the origins of contemporary france-2-第84章

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Terreur〃　（Proceedings　against　the　assassins　of　Simoneau）；　I。　　381。



＇45＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3226。　　Letter　and　memorandum　of

Chenantin；　cultivator；　November　7；　1792。　　Extract　from　the

deliberations　of　the　directory　of　Langeais；　November　5；　1792

（sedition　at　Chapelle…Blanche；　near　Langeais；　October　5；　1792）。



＇46＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3105。　　Report　of　the　commissioners

sent　by　the　National　Assembly　and　the　King；　February　23；　1791。　　（On

the　events　of　December　12　and　14；　1790）　　Mercure　de　France；

February　29；　5791。　　（Letters　from　Aix；　and　notably　a　letter　from

seven　officers　shut　up　in　prison　at　Aix；　January　30；　1791。）　The

oldest　Jacobin　Club　formed　in　February；　1790；　was　entitled　〃（Club

des　vrais　amis　de　la　Constitution。〃　The　second　Jacobin　club；　formed

in　October；　1790；　was　〃composed　from　the　beginning　of　artisans　and

laborers　from　the　faubourgs　and　suburbs。〃　Its　title　was〃　Société　des

frères　anti…politiques；〃　or　〃frères　vrais；　justes　et　utiles　à　la

patrie。〃　The　opposition　club；　formed　in　December；　1790；　bore　the

title；　according　to　some；　of　〃Les　Amis　du　Roi；　de　la　paix　et　de　la

religion；〃　according　to　others；　〃Les　amis　de　la　paix；〃　and　finally；

according　to　another　report；　〃Les　Défenseurs　de　la　religion；　des

personnes　et　des　proprietés。〃



＇47＇　A　special　series　of　religious　services。　　（TR）



＇48＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3195。　　Letters　of　the　commissioners；

March　20；　February　11；　May　10；　1791。











CHAPTER　II。　　SOVEREIGNTY　OF　UNRESTRAINED　PASSIONS。



Under　these　conditions　when　passions　are　freed；　any　determined　and

competent　man　who　can　gather　a　couple　of　hundred　men　may　form　a　band

and　slip　through　the　enlarged　or　weakened　meshes　of　the　net　held　by

the　passive　or　ineffective　government。　　An　experiment　on　a　grand

scale　is　about　to　be　made　on　human　society；　owing　to　the　slackening

of　the　regular　restraints　which　have　maintained　it；　it　is　now

possible　to　measure　the　force　of　the　permanent　instincts　which

attack　it。　　They　are　always　there　even　in　ordinary　times；　we　do　not

notice　them　because　they　are　kept　in　check；　but　they　are　not　the

less　energetic　and　effective；　and；　moreover；　indestructible。　　The

moment　their　repression　ceases；　their　power　of　mischief　becomes

evident；　just　as　that　of　the　water　which　floats　a　ship；　but　which；

at　the　first　leak　enters　into　it　and　sinks　it。





I。



Old　Religious　Grudges　　　…　　　Montauban　and　N？mes　in　1790。



Religious　passions；　to　begin　with；　are　not　to　be　kept　down　by

federations；　embraces；　and　effusions　of　fraternity。　　In　the　south；

where　the　Protestants　have　been　persecuted　for　more　than　a　century；

hatreds　exist　more　than　a　century　old。＇1＇　In　vain　have　the　odious

edicts　which　oppressed　them　fallen　into　desuetude　for　the　past

twenty　years；　in　vain　have　civil　rights　been　restored　to　them　since

1787：　The　past　still　lives　in　transmitted　recollections；　and　two

groups　are　confronting　each　other；　one　Protestant　and　the　other

Catholic；　each　defiant；　hostile；　ready　to　act　on　the　defensive；　and

interpreting　the　preparations　of　its　adversary　as　a　plan　of　attack。

Under　such　circumstances　the　guns　go　off　of　their　own　accord。　　…　　On

a　sudden　alarm　at　Uzès＇2＇　the　Catholics；　two　thousand　in　number；

take　possession　of　the　bishop's　palace　and　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　while

