the origins of contemporary france-4-第138章

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in　spoilt　or　mixed　grain　or　poor　flour；　while　those　who　have　no　rusty

wheat　get　it　of　their　neighbors。　　Instead　of　parting　with　a　hundred

quintals　they　part　with　fifty；　while　the　quantity　of　grain　in　the

Paris　markets　is　not　only　insufficient；　but　the　grain　blackens　or

sprouts　and　the　flour　grows　musty。　　In　vain　the　government　makes

clerks　and　depositaries　of　butchers　and　grocers；　allowing　them　five　or

ten　per　cent。　　profit　on　retail　sales　of　the　food　it　supplies　them

with　at　wholesale；　and　thus　creates　in　Paris；　at　the　expense　of　all

France；　an　artificial　drop　in　prices。　　Naturally；　the　bread＇74＇　which；

thanks　to　the　State；　costs　three　sous　in　Paris；　is　furtively　carried

out　of　Paris　into　the　suburbs；　where　six　sous　are　obtained　for　it。

There　is　the　same　furtive　leakage　for　other　food　furnished　by　the

State　on　the　same　conditions　to　other　dealers；　the　tax　is　a　burden

which　forces　them　to　go　outside　their　shops。　　Food　finds　its　level

like　water；　not　alone　outside　of　Paris；　but　in　Paris　itself。



*　Naturally；　〃the　grocers　peddle　their　goods〃　secretly；　〃sugar；

candles；　soap；　butter；　dried　vegetables；　meat　pies　and　the　rest；〃

amongst　private　houses；　in　which　these　articles　are　bought　at　any

price。



*　Naturally；　the　butcher　keeps　his　large　pieces　of　beef　and　choice

morsels　for　the　large　eating　houses；　and　for　rich　customers　who　pay

him　whatever　profit　he　asks。



*　Naturally；　whoever　is　in　authority；　or　has　the　power；　uses　it　to

supply　himself　first；　largely；　and　in　preference；　we　have　seen　the

levies　of　the　revolutionary　committees；　superintendents　and　agents；　as

soon　as　rations　are　allotted　to　all　mouths；　each　potentate　will　have

several　rations　delivered　for　his　mouth　alone；　in　the　meantime＇75＇　the

patriots　who　guard　the　barriers　appropriate　all　provisions　that

arrive；　and　the　next　morning；　should　any　scolding　appear　in　the　orders

of　the　day；　it　is　but　slight。



Such　are　the　two　results　of　the　system：　not　only　is　the　food　which　is

supplied　to　Paris　scant　and　poor；　but　the　regular　consumers　of　it；

those　who　take　their　turn　to　get　it；　obtain　but　a　small　portion；　and

that　the　worst。＇76＇　A　certain　inspector；　on　going　to　the　corn　market

for　a　sample　of　flour；　writes　〃that　it　cannot　be　called　flour；＇77＇　it

is　ground　bran；〃　and　not　a　nutritive　substance；　the　bakers　are　forced

to　take　it；　the　markets　containing　for　the　most　part　no　other　supply

than　this　flour。〃　…　Again；　three　weeks　later；　〃Food　is　still　very

scarce　and　poor　in　quality。　　The　bread　is　disagreeable　to　the　taste

and　produces　maladies　with　which　many　citizens　are　suffering；　like

dysentery　and　other　inflammatory　ailments。〃　The　same　report；　three

months　later　during　the　month　of　Niv？se：　〃Complaints　are　constantly

made　of　the　poor　quality　of　flour；　which；　it　is　said；　makes　a　good

many　people　ill　；　it　causes　severe　pain　in　the　intestines；　accompanied

with　a　slow　fever。　　…　During　Vent？se；　〃the　scarcity　of　every　article

is　extremely　great；〃＇78＇　especially　of　meat。　　Some　women　in　the　Place

Maubert；　pass　six　hours　in　a　line　waiting　for　it；　and　do　not　get　the

quarter　of　a　pound；　in　many　stalls　there　is　none　at　all；　not　〃an

ounce〃　being　obtainable　to　make　broth　for　the　sick。　　Workmen　do　not

get　it　in　their　shops　and　do　without　their　soup；　they　live　on　〃bread

and　salted　herrings。〃　A　great　many　people　groan　over　〃not　having　eaten

bread　for　a　fortnight；〃　women　say　that　〃they　have　not　had　a　dish　of

meat　and　vegetables　（pot　au　feu）　for　a　month。〃　Meanwhile　〃vegetables

are　astonishingly　scarce　and　excessively　dear。　　。　　。　　。　　two　sous　for

a　miserable　carrot；　and　as　much　for　two　small　leeks。〃　Out　of　two

thousand　women　who　wait　at　the　central　market　for　a　distribution　of

beans；　only　six　hundred　receive　any。　　Potatoes　increase　in　price　in

one　week　from　two　to　three　francs　a　bushel；　and　oatmeal　and　ground

peas　triple　in　price。　　〃The　grocers　have　no　more　brown　sugar；　even　for

the　sick；〃　and　sell　candles　and　soap　only　by　the　half　pound。　　…　A

