the origins of contemporary france-3-第43章

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III。



The　Constitutionalists　of　Arles。　　The　Marseilles　expedition　against

Arles。　　Excesses　committed　by　them　in　the　town　and　its　vicinity。　

Invasion　of　〃Apt；〃　the　club　and　its　volunteers。



No　city；　indeed；　is　more　odious　to　them。　　For　two　years；　led　or

pushed　on　by　its　mayor；　M。　d'Antonelle；　it　has　marched　along　with　them

or　been　dragged　along　in　their　wake。　　D'Antonelle；　an　ultra…

revolutionary；　repeatedly　visited　and　personally　encouraged　the

bandits　of　Avignon。　　To　supply　them　with　cannon　and　ammunition　he

stripped　the　Tour　St。　Louis　of　its　artillery；　at　the　risk　of

abandoning　the　mouths　of　the　Rhone　to　the　Barbary　pirates。＇21＇　In

concert　with　his　allies　of　the　Comtat；　the　Marseilles　club；　and　his

henchmen　from　the　neighboring　boroughs；　he　rules　in　Arles　〃by　terror。〃

Three　hundred　men　recruited　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Mint；　artisans　or

sailors　with　strong　arms　and　rough　hands；　serve　him　as　satellites。　　On

the　6th　of　June　1791；　they　drive　away；　on　their　own　authority；　the

unsworn　priests；　who　had　taken　refuge　in　the　town。＇22＇　　　　At　this；

however；　the　〃property…owners　and　decent　people；〃　much　more　numerous

and　for　a　long　time　highly　indignant；　raise　their　heads；　twelve

hundred　of　them　assemble　in　the　church　of　Saint…Honorat；　swore　to

maintain　the　constitution　and　public　order；〃＇23＇　and　then　moved　to　the

（Jacobin）　club；　where；　in　their　quality　of　national　guards　and　active

citizens　and　in　conformity　with　its　by…laws；　they　were　admitted　en

masse。　　At　the　same　time；　acting　in　concert　with　the　municipality；

they　reorganize　the　National　Guard　and　form　new　companies；　the　effect

of　which　is　to　put　an　end　to　the　Mint　gang；　thus　depriving　the　faction

of　all　its　strength。　　Thenceforth；　without　violence　or　illegal　acts；

the　majority　of　the　club；　as　well　as　of　the　National　Guard；　consists

of　constitutional　monarchists；　the　elections　of　November；　1791；　giving

to　the　partisans　of　order　nearly　all　the　administrative　offices　of　the

commune　and　of　the　district。　　M。　Loys；　a　physician　and　a　man　of

energy；　is　elected　mayor　in　the　place　of　M。　d'Antonelle；　he　is　known

as　able　to　suppress　a　riot；　〃holding　martial　law　in　one　hand；　and　his

saber　in　the　other。〃　　　This　is　too　much；　　so　Marseilles　feel

compelled　to　bring　Arles　under　control　〃to　atone　for　the　disgrace　of

having　founded　it。〃＇24＇　In　this　land　of　ancient　cities　political

hostility　is　embittered　with　old　municipal　grudges；　similar　to　those

of　Thebes　against　Plat？e；　of　Rome　against　Veii；　of　Florence　against

Pisa。　　The　Guelphs　of　Marseilles　brooded　over　the　one　idea　of　crushing

the　Ghibellins　of　Arles。　　Already；　in　the　electoral　assembly　of

November；　1791；　M。　d'Antonelle；　the　president；　had　invited　the

communes　of　the　department　to　take　up　arms　against　this　anti…jacobin

city。＇25＇　　Six　hundred　Marseilles　volunteers　set　out　on　the　instant；

install　themselves　at　Salon；　seize　the　syndic…attorney　of　the　hostile

district；　and　refuse　to　give　him　up；　this　being　an　advance…guard　of

4；000　men　promised　by　the　forty　or　fifty　clubs　of　the　party。＇26＇　To

arrest　their　operations　requires　the　orders　of　the　three

commissioners；　resolutions　passed　by　the　Directory　still　intact；　royal

proclamations；　a　decree　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；　the　firmness　of

