the origins of contemporary france-2-第86章

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

for　ourselves　first　and　then　for　other　people。　　Each　group　of

people；　accordingly；　through　its　own　decrees；　or　by　main　force；

keeps　for　itself　whatever　subsistence　it　possesses；　or　takes　from

others　the　subsistence　which　it　does　not　possess。　　ii



At　the　end　of　1789；＇10＇　〃Roussillon　refuses　aid　to　Languedoc；　Upper

Languedoc　to　the　rest　of　the　province；　and　Burgundy　to　Lyonnais；

Dauphiny　shuts　herself　up；　and　Normandy　retains　the　wheat　purchased

for　the　relief　of　Paris。〃　At　Paris；　sentinels　are　posted　at　the

doors　of　all　the　bakers；　on　the　21st　of　October　one　of　the　latter　is

hung；　and　his　head　is　borne　about　on　a　pike。　　On　the　27th　of

October；　at　Vernon；　a　corn…merchant　named　Planter；　who　the　preceding

winter　had　supported　the　poor　for　six　leagues　around；　has　to　take

his　turn。　　At　the　present　moment　the　people　do　not　forgive　him　for

having　sent　flour　to　Paris；　and　he　is　hung　twice；　but　is　saved

through　the　breaking　of　the　rope　each　time。　　It　is　only　by　force

and　under　an　escort　that　it　is　possible　to　insure　the　arrival　of

grain　in　a　town；　the　excited　people　or　the　National　Guards

constantly　seize　it　on　its　passage。　　In　Normandy　the　militia　of　Caen

stops　wheat　on　the　highways　which　is　destined　for　Harcourt　and

elsewhere。＇11＇　In　Brittany；　Auray　and　Vannes　retain　the　convoys　for

Nantes；　and　Lannion　those　for　Brest。　　Brest　having　attempted　to

negotiate；　its　commissioners　are　seized；　and；　with　knives　at　their

throats；　are　forced　to　sign　a　renunciation；　pure　and　simple；　of　the

grain　which　they　have　paid　for；　and　they　are　led　out　of　Lannion　and

stoned　on　the　way。　　Eighteen　hundred　men；　consequently；　leave　Brest

with　four　cannon；　and　go　to　recover　their　property　with　their　guns

loaded。　　These　are　the　customs　prevalent　during　the　great　famines　of

feudal　times；　and；　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　to　say

nothing　of　the　out…breaks　of　the　famished　in　the　large　towns；

similar　outrages　or　attempts　at　recovery　are　constantly　occurring。

…　　〃　The　armed　population　of　Nantua；　Saint…Claude；　and　Septmoncel；〃

says　a　dispatch；＇12＇　〃have　again　cut　off　provisions　from　the　Gex

region；　there　is　no　wheat　coming　there　from　any　direction；　all　the

roads　being　guarded。　　Without　the　aid　of　the　government　of　Geneva；

which　is　willing　to　lend　to　this　region　eight　hundred　Cuttings　of

wheat；　we　should　either　die　of　starvation　or　be　compelled　to　take

grain　by　force　from　the　municipalities　which　keep　it　to　themselves。〃

Narbonne　starves　Toulon；　the　navigation　of　the　Languedoc　canal　is

intercepted；　the　people　on　its　banks　repulse　two　companies　of

soldiers；　burn　a　large　building；　and　want　to　destroy　the　canal

itself。〃　Boats　are　stopped；　wagons　are　pillaged；　bread　is　forcibly

lowered　in　price；　stones　are　thrown　and　guns　discharged；　the

populace　contend　with　the　National　Guard；　peasants　with　townsmen；

purchasers　with　dealers；　artisans　and　laborers　with　farmers　and

land…owners；　at　Castelnaudary；　Niort；　Saint…Etienne；　in　Aisne；　in

Pas…de…Calais；　and　especially　along　the　line　stretching　from

Montbrison　to　Angers　　…　　that　is　to　say；　for　almost　the　whole　of　the

extent　of　the　vast　basin　of　the　Loire；　　…　　such　is　the　spectacle

presented　by　the　year　1790。　　…　　And　yet　the　crop　has　not　been　a　bad

one。　　But　there　is　no　circulation　of　grain。　　Each　petty　center　has

formed　a　league　for　the　monopoly　of　food；　and　hence　the　fasting　of

others　and　the　convulsions　of　the　entire　body　are　the　first　effects

of　the　unbridled　freedom　which　the　Constitution　and　circumstances

have　conferred　on　each　local　group。



〃We　are　told　to　assemble；　vote；　and　elect　men　that　will　attend　to

our　business；　let　us　attend　to　it　ourselves。　　We　have　had　enough　of

talk　and　hypocrisy。　　Bread　at　two　sous；　and　let　us　go　after　wheat

where　it　can　be　found！〃　Such　is　the　reasoning　of　the　peasantry；　and；

in　Nivernais；　Bourbonnais；　Berri；　and　Touraine；　electoral　gatherings

