the origins of contemporary france-3-第32章

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and　another　flogged　with　all　their　might？＇2＇



These　troubles；　it　is　said；　are　transient；　on　the　Constitution　being

proclaimed；　order　will　return　of　itself。　Very　well；　the　Constitution

is　voted；　accepted　by　the　King；　proclaimed；　and　entrusted　to　the

Legislative　Assembly。　Let　the　Legislative　Assembly　consider　what　is

done　in　the　first　few　weeks。　　In　the　eight　departments　that　surround

Paris；　there　are　riots　on　every　market…day；　farms　are　invaded　and　the

cultivators　of　the　soil　are　ransomed　by　bands　of　vagabonds；　the　mayor

of　Melun　is　riddled　with　balls　and　dragged　out　from　the　hands　of　the

mob　streaming　with　blood。＇3＇　At　Belfort；　a　riot　for　the　purpose　of

retaining　a　convoy　of　coin；　and　the　commissioner　of　the　Upper…Rhine　in

danger　of　death；　at　Bouxvillers；　owners　of　property　attacked　by　poor

National　Guards；　and　by　the　soldiers　of　Salm…Salm；　houses　broken　into

and　cellars　pillaged；　at　Mirecourt；　a　flock　of　women　beating　drums；

and；　for　three　days；　holding　the　H？tel…de…Ville　in　a　state　of　siege。　…

…　One　day　Rochefort　is　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　and　the　workmen　of

the　harbor　compel　the　municipality　to　unfurl　the　red　flag。＇4＇　　On　the

following　day；　it　is　Lille；　the　people　of　which；　〃unwilling　to

exchange　its　money　and　assignats　for　paper…rags；　called　billets　de

confiance；　gather　into　mobs　and　threaten；　while　a　whole　garrison　is

necessary　to　prevent　an　explosion。〃　　On　the　16th　of　October；　it　is

Avignon　in　the　power　of　bandits；　with　the　abominable　butchery　of　the

Glacière。　　On　the　5th　of　November；　at　Caen；　there　are　eighty…two

gentlemen；　townsmen　and　artisans；　knocked　down　and　dragged　to　prison；

for　having　offered　their　services　to　the　municipality　as　special

constables。　　On　the　14th　of　November；　at　Montpellier；　the　roughs

triumph；　eight　men　and　women　are　killed　in　the　streets　or　in　their

houses；　and　all　conservatives　are　disarmed　or　put　to　flight。　By　the

end　of　October；　it　is　a　gigantic　column　of　smoke　and　flame　shooting

upward　suddenly　from　week　to　week　and　spreading　everywhere；　growing；

on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic；　into　civil　war　in　St。　Domingo；

where　wild　beasts　are　let　loose　against　their　keepers；　50；000　blacks

take　the　field；　and；　at　the　outset；　1；000　whites　are　assassinated；

15；000　Negroes　slain；　200　sugar…mills　destroyed　and　damage　done　to　the

amount　of　600；000；000；　〃a　colony　of　itself　alone　worth　ten　provinces；

is　almost　annihilated。〃＇5＇　　At　Paris；　Condorcet　is　busy　writing　in　his

journal　that　〃this　news　is　not　reliable；　there　being　no　object　in　it

but　to　create　a　French　empire　beyond　the　seas　for　the　King；　where

there　will　be　masters　and　slaves。〃　A　corporal　of　the　Paris　National

Guard；　on　his　own　authority；　orders　the　King　to　remain　indoors；

fearing　that　he　may　escape；　and　forbids　a　sentinel　to　let　him　go　out

after　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；＇6＇　at　the　Tuileries；　stump…speakers

