massacres of the south-第47章

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pushed　their　way　through　were　greeted　with　insulting　remarks；　and
even　the　president　of　the　Consistory；　whose　white；　hair　and　dignified
expression　had　no　effect　upon　the　mob；　heard　the　people　round　him
saying；　〃These　brigands　of　Protestants　are　going　again　to　their
temple；　but　we　shall　soon　give　them　enough　of　it。〃

The　anger　of　the　populace　soon　grows　hot；　between　the　first　bubble
and　the　boiling…point　the　interval　is　short。　　Threats　spoken　in　a　low
voice　were　soon　succeeded　by　noisy　objurgations。　　Women；　children；
and　men　brake　out　into　yells；　〃Down　with　the　broilers！〃　（for　this　was
one　of　the　names　by　which　the　Protestants　were　designated）。　　〃Down
with　the　broilers！　　We　do　not　want　to　see　them　using　our　churches：
let　them　give　us　back　our　churches；　let　them　give　us　back　our
churches；　and　go　to　the　desert。　　Out　with　them！　　Out　with　them！　To
the　desert！　　To　the　desert！〃

As　the　crowd　did　not　go　beyond　words；　however　insulting；　and　as　the
Protestants　were　long　inured　to　much　worse　things；　they　plodded　along
to　their　meeting…house；　humble　and　silent；　and　went　in；　undeterred　by
the　displeasure　they　aroused；　whereupon　the　service　commenced。

But　some　Catholics　went　in　with　them；　and　soon　the　same　shouts　which
had　been　heard　without　were　heard　also　within。　　The　general；　however；
was　on　the　alert；　and　as　soon　as　the　shouts　arose　inside　the　gens
d'armes　entered　the　church　and　arrested　those　who　had　caused　the
disturbance。　　The　crowds　tried　to　rescue　them　on　their　way　to　prison；
but　the　general　appeared　at　the　head　of　imposing　forces；　at　the　sight
of　which　they　desisted。　　An　apparent　cam　succeeded　the　tumult；　and
the　public　worship　went　on　without　further　interruption。

The　general；　misled　by　appearances；　went　off　himself　to　attend　a
military　mass；　and　at　eleven　o'clock　returned　to　his　quarters　for
lunch。　　His　absence　was　immediately　perceived　and　taken　advantage　of。
In　the：　twinkling　of　an　eye；　the　crowds；　which　had　dispersed；
gathered　together　in　even　greater　numbers　and　the　Protestants；　seeing
themselves　once　more　in　danger；　shut　the　doors　from　within；　while　the
gens　d'armes　guarded　them　without。　　The　populace　pressed　so　closely
round　the　gens　d'armes；　and　assumed　such　a　threatening　attitude；　that
fearing　he　and　his　men　would　not　be　able　to　hold　their　own　in　such　a
throng；　the　captain　ordered　M。　Delbose；　one　of　his　officers；　to　ride
off　and　warn　the　general。　　He　forced　his　way　through　the　crowd　with
great　trouble；　and　went　off　at　a　gallop。　　On　seeing　this；　the　people
felt　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　they　knew　of　what　kind　the　general
was；　and　that　he　would　be　on　the　spot　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　A
large　crowd　is　invincible　through　its　numbers；　it　has　only　to　press
forward；　and　everything　gives　way；　men；　wood；　iron。　　At　this　moment
the　crowd；　swayed　by　a　common　impulse；　swept　forward；　the　gens
d'armes　and　their　horses　were　crushed　against　the　wall；　doors　gave
way；　and　instantly　with　a　tremendous　roar　a　living　wave　flooded　the
church。　　Cries　of　terror　and　frightful　imprecations　were　heard　on　all
sides；　everyone　made　a　weapon　of　whatever　came　to　hand；　chairs　and
benches　were　hurled　about；　the　disorder　was　at　its　height；　it　seemed
as　if　the　days　of　the　Michelade　and　the　Bagarre　were　about　to　return；
when　suddenly　the　news　of　a　terrible　event　was　spread　abroad；　and
assailants　and　assailed　paused　in　horror。　　General　Lagarde　had　just
been　assassinated。

