the origins of contemporary france-2-第9章

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obtaining　bread。　　You　can　imagine　the　fury　and　the　force　with　which

they　will　storm　any　obstacle　to　which　their　attention　may　be

directed。





II。　　The　Press。



Excitement　of　the　press　and　of　opinion。　　…　The　people　make　their

choice。



Such　an　obstacle　has　been　pointed　out　to　them　during　the　last　two

years；　it　is　the　Ministry；　the　Court；　the　Government；　in　short　the

entire　ancient　régime。　　Whoever　protests　against　it　in　favor　of　the

people　is　sure　to　be　followed　as　far；　and　perhaps　even　farther；　than

he　chooses　to　lead。　　　The　moment　the　Parliament　of　a　large　city

refuses　to　register　fiscal　edicts　it　finds　a　riot　at　its　service。

On　the　7th　of　June　1788；　at　Grenoble；　tiles　rain　down　on　the　heads

of　the　soldiery；　and　the　military　force　is　powerless。　　At　Rennes；　to

put　down　the　rebellious　city；　an　army　and　after　this　a　permanent

camp　of　four　regiments　of　infantry　and　two　of　cavalry；　under　the

command　of　a　Marshal　of　France；　is　required。＇6＇　　…　　The　following

year；　when　the　Parliaments　now　side　with　the　privileged　class；　the

disturbances　again　begin；　but　this　time　against　the　Parliaments。　　In

February　1789；　at　Besan？on　and　at　Aix；　the　magistrates　are　hooted

at；　chased　in　the　streets；　besieged　in　the　town　hall；　and　obliged　to

conceal　themselves　or　take　to　flight。　　　If　such　is　the　disposition

in　the　provincial　capitals；　what　must　it　be　in　the　capital　of　the

kingdom？　For　a　start；　in　the　month　of　August；　1788；　after　the

dismissal　of　Brienne　and　Lamoignon；　the　mob；　collected　on　the　Place

Dauphine；　constitutes　itself　judge；　burns　both　ministers　in　effigy；

disperses　the　watch；　and　resists　the　troops：　no　sedition；　as　bloody

as　this；　had　been　seen　for　a　century。　　Two　days　later；　the　riot

bursts　out　a　second　time；　the　people　are　seized　with　a　resolve　to　go

and　burn　the　residences　of　the　two　ministers　and　that　of　Dubois；　the

lieutenant　of　police。　　　Clearly　a　new　ferment　has　been　infused

among　the　ignorant　and　brutal　masses；　and　the　new　ideas　are

producing　their　effect。　　They　have　for　a　long　time　imperceptibly

been　filtering　downwards　from　layer　to　layer　After　having　gained

over　the　aristocracy；　the　whole　of　the　lettered　portion　of　the

Third…Estate；　the　lawyers；　the　schools；　all　the　young；　they　have

insinuated　themselves　drop　by　drop　and　by　a　thousand　fissures　into

the　class　which　supports　itself　by　the　labor　of　its　own　hands。

Noblemen；　at　their　toilettes；　have　scoffed　at　Christianity；　and

affirmed　the　rights　of　man　before　their　valets；　hairdressers；

purveyors；　and　all　those　that　are　in　attendance　upon　them。　　Men　of

letters；　lawyers；　and　attorneys　have　repeated；　in　the　bitterest

tone；　the　same　diatribes　and　the　same　theories　in　the　coffee…houses

and　in　the　restaurants；　on　the　promenades　and　in　all　public　places。

They　have　spoken　out　before　the　lower　class　as　if　it　were　not

present；　and；　from　all　this　eloquence　poured　out　without　precaution；

some　bubbles　besprinkle　the　brain　of　the　artisan；　the　publican；　the

messenger；　the　shopkeeper；　and　the　soldier。



Hence　it　is　that　a　year　suffices　to　convert　mute　discontent　into

political　passion。　　From　the　5th　of　July　1787；　on　the　invitation　of

the　King；　who　convokes　the　States…General　and　demands　advice　from

everybody；　both　speech　and　the　press　alter　in　tone。＇7＇　　Instead　of

general　conversation　of　a　speculative　turn　there　is　preaching；　with

a　view　to　practical　effect；　sudden；　radical；　and　close　at　hand；

preaching　as　shrill　and　thrilling　as　the　blast　of　a　trumpet。

Revolutionary　pamphlets　appear　in　quick　succession：　〃Qu'est…ce　que

le　Tiers？〃　by　Sieyès；　〃Mémoire　pour　le　Peuple　Fran？ais；〃　by　Cerutti；

〃Considerations　sur　les　Intérêts　des　Tiers…Etat；〃　by　Rabtau　Saint…

Etienne；　〃Ma　Pétition；〃　by　Target；　〃Les　Droits　des　Etats…généraux；〃

by　M。　d'Entraigues；　and；　a　little　later；　〃La　France　libre；〃　par

Camille　Desmoulins；　and　others　by　hundreds　and　thousands。＇8＇　　All　of

which　are　repeated　and　amplified　in　the　electoral　assemblies；　where