in　the　open　air　denounce　aristocrats　and　priests；　at　the　Palais…Royal；

there　is　a　pandemonium　of　public　lust　and　incendiary　speeches。＇7＇

There　are　centers　of　riot　in　all　quarters；　〃as　many　robberies　as　there

are　quarter…hours；　and　no　robbers　punished；　no　police；　overcrowded

courts；　more　delinquents　than　there　are　prisons　to　hold　them；　nearly

all　the　private　mansions　closed；　the　annual　consumption　in　the

faubourg　St。　Germain　alone　diminished　by　250　millions；　20；000　thieves；

with　branded　backs；　idling　away　time　in　houses　of　bad　repute；　at　the

theaters；　in　the　Palais…Royal；　at　the　National　Assembly；　and　in　the

coffee…houses；　thousands　of　beggars　infesting　the　streets；　crossways；

and　public　squares。　Everywhere　an　image　of　the　deepest　poverty　which

is　not　calling　for　one's　pity　as　it　is　accompanied　with　insolence。

Swarms　of　tattered　vendors　are　offering　all　sorts　of　paper…money；

issued　by　anybody　that　chose　to　put　it　in　circulation；　cut　up　into

bits；　sold；　given；　and　coming　back　in　rags；　fouler　than　the　miserable

creatures　who　deal　in　it。〃＇8＇　　Out　of　700；000　inhabitants　there　are

100；000　of　the　poor；　of　which　60；000　have　flocked　in　from　the

departments；＇9＇　among　them　are　30；000　needy　artisans　from　the　national

workshops；　discharged　and　sent　home　in　the　preceding　month　of　June；

but　who；　returning　three　months　later；　are　again　swallowed　up　in　the

great　sink　of　vagabondage；　hurling　their　floating　mass　against　the

crazy　edifice　of　public　authority　and　furnishing　the　forces　of

sedition。　　At　Paris；　and　in　the　provinces；　disobedience　exists

throughout　the　hierarchy。　　Directories　countermand　ministerial　orders。

Here；　municipalities　brave　the　commands　of　their　Directory；　there；

communities　order　around　their　mayor　with　a　drawn　sword。　　Elsewhere；

soldiers　and　sailors　put　their　officers　under　arrest。　The　accused

insult　the　judge　on　the　bench　and　force　him　to　cancel　his　verdict；

mobs　tax　or　plunder　wheat　in　the　market；　National　Guards　prevent　its

distribution；　or　seize　it　in　the　storehouses。　　There　is　no　security

for　property；　lives；　or　consciences。　The　majority　of　Frenchmen　are

deprived　of　their　right　to　worship　in　their　own　faith；　and　of　voting

at　the　elections。　There　is　no　safety；　day　or　night；　for　the　élite　of

the　nation；　for　ecclesiastics　and　the　gentry；　for　army　and　navy

officers；　for　rich　merchants　and　large　landed　proprietors；　no

protection　in　the　courts；　no　income　from　public　funds；　denunciations

abound；　expulsions；　banishments　to　the　interior；　attacks　on　private

houses；　there　is　no　right　of　free　assemblage；　even　to　enforce　the　law

under　the　orders　of　legal　authorities。＇10＇　　　Opposed　to　this；　and　in

contrast　with　it；　is　the　privilege　and　immunity　of　a　sect　formed　into

a　political　corporation；　〃which　extends　its　filiations　over　the　whole

kingdom；　and　even　abroad；　which　has　its　own　treasury；　its　committees；

and　its　by…laws；　which　rules　the　government；　which　judges

justice；〃＇11＇　and　which；　from　the　capital　to　the　hamlet；　usurps　or

directs　the　administration。　Liberty；　equality；　and　the　majesty　of　the

law　exist　nowhere；　except　in　words。　　Of　the　three　thousand　decrees

given　birth　to　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；　the　most　lauded；　those　the

best　set　off　by　a　philosophic　baptism；　form　a　mass　of　stillborn

abortions　of　which　France　is　the　burying…ground。　　That　which　really

subsists　underneath　the　false　appearances　of　right；　proclaimed　and

sworn　to　over　and　over　again；　is；　on　the　one　hand；　an　oppression　of

the　upper　and　cultivated　classes；　from　which　all　the　rights　of　man　are

withdrawn；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　tyranny　of　the　fanatical　and

brutal　rabble　which　assumes　to　itself　all　the　rights　of　sovereignty。







II。



The　Assembly　hostile　to　the　oppressed　and　favoring　oppressors。　

Decrees　against　the　nobles　and　clergy。　　Amnesty　for　deserters；

convicts；　and　bandits。　　　Anarchical　and　leveling　maxims。



In　vain　do　the　honest　men　of　the　Assembly　protest　against　this　scandal

and　this　overthrow。　The　Assembly；　guided　and　forced　by　the　Jacobins；

will　only　amend　the　law　to　damn　the　oppressed　and　to　authorize　their

oppressors。　　Without　making　any　distinction　between　armed

assemblages　at　Coblentz；　which　it　had　a　right　to　punish；　and　refugees；

three　times　as　numerous；　old　men；　women　and　children；　so　many

indifferent　and　inoffensive　people；　not　merely　nobles　but

plebeians；＇12＇　who　left　the　soil　only　to　escape　popular　outrages；　it

confiscates　the　property　of　all　emigrants　and　orders　this　to　be

sold。＇13＇　　Through　the　new　restriction　of　the　passport；　those　who

remain　are　tied　to　their　domiciles；　their　freedom　of　movement；　even　in

the　interior；　being　subject　to　the　decision　of　each　Jacobin

municipality。＇14＇　It　completes　their　ruin　by　depriving　them　without

indemnity　of　all　income　from　their　real　estate；　of　all　the　seignorial

rights　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　had　declared　to　be

legitimate。＇15＇　It　abolishes；　as　far　as　it　can；　their　history　and

their　past；　by　burning　in　the　public　depots　their　genealogical

titles。＇16＇　　To　all　unsworn　ecclesiastics；　two…thirds　of　the　French

clergy；　it　withholds　bread；　the　small　pensi