the　still　loyal　troops　and　the　firmer　stand　taken　by　the　Arlesians

who；　putting　down　an　insurrection　of　the　Mint　band；　had　repaired　their

ramparts；　cut　away　their　bridges　and　mounted　guard　with　their　guns

loaded。＇27＇　But　it　is　only　a　postponement。　　Now　that　the　commissioners

have　gone；　and　the　king's　authority　a　phantom；　now　that　the　last　loyal

regiment　is　disarmed；　the　terrified　Directory　recast　and　obeying　like

a　servant；　with　the　Legislative　Assembly　allowing　everywhere　the

oppression　of　the　Constitutionalists　by　the　Jacobins；　a　fresh　Jacobin

expedition　may　be　started　against　the　Constitutionalists　with

impunity。　Accordingly；　on　the　23rd　of　March；　1792；　the　Marseilles　army

of　4；500　men　sets　out　on　its　march　with　nineteen　pieces　of　cannon。



In　vain　the　commissioners　of　the　neighboring　departments；　sent　by　the

Minister；　represent　to　them　that　Arles　submits；　that　she　has　laid　down

her　arms；　and　that　the　town　is　now　garrisoned　with　troops　of　the　line；

　the　Marseilles　army　requires　the　withdrawal　of　this　garrison。　　In

vain　the　garrison　departs。　Rebecqui　and　his　acolytes　reply　that

〃nothing　will　divert　them　from　their　enterprise；　they　cannot　defer　to

anybody's　decision　but　their　own　in　relation　to　any　precaution　tending

to　ensure　the　safety　of　the　southern　departments。〃　　In　vain　the

Minister　renews　his　injunctions　and　counter…orders。　　The　Directory

replies　with　a　flagrant　falsehood；　stating　that　it　is　ignorant　of　the

affair　and　refuses　to　give　the　government　any　assistance。　　In　vain

M。　de　Wittgenstein；　commander…in…chief　in　the　south；　offers　his

services　to　the　Directory　to　repel　the　invaders。　　The　Directory

forbids　him　to　take　his　troops　into　the　territory　of　the

department。＇28＇　　Meanwhile；　on　the　29th　of　March；　the　Marseilles

army　effects　a　breach　with　its　cannon　in　the　walls　of　defenseless

Arles；　its　fortifications　are　demolished　and　a　tax　of　1；400；000　francs

is　levied　on　the　owners　of　property。　　In　contempt　of　the　National

Assembly's　decree　the　Mint　bandits；　the　longshoremen；　the　whole　of　the

lowest　class　again　take　up　their　arms　and　lord　it　over　the　disarmed

population。　Although　〃the　King's　commissioner　and　most　of　the　judges

have　fled；　jury　examinations　are　instituted　against　absentees；〃　the

juries　consisting　of　the　members　of　the　Mint　band。＇29＇　The　conquerors

imprison；　smite　and　slaughter　as　they　please。　Countless　peaceable

individuals　are　struck　down　and　mauled；　dragged　to　prison　and　many　of

them　are　mortally　wounded。　An　old　soldier；　eighty　years　of　age；

retired　to　his　country　home　three　months　earlier；　dies　after　twenty

days'　confinement　in　a　dungeon；　from　a　blow　received　in　the　stomach　by

a　rifle　butt；　women　are　flogged。　〃All　citizens　that　with　an　interest

in　law　and　order；〃　nearly　five　thousand　families；　have　emigrated；

their　houses　in　town　and　in　the　country　are　pillaged；　while　in　the

surrounding　boroughs；　along　the　road　leading　from　Arles　to　Marseilles；

the　villains　forming　the　hard　core　of　the　Marseilles　army；　rove　about

and　gorge　themselves　as　in　a　vanquished　country。＇30＇







They　eat　and　drink　voraciously；　force　the　closets；　carry　off　linen　and

food；　steal　horses　and　valuables；　smash　the　furniture；　tear　up　books；

and　burn　papers。＇31＇　All　this　is　only　the　appropriate　punishment　of

the　aristocrats。　　Moreover；　it　is　no　more　than　right　that　patriots

should　be　indemnified　for　their　toil；　and　a　few　blows　too　many　are　not

out　of　place　in　securing　the　rule　of　the　right　party。　　For　example；

on　the　false　report　of　order　being　disturbed　at　Chateau…Renard；　Bertin

and　Rebecqui　send　off　a　detachment　of　men；　while　the　municipal　body　in

uniform；　followed　by　the　National　Guard；　with　music　and　flags；　comes

forth　to　meet　and　salute　it。　Without　uttering　a　word　of　warning；　the

Marseilles　troop　falls　upon　the　cortège；　strikes　down　the　flags；

disarms　the　National　Guard；　tears　the　epaulettes　off　the　officers'

shoulders；　drags　the　mayor　to　the　ground　by　his　scarf；　pursues　the

counselors；　sword　in　hand；　puts　the　mayor　and　syndic…attorney　in

arrest；　and；　during　the　night；　sacks　four　dwellings；　the　whole　under

the　direction　of　three　Jacobins　of　the　place　under　indictment　for

recent　crimes　or　misdemeanors。　　Henceforth　at　Chateau…Renard　they　will

look　twice　before　subjecting　patriots　to　indictment。＇32＇　　At　Vélaux

〃the　country　house　of　the　late　seignior　is　sacked；　and　everything　is

carried　away；　even　to　the　tiles　and　window…glass。〃　A　troop　of　two

hundred　men　〃overrun　the　village；　levy　contributions；　and　put　all

citizens　who　are　well…off　under　bonds　for　considerable　sums。〃　Camo？n；

the　Marseille　chief；　one　of　the　new　department　administrators；　who　is

in　the　neighborhood；　lays　his　hand　on　everything　that　is　fit　to　be

tak