the origins of contemporary france-3-第42章

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overlooking　the　Palais　de　Justice；　and　makes　ready　to　fire　on　M。

Lieutaud。　　Summoned　to　proclaim　martial　law；　the　municipality　refuses；

declaring　that　〃the　general　detestation　of　the　accused　is　too

manifest〃；　it　demands　the　return　of　the　Swiss　regiment　to　its

barracks；　and　that　the　prisoners　remain　where　they　are；　the　only　thing

which　it　grants　them　is　a　secret　permission　to　escape；　as　if　they　were

guilty；　they；　accordingly；　steal　away　clandestinely　and　in

disguise。＇12＇　　　The　Swiss　regiment；　however；　which　prevents　the

magistrates　from　violating　the　law；　must　pay　for　its　insolence；　and；

as　it　is　incorruptible；　they　decide　to　drive　it　out　of　the　town。　　　For

four　months　the　municipality　multiplies　against　it　every　kind　of

annoyance；＇13＇　and；　on　the　16th　of　October；　1791；　the　Jacobins　provoke

a　row　in　the　theater　against　its　officers。　　The　same　night；　outside

the　theater；　four　of　these　are　attacked　by　armed　bands；　the　post　to

which　they　retreat　is　nearly　taken　by　assault；　they　are　led　to　a

prison　for　safety；　and　there　they　still　remain　five　days　afterwards；

〃although　their　innocence　is　admitted。〃　Meanwhile；　to　ensure　〃public

tranquility；〃　the　municipality　has　required　the　commander　of　the　post

to　immediately　replace　the　Swiss　Guard　with　National　Guards　on　all　the

military　posts；　the　latter　yields　to　force；　while　the　useless

regiment；　insulted　and　threatened；　has　nothing　to　do　but　to　pack

off。＇14＇　This　being　done；　the　new　municipality；　still　more　Jacobin

than　the　old　one；＇15＇　separates　Marseilles　from　France；　erects　the

city　into　a　marauding　republican　government；　gets　up　expeditions；

levies　contributions；　forms　alliances；　and　undertakes　an　armed

conquest　of　the　department。







II。　　The　expedition　to　Aix。



The　town　of　Marseilles　send　an　expedition　to　Aix。　　　The　regiment　is

disarmed。　　The　Directory　driven　out。　　Pressure　on　the　new

Directory。



The　first　thing　is　to　lay　its　hand　on　the　district　capital；　Aix；　where

the　Swiss　regiment　is　stationed　in　garrison　and　where　the　superior

authorities　are　installed。　　This　operation　is　the　more　necessary

inasmuch　as　the　Directory　of　the　department　loudly　commends　the

loyalty　of　the　Swiss　Guard　and　takes　occasion　to　remind　the　Marseilles

municipality　of　the　respect　due　to　the　law。　　Such　remonstrance　is　an

insult；　and　the　municipality；　in　a　haughty　tone；　calls　upon　the

Directory　to　avow　or　disavow　its　letter；　〃if　you　did　not　write　it；　it

is　a　foul　report　which　it　is　our　duty　to　examine　into；　and　if　you　did；

it　is　a　declaration　of　war　made　by　you　against　Marseilles。〃＇16＇　　The

Directory；　in　polite　terms　and　with　great　circumspection；　affirms　both

its　right　and　its　utterance；　and　remarks　that　〃the　prorata　list　of

taxes　of　Marseilles　for　1791　is　not　yet　reported；〃　that　the

municipality　is　much　more　concerned　with　saving　the　State　than　with

paying　its　contribution　and；　in　short；　it　maintains　its　censure。　　If

it　will　not　bend　it　must　break；　and　on　the　4th　of　February；　1792；　the

municipality　sends　Barbaroux；　its　secretary；　to　Paris；　that　he　may

mitigate　the　outrages　they　are　preparing。　　During　the　night　of　the　25…

26；　the　drums　beat　the　general　alarm；　and　three　or　four　thousand　men

gather　and　march　to　Aix　with　six　pieces　of　cannon。　　As　a　precaution

they　pretend　to　have　no　leaders；　no　captains　or　lieutenants　or　even

corporals；　to　quote　them；　all　are　equal；　all　volunteers；　each　being

summoned　by　the　other；　in　this　fashion；　as　all　are　responsible；　no　one

is。＇17＇　　They　reach　Aix　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　forenoon；　find　a　gate

