the origins of contemporary france-3-第66章

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rounds；　were　nearly　beaten　to　death　with　clubs　and　stones；　on　the　10th

of　October　another　municipal　officer　was　left　for　dead；　a　fortnight

before　this；　a　lieutenant　of　volunteers；　M。　Mazières；　〃trying　to　do

his　duty；　was　assassinated　in　his　bed　by　his　own　men。〃　Naturally；

nobody　dares　whisper　a　word；　and；　after　two　months　of　this　order　of

things；　it　may　be　presumed　that　at　the　municipal　elections　of　the　21st

of　October；　the　electors　will　be　docile。　　In　any　event；　as　a

precaution；　their　notification　eight　days　before；　according　to　law；　is

dispensed　with；　as　extra　precaution；　they　are　informed　that　if　they　do

not　vote　for　the　Executive　Power；　they　will　have　to　do　with　the

triangular　cudgel。＇21＇　　Consequently；　most　of　them　abstain；　in　a　town

of　over　600　active　citizens；　40　votes　give　a　majority；　Bourgougnon　and

Sarrus；　the　two　chiefs　of　the　Executive　Power；　are　elected；　one　mayor；

and　the　other　syndic…attorney；　and　henceforth　the　authority　they

seized　by　force　is　conferred　on　them　by　the　law。



IV。



Ordinary　practices　of　the　Jacobin　dictatorship。　…　The　stationary

companies　of　the　clubs。　…　Their　personnel。　…　Their　leaders。



This　is　roughly　the　type　of　government　which　spring　up　in　every

commune　of　France　after　the　10th　of　August；　the　club　reigns；　but　the

form　and　processes　of　its　dictatorship　are　different；　according　to

circumstances。　　Sometimes　it　operates　directly　through　an　executive

gang　or　by　lancing　an　excited　mob；　sometimes　it　operates　indirectly

through　the　electoral　assembly　it　has　had　elected；　or　through　the

municipality；　which　is　its　accomplice。　If　the　administrations　are

Jacobin；　it　governs　through　them。　　If　they　are　passive；　it　governs

alongside　of　them。　　If　they　are　refractory；　it　purges　them；＇22＇　or

breaks　them　up；＇23＇　and；　to　put　them　down；　it　resorts　not　only　to

blows；　but　even　to　murder＇24＇　and　massacre。＇25＇　Between　massacre　and

threats；　all　intermediaries　meet；　the　revolutionary　seal　being

everywhere　impressed　with　inequalities　of　relief。



In　many　places；　threats　suffice。　In　regions　where　the　temperament　of

the　people　is　cool；　and　where　there　is　no　resistance；　it　is　pointless

to　resort　to　assault　and　battery。　What　is　the　use　is　killing　in　a　town

like　Arras；　for　instance；　where；　on　the　day　of　the　civic　oath；　the

president　of　the　department；　a　prudent　millionaire；　stalks　through　the

streets　arm　in　arm　with　Aunty　Duchesne；　who　sells　cookies　down　in　a

cellar；　where；　on　election　days；　the　townspeople；　through　cowardice；

elect　the　club　candidates　under　the　pretense　that　〃rascals　and

beggars〃　must　be　sent　off　to　Paris　to　purge　the　town　of　them！＇26＇　It

would　be　labor　lost　to　strike　people　who　grovel　so　well。＇27＇　The

faction　is　content　to　mark　them　as　mangy　curs；　to　put　them　in　pens；

keep　them　on　a　leash；　and　to　annoy　them。＇28＇　　It　posts　at　the　entrance

of　the　guard…room　a　list　of　inhabitants　related　to　an　émigré；　it　makes

domiciliary　visits；　it　draws　up　a　fancied　list　of　the　suspected；　on

which　list　all　that　are　rich　are　found　inscribed。　　It　insults　and

disarms　them；　it　confines　them　to　the　town；　it　forbids　them　to　go

outside　of　it　even　on　foot；　it　orders　them　to　present　themselves　daily

before　its　committee　of　public　safety；　it　condemns　them　to　pay　their

taxes　for　a　year　in　twenty…four　hours；　it　breaks　the　seals　of　their

letters；　it　confiscates；　demolishes；　and　sells　their　family　tombs　in

the　cemeteries。　This　is　all　in　order；　as　is　the　religious　persecution；



*　with　the　irruption　into　private　chapels　where　mass　is　said；



*　with　blows　with　gun…stocks　and　the　fist　bestowed　on　the　officiating

