the origins of contemporary france-2-第62章

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against　the　Catholics。　　The　Protestants；　in　fact；　are　but　twelve

thousand　out　of　fifty…four　thousand　inhabitants；　but　the　principal

trade　of　the　place　is　in　their　hands；　they　hold　the　manufactories

and　support　thirty　thousand　workmen；　in　the　elections　of　1789　they

furnished　five　out　of　the　eight　deputies。　　The　sympathies　of　that

time　were　in　their　favor；　nobody　then　imagined　that　the　dominant

Church　was　exposed　to　any　risk。　　It　is　to　be　attacked　in　its　turn；

and　the　two　parties　are　seen　confronting　each　other。　…　　The

Catholics　sign　a　petition；＇6＇　hunt　up　recruits　among　the　market…

gardeners　of　the　suburbs；　retain　the　white　cockade；　and；　when　this

is　prohibited；　replace　it　with　a　red　rosette；　another　sign　of

recognition。　　At　their　head　is　an　energetic　man　named　Froment；　who

has　vast　projects　in　view；　but　as　the　soil　on　which　he　treads　is

undermined；　he　cannot　prevent　the　explosion。　　It　takes　place

naturally；　by　chance；　through　the　simple　collision　of　two　equally

distrustful　bodies；　and　before　the　final　day　it　has　commenced　and

recommenced　twenty　times；　through　mutual　provocations　and

denunciations；　through　insults；　libels；　scuffles；　stone…throwing；

and　gun…shots。　…　　On　the　13th　of　June；　1790；　the　question　is　which

party　shall　furnish　administrators　for　the　district　and　department；

and　the　conflict　begins　in　relation　to　the　elections。　　The　Electoral

Assembly　is　held　at　the　guard…house　of　the　bishop's　palace；　where

the　Protestant　dragoons　and　patriots　have　come　〃three　times　as　many

as　usual；　with　loaded　muskets　and　pistols；　and　with　full　cartridge…

boxes；〃　and　they　patrol　the　surrounding　neighborhood。　　On　their

side；　the　red　rosettes；　royalists　and　Catholics；　complain　of　being

threatened　and　〃treated　contemptuously〃　（nargués）。　　They　give　notice

to　the　gate…keeper　〃not　to　let　any　dragoon　enter　the　town　either　on

foot　or　mounted；　at　the　peril　of　his　life；〃　and　declare　that　〃the

bishop's　quarters　were　not　made　for　a　guard…house。〃　　…　　　A　mob

forms；　and　shouting　takes　place　under　the　windows；　stones　are

thrown；　the　bugle　of　a　dragoon；　who　sounds　the　roll…call；　is　broken

and　two　shots　are　fired。＇7＇　　The　dragoons　immediately　fire　a　volley；

which　wounds　a　good　many　people　and　kills　seven。　　From　this　moment；

firing　goes　on　during　the　evening　and　all　night；　in　every　quarter　of

the　town；　each　party　believing　that　the　other　wants　to　exterminate

it；　the　Protestants　satisfied　that　it　is　another　St。　　Bartholomew；

and　the　Catholics　that　it　is　〃a　Michelade。〃＇8＇　There　is　no　one　to

act　between　them。　　The　municipality　authorities；　far　from　issuing

orders；　receive　them：　they　are　roughly　handled；　hustled　and　jostled

about；　and　made　to　march　about　like　servants。　　The　patriots　seize

the　Abbé　de　Belmont；　a　municipal　officer；　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；

