the origins of contemporary france-2-第16章

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out　and　tumbled　into　the　Seine。　　It　is　only　when　the　town…hall　is

attacked　that　the　National　Guard；　beginning　to　be　alarmed；　makes　up

its　mind　to　seize　Bordier　and　some　others。　　The　following　morning；

however；　at　the　shout　of　Carabo；　and　led　by　Jourdain；　the　prison　is

forced；　Bordier　set　free；　and　the　intendant's　residence；　with　its

offices；　is　sacked　a　second　time。　　When；　finally；　the　two　rascals

are　taken　and　led　to　the　scaffold；　the　populace　is　so　strongly　in

their　favor　as　to　require　the　pointing　of　loaded　cannon　on　them　to

keep　them　down。　　　At　Besan？on；＇20＇　on　the　13th　of　August；　the

leaders　consist　of　the　servant　of　an　exhibitor　of　wild　animals；　two

goal…birds　of　whom　one　has　already　been　branded　in　consequence　of　a

riot；　and　a　number　of　〃inhabitants　of　ill…repute；〃　who；　towards

evening；　spread　through　the　town　along　with　the　soldiers。　　The

gunners　insult　the　officers　they　meet；　seize　them　by　the　throat　and

want　to　throw　them　into　the　Doubs。　　Others　go　to　the　house　of　the

commandant；　M。　de　Langeron；　and　demand　money　of　him；　on　his　refusing

to　give　it　they　tear　off　their　cockades　and　exclaim；　〃We　too　belong

to　the　Third…Estate！〃　in　other　words；　that　they　are　the　masters：

subsequently　they　demand　the　head　of　the　intendant；　M。　de　Caumartin；

forcibly　enter　his　dwelling　and　break　up　his　furniture。　　On　the

following　day　the　rabble　and　the　soldiers　enter　the　coffee…houses；

the　convents；　and　the　inns；　and　demand　to　be　served　with　wine　and

eatables　as　much　as　they　want；　and　then；　heated　by　drink；　they　burn

the　excise　offices；　force　open　several　prisons；　and　set　free　all　the

smugglers　and　deserters。　　To　put　an　end　to　this　saturnalia　a　grand

banquet　in　the　open　air　is　suggested；　in　which　the　National　Guard　is

to　fraternize　with　the　whole　garrison；　but　the　banquet　turns　into　a

drinking…bout；　entire　companies　remaining　under　the　tables　dead

drunk；　other　companies　carry　away　with　them　four　hogsheads　of　wine；

and　the　rest；　finding　themselves　left　in　the　lurch；　are　scattered

abroad　outside　the　walls　in　order　to　rob　the　cellars　of　the

neighboring　villages。　　The　next　day；　encouraged　by　the　example　set

them；　a　portion　of　the　garrison；　accompanied　by　a　number　of　workmen；

repeat　the　expedition　in　the　country。　　Finally；　after　four　days　of

this　orgy；　to　prevent　Besan？on　and　its　outskirts　from　being

indefinitely　treated　as　a　conquered　country；　the　burgess　guard；　in

alliance　with　the　soldiers　who　have　remained　loyal；　rebel　against

the　rebellion；　go　in　quest　of　the　marauders　and　hang　two　of　them

that　same　evening。　　　Such　is　rioting！＇21＇　an　irruption　of　brute

force　which；　turned　loose　on　the　habitations　of　men；　can　do　nothing

but　gorge　itself；　waste；　break；　destroy；　and　do　damage　to　itself；

and　if　we　follow　the　details　of　local　history；　we　see　how；　in　these

days；　similar　outbreaks　of　violence　might　be　expected　at　any　time。



At　Troyes；＇22＇　on　the　18th　of　July；　a　market…day；　the　peasants

refuse　to　pay　the　entrance　duties；　the　octroi　having　been　suppressed

at　Paris；　it　ought　also　to　be　suppressed　at　Troyes。　　The　populace；

