the origins of contemporary france-4-第101章

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fortnight　later　candles　are　wholly　wanting　in　certain　quarters；　except

in　the　section　storehouse；　which　is　almost　empty；　each　person　being

allowed　only　one。　　A　good　many　households　go　to　rest　at　sundown　for

lack　of　lights　and　do　not　cook　any　dinner　for　lack　of　coal。　　Eggs；

especially；　are　〃honored　as　invisible　divinities；〃　while　the　absent

butter　〃is　a　god。〃＇79＇　〃If　this　lasts；〃　say　the　workmen；　〃we　shall

have　to　cut　each　other's　throats；　since　there　is　nothing　left　to　live

on。〃＇80＇　〃Sick　women；＇81＇　children　in　their　cradles；　lie　outstretched

in　the　sun；〃　in　the　very　heart　of　Paris；　in　rue　Vivienne；　on　the　Pont…

Royal；　and　remain　there　〃late　in　the　night；　demanding　alms　of　the

passers…by。〃　〃One　is　constantly　stopped　by　beggars　of　both　sexes；　most

of　them　healthy　and　strong；〃　begging；　they　say；　for　lack　of　work。

Without　counting　the　feeble　and　the　infirm　who　are　unable　to　stand　in

a　line；　whose　sufferings　are　visible；　who　gradually　waste　away　and　die

without　a　murmur　at　home；　〃one　encounters　in　the　streets　and　markets〃

only　famished　and　eager　visages；　〃an　immense　crowd　of　citizens　running

and　dashing　against　each　other；〃　crying　out　and　weeping；　〃everywhere

presenting　an　image　of　despair。〃＇82＇







V。　　Revolutionary　Remedies。



Revolutionary　remedies。　　…　Rigor　against　the　refractory。　　…　Decrees

and　orders　rendering　the　State　the　only　depositary　and　distributor　of

food。　　…　Efforts　made　to　establish　a　conscription　of　labor。　　…

Discouragement　of　the　Peasant。　　…　He　refuses　to　cultivate。　　…　Decrees

and　orders　compelling　him　to　harvest。　　…　His　stubbornness。　　…

Cultivators　imprisoned　by　thousands。　　…　The　Convention　is　obliged　to

set　them　at　liberty。　　…　Fortunate　circumstances　which　save　France　from

extreme　famine。



This　penury　only　exists；　say　the　Jacobins；　because　the　laws　against

monopoly；　and　sales　above　the　〃maximum〃　prices　are　not　being　obeyed　to

the　letter　of　the　law。　　The　egoism　of　the　cultivator　and　the　cupidity

of　dealers　are　not　restrained　by　fear　and　delinquents　escape　too

frequently　from　the　legal　penalty。　　Let　us　enforce　this　penalty

rigorously；　let　us　increase　the　punishment　against　them　and　their

instruments；　let　us　screw　up　the　machine　and　give　them　a　new　wrench。

A　new　estimate　and　verification　of　the　food　supply　takes　place；

domiciliary　searches；　seizures　of　special　stores　regarded　as　too

ample；＇83＇　limited　rations　for　each　consumer；　a　common　and　obligatory

mess　table　for　all　prisoners；　brown；　égalité　bread；　mostly　of　bran；

for　every　mouth　that　can　chew；　prohibition　of　the　making　of　any　other

kind；　confiscation　of　boulters　and　sieves；＇84＇　the　〃individual；〃

personal　responsibility　of　every　administrator　who　allows　the　people

he　directs　to　resist　or　escape　providing　the　demanded　supplies；　the

sequestration　of　his　property；　imprisonment；　fines；　the　pillory　and

the　guillotine　to　hurry　up　requisitions；　or　stop　free　trading；　…　every

terrifying　method　is　driven　to　the　utmost　against　the　farmers　and

cultivators　of　the　soil。



After　April；　1794；＇85＇　crowds　of　this　class　are　found　filling　the

prisons　to　overflowing；　the　Revolution　has　struck　them　also。　　They

stroll　about　in　the　court　yard；　and　wander　through　the　corridors　with

a　sad；　stupefied　expression；　no　longer　comprehending　the　way　things

are　going　on　in　the　world。　　In　vain　are　efforts　made　to　explain　to

them　that　〃their　crops　are　national　property　and　that　they　are　simply

its　depositaries；〃＇86＇　never　had　this　new　principle　entered　into；　nor

will　it　enter；　their　rude　brains；　always；　through　habit　and　instinct；

will　they　work　against　it。　　…　Let　them　be　spared　the　temptation。　　Let

us　（the　Jacobins）　relieve　them　from；　and；　in　fact；　take　their　crops；

let　the　State　in　France　become　the　sole　depositary　and　distributor　of

grain；　let　it　solely　buy　and　sell　grain　at　a　fixed　rate。

Consequently；　at　Paris；＇87＇　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　first　puts

