the origins of contemporary france-4-第135章

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associations。＇31＇



To　this　we　must　add　the　spoliation　of　State　credits　and　all　other

credits：　it　issues　in　fourteen　months　5　100　millions　of　assignats；　at

one　time　and　with　one　decree　1；400　million　and　another　time　2；000

millions。　　It　thus　condemns　itself　to　complete　future　bankruptcy。　　It

also　calls　in　the　1；500　million　of　assignats　bearing　the　royal　stamp

（à　face　royale）　and　thus　arbitrarily　converts　and　reduces　the　public

debt　on　the　Grand　Ledger；　which　is　already；　in　fact；　a　partial　and

declared　bankruptcy。　　Six　months　imprisonment　for　whoever　refuses　to

accept　assignats　at　par；　twenty　years　in　irons　if　the　offence　is

repeated　and　the　guillotine　if　there　is　an　incivique　intention　or　act；

which　suffices　for　all　other　creditors。＇32＇



The　spoliation　of　individuals；　a　forced　loan　of　a　billion　on　the　rich；

requisitions　for　coin　against　assignats　at　par；　seizures　of　plate　and

jewels　in　private　houses；　revolutionary　taxes　so　numerous　as　not　only

to　exhaust　the　capital；　but　likewise　the　credit；　of　the　person

taxed；＇33＇　and　the　resumption　by　the　State　of　the　public　domain

pledged　to　private　individuals　for　the　past　three　centuries。　　How　many

years　of　labor　are　requisite　to　bring　together　again　so　much　available

capital；　to　reconstruct　in　France　and　to　refill　once　again　those

private　reservoirs　which　are　to　contain　the　accumulated　savings

essential　for　the　out…flow　required　to　drive　the　great　wheel　of　each

general　enterprise？　Take　into　account；　moreover；　the　enterprises　which

are　directly　destroyed；　root　and　branch；　by　revolutionary　executions；

enforced　against　the　manufacturers　and　traders　of　Lyons；　Marseilles

and　Bordeaux；　proscribed　in　a　mass；＇34＇　guillotined；　imprisoned；　or

put　to　flight；　their　factories　stopped；　their　storehouses　put　under

sequestration；　with　their　stocks　of　brandy；　soap；　silk；　muslins；

leather；　paper；　serges；　cloth；　canvas；　cordage　and　the　rest；　the　same

at　Nantes　under　Carrier；　at　Strasbourg　under　Saint…Just；　and

everywhere　else。＇35＇　…　〃Commerce　is　annihilated；〃　writes　a　Swiss

merchant；＇36＇　from　Paris；　and　the　government；　one　would　say；　tries

systematically　to　render　it　impossible。　　On　the　27th　of　June；　1793；

the　Convention　closes　the　Bourse；　on　the　15th　of　April；　1794；　it

suppresses　〃financial　associations〃　and　〃prohibits　all　bankers；

merchants　and　other　persons　from　organizing　any　establishment　of　the

said　character　under　any　pretext　or　title　whatsoever。〃　On　the　8th　of

September；　1793；　the　Commune　places　seals　〃in　all　the　counting…houses

of　bankers；　stockbrokers；　agents　and　silver…dealers；〃＇37＇　and　locks　up

their　owners；　as　a　favor；　considering　that　they　are　obliged　to　pay　the

drafts　drawn　on　them；　they　are　let　out；　but　provisionally；　and　on

condition　that　they　remain　under　arrest　at　home；　〃under　the　guard　of

two　good　citizens；〃　at　their　own　expense。　　Such　is　the　case　in　Paris

and　in　other　cities；　not　alone　with　prominent　merchants；　but　likewise

with　notaries　and　lawyers；　with　whom　funds　are　on　deposit　and　who

manage　estates；　a　sans…culotte　with　his　pike　stands　in　their　cabinet

whilst　they　write；　and　he　accompanies　them　in　the　street　when　they

call　on　their　clients。　　Imagine　the　state　of　a　notary's　office　or　a

counting…room　under　a　system　of　this　sort！　The　master　of　it　winds　up

his　business　as　soon　as　he　can；　no　matter　how；　makes　no　new

engagements　and　does　as　little　as　possible。　　Still　more　inactive　than

he；　his　colleagues；　condemned　to　an　indefinite　listlessness；　under

lock　and　key　in　the　common　prison；　no　longer　attend　to　their　business。

…　There　is　a　general；　total　paralysis　of　those　natural　organs　which；

in　economic　life；　produce；　elaborate；　receive；　store；　preserve；

exchange　and　transmit　in　large　quantities；　and　as　an　after　effect；

embarrass；　saturate；　or　weaken　all　the　lesser　subordinate　organs　to

which　the　superior　ones　no　longer　provide　outlets；　intermediary

agencies　or　aliment。



It　is　now　the　turn　of　the　small　enterprises。　　Whatever　their

