the origins of contemporary france-2-第39章

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amnesty：＇31＇　it　is　established　by　innumerable　precedents　that　he　may

be　run　down　with　impunity。　　To　prevent　him　from　defending　himself；

companies　of　the　National　Guard　come　and　seize　his　arms：　he　must

become　a　prey；　and　an　easy　prey；　like　game　kept　back　in　its

enclosure　for　an　approaching　hunt。　　　　In　vain　he　abstains　from

provocation　and　reduces　himself　to　the　standing　of　a　private

individual。　　In　vain　does　he　patiently　endure　numerous　provocations

and　resist　only　extreme　violence。　　I　have　read　many　hundreds　of

investigations　in　the　original　manuscripts；　and　almost　always　I　have

admired　the　humanity　of　the　nobles；　their　forbearance；　their　horror

of　bloodshed。　　Not　only　are　a　great　many　of　them　men　of　courage　and

all　men　of　honor；　but　also；　educated　in　the　philosophy　of　the

eighteenth　century；　they　are　mild；　sensitive；　and　deeds　of　violence

are　repugnant　to　them。　　Military　officers　especially　are　exemplary；

their　great　defect　being　their　weakness：　rather　than　fire　on　the

crowd　they　surrender　the　forts　under　their　command；　and　allow

themselves　to　be　insulted　and　stoned　by　the　people。　　For　two

years；＇32＇　〃exposed　to　a　thousand　outrages；　to　defamation；　to　daily

peril；　persecuted　by　clubs　and　misguided　soldiers；〃　disobeyed；

menaced；　put　under　arrest　by　their　own　men；　they　remain　at　their

post　to　prevent　the　ranks　from　being　broken　up；　〃with　stoic

perseverance　they　put　up　with　contempt　of　their　authority　that　they

may　preserve　its　semblance；　their　courage　is　of　that　rarest　kind

which　consists　in　remaining　at　the　post　of　duty；　impassive　beneath

both　affronts　and　blows。　　　　Through　a　wrong　of　the　greatest

magnitude；　an　entire　class　which　have　no　share　in　the　favors　of　the

Court；　and　which　suffered　as　many　injuries　as　any　of　the　common

plebeians；　is　confounded　with　the　titled　parasites　who　besiege　the

antechambers　of　Versailles。　　Twenty…five　thousand　families；　〃the

nursery　of　the　army　and　the　fleet；〃　the　elite　of　the　agricultural

proprietors；　also　many　gentlemen　who　look　after　and　turn　to　account

the　little　estates　on　which　they　live；　and　〃who　have　not　left　their

homes　a　year　in　their　lives；〃　become　the　pariahs　of　their

canton。＇33＇　　After　1789；　they　begin　to　feel　that　their　position　is

no　longer　tenable。＇34＇



〃　It　is　absolutely　in　opposition　to　the　rights　of　man；〃　says　another

letter　from　Franche…Comté；　〃to　find　one's　self　in　perpetual　fear　of

having　one's　throat　cut　by　scoundrels　who　are　daily　confounding

liberty　with　license。〃



〃I　never　knew　anything　so　wearying；〃　says　another　letter　from

Champagne；　〃as　this　anxiety　about　property　and　security。　　Never　was

there　a　better　reason　for　it。　　A　moment　suffices　to　let　loose　an

intractable　population　which　thinks　that　it　may　do　what　it　pleases；

and　which　is　carefully　sustained　in　that　error〃



　〃After　the　sacrifices　that　we　have　made；〃　says　a　letter　from

Burgundy；　〃we　could　not　expect　such　treatment。　　I　thought　that　our

property　would　be　the　last　violated　because　the　people　owed　us　some

return　for　staying　at　home　in　the　country　to　expend　among　them　the

few　resources　that　remain　to　us。　　。　　。　　（Now）；　I　beg　the　Assembly　to

repeal　the　decree　on　emigration；　otherwise　it　may　be　said　that

people　are　purposely　kept　here　to　be　assassinated。　　。　　。　　In　case　it

should　refuse　to　do　us　this　justice；　I　should　be　quite　as　willing　to

have　it　decree　an　act　of　proscription　against　us；　for　we　should　not

then　be　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　protection　of　laws　which　are

