the origins of contemporary france-2-第87章

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

towns　with　regular　troops　come　and　garrison　them。　　The　red　flag　is

continuously　raised　for　eight　days　at　Bourbon…Lancy；　and　cannon

stand　loaded　and　pointed　in　the　public　square。　　On　the　24th　of　May

an　attack　is　made　on　Saint…Pierre…le…Moutier；　and　fusillades　take

place　all　night　on　both　sides。　　On　the　2nd　of　June；　Saint…Amand；

menaced　by　twenty…seven　parishes；　is　saved　only　by　the　preparations

it　makes　and　by　the　garrison。　　About　the　same　time　Bourbon…Lancy　is

attacked　by　twelve　parishes　combined；　and　Chateau…Gontier　by　the

sabotiers　of　the　forests　in　the　vicinity。　　A　band　of　from　four　to

five　hundred　villagers　arrests　the　convoys　of　Saint…Amand；　and

forces　their　escorts　to　capitulate；　another　band　entrenches　itself

in　the　Chateau　de　la　Fin；　and　fires　throughout　the　day　on　the

regulars　and　the　National　Guard。　…　The　large　towns　themselves　are

not　safe。　　Three　or　four　hundred　rustics；　led　by　their　municipal

officers；　forcibly　enter　Tours；　to　compel　the　municipality　to　lower

the　price　of　corn　and　diminish　the　rate　of　leases。　　Two　thousand

slate…quarry…men；　armed　with　guns；　spits；　and　forks；　force　their　way

into　Angers　to　obtain　a　reduction　on　bread；　fire　upon　the　guard；　and

are　charged　by　the　troops　and　the　National　Guard；　a　number　remain

dead　in　the　streets；　two　are　hung　that　very　evening；　and　the　red

flag　is　displayed　for　eight　days。　　〃The　town；〃　say　the　dispatches；

〃would　have　been　pillaged　and　burnt　had　it　not　been　for　the　Picardy

regiment。〃　Fortunately；　as　the　crop　promises　to　be　a　good　one；

prices　fall。　　As　the　Electoral　Assemblies　are　closed；　the

fermentation　subsides；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　year；　like　a　clear