fortnight　later　candles　are　wholly　wanting　in　certain　quarters；　except

in　the　section　storehouse；　which　is　almost　empty；　each　person　being

allowed　only　one。　　A　good　many　households　go　to　rest　at　sundown　for

lack　of　lights　and　do　not　cook　any　dinner　for　lack　of　coal。　　Eggs；

especially；　are　〃honored　as　invisible　divinities；〃　while　the　absent

butter　〃is　a　god。〃＇79＇　〃If　this　lasts；〃　say　the　workmen；　〃we　shall

have　to　cut　each　other's　throats；　since　there　is　nothing　left　to　live

on。〃＇80＇　〃Sick　women；＇81＇　children　in　their　cradles；　lie　outstretched

in　the　sun；〃　in　the　very　heart　of　Paris；　in　rue　Vivienne；　on　the　Pont…

Royal；　and　remain　there　〃late　in　the　night；　demanding　alms　of　the

passers…by。〃　〃One　is　constantly　stopped　by　beggars　of　both　sexes；　most

of　them　healthy　and　strong；〃　begging；　they　say；　for　lack　of　work。

Without　counting　the　feeble　and　the　infirm　who　are　unable　to　stand　in

a　line；　whose　sufferings　are　visible；　who　gradually　waste　away　and　die

without　a　murmur　at　home；　〃one　encounters　in　the　streets　and　markets〃

only　famished　and　eager　visages；　〃an　immense　crowd　of　citizens　running

and　dashing　against　each　other；〃　crying　out　and　weeping；　〃everywhere

presenting　an　image　of　despair。〃＇82＇







V。　　Revolutionary　Remedies。



Revolutionary　remedies。　　…　Rigor　against　the　refractory。　　…　Decrees

and　orders　rendering　the　State　the　only　depositary　and　distributor　of

food。　　…　Efforts　made　to　establish　a　conscription　of　labor。　　…

Discouragement　of　the　Peasant。　　…　He　refuses　to　cultivate。　　…　Decrees

and　orders　compelling　him　to　harvest。　　…　His　stubbornness。　　…

Cultivators　imprisoned　by　thousands。　　…　The　Convention　is　obliged　to

set　them　at　liberty。　　…　Fortunate　circumstances　which　save　France　from

extreme　famine。



This　penury　only　exists；　say　the　Jacobins；　because　the　laws　against

monopoly；　and　sales　above　the　〃maximum〃　prices　are　not　being　obeyed　to

the　letter　of　the　law。　　The　egoism　of　the　cultivator　and　the　cupidity

of　dealers　are　not　restrained　by　fear　and　delinquents　escape　too

frequently　from　the　legal　penalty。　　Let　us　enforce　this　penalty

rigorously；　let　us　increase　the　punishment　against　them　and　their

instruments；　let　us　screw　up　the　machine　and　give　them　a　new　wrench。

A　new　estimate　and　verification　of　the　food　supply　takes　place；

domiciliary　searches；　seizures　of　special　stores　regarded　as　too

ample；＇83＇　limited　rations　for　each　consumer；　a　common　and　obligatory

mess　table　for　all　prisoners；　brown；　égalité　bread；　mostly　of　bran；

for　every　mouth　that　can　chew；　prohibition　of　the　making　of　any　other

kind；　confiscation　of　boulters　and　sieves；＇84＇　the　〃individual；〃

personal　responsibility　of　every　administrator　who　allows　the　people

he　directs　to　resist　or　escape　providing　the　demanded　supplies；　the

sequestration　of　his　property；　imprisonment；　fines；　the　pillory　and

the　guillotine　to　hurry　up　requisitions；　or　stop　free　trading；　…　every

terrifying　method　is　driven　to　the　utmost　against　the　farmers　and

cultivators　of　the　soil。



After　April；　1794；＇85＇　crowds　of　this　class　are　found　filling　the

prisons　to　overflowing；　the　Revolution　has　struck　them　also。　　They

stroll　about　in　the　court　yard；　and　wander　through　the　corridors　with

a　sad；　stupefied　expression；　no　longer　comprehending　the　way　things

are　going　on　in　the　world。　　In　vain　are　efforts　made　to　explain　to

them　that　〃their　crops　are　national　property　and　that　they　are　simply

its　depositaries；〃＇86＇　never　had　this　new　principle　entered　into；　nor

will　it　enter；　their　rude　brains；　always；　through　habit　and　instinct；

will　they　work　against　it。　　…　Let　them　be　spared　the　temptation。　　Let

us　（the　Jacobins）　relieve　them　from；　and；　in　fact；　take　their　crops；

let　the　State　in　France　become　the　sole　depositary　and　distributor　of

grain；　let　it　solely　buy　and　sell　grain　at　a　fixed　rate。

Consequently；　at　Paris；＇87＇　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　first　puts

〃in　requisition　all　the　oats　that　can　be　found　in　the　Republic；　every

holder　of　oats　is　required