the origins of contemporary france-2-第82章

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

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

At　eleven　o'clock　at　night　eighty　trustworthy　National　Guards；　led

by　the　president　of　the　club；　travel　a　league　off　to　seize　them　in

their　beds　and　lodge　them　in　the　town　prison。　…　Zeal　of　this　kind

excites　some　uneasiness；　and　if　the　municipality　tolerates　the

arrests；　it　is　because　it　is　desirous　of　preventing　murder。

Consequently；　on　the　following　day；　December　13th；　it　sends　to

Marseilles　for　four　hundred　men　of　the　Swiss　Guard　commanded　by

Ernest；　and　four　hundred　National　Guards；　adding　to　these　the

National　Guard　of　Aix；　and　orders　this　company　to　protect　the　prison

against　any　violence。　　But；　along　with　the　Marseilles　National

Guards；　there　came　a　lot　of　armed　people　who　are　volunteers　of

disorder。　　On　the　afternoon　of　the　13th　the　first　mob　strives　to

force　the　prison；　and　the　next　day；　fresh　squads　congregate　around

it　demanding　the　head　of　M。　　Pascalis。　　The　members　of　the　club　head

the　riot　with　〃a　crowd　of　unknown　men　from　outside　the　town；　who

give　orders　and　carry　them　out。〃　During　the　night　the　populace　of

Aix　are　tampered　with；　and　the　dikes　all　give　way　at　the　same

moment。　　At　the　first　clamors　the　National　Guard　on　duty　on　the

public　promenade　disband　and　disperse；　while；　as　there　is　no　signal

for　the　assemblage　of　the　others；　notwithstanding　the　regulations；

the　general　alarm　is　not　sounded。　　〃The　largest　portion　of　the

National　Guard　draws　off　so　as　not　to　appear　to　authorize　by　its

presence　outrages　which　it　has　not　been　ordered　to　prevent。

Peaceable　Citizens　are　in　great　consternation；〃　each　one　takes　to

flight　or　shuts　himself　up　in　his　house；　the　streets　being　deserted

and　silent。　　Meanwhile　the　prison　gates　are　shattered　with　axes。

The　procureur…syndic　of　the　department；　who　requests　the　commandant

of　the　Swiss　regiment　to　protect　the　prisoners；　is　seized；　borne

off；　and　runs　the　risk　of　losing　his　life。　　Three　municipal　officers

in　their　scarves；　who　arrive　on　the　ground；　dare　not　give　the　order

required　by　the　commandant。　　At　this　decisive　moment；　when　it　is

necessary　to　shed　blood　and　kill　a　number　of　men；　they　obviously

fear　to　take　the　responsibility；　their　reply　is；　〃We　have　no　orders

to　give。〃　　…　An　extraordinary　spectacle　now　presents　itself　in　this

barrack　courtyard　surrounding　the　prison。　　On　the　side　of　the　law

stand　eight　hundred　armed　men；　four　hundred　of　the　〃Swiss〃　and　four

hundred　of　the　National　Guard　of　Marseilles。　　They　are　drawn　up　in

battle　array；　with　guns　to　their　shoulders；　with　special　orders

repeated　the　evening　before　at　three　different　times　by　the

municipal　district　and　departmental　authorities　and　they　have　the

sympathies　of　all　honest　people　and　of　most　of　the　National　Guard。

But　the　legal　indispensable　phrase　does　not　pass　the　lips　of　those

who　by　virtue　of　the　Constitution　should　utter　it；　and　a　small　group

of　convicts　are　found　to　be　sovereign。　　　The　three　municipal

officers　are　seized　in　their　turn　under　the　eyes　of　their　own

soldiers　who　remain　motionless；　and　〃with　bayonets　at　their　breasts

they　sign；　under　constraint；　the　order　to　give　up　M。　　Pascalis　to

the　people。〃　M。　　de　la　Roquette　is　likewise　surrendered。　　〃The　only

portion　of　the　National　Guard　of　Aix　which　was　visible；〃　that　is　to

say；　the　Jacobin　minority；　form　a　circle　around　the　gate　of　the

prison　and　organize　themselves　into　a　council　of　war。　　And　there

they　stand；　at　once　〃accusers；　witnesses；　judges；　and　executioners。〃

A　captain　conducts　the　two　victims　to　the　public　promenade　where

they　are　hung。　　Very　soon　after　this　old　M。　de　Guiramand；　whom　the

National　Guard　of　his　village　have　brought　a　prisoner　to　Aix；　is

hung　in　the　same　manner。



There　is　no　prosecution　of　the　assassins。　　The　new　tribunal；

frightened　or　forestalled；　has　for　some　time　back　ranged　itself　on

the　popular　side；　its　writs；　consequently；　are　served　on　the

oppressed；　against　the　members　of　the　assaulted　dub。　　Writs　of

arrest；　summonses　to　attend　court；　searches；　seizures　of

correspondence；　and　other　proceedings；　rain　down　upon　them。　　Three

hundred　witnesses　are　examined。　　Some　of　the　arrested　officers　are

〃loaded　with　chains　and　thrust　into　dungeons。〃　Henceforth　the　club

rules；　and　〃makes　everybody　tremble。〃＇48＇　　〃From　the　23rd　to　the

27th　of　December；　more　than　ten　thousand　passports　are　delivered　at

Aix。〃　〃If　the　emigrations　continue；〃　write　the　commissioners；　〃there

will　be　no　one　left　at　Aix　but　workmen　without　work　and　with　no

resources。　　Whole　streets　are　uninhabited。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　As　long　as