excited　by　this　first　disorderly　act；　gather　into　a　mob　for　the

purpose　of　dividing　the　grain　and　arms　amongst　themselves；　and　the

next　day　the　town…hall　is　invested　by　seven　or　eight　thousand　men；

armed　with　clubs　and　stones。　　The　day　after；　a　band；　recruited　in

the　surrounding　villages；　armed　with　flails；　shovels；　and　pitch…

forks；　enters　under　the　leadership　of　a　joiner　who　marches　at　the

head　of　it　with　a　drawn　saber；　fortunately；　〃all　the　honest　folks

among　the　burgesses　〃immediately　form　themselves　into　a　National

Guard；　and　this　first　attempt　at　a　Jacquerie　is　put　down。　　But　the

agitation　continues；　and　false　rumors　constantly　keep　it　up。　　…　　On

the　29th　of　July；　on　the　report　being　circulated　that　five　hundred

〃brigands〃　had　left　Paris　and　were　coming　to　ravage　the　country；　the

alarm　bell　sounds　in　the　villages；　and　the　peasants　go　forth　armed。

Henceforth；　a　vague　idea　of　some　impending　danger　fills　all　minds；

the　necessity　of　defense　and　of　guarding　against　enemies　is

maintained。　　The　new　demagogues　avail　themselves　of　this　to　keep

their　hold　on　the　people；　and　when　the　time　comes；　to　use　it　against

their　chiefs。　　…　　It　is　of　no　use　to　assure　the　people　that　the

latter　are　patriots；　that　the　recently　welcomed　Necker　with

enthusiastic　shouts；　that　the　priests；　the　monks；　and　canons　were

the　first　to　adopt　the　national　cockade；　that　the　nobles　of　the　city

and　its　environs　are　the　most　liberal　in　France；　that；　on　the　20th

of　July；　the　burgess　guard　saved　the　town；　that　all　the　wealthy　give

to　the　national　workshops；　that　Mayor　Huez；　〃a　venerable　and　honest

magistrate；〃　is　a　benefactor　to　the　poor　and　to　the　public。　　All　the

old　leaders　are　objects　of　distrust。　　　On　the　8th　of　August；　a　mob

demands　the　dismissal　of　the　dragoons；　arms　for　all　volunteers；

bread　at　two　sous　the　pound；　and　the　freedom　of　all　prisoners。　　On

the　19th　of　August　the　National　Guard　rejects　its　old　officers　as

aristocrats；　and　elects　new　ones。　　On　the　27th　of　August；　the　crowd

invade　the　town…hall　and　distribute　the　arms　amongst　themselves。　　On

the　5th　of　September；　two　hundred　men；　led　by　Truelle；　president　of

the　new　committee；　force　the　salt　depot　and　have　salt　delivered　to

them　at　six　sous　per　pound。　　　Meanwhile；　in　the　lowest　quarters　of

the　city；　a　story　is　concocted　to　the　effect　that　if　wheat　is　scarce

it　is　because　Huez；　the　mayor；　and　M。　de　St。　　Georges；　the　old

commandant；　are　monopolists；　and　now　they　say　of　Huez　what　they　said

five　weeks　before　of　Foulon；　that　〃he　wants　to　make　the　people　eat

hay。〃　The　many…headed　brute　growls　fiercely　and　is　about　to　spring。

As　usual；　instead　of　restraining　him；　they　try　to　manage　him。



　〃You　must　put　your　authority　aside　for　a　moment；〃　writes　the　deputy

of　Troyes　to　the　sheriffs；〃　and　act　towards　the　people　as　to　a

friend；　be　as　gentle　with　them　as　you　would　be　with　your　equals；　and

rest　assured　that　they　are　capable　of　responding　to　it。〃



　Thus　does　Huez　act；　and　he　even　does　more；　paying　no　attention　to

their　menaces；　refusing　to　provide　for　his　own　safety　and　almost

offering　himself　as　a　sacrifice。



　〃I　have　wronged　no　one；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃why　should　any　one　bear　me

