the origins of contemporary france-2-第90章

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snowball　　…　　for　they　threaten　〃to　burn　the　effects　and　set　fire　to

the　houses　of　all　who　are　not　as　courageous　as　themselves。〃



In　this　state　of　social　disintegration；　insurrection　is　a　gangrene

in　which　the　healthy　are　infected　by　the　morbid　parts。　　Mobs　are

everywhere　produced　and　re…produced；　incessantly；　large　and　small；

like　abscesses　which　break　out　side　by　side；　and　painfully　irritate

each　other　and　finally　combine。　　There　are　the　towns　against　the

rural　districts　and　rural　districts　against　the　towns。　　On　the　one

hand　〃every　farmer　who　transports　anything　to　the　market　passes　（at

home）　for　an　aristocrat；＇32＇　and　becomes　the　horror　of　his　fellow…

citizens　in　the　village。〃　On　the　other　hand　the　National　Guards　of

the　towns　spread　themselves　through　the　rural　districts　and　make

raids　to　save　themselves　from　death　by　hunger。＇33＇　　It　is　admitted

in　the　rural　districts　that　each　municipality　has　the　right　to

isolate　itself　from　the　rest。　　It　is　admitted　in　the　towns　that　each

town　has　the　right　to　derive　its　provisions　from　the　country。　　It　is

admitted　by　the　indigent　of　each　commune　that　the　commune　must

provide　bread　gratis　or　at　a　cheap　rate。　　On　the　strength　of　this

there　is　a　shower　of　stones　and　a　fusillade；　department　against

department；　district　against　district；　canton　against　canton；　all

fight　for　food；　and　the　strongest　get　it　and　keep　it　for　themselves。

…　　I　have　simply　described　the　North；　where；　for　the　past　three

years；　the　crops　are　good。　　I　have　omitted　the　South；　where　trade　is

interrupted　on　the　canal　of　the　Deux　Mers；　where　the　procureur…

syndic　of　Aude　has　lately　been　massacred　for　trying　to　secure　the

passage　of　a　convoy；　where　the　harvest　has　been　poor；　where；　in　many

places；　bread　costs　eight　sous　the　pound；　where；　in　almost　every

department；　a　bushel　of　wheat　is　sold　twice　as　dear　as　in　the　North！



Strange　phenomenon！　and　the　most　instructive　of　all；　for　in　it　we

see　down　into　the　depths　of　humanity；　for；　as　on　a　raft　of

shipwrecked　beings　without　food；　there　is　a　reversion　to　a　state　of

nature。　　The　light　tissue　of　habit　and　of　rational　ideas　in　which

civilization　has　enveloped　man；　is　torn　asunder　and　is　floating　in

rags　around　him；　the　bare　arms　of　the　savage　show　themselves；　and

they　are　striking　out。　　The　only　guide　he　has　for　his　conduct　is

that　of　primitive　days；　the　startled　instinct　of　a　craving　stomach。

Henceforth　that　which　rules　in　him　and　through　him　is　animal

necessity　with　its　train　of　violent　and　narrow　suggestions；

sometimes　sanguinary　and　sometimes　grotesque。　　Incompetent　or

savage；　in　all　respects　like　a　Negro　monarch；　his　sole　political

expedients　are　either　the　methods　of　a　slaughter　house　or　the　dreams

of　a　carnival。　　Two　commissioners　whom　Roland；　Minister　of　the

Interior；　sends　to　Lyons；　are　able　to　see　within　a　few　days　the

carnival　and　the　slaughter…house。＇34＇　　…　　On　the　one　hand　the

peasants；　all　along　the　road；　arrest　everybody；　the　people　regard

every　traveler　as　an　aristocrat　who　is　running　away　　…　　which　is　so

much　the　worse　for　those　who　fall　into　their　hands。　　Near　Autun；

four　priests　who；　to　obey　the　law；　are　betaking　themselves　to　the

frontier；　are　put　in　prison　〃for　their　own　protection；〃　they　are

taken　out　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later；　and；　in　spite　of　thirty…two　of

the　mounted　police；　are　massacred。　　〃Their　carriage　was　still

burning　as　I　passed；　and　the　corpses　were　stretched　out　not　far　off。

Their　driver　was　still　in　durance；　and　it　was　it　vain　that　I

solicited　his　release。〃　　…　　On　the　other　hand；　at　Lyons；　the　power

has　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　degraded　women　of　the　streets。

