the origins of contemporary france-3-第31章

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the　Swiss　regiment　is　stationed　in　garrison　and　where　the　superior

authorities　are　installed。　　This　operation　is　the　more　necessary

inasmuch　as　the　Directory　of　the　department　loudly　commends　the

loyalty　of　the　Swiss　Guard　and　takes　occasion　to　remind　the　Marseilles

municipality　of　the　respect　due　to　the　law。　　Such　remonstrance　is　an

insult；　and　the　municipality；　in　a　haughty　tone；　calls　upon　the

Directory　to　avow　or　disavow　its　letter；　〃if　you　did　not　write　it；　it

is　a　foul　report　which　it　is　our　duty　to　examine　into；　and　if　you　did；

it　is　a　declaration　of　war　made　by　you　against　Marseilles。〃＇16＇　　The

Directory；　in　polite　terms　and　with　great　circumspection；　affirms　both

its　right　and　its　utterance；　and　remarks　that　〃the　prorata　list　of

taxes　of　Marseilles　for　1791　is　not　yet　reported；〃　that　the

municipality　is　much　more　concerned　with　saving　the　State　than　with

paying　its　contribution　and；　in　short；　it　maintains　its　censure。　　If

it　will　not　bend　it　must　break；　and　on　the　4th　of　February；　1792；　the

municipality　sends　Barbaroux；　its　secretary；　to　Paris；　that　he　may

mitigate　the　outrages　they　are　preparing。　　During　the　night　of　the　25…

26；　the　drums　beat　the　general　alarm；　and　three　or　four　thousand　men

gather　and　march　to　Aix　with　six　pieces　of　cannon。　　As　a　precaution

they　pretend　to　have　no　leaders；　no　captains　or　lieutenants　or　even

corporals；　to　quote　them；　all　are　equal；　all　volunteers；　each　being

summoned　by　the　other；　in　this　fashion；　as　all　are　responsible；　no　one

is。＇17＇　　They　reach　Aix　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　forenoon；　find　a　gate

open　through　the　connivance　of　those　in　league　with　them　among　the

populace　of　the　town　and　its　suburbs；　and　summon　the　municipality　to

surrender　the　sentinels。　　In　the　mean　time　their　emissaries　have

announced　in　the　neighboring　villages　that　the　town　was　menaced　by　the

Swiss　regiment；　consequently　four　hundred　men　from　Aubagne　arrive　in

haste；　while　from　hour　to　hour　the　National　Guards　from　the

surrounding　villages　likewise　rush　in。　　The　streets　are　full　of　armed

men；　shouts　arise　and　the　tumult　increases；　the　municipal　body；　in　the

universal　panic；　loses　its　wits。　　This　body　is　afraid　of　a　nocturnal

fight　〃between　troops　of　the　line；　citizens；　National　Guards　and　armed

strangers；　no　one　being　able　to　recognize　one　another　or　know　who　is

an　enemy。〃　　It　sends　back　a　detachment　of　three　hundred　and　fifty

Swiss　Guards；　which　the　Directory　had　ordered　to　its　support；　and

consigns　the　regiment　to　its　quarters。　　　At　this　the　Directory　takes

to　flight。　　Military　sentinels　of　all　kinds　are　disarmed　while　the

Marseilles　throng；　turning　its　advantages　to　account；　announces　to　the

municipality　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　that；　〃allow　it　or　not　〃　it

