the origins of contemporary france-3-第89章

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reigning　dogma；　weakening　authority　in　the　magistrates'　hands；　and　the

clubs；　〃which　cover　the　department；〃　have　spread　the　fermentation　of

anarchy　everywhere。　〃Administrators；　judges；　municipal　officers；　all

who　are　invested　with　any　authority；　and　who　have　the　courage　to　use

it　in　forcing　respect　for　law；　are　one　by　one　denounced　by　public

opinion　as　enemies　of　the　constitution　and　of　liberty；　because；

people　say；　they　talk　of　nothing　but　the　law；　as　if　they　did　not　know

that　the　will　of　the　people　makes　the　law；　and　that　we　are　the

people。〃＇10＇　This　is　the　real　principle；　here；　as　at　Paris；　it

instantly　begets　its　consequences。　　〃In　many　of　these　clubs　nothing　is

discussed　but　the　plundering　of　estates　and　cutting　off　the　heads　of

aristocrats。　And　who　are　designated　by　this　infamous　title？　In　the

cities；　the　great　traders　and　rich　proprietors；　in　the　country；　those

whom　we　call　the　bourgeois；　everywhere；　all　peaceable　citizens；　the

friends　of　order；　who　wish　to　enjoy；　under　the　shadow　of　the

protecting　law；　the　blessings　of　the　Constitution。　　Such　was　the　rage

of　their　denunciations　that　in　one　of　these　clubs　a　good　and　brave

peasant　was　denounced　as　an　aristocrat；　the　whole　of　his　aristocracy

consisting　in　his　having　said　to　those　who　plundered　the　chateau　of

their　seigneur；　already　mentioned；　that　they　would　not　enjoy　in　peace

the　fruits　of　their　crime。〃　　Here　is　the　Jacobin　programme　of　Paris

in　advance；　namely；　the　division　of　the　French　into　two　classes；　the

spoliation　of　one；　the　despotism　of　the　other；　the　destruction　of　the

well…to…do；　orderly　and　honest　under　the　dictation　of　those　who　are

not　so。



Here；　as　in　Paris；　the　programme　is　carried　out　step　by　step。　At

Beausset；　near　Toulon；　a　man　named　Vidal；　captain　of　the　National

Guard；　〃twice　set　at　liberty　by　virtue　of　two　consecutive

amnesties；〃＇11＇　punishes　not　resistance　merely；　but　even　murmurs；　with

death。　Two　old　men；　one　of　them　a　notary；　the　other　a　turner；　having

complained　of　him　to　the　public　prosecutor；　the　general　alarm　is

beaten；　a　gathering　of　armed　men　is　formed　in　the　street；　and　the

complainants　are　clubbed；　riddled　with　balls；　and　their　bodies　thrown

into　a　pit。　　Many　of　their　friends　are　wounded；　others　take　to　flight；

seven　houses　are　sacked；　and　the　municipality；　〃either　overawed　or　in

complicity；〃　makes　no　interference　until　all　is　over。　There　is　no　way

of　pursuing　the　guilty　ones；　the　foreman　of　the　jury；　who　goes；

escorted　by　a　thousand　men；　to　hold　an　inquest；　can　get　no　testimony。

The　municipal　officers　feign　to　have　heard　nothing；　neither　the

general　alarm　nor　the　guns　fired　under　their　windows。　The　other

witnesses　say　not　a　word；　but　they　declare；　sotto　voce；　the　reason　for

their　silence。　　If　they　should　testify；　〃they　would　be　sure　of　being

killed　as　soon　as　the　troops　should　have　gone　away。〃　The　foreman　of

the　jury　is　himself　menaced；　after　remaining　three…quarters　of　an

hour；　he　finds　it　prudent　to　leave　the　city。　　After　this　the　clubs

of　Beausset　and　of　the　neighborhood；　gaining　hardihood　from　the

impotence　of　the　law；　break　out　into　incendiary　propositions：　〃It　is

announced　that　after　the　troops　retreat；　nineteen　houses　more　will　be

sacked；　it　is　proposed　to　behead　all　aristocrats；　that　is　to　say；　all

the　land…owners　in　the　country。〃　　Many　have　fled；　but　their　flight

does　not　satisfy　the　clubs。　Vidal　orders　those　of　Beausset　who　took

refuge　in　Toulon　to　return　at　once；　otherwise　their　houses　will　be

demolished；　and　that　very　day；　in　fact；　by　way　of　warning；　several

houses　in　Beausset；　among　them　that　of　a　notary；　are　either　pulled

down　or　pillaged　from　top　to　bottom；　all　the　riff…raff　of　the　town　are

at　work；　〃half…drunken　men　and　women；〃　and；　as　their　object　is　to　rob

and　drink；　they　would　like　to　begin　again　in　the　principal　town　of　the

canton。　　The　club；　accordingly；　has　declared　that　〃Toulon　would　soon

see　a　new　St。　Bartholomew〃；　it　has　allies　there；　and　arrangements　are

