the origins of contemporary france-2-第88章

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

vineyards；　enter　farm…houses　at　night；　and　compel　their　inmates　to

lodge　and　feed　them；　returning　in　the　same　way　every　fortnight；　all

farms　or　isolated　dwellings　being　their　prey。　　An　ecclesiastic　is

killed　in　his　own　house　in　the　suburbs　of　Versailles；　on　the　26th　of

September；　1791；　and；　on　the　same　day；　a　bourgeois　and　his　wife　are

garroted　and　robbed。　　On　the　22nd　of　September；　near　Saint…Rémi…

Honoré；　eight　bandits　ransack　the　dwelling　of　a　farmer。　　On　the　25th

of　September；　at　Villers…le…Sec；　thirteen　others　strip　another

farmer；　and　then　add　with　much　politeness；　〃It　is　lucky　for　your

masters　that　they　are　not　here；　for　we　would　have　roasted　them　at

yonder　fire。〃　Six　similar　outrages　are　committed　by　armed　ruffians

in　dwelling…places；　within　a　radius　of　from　three　to　four　leagues；

accompanied　with　the　threats　of　the　chauffeurs。＇21＇　〃After

enterprises　of　such　force　and　boldness；〃　write　the　people　of　this

region；　〃there　is　not　a　well…to…do　man　in　the　country　who　can　rely

upon　an　hour's　security　in　his　house。　　Already　many　of　our　best

cultivators　are　giving　up　their　business；　while　others　threaten　to

do　the　same　in　case　these　disorders　continue。〃　　…　　What　is　worse

still　is　the　fact　that　in　these　outrages　most　of　the　bandits　were

〃in　the　national　uniform。〃　The　most　ignorant；　the　poorest；　and　most

fanatical　of　the　National　Guard　thus　enlist　for　the　sake　of　plunder。

It　is　so　natural　for　men　to　believe　in　their　right　to　that　of　which

they　feel　the　need；　that　the　possessors　of　wheat　thus　become　its

monopolists；　and　the　superfluity　of　the　rich　the　property　of　the

poor！　This　is　what　the　peasants　say　who　devastate　the　forest　of

Bruyères…le…Chatel：　〃We　have　neither　wood；　bread；　nor　work　　…

necessity　knows　no　law。〃



The　necessaries　of　life　are　not　to　be　had　cheap　under　such　a　system。

There　is　too　much　anxiety；　and　property　is　too　precarious；　there　are

too　many　obstacles　to　commerce　；　purchases；　sales；　shipments；

arrivals　and　payments　are　too　uncertain。　　How　are　goods　to　be　stored

and　transported　in　a　country　where　neither　the　central　government；

the　local　authorities；　the　National　Guard；　nor　the　regular　troops

perform　their　duties；　and　where　every　transaction　in　produce；　even

the　most　legal　and　the　most　serviceable；　is　subject　to　the　caprice

of　a　dozen　villains　whom　the　populace　obey。　…　　Wheat　remains　in　the

barn；　or　is　secreted；　or　is　kept　waiting；　and　only　reaches　by

stealth　the　hands　of　those　who　are　rich　enough　to　pay；　not　only　its

price；　but　the　extra　cost　of　the　risk。　　Thus　forced　into　a　narrow

channel；　it　rises　to　a　rate　which　the　depreciation　of　the　assignats

augments；　its　dearness　being　not　only　maintained；　but　ever　on　the

increase。　　　Thereupon　popular　instinct　invents　for　the　cure　of　the

evil　a　remedy　which　serves　to　aggravate　it：　henceforth；　wheat　must

not　travel；　it　is　impounded　in　the　canton　in　which　it　is　gathered。

At　Laon；　〃the　people　have　sworn　to　die　rather　than　let　their　food　be

carried　off。〃　At　étampes；　to　which　the　municipality　of　Angers

dispatches　an　administrator　of　its　hospital　to　buy　two　hundred　and

fifty　sacks　of　flour；　the　commission　cannot　be　executed；　the

delegate　not　even　daring　to　avow　for　several　days　the　object　of　his

coming；　all　he　can　do　is　〃to　visit　incognito；　and　at　night；　the

different　flour…dealers　in　the　valley；　who　would　offer　to　furnish

the　supply；　but　fear　for　their　lives　and　dare　not　even　leave　their

houses。〃　…　The　same　violence　is　shown　in　the　more　distant　circle　of

departments　which　surround　the　first　circle。　　At　Aubigny；　in

Cher；＇22＇　grain…wagons　are　stopped；　the　district　administrators　are

menaced；　two　have　a　price　set　on　their　heads；　a　portion　of　the

National　Guard　sides　with　the　mutineers。　　At　Chaumont；　in　Haute…

Marne；　the　whole　of　the　National　Guard　is　in　a　state　of　mutiny；　a

convoy　of　over　three　hundred　sacks　is　stopped；　the　H？tel…de…Ville

