the origins of contemporary france-2-第97章

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Guards；　who　are　lease…holders　like　himself；　side　with　him；　and

instead　of　repressing　him　give　him　their　support。　　As　a

commencement；　he　replants　the　maypoles；　as　a　sign　of　emancipation；

and　erects　the　gibbet　by　way　of　a　threat。　　…　　In　the　district　of

Gourdon；　the　regulars　and　the　police　having　been　sent　to　put　them

down；　the　tocsin　is　at　once　sounded：　a　crowd　of　peasants；　amounting

to　four　or　five　thousand；　arrives　from　every　surrounding　parish；

armed　with　scythes　and　guns；　the　soldiers；　forming　a　body　of　one

hundred；　retire　into　a　church；　where　they　capitulate　after　a　siege

of　twenty…four　hours；　being　obliged　to　give　the　names　of　the

proprietors　who　demanded　their　intervention　of　the　district；　and　who

are　Messrs。　　Hébray；　de　Fontange；　and　many　others。　　All　their　houses

are　destroyed　from　top　to　bottom；　and　they　effect　their　escape　in

order　not　to　be　hung。　　The　chateaux　of　Repaire　and　Salviat　are

burned。　　At　the　expiration　of　eight　days　Quercy　is　in　flames　and

thirty　chateaux　are　destroyed。　　…　　The　leader　of　a　band　of　rustic

National　Guards；　Joseph　Linard；　at　the　head　of　a　village　army；

penetrates　into　Gourdon；　installs　himself　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville；