made；　each　club　in　the　small　towns　of　the　vicinity　will　furnish　men；

while　all　will　march　under　the　leadership　of　the　Toulon　club。　At

Toulon；　as　at　Beausset；　the　municipality　will　let　things　take　their

course；　while　the　proceedings　complained　of　by　the　public　prosecutor

and　the　district　and　department　administrators　will　be　applied　to

them。　They　may　send　reports　to　Paris；　and　denounce　patriots　to　the

National　Assembly　and　the　King；　if　they　choose；　the　club　will　reply　to

their　scribbling　with　acts。　Their　turn　is　coming。　　Lanterns　and　sabers

are　also　found　at　Toulon；　and　the　faction　murders　them　because　they

have　lodged　complaints　against　the　murderers。







III。



Each　Jacobin　band　a　dictator　in　its　own　neighborhood。　…Saint…Afrique

during　the　interregnum。



By　what　it　dared　to　do　when　the　government　still　stood　on　its　feet　we

may　we　may　imagine　what　it　will　do　during　the　interregnum。　Facts；

then；　as　always；　furnish　the　best　picture；　and；　to　obtain　a　knowledge

of　the　new　sovereign；　we　must　first　observe　him　on　a　limited　stage。



On　the　reception　of　the　news　of　the　10th　of　August；　the　Jacobins　of

Saint…Afrique；　a　small　town　of　the　Aveyron；＇12＇　likewise　undertook　to

save　the　country；　and；　to　this　end；　like　their　fellows　in　other

boroughs　of　the　district；　they　organized　themselves　into　an　〃Executive

Power。〃　This　institution　is　of　an　old　date；　especially　in　the　South；

it　had　flourished　for　eighteen　months　from　Lyons　to　Montpellier；　from

Agen　to　N？mes；　but　after　the　interregnum；　its　condition　is　still　more

flourishing；　it　consists　of　a　secret　society；　the　object　of　which　is

to　carry　out　practically　the　motions　and　instructions　of　the　club。＇13＇

Ordinarily；　they　work　at　night；　wearing　masks　or　slouched　hats；　with

long　hair　falling　over　the　face。　　A　list　of　their　names；　each　with　a

number　opposite　to　it；　is　kept　at　the　meeting…place　of　the　society。　A

triangular　club；　decked　with　a　red　ribbon；　serves　them　both　as　weapon

and　badge；　with　this　club；　each　member　〃may　go　anywhere；〃　and　do　what

seems　good　to　him。　At　Saint…Afrique　they　number　about　eighty；　among

whom　must　be　counted　the　rascals　forming　the　seventh　company　of　Tarn；

staying　in　the　town；　their　enrollment　in　the　band　is　effected　by

constantly　〃preaching　pillage　to　them；〃　and　by　assuring　them　that　the

contents　of　the　chateaux　in　the　vicinity　belong　to　them。＇14＇　　Not

that　the　chateaux　excite　any　fear；　most　of　them　are　empty；　neither　in

Saint…Afrique　nor　in　the　environs　do　the　men　of　the　ancient　régime

form　a　party；　for　many　months　orthodox　priests　and　the　nobles　have　had

to　fly；　and　now　the　well…to…do　people　are　escaping。　The　population；

however；　is　Catholic；　many　of　the　shop…keepers；　artisans；　and　farmers

are　discontented；　and　the　object　now　is　to　make　these　laggards　keep

step。　　In　the　first　place；　they　order　women　of　every　condition；

work…girls　and　servants；　to　attend　mass　performed　by　the　sworn　curé；

for；　if　they　do　not；　they　will　be　made　acquainted　with　the　cudgel。　

In　the　second　place；　all　the　suspected　are　disarmed；　they　enter　their

houses　during　the　night　in　force；　unexpectedly；　and；　besides　their

gun；　carry　off　their　provisions　and　money。　A　certain　grocer　who

persists　in　his　lukewarmness　is　visited　a　second　time；　seven　or　eight

men；　one　evening；　break　open　his　door　with　a　stick　of　timber；　he　takes

refuge　on　his　roof；　dares　not　descend　until　the　following　day　at　dawn；

and　finds　that　everything　in　his　store　has　been　either　stolen　or

broken　to　pieces。＇15＇　In　the　third　place；　there　is　〃punishment　of　the

ill…disposed。〃　　At　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening　a　squad　knocks　at　the

door　of　a　distrusted　shoemaker；　it　is　opened　by　his　apprentice；　six　of

the　ruffians　enter；　and　one　of　them；　showing　a　paper；　says　to　the　poor

fellow：



　〃I　come　on　the　part　of　the　Executive　Power；　by　which　you　are

condemned　to　a　beating。〃



　〃What　for？〃



　〃If　you　have　not　done　anything　wrong；　you　are　thinking　about　it。〃＇16＇



And　so　they　beat　him　in　the　presence　of　his　famil