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第85章

the origins of contemporary france-2-第85章

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

recommenced twenty times; through mutual provocations and

denunciations; through insults; libels; scuffles; stone…throwing;

and gun…shots。 …  On the 13th of June; 1790; the question is which

party shall furnish administrators for the district and department;

and the conflict begins in relation to the elections。  The Electoral

Assembly is held at the guard…house of the bishop's palace; where

the Protestant dragoons and patriots have come 〃three times as many

as usual; with loaded muskets and pistols; and with full cartridge…

boxes;〃 and they patrol the surrounding neighborhood。  On their

side; the red rosettes; royalists and Catholics; complain of being

threatened and 〃treated contemptuously〃 (nargués)。  They give notice

to the gate…keeper 〃not to let any dragoon enter the town either on

foot or mounted; at the peril of his life;〃 and declare that 〃the

bishop's quarters were not made for a guard…house。〃  …   A mob

forms; and shouting takes place under the windows; stones are

thrown; the bugle of a dragoon; who sounds the roll…call; is broken

and two shots are fired。'7'  The dragoons immediately fire a volley;

which wounds a good many people and kills seven。  From this moment;

firing goes on during the evening and all night; in every quarter of

the town; each party believing that the other wants to exterminate

it; the Protestants satisfied that it is another St。  Bartholomew;

and the Catholics that it is 〃a Michelade。〃'8' There is no one to

act between them。  The municipality authorities; far from issuing

orders; receive them: they are roughly handled; hustled and jostled

about; and made to march about like servants。  The patriots seize

the Abbé de Belmont; a municipal officer; at the H?tel…de…Ville;

order him; on pain of death; to proclaim martial …law; and place the

red flag in his hand。  〃March; rascal; you bastard! Hold up your

flag  …  higher up still  …  you are big enough to do that!〃 Blows

follow with the but…ends of their muskets。  The poor man spits

blood; but this is of no consequence; he must be in full sight at

the head of the crowd; like a target; whilst his conductors

prudently remain behind。  Thus does he advance; exposed to bullets;

holding the flag; and finally becomes the prisoner of the red

rosettes; who release him; but keep his flag。  There is a second

march with a red flag held by a town valet; and fresh gunshots; the

red rosettes capture this flag also; as well as another municipal

officer。  The rest of the municipal body; with a royal commissioner;

take refuge in the barracks and order out the troops。  Meanwhile

Froment; with his three companies; posted in their towers and in the

houses on the ramparts; resist to the last extremity。  Daylight

comes; the tocsin is sounded; the drums beat to arms; and the

patriot militia of the neighborhood; the Protestants from the

mountains; the rude Cévenols; arrive in crowds。  The red rosettes

are besieged; a Capuchin convent; from which it is pretended that

they have fired; is sacked; and five of the monks are killed。

Froment's tower is demolished with cannon and taken by assault。  His

brother is massacred and thrown from the walls; while a Jacobin

convent next to the ramparts is sacked。  Towards night; all the red

rosettes who have fought are slain or have fled; and there is no

longer any resistance。 But the fury still lasts; the fifteen

thousand rustics who have flooded the town think that they have not

yet done enough。  In vain are they told that the other fifteen

companies of red rosettes have not moved; that the pretended

aggressors 〃did not even put themselves in a state of defense;〃 that

during the battle they remained at home; and that afterwards;

through extra precaution; the municipal authorities had made them

give up their arms。  In vain does the Electoral Assembly; preceded

by a white flag; march to the public square and exhort the people to

keep the peace。  〃Under the pretext of searching suspicious houses;

they pillage or destroy; and what…ever cannot be carried away is

broken。〃 One hundred and twenty houses are sacked in N?mes alone;

while the same ravages are committed in the environs; the damage; at

the end of three days; amounting to seven or eight hundred thousand

livres。  A number of poor creatures; workmen; merchants; old and

infirm men; are massacred in their houses; some; 〃who have been

bedridden for many years; are dragged to the sills of their doors to

be shot。〃 Others are hung on the esplanade and at the Cours Neuf;

while others have their noses; ears; feet; and hands cut off; and

are hacked to pieces with sabers and scythes。  Horrible stories; as

is commonly the case; provoke the most atrocious acts。



A publican; who refuses to distribute anti…Catholic lists; is

supposed to have a mine in his cellar filled with kegs of gunpowder

and with sulfur matches all ready; he is hacked to pieces with a

saber; and twenty guns are discharged into his corpse: they expose

the body before his house with a long loaf of bread on his breast;

and they again stab him with bayonets; saying to him: 〃Eat; you

bastard; eat〃  …  More than five hundred Catholics were

assassinated; and many others; covered with blood; 〃are crowded

together in the prisons; while the search for the proscribed is

continued; whenever they are seen; they are fired upon like so many

wolves。〃 Thousands of the inhabitants; accordingly; demand their

passports and leave the town。  The rural Catholics; meanwhile; on

their side; massacre six Protestants in the environs  …  an old man

of eighty…two years; a youth of fifteen; and a husband and his wife

in their farm…house。  In order to put a stop to the murderous acts;

the National Guard of Montpellier have to be summoned。  But the

restoration of order is for the benefit of the victorious party。

Three…fifths of the electors have fled; one…third of the district

and departmental administrators have been appointed in their

absence; and the majority of the new directories is taken from the

club of patriots。  It is for this reason that the prisoners are

prejudged as guilty。  〃No bailiff of the court dares give them the

benefit of his services; they are not allowed to bring forward

justifying facts in evidence; while everybody knows that the judges

are not impartial。〃'9'



Thus do the violent measures of political and religious discord come

to an end。  The victor stops the mouth of the law when it is about

to speak in his adversary's behalf; and; under the legal iniquity of

an administration which he has himself established; he crushes those

whom the illegal force of his own strong hand has stricken down。







II。



Passion Supreme。  …   Dread of hunger its most acute form。  …   The

non…circulation of grain。  …  Intervention and usurpations of the

electoral assemblies。  …  The rural code in Nivernais。  …  The four

central provinces in 1790。  …   Why high prices are kept up。  …

Anxiety and insecurity。  …   Stagnation of the grain market。  …

The departments near Paris in 1791。  …   The supply and price of

grain regulated by force。  …   The mobs in 1792。  …   Village armies

of Eure and of the lower Seine and of Aisne。  …   Aggravation of the

disorder after August 10th。  …   The dictatorship of unbridled

instinct。  …   Its practical and political expedients。





Passions of this stamp are the product of human cultivation; and

break loose only within narrow bounds。  Another passion exists which

is neither historic nor local; but natural and universal; the most

indomitable; most imperious; and most formidable of all; namely; the

fear of hunger。  There is no such thing with this passion as delay;

or reflection; or looking beyond itself。  Each commune or canton

wants its bread; and a sure and unlimited supply of it。  Our

neighbor may provide for himself as best he can; but let us look out

for ourselves first and then for other

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