。



I　should　never　finish　if　I　undertook　to　enumerate　the　outbreaks　in

which　the　magistrates　are　constrained　to　tolerate　or　to　sanction

popular　usurpations；　to　shut　up　churches；　to　drive　off　or　imprison

priests；　to　suppress　octrois；　tax　grain；　and　allow　clerks；　bakers；

corn…dealers；　ecclesiastics；　nobles；　and　officers　to　be　hung；　beaten

to　death；　or　to　have　their　throats　cut。　　Ninety…four　thick　files　of

records　in　the　national　archives　are　filled　with　these　acts　of

violence；　and　do　not　contain　two…thirds　of　them。　　It　is　worth　while

to　take　in　detail　one　case　more；　a　special　one；　and　one　that　is

authentic；　which　serves　as　a　specimen；　and　which　presents　a

foreshortened　image　of　France　during　one　tranquil　year。　　At　Aix；　in

the　month　of　December；　1790；＇46＇　in　Opposition　to　the　two　Jacobin

clubs；　a　club　had　been　organized；　had　complied　with　all　the

formalities；　and；　like　the　〃　Club　des　Monarchiens〃　at　Paris；　claimed

the　same　right　of　meeting　as　the　others。　　But　here；　as　at　Paris；　the

Jacobins　recognize　no　rights　but　for　themselves　alone；　and　refuse　to

admit　their　adversaries　to　the　privileges　of　the　law。　　Moreover；

alarming　rumors　are　circulated。　　A　person　who　has　arrived　from　Nice

states　that　he　had　〃heard　that　there　were　twenty　thousand　men

between　Turin　and　Nice；　under　the　pay　of　the　emigrants；　and　that　at

Nice　a　neuvaine＇47＇　was　held　in　Saint　Fran？ois…de…Paule　to　pray　God

to　enlighten　the　French。〃　A　counter…revolution　is　certainly　under

way。　　Some　of　the　aristocrats　have　stated　〃with　an　air　of　triumph；

that　the　National　Guard　and　municipalities　are　a　mere　toy；　and　that

this　sort　of　thing　will　not　last　long。〃　One　of　the　leading　members

of　the　new　club；　M。　　de　Guiraitiand；　an　old　officer　of　seventy…eight

years；　makes　speeches　in　public　against　the　National　Assembly；　tries

to　enlist　artisans　in　his　party；　〃affects　to　wear　a　white　button　on

his　hat　fastened　by　pins　with　their　points　jutting　out；〃　and；　as　it

is　stated；　he　has　given　to　several　mercers　a　large　order　for　white

cockades。　　In　reality；　on　examination；　not　one　is　found　in　any　shop；

and　all　the　dealers　in　ribbons；　on　being　interrogated；　reply　that

they　know　of　no　transaction　of　that　description。　　But　this　simply

proves　that　the　culprit　is　a　clever　dissimulator；　and　the　more

dangerous　because　he　is　eager　to　save　the　country。　…　On　the　12th　of

December；　at　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the　two　Jacobin　clubs

fraternise；　and　pass　in　long　procession　before　the　place　of　meeting；

〃where　some　of　the　members；　a　few　officers　of　the　Lyons　regiment　and

other　individuals；　are　quietly　engaged　at　play　or　seeing　others

play。〃　The　crowd　hoot；　but　they　remain　quiet。　　The　procession　passes

by　again；　and　they　hoot　and　shout；　〃Down　with　the　aristocrats　to　the

lamp　post　with　them！　〃　Two　or　three　of　the　officers　standing　on　the

threshold　of　the　door　become　irritated；　and　one　of　them；　drawing　his

sword；　threatens　to　strike　a　young　man　if　he　keeps　on。　　Upon　this

the　crowd　cries　out；　〃Guard！　Help！　An　assassin！〃　and　rushes　at　the

officer；　who　withdraws　into　the　house；　exclaiming；　〃To　arms！〃　His

comrades；　sword　in　hand；　descend　in　order　to　defend　the　door；　M。　　de

Guiramand　fires　two　pistol　shots　and　receives　a　stab　in　the　thigh。

A　shower　of　stones　smashes　in　the　windows；　and　the　door　is　on　the

point　of　being　burst　open　when　several　of　the　members　of　the　club

save　themselves　by　taking　to　the　roof。　　About　a　dozen　others；　most

of　them　officers；　form　in　line；　penetrate　the　crowd　with　uplifted

swords；　strike　and　get　struck；　and　escape；　five　of　them　being

wounded。　　The　municipality　orders　the　doors　and　windows　of　the　club…

house　to　be　walled　up；　sends　the　Lyons　regiment　away；　decrees　the

arrest　of　seven　officers　and　of　M。　　de　Guiramand；　and　all　this　in　a

few　hours；　with　no　other　testimony　than　that　of　the　conquerors。



But　these　prompt；　vigorous　and　partial　measures　are　not　sufficient

for　the　Jacobin　club；　other　conspirators　must　be　seized；　and　it　is

the　club　which　designates　them　and　goes　to　take　them。　…　Three　months

before　this；　M。　　Pascalis；　an　advocate；　on　addressing　along　with

some　of　his　professional　brethren　the　dissolved　parliament；　deplored

the　blindness　of　the　people；　〃exalted　by　prerogatives　of　which　they

knew　not　the　danger。〃　A　man　who　dared　talk　in　this　way　is　evidently

a　traitor。　…　There　is　another；　M。　　Morellet　de　la　Roquette；　who

refused　to　join　the　proscribed　club。　　His　former　vassals；　however；

had　been　obliged　to　bring　an　action　against　him　to　make　him　accept

the　redemption　of　his　feudal　dues；　also；　six　years　before　this；　his

carriage；　passing　along　the　public　promenade；　had　run　over　a　child；

he　likewise　is　an　enemy　of　the　people。　　While　the　municipal　officers

are　deliberating；　〃a　few　members　of　the　club〃　get　together　and

decide　that　M。　　Pascalis　and　M。　　de　la　Roquette　must　be　arrested。