forced；　and　the　insurrection　lasts　four　days；　the　directory　of　the

department　takes　flight；　and　the　people　seize　on　the　powder　and

cannons。　　At　Douai；　in　the　〃Nord；〃　to　save　a　grain…dealer；　he　is　put

in　prison；　the　mob　forces　the　gates；　the　soldiers　refuse　to　fire；

and　the　man　is　hung；　while　the　directory　of　the　department　takes

refuge　in　Lille。　　At　Montreuil…sur…Mer；　in　Pas…de…Calais；　the　two

leaders　of　the　insurrection；　a　brazier　and　a　horse…shoer；　〃Bèquelin；

called　Petit…Gueux；〃　the　latter　with　his　saber　in　hand；　reply　to　the

summons　of　the　municipal　authorities；　that　〃not　a　grain　shall　go　now

that　they　are　masters；〃　and　that　if　they　dare　to　make　such

proclamations　〃they　will　cut　off　their　heads。〃　There　are　no　means　of

resistance。　　The　National　Guard；　when　it　is　convoked；　does　not

respond；　the　volunteers　when　called　upon　turn　their　muskets　down；

and　the　crowd；　assembled　beneath　the　windows；　shouts　out　its

huzzahs。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the　law　when　it　opposes　popular

passion：　〃We　will　not　obey　it；〃　they　say；　〃people　make　laws　to

please　themselves。〃　　…　　By　way　of　practical　illustration；　at　Tortes；

in　Seine…Inférieure；　six　thousand　armed　men　belonging　to　the

surrounding　parishes　form　a　deliberative　armed　body；　the　better　to

establish　their　rights；　they　bring　two　cannon　with　them　fastened　by

ropes　on　a　couple　of　carts；　twenty…two　companies　of　the　National

Guard；　each　under　its　own　banner；　march　beside　them；　while　all

peaceable　inhabitants　are　compelled　to　fall　in　〃under　penalty　of

death；〃　the　municipal　officers　being　at　their　head。　　This　improvised

parliament　promulgates　a　complete　law　in　relation　to　grain；　which；

as　a　matter　of　form；　is　sent　for　acceptance　to　the　department；　and

to　the　National　Assembly；　and　one　of　its　articles　declares　that　all

husbandmen　shall　be　forbidden　〃to　sell　their　wheat　elsewhere　than　on

the　market…places。〃　With　no　other　outlet　for　it；　wheat　must　be

brought　to　the　corn　markets　（halles）；　and　when　these　are　full　the

price　must　necessarily　fall。



What　a　profound　deception！　Even　in　the　granary　of　France　wheat

remains　dear；　and　costs　about　one…third　more　than　would　be　necessary

to　secure　the　sale　of　bread　at　two　sous　the　pound；　in　conformity

with　the　will　of　the　people。　　For　instance；＇23＇　at　Gonesse；　Dourdan；

Corbeil；　Mennecy；　Brunoy；　Limours；　Brie…Comte…Robert；　and　especially

at　étampes　and　Montlhéry；　the　holders　of　grain　are　compelled　almost

weekly；　through　the　clamors　and　violence　of　the　people；　to　reduce

prices　one…third　and　more。　　It　is　impossible　for　the　authorities　to

maintain；　on　their　corn…exchange；　the　freedom　of　buying　and　selling。

The　regular　troops　have　been　sent　off　by　the　people　beforehand。

Whatever　the　tolerance　or　connivance　of　the　soldiers　may　be；　the

people　have　a　vague　sentiment　that　they　are　not　there　to　permit　the

ripping　open　of　sacks　of　flour；　or　the　seizing　of　farmers　by　the

throat。　　To　get　rid　of　all　obstacles　and　of　being　watched；　they　make

use　of　the　municipality　itself；　and　force　it　to　effect　its　own

disarmament。　　The　municipal　officers；　besieged　in　the　town…hall；　at

times　threatened　with　pistols　and　bayonets；＇24＇　dispatch　to　the

detachments　they　are　expecting　an　order　to　turn　back；　and　entreat

the　Directory　not　to　send　any　more　troops；　for；　if　any　come；　they

have　been　told　that　〃they　will　be　sorry　for　it。〃　Nowhere　are　there

regular　troops。　　At　étampes；　the　people　repeat　that　〃they　are　sent

for　and　paid　by　the　flour…dealers；〃　at　Montlhéry；　that　〃they　merely

serve　to　arm　citizens　against　each　other；〃　at　Limours；　that　〃they

make　grain　dearer。〃　All　pretexts　seem　good　in　this　direction；　the

popular　will　is　absolute；　and　the　authorities　complacently　meet　its

decrees　half…way。　　At　Montlhéry；　the　municipal　body　orders　the

gendarmerie　to　remain　at　the　gates　of　the　town；　which　gives　full

play　to　the　insurrection。　　　…　　　The　administrators；　however；　are　not

relieved　by　leaving　the　people　free　to　act；　they　are　obliged　to

sanction　their　exactions　by　ordinances。　　They　are　taken　o