the origins of contemporary france-4-第140章

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release；　〃provisionally；　of　all　ploughmen；　day…laborers；　reapers；　and

professional　artisans　and　brewers；　in　the　country　and　in　the　market

towns　and　communes；　the　population　of　which　is　not　over　twelve　hundred

inhabitants；　and　who　are　confined　as　'suspects。'　〃　…　In　other　terms；

physical　necessity　has　imposed　silence　on　the　inept　theory；　above　all

things；　the　crop　must　be　harvested；　and　indispensable　arms　be　restored

to　the　field　of　labor。　　The　governors　of　France　are　compelled　to　put

on　the　brake；　if　only　for　an　instant；　at　the　last　moment；　at　sight　of

the　yawning　abyss；　of　approaching　and　actual　famine；　France　was　then

gliding　into　it；　and；　if　not　engulfed；　it　is　simply　a　miracle。



Four　fortunate　circumstances；　at　the　last　hour；　concur　to　keep　her

suspended　on　the　hither　brink　of　the　precipice。　　…　The　winter　chances

to　be　exceptionally　mild。＇97＇　The　vegetables　which　make　up　for　the

absence　of　bread　and　meat　provide　food　for　April　and　May；　while　the

remarkably　fine　harvest；　almost　spontaneous；　is　three　weeks　in

advance。　　…　Another；　and　the　second　piece　of　good　fortune；　consists　in

the　great　convoy　from　America；　one　hundred　and　sixteen　vessels　loaded

with　grain；　which　reached　Brest　on　the　8th　of　June；　1794；　in　spite　of

English　cruisers；　thanks　to　the　sacrifice　of　the　fleet　that　protected

it　and　which；　eight　days　previously；　had　succumbed　in　its　behalf。　　The

third　stroke　of　fortune　is　the　entry　of　a　victorious　army　into　the

enemies　country　and　feeding　itself　through　foreign　requisitions；　in

Belgium；　in　the　Palatinate　and　on　the　frontier　provinces　of　Italy　and

Spain。　　…　Finally；　most　fortunate　of　all；　Robespierre；　Saint　Just　and

Couthon；　the　Paris　commune　and　the　theorist　Jacobins；　are　guillotined

on　the　23rd　of　July；　and　with　them　falls　despotic　socialism。

Henceforth；　the　Jacobin　edifice　crumbles；　owing　to　great　crevices　in

its　walls。　　The　〃maximum；〃　in　fact；　is　no　longer　maintained；　while　the

Convention；　at　the　end　of　December；　1794；　legally　abolishes　it。　　The

farmers　now　sell　as　they　please　and　at　two　prices；　according　as　they

are　paid　in　assignats　or　coin；　their　hope；　confidence　and　courage　are

restored；　in　October　and　November；　1794；　they　voluntarily　do　their　own

plowing　and　planting；　and　still　more　gladly　will　they　gather　in　their

own　crops　in　July；　1795。　　Nevertheless；　we　can　judge　by　the

discouragement　into　which　they　had　been　plunged　by　four　months　of　the

system；　the　utter　prostration　into　which　they　would　have　fallen　had

the　system　lasted　an　indefinite　time。　　It　is　very　probable　that

cultivation　at　the　end　of　one　or　two　years　would　have　proved

unproductive　or　have　ceased　altogether。　　Already；　subject　to　every

sort　of　exhortation　and　threat；　the　peasant　had　remained　inert；

apparently　deaf　and　insensible；　like　an　overloaded　beast　of　burden

which；　so　often　struck；　grows　obstinate　or　sinks　down　and　refuses　to

move。　　It　is　evident　that　he　would　have　never　stirred　again　could

Saint…Just；　holding　him　by　the　throat；　have　bound　him　hand　and　foot；

as　he　had　done　at　Strasbourg；　in　the　multiplied　knots　of　his　Spartan

Utopia。　　We　should　have　seen　what　labor　and　the　stagnation　it　produces

comes　to；　when　managed　through　State　maneuvers　by　administrative

manikins　and　humanitarian　automatons。　　This　experiment　had　been　tried

in　China；　in　the　eleventh　century；　and　according　to　principles；　long

and　regularly；　by　a　well　manipulated　and　omnipotent　State；　on　the　most

industrious　and　soberest　people　in　the　world；　and　men　died　in　myriads

like　flies。　　If　the　French；　at　the　end　of　1794　and　during　the

following　years　did　not　die　like　flies；　it　was　because　the　Jacobin

system　was　relaxed　too　soon。＇98＇



VI。　　Relaxation。



Relaxation　of　the　Revolutionary　system　after　Thermidor。　　…　Repeal　of

the　Maximum。　　…　　New　situation　of　the　peasant。　　…　He　begins　to

cultivation　again。　　…　Requisition　of　grain　by　the　State。　　…　The

cultivator　indemnifies　himself　at　the　expense　of　private　persons。　　…

