the origins of contemporary france-2-第84章

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about　on　the　end　of　a　pike。　　Finally；　when　the　municipal　officers；

judges；　and　royal　commissioner　commence　proceedings　against　the

assassins；　they　find　themselves　in　such　great　danger　that　they　are

obliged　to　resign　or　to　run　away。　　In　like　manner；　in　Haute…

Garonne；＇67＇　it　is　also　〃against　non…jurors　and　their　followers〃

that　the　insurrection　has　begun。　　This　is　promoted　by　the　fact　that

in　various　parishes　the　constitutional　curé　belongs　to　the　club；　and

demands　the　riddance　of　his　adversaries。　　One　of　them　at　Saint…Jean…

Lorne；　〃mounted　on　a　cart；　preaches　pillage　to　a　mob　of　eight

hundred　persons。〃　Each　band；　consequently；　begins　by　expelling

refractory　priests；　and　by　forcing　their　supporters　to　attend　the

mass　of　the　sworn　priest。　　…　　？But　such　success；　wholly　abstract　and

barren；　is　of　little　advantage；　and　peasants　in　a　state　of　revolt

are　not　satisfied　so　easily。　　When　parishes　march　forth　by　the　dozen

and　devote　their　day　to　the　service　of　the　public；　they　must　have

some　compensation　in　wood；　wheat；　wine；　or　money；＇68＇　and　the

expense　of　the　expedition　may　be　defrayed　by　the　aristocrats。　　Not

merely　the　upholders　of　non…jurors　are　aristocrats；　as；　for　example；

an　old　lady　here　and　there；　〃very　fanatical；　and　who　for　forty　years

has　devoted　all　her　income　to　acts　of　philanthropy；〃　〃but　well…to…do

persons；　peasants　or　gentlemen；〃　for；　〃by　keeping　their　wine　and

grain　unsold　in　their　cellars　and　barns；　and　by　not　undertaking　more

work　than　they　need；　so　as　to　deprive　workmen　in　the　country　of

their　means　of　subsistence；〃　they　design　〃to　starve　out〃　the　poor

folk。　　Thus；　the　greater　the　pillage；　the　greater　the　service　to　the

public。　　According　to　the　insurgents；　it　is　important　〃to　diminish

revenues　enjoyed　by　the　enemies　of　the　nation；　in　order　that　they

may　not　send　their　revenues　to　Coblentz　and　other　places　out　of　the

kingdom。〃　Consequently；　bands　of　six　or　eight　hundred　or　a　thousand

men　overrun　the　districts　of　Toulouse　and　Castelsarrasin。　　All

proprietors；　aristocrats；　and　patriots　are　put　under　contribution。

Here；　in　the　house　of　〃the　philanthropic　but　fanatical　old　maid；

they　break　open　everything；　destroy　the　furniture；　taking　away

eighty…two　bushels　of　wheat　and　sixteen　hogsheads　of　wine。〃

Elsewhere；　at　Roqueferrière；　feudal　title…deeds　are　burnt；　and　a

chateau　is　pillaged。　　Farther　on；　at　Lasserre；　thirty　thousand

francs　are　exacted　and　the　ready　money　is　all　carried　off。　　Almost

everywhere　the　municipal　officers；　willingly　or　unwillingly；

authorize　pillaging。　　Moreover；　〃they　cut　down　provisions　to　a　price

in　assignats　very　much　less　than　their　current　rate　in　silver；〃　and

they　double　the　price　of　a　day's　work。　　In　the　meantime；　other　bands

devastate　the　national　forests；　and　the　gendarmes；　in　order　not　to

be　called　aristocrats；　have　no　idea　but　of　paying　court　to　the

pillagers。



After　all　this；　it　is　manifest　that　property　no　longer　exists　for

anybody　except　for　paupers　and　robbers。　　…　　In　effect；　in

Dordogne；＇69＇　under　the　pretext　of　driving　away　nonjuring　priests；

frequently　mobs　gather　to　pillage　and　rob　whatever　comes　in　their

way。　　。　　。　　。　　All　the　grain　that　is　found　in　houses　with

weathercocks　is　sequestrated。〃　The　rustics　exploit；　as　communal

property；　all　the　forests；　all　the　possessions　of　the　emigrants；　and

this　operation　is　radical；　for　example；　a　band；　on　finding　a　new

barn　of　which　the　materials　strike　them　as　good；　demolish　it　so　as

to　share　with　each　other　the　tiles　and　timber。　　…　　In　Corrèze；

fifteen　thousand　armed　peasants；　who　have　come　to　Tulle　to　disarm

