the origins of contemporary france-4-第117章

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presumed　that　they　are　hostile　to　the　system　of　fraternity；　at　least

indifferent　to　it；　as　well　as　lukewarm　towards　the　Republic；　that　is

to　say；　Moderates；　which　is　the　worst　offense　of　all。＇109＇　Being　the

foremost　of　their　class；　they　are　haughty　like　the　nobles　or　the

bourgeois　and　regard　themselves　as　superior　to　a　poor　man；　to　a

vagabond；　to　a　genuine　sans…culotte；　the　fourth　and　most　inexcusable

of　all　offenses。　　Moreover；　from　the　fact　of　their　superior　condition；

they　have　contracted　familiarities　and　formed　connections　with　the

proscribed　class；　the　farmer；　the　intendant；　the　overseer　is　often

attached　to　his　noble　proprietor　or　patron；＇110＇　many　of　the　farmers；

shopkeepers　and　craftsmen　belonging　to　old　families　are　considered　as

affiliated　with　the　bourgeoisie　or　the　clergy；＇111＇　through　a　son　or

brother　who　has　risen　a　degree　in　trade；　or　by　some　industrial

pursuit；　or　who；　having　completed　his　studies；　has　become　a　curé　or

lawyer；　or　else　through　some　daughter；　or　well…married　sister；　or

through　one　who　has　become　a　nun：　now；　this　relation；　ally；　friend　or

comrade　of　a　〃suspect　〃　is　himself　a　〃suspect；〃　…　the　last　anti…

revolutionary　and　decisive　barrier。　　Sober　and　well…behaved　persons；

having　prospered　or　maintained　themselves　under　the　ancient　régime；

must　naturally　cherish　respect　for　former　institutions；　they　must

involuntarily　retain　a　deep　feeling　of　veneration　for　the　King；　and

especially　for　religion；　they　are　devout　Catholics；　and　therefore　are

chagrined　to　see　the　churches　shut　up；　worship　prohibited　and

ecclesiastics　persecuted；　and　would　again　be　glad　to　go　to　Mass；　honor

Easter；　and　have　an　orthodox　curé　who　could　administer　to　them

available　sacraments；　a　baptism；　an　absolution；　a　marriage…rite；　a

genuine　extreme　unction。＇112＇　…　Under　all　these　headings；　they　have

made　personal　enemies　of　the　rascals　who　hold　office；　on　all　these

grounds；　they　are　struck　down；　what　was　once　meritorious　with　them　is

now　disgraceful。　　Thus；　the　principal　swath　consists　of　the　élite　of

the　people；　selected　from　amongst　the　people　itself；　it　is　against　the

〃subordinate　aristocracy；〃　those　most　capable　of　doing　and　conducting

manual　labor；　the　most　creditable　workmen；　through　their　activity；

frugality　and　good　habits；　that　the　Revolution；　in　its　rigor　against

the　inferior　class；　rages　with　the　greatest　fury。



VIII。　　Rigor　against　the　Upper　Classes。



The　rigor　of　the　revolutionary　laws　increase　according　to　the

elevation　of　the　class。　　…　The　Notables　properly　so　called　attacked

because　of　their　being　Notables。　　…　Orders　of　Taillefer；　Milhaud；　and

Lefiot。　　…　The　public　atonement　of　Montargis。



For　the　same　reason；　as　far　as　the　notables；　properly　so…called；　are

concerned；　it　bears　down　still　more　heavily；　not　merely　on　the　nobles

because　of　ancient　privileges；　not　merely　on　ecclesiastics　on　the

score　of　being　insubordinate　Catholics；　but　on　nobles；　ecclesiastics

and　bourgeois　in　their　capacity　of　notables；　that　is　to　say；　born　and

bred　above　others；　and　respected　by　the　masses　on　account　of　their

superior　condition。　　…　　In　the　eyes　of　the　genuine　Jacobin；　the

notables　of　the　third　class　are　no　less　criminal　than　the　members　of

the　two　superior　classes。　　〃The　bourgeois；＇113＇　the　merchants；　the

large　proprietors；〃　writes　a　popular　club　in　the　South；　〃all　have　the

pretension　of　the　old　set　（des　ci…dévants）。〃　And　the　club　complains　of

〃the　law　not　providing　means　for　opening　the　eyes　of　the　people　with

respect　to　these　new　tyrants。〃　It　is　horrible！　The　stand　they　take　is

an　offense　against　equality　and　they　are　proud　of　it！　And　what　is

worse；　this　stand　attracts　public　consideration！　Consequently；　〃the

club　requests　that　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　be　empowered　to　consign

