the origins of contemporary france-2-第94章

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and　the　remains　of　trunks　cut　at　different　heights；〃　the

municipalities　of　Toulouse　and　of　Tournefeuille　refuse　all　aid。　　And

worse　still；　in　other　provinces；　as　for　instance　in　Alsace；　〃whole

municipalities；　with　their　mayors　at　the　head；　cut　down　woods　which

are　confided　to　them；　and　carry　them　off。〃＇56＇　　If　some　tribunal　is

disposed　to　enforce　the　law；　it　is　to　no　purpose；　it　takes　the　risk；

either　of　not　being　allowed　to　give　judgment；　or　of　being

constrained　to　reverse　its　decision。　　At　Paris　the　judgment　prepared

against　the　incendiaries　of　the　tax…offices　could　not　be　given。　　At

Montargis；　the　sentence　pronounced　against　the　marauders　who　had

stolen　cartloads　of　wood　in　the　national　forests　had　to　be　revised；

and　by　the　judges　themselves。　　The　moment　the　tribunal　announced　the

confiscation　of　the　carts　and　horses　which　had　been　seized；　there

arose　a　furious　outcry　against　it；　the　court　was　insulted　by　those

present；　the　condemned　parties　openly　declared　that　they　would　have

their　carts　and　horses　back　by　force。　　Upon　this　〃the　judges

withdrew　into　the　council…chamber；　and　when　soon　after　they　resumed

their　seats；　that　part　of　their　decision　which　related　to　the

confiscation　was　canceled。〃



And　yet　this　administration　of　justice；　ludicrous　and　flouted　as　it

may　be；　is　still　a　sort　of　barrier。　　When　it　falls；　along　with　the

Government；　everything　is　exposed　to　plunder；　and　there　is　no　such

thing　as　public　property。　　…　　After　August　10；　1792；　each　commune　or

individual　appropriates　whatever　comes　in　its　way；　either　products

or　the　soil　itself。　　Some　of　the　plunderers　go　so　far　as　to　say

that；　since　the　Government　no　longer　represses　them；　they　act　under

its　authority。＇57＇　　〃They　have　destroyed　even　the　recent　plantation

of　young　trees。〃　〃One　of　the　villages　near　Fontainebleau　cleared　off

and　divided　an　entire　grove。　　At　Rambouillet；　from　August　10th　to

the　end　of　October；〃　the　loss　is　more　than　100；000　crowns；　the　rural

agitators　demand　with　threats　the　partition　of　the　forest　among　the

inhabitants。　　〃The　destruction　is　enormous〃　everywhere；　prolonged

for　entire　months；　and　of　such　a　kind；　says　the　minister；　as　to　dry

up　this　source　of　public　revenue　for　a　long　time　to　come。　　…

Communal　property　is　no　more　respected　than　national　property。　　In

each　commune；　these　bold　and　needy　folk；　the　rural　populace；　are

privileged　to　enjoy　and　make　the　most　of　it。　　Not　content　with

enjoying　it；　they　desire　to　acquire　ownership　of　it；　and；　for　days

after　the　King's　fall；　the　Legislative　Assembly；　losing　its　footing

in　the　universal　breaking　up；　empowers　the　indigent　to　put　in　force

the　agrarian　law。　　Henceforth　it　suffices　in　any　commune　for　one…

third　of　its　inhabitants　of　both　sexes；　servants；　common　laborers；

shepherds；　farm…hands　or　cowherds；　and　even　paupers；　to　demand　a

partition　of　the　communal　possessions。　　All　that　the　commune　owns；

save　public　edifices　and　woods；　is　to　be　cut　up　into　as　many　equal

lots　as　there　are　heads；　the　lots　to　be　drawn　for；　and　each

individual　to　take　possession　of　his　or　her　portion。＇58＇　The

Operation　is　carried　out；　for　〃those　who　are　least　well　off　are

infinitely　flattered　by　it。〃　In　the　district　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；