and　drive　off　the　supporters　of　the　non…jurors；　break　everything　in

suspected　houses；　and　a　good　deal　of　difficulty　is　found　in　sending

them　off　empty…handed。　　As　soon　as　they　get　back　home；　they　sack　the

chateaux　of　Saint…Gal；　Seilhac；　Gourdon；　Saint…Basile；　and　La

Rochette；　besides　a　number　of　country…houses；　even　of　absent

plebeians。　　They　have　found　a　quarry；　and　never　was　the　removal　of

property　more　complete。　　They　carefully　carry　off；　says　an　official

statement；　all　that　can　be　carried　　…　　furniture；　curtains；　mirrors；

clothes…presses；　pictures；　wines；　provisions；　even　floors　and　wooden

panels；　〃down　to　the　smallest　fragments　of　iron　and　wood…work；〃

smashing　the　rest；　so　that　nothing　〃remains　of　the　house　but　its

four　walls；　the　roof　and　the　staircase。〃　In　Lot；　where　for　two　years

the　insurrection　is　permanent；　the　damage　is　much　greater。　　During

the　night　between　the　30th　and　31st　of　January；　〃all　the　best　houses

in　Souillac〃　are　broken　open；　〃sacked　and　pillaged　from　top　to

bottom；〃＇70＇　their　owners　being　obliged　to　fly；　and　so　many

outbreaks　occur　in　the　department；　that　the　directory　has　no　time　to

render　an　account　of　them　to　the　minister。　　Entire　districts　are　in

revolt；　as；　〃in　each　commune　all　the　inhabitants　are　accomplices；

witnesses　cannot　be　had　to　support　a　criminal　prosecution；　and　crime

remains　unpunished。〃　In　the　canton　of　Cabrerets；　the　restitution　of

rents　formerly　collected　is　exacted；　and　the　reimbursement　of

charges　paid　during　twenty　years　past。　　The　small　town　of　Lauzerte

is　invaded　by　surrounding　bodies　of　militia；　and　its　disarmed

inhabitants　are　at　the　mercy　of　the　Jacobin　suburbs。　　For　three

months；　in　the　district　of　Figeac；　〃all　the　mansions　of　former

nobles　are　sacked　and　burnt；〃　next　the　pigeon…cots　are　attacked；

〃and　all　country…houses　which　have　a　good　appearance。〃　Barefooted

gangs　〃enter　the　houses　of　well…to…do　people；　physicians；　lawyers；

merchants；　burst　open　the　doors　of　cellars；　drink　the　wine；〃　and

riot　like　drunken　victors。　　In　several　communes　these　expeditions

have　become　a　custom；　〃a　large　number　of　individuals　are　found　in

them　who　live　on　rapine　alone；〃　and　the　club　sets　them　the　example。

For　six　months；　in　the　principal　town；　a　coterie　of　the　National

Guard；　called　the　Black　Band；　expel　all　persons　who　are　displeasing

to　them；　〃pillaging　houses　at　will；　beating　to　death；　wounding　or

mutilating　by　saber…strokes；　all　who　have　been　proscribed　in　their

assemblies；〃　and　no　official　or　advocate　dares　lodge　a　complaint。

Brigandage；　borrowing　the　mask　of　patriotism；　and　patriotism

borrowing　the　methods　of　brigandage；　have　combined　against　property

at　the　same　time　as　against　the　ancient　régime；　and；　to　free

themselves　from　all　that　inspires　them　with　fear；　they　seize　all

which　can　provide　them　with　booty。



And　yet　this　is　merely　the　outskirts　of　the　storm；　the　center　is

elsewhere；　around　N？mes；　Avignon；　Arles；　and　Marseilles；　in　a

country　where；　for　a　long　time；　the　conflict　between　cities　and　the

conflict　between　religions　have　kindled　and　accumulated　malignant

passions。＇71＇　　Looking　at　the　three　departments　of　Gard；　Bouches…de…

Rh？ne　and　Vaucluse；　one　would　imagine　one's　self　in　the　midst　of　a

war　with　savages。　　In　fact；　it　is　a　Jacobin　and　plebeian　invasion；

and；　consequently；　conquest；　dispossession；　and　extermination；　　…

in　Gard；　a　swarm　of　National　Guards　copy　the　jacquerie：　the　dregs　of

the　Comtat　come　to　the　surface　and　cover　Vaucluse　with　its　scum；　an

army　of　six　thousand　from　Marseilles　sweeps　down　on　Arles。　　…　　In

the　districts　of　N？mes；　Sommières；　Uzès；　Alais；　Jalais；　and　Saint…

