the origins of contemporary france-2-第98章

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

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

liberty；　while　〃nothing　is　spoken　of　but　the　hanging　of　the

constables　who　serve　writs；〃　but　farther；　together　with　the

ownership　of　the　water…sources；　the　power　of　collecting；　directing；

and　distributing　the　water　is　overthrown；　and；　in　a　country　of　in　a

country　of　steep　slopes；　the　consequences　of　such　an　operation　may

be　imagined。　Three　leagues　from　Tulle；　in　a　forming　a　semi…circle；　a

pond　twenty　feet　in　depth；　and　covering　an　area　of　three　hundred

acres；　was　enclosed　by　a　broad　embankment　on　the　side　of　a　very　deep

gorge；　which　was　completely　covered　with　houses；　mills；　and

cultivation。　　On　the　17th　of　April；　1791；　a　troop　of　five　hundred

armed　men　assembled　by　the　beat　of　a　drum；　and　collected　from　three

villages　in　the　vicinity；　set　themselves　to　demolish　the　dike。　　The

proprietor；　M。　de　Sedières；　a　substitute…deputy　in　the　National

Assembly；　is　not　advised　of　it　until　eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening。

Mounting　his　horse；　along　with　his　guests　and　domestics；　he　makes　a

charge　on　the　insane　wretches；　and；　with　the　aid　of　pistol　and　gun

shots；　disperses　them。　　It　was　time；　for　the　trench　they　had　dug　was

already　eight　feet　deep；　and　the　water　was　nearly　on　a　level　with

it：　a　half…hour　later　and　the　terrible　rolling　mass　of　waters　would

have　poured　out　on　the　inhabitants　of　the　gorge。　　…　　But　such

vigorous　strokes；　which　are　rare　and　hardly　ever　successful；　are　no

defense　against　universal　and　continuous　attacks。　　The　regular

troops　and　the　gendarmerie；　both　of　which　are　in　the　way　of

reorganization　or　of　dissolution；　are　not　trustworthy；　or　are　too

weak。　　There　are　no　more　than　thirty　of　the　cavalry　in　Creuse；　and

as　many　in　Corrèze。　　The　National　Guards　of　the　towns　are　knocked　up

by　expeditions　into　the　country；　and　there　is　no　money　with　which　to

provide　for　their　change　of　quarters。　　And　finally；　as　the　elections

are　in　the　hands　of　the　people；　this　brings　into　power　men　disposed

to　tolerate　popular　excesses。　　At　Tulle；　the　electors　of　the　second

class；　almost　all　chosen　from　among　the　cultivators；　and；　moreover；

catechized　by　the　club；　nominate　for　deputies　and　public　prosecutor

only　the　candidates　who　are　pledged　against　rentals　and　against

water　privileges。　　…　　Accordingly；　the　general　demolition　of　the

dikes　begins　as　the　month　of　May　approaches。　　This　operation

continues　unopposed　on　a　vast　pond；　a　league　and　a　half　from　the

town；　and　lasts　for　a　whole　week；　elsewhere；　on　the　arrival　of　the

guards　or　of　the　gendarmerie；　they　are　fired　upon。　　Towards　the　end

of　September；　all　the　embankments　in　the　department　are　broken　down：

nothing　is　left　in　the　place　of　the　ponds　but　fetid　marshes；　the

mill…wheels　no　longer　turn；　and　the　fields　are　no　longer　watered。

But　those　who　demolish　them　carry　away　baskets　full　of　fish；　and　the

soil　of　the　ponds　again　becomes　communal。　　…　　Hatred　is　not　the

motive　which　impels　them；　but　the　instinct　of　acquisition：　all　these

violent　outstretched　hands；　which　rigidly　resist　the　law；　are

directed　against　property；　but　not　against　the　proprietor；　they　are

more　greedy　than　hostile。　　One　of　the　noblemen　of　Corrèze；＇78＇　M。　de

Saint…Victour；　has　been　absent　for　five　years。　　From　the　beginning

of　the　Revolution；　although　his　feudal　dues　constitute　one…half　of

the　income　of　his　estate；　he　has　given　orders　that　no　rigorous

measures　shall　be　employed　in　their　collection；　and　the　result　is

that；　since　1789；　none　of　them　were　collected。　　Moreover；　having　a

reserve　stock　of　wheat　on　hand；　he　lent　grain；　to　the　amount　of　four

thousand　francs；　to　those　of　his　tenants　who　had　none。　　In　short；　he

is　liberal；　and；　in　the　neighboring　town；　at　Ussel；　he　even　passes

for　a　Jacobin。　　In　spite　of　all　this；　he　is　treated　just　like　the

rest。　　It　is　because　the　parishes　in　his　domain　are　〃clubbist；〃

governed　by　associations　of　moral　and　practical　levelers；　in　one　of

