the origins of contemporary france-2-第65章

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relieved　by　leaving　the　people　free　to　act；　they　are　obliged　to

sanction　their　exactions　by　ordinances。　　They　are　taken　out　of　the

H？tel…de…Ville；　led　to　the　marketplace；　and　there　forthwith；　under

the　dictation　of　the　uproar　which　establishes　prices；　they；　like

simple　clerks；　proclaim　the　reduction。　　When；　moreover；　the　armed

rabble　of　a　village　marches　forth　to　tyrannize　over　a　neighboring

market；　it　carries　its　mayor　along　with　it　in　spite　of　himself；　as

an　official　instrument　which　belongs　to　it。＇25＇　〃There　is　no

resistance　against　force；〃　writes　the　mayor　of　Vert…le…Petit；　〃we

had　to　set　forth　immediately。〃　　…　　〃　They　assured　me；〃　says　the

Mayor　of　Fontenay；　〃that；　if　I　did　not　obey　them；　they　would　hang

me。〃　　…　　On　any　municipal　officer　hazarding　a　remonstrance；　they

tell　him　that　〃he　is　getting　to　be　an　aristocrat。〃　Aristocrat　and

hung；　the　argument　is　irresistible；　and　all　the　more　so　because　it

is　actually　applied。　　At　Corbeil；　the　procureur…syndic　who　tries　to

enforce　the　law　is　almost　beaten　to　death；　and　three　houses　in　which

they　try　to　find　him　are　demolished。　　At　Montlhéry；　a　seed　merchant；

accused　of　mixing　the　flour　of　beans　（twice　as　dear）　with　wheaten

flour；　is　massacred　in　his　own　house。　　At　étampes；　the　mayor　who

promulgates　the　law　is　cudgeled　to　death。　　Mobs　talk　of　nothing　but

〃burning　and　destroying；〃　while　the　farmers；　abused；　hooted　at；

forced　to　sell；　threatened　with　death　and　robbed；　run　away；

declaring　they　will　never　return　to　the　market　again。



Such　is　the　first　effect　of　popular　dictatorship。　　Like　all

unintelligent　forces；　it　operates　in　a　direction　the　reverse　of　its

intention：　to　dearness　it　adds　dearth；　and　empties；　instead　of

replenishing；　the　markets。　　That　of　étampes　often　contained　fifteen

or　sixteen　hundred　sacks　of　flour；　the　week　following　this

insurrection　there　were；　at　most；　sixty　brought　to　it。　　At

Montlhéry；　where　six　thousand　men　had　collected　together；　each　one

obtains　for　his　share　only　a　small　measure；　while　the　bakers　of　the

town　have　none　at　all。　　This　being　the　case；　the　enraged　National

Guards　tell　the　farmers　that　they　are　coming　to　see　them　on　their

farms。　　And　they　really　go。＇26＇　Drums　roll　constantly　on　the　roads

around　Montlhéry；　Limours；　and　other　large　market…towns。　　Columns　of

two；　three；　and　four　hundred　men　are　seen　passing　under　the　lead　of

their　commandant　and　of　the　mayor　whom　they　take　along　with　them。

They　enter　each　farm；　mount　into　the　granaries；　estimate　the

quantity　of　grain　thrashed　out；　and　force　the　proprietor　to　sign　an

agreement　to　bring　it　to　market　the　following　week。　　Sometimes；　as

they　are　hungry；　they　compel　people　to　give　them　something　to　eat

and　drink　on　the　spot；　and　it　will　not　do　to　enrage　them；　　…　　　a

farmer　and　his　wife　come　near　being　hung　in　their　own　barn。



Their　effort　is　useless：　Wheat　is　impounded　and　hunted　up　in　vain；

it　takes　to　the　earth　or　slips　off　like　a　frightened　animal。　　In

vain　do　insurrections　continue。　　In　vain　do　armed　mobs；　in　all　the

market…towns　of　the　department；＇27＇　subject　grain　to　a　forced

reduction　of　price。　　Wheat　becomes　scarcer　and　dearer　from　month　to

month；　rising　in　price　from　twenty…six　francs　to　thirty…three。　　And

because　the　outraged　farmer　〃brings　now　a　very　little；〃　just　〃what

is　necessary　to　sacrifice　in　order　to　avoid　threats；　he　sells　at

home；　or　in　the　inns；　to　the　flour…dealers　from　Paris。〃　　…　　The

people；　in　running　after　abundance；　have　thus　fallen　deeper　down

into　want：　their　brutality　has　aggravated　their　misery；　and　it　is　to