ill…will？〃



His　sole　precaution　is　to　provide　something　for　the　unfortunate　poor

when　he　is　gone：　he　bequeaths　in　his　will　18；000　livres　to　the　poor；

and；　on　the　eve　of　his　death；　sends　100　crowns　to　the　bureau　of

charity。　　But　what　avail　self…abnegation　and　beneficence　against

blind；　insane　rage！　On　the　9th　of　September；　three　loads　of　flour

proving　to　be　unsound；　the　people　collect　and　shout　out；



　〃Down　with　the　flour…dealers！　Down　with　machinery！　Down　with　the

mayor！　Death　to　the　mayor；　and　let　Truelle　be　put　in　his　place！　〃



Huez；　on　leaving　his　court…room；　is　knocked　down；　murdered　by　kicks

and　blows；　throttled；　dragged　to　the　reception　hall；　struck　on　his

head　with　a　wooden…shoe　and　pitched　down　the　grand　staircase。　　The

municipal　officers　strive　in　vain　to　protect　him；　a　rope　is　put

around　his　neck　and　they　begin　to　drag　him　along。　　A　priest；　who

begs　to　be　allowed　at　least　to　save　his　soul；　is　repulsed　and

beaten。　　A　woman　jumps　on　the　prostrate　old　man；　stamps　on　his　face

and　repeatedly　thrusts　her　scissors　in　his　eyes。　　He　is　dragged

along　with　the　rope　around　his　neck　up　to　the　Pont　de　la　Selle；　and

thrown　into　the　neighboring　ford；　and　then　drawn　out；　again　dragged

through　the　streets　and　in　the　gutters；　with　a　bunch　of　hay　crammed

in　his　mouth。＇23＇



In　the　meantime；　his　house　as　well　as　that　of　the　lieutenant　of

police；　that　of　the　notary　Guyot；　and　that　of　M。　de　Saint…Georges；

are　sacked；　the　pillaging　and　destruction　lasts　four　hours；　at　the

notary's　house；　six　hundred　bottles　of　wine　are　consumed　or　carried

off；　objects　of　value　are　divided；　and　the　rest；　even　down　to　the

iron　balcony；　is　demolished　or　broken；　the　rioters　cry　out；　on

leaving；　that　they　have　still　to　burn　twenty…seven　houses；　and　to

take　twenty…seven　heads。　　〃No　one　at　Troyes　went　to　bed　that　fatal

night。〃…　During　the　succeeding　days；　for　nearly　two　weeks；　society

seems　to　be　dissolved。　　Placards　posted　about　the　streets　proscribe

municipal　officers；　canons；　divines；　privileged　persons；　prominent

merchants；　and　even　ladies　of　charity；　the　latter　are　so　frightened

that　they　throw　up　their　office；　while　a　number　of　persons　move　off

into　the　country；　others　barricade　themselves　in　their　dwellings　and

only　open　their　doors　with　saber　in　hand。　　Not　until　the　26th　does

the　orderly　class　rally　sufficiently　to　resume　the　ascendancy　and

arrest　the　miscreants。　　　Such　is　public　life　in　France　after　the

14th　of　July：　the　magistrates　in　each　town　feel　that　they　are　at　the

mercy　of　a　band　of　savages　and　sometimes　of　cannibals。　　Those　of

Troyes　had　just　tortured　Huez　after　the　fashion　of　Hurons；　while

those　of　Caen　did　worse；　Major　de　Belzance；　not　less　innocent；　and

under　sworn　protection；＇24＇　was　cut　to　pieces　like　Laperouse　in　the

Fiji　Islands；　and　a　woman　ate　his　heart。



　VI。





Taxes　are　no　longer　paid。　　…　Devastation　of　the　Forests。　　…　The　new

game　laws。



It　is；　under　such　circumstances；　possible　to　foretell　whether　taxes

come　in；　and　whether　municipalities　that　sway　about　in　every　popular

breeze　will　have　the　authority　to　collect　the　odious　revenues。　　

Towards　the　end　of　September；＇25＇　I　find　a　list　of　thirty…six

committees　or　municipal　bodies　which；　within　a　radius　of　fifty

leagues　around　Paris；　refuse　to　ensure　the　collection　of　taxes。　　One

of　them　tolerates　the　sale　of　contraband　salt；　in　order　not　to

excite　a　riot。　　Another　takes　the　precaution　to　disarm　the　employees

in　the　excise　department。　　In　a　third　the　municipal　officers　were

the　first　to　provide　themselves　with　contraband　salt　and　contraband

tobacco。



At　Peronne　and　at　Ham；　the　order　having　come　to　restore　the　toll…

houses；　the　people　destroy　the　soldiers'　quarters；　conduct　all　the

employees　to　their　homes；　and　order　them　to　leave　within　twenty…four

hours；　under　penalty　of　death。　　After　twenty　months'　resistance

Paris　will　end　the　matter　by　forcing　the　National　Assembly　to　give

in　and　by　obtaining　the　final　suppression　of　its　octroi。＇26＇　　　Of

all　the　creditors　whose　hand　each　one　felt　on　his　shoulders；　that　of

the　exchequer　was　the　heaviest；　and　now　it　is　the　weakest；　hence

this　is　the　first　whose　grasp　is　to　be　shaken　off；　there　is　none

which　is　more　heartily　detested　or　which　receives　harsher　treatment。

Especially　against　collectors　of　the　salt…tax；　custom…house

officers；　and　excisemen　the　fury　is　universal。　　These；

everywhere；＇27＇　are　in　danger　of　their　lives　and　are　obliged　to　fly。

At　Falaise；　in　Normandy；　the　people　threaten　to　〃cut　to　pieces　the

director　of　the　excise。〃　At　Baignes；　in　Saintonge；　his　house　is

devastated　and　his　papers　and　effects　are　burned；　they　put　a　knife

to　the　thro