there　are　not　a　dozen　communes　out　of　ninety　in　which　more　than　two…

thirds　of　the　voters　had　the　good　sense　to　pronounce　against　it。

》From　this　time　forth　the　commune　ceases　to　be　an　independent

proprietor；　it　has　nothing　to　fall　back　upon。　　In　case　of　distress

it　is　obliged　to　lay　on　extra　taxes　and　obtain；　if　it　can；　a　few

additional　sous。　　Its　future　revenue　is　at　present　in　the　tightly

buttoned　pockets　of　the　new　proprietors。　　…　　The　prevalence　of

short…sighted　views　is　once　more　due　to　the　covetousness　of

individuals。　　Whether　national　or　communal；　it　is　always　public

interest　which　succumbs；　and　it　succumbs　always　under　the

usurpations　of　indigent　minorities；　at　one　time　through　the

feebleness　of　public　authority；　which　dares　not　oppose　their

violence；　and　at　another　through　the　complicity　of　public　authority；

which　has　conferred　upon　them　the　rights　of　the　majority。





IV。



Cupidity　of　tenants。　　…　　The　third　and　fourth　jacquerie。　　…

Brittany　and　other　provinces　in　1790　and　1791。　　…　　The　burning　of

chateaux。　　…　　Title…deeds　destroyed。　　…　　Refusal　of　claims。　　…

Destruction　of　reservoirs。　　…　　Principal　characteristics；　prime

motive　and　ruling　passion　of　the　revolution



When　there　is　a　lack　of　public　force　for　the　protection　of　public

property；　there　is　also　a　lack　of　it　for　the　protection　of　private

property；　for　the　same　greed　and　the　same　needs　attack　both。　　Let　a

man　owe　anything　either　to　the　State　or　to　an　individual；　and　the

temptation　not　to　pay　is　equally　the　same。　　In　both　cases　it

suffices　to　find　a　pretext　for　denying　the　debt；　in　finding　this

pretext　the　cupidity　of　the　tenant　is　as　good　as　the　selfishness　of

the　tax…payer。　　Now　that　the　feudal　system　is　abolished　let　nothing

remain　of　it：　let　there　be　no　more　seignorial　claims。　　〃If　the

Assembly　has　maintained　some　of　them；　yonder　in　Paris；　it　did　so

inadvertently　or　through　corruption：　we　shall　soon　hear　of　all　being

suppressed。　　In　the　meantime　we　will　relieve　ourselves；　and　burn　the

agreements　in　the　places　where　they　are　kept。〃



Such　being　the　argument；　the　jacquerie　breaks　out　afresh：　in　truth；

it　is　permanent　and　universal。　　Just　as　in　a　body　in　which　some　of

the　elements　of　its　vital　substance　are　affected　by　an　organic

disease；　the　evil　is　apparent　in　the　parts　which　seem　to　be　sound：

even　where　as　yet　no　outbreak　has　occurred；　one　is　imminent；

constant　anxiety；　a　profound　restlessness；　a　low　fever；　denote　its

presence。　　Here；　the　debtor　does　not　pay；　and　the　creditor　is　afraid

to　prosecute　him。　　In　other　places　isolated　eruptions　occur。　　At

Auxon；＇59＇　on　an　estate　spared　by　the　great　jacquerie　of　July；　1789；

the　woods　are　ravaged；　and　the　peasants；　enraged　at　being　denounced

by　the　keepers；　march　to　the　chateau；　which　is　occupied　by　an　old

man　and　a　child；　everybody　belonging　to　the　village　is　there；　men

and　women；　they　hew　down　the　barricaded　door　with　their　axes；　and

fire　on　the　neighbors　who　come　to　the　assistance　of　its　inmates。　　…

In　other　places；　in　the　districts　of　Saint…étienne　and　Montbrison；

〃the　trees　belonging　to　the　proprietors　are　carried　away　with

impunity；　and　the　walls　of　their　grounds　and　terraces　are

demolished；　the　complainants　being　threatened　with　death　or　with　the

sight　of　the　destruction　of　their　dwellings。〃　Near　Paris；　around

Montargis；　Nemours；　and　Fontainebleau；　a　number　of　parishes　refuse

to　pay　the　tithes　and　ground…rent　（champart）　which　the　Assembly　has

a　second　time　sanctioned；　gibbets　are　erected　and　the　collectors　are

threatened　with　hanging；　while；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Tonnerre；　a

mob　of　debtors　fire　upon　the　body　of　police　which　comes　to　enforce

the　claims。　　…　　Near　Amiens；　the　Comtesse　de　la　Mire；＇60＇　on　her

estate　of　Davencourt；　is　visited　by　the　municipal　authorities　of　the

village；　who　request　her　to　renounce　her　right　to　ground…rent

（champart）　and　thirds　（tiers）。　　She　refuses　and　they　insist；　and　she

refuses　again；　when　they　inform　her　that　〃　some　misfortune　will

happen　to　her。〃　In　effect；　two　of　the　municipal　officers　cause　the

tocsin　to　be　rung；　and　the　whole　village　rushes　to　arms。　　One　of　the

domestics　has　an　arm　broken　by　a　ball；　and　for　three　hours　the

countess　and　her　two　children　are　subject　to　the　grossest　insults

and　to　blows：　she　is　forced　to　sign　a　paper　which　she　is　not　allowed

to　read；　and；　in　warding　off　the　stroke　of　a　saber；　her　arm　is　cleft

from　the　elbow　to　the　wrist；　the　chateau　is　pillaged；　and　she　owes

her　escape　to　the　zeal　of　some　of　her　servants。　　…　　Large　eruptions

take　place　at　the　same　time　over　entire　provinces；　one　succeeds　the

other　almost　without　interruption；　the　fever　encroaching　on　parts

which　were　supposed　to　be　cured；　and　to　such　an　extent　that　the

virulent　ulcers