is　going　to　attack　the　barracks　immediately；　in　fact；　cannon　are

planted；　a　few　shots　are　fired；　a　sentinel　killed；　and　the　hemmed…in

regiment　is　compelled　to　evacuate　the　town；　the　men　without　their　guns

and　the　officers　without　their　swords。　　Their　arms　are　stolen；　the

people　seize　the　suspected；　the　street…lamp　is　hauled　down　and　the

noose　is　made　ready。　　Cayol；　the　flower…girl；　is　hung。　　The

municipality；　with　great　difficulty；　saves　one　man　who　is　already

lifted　by　the　rope　two　feet　from　the　ground；　and　obtains　for　three

others　〃a　temporary　refuge〃　in　prison。







Henceforth　there　is　no　authority　at　the　department　headquarters；　or

rather　it　has　changed　hands。　　Another　Directory；　more　pliable；　is

installed　in　the　place　of　the　fugitive　Directory。　　Of　the　thirty…six

administrators　who　form　the　Council　only　twelve　are　present　at　the

election。　　Of　the　nine　elected　only　six　consent　to　sit；　while　often

only　three　are　found　at　its　sessions；　which　three；　to　recruit　their

colleagues；　are　obliged　to　pay　them。＇18＇　　Hence；　notwithstanding　their

position　is　the　best　in　the　department；　they　are　worse　treated　and

more　unfortunate　than　their　servants　outside。　　The　delegates　of　the

club；　with　the　municipal　officers　of　Marseilles　seated　alongside　of

them；　oblige　them　either　to　keep　silent；　or　to　utter　what　they　dictate

to　them。＇19＇　〃Our　arms　are　tied；〃　writes　one　of　them；　〃we　are　wholly

under　the　yoke〃　of　these　intruders。　　〃We　have　twice　in　succession　seen

more　than　three　hundred　men；　many　of　them　with　guns　and　pistols；　enter

the　hall　and　threaten　us　with　death　if　we　refused　them　what　they

asked。　　We　have　seen　infuriate　motionnaires；　nearly　all　belonging　to

Avignon；　mount　the　desks　of　the　Directory；　harangue　their　comrades　and

excite　them　to　rioting　and　crime。　　〃You　must　decide　between　life　or

death；〃　they　exclaimed　to　us；　〃you　have　only　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to

choose。〃　〃National　guards　have　offered　their　sabers　through　the

windows；　left　open　on　account　of　the　extreme　heat；　to　those　around　us

and　made　signs　to　them　to　cut　our　throats。〃　　Thus　fashioned；　reduced

and　drilled；　the　Directory　is　simply　an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the

Marseilles　demagogues。　　Camo？n；　Bertin　and　Rebecqui；　the　worst

agitators　and　usurpers；　rule　there　without　control。　　Rebecqui　and

Bertin；　appointed　delegates　in　connection　with　matters　in　Arles；　have

themselves　empowered　to　call　for　defensive　troops；　they　immediately

demand　them　for　attack；　to　which　the　Directory　vainly　remonstrates；

they　declare　to　it　that　〃not　being　under　its　inspection；　it　has　no

authority　over　them；　being　independent　of　it；　they　have　no　orders　to

receive　from　it　nor　to　render　to　it　any　account　of　their　conduct。〃　So

much　the　worse　for　the　Directory　on　attempting　to　revoke　their　powers。

Bertin　informs　its　vice…president　that；　if　it　dares　do　this　he　will

cut　off　his　head。　　They　reply　to　the　Minister's　observations　with　the

utmost　insolence。＇20＇　　They　glory　in　the　boldness　of　the　stroke　and

prepare　another；　their　march　on　Aix　being　only　the　first　halt　in　the

long…meditated　campaign　which　involves　the　possession　of　Arles。







III。



The　Constitutionalists　of　Arles。　　The　Marseilles　expedition　against

Arles。　　Excesses　committed　by　them　in　the　town　and　its　vicinity。　

Invasion　of　〃Apt；〃　the　club　and　its　volunteers。



No　city；　indeed；　is　more　odious　to　them。　　For　two　years；　led　or

pushed　on　by　its　mayor；　M。　d'Antonelle；　it　has　marched　along　with　them

or　been　dragged　along　in　their　wake。　　D'Antonelle；　an　ultra…

revolutionary；　repeatedly　visited　and　personally　encouraged　the

bandits　of　Avignon。　　To　supply　them　with　cannon　and　ammunition　he

stripped　the　Tour　St。　Louis　of　its　artillery；　at　the　risk　of

abandoning　the　mouths　of　the　Rhone　to　the　Barbary　pirates。＇21＇　In

concert　with　his　allies　of　the　Comtat；　the　Marseilles　club；　and　his

henchmen　from　the　neighboring　boroughs；　he　rules　in　Arles　〃by　terror。〃

Three　hundred　men　recruited　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Mint；　artisans　or

