the origins of contemporary france-3-第33章

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he　himself　has　designated　the　members。　Twenty　of　the　electors　thus

denounced　are　condemned　and　proscribed；　Duprat　threatens　to　enter　by

force　and　have　them　executed　on　the　spot；　and；　under　his　leadership；

the　army　of　Mandrins　advances　against　Avignon。　　Its　progress　is

arrested；　and；　for　two　months；　restrained　by　the　two　mediating

commissioners　for　France；　they　reduce　its　numbers；　and　it　is　on　the

point　of　being　disbanded；　when　the　brute　again　boldly　seizes　its　prey；

about　to　make　its　escape。　　On　the　21st　of　August；　Jourdan；　with　his

herd　of　miscreants；　obtains　possession　of　the　palace。　　The　municipal

body　is　driven　out；　the　mayor　escapes　in　disguise；　Tissot；　the

secretary；　is　cut　down；　four　municipal　officers　and　forty　other

persons　are　thrown　into　prison；　while　a　number　of　houses　belonging　to

the　fugitives　and　to　priests　are　pillaged；　and　thus　supply　the　bandits

with　their　first　financial　returns。＇46＇　　Then　begins　the　great

fiscal　operation　which　is　going　to　fill　their　pockets。　　Five　front

men；　chosen　by　Duprat　and　his　associates；　compose；　with　Lécuyer　as

secretary；　a　provisional　municipal　body；　which；　taxing　the　town

300；000　francs　and　suppressing　the　convents；　offers　the　spoils　of　the

churches　for　sale。　The　bells　are　taken　down；　and　the　hammers　of　the

workmen　engaged　in　breaking　them　to　pieces　are　heard　all　day　long。　A

strong…box　full　of　plate；　diamonds；　and　gold　crosses；　left　with　the

director　of　the　Mont…de…Piété；　on　deposit；　is　taken　and　carried　off　to

the　commune；　a　report　is　spread　that　the　valuables　pawned　by　the　poor

had　been　stolen　by　the　municipality；　and　that　those　〃robbers　had

already　sent　away　eighteen　trunks　full　of　them。〃　　Upon　this　the　women；

exasperated　at　the　bare　walls　of　the　churches；　together　with　the

laborers　in　want　of　work　or　bread；　all　the　common　class；　become

furious；　assemble　of　their　own　accord　in　the　church　of　the　Cordeliers；

summon　Lécuyer　to　appear　before　them；　drag　him　from　the　pulpit　and

massacre　him。＇47＇



This　time　there　seems　to　be　an　end　of　the　brigand　party；　for　the

entire　town；　the　populace　and　the　better　class；　are　against　them；

while　the　peasants　in　the　country　shoot　them　down　wherever　they　come

across　them。　　Terror；　however；　supplies　the　place　of　numbers；　and；

with　the　350　hired　killers　bravos　still　left　to　them；　the　extreme

Jacobins　undertake　to　overcome　a　city　of　30；000　souls。　Mainvielle　the

elder；　dragging　along　two　cannon；　arrives　with　a　patrol；　fires　at

random　into　the　already　semi…abandoned　church；　and　kills　two　men。

Duprat　assembles　about　thirty　of　the　towns…people；　imprisoned　by　him

on　the　31st　of　August；　and；　in　addition　to　these；　about　forty　artisans

belonging　to　the　Catholic　brotherhoods；　porters；　bakers；　coopers；　and

day…laborers；　two　peasants；　a　beggar；　a　few　women　seized　haphazard　and

on　vague　denunciations；　one　of　them；　〃because　she　spoke　ill　of　Madame

Mainvielle。〃　Jourdan　supplies　the　executioners；　the　apothecary　Mende；

brother…in…law　of　Duprat；　plies　them　with　liquor；　while　a　clerk　of

Tournal；　the　newsman；　bids　them　〃kill　all；　so　that　there　shall　be　no

witnesses　left。〃　Whereupon；　at　the　reiterated　orders　of　Mainvielle；

Tournal；　Duprat；　and　Jourdan；　with　a　complications　of　hilarious

lewdness；＇48＇　the　massacre　develops　itself　on　the　16th　of　October　and

following　days；　during　sixty…six　hours；　the　victims　being　a　couple　of

priests；　three　children；　an　old　man　of　eighty；　thirteen　women；　two　of

whom　are　pregnant；　in　all；　sixty…one　persons；　with　their　throats　slit

or　knocked　out　and　then　cast　one　on　top　of　each　other　into　the

Glacière　hole；　a　mother　on　the　body　of　her　infant；　a　son　on　the　body

of　his　father；　all　finished　off　with　rocks；　the　hole　being　filled　up

with　stones　and　covered　over　with　quicklime　on　account　of　the

smell。＇49＇　　In　the　meantime　about　a　hundred　more；　killed　in　the

streets；　are　pitched　into　the　Sorgues　canal；　five　hundred　families

make　their　escape。　The　ousted　bandits　return　in　a　body；　while　the

assassins　who　are　at　the　head　of　them；　enthroned　by　murder；　organize

for　the　benefit　of　their　new　band　a　legal　system　of　brigandage；

against　which　nobody　defends　himself。＇50＇



These　are　the　friends　of　the　Jacobins　of　Arles　and　Marseilles；　the

respectable　men　whom　M。　d'Antonelle　has　come　to　address　in　the

cathedral　at　Avignon。＇51＇　　These　are　the　pure　patriots；　who；　with

their　hands　in　the　till　and　their　feet　in　gore；　caught　in　the　act　by　a

French　army；　the　mask　torn　off　through　a　scrupulous　investigation；

universally　condemned　by　the　emancipated　electors；　also　by　the

deliberate　verdict　of　the　new　mediating　commissioners；＇52＇　are

included　in　the　amnesty　proclaimed　by　the　Legislative　Assembly　a　month

before　their　last　crime。　…　But　the　sovereigns　of　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne

do　not　regard　the　release　of　their　friends　and　allies　as　a　pardon：

something　more　than　pardon　and　forgetfulness　must　be　awarded　to　the

murderers　of　the　Glacière。　　On　the　29th　of　April；　1792；　Rebecqui　and

Bertin；　the　vanquishers　of　Arles；　enter　Avignon＇53＇　along　with　a

cortége；　at　the　head　of　which　are　from　thirty　to　forty　of　the

principal　murderers　whom　the　Legislative　Assembly　itself　had　ordered

to　be　recommitted　to　prison；　Duprat；　Mainvielle；　Toumal；　Mende；　then

Jourdan　in　the　uniform　of　a　commanding　general　crowned　with　laurel　and

seated　on　a　white　horse；　and；　lastly；　the　dames　Duprat；　Mainvielle　and

Tournal；　in　dashing　style；　standing　on　a　sort　of　triumphal　chariot；

during　the　procession　the　cry　is　heard；　〃The　Glacière　will　be　full

this　time！　〃　　On　their　approach　the　public　functionaries　fly；　twelve

hundred　persons　abandon　the　town。　　Forthwith　each　terrorist；　under　the

protection　of　the　Marseilles　bayonets；　resumes　his　office；　like　a　man

at　the　head　of　his　household。　Raphel；　the　former　judge；　along　with　his

clerk；　both　with　warrants　of　arrest　against　them；　publicly　officiate；

while　the　relatives　of　the　poor　victims　slain　on　the　16th　of　October；

and　the　witnesses　that　appeared　on　the　trial；　are　threatened　in　the

streets；　one　of　them　is　killed；　and　Jourdan；　king　of　the　department

for　an　entire　year；　begins　over　again　on　a　grand　scale；　at　the　head　of

the　National　Guard；　and　afterwards　of　the　police　body；　the　same

performance　which；　on　a　small　scale；　he　pursued　under　the　ancient

régime；　when；　with　a　dozen　〃armed　and　mounted〃　brigands；　he　traversed

the　highways；　forced　open　lonely　houses　at　night；　and；　in　one　chateau

alone；　stole　24；000　francs。







V。



The　other　departments。　　　Uniform　process　of　the　Jacobin　conquest。　

Preconceived　formation　of　a　Jacobin　State。



The　Jacobin　conquest　takes　place　like　this：　already　in　during　April；

1792；　through　acts　of　violence　almost　equal　to　those　we　have　just

described；　it　spreads　over　more　than　twenty　departments　and；　to　a

smaller　degree；　over　the　other　sixty。＇54＇　　The　composition　of　the

parties　is　the　same　everywhere。　On　one　side　are　the　irresponsible　of

all　conditions；



　〃squanderers　who；　having　consumed　their　own　inheritance；　cannot

tolerate　that　of　another；　men　without　property　to　whom　disorder　is　a

door　open　to　wealth　and　public　office；　the　envious；　the　ungrateful

whose　obligations　to　their　benefactors　the　revolution　cancels；　the

hot…headed；　all　those　enthusiastic　innovators　who　preach　reason　with　a

dagger　in　their　hand；　the　poor；　the　brutal　and　the　wretched　of　the

lower　class　who；　possessed　by　one　leading　anarchical　idea；　one　example

of　immunity；　with　the　law　dumb　and　the　sword　in　the　scabbard；　are

stimulated　to　dare　all　things



On　the　other　side　are　the　steady…going；　peaceable　class；　minding　their

own　business；　upper　and　lower　middle　class　in　mind　and　spirit；



　〃weakened　by　being　used　to　security　and　wealth；　surprised　at　any

unforeseen　disturbance　and　trying　to　find　their　way；　isolated　from

each　other　by　diversity　of　interests；　opposing　only　tact　and　caution