doubtless　very　wise；　but　which　are　not　respected　anywhere。〃



　〃　It　is　not　our　privileges；〃　say　several　others；　〃it　is　not　our

nobility　that　we　regret；　but　how　is　the　persecution　to　which　we　are

abandoned　to　be　supported？　There　is　no　safety　for　us；　for　our

property；　or　for　our　families。　　Wretches　who　are　our　debtors；　the

small　farmers　who　rob　us　of　our　incomes；　daily　threaten　us　with　the

torch　and　the　lamp　post。　　We　do　not　enjoy　one　hour　of　repose；　not　a

night　that　we　are　certain　to　pass　through　without　trouble。　　Our

persons　are　given　up　to　the　vilest　outrages；　our　dwellings　to　an

inquisition　of　armed　tyrants；　we　are　robbed　of　our　rentals　with

impunity；　and　our　property　is　openly　attacked。　　We；　being　now　the

only　people　to　pay　imposts；　are　unfairly　taxed；　in　various　places

our　entire　incomes　would　not。　　suffice　to　pay　the　quota　which

crushes　us。　　We　can　make　no　complaint　without　incurring　the　risk　of

being　massacred。　　The　tribunals　and　the　administrative　bodies；　the

tools　of　the　multitude；　daily　sacrifice　us　to　its　attacks。　　Even　the

Government　seems　afraid　of　compromising　itself　by　claiming　the

protection　of　the　laws　on　our　behalf。　　It　is　sufficient　to　be

pointed　out　as　an　aristocrat　to　be　without　any　security。　　If　our

peasants；　in　general；　have　shown　more　honesty；　consideration；　and

attachment　toward　us；　every　bourgeois　of　importance；　the　wild

members　of　clubs；　the　vilest　of　men　who　sully　a　uniform；　consider

themselves　privileged　to　insult　us；　and　these　wretches　go　unpunished

and　are　protected！　Even　our　religion　is　not　free。　　One　of　our　number

has　had　his　house　sacked　for　having　shown　hospitality　to　an　old　curé

of　eighty　belonging　to　his　parish　who　refused　to　take　the　oath。

Such　is　our　fate。　　We　are　not　so　base　as　to　endure　it。　　Our　right　to

resist　oppression　is　not　due　to　a　decree　of　the　National　Assembly；

but　to　natural　law。　　We　are　going　to　leave；　and　to　die　if　necessary。

But　to　live　under　such　a　revolting　anarchy　！　Should　it　not　be　broken

up　we　shall　never　set　foot　in　France　again！〃



The　operation　is　successful。　　The　Assembly；　through　its　decrees　and

institutions；　through　the　laws　it　enacts　and　the　violence　which　it

tolerates；　has　uprooted　the　aristocracy　and　cast　it　out　of　the

country。　　The　nobles；　now　the　reverse　of　privileged；　cannot　remain

in　a　country　where；　while　respecting　the　law；　they　are　really　beyond

its　pale。　　Those　who　first　emigrated　on　the　15th　of　July；　1789；

along　with　the　Prince　de　Condé；　received　at　their　houses　the　evening

before　they　left　a　list　of　the　proscribed　on　which　their　names

appeared；　and　a　reward　was　promised　to　whoever　would　bring　their

heads　to　the　cellar　of　the　Palais…Royal　　　Others；　in　larger

numbers；　left　after　the　occurrences　of　the　6th　of　October。　　

During　the　last　months　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；＇35＇