them　〃the　brigands　have　organized　themselves　into　a　municipal　body；〃

and　have　chosen　their　leader　as　procureur…syndic。　　Consequently；　on

the　22nd　of　August；　eighty　armed　peasants　opened　the　dam　of　his

large　pond；　at　the　risk　of　submerging　a　village　in　the　neighborhood；

the　inhabitants　of　which　came　and　closed　it　up。　　Five　other　ponds

belonging　to　him　are　demolished　in　the　course　of　the　two　following

weeks；　fish　to　the　value　of　from　four　to　five　thousand　francs　are

stolen；　and　the　rest　perish　in　the　weeds。　　In　order　to　make　this

expropriation　sure；　an　effort　is　made　to　burn　his　title…deeds；　his

chateau；　twice　attacked　in　the　night；　is　saved　only　by　the　National

Guard　of　Ussel。　　His　farmers　and　domestics　hesitate；　for　the　time

being；　whether　or　not　to　cultivate　the　ground；　and　come　and　ask　the

steward　if　they　could　sow　the　seeds。　　There　is　no　recourse　to　the

proper　authorities：　the　administrators　and　judges；　even　when　their

own　property　is　concerned；　〃dare　not　openly　show　themselves；〃

because　〃they　do　not　find　themselves　protected　by　the　shield　of　the

law。　　〃　　…　　Popular　will；　traversing　both　the　old　and　the　new　law；

obstinately　persists　in　its　work；　and　forcibly　attains　its　ends。

Thus；　whatever　the　grand　terms　of　liberty；　equality；　and　fraternity

may　be；　with　which　the　Revolution　graces　itself；　it　is；　in　its

essence；　a　transfer　of　property；　in　this　alone　consists　its　chief

support；　its　enduring　energy；　its　primary　impulse　and　its　historical

significance。　　…　　Formerly；　in　antiquity；　similar　movements　were

accomplished；　debts　were　abolished　or　lessened；　the　possessions　of

the　rich　were　confiscated；　and　the　public　lands　were　divided；　but

this　operation　was　confined　to　a　city　and　limited　to　a　small

territory。　　For　the　first　time　it　takes　place　on　a　large　scale　and

in　a　modern　State。　　…　　Thus　far；　in　these　vast　States；　when　the

deeper　foundations　have　been　disturbed；　it　has　ever　been　on　account

of　foreign　domination　or　on　account　of　an　oppression　of　conscience。

In　France　in　the　fifteenth　century；　in　Holland　in　the　sixteenth　and

in　England　in　the　seventeenth　century；　the　peasant；　the　mechanic；

and　the　laborer　had　taken　up　arms　against　an　enemy　or　in　behalf　of

their　faith。　　On　religious　or　patriotic　zeal　has　followed　the

craving　for　prosperity　and　comfort；　and　the　new　motive　is　as

powerful　as　the　others；　for　in　our　industrial；　democratic；　and

utilitarian　societies　it　is　this　which　governs　almost　all　lives；　and

excites　almost　all　efforts。　　Kept　down　for　centuries；　the　passion

recovers　itself　by　throwing　off　government　and　privilege；　the　two

great　weights　which　have　borne　it　down。　　At　the　present　time　this

passion　launches　itself　impetuously　with　its　whole　force；　with

brutal　insensibility；　athwart　every　kind　of　proprietorship　that　is

legal　and　legitimate；　whether　it　be　public　or　private。　　The

obstacles　it　encounters　only　render　it　the　more　destructive　；　beyond

property　it　attacks　proprietors；　and　completes　plunder　with

proscriptions。



______________________________________________________________________



Notes：





＇1＇　The　expression　is　that　of　Jean　Bon　Saint…André　to　Mathieu　Dumas；

sent　to　re…establish　tranquillity　in　Montauban　（1790）：　〃The　day　of

vengeance；　which　we　have　been　awaiting　for　a　hundred　years；　has

come！〃



＇2＇　De　Dampmartin；　I。　　187　（an　eye…witness）。



＇3＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3223　and　3216。　　Letters　of　M。　de

Bouzols；　major　general；　residing　at　Montpellier；　May　21；　25；　28；

1790。



＇4＇　Mary　Lafon；　〃Histoire　d'une　Ville　Protestante　〃。（with　original

documents　derived　from　the　archives　of　Montauban）。



＇5＇　Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　2216。　　Procés…verbal　of　the

Municipality　of　N？mes　and　report　of　the　Abbé　de　Belmont。　　　…　　Report

of　the　Administrative　commissioners；　June　28；　1790。　　　…　　Petition　of

the　Catholics；　April　20。　　　…　　Letters　of　the　Municipality；　the

commissioners；　and　M。　de　Nausel；　on　the　events　of　May　2　and　3。　　　…

Letter　of　M。　Rabaut　S