order　him；　on　pain　of　death；　to　proclaim　martial　…law；　and　place　the

red　flag　in　his　hand。　　〃March；　rascal；　you　bastard！　Hold　up　your

flag　　…　　higher　up　still　　…　　you　are　big　enough　to　do　that！〃　Blows

follow　with　the　but…ends　of　their　muskets。　　The　poor　man　spits

blood；　but　this　is　of　no　consequence；　he　must　be　in　full　sight　at

the　head　of　the　crowd；　like　a　target；　whilst　his　conductors

prudently　remain　behind。　　Thus　does　he　advance；　exposed　to　bullets；

holding　the　flag；　and　finally　becomes　the　prisoner　of　the　red

rosettes；　who　release　him；　but　keep　his　flag。　　There　is　a　second

march　with　a　red　flag　held　by　a　town　valet；　and　fresh　gunshots；　the

red　rosettes　capture　this　flag　also；　as　well　as　another　municipal

officer。　　The　rest　of　the　municipal　body；　with　a　royal　commissioner；

take　refuge　in　the　barracks　and　order　out　the　troops。　　Meanwhile

Froment；　with　his　three　companies；　posted　in　their　towers　and　in　the

houses　on　the　ramparts；　resist　to　the　last　extremity。　　Daylight

comes；　the　tocsin　is　sounded；　the　drums　beat　to　arms；　and　the

patriot　militia　of　the　neighborhood；　the　Protestants　from　the

mountains；　the　rude　Cévenols；　arrive　in　crowds。　　The　red　rosettes

are　besieged；　a　Capuchin　convent；　from　which　it　is　pretended　that

they　have　fired；　is　sacked；　and　five　of　the　monks　are　killed。

Froment's　tower　is　demolished　with　cannon　and　taken　by　assault。　　His

brother　is　massacred　and　thrown　from　the　walls；　while　a　Jacobin

convent　next　to　the　ramparts　is　sacked。　　Towards　night；　all　the　red

rosettes　who　have　fought　are　slain　or　have　fled；　and　there　is　no

longer　any　resistance。　But　the　fury　still　lasts；　the　fifteen

thousand　rustics　who　have　flooded　the　town　think　that　they　have　not

yet　done　enough。　　In　vain　are　they　told　that　the　other　fifteen

companies　of　red　rosettes　have　not　moved；　that　the　pretended

aggressors　〃did　not　even　put　themselves　in　a　state　of　defense；〃　that

during　the　battle　they　remained　at　home；　and　that　afterwards；

through　extra　precaution；　the　municipal　authorities　had　made　them

give　up　their　arms。　　In　vain　does　the　Electoral　Assembly；　preceded

by　a　white　flag；　march　to　the　public　square　and　exhort　the　people　to

keep　the　peace。　　〃Under　the　pretext　of　searching　suspicious　houses；

they　pillage　or　destroy；　and　what…ever　cannot　be　carried　away　is

broken。〃　One　hundred　and　twenty　houses　are　sacked　in　N？mes　alone；

while　the　same　ravages　are　committed　in　the　environs；　the　damage；　at

the　end　of　three　days；　amounting　to　seven　or　eight　hundred　thousand

livres。　　A　number　of　poor　creatures；　workmen；　merchants；　old　and

infirm　men；　are　massacred　in　their　houses；　some；　〃who　have　been

bedridden　for　many　years；　are　dragged　to　the　sills　of　their　doors　to

be　shot。〃　Others　are　hung　on　the　esplanade　and　at　the　Cours　Neuf；

while　others　have　their　noses；　ears；　feet；　and　hands　cut　off；　and

are　hacked　to　pieces　with　sabers　and　scythes。　　Horrible　stories；　as

is　commonly　the　case；　provoke　the　most　atrocious　acts。



A　publican；　who　refuses　to　distribute　anti…Catholic　lists；　is

supposed　to　have　a　mine　in　his　cellar　filled　with　kegs　of　gunpowder

and　with　sulfur　matches　all　ready；　he　is　hacked　to　pieces　with　a

saber；　and　twenty　guns　are　discharged　into　his　corpse：　they　expose

the　body　before　his　house　with　a　long　loaf　of　bread　on　his　breast；

and　they　again　stab　him　with　bayonets；　saying　to　him：　〃Eat；　you

bastard；　eat〃　　…　　More　than　five　hundred　Catholics　were

assassinated；　and　many　others；　covered　with　blood；　〃are　crowded

together　in　the　prisons；　while　the　search　for　the　proscribed　is

continued；　whenever　they　are　seen；　they　are　fired　upon　like　so　many

wolves。〃　Thousands　of　the　inhabitants；　accordingly；　demand　their

passports　and　leave　the　town。　　The　rural　Catholics；　meanwhile；　on

their　side；　massacre　six　Protestants　in　the　environs　　…　　an　old　man

of　eighty…two　years；　a　youth　of　fifteen；　and　a　husband　and　his　wife

in　their　farm…house。　　In　order　to　put　a　stop　to　the　murderous　acts；

the　National　Guard　of　Montpellier　have　to　be　summoned。　　But　the

restoration　of　order　is　for　the　benefit　of　the　victorious　party。

Three…fifths　of　the　electors　have　fled；　one…third　of　the　district

and　departmental　administrators　have　been　appointed　in　their

absence；　and　the　majority　of　the　new　directories　is　taken　from　the

club　of　patriots。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　the　prisoners　are