are　the　firebrands　of　the　insurrections。＇13＇　At　Saint…Sauge；　〃the

first　work　of　the　primary　meeting　is　to　oblige　the　municipal

officers　to　fix　the　price　of　wheat　under　the　penalty　of　being

decapitated。〃　At　Saint…Géran　the　same　course　is　taken　with　regard　to

bread；　wheat；　and　meat；　at　Chatillon…en…Bayait　it　is　done　with　all

supplies；　and　always　a　third　or　a　half　under　the　market　price；

without　mentioning　other　exactions。　　…　　They　come　by　degrees　to　the

drafting　of　a　tariff　for　all　the　valuables　they　know；　proclaiming

the　maximum　price　which　an　article　may　reach；　and　so　establishing　a

complete　code　of　rural　and　social　economy。　　We　see　in　the　turbulent

and　spasmodic　wording　of　this　instrument　their　dispositions　and

sentiments；　as　in　a　mirror。＇14＇　　It　is　the　program　of　villagers。

Its　diverse　articles；　save　local　variations；　must　be　executed；　now

one　and　now　the　other；　according　to　the　occasion；　the　need；　and　the

time；　and；　above　all；　whatever　concerns　provisions。　　…　　The　wish；　as

usual；　is　the　father　of　the　thought；　the　peasantry　thinks　that　it　is

acting　by　authority：　here；　through　a　decree　of　the　King　and　the

National　Assembly；　there；　by　a　commission　directly　entrusted　to　the

Comte　d'Estrées。　　Even　before　this；　in　the　market…place　of　Saint…

Amand；　〃a　man　jumped　on　a　heap　of　wheat　and　cried　out；　'In　the　name

of　the　King　and　the　nation；　wheat　at　one…half　the　market…price！〃'　An

old　officer　of　the　Royal　Grenadiers；　a　chevalier　of　the　order　of

Saint…Louis；　is　reported　to　be　marching　at　the　head　of　several

parishes；　and　promulgating　ordinances　in　his　own　name　and　that　of

the　King；　imposing　a　fine　of　eight　livres　on　whoever　may　refuse　to

join　him。　　…　　On　all　sides　there　is　a　swarm　of　working　people；　and

resistance　is　fruitless。　　There　are　too　many　of　them；　the

constabulary　being　drowned　in　the　flood。　　For；　these　rustic

legislators　are　the　National　Guard　itself；　and　when　they　vote

reductions　upon；　or　requisitions　for；　supplies；　they　enforce　their

demands　with　their　guns。　　The　municipal　officials；　willingly　or

unwillingly；　must　needs　serve　the　insurgents。　　At　Donjon　the

Electoral　Assembly　has　seized　the　mayor　of　the　place　and　threatened

to　kill　him；　or　to　burn　his　house；　if　he　did　not　put　the　cutting　of

wheat　at　forty　sous；　whereupon　he　signs；　and　all　the　mayors　with

him；　〃under　the　penalty　of　death。〃　As　soon　as　this　is　done　the

peasants；　〃to　the　sound　of　fifes　and　drums；〃　spread　through　the

neighboring　parishes　and　force　the　delivery　of　wheat　at　forty　sous；

and　show　such　a　determined　spirit　that　the　four　brigades　of

gendarmes　sent　out　against　them　think　it　best　to　retire。　　…　　Not

content　with　taking　what　they　want；　they　provide　for　reserve

supplies；　wheat　is　a　prisoner。　　In　Nivernais　and　Bourbonnais；　the

peasants　trace　a　boundary　line　over　which　no　sack　of　grain　of　that

region　must　pass；　in　case　of　any　infraction　of　this　law　the　rope　and

the　torch　are　close　at　hand　for　the　delinquent。　　…　　It　remains　to

make　sure　that　this　rule　is　enforced。　　In　Berri　bands　of　peasants

visit　the　markets　to　see　that　their　tariff　is　everywhere　maintained。

In　vain　are　they　told　that　they　are　emptying　the　markets；　〃they

reply　that　they　know　how　to　make　grain　come；　that　they　will　take　it

from　private　hands；　and　money　besides；　if　necessary。〃　In　fact；　the

granaries　and　cellars　belonging　to　a　large　number　of　persons　are

pillaged。　　Farmers　are　constrained　to　put　their　crops　into　a　common

granary；　and　the　rich　are　put　to　ransom；　〃the　nobles　are　compelled

to　contribute；　and　obliged　to　give　entire　domains　as　donations；

cattle　are　carried　off；　and　they　want　to　take　the　lives　of　the

proprietors；〃　while　the　towns；　which　defend　their　storehouses　and

markets；　are　openly　attacked。＇15＇　　Bourbon…Lancy；　Bourbon…

l'Archambault；　Saint…Pierre…le…Moutier；　Montlu？on；　Saint…Amand；

Chateau…Gontier；　Decises；　each　petty　community　is　an　islet　assailed

by　the　mounting　tide　of　rustic　insurrection。　　The　militia　pass　the

night　under　arms；　detachments　of　the　National　Guards　of　the　large

towns