such　crimes　can　be　permitted　with　impunity　fear　will　drive　out　of

this　town　every　one　who　has　the　means　of　living　elsewhere。〃　　…　？Many

come　back　after　the　arrival　of　the　commissioners；　hoping　to　obtain

justice　and　security　through　them。　　But；　〃if　a　prosecution　is　not

ordered；　we　shall　scarcely　have　departed　from　Aix　when　three　or　four

hundred　families　will　abandon　it。　　。　　。　　。　　And　what　man　in　his

senses　would　dare　guarantee　that　each　village　will　not　soon　have

some　one　hung　in　it？　。　　。　　。　　Country　valets　arrest　their　masters。

。　　。　　。　　The　expectation　of　impunity　leads　the　inhabitants　of

villages　to　commit　all　sorts　of　depredations　in　the　forests；　which

is　very　harmful　in　a　region　where　woods　are　very　scarce。　　They　set

up　the　most　absurd　and　most　unjust　pretensions　against　rich

proprietors；　and　the　fatal　rope　is　ever　the　interpreter　and　the

signal　of　their　will。〃　There　is　no　refuge　against　these　outrages。

〃The　department；　the　districts；　the　municipalities；　administer　only

in　conformity　with　the　multiplied　petitions　of　the　club。〃　In　the

sight　of　all；　and　on　one　solemn　day；　a　crushing　defeat　has

demonstrated　the　weakness　of　the　government　officials；　and；　bowed

beneath　the　yoke　of　their　new　masters；　they　preserve　their　legal

authority　only　on　the　condition　that　it　remains　at　the　service　of

the　victorious　party。



_____________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　Festivals　approving　the　federation　of　all　the　National　Guards　in

France。　　（SR。）



＇2＇　See　the　address　of　the　commune　of　Paris；　June　5；　1790。　　〃Let　the

most　touching　of　all　utterances　be　heard　on　this　day　（the

anniversary　of　the　taking　of　the　Bastille）；　Frenchmen；　we　are

brothers！　Yes；　brothers；　freemen　and　with　a　country！〃　Roux　et

Buchez；　VI。　　275。



＇3＇　Buchez　and　Roux；　IV。　　3；　309；　V。　　123；　VI。　　274；　399。　…

Duvergier；　Collection　of　Laws　and　Decrees。　　Decree　of　June　8　and　9；

1790。



＇4＇　For　one　who；　like　myself；　has　lived　for　years　among　the　Moslems；

the　5　daily　ritual　prayers　all　performed　while　turned　towards　Mecca；

this　description　of　the　French　taking　of　the　oath；　has　something

familiar　in　it。　　（SR。）



＇5＇　Michelet；　〃Histoire　de　la　Révolution　Fran？aise；〃　II；　470；　474。



＇6＇　De　Ferrières；　II。　　91。　…　　Albert　Babeau；　I。　　340。　　（Letter

addressed　to　the　Chevalier　de　Poterat；　July　18；　1790。）　　…　　De

Dampmartin；　〃Evénements　qui　se　sont　passés　sous　mes　yeux；〃etc。；　155。



＇7＇　One　may　imagine　the　impression　Taine's　description　made　upon　the

thousands　of　political　science　students　and　others　in　the　years

after　this　book　was　printed　and　widely　sold　all　over　Europe。　　（SR。）



＇8＇　Sauzay；　I。　　202。



＇9＇　Albert　Babeau；　ib。　　I；　339　　…　　De　Ferrières；　II；　92。



＇10＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　H。　1453；　Correspondence　of　M。　　de

Bercheney；　May　23；　1790。



＇11＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　ibid；　May　13；　1790。　　〃M。　　de　la

Rifaudière　was　dragged　from　his　carriage　and　brought　to　the　guard…

house；　which　was　immediately　filled　with　people；　shouting；　'To　the

lamp　post；　the　aristocrat！'　　…　　The　fact　is　this：　after　his　having

repeatedly　shouted　Vive　le　Roi　et　la　Nation！　They　wanted　him　to

shout　Vive　la　Nation！　alone；　upon　which　he　gave　Vive　la　Nation　tant

qu'elle　pourra。〃　　…　　At　Blois；　on　the　day　of　the　Federation；　a　mob

promenades　the　streets　with　a　wooden　head