sailors　with　strong　arms　and　rough　hands；　serve　him　as　satellites。　　On

the　6th　of　June　1791；　they　drive　away；　on　their　own　authority；　the

unsworn　priests；　who　had　taken　refuge　in　the　town。＇22＇　　　　At　this；

however；　the　〃property…owners　and　decent　people；〃　much　more　numerous

and　for　a　long　time　highly　indignant；　raise　their　heads；　twelve

hundred　of　them　assemble　in　the　church　of　Saint…Honorat；　swore　to

maintain　the　constitution　and　public　order；〃＇23＇　and　then　moved　to　the

（Jacobin）　club；　where；　in　their　quality　of　national　guards　and　active

citizens　and　in　conformity　with　its　by…laws；　they　were　admitted　en

masse。　　At　the　same　time；　acting　in　concert　with　the　municipality；

they　reorganize　the　National　Guard　and　form　new　companies；　the　effect

of　which　is　to　put　an　end　to　the　Mint　gang；　thus　depriving　the　faction

of　all　its　strength。　　Thenceforth；　without　violence　or　illegal　acts；

the　majority　of　the　club；　as　well　as　of　the　National　Guard；　consists

of　constitutional　monarchists；　the　elections　of　November；　1791；　giving

to　the　partisans　of　order　nearly　all　the　administrative　offices　of　the

commune　and　of　the　district。　　M。　Loys；　a　physician　and　a　man　of

energy；　is　elected　mayor　in　the　place　of　M。　d'Antonelle；　he　is　known

as　able　to　suppress　a　riot；　〃holding　martial　law　in　one　hand；　and　his

saber　in　the　other。〃　　　This　is　too　much；　　so　Marseilles　feel

compelled　to　bring　Arles　under　control　〃to　atone　for　the　disgrace　of

having　founded　it。〃＇24＇　In　this　land　of　ancient　cities　political

hostility　is　embittered　with　old　municipal　grudges；　similar　to　those

of　Thebes　against　Plat？e；　of　Rome　against　Veii；　of　Florence　against

Pisa。　　The　Guelphs　of　Marseilles　brooded　over　the　one　idea　of　crushing

the　Ghibellins　of　Arles。　　Already；　in　the　electoral　assembly　of

November；　1791；　M。　d'Antonelle；　the　president；　had　invited　the

communes　of　the　department　to　take　up　arms　against　this　anti…jacobin

city。＇25＇　　Six　hundred　Marseilles　volunteers　set　out　on　the　instant；

install　themselves　at　Salon；　seize　the　syndic…attorney　of　the　hostile

district；　and　refuse　to　give　him　up；　this　being　an　advance…guard　of

4；000　men　promised　by　the　forty　or　fifty　clubs　of　the　party。＇26＇　To

arrest　their　operations　requires　the　orders　of　the　three

commissioners；　resolutions　passed　by　the　Directory　still　intact；　royal

proclamations；　a　decree　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；　the　firmness　of

the　still　loyal　troops　and　the　firmer　stand　taken　by　the　Arlesians

who；　putting　down　an　insurrection　of　the　Mint　band；　had　repaired　their

ramparts；　cut　away　their　bridges　and　mounted　guard　with　their　guns

loaded。＇27＇　But　it　is　only　a　postponement。　　Now　that　the　commissioners

have　gone；　and　the　king's　authority　a　phantom；　now　that　the　last　loyal

regiment　is　disarmed；　the　terrified　Directory　recast　and　obeying　like

a　servant；　with　the　Legislative　Assembly　allowing　everywhere　the

oppression　of　the　Constitutionalists　by　the　Jacobins；　a　fresh　Jacobin

expedition　may　be　started　against　the　Constitutionalists　with

impunity。　Accordingly；　on　the　23rd　of　March；　1792；　the　Marseilles　army

of　4；500　men　sets　out　on　its　march　with　nineteen　pieces　of　cannon。



In　vain　the　commissioners　of　the　neighboring　departments；　sent　by　the

Minister；　represent　to　them　that　Arles　submits；　that　she　has　laid　down

her　arms；　and　that　the　town　is　now　garrisoned　with　troops　of　the　line；

　the　Marseilles　army　requires　the　withdrawal　of　this　garrison。　　In

vain　the　garrison　departs。　Rebecqui　and　his　acolytes　reply　that

〃nothing　will　divert　them　from　their　enterprise；　they　cannot　defer　to

anybody's　decision　but　their　own　in　relation　to　any　precaution　tending

to　ensure　the　safety　of　the　southern　departments。〃　　In　vain　the

Minister　renews　his　injunctions　and　counter…orders。　　The　Directory

replies　with　a　flagrant　falsehood；　stating　that　it　is　ignorant　of　the

affair　and　refuses　to　give　the　government　any　assistance。　　In　vain

M。　de　Wittgenstein；　commander…in…chief　in　the　south；　offers　his

services　to　the　Directory　to　repel　the　invaders。　　The　Directory

forbids　him　to　take　his　troops　into　the　territory　of　the

department。＇28＇　　Meanwhile；　on　the　29th　of　March；　the　Marseilles

army　effects　a　breach　with　its　cannon