〃in　requisition　all　the　oats　that　can　be　found　in　the　Republic；　every

holder　of　oats　is　required　to　deposit　his　stock　on　hand　within　eight

days；　in　the　storehouse　indicated　by　the　district　administration　〃　at

the　maximum　〃　price；　otherwise　he　is　〃　a　'suspect'　and　must　be

punished　as　such。〃　In　the　meantime；　through　still　more　comprehensive

orders　issued　in　the　provinces；　Paganel　in　the　department　of　Tarn；　and

Dartigoyte　in　those　of　Gers　and　the　Upper…Garonne；＇88＇　enjoin　each

commune　to　establish　public　granaries。　　〃All　citizens　are　ordered　to

bring　in　whatever　produce　they　possess　in　grain；　flour；　wheat；　maslin；

rye；　barley；　oats；　millet；　buckwheat〃　at　the　〃maximum〃　rate。　　Nobody

shall　keep　on　hand　more　than　one　month's　supply；　fifty　pounds　of　flour

or　wheat　for　each　person；　in　this　way；　the　State；　which　holds　in　its

hands　the　keys　of　the　storehouses；　may　〃carry　out　the　salutary

equalization　of　provisions〃　between　department　and　department；

district　and　district；　commune　and　commune；　individual　and　individual。

A　storekeeper　will　look　after　each　of　these　well　filled　granaries；　the

municipality　will　itself　deliver　rations　and；　moreover；　〃take　suitable

steps　to　see　that　beans　and　vegetables；　as　they　mature；　be

economically　distributed　under　its　supervision；〃　at　so　much　per　head；

and　always　at　the　rate　of　the　〃maximum。〃　Otherwise；　dismissal；

imprisonment　and　prosecution　〃in　the　extraordinary　criminal　tribunal。

〃…This　being　accomplished；　and　the　fruits　of　labor　duly　allotted；

there　remains　only　the　allotment　of　labor　itself。　　To　effect　this；

Maignet；＇89＇　in　Vaucluse；　and　in　the　Bouches　du　Rh？ne；　prescribes　for

each　municipality　the　immediate　formation　of　two　lists；　one　of　day

laborers　and　the　other　of　proprietors。　　〃All　proprietors　in　need　of　a

cultivator　by　the　day；〃　are　to　appear　and　ask　for　one　at　the

municipality；　which　will　assign　the　applicant　as　many　as　he　wants；　〃in

order　on　the　list；〃　with　a　card　for　himself　and　numbers　for　the

designated　parties。　　The　laborer　who　does　not　enter　his　name　on　the

list；　or　who　exacts　more　than　the　〃maximum　〃　wages；　is　to　be　sentenced

to　the　pillory　with　two　years　in　irons。　　The　same　sentence　with　the

addition　of　a　fine　of　three　hundred　livres；　is　for　every　proprietor

who　employs　any　laborer　not　on　the　list　or　who　pays　more　than　the

〃maximum　rate　of　wages。



After　this；　nothing　more　is　necessary；　in　practice；　than　to



*　draw　up　and　keep　in　sight　the　new　registries　of　names　and　figures

made　by　the　members　of　thirty　thousand　municipal　boards；　who　cannot

keep　accounts　and　who　scarcely　know　how　to　read　and　write；



*　build　a　vast　public　granary；　or　put　in　requisition　three　or　four

barns　in　each　commune；　in　which　half　dried　and　mixed　grain　may　rot；



*　pay　two　hundred　thousand　incorruptible　storekeepers　and　measurers

who　will　not　divert　anything　from　the　depots　for　their　friends　or

themselves；



*　add　to　the　thirty　five　thousand　employees　of　the　Committee　on

Provisions；＇90＇　five　hundred　thousand　municipal　scribes　disposed　to

quit　their　trades　or　ploughs　for　the　purpose　of　making　daily

distributions　gratuitously；　but　more　precisely；　to　maintain　four　or

five　millions　of　perfect　gendarmes；　one　in　each　family；　living　with

it；　to　help　along　the　purchases；　sales　and　transactions　of　each　day

and　to　verify　at　night　the　contents　of　the　locker。



In　short；　to　set　one　half　of　the　French　people　as　spies　on　the　other

half。　　…　These　are　the　conditions　which　secure　the　production　and