open　through　the　connivance　of　those　in　league　with　them　among　the

populace　of　the　town　and　its　suburbs；　and　summon　the　municipality　to

surrender　the　sentinels。　　In　the　mean　time　their　emissaries　have

announced　in　the　neighboring　villages　that　the　town　was　menaced　by　the

Swiss　regiment；　consequently　four　hundred　men　from　Aubagne　arrive　in

haste；　while　from　hour　to　hour　the　National　Guards　from　the

surrounding　villages　likewise　rush　in。　　The　streets　are　full　of　armed

men；　shouts　arise　and　the　tumult　increases；　the　municipal　body；　in　the

universal　panic；　loses　its　wits。　　This　body　is　afraid　of　a　nocturnal

fight　〃between　troops　of　the　line；　citizens；　National　Guards　and　armed

strangers；　no　one　being　able　to　recognize　one　another　or　know　who　is

an　enemy。〃　　It　sends　back　a　detachment　of　three　hundred　and　fifty

Swiss　Guards；　which　the　Directory　had　ordered　to　its　support；　and

consigns　the　regiment　to　its　quarters。　　　At　this　the　Directory　takes

to　flight。　　Military　sentinels　of　all　kinds　are　disarmed　while　the

Marseilles　throng；　turning　its　advantages　to　account；　announces　to　the

municipality　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　that；　〃allow　it　or　not　〃　it

is　going　to　attack　the　barracks　immediately；　in　fact；　cannon　are

planted；　a　few　shots　are　fired；　a　sentinel　killed；　and　the　hemmed…in

regiment　is　compelled　to　evacuate　the　town；　the　men　without　their　guns

and　the　officers　without　their　swords。　　Their　arms　are　stolen；　the

people　seize　the　suspected；　the　street…lamp　is　hauled　down　and　the

noose　is　made　ready。　　Cayol；　the　flower…girl；　is　hung。　　The

municipality；　with　great　difficulty；　saves　one　man　who　is　already

lifted　by　the　rope　two　feet　from　the　ground；　and　obtains　for　three

others　〃a　temporary　refuge〃　in　prison。







Henceforth　there　is　no　authority　at　the　department　headquarters；　or

rather　it　has　changed　hands。　　Another　Directory；　more　pliable；　is

installed　in　the　place　of　the　fugitive　Directory。　　Of　the　thirty…six

administrators　who　form　the　Council　only　twelve　are　present　at　the

election。　　Of　the　nine　elected　only　six　consent　to　sit；　while　often

only　three　are　found　at　its　sessions；　which　three；　to　recruit　their

colleagues；　are　obliged　to　pay　them。＇18＇　　Hence；　notwithstanding　their

position　is　the　best　in　the　department；　they　are　worse　treated　and

more　unfortunate　than　their　servants　outside。　　The　delegates　of　the

club；　with　the　municipal　officers　of　Marseilles　seated　alongside　of

them；　oblige　them　either　to　keep　silent；　or　to　utter　what　they　dictate

to　them。＇19＇　〃Our　arms　are　tied；〃　writes　one　of　them；　〃we　are　wholly

under　the　yoke〃　of　these　intruders。　　〃We　have　twice　in　succession　seen

more　than　three　hundred　men；　many　of　them　with　guns　and　pistols；　enter

the　hall　and　threaten　us　with　death　if　we　refused　them　what　they

asked。　　We　have　seen　infuriate　motionnaires；　nearly　all　belonging　to

Avignon；　mount　the　desks　of　the　Directory；　harangue　their　comrades　and

excite　them　to　rioting　and　crime。　　〃You　must　decide　between　life　or

death；〃　they　exclaimed　to　us；　〃you　have　only　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to

choose。〃　〃National　guards　have　offered　their　sabers　through　the

windows；　left　open　on　account　of　the　extreme　heat；　to　those　around　us

and　made　signs　to　them　to　cut　our　throats。〃　　Thus　fashioned；　reduced

and　drilled；　the　Directory　is　simply　an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the

Marseilles　demagogues。　　Camo？n；　Bertin　and　Rebecqui；　the　worst

agitators　and　usurpers；　rule　there　without　control。　　Rebecqui　and

Bertin；　appointed　delegates　in　connection　with　matters　in　Arles；　have

themselves　empowered　to　call　for　defensive　troops；　they　immediately

demand　them　for　attack；　to　which　the　Directory　vainly　remonstrates；

they　declare　to　it　that　〃not　being　under　its　inspection；　it　has　no

authority　over　them；　being　independent　of　it；　they　have　no　orders　to

receive　from　it　nor　to　render　to　it　any　account　of　their　conduct。〃　So

much　the　worse　for　the　Directory　on　attempting　to　revoke　their　powers。

Bertin　informs　its　vice…president　that；　if　it　dares　do　this　he　will

cut　off　his　head。　　They　reply　to　the　Minister's　observations　with　the

utmost　insolence。＇20＇　　They　glory　in　the　boldness　of　the　stroke　and

prepare　another；　their　march　on　Aix　being　only　the　first　halt　in　the

long…meditated　campaign　which　involves　the　possession　of　Arles。







III。



The　Constitutionalists　of　Arles。　　The　Marseilles　expedition　against

Arles。　　Excesses　committed　by　them　in　the　town　a