spell　in　a　steady　storm；　the　gleam　of　a　truce　appears　in　the　civil

war　excited　by　hunger。



But　the　truce　does　not　last　long；　as　it　is　broken　in　twenty　places

by　isolated　explosions；　and　towards　the　month　of　July；　1791；　the

disturbances　arising　from　the　uncertainty　of　basic　food　supplies

begin　again；　to　cease　no　more。　　We　will　consider　but　one　group　in

this　universal　state　of　disorder　　…　　　that　of　the　eight　or　ten

departments　which　surround　Paris　and　furnish　it　with　supplies。

These　districts；　Brie　and　Beauce；　are　rich　wheat　regions；　and　not

only　was　the　crop　of　1790　good；　but　that　of　1791　is　ample。

Information　is　sent　to　the　minister　from　Laon＇16＇　that；　in　the

department　of　Aisne；　〃there　is　a　supply　of　wheat　for　two　years　。　　。

。　　that　the　barns；　generally　empty　by　the　month　of　April；　will　not

be　so　this　season　before　July；〃　and；　consequently；　〃subsistence　is

assured。〃　But　this　does　not　suffice；　for　the　source　of　the　evil　is

not　in　a　scarcity　of　wheat。　　In　order　that　everybody；　in　a　vast　and

populous　country；　where　the　soil；　cultivation；　and　occupations

differ；　may　eat；　it　is　essential　that　food　should　be　attainable　by

the　non…producers；　and　for　it　to　reach　them　freely；　without　delay；

solely　by　the　natural　operation　of　supply　and　demand；　it　is

essential　that　there　should　be　a　police　able　to　protect　property；

transactions；　and　transport。　　Just　in　proportion　as　the　authority　of

a　State　becomes　weakened；　and　in　proportion　as　security　diminishes；

the　distribution　of　subsistence　becomes　more　and　more　difficult：　a

gendarmerie；　therefore；　is　an　indispensable　wheel　in　the　machine　by

which　we　are　able　to　secure　our　daily　bread。　　Hence　it　is　that；　in

1791；　daily　bread　is　wanting　to　a　large　number　of　men。　　Simply

through　the　working　of　the　Constitution；　all　restraints；　already

slackened　both　at　the　extremities　and　at　the　center；　are　becoming

looser　and　more　loose　each　day。　　The　municipalities；　which　are

really　sovereign；　repress　the　people　more　feebly；　some　because　the

latter　are　the　bolder　and　themselves　more　timid；　and　others　because

they　are　more　radical　and　always　consider　them　in　the　right。　　The

National　Guard　is　wearied；　never　comes　forward；　or　refuses　to　use

its　arms。　　The　active　citizens　are　disgusted；　and　remain　at　home。

At　étampes；＇17＇　where　they　are　convoked　by　the　commissioners　of　the

department　to　take　steps　to　re…establish　some　kind　of　order；　only

twenty　assemble；　the　others　excuse　themselves　by　saying　that；　if　the

populace　knew　that　they　opposed　its　will；　〃their　houses　would　be

burnt；〃　and　they　accordingly　stay　away。　　〃Thus；〃　write　the

commissioners；　〃the　common…weal　is　given　up　to　artisans　and　laborers

whose　views　are　limited　to　their　own　existence。〃　　…　　　It　is；

accordingly；　the　lower　class　which　rules；　and　the　information　upon

which　it　bases　its　decrees　consists　of　rumors　which　it　accepts　or

manufactures；　to　hide　by　an　appearance　of　right　the　outrages　which

are　due　to　its　cupidity　or　to　the　brutalities　of　its　hunger。　　At

étampes；　〃they　have　been　made　to　believe　that　the　grain　which　had

been　sold　for　supplying　the　departments　below　the　Loire；　is　shipped

at　Paimb？uf　and　taken　out　of　the　kingdom　from　there　to　be　sold

abroad。〃　In　the　suburbs　of　Rouen　they　imagine　that　grain　is

purposely　〃　engulfed　in　the　swamps；　ponds；　and　clay…pits。〃　At　Laon；

imbecile　and　Jacobin　committees　attribute　the　dearness　of　provisions

to　the　avidity　of　the　rich　and　the　malevolence　of　the　aristocrats

according　to　them；　〃jealous　millionaires　grow　rich　at　the　expense　of

the　people。　　They　know　the　popular　strength；〃　and；　not　daring　to

measure　their　forces　with　it；　〃in　an　honorable　fight；〃　have　recourse

〃to　treachery。〃　To　conquer　the　people　easily　they　have　determined　to

reduce　them　in　advance　by　extreme　suffering　and　by　the　length　of

their　fast；　and　hence　they　monopolize　〃wheat；　rye；　and　meal；　soap；

sugar；　and　brandy。〃＇18＇　　…　　　Similar　reports　suffice　to　excite　a

suffering　crowd　to　acts　of　violence；　and　it　must　inevitably　accept

for　its　leaders　and　advisers　those　who　urge　it　forward　on　the　side

to　which　it　is　inclined。　　The　people　always　require　leaders；　and

they　are　chosen　wherever　they　can　be　found；　at　one　time　amongst　the

elite；　and　at　another　amongst　the　dregs。　　Now　that　the　nobles　are

driven　out；　the　bourgeoisie　in　retirement；　the　large　cultivators

under　suspicion；　while　animal　necessities　exercise　their　blind　and

intermittent　despotism；　the　appropriate　popular　ministers　consist　of

adventurers　and　of　bandits。　　They　need　not　be　very　numerous；　for　in

a　place　full　of　combustible　matter　a　few　firebrands　suffice　to　start

the　conflagration。　　〃About　twenty；　at　most；　can　be　counted　in　the

towns　of　étampes　and　Dourdan；　men　with　nothing　to　lose　and

everything　to　gain　by　disturbances；　they　are　those　who　always

produce　excitement　and　disorder；　while　other　citizens　afford　them

the　means　through　their　indifference。〃　Those　whose　names　are　known

among　the　new　guides　of　the　crowd　are　almost　all　escaped　convicts

whose　previous　habits　have　accustomed　them　to　blows；　violence；

frequently　to　murder；　and　always　to　contempt　for　the　law。　　At

Brunoy；＇19＇　the　leaders　of　the　outbreak　are　〃two　deserters　of　the

18th　regiment；　sentenced　and　unpunished；　who；　in　company　with　the

vilest　and　most　desperate　of　the　parish；　always　go　about　armed　and

threatening。〃　At　étampes；　〃the　two　principal　assassins　of　the　mayor

are　a　poacher　repeatedly　condemned　for　poaching；　and　an　old

carabiniere　dismissed　from　his　regiment　with　a　bad　record　against

him。〃＇20＇　　Around　these　are　artisans　〃without　a　known　residence；〃

wandering　workmen；　journeymen　and　apprentices；　vagrants　and　highway

rovers；　who　flock　into　the　towns　on　market…days　and　are　always　　…

ready　for　mischief　when　an　opportunity　occurs。　　Vagabonds；　indeed；

now　roam　about　the　country　everywhere；　all　restrictions　against　them

having　ceased。



〃For　a　year　past；〃　write　several　parishes　in　the　neighborhood　of

Versailles；　〃we　have　seen　no　gendarmes　except　those　who　come　with

decrees；〃　and　hence　the　multiplication　of　〃murders　and　brigandage　〃

between　étampes　and　Versailles；　on　the　highways　and　in　the　country。

Bands　of　thirteen；　fifteen；　twenty　and　twenty…two　beggars　rob　the

vineyards；　enter　farm…houses　at　nigh