　〃the　emigration　goes　on　in　companies　composed　of　men　of　every

condition。　　。　　。。　　Twelve　hundred　gentlemen　have　left　Poitou　alone；

Auvergne；　Limousin；　and　ten　other　provinces　have　been　equally

depopulated　of　their　landowners。　　There　are　towns　in　which　nobody

remains　but　common。　　workmen；　a　club；　and　the　crowd　of　devouring

office…holders　created　by　the　Constitution。　　All　the　nobles　in

Brittany　have　left；　and　the　emigration　has　begun　in　Normandy；　and　is

going　on　in　the　frontier　provinces。



　〃More　than　two…thirds　of　the　army　will　be　without　officers。〃　On

being　called　upon　to　take　the　new　oath　in　which　the　King's　name　is

purposely　omitted；　〃six　thousand　officers　send　in　their

resignation。〃



The　example　gradually　becomes　contagious；　they　are　men　of　the　sword；

and　their　honor　is　at　stake。　　Many　of　them　join　the　princes　at

Coblentz；　and。　　subsequently　do　battle　against　France　in　the　belief

that　they　are　contending　only　against　their　executioners。



The　treatment　of　the　nobles　by　the　Assembly　is　the　same　as　the

treatment　of　the　Protestants　by　Louis　XIV。＇36＇　In　both　cases　the

oppressed　are　a　superior　class　of　men。　　In　both　cases　France　has

been　made　uninhabitable　for　them。　　In　both　cases　they　are　reduced　to

exile；　and　they　are　punished　because　they　exiled　them　selves。　　In

both　cases　it　ended　in　a　confiscation　of　their　property；　and　in　the

penalty　of　death　to　all　who　should　harbor　them。　　In　both　cases；　by

dint　of　persecution；　they　are　driven　to　revolt。　　The　insurrection　of

La　Vendée　corresponds　with　the　insurrection　of　the　Cévennes；　and　the

emigrants；　like　the　refugees　of　former　times；　will　be　found　under。

the　flags　of　Prussia　and　of　England。　　One　hundred　thousand　Frenchmen

driven　out　at　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century；　and　one　hundred

thousand　driven　out　at　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century！　　Mark　how

an　intolerant　democracy　completes　the　work　of　an　intolerant

monarchy。　　The　moral　aristocracy　was　mowed　down　in　the　name　of

uniformity；　the　social　aristocracy　is　mowed　down　in　the　name　of

equality。　　For　the　second　time；　an　absolute　principle；　and　with　the

same　effect；　buries　its　blade　in　the　heart　of　a　living　society。



The　success　is　complete。　　One　of　the　deputies　of　the　Legislative

Assembly；　early　in　its　session；　on　being　informed　of　the　great

increase　in　emigration；　joyfully　exclaims；



〃SO　MUCH　THE　BETTER；　FRANCE　IS　BEING　PURGED！〃



She　is；　in　truth；　being　depleted　of　one…half　of　her　best　blood。







IV。



Abuse　and　lukewarmness　in　1789　in　the　ecclesiastical　bodies。　　…　How

the　State　used　its　right　of　overseeing　and　reforming　them。　　…　Social

usefulness　of　corporations。…　The　sound　part　in　the　monastic

institution。　　…　Zeal　and　services　of　nuns。　　…　How　ecclesiastical

possessions　should　be　employed。　　…　Principle　of　the　Assembly　as　to

private　communities；　feudal　rights　and　trust…funds。　　…　Abolition　and

expropriation　all　corporations。　　…　Uncompensated　suppression　of

tithes。…　Confiscation　of　ecclesiastical　possessions。　　…　Effect　on

the　Treasury　and　on　expropriated　services。　　…The　civil　constitution

of　the　clergy。…　Rights　of　the　Church　in　relation　to　the　State。　　…

Certainty　and　effects　of　a　conflict。　　…　Priests　considered　as　State…

functionaries。…　Principal　stipulations　of　the　law。　　…　Obligations　of

the　oath。　　…　The　majority　of　priests　refuse　to　take　it。　　…　The

majority　of　believes　on　their　side。　　…　Persecution　of　believers　and

of　priests。





There　remained　the　corporate；　ecclesiastic；　and　lay　bodies；　and；

notably；　the　oldest；　most　opulent；　and　most　considerable　of　all　the

regular　and　secular　clergy。　　　Grave　abuses　existed　here　also；　for；

the　institution　being　founded　on　ancient　requirements；　had　not

accommodated　itself　to　new　necessities。＇37＇　　There　were　too　many

episcopal　sees；　and　these　were　arranged　according　to　the　Christian

distribution　of　the　population　in　the　fourth　century；　a　revenue

still　more　badly　apportioned　　　bishops　and　abbés　with　one　hundred

thousand　livres　a　year；　leading　the　lives　of　amiable　idlers；　while

curés；　overburdened　with　work；　have　but　seven　hundred；　in　one

monastery　nineteen　monks　instead　of　eighty；　and　in　another　four

instead　of　fifty；＇38＇　a　number　of　monasteries　reduced　to　three　or　to

two　inhabitants；　and　even　to　one；　almost　all　the　congregations　of

men　going　to　decay；　and　many　of　them　dying　out　for　lack　of

novices；＇39＇　a　general　lukewarmness　among　the　members；　great　laxity

in　many　establishments；　and　with　scandals　in　some　of　them；　scarcely

one…third　taking　an　interest　in　their　calling；　while　the　remaining

two…thirds　wish　to　go　back　to　the　world；＇40＇　　　it　is　evident　f