Hippolyte；　title…deeds　are　burnt；　proprietors　put　to　ransom；　and

municipal　officers　threatened　with　death　if　they　try　to　interpose；

twenty　chateaux　and　forty　country…houses　are　sacked；　burnt；　and

demolished。　　…　　The　same　month；　Arles　and　Avignon；＇72＇　given　up　to

the　bands　of　Marseilles　and　of　the　Comtat；　see　confiscation　and

massacres　approaching。　　…　　Around　the　commandant；　who　has　received

the　order　to　evacuate　Aries；＇73＇　〃the　inhabitants　of　all　parties〃

gather　as　suppliants；　〃clasping　his　hands；　entreating　him　with　tears

in　their　eyes　not　to　abandon　them；　women　and　children　cling　to　his

boots；〃　so　that　he　does　not　know　how　to　free　himself　without　hurting

them；　on　his　departure　twelve　hundred　families　emigrate。　　After　the

entrance　of　the　Marseilles　band　we　see　eighteen　hundred　electors

proscribed；　their　country…houses　on　the　two　banks　of　the　Rhone

pillaged；　〃as　in　the　times　of　Saracen　pirates；〃　a　tax　of　1；400；000

livres　levied　on　all　people　in　good　circumstances；　absent　or

present；　women　and　girls　promenaded　about　half…naked　on　donkeys　and

publicly　whipped。〃　〃A　saber　committee〃　disposes　of　lives；　proscribes

and　executes：　it　is　the　reign　of　sailors；　porters；　and　the　dregs　of

the　populace。　　…　　At　Avignon；＇74＇　it　is　that　of　simple　brigands；

incendiaries　and　assassins；　who；　six　months　previously；　converted

the　Glacière＇75＇　into　a　charnel…house。　　They　return　in　triumph　and

state　that　〃this　time　the　Glacière　will　be　full。〃　Five　hundred

families　had　already　sought　asylum　in　France　before　the　first

massacre；　now；　the　entire　remainder　of　the　honest　bourgeoisie；

twelve　hundred　persons；　take　to　flight；　and　the　terror　is　so　great

that　the　small　neighboring　towns　dare　not　receive　emigrants。　　In

fact；　from　this　time　forth；　both　departments　throughout　Vaucluse　and

Bouches…de…Rh？ne　are　a　prey：　Bands　of　two　thousand　armed　men；　with

women；　children；　and　other　volunteer　followers；　travel　from　commune

to　commune　to　live　as　they　please　at　the　expense　of　〃fanatics。〃　The

well…bred　people　are　not　the　only　ones　they　despoil。　　Plain

cultivators；　taxed　at　10；000　livres；　have　sixty　men　billeted　on

them；　their　cattle　are　slain　and　eaten　before　their　eyes；　and

everything　in　their　houses　is　broken　up；　they　are　driven　out　of

their　lodgings　and　wander　as　fugitives　in　the　reed…swamps　of　the

Rhone；　awaiting　a　moment　of　respite　to　cross　the　river　and　take

refuge　in　the　neighboring　department。＇76＇　　Thus；　from　the　spring　of

1792；　if　any　citizen　is　suspected　of　unfriendliness　or　even　of

indifference　towards　the　ruling　faction；　if；　through　but　one　opinion

conscientiously　held；　he　risks　the　vague　possibility　of　mistrust　or

of　suspicion；　he　undergoes　popular　hostility；　pillage；　exile；　and

worse　besides；　no　matter　how　loyal　his　conduct　may　be；　nor　how　loyal

he　may　be　at　heart；　no　matter　that　he　is　disarmed　and　inoffensive；

it　is　all　the　same　whether　it　be　a　noble；　bourgeois；　peasant；　aged

priest；　or　woman；　and　this　while　public　peril　is　yet　neither　great；

present；　nor　visible；　since　France　is　at　peace　with　Europe；　and　the

government　still　subsists　in　its　entirety。





IX。



General　state　of　opinion。　　…　　The　three　convoys　of　non…juring

priests　on　the　Seine。　　…　　Psychological　aspects　of　the　Revolution。



What　will　it　be；　then；　now　when　the　peril；　already　become　palpable

and　serious；　is　daily　increasing；　now　when　war　has　begun；　when

Lafayette's　army　is　falling　back　in　confusion；　when　the　Assembly

declares　the　country　in　danger；　when　the　King　is　overthrown；　when

Lafayette　defects　and　goes　abroad；　when　the　soil　of　France　is

invaded；　when　the　frontier　fortresses　surrender　without　resistance；

when　the　Prussians　are　entering　Champagne；　when　the　insurrection　in