this　proud　class　to　temporary　confinement；〃　and　then　〃the　people　would

see　the　crime　it　had　committed　and　recover　from　the　sort　of　esteem　in

which　they　had　held　it。〃　…　Incorrigible　and　contemptuous　heretics

against　the　new　creed；　they　are　only　too　lucky　to　be　treated　somewhat

like　infidel　Jews　in　the　middle…ages。　　Accordingly；　if　they　are

tolerated；　it　is　on　the　condition　that　they　let　themselves　be　pillaged

at　discretion；　covered　with　opprobrium　and　subdued　through　fear。　　…　At

one　time；　with　insulting　irony；　they　are　called　upon　to　prove　their

dubious　civism　by　forced　donations。　　〃Whereas；〃＇114＇　says

Representative　Milhaud；　〃all　the　citizens　and　citoyennes　of　Narbonne

being　in　requisition　for　the　discharge　and　transport　of　forage；

whereas；　this　morning；　the　Representative；　in　person；　having　inspected

the　performance　of　this　duty；〃　and　having　observed　on　the　canal　〃none

but　sans…culottes　and　a　few　young　citizens；　whereas；　not　finding　at

their　posts　any　muscadin　and　no　muscadine；　whereas；　the　persons；　whose

hands　are　no　doubt　too　delicate；　even　temporarily；　for　the　glorious

work　of　robust　sans…culottes；　have；　on　the　other　hand；　greater

resources　in　their　fortune；　and；　desiring　to　afford　to　the　rich　of

Narbonne　the　precious　advantage　of　being　equally　useful　to　the

republic；〃　hereby　orders　that　〃the　richest　citizens　of　Narbonne　pay

within　twenty…four　hours〃　a　patriotic　donation　of　one　hundred　thousand

livres；　one…half　to　be　assigned　to　the　military　hospitals；　and　the

other　half；　on　the　designation　thereof　by　a　〃Committee　of　Charity；

composed　of　three　reliable　revolutionary　sans…culottes；〃　to　be

distributed　among　the　poor　of　the　Commune。　　Should　any　〃rich　egoist

refuse　to　contribute　his　contingent　he　is　to　be　immediately

transferred　to　the　jail　at　Perpignan。〃　…　Not　to　labor　with　one's　own

hands；　to　be　disqualified　for　work　demanding　physical　strength；　is　of

itself　a　democratic　stain；　and　the　man　who　is　sullied　by　this　draws

down　on　himself；　not　alone　an　augmentation　of　pecuniary　taxation；　but

frequently　an　augmentation　of　personal　compulsory　labor。　　At

Villeneuve；　Aveyron；　and　throughout　the　department　of　Cantal；＇115＇

Representative　Taillefer　and　his　delegate　Deltheil；　instruct　the

Revolutionary　Committees　to　〃place　under　military　requisition　and

conscription　all　muscadins　above　the　first　class；〃　that　is　to　say；　all

between　twenty…five　and　forty　years　of　age　who　are　not　reached　by　the

law。　　〃By　muscadins　is　meant　all　citizens　of　that　age　not　married；　and

exercising　no　useful　profession；〃　in　other　words；　those　who　live　on

their　income。　　And；　that　none　of　the　middle　or　upper　class　may　escape；

the　edict　subjects　to　special　rigor；　supplementary　taxes；　and

arbitrary　arrest；　not　alone　property…holders　and　fund…holders；　but

again　all　persons　designated　under　the　following　heads；　…　aristocrats；

Feuillants；　moderates；　Girondists；　federalists；　muscadins；　the

superstitious；　fanatics　the　abettors　of　royalism；　of　superstition　and

of　federation；　monopolists；　jobbers；　egoists；　〃suspects　〃　of　incivism；

and；　generally；　all　who　are　indifferent　to　the　Revolution；　of　which

local　committees　are　to　draw　up　the　lists。




Occasionally；　in　a　town；　some　steps　taken　collectively；　either　a　vote

or　petition；。　　furnish　a　ready…made　list；＇116＇　it　suffices　to　read

this　to　know　who　are　notables；　the　most　upright　people　of　the　place；

henceforth；　under　the　pretext　of　political　repression；　the　levellers

may　give　free　play　to　their　social　hatred。　　…　At　Montargis；　nine　days

after　the　attempt　of　June　20；　1792；＇117＇　two　hundred　and　twenty…eight

notables　sign　an　address　in　testimony　of　their　respectful　sympathy　for

the　King；　a　year　and　nine　months　later；　in　consequence　of　a

retroactive　stroke；　all　are　hit；　and；　with　the　more　satisfaction；

inasmuch　as　in　their　persons　the　most　respected　in　the　town　fall

beneath　the　blow；　all　whom　flight　and　banishment　had　left　there

belonging　to　the　noble；　ecclesiastic；　bourgeois　or　popular

aristocracy。　　Already；　〃on　the　purification　of　the　constituted

authorities　of　Montargis；　the　representative　had　withdrawn　every

signer　from　places　of　public　trust　and　kept　them　out　of　all　offices。〃

But　this　is　not　sufficient；　t