priest；



*　with　the　obligation　of　orthodox　parents　to　have　their　children

baptized　by　the　schismatic　curé；



*　with　the　expulsion　of　nuns；　and



*　with　the　pursuit；　imprisonment　and　transportation　of　unsworn

ecclesiastics。



But　if　the　domination　of　the　club　is　not　always　a　bloody　one；　the

judgments　are　always　those　of　an　armed　man；　who；　putting　his　gun　to

his　shoulder；　aims　at　the　wayfarers　whom　he　has　stopped　on　the　road。

Generally　they　kneel　down；　tender　their　purses；　and　the　shot　is　not

fired。　　But　the　gun　is　cocked；　nevertheless；　and；　to　be　certain　of

this；　we　have　only　to　look　at　the　shriveled　hand　grasping　the　trigger。

We　are　reminded　of　those　swarms　of　banditti　which　infested　the　country

under　the　ancient　regime；＇29＇　the　double…girdle　of　smugglers　and

receivers　embraced　within　twelve　hundred　leagues　of　internal　excise…

duties；　the　poachers　abounding　on　the　four　hundred　leagues　of　guarded

captaincies；　the　deserters　so　numerous　that　in　eight　years　they

amounted　to　sixty　thousand；　the　beggars　with　which　the　prisons

overflowed；　the　thousands　of　thieves　and　vagabonds　thronging　the

highways；　quarry　of　the　police　which　the　Revolution　let　loose　and

armed；　and　which；　in　its　turn；　from　being　prey；　became　the　hunters　of

game。　For　three　years　these　strong…armed　prowlers　have　served　as　the

hard…core　of　local　jacqueries；　at　the　present　time　they　form　the　staff

of　the　universal　jacquerie。　At　N？mes；＇30＇　the　head　of　the　Executive

Power　is　a　〃dancing…master。〃　The　two　leading　demagogues　of　Toulouse

are　a　shoemaker；　and　an　actor　who　plays　valets。＇31＇　At　Toulon；＇32＇　the

club；　more　absolute　than　any　Asiatic　despot；　is　recruited　from　among

the　destitute；　sailors；　harbor…hands；　soldiers；　〃stray　peddlers；〃

while　its　president；　Sylvestre；　sent　down　from　Paris；　is　a　criminal　of

the　lowest　degree。　At　Rheims；＇33＇　the　principal　leader　is　an　unfrocked

priest；　married　to　a　nun；　aided　by　a　baker；　who；　an　old　soldier；　came

near　being　hung。　　Elsewhere；＇34＇　it　is　some　deserter　tried　for

robbery；　here；　a　cook　or　innkeeper；　and　there；　a　former　lackey　The

oracle　of　Lyons　is　an　ex…commercial　traveler；　an　emulator　of　Marat；

named　Chalier；　whose　murderous　delirium　is　complicated　with　morbid

mysticism。　　The　acolytes　of　Chalier　are　a　barber；　a　hair…dresser；　an

old…clothes　dealer；　a　mustard　and　vinegar　manufacturer；　a　cloth…

dresser；　a　silk…worker；　a　gauze…maker；　while　the　time　is　near　when

authority　is　to　fall　into　still　meaner　hands；　those　of　〃the　dregs　of

the　female　population；〃　who；　aided　by　〃a　few　bullies；〃　elect　〃　female

commissaries；〃　tax　food；　and　for　three　days　pillage　the

warehouses。＇35＇　Avignon　has　for　its　masters　the　Glacière　bandits。

Arles　is　under　the　yoke　of　its　porters　and　bargemen。　　Marseilles

belongs　to　〃a　band　of　wretches　spawned　out　of　houses　of　debauchery；

who　recognize　neither　laws　nor　magistrates；　and　ruling　the　city

through　terror。〃＇36＇　　It　is　not　surprising　that　such　men；　invested

with　such　power；　use　it　in　conformity　with　their　nature；　and　that　the

interregnum；　which　is　their　reign；　spreads　over　France　a　circle　of

devastations；　robberies；　and　murders。



V。



The　companies　of　traveling　volunteers。　　Quality　of　the　recruits。

Election　of　officers。　…Robberies　and　murders。



Usually；　the　stationary　band　of　club　members　has　an　auxiliary　band　of

the　same　species　which　roves　about。　　I　mean　the　volunteers；　who

inspire　more　fear　and　do　more　harm；　because　they　march　in　a　body　and

are　armed。＇37＇　Like　their　brethren　in　the　ordinary　walks　of　life；　many

of　them　are　town　and　country　vagabonds；　most　of　them；　living　from　hand

to　mouth；　have　been　attracted　by　the　pay　of　fifteen　sous　a　day；　they