Multiplication　and　increasing　decline　of　Assignats。　　The　classes　who

have　to　bear　the　burden。　　…　Famine　and　misery　during　year　III；　and　the

first　half　of　year　IV。　　…　In　the　country。…　In　the　small　towns。　　…　In

large　towns　and　cities。



But；　if　the　Jacobin　system；　in　spite　of　its　surviving　founders；

gradually　relaxes　after　Thermidor；　if　the　main　ligature　tied　around

the　man's　neck；　broke　just　as　the　man　was　strangling；　the　others　that

still　bind　him　hold　him　tight；　except　as　they　are　loosened　in　places；

and；　as　it　is；　some　of　the　straps；　terribly　stiffened；　sink　deeper　and

deeper　into　his　flesh。　　…　In　the　first　place；　the　requisitions

continue　there　is　no　other　way　of　provisioning　the　armies　and　the

cities；　the　gendarme　is　always　on　the　road；　compelling　each　village　to

contribute　its　portion　of　grain；　and　at　the　legal　rate。　　The

refractory　are　subject　to　keepers；　confiscations；　fines　and

imprisonment；　they　are　confined　and　kept　in　the　district　lock　ups　〃at

their　own　expense；〃　men　and　women；　twenty　two　on　Pluvi？se　17；　year

III。；　in　the　district　of　Bar…sur…Aube　；　forty　five；　Germinal　7；　in　the

district　of　Troyes　；　forty…five；　the　same　day；　in　the　district　of

Nogent…sur…Seine；　and　twenty　others；　eight　days　later；　in　the　same

district；　in　the　commune　of　Traine　alone。＇99＇　…　The　condition　of　the

cultivator　is　certainly　not　an　easy　one；　while　public　authority；　aided

by　the　public　force；　extorts　from　him　all　it　can　at　a　rate　of　its　own；

moreover；　it　will　soon　exact　from　him　one　half　of　his　contributions　in

kind；　and；　it　must　be　noted；　that　at　this　time；　the　direct

contributions　alone　absorb　twelve　and　thirteen　sous　on　the　franc　of

the　revenue。　　Nevertheless；　under　this　condition；　which　is　that　of

laborers　in　a　Muslim　country；　the　French　peasant；　like　the　Syrian　or

Tunisian　peasant；　can　keep　himself　alive；　for；　through　the　abolition

of　the　〃maximum；〃　private　transactions　are　now　free；　and；　to　indemnify

himself　on　this　side；　he　sells　to　private　individuals　and　even　to

towns；＇100＇　by　agreement；　on　understood　terms；　and　as　dear　as　he

pleases；　all　the　dearer　because　through　the　legal　requisitions　the

towns　are　half　empty；　and　there　are　fewer　sacks　of　grain　for　a　larger

number　of　purchasers　；　hence　his　losses　by　the　government　are　more

than　made　up　by　his　gains　on　private　parties；　he　gains　in　the　end；　and

that　is　why　he　persists　in　farming。



The　weight；　however；　of　which　he　relieves　himself　falls　upon　the

overburdened　buyer；　and　this　weight；　already　excessive；　goes　on

increasing；　through　another　effect　of　the　revolutionary　institution；

until　it　becomes　ten…fold　and　even　a　hundred…fold。　　…　The　only　money；

in　fact；　which　private　individuals　possess　melts　away　in　their　hands；

and；　so　to　say；　destroys　itself。　　When　the　guillotine　stops　working；

the　assignat；　losing　its　official　value；　falls　to　its　real　value。　　In

August；　1794；　the　loss　on　it　is　sixty　six　per　cent。；　in　October；

seventy　two　per　cent。；　in　December；　seventy　eight　per　cent。；　in

January；　1795；　eighty　one　per　cent。；　and　after　that　date　the　constant

issues　of　enormous　amounts；　five　hundred　millions；　then　a　billion；　a

billion　and　a　half；　and；　finally；　two　billions　a　month；　hastens　its

depreciation。＇101＇　The　greater　the　depreciation　of　the　assignats　the

greater　the　amount　the　government　is　obliged　to　issue　to　provide　for

its　expenses；　and　the　more　it　issues　the　more　it　causes　their

depreciation；　so　that　the　decline　which　increases　the　issue　increases

the　depreciation；　until；　finally；　the　assignat　comes　down　to　nothing。

On　March　II；　1795；　the　louis　d'or　brings　two　hundred　and　five　francs

in　assignats；　May　11；　four　hundred　francs；　June　12；　one　thousand

francs；　in　the　month　of　October；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　francs；

November　13；　two　thousand　eight　hundred　and　fifty　francs；　November　21

three　thousand　francs；　and　six　months　later；　nineteen　thousand　francs。

Accordingly；　an　assignat　of　one　hundred　francs　is　worth　in　June；　1795；

four　francs；　in　August　three　francs；　in　November　fifteen　s