prejudged　as　guilty。　　〃No　bailiff　of　the　court　dares　give　them　the

benefit　of　his　services；　they　are　not　allowed　to　bring　forward

justifying　facts　in　evidence；　while　everybody　knows　that　the　judges

are　not　impartial。〃＇9＇



Thus　do　the　violent　measures　of　political　and　religious　discord　come

to　an　end。　　The　victor　stops　the　mouth　of　the　law　when　it　is　about

to　speak　in　his　adversary's　behalf；　and；　under　the　legal　iniquity　of

an　administration　which　he　has　himself　established；　he　crushes　those

whom　the　illegal　force　of　his　own　strong　hand　has　stricken　down。







II。



Passion　Supreme。　　…　　　Dread　of　hunger　its　most　acute　form。　　…　　　The

non…circulation　of　grain。　　…　　Intervention　and　usurpations　of　the

electoral　assemblies。　　…　　The　rural　code　in　Nivernais。　　…　　The　four

central　provinces　in　1790。　　…　　　Why　high　prices　are　kept　up。　　…

Anxiety　and　insecurity。　　…　　　Stagnation　of　the　grain　market。　　…

The　departments　near　Paris　in　1791。　　…　　　The　supply　and　price　of

grain　regulated　by　force。　　…　　　The　mobs　in　1792。　　…　　　Village　armies

of　Eure　and　of　the　lower　Seine　and　of　Aisne。　　…　　　Aggravation　of　the

disorder　after　August　10th。　　…　　　The　dictatorship　of　unbridled

instinct。　　…　　　Its　practical　and　political　expedients。





Passions　of　this　stamp　are　the　product　of　human　cultivation；　and

break　loose　only　within　narrow　bounds。　　Another　passion　exists　which

is　neither　historic　nor　local；　but　natural　and　universal；　the　most

indomitable；　most　imperious；　and　most　formidable　of　all；　namely；　the

fear　of　hunger。　　There　is　no　such　thing　with　this　passion　as　delay；

or　reflection；　or　looking　beyond　itself。　　Each　commune　or　canton

wants　its　bread；　and　a　sure　and　unlimited　supply　of　it。　　Our

neighbor　may　provide　for　himself　as　best　he　can；　but　let　us　look　out

for　ourselves　first　and　then　for　other　people。　　Each　group　of

people；　accordingly；　through　its　own　decrees；　or　by　main　force；

keeps　for　itself　whatever　subsistence　it　possesses；　or　takes　from

others　the　subsistence　which　it　does　not　possess。　　ii



At　the　end　of　1789；＇10＇　〃Roussillon　refuses　aid　to　Languedoc；　Upper

Languedoc　to　the　rest　of　the　province；　and　Burgundy　to　Lyonnais；

Dauphiny　shuts　herself　up；　and　Normandy　retains　the　wheat　purchased

for　the　relief　of　Paris。〃　At　Paris；　sentinels　are　posted　at　the

doors　of　all　the　bakers；　on　the　21st　of　October　one　of　the　latter　is

hung；　and　his　head　is　borne　about　on　a　pike。　　On　the　27th　of

October；　at　Vernon；　a　corn…merchant　named　Planter；　who　the　preceding

winter　had　supported　the　poor　for　six　leagues　around；　has　to　take

his　turn。　　At　the　present　moment　the　people　do　not　forgive　him　for

having　sent　flour　to　Paris；　and　he　is　hung　twice；　but　is　saved

through　the　breaking　of　the　rope　each　time。　　It　is　only　by　force

and　under　an　escort　that　it　is　possible　to　insure　the　arrival　of

grain　in　a　town；　the　excited　people　or　the　National　Guards

constantly　seize　it　on　its　passage。　　In　Normandy　the　militia　of　Caen

stops　wheat　on　the　highways　which　is　destined　for　Harcourt　and

elsewhere。＇11＇　In　Brittany；　Auray　and　Vannes　retain　the　convoys　for

Nantes；　and　Lannion　those　for　Brest。　　Brest　having　attempted　to

negotiate；　its　commissioners　are　seized；　and；　with　knives　at　their

throats；　are　forced　to　sign　a　renunciation；　pure　and　simple；　of　the

grain　which　they　have　paid　for；　and　they　are　led　out　of　Lannion　and

stoned　on　the　way。　　Eighteen　hundred　men；　consequently；　leave　Brest

with　four　cannon；　and　go　to　recover　their　property　with　their　guns

loaded。　　These　are　the　customs　prevalent　during　the　great　famines　of

feudal　times；　and；　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　to　say

nothing　of　the　out…breaks　of　the　famished　in　the　large　towns；

similar　outrages　or　attempts　at　recovery　are　constantly　occurring。

…　　〃　The　armed　population　of　Nantua；