As　the　crowd　had　foreseen；　no　sooner　did　the　messenger　deliver　his
message　than　the　general　sprang　on　his　horse；　and；　being　too　brave；
or　perhaps　too　scornful；　to　fear　such　foes；　he　waited　for　no　escort；
but；　accompanied　by　two　or　three　officers；　set　off　at　full　gallop
towards　the　scene　of　the　tumult。　　He　had　passed　through　the　narrow
streets　which　led　to　the　meeting…house　by　pushing　the　crowd　aside
with　his　horse's　chest；　when；　just　as　he　got　out　into　the　open
square；　a　young　man　named　Boisson；　a　sergeant　in　the　Nimes　National
Guard；　came　up　and　seemed　to　wish　to　speak　to　him。　　The　general
seeing　a　man　in　uniform；　bent　down　without　a　thought　of　danger　to
listen　to　what　he　had　to　say；　whereupon　Boisson　drew　a　pistol　out　and
fired　at　him。　　The　ball　broke　the　collar…bone　and　lodged　in　the　neck
behind　the　carotid　artery；　and　the　general　fell　from　his　horse。

The　news　of　this　crime　had　a　strange　and　unexpected　effect；　however
excited　and　frenzied　the　crowd　was；　it　instantly　realised　the
consequences　of　this　act。　　It　was　no　longer　like　the　murder　of
Marshal　Brune　at　Avignon　or　General　Ramel　at　Toulouse；　an　act　of
vengeance　on　a　favourite　of　Napoleon；　but　open　and　armed　rebellion
against　the　king。　　It　was　not　a　simple　murder；　it　was　high　treason。

A　feeling　of　the　utmost　terror　spread　through　the　town；　only　a　few
fanatics　went　on　howling　in　the　church；　which　the　Protestants；
fearing　still　greater　disasters；　had　by　this　time　resolved　to
abandon。　　The　first　to　come　out　was　President　Olivier　Desmonts；
accompanied　by　M。　Vallongues；　who　had　only　just　arrived　in　the　city；
but　who　had　immediately　hurried　to　the　spot　at　the　call　of　duty。

M。　Juillerat；　his　two　children　in　his　arms；　walked　behind　them；
followed　by　all　the　other　worshippers。　　At　first　the　crowd；
threatening　and　ireful；　hooted　and　threw　stones　at　them；　but　at　the
voice　of　the　mayor　and　the　dignified　aspect　of　the　president　they
allowed　them　to　pass。　　During　this　strange　retreat　over　eighty
Protestants　were　wounded；　but　not　fatally；　except　a　young　girl　called
Jeannette　Cornilliere；　who　had　been　so　beaten　and　ill…used　that　she
died　of　her　injuries　a　few　days　later。

In　spite　of　the　momentary　slackening　of　energy　which　followed　the
assassination　of　General　Lagarde；　the　Catholics　did　not　remain　long
in　a　state　of　total　inaction。　　During　the　rest　of　the　day　the　excited
populace　seemed　as　if　shaken　by　an　earthquake。　　About　six　o'clock　in
the　evening；　some　of　the　most　desperate　characters　in　the　town
possessed　themselves　of　a　hatchet；　and；　taking　their　way　to　the
Protestant　church；　smashed　the　doors；　tore　the　pastors'　gowns；　rifled
the　poor…box；　and　pulled　the　books　to　pieces。　　A　detachment　of　troops
arrived　just　in　time　to　prevent　their　setting　the　building　on　fire。