〃They　seized　the　central　club；　constituted　themselves　commissaries

of　police；　signed　notices　as　such；　and　paid　visits　of　inspection　to

store…houses；〃　they　drew　up　a　tariff　of　provisions；　〃from　bread　and

meat　up　to　common　peaches；　and　peaches　of　fine　quality。〃　They

announced　that　〃whoever　dared　to　dispute　it　would　be　considered　a

traitor　to　the　country；　an　adherent　of　the　civil　list；　and

prosecuted　as　such。〃　All　this　is　published；　proclaimed　and　applied

by　〃female　commissaries　of　police；〃　themselves　the　dregs　of　the

lowest　sinks　of　corruption。　　Respectable　housewives　and　workwomen

had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　nor　〃working…people　of　any　class。〃　The

sole　actors　of　this　administrative　parody　are　〃　scamps；　a　few

bullies　of　houses　of　ill…fame；　and　a　portion　of　the　dregs　of　the

female　sex。〃　　…　　To　this　end　comes　the　dictatorship　of　instinct；

yonder　let　loose　on　the　highway　in　a　massacre　of　priests；　and　here；

in　the　second　city　of　France；　in　the　government　of　strumpets。





III。



Egotism　of　the　tax…payer。　…　Issoudun　in　1790。　　…　　Rebellion　against

taxation。　　…　　Indirect　taxes　in　1789　and　1790。　　…　　Abolition　of　the

salt　tax；　excise；　and　octrois。　　…　　Direct　taxation　in　1789　and　1790。

…　　Delay　and　insufficiency　of　the　returns。　　…　　New　levies　in　1791

and　1792。　　…　　Delays；　partiality；　and　concealment　in　preparing　the

rolls。　　…　　Insufficiency　of；　and　the　delay　in；　the　returns。　　…

Payment　in　assignats。…　The　tax…payer　relieves　himself　of　one…half。

…　　Devastation　of　the　forests。　　…　　Division　of　the　communal

property。



The　fear　of　starvation　is　only　the　sharper　form　of　a　more　general

passion；　which　is　the　desire　of　possession　and　the　determination　not

to　give　anything　up。　　No　popular　instinct；　had　been　longer；　more

rudely；　more　universally　offended　under　the　ancient　régime；　and

there　is　none　which　gushes　out　more　readily　under　constraint；　none

which　requires　a　higher　or　broader　public　barrier；　or　one　more

entirely　constructed　of　solid　blocks；　to　keep　it　in　check。　　Hence　it

is　that　this　passion　from　the　commencement　breaks　down　or　engulfs

the　slight　and　low　boundaries；　the　tottering　embankments　of

crumbling　earth　between　which　the　Constitution　pretends　to　confine

it。　　…　　The　first　flood　sweeps　away　the　pecuniary　claims　of　the

State；　of　the　clergy；　and　of　the　noblesse。　　The　people　regard　them

as　abolished；　or；　at　least；　they　consider　their　debts　discharged。

Their　idea；　in　relation　to　this；　is　formed　and　fixed；　for　them　it　is

that　which　constitutes　the　Revolution。　　The　people　have　no　longer　a

creditor；　they　are　determined　to　have　none；　they　will　pay　nobody；

and　first　of　all；　they　will　make　no　further　payment　to　the　State。



On　the　14th　of　July；　1790；　the　day　of　the　Federation；　the　population

of　Issoudun；　in　Touraine；　solemnly　convoked　for　the　purpose；　had

just　taken　the　solemn　oath　which　was　to　ensure　public　peace；　social

harmony；　and　respect　for　the　law　for　evermore。＇35＇　Here；　probably；

as　elsewhere；　arrangements　had　been　made　for　an　stirring　ceremonial；

there　were　young　girls　dressed　in　white；　and　learned　and

impressionable　magistrates　were　to　pronounce　philosophical

harangues。　　All　at　once　they　discover　that　the　people　gathered　on

the　public　square　are　provided　with　clubs；　scythes；　and　axes；　and

that　the　National　Guard　will　not　prevent　their　use；　on　the　contrary；

the　Guard　itself　is　composed　almost　wholly　of　wine　growers　and

others　interested　in　the　suppression　of　the　duties　on　wine；　of

coopers；　innkeepers；　workmen；　carters　of　casks；　and　others　of　the

same　stamp；　all　rough　fellows　who　have　their　own　way　of　interpreting

the　Social　Contract。　　The　whole　mass　of　decrees；　acts；　and

rhetorical　flourishes　which　are　dispatched　to　them　from　Paris；　or

which　emanate　from　the　new　authorities；　are　not　worth　a　halfpenny

tax　maintained　on　each　bottle　of　wine。　　There　are　to　be　no　more

excise　duties；　they　will　only　take　the　civic　oath　on　this　express

condition；　and　that　very　evening　they　hang；　in　effigy；　their　two

deputies；　who　〃had　not　supported　their　interests〃　in　the　National

Assembly。　　A　few　months　later；　of　all　the　National　Guard　called　upon

to　protect　the　clerks；　only　the　commandant　and　two　officers　respond

to　the　summons。　　If　a　docile　taxpayer　happens　to　be　found；　he　is　not

allowed　to　pay　the　dues；　this　seems　a　defection　and　almost

treachery。　　A