themselves　that　their　starvation　is　owing。　　But　they　are　far　from

attributing　all　this　to　their　own　insubordination；　the　magistrates

are　accused；　these；　in　the　eyes　of　the　populace；　are　〃in　league　with

the　monopolists。〃　On　this　incline　no　stoppage　is　possible。　　Distress

increases　rage；　and　rage　increases　distress；　and　on　this　fatal

declivity　men　are　precipitated　from　one　outrage　to　another。



After　the　month　of　February；　1792；　such　outrages　are　innumerable；

the　mobs　which　go　in　quest　of　grain　or　which　cut　down　its　price

consist　of　armies。　　One　of　six　thousand　men　comes　to　control　the

market　of　Montlhéry。＇28＇　There　are　seven　to　eight　…thousand　men　who

invade　the　market…place　of　Verneuil；　and　there　is　an　army　of　ten　and

another　of　twenty…five　thousand　men；　who　remain　organized　for　ten

days　near　Laon。　　One　hundred　and　fifty　parishes　have　sounded　the

tocsin；　and　the　insurrection　spreads　for　ten　leagues　around。　　Five

boats　loaded　with　grain　are　stopped；　and；　in　spite　of　the　orders　of

district；　department；　minister；　King；　and　National　Assembly；　they

refuse　to　surrender　them。　　Their　contents；　in　the　meantime；　are　made

the　most　of：　〃The　municipal　officers　of　the　different　parishes；

assembled　together；　pay　themselves　their　fees；　to　wit　：　one　hundred

sous　per　diem　for　the　mayor；　three　livres　for　the　municipal

officers；　two　livres　ten　sous　for　the　guards；　two　livres　for　the

porters。　　They　have　ordered　that　these　sums　should　be　paid　in　grain；

and　they　reduce　grain；　it　is　said；　fifteen　livres　the　sack。　　It　is

certain　that　they　have　divided　it　amongst　themselves；　and　that

fourteen　hundred　sacks　have　been　distributed。〃　In　vain　do　the

commissioners　of　the　National　Assembly　make　speeches　to　them　three

hours　in　length。　　The　discourse　being　finished；　they　deliberate；　in

presence　of　the　commissioners；　whether　the　latter　shall　be　hung；

drowned；　or　cut　up；　and　their　heads　put　on　the　five　points　of　the

middle　of　the　abbey　railing。　　On　being　threatened　with　military

force；　they　make　their　dispositions　accordingly。　　Nine　hundred　men

who　relieve　each　other　watch　day　and　night　on　the　ground；　in　a　well

chosen　and　permanent　encampment；　while　lookouts　stationed　in　the

belfries　of　the　surrounding　villages　have　only　to　sound　the　alarm　to

bring　together　twenty…five　thousand　men　in　a　few　hours。　…　　So　long

as　the　Government　remains　on　its　feet　it　carries　on　the　combat　as

well　as　it　can；　but　it　grows　weaker　from　month　to　month；　and；　after

the　10th　of　August；　when　it　lies　on　the　ground；　the　mob　takes　its

place　and　becomes　the　universal　sovereign。　　From　this　time　forth　not

only　is　the　law　which　protects　provisioning　powerless　against　the

disturbers　of　sale　and　circulation；　but　the　Assembly　actually

sanctions　their　acts；　since　it　decrees＇29＇　the　stoppage　of　all

proceedings　commenced　against　them；　remits　sentences　already　passed；

and　sets　free　all　who　are　imprisoned　or　in　irons。　　Behold　every

administration；　with　merchants；　proprietors；　and　farmers　abandoned

to　the　famished；　the　furious；　and　to　robbers；　henceforth　food

supplies　are　for　those　who　are　disposed　and　able　to　take　them。



〃You　will　be　told；〃　says　a　petition；＇30＇　〃that　we　violate　the　law。

We　reply　to　these　perfidious　insinuations　that　the　salvation　of　the

people　is　the　supreme　law。　　We　come　in　order　to　keep　the　markets

supplied；　and　to　insure　an　uniform　price　for　wheat　throughout　the

Republic。　　For；　there　is　no　doubt　about　it；　the　purest　patriotism

dies　out　（sic）　when　there　is　no　bread　to　be　had。　　。　　。　　。

Resistance　to　oppression　　…　　yes；　resistance　to　oppression　is　the

most　sacred　of　duties；　is　there　any　oppression　more　terrible　than

that　of　wanting　bread？　Undoubtedly；　no　。　　。　　。　　。　　Join　us　and　'？a