declares　himself　the　people's　protector　against　the　directory　of　the

district；　writes　to　the　department　in　the　name　of　his　〃companions　in

arms；〃　and　vaunts　his　patriotism。　　Meanwhile　he　commands　as　a

conqueror；　throws　open　the　prisons；　and　promises　that；　if　the

regular　troops　and　police　be　sent　off；　he　and　his　companions　will

withdraw　in　good　order。　　…　　This　species　of　tumultuous　authority；

however；　instituted　by　acclamation　for　attack；　is　powerless　for

resistance。　　Scarcely　has　Linard　retired　when　savagery　is　let　loose。

〃A　price　is　set　upon　the　heads　of　the　administrators；　their　houses

are　the　first　devastated；　all　the　houses　of　wealthy　citizens　are

pillaged；　and　the　same　is　the　case　with　all　chateaux　and　country

habitations　which　display　any　signs　of　luxury。〃　　…　　Fifteen

gentlemen；　assembled　together　at　the　house　of　M。　d'Escayrac；　in

Castel；　appeal　to　all　good　citizens　to　march　to　the　assistance　of

the　proprietors　who　may　be　attacked　in　this　jacquerie；　which　is

spreading　everywhere；＇72＇　but　there　are　too　few　proprietors　in　the

country；　and　none　of　the　towns　have　too　many　of　them　for　their　own

protection。　　M。　d'Escayrac；　after　a　few　skirmishes；　abandoned　by　the

municipal　officers　of　his　village；　and　wounded；　withdraws　to　the

house　of　the　Comte　de　Clarac；　a　major…general；　in　Languedoc。　　Here；

too；　the　chateau；　is　surrounded；＇73＇　blockaded；　and　besieged　by　the

local　National　Guard。　　M。　de　Clarac　descends　and　tries　to　hold　a

parley　with　the　attacking　party；　and　is　fired　upon。　　He　goes　back

inside　and　throws　money　out　of　the　window；　the　money　is　gathered　up；

and　he　is　again　fired　upon。　　The　chateau　is　set　on　fire；　and　M。

d'Escayrac　receives　five　shots；　and　is　killed。　　M。　de　Clarac；　with

another　person；　having　taken　refuge　in　a　subterranean　vault；　are

taken　out　almost　stifled　the　next　morning　but　one　by　the　National

Guard　of　the　vicinity；　who　conduct　them　to　Toulouse；　where　they　are

kept　in　prison　and　where　the　public　prosecutor　takes　proceedings

against　them。　　The　chateau　of　Bagat；　near　Montcuq；　is　demolished　at

the　same　time。　　The　abbey　of　Espagnac；　near　Figeac；　is　assaulted

with　fire…arms；　the　abbess　is　forced　to　refund　all　rents　she　has

collected；　and　to　restore　four　thousand　livres　for　the　expenses　of　a

trial　which　the　convent　had　gained　twenty　years　before。



After　such　successes；　the　extension　of　the　revolt　is　inevitable；　and

at　the　end　of　some　weeks　and　months　it　becomes　permanent　in　the

three　neighboring　departments。　　…　　In　Creuse；＇74＇　the　judges　are

threatened　with　death　if　they　order　the　payment　of　seignorial　dues；

and　the　same　fate　awaits　all　proprietors　who　claim　their　rents。　　In

many　places；　and　especially　in　the　mountains；　the　peasants；

〃considering　that　they　form　the　nation；　and　that　clerical

possessions　are　national；〃　want　to　have　these　divided　amongst

themselves；　instead　of　their　being　sold。　　Fifty　parishes　around　La

Souterraine　receive　incendiary　letters　inviting　them　to　come　in　arms

to　the　town；　in　order　to　secure　by　force；　and　by　staking　their

lives；　the　production　of　all　titles　to　rentals。　　The　peasants；　in　a

circle　of　eight　leagues；　are　all　stirred　up　by　the　sound　of　the

tocsin；　and　preceded　by　the　municipal　officers　in　their　scarves；

there　are　four　thousand　of　them；　and　they　drag　with　them　a　wagon

full　of　arms：　this　is　for　the　revision　and　re…constitution　of　the

ownership　of　the　soil。　　…　　In　Dordogne；＇75＇　self…appointed

arbitrators　interpose　imperiously　between　the　proprietor　and　the

small　farmer；　at　the　time　of　harvest；　to　prevent　the　proprietor　from

claiming；　and　the　farmer　from　paying；　the　tithes　or　the　réve；＇76＇

any　agreement　to　this　end　is　forbidden；　whoever　shall　transgress　the

new　order　of　things；　proprietor　or　farmer；　shall　be　hung。

Accordingly；　the　rural　militia　in　the　districts　of　Bergerac；

Excideuil；　Ribérac；　Mucidan；　Montignac；　and　Perigueux；　led　by　the

municipal　officers；　go　from　commune　to　commune　in　order　to　force　the

proprietors　to　sign　an　act　of　withdrawal；　and　these　visits　〃are

always　accompanied　with　robberies；　outrages；　and　ill…treatment　from

which　there　is　no　escape　but　in　absolute　submission。〃　Moreover；

〃they　demand　the　abolition　of　every　species　of　tax　and　the　partition

of　the　soil。　　〃　　…　　It　is　impossible　for　〃proprietors　moderately

rich　〃　to　remain　in　the　country；　on　all　sides　they　take　refuge　in

Perigueux；　and　there；　organizing　in　companies；　along　with　the

gendarmerie　and　the　National　Guard　of　the　town；　overrun　the　cantons

to　restore　order。　　But　there　is　no　way　of　persuading　the　peasantry

that　it　is　order　which　they　wish　to　restore。　　With　that　stubbornness

of　the　imagination　which　no　obstacle　arrests；　and　which；　like　a

vigorous　spring；　always　finds　some　outlet；　the　people　declare　that

〃the　gendarmes　and　National　Guard〃　who　come　to　restrain　them　〃are

priests　and　gentlemen　in　disguise。〃　　…　　The　new　theories；　moreover；

have　struck　down　to　the　lowest　depths；　and　nothing　is　easier　than　to

draw　from　them　the　abolition　of　debts；　and　even　the　agrarian　law。

At　Ribérac；　which　is　invaded　by　the　people　of　the　neighboring

parishes；　a　village　tailor；　taking　the　catechism　of　the　Constitution

from　his　pocket；　argues　with　the　procureur…syndic；　and　proves　to　him

that　the　insurgents　are　only　exercising　the　rights　of　man。　　The　book

states；　in　the　first　place；　〃that　Frenchmen　are　equals　and　brethren；

and　that　they　should　give　each　other　aid；〃　and　that　〃the　masters

should　share　with　their　fellows；　especially　this　year；　which　is　one

of　scarcity。〃　In　the　next　place；　it　is　written　that　〃all　property

belongs　to　the　nation；〃　and　that　is　the　reason　why　〃it　has　taken　the

possessions　of　the　Church。〃　Now；　all　Frenchmen　compose　the　nation；

and　the　conclusion　is　clearly　apparent。　　Since；　in　the　eyes　of　the

tailor；　the　property　of　individual　Frenchmen　belongs　to　all　the

French；　he；　the　tailor；　has　a　right　to　at　least　the　quota　which

belongs　to　him。　　…　　One　travels　fast　and　far　on　this　downhill　road；

for　every　mob　considers　that　this　means　immediate　enjoyment；　and

enjoyment　according　to　its　own　ideas。　　There　is　no　care　for

neighbors　or　for　consequences；　even　when　imminent　and　physical；　and

in　twenty　places　the　confiscated　property　perishes　in　the　hands　of

the　usurpers。



This　voluntary　destruction　of　property　can　be　best　observed　in　the

third　department；　that　of　Corrèze。＇77＇　　Not　only　have　the　peasants

here　refused　to　pay　rents　from　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　not

only　have　they　〃planted　maypoles；　supplied　with　iron　hooks；　to　hang

〃　the　first　one　that　dared　to　claim　or　to　pay　them；　not　only　are

violent　acts　of　every　description　committed　〃by　entire　communes；〃

〃the　National　Guards　of　the　small　communes　participating　in　them；〃

not　only　do　the　culprits；　whose　arrest　is　ordered；　remain　at

liberty；　while　〃nothi