have　become　soldiers　for　lack　of　work　and　bread。＇38＇　　Each　commune；

moreover；　having　been　called　upon　for　its　army　contingent；　〃they　have

picked　up　whatever　could　be　found　in　the　towns；　all　the　scamps　hanging

around　street…corners；　men　with　no　pursuit；　and；　in　the　country；

wretches　and　vagabonds　of　every　description；　nearly　all　have　been

forced　to　march　by　money　or　drawing　lots；〃　and　it　is　probable　that　the

various　administrations　thought　that　〃in　this　way　they　would　purge

France。〃＇39＇　To　the　wretched　〃bought　by　the　communes；〃　add　others　of

the　same　stamp；　procured　by　the　rich　as　substitutes　for　their

sons。＇40＇　　Thus　do　they　pick　over　the　social　dunghill　and　obtain　at　a

discount　the　natural　and　predestined　inmates　of　houses　of　correction；

poor…houses　and　hospitals；　with　an　utter　disregard　of　quality；　even

physical；　〃the　halt；　the　maimed　and　the　blind；〃　the　deformed　and　the

defective；　〃some　too　old；　and　others　too　young　and　too　feeble　to

support　the　fatigues　of　war；　others　so　small　as　to　stand　a　foot　lower

than　their　guns；〃　a　large　number　of　boys　of　sixteen；　fourteen；　and

thirteen；　in　short；　the　reprobate　of　great　cities　as　we　now　see　him；

stunted；　puny；　and　naturally　insolent　and　insurgent。＇41＇　〃One…third　of

them　are　found　unfit　for　service〃　on　reaching　the　frontier。＇42＇　

But；　before　reaching　the　frontier；　they　act　like　〃pirates〃　on　the

road。　　The　others；　with　sounder　bodies　and　better　hearts；　become；

under　the　discipline　of　constant　danger；　good　soldiers　at　the　end　of　a

year。　　In　the　mean　time；　however；　they　make　no　less　havoc；　for；　if

they　are　less　disposed　to　robbery；　they　are　more　fanatical。　　Nothing

is　more　delicate　than　the　military　organization；　owing　to　the　fact

that　it　represents　force；　and　man　is　always　tempted　to　abuse　force；

for　any　free　company　of　soldiers　to　remain　inoffensive　in　a　civil

community；　it　must　be　restrained　by　the　strongest　curbs；　which　curbs；

either　within　or　without；　were　wholly　wanting　with　the　volunteers　of

1792。＇43＇



Artisans；　peasants；　the　petty　bourgeois　class；　youthful　enthusiasts

stimulated　by　the　prevailing　doctrine；　they　are　still　much　more

Jacobin　than　patriotic；　the　dogma　of　popular　sovereignty；　like　a　heady

wine；　has　turned　their　inexperienced　brains；　they　are　fully　persuaded

that；　〃destined　to　contend　with　the　enemies　of　the　republic；　is　an

honor　which　permits　them　to　exact　and　to　dare　all　things。〃＇44＇　The

least　among　them　believes　himself　superior　to　the　law；　〃as　formerly　a

Condé；＇45＇〃　and　he　becomes　king　on　a　small　scale；　self…constituted；　an

autocratic　justiciary　and　avenger　of　wrongs；　a　supporter　of　patriots

and　the　scourge　of　aristocrats；　the　disposer　of　lives　and　property；

and；　without　delay　or　formality；　taking　it　upon　himself　to　complete

the　Revolution　on　the　spot　in　every　town　he　passes　through。　　He　is

not　to　be　hindered　in　all　this　by　his　officers。　　〃Having　created　his

chiefs；　they　are　of　no　more　account　to　him　than　any　of　a　man's

creations　usually　are〃；　far　from　being　obeyed；　the　officers　are　not

even　respected；　〃and　that　comes　from　resorting　to　analogies　without

considering　military　talent　or　moral　superiority。〃＇46＇　Through　the

natural　effects　of　the　system　of　election；　all　grades　of　rank　have

fallen　upon　demagogues　and　blusterers。



　〃The　intriguers；　loud…talkers；　and　especially　the　great　boozers；　have

prevailed　against　the　capable。〃＇47＇



Besides；　to　retain　his　popularity；　the　new　officer　will　go　to　a　bar

and　drink　with　his　men；＇48＇　and　he　must　show　himself　more　Jacobin　than

they　are；　from　which　it　follows　that；　not　content　with　tolerating

their　excesses；　he　provokes　them。　　Hence；　after　March；　1792；　and