new…made　citizens　come　to　declaim　and　increase　their　own

excitement。＇9＇　　The　unanimous；　universal　and　daily　shout　rolls　along

from　echo　to　echo；　into　barracks　and　into　faubourgs；　into　markets；

workshops；　and　garrets。　　In　the　month　of　February；　1789；　Necker

avows　〃that　obedience　is　not　to　be　found　anywhere；　and　that　even　the

troops　are　not　to　be　relied　on。〃　In　the　month　of　May；　the

fisherwomen；　and　next　the　greengrocers；　of　the　town　market　halls

come　to　recommend　the　interests　of　the　people　to　the　bodies　of

electors；　and　to　sing　rhymes　in　honor　of　the　Third…Estate。　　In　the

month　of　June　pamphlets　are　in　all　hands；　〃even　lackeys　are　poring

over　them　at　the　gates　of　hotels。〃　In　the　month　of　July；　as　the　King

is　signing　an　order；　a　patriotic　valet　becomes　alarmed　and　reads　it

over　his　shoulder。　　　There　is　no　illusion　here；　it　is　not　merely

the　bourgeoisie　which　ranges　itself　against　the　legal　authorities

and　against　the　established　regime。　　It　is　the　entire　people　as

well。　　The　craftsmen；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　domestics；　workmen　of

every　kind　and　degree；　the　mob　underneath　the　people；　the　vagabonds；

street　rovers；　and　beggars；　the　whole　multitude；　which；　bound　down

by　anxiety　for　its　daily　bread；　had　never　lifted　its　eyes　to　look　at

the　great　social　order　of　which　it　is　the　lowest　stratum；　and　the

whole　weight　of　which　it　bears。



　III。



The　Réveillon　affair。



Suddenly　the　people　stirs；　and　the　superposed　scaffolding　totters。

It　is　the　movement　of　a　brute　nature　exasperated　by　want　and

maddened　by　suspicion。　　　Have　paid　hands；　which　are　invisible

goaded　it　on　from　beneath？　Contemporaries　are　convinced　of　this；　and

it　is　probably　the　case。＇10＇　　But　the　uproar　made　around　the

suffering　brute　would　alone　suffice　to　make　it　shy；　and　explain　its

arousal。　　…　　On　the　21st　of　April　the　Electoral　Assemblies　have

begun　in　Paris；　there　is　one　in　each　quarter；　one　for　the　clergy；

one　for　the　nobles；　and　one　for　the　Third…Estate。　　Every　day；　for

almost　a　month；　files　of　electors　are　seen　passing　along　the

streets。　　Those　of　the　first　degree　continue　to　meet　after　having

nominated　those　of　the　second：　the　nation　must　needs　watch　its

mandatories　and　maintain　its　imprescriptible　rights。　　If　this

exercise　of　their　rights　has　been　delegated　to　them；　they　still

belong　to　the　nation；　and　it　reserves　to　itself　the　privilege　of

interposing　when　it　pleases。　　A　pretension　of　this　kind　travels

fast；　immediately　after　the　Third…Estate　of　the　Assemblies　it

reaches　the　Third…Estate　of　the　streets。　　Nothing　is　more　natural

than　the　desire　to　lead　one's　leaders：　the　first　time　any

dissatisfaction　occurs；　they　lay　hands　on　those　who　halt　and　make

them　march　on　as　directed。　　On　a　Saturday；　April　25th；＇11＇　a　rumor

is　current　that　Réveillon；　an　elector　and　manufacturer　of　wall…

paper；　Rue　Saint…Antoine；　and　Lerat；　a　commissioner；　have　〃spoken

badly〃　at　the　Electoral　Assembly　of　Sainte…Marguerite。　　To　speak

badly　means　to　speak　badly　of　the　people。　　What　has　Réveillon　said？

Nobody　knows；　but　popular　imagination　with　its　terrible　powers　of

invention　and　precision；　readily　fabricates　or　welcomes　a　murderous

phrase。　　He　said　that　〃a　working…man　with　a　wife　and　children　could

live　on　fifteen　sous　a　day。〃　Such　a　man　is　a　traitor；　and　must　be

disposed　of　at　once；　〃all　his　belongings　must　be　put　to　fire　and

sword。〃　The　rumor；　it　must　be　noted；　is　false。＇12＇　　Réveillon　pays

his　poorest　workman　twenty…five　sous　a　day；　he　provides　work　for

three　hundred　and　fifty；　and；　in　spite　of　a　dull　season　the　previous

winter；　he　kept　all　on　at　the　same　rate　of　wages。　　He　himself　was

once　a　workman；　and　obtained　a　medal　for　his　inventions；　and　is

benevolent　and　respected　by　all　respectable　persons。　　　All　this

avails　nothing；　bands　of　vagabonds　and　foreigners；　who　have　just

passed　through　the　barriers；　do　not　look　so　closely　into　matters；

while　the　Journeymen；　the　carters；　the　cobblers；　the　masons；　the

braziers；　and　the　stone…cutters　whom　they　go　to　soli