distribution　of　food；　and　which　suffice　for　the　institution　throughout

France　of　a　conscription　of　labor　and　the　captivity　of　grain。



Unfortunately；　the　peasant　does　not　understand　this　theory；　but　he

understands　business；　he　makes　close　calculations；　and　the　positive；

patent；　vulgar　facts　on　which　he　reasons　lead　to　other

conclusions：＇91＇



〃In　Messidor　last　they　took　all　my　last　years'　oats；　at　fourteen

francs　in　assignats；　and；　in　Thermidor；　they　are　going　to　take　all

this　year's　oats；　at　eleven　francs　in　assignats。　　At　this　rate　I　shall

not　sow　at　all。　　Besides；　I　do　not　need　any　for　myself；　as　they　have

taken　my　horses　for　the　army　wagons。　　To　raise　rye　and　wheat；　as　much

of　it　as　formerly；　is　also　working　at　a　loss；　I　will　raise　no　more

than　the　little　I　want　for　myself；　and　again；　I　suppose　that　this　will

be　put　in　requisition；　even　my　supplies　for　the　year！　I　had　rather　let

my　fields　lie　fallow。　　Just　see　now；　they　are　taking　all　the　live

three　months'　pigs！　Luckily；　I　killed　mine　be　forehand　and　it　is　now

in　the　pork　barrel。　　But　they　are　going　to　claim　all　salt　provisions

like　the　rest。　　The　new　grabbers　are　worse　than　the　old　ones。　　Six

months　more；　and　we　shall　all　die　of　hunger。　　It　is　better　to　cross

one's　arms　at　once　and　go　to　prison；　there；　at　least；　we　shall　be　fed

and　not　have　to　work。〃



In　effect；　they　allow　themselves　to　be　imprisoned；　the　best　of　the

small　cultivators　and　proprietors　by　thousands；　and　Lindet；＇92＇　at　the

head　of　the　Commission　on　Provisions；　speaks　with　dismay　of　the　ground

being　no　longer　tilled；　of　cattle　in　France　being　no　more　abundant

than　the　year　before；　and　of　nothing　to　be　had　to　cut　this　year。



For　a　strange　thing　has　happened；　unheard　of　in　Europe；　almost

incredible　to　any　one　familiar　with　the　French　peasant　and　his　love　of

work。　　This　field　which　he　has　ploughed；　manured；　harrowed　and　reaped

with　his　own　hands；　its　precious　crop；　the　crop　that　belongs　to　him

and　on　which　he　has　feasted　his　eyes　for　seven　months；　now　that　it　is

ripe；　he　will　not　take　the　trouble　to　gather　it；　it　would　be　bothering

himself　for　some　one　else。　　As　the　crop　that　he　sees　there　is　for　the

government；　let　the　government　defray　the　final　cost　of　getting　it　in；

let　it　do　the　harvesting；　the　reaping；　the　putting　it　in　sheaves；　the

carting　and　the　thrashing　in　the　barn。　　…　Thereupon；　the

representatives　on　mission　exclaim；　each　shouting　in　a　louder　or　lower

key；　according　to　his　character。



〃Many　of　the　cultivators；〃　writes　Dartigoyte；＇93＇　〃affect　a　supreme

indifference　for　this　splendid　crop。　　One　must　have　seen　it；　as　I

have；　to　believe　how　great　the　neglect　of　the　wheat　is　in　certain

parts；　how　it　is　smothered　by　the　grass　。　　。　　。　　。　　Draft；　if　the　case

requires　it；　a　certain　number　of　inhabitants　in　this　or　that　commune

to　work　in　another　one。　　。　　。　　。　　Every　man　who　refuses　to　work；

except　on　the　'decade'　day；　must　be　punished　as　an　ill…disposed

citizen；　as　a　royalist。〃　…



〃　Generous　friends　of　nature；〃　writes　Ferry；＇94＇　introduce　amongst

you；　perpetuate　around　you；　the　habit　of　working　in　common　and　begin

with　the　present　crop。　　Do　not　spare　either　indolent　women　or　indolent

men；　those　social　parasites；　many　of　whom　you　doubtless　have　in　your

midst。　　What！　allow　lazy　men　and　lazy　women　where　we　are！　Where　should

we　find　a　Republican　police？　。　　。　　。　　Immediately　on　the　reception　of

this　present　order　the　municipal　officers　of　each　commune　will　convoke

all　citoyennes　in　the　Temple　of　the　Eternal　and　urge　the