ira；　？a　ira！'　We　cannot　end　our　petition　better　than　with　this

patriotic　air。〃



This　supplication　was　written　on　a　drum；　amidst　a　circle　of

firearms；　and　with　such　accompaniments　it　is　equivalent　to　a

command。　　…　　They　are　well　aware　of　it；　and　of　their　own　authority

they　often　confer　upon　themselves　not　only　the　right　but　also　the

title。　　In　Loire…et…Cher；＇31＇　a　band　of　from　four　to　five　thousand

men　assume　the　name　of　〃Sovereign　Power。〃　They　go　from　one　market…

town　to　another；　to　Saint…Calais；　Montdoubleau；　Blois；　Vend？me；

reducing　the　cost　of　provisions；　their　troop　increasing　like　a

snowball　　…　　for　they　threaten　〃to　burn　the　effects　and　set　fire　to

the　houses　of　all　who　are　not　as　courageous　as　themselves。〃



In　this　state　of　social　disintegration；　insurrection　is　a　gangrene

in　which　the　healthy　are　infected　by　the　morbid　parts。　　Mobs　are

everywhere　produced　and　re…produced；　incessantly；　large　and　small；

like　abscesses　which　break　out　side　by　side；　and　painfully　irritate

each　other　and　finally　combine。　　There　are　the　towns　against　the

rural　districts　and　rural　districts　against　the　towns。　　On　the　one

hand　〃every　farmer　who　transports　anything　to　the　market　passes　（at

home）　for　an　aristocrat；＇32＇　and　becomes　the　horror　of　his　fellow…

citizens　in　the　village。〃　On　the　other　hand　the　National　Guards　of

the　towns　spread　themselves　through　the　rural　districts　and　make

raids　to　save　themselves　from　death　by　hunger。＇33＇　　It　is　admitted

in　the　rural　districts　that　each　municipality　has　the　right　to

isolate　itself　from　the　rest。　　It　is　admitted　in　the　towns　that　each

town　has　the　right　to　derive　its　provisions　from　the　country。　　It　is

admitted　by　the　indigent　of　each　commune　that　the　commune　must

provide　bread　gratis　or　at　a　cheap　rate。　　On　the　strength　of　this

there　is　a　shower　of　stones　and　a　fusillade；　department　against

department；　district　against　district；　canton　against　canton；　all

fight　for　food；　and　the　strongest　get　it　and　keep　it　for　themselves。

…　　I　have　simply　described　the　North；　where；　for　the　past　three

years；　the　crops　are　good。　　I　have　omitted　the　South；　where　trade　is

interrupted　on　the　canal　of　the　Deux　Mers；　where　the　procureur…

syndic　of　Aude　has　lately　been　massacred　for　trying　to　secure　the

passage　of　a　convoy；　where　the　harvest　has　been　poor；　where；　in　many

places；　bread　costs　eight　sous　the　pound；　where；　in　almost　every

department；　a　bushel　of　wheat　is　sold　twice　as　dear　as　in　the　North！



Strange　phenomenon！　and　the　most　instructive　of　all；　for　in　it　we

see　down　into　the　depths　of　humanity；　for；　as　on　a　raft　of

shipwrecked　beings　without　food；　there　is　a　reversion　to　a　state　of

nature。　　The　light　tissue　of　habit　and　of　rational　ideas　in　which

civilization　has　enveloped　man；　is　torn　asunder　and　is　floating　in

rags　around　him；　the　bare　arms　of　the　savage　show　themselves；　and

they　are　striking　out。　　The　only　guide　he　has　for　his　conduct　is

that　of　primitive　days；　the　startled　instinct　of　a　craving　stomach。

Henceforth　that　which　rules　in　him　and　through　him　is　animal

necessity　with　its　train　of　violent　and　narrow　suggestions；

sometimes　sanguinary　and　sometimes　grotesque。　　Incompetent　or

savage；　in　all　respects　like　a　Negro　monarch；　his　sole　political

expedients　are　either　the　methods　of　a　slaughter　house　or　the　dreams

of　a　carnival。　　Two　commissioners　whom　Roland；　Minister　of　the

Interior；　sends　to　Lyons；　are　able　to　see　within　a　few　days　the

carnival　and　the　slaughter…house。＇34＇　　…　　On　the　one　hand　the

peasants；　all　along　the　road；　arrest　everybody；　the　people　regard

every　traveler　as　an　aristocrat　who　is　running　away　　…　　which　is　so

mu