The　next　day　passed　more　quietly。　　This　time　the　disorders　were　of
too　important　a　nature　for　the　prefect　to　ignore；　as　he　had　ignored
so　many　bloody　acts　in　the　past；　so　in　due　time　a　full　report　was
laid　before　the　king。　　It　became　know　the　same　evening　that　General
Lagarde　was　still　living；　and　that　those　around　him　hoped　that　the
wound　would　not　prove　mortal。　　Dr。　Delpech；　who　had　been　summoned
from　Montpellier；　had　succeeded　in　extracting　the　bullet；　and　though
he　spoke　no　word　of　hope；　he　did　not　expressly　declare　that　the　case
was　hopeless。

Two　days　later　everything　in　the　town　had　assumed　its　ordinary
aspect；　and　on　the　21st　of　November　the　king　issued　the　following
edict：

〃Louis；　by　the　grace　of　God；　King　of　France　and　of　Navarre；

〃To　all　those　to　whom　these　presents　shall　come；　greeting：

〃An　abominable　crime　has　cast　a　stain　on　Our　city　of　Nimes。
A　seditious　mob　has　dared　to　oppose　the　opening　of　the　Protestant
place　of　worship；　in　contempt　of　the　constitutional　charter；　which
while　it　recognises　the　Catholic　religion　as　the　religion　of　the
State；　guarantees　to　the　other　religious　bodies　protection　and
freedom　of　worship。　　Our　military　commandant；　whilst　trying　to
disperse　these　crowds　by　gentle　means　before　having　resort　to　force；
was　shot　down；　and　his　assassin　has　till　now　successfully　evaded　the
arm　of　the　law。　　If　such　an　outrage　were　to　remain　unpunished；　the
maintenance　of　good　government　and　public　order　would　be　impossible；
and　Our　ministers　would　be　guilty　of　neglecting　the　law。

〃Wherefore　We　have　ordered　and　do　order　as　follows：

〃Art。　1。　　Proceedings　shall　be　commenced　without　delay　by　Our
attorney；　and　the　attorney…general；　against　the　perpetrator　of　the
murderous　attack　on　the　person　of　Sieur　Lagarde；　and　against　the
authors；　instigators；　and　accomplices　of　the　insurrection　which　took
place　in　the　city　of　Nimes　on　the　12th　of　the　present　month。

〃Art。　2。　　A　sufficient　number　of　troops　shall　be　quartered　in　the
said　city；　and　shall　remain　there　at　the　cost　of　the　inhabitants；
until　the　assassin　and　his　accomplices　have　been　produced　before　a
court　of　law。

〃Art。　3。　　All　those　citizens　whose　names　are　not　entitled　to　be　on
the　roll　of　the　National　Guard　shall　be　disarmed。

〃Our　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　Our　Minister　of　War；　Our　Minister　of　the
Interior；　and　Our　Minister　of　Police；　are　entrusted　with　the
execution　of　this　edict。

〃Given　at　Paris　at　Our　Castle　of　the　Tuileries　on　the　2lst　of
November　in　the　year　of　grace　1815；　and　of　Our　reign　the　21st。

（Signed）　Louis〃


Boissin　was　acquitted。

This　was　the　last　crime　committed　in　the　South；　and　it　led
fortunately　to　no　reprisals。

Three　months　after　the　murderous　attempt　to　which　he　had　so　nearly
fallen　a　victim；　General　Lagarde　left　Nimes　with　the　rank　of
ambassador；　and　was　succeeded　as　prefect　by　M。　d'Argont。

During　the　firm；　just；　and　independent　administration　of　the　latter；
the　disarming　of　the　citizens　decreed　by　the　royal　edict　was　carried
out　without　bloodshed。

Through　his　influence；　MM。　Chabot…Latour；　Saint…Aulaire；　and　Lascour
were　elected　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　in　place　of　MM。　De　Calviere；
De　Vogue；　and　De　Trinquelade。

And　down　to　the　present　time　the　name　of　M。　d'Argont　is　held　in
veneration　at　Nimes；　as　if　he　had　only　quitted　the　city　yesterday。






End