the　Protestants；　numbering　four　hundred；　assemble　outside　the　walls

on　the　esplanade；　and　pass　the　night　under　arms；　each　troop

persuaded　that　the　other　is　going　to　massacre　it；　one　party

summoning　the　Catholics　of　Jalès　to　its　aid；　and　the　other　the

Protestants　of　Gardonnenque。　　…　　There　is　but　one　way　of　avoiding

civil　war　between　parties　in　such　an　attitude；　and　that　is　the

ascendancy　of　an　energetic　third　party；　impartial　and　on　the　spot。

A　plan　to　this　effect；　which　promises　well；　is　proposed　by　the

military　commandant　of　Languedoc。＇3＇　　According　to　him　the　two

firebrands　are；　on　the　one　hand；　the　bishops　of　Lower　Languedoc；　and

on　the　other；　MM。　Rabaut…Saint…Etienne；　father　and　two　sons；　all

three　being　pastors。　　Let　them　be　responsible　〃with　their　heads〃　for

any　mob；　insurrection；　or　attempt　to　debauch　the　army；　let　a

tribunal　of　twelve　judges　be　selected　from　the　municipal　bodies　of

twelve　towns；　and　all　delinquents　be　brought　before　it；　let　this　be

the　court　of　final　appeal；　and　its　sentence　immediately　executed。

The　system　in　vogue；　however；　is　just　the　reverse。　　Both　parties

being　organized　into　a　body　of　militia；　each　takes　care　of　itself；

and　is　sure　to　fire　on　the　other；　and　the　more　readily；　inasmuch　as

the　new　ecclesiastical　regulations；　which　are　issued　from　month　to

month；　strike　like　so　many　hammers　on　Catholic　sensibility；　and

scatter　showers　of　sparks　on　the　primings　of　the　already　loaded

guns。



At　Montauban；　on　the　10th　of　May；　1790；　the　day　of　the　inventory　and

expropriation　of　the　religious　communities；＇4＇　the　commissioners　are

not　allowed　to　enter。　　Women　in　a　state　of　frenzy　lie　across　the

thresholds　of　the　doors；　and　it　would　be　necessary　to　pass　over

their　bodies；　a　large　mob　gathers　around　the　〃Cordeliers；〃　and　a

petition　is　signed　to　have　the　convents　maintained。　…　　The

Protestants　who　witness　this　commotion　become　alarmed；　and　eighty　of

their　National　Guards　march　to　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　and　take　forcible

possession　of　the　guard…house　which　protects　it。　　The　municipal

authorities　order　them　to　withdraw；　which　they　refuse　to　do。

Thereupon　the　Catholics　assembled　at　the　〃Cordeliers〃　begin　a　riot；

throw　stones；　and　drive　in　the　doors　with　pieces　of　timber；　while　a

cry　is　heard　that　the　Protestants；　who　have　taken　refuge　in　the

guard…house；　are　firing　from　the　windows。　　The　enraged　multitude

immediately　invade　the　arsenal；　seize　all　the　guns　they　can　lay

their　hands　on；　and　fire　volleys　on　the　guard…house；　the　effect　of

which　is　to　kill　five　of　the　Protestants　and　wound　twenty…four

others。　　The　rest　are　saved　by　a　municipal　officer　and　the　police；

but　they　are　obliged　to　appear；　two　and　two；　before　the　cathedral　in

their　shirts；　and　do　public　penance；　after　which　they　are　put　in

prison。　　During　the　tumult　political　shouts　have　been　heard：　〃Hurrah

for　the　nobles！　Hurrah　for　the　aristocracy！　Down　with　the　nation！

Down　with　the　tricolor　flag！〃　Bordeaux；　regarding　Montauban　as　in

rebellion　against　France；　dispatches　fifteen　hundred　of　its　National

Guard　to　set　the　prisoners　free。　　Toulouse　gives　its　aid　to

Bordeaux。　　The　fermentation　is　frightful。　　Four　thousand　of　the

Protestants　of　Montauban　take　flight；　armed　cities　are　about　to

contend　with　each　other；　as　formerly　in　Italy。　　It　is　necessary　that

a　commissioner　of　the　National　Assembly　and　of　the　King；　Mathieu

Dumas；　should　be　dispatched　to　harangue　the　people　of　Montauban；

obtain　the　release　of　the　prisoners；　and　re…establish　order。



One　month　after　this　a　more　bloody　affray　takes　place　at　N？mes＇5＇

against　the　Catholics。　　The　Protestants；　in　fact；　are　but　twelve

thousand　out　of　fifty…four　thousand　inhabitants；　but　the　principal

trade　of　the　place　is　in　their　hands；　they　hold　the　manufactories

and　support　thirty　thousand　workmen；　in　the　elections　of　1789　they

furnished　five　out　of　the　eight　deputies。　　The　sympathies　of　that

time　were　in　their　favor；　nobody　then　imagined　that　the　dominant

Church　was　exposed　to　any　risk。　　It　is　to　be　attacked　in　its　turn；

and　the　two　parties　are　seen　confronting　each　other。　…　　The

Catholics　sign　a　petition；＇6＇　hunt　up　recruits　among　the　market…

gardeners　of　the　suburbs；　retain　the　white　cockade；　and；　when　this

is　prohibited；　replace　it　with　a　red　rosette；　another　sign　of

recognition。　　At　their　head　is　an　energetic　man　named　Froment；　who

has　vast　projects　in　view；　but　as　the　soil　on　which　he　treads　is

undermined；　he　cannot　prevent　the　explosion。　　It　takes　place

naturally；　by　chance；　through　the　simple　collision　of　two　equally

distrustful　bodies；　and　before　the　final　day　it　has　commenced　and

recommenced　twenty　times；　throu