sufferings　may　be　they　are　ordered　to　carry　their　work　out　as　in

normal　times；　and　they　will　be　forced　to　do　this。　　The　Convention；

pursuing　its　accustomed　rigid　logical　course　with　its　usual

shortsightedness；　lays　on　them　its　violent　and　inept　hands；　they　are

trodden　down；　trampled　upon　and　mauled　for　the　purpose　of　curing　them。

Farmers　are　forbidden　to　sell　their　produce　except　in　the　markets；　and

obliged　to　bring　to　these　a　quota　of　so　many　sacks　per　week；　military

raids　compelling　them　to　furnish　their　quotas。＇38＇　Shopkeepers　are

ordered　〃to　expose　for　sale；　daily　and　publicly；　all　goods　and

provisions　of　prime　necessity〃　that　they　have　on　hand；　while　a　maximum

price　is　established；　above　which　no　one　shall　sell　〃bread；　flour　and

grain；　vegetables　and　fruits；　wine；　vinegar；　cider；　beer　and　brandy；

fresh　meat；　salt　meat；　pork；　cattle；　dried；　salted；　smoked　or　pickled

fish；　butter；　honey；　sugar；　sweet…oil；　lamp…oil；　candles；　firewood；

charcoal　and　other　coal；　salt；　soap；　soda；　potash；　leather；　iron；

steel；　castings；　lead；　brass；　hemp；　linen；　woolens；　canvas　and　woven

stuffs；　sabots；　shoes　and　tobacco。〃　Whoever　keeps　on　hand　more　than　he

consumes　is　a　monopolist　and　commits　a　capital　crime；　the　penalty；

very　severe；　is　imprisonment　or　the　pillory；　for　whoever　sells　above

the　established　price：＇39＇　such　are　the　simple　and　direct　expedients

of　the　revolutionary　government；　and　such　is　the　character　of　its

inventive　faculty；　like　that　of　the　savage　who　hews　down　a　tree　to　get

at　its　fruit。　　…　Consequently；　after　the　first　application　of　the

〃maximum〃　the　shopkeeper　is　no　longer　able　to　carry　on　business；　his

customers；　attracted　by　the　sudden　depreciation　in　price　of　his　wares；

flock　to　his　shop　and　empty　it　in　a　few　days；＇40＇　having　sold　his

goods　for　half　what　they　cost　him；＇41＇　he　has　got　back　only　one…half

of　his　advances；　therefore；　he　can　only　one…half　renew　his　assortment；

less　than　a　half；　since　he　has　not　paid　his　bills；　and　his　credit　is

declining；　the　（Jacobin）　representatives　on　mission　having　taken　all

his　coin；　plate　and　assignats。　　Hence；　during　the　following　month；

buyers　find　on　his　unfurnished　counters　nothing　but　rubbish　and

refuse。



In　like　manner；　after　the　proclamation　of　the　maximum；＇42＇　the　peasant

refuses　to　bring　his　produce　to　market；　while　the　revolutionary　army

is　not　everywhere　on　hand　to　take　it　from　him　by　force：　he　leaves　his

crop　unthrashed　as　long　as　he　can；　and　complains　of　not　finding　the

men　to　thrash　it。　　If　necessary；　he　hides　it　or　feeds　it　out　to　his

animals。　　He　often　barters　it　away　for　wood；　for　a　side　of　bacon　or　in

payment　for　a　day's　work。　　At　night；　he　carts　it　off　six　leagues　to　a

neighboring　district；　where　the　local　maximum　is　fixed　at　a　higher

rate。　　He　knows　who；　in　his　own　vicinity；　still　has　specie　in　his

pocket　and　he　underhandedly　supplies　him　with　his　stores。　　He

especially　conceals　his　superabundance　and；　as　formerly；　pretends　to

be　poor　and　suffering。　　He　is　on　good　terms　with　the　village

authorities；　with　the　mayor　and　national　agent　who　are　as　interested

as　he　is　in　evading　the　law；　and；　on　a　bribe　being　necessary；　he　gives

it。　　At　last；　he　allows　himself　to　be　sued；　and　his　property　attached；

he　goes　to　prison　and　tires　the　authorities　out　with　his　obstinacy。

Hence；　from　week　to　week；　less　flour　and　grain　and　fewer　cattle　come

to　market；　while　meat　becomes　scarcer　at　the　butcher's；　and　bread　at

the　baker's。　　…　Having　thus　paralyzed　the　lesser　organs　of　supply　and

demand　the　Jacobins　now　have　only　to　paralyze　labor　itself；　the

skilled　hands；　the　active　and　vigorous　arms。　　This　is　simply　done　by

replacing　the　independent　private　workshop　by　the　compulsory　national

workshop　in　this　way　replacing　piece…work　by　work　by　the　day；　and　the

attentive；　energetic　workman　who　minds　his　business　and　expects　to

earn　money　in　return　by　inattentive　apathic　workmen　pressed　into　a

poorly　paid　service　but　paid　even　when　they　botch　the　job　or　laze

about。　　…　This　is　w