to　persevering　audacity　in　defiance　of　legitimate　means；　unable　either

to　make　up　their　mind　or　to　remain　inactive；　perplexed　over　sacrifices

just　at　the　time　when　the　enemy　is　going　to　render　it　impossible　to

make　any　in　the　future；　in　a　word；　bringing　weakness　and　egoism　to

bear　against　the　liberated　passions；　great　poverty　and　hardened

immorality。〃＇55＇



The　issue　of　the　conflict　is　everywhere　the　same。　In　each　town　or

canton　an　aggressive　squad　of　unscrupulous　fanatics　and　resolute

adventurers　imposes　its　rule　over　a　sheep…like　majority　which；

accustomed　to　the　regularity　of　an　old　civilization；　dares　neither

disturb　order　for　the　sake　of　putting　and　end　to　disorder；　or　get

together　a　mob　to　put　down　another　mob。　Everywhere　the　Jacobin

principle　is　the　same。



　〃Your　system；〃　says　one　of　the　department　Directories　to　them；＇56＇

〃is　to　act　imperturbably　on　all　occasions；　even　after　a　constitution

is　established；　and　the　limitations　to　power　are　fixed；　as　if　the

empire　would　always　be　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　as　if　you　were

granted　a　dictatorship　essential　for　the　city's　salvation；　as　if　you

were　given　such　full　power　in　the　name　of　public　safety。〃



Everywhere　are　Jacobin　tactics　the　same。　At　the　outset　they　assume　to

have　a　monopoly　of　patriotism　and；　through　the　brutal　destruction　of

other　associations；　they　are　the　only　visible　organ　of　public　opinion。

Their　voice；　accordingly；　seems　to　be　the　voice　of　the　people；　their

control　is　established　on　that　of　the　legal　authorities；　they　have

taken　the　lead　through　persistent　and　irresistible　misdeeds；　their

crimes　are　consecrated　by　exemption　from　punishment。



〃Among　officials　and　agents；　good　or　bad；　constituted　or　not

constituted；　that　alone　governs　which　is　inviolable。　Now　the　club；　for

a　long　time；　has　been　too　much　accustomed　to　domineering；　to　annoying；

to　persecuting；　to　wreaking　vengeance；　for　any　local　administration　to

regard　it　in　any　other　light　than　as　inviolable。〃＇57＇



They　accordingly　govern　and　their　indirect　influence　is　promptly

transformed　into　direct　authority。　　Voting　alone；　or　almost　alone；

in　the　primary　meetings；　which　are　deserted　or　under　constraint；　the

Jacobins　easily　choose　the　municipal　body　and　the　officers　of　the

National　Guard。＇58＇　After　this；　through　the　mayor；　who　is　their　tool

or　their　accomplice；　they　have　the　legal　right　to　launch　or　arrest　the

entire　armed　force　and　they　avail　themselves　of　it。　　Two　obstacles

still　stand　in　their　way。　One　the　one　hand；　however　conciliatory　or

timid　the　Directory　of　the　district　or　department　may　be；　elected　as

it　is　by　electors　of　the　second　degree；　it　usually　contains　a　fair

proportion　of　well…informed　men；　comfortably　off；　interested　in

keeping　order；　and　less　inclined　than　the　municipality　to　put　up　with

gross　violations　of　the　law。　Consequently　the　Jacobins　denounce　it　to

the　National　Assembly　as　an　unpatriotic　and　anti…revolutionary　center

of　〃bourgeois　aristocracy。〃　Sometimes；　as　at　Brest；＇59＇　they

shamefully　disobey　orders　which　are　perfectly　legal　and　proper；