the origins of contemporary france-4-第106章

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*　The　immense　multitude　of　the　starving　in　town　and　country；

*　the　long　lines　of　women　for　three　years　waiting　for　bread　in　all　the

cities；

*　this　or　that　town　of　twenty…three　thousand　souls　in　which　one…third

of　the　population　dies　in　the　hospitals　in　three　months；

*　the　crowds　of　paupers　at　the　poor…houses；

*　the　file　of　poor　wretches　entering　and　the　file　of　coffins　going

out；

*　the　asylums　deprived　of　their　property；　overcrowded　with　the　sick；

unable　to　feed　the　multitude　of　foundlings　pining　away　in　their

cradles　the　very　first　week；　their　little　faces　in　wrinkles　like　those

of　old　men；

*　the　malady　of　want　aggravating　all　other　maladies；　the　long

suffering　of　a　persistent　vitality　amidst　pain　and　which　refuses　to

succumb；　the　final　death…rattle　in　a　garret　or　in　a　ditch。



Contrast　this　with　this　the　small；　powerful；　triumphant　group　of

Jacobins　which；　having　understood　how　to　place　themselves　in　the　good

places；　is　determined　to　stay　there　at　any　cost。　　…　About　ten　o'clock

in　the　morning；＇152＇　Cambacérès；　president　of　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　is　seen　entering　its　hall　in　the　Pavillon　de　l'Egalité。　　He　is

a　large；　cautious　and　shrewd　personage　who　will；　later　on；　become

arch…chancellor　of　the　Empire　and　famous　for　his　epicurean　inventions

and　other　peculiar　tastes　revived　from　antiquity。　　Scarcely　seated；　he

orders　an　ample　pat…au…feu　to　be　placed　on　the　chimney　hearth　and；　on

the　table；　〃fine　wine　and　fine　white　bread；　three　articles；〃　says　a

guest；　〃　not　to　be　found　elsewhere　in　all　Paris。〃　Between　twelve　and

two　o'clock；　his　colleagues　enter　the　room　in　turn；　take　a　plate　of

soup　and　a　slice　of　meat；　swallow　some　wine；　and　then　proceed；　each　to

his　bureau；　to　receive　his　coterie；　giving　this　one　an　office　and

compelling　another　to　pay　up；　looking　all　the　time　after　his　own

special　interests。　　At　this　moment；　especially；　towards　the　close　of

the　Convention；　there　are　no　public　interests；　all　interests　being

private　and　personal。　　…　In　the　mean　time；　the　deputy　in　charge　of

provisions；　Roux　de　la　Haute　Marne；　an　unfrocked　Benedictine；　formerly

a　terrorist　in　the　provinces；　subsequently　the　protégé　and　employee　of

Fouché；　with　whom　he　is　to　be　associated　in　the　police　department；

keeps　the　throng　of　women　in　check　which　daily　resorts　to　the

Tuileries　to　beg　for　bread。　　He　is　well　adapted　for　this　duty；　being

tall；　chubby；　ornamental；　and　with　vigorous　lungs。　　He　has　taken　his

office　in　the　right　place；　in　the　attic　of　the　palace；　at　the　top　of

long；　narrow　and　steep　stairs；　so　that　the　line　of　women　stretching　up

between　the　two　walls；　piled　one　above　the　other；　necessarily　becomes

immovable。　　With　the　exception　of　the　two　or　three　at　the　front；　no

one　has　her　hands　free　to　grab　the　haranguer　by　the　throat　and　close

the　oratorical　stop…cock。　　He　can　spout　his　tirades　accordingly　with

impunity；　and　for　an　indefinite　time。　　On　one　occasion；　his　sonorous

jabber　rattles　away　uninterruptedly　from　the　top　to　the　bottom　of　the

staircase；　from　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　five　o'clock　in　the

afternoon。　　Under　such　a　voluble　shower；　his　hearers　become　weary　and

end　by　going　home。　…　About　nine　or　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening；　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety　reassembles；　but　not　to　discuss　business。

Danton　and　La　Révellière　preach　in　vain；　each　is　too　egoistic　and　too

worn…out；　they　let　the　rein　slacken　on　Cambacérès。　　As　to　him；　he

would　rather　keep　quiet　and　drag　the　cart　no　longer；　but　there　are　two

things　necessary　which　he　must　provide　for　on　pain　of　death。　　…　〃It

will　not　do；〃　says　he　in　plaintive　tones；　〃to　keep　on　printing　the

assignats　at　night　which　we　want　for　the　next　day。　　If　that　lasts；　ma

foi；　we　run　the　risk　of　being　strung　up　at　a　lantern。　　。　　。Go　and　find

Hourier…Eloi；　as　he　has　charge　of　the　finances；　and　tell　him　that　we

entreat　him　to　keep　us　a…going　for　a　fortnight　or　eighteen　days

longer；　when　the　executive　Directory　will　come　in　and　do　what　it

pleases。〃　〃　But　food　…　shall　we　have　enough　for　to…morrow？



〃Aha；　I　don't　know　…　I'll　send　for　our　colleague　Roux；　who　will　post

us　on　that　point。〃　Roux　enters；　the　official　spokesman；　the　fat；

jovial　tamer　of　the　popular　dog。　　〃Well；　Roux；　how　do　we　stand　about

supplying　Paris　with　food？〃　〃The　supply；　citizen　President；　is　just　as

abundant　as　ever；　two　ounces　per　head；　…　at　least　for　most　of　the

sections。〃　〃Go　to　the　devil　with　your　abundant　supply！　You'll　have　our

heads　off！　〃　All　remain　silent；　for　this　possible　dénouement　sets　them

to　thinking。　　Then；　one　of　them　exclaims：　〃President；　are　there　any

refreshments　provided　for　us？　After　working　so　hard　for　so　many　days

we　need　something　to　strengthen　us　！〃　〃Why；　yes　；　there　is　a　good

calf's…tongue；　a　large　turbot；　a　large　piece　of　pie　and　some　other

things。〃　They　cheer　up；　begin　to　eat　and　drink　champagne；　and　indulge

in　drolleries。　　About　eleven　or　twelve　o'clock　the　members　of　other

Committees　come　in；　signatures　are　affixed　to　their　various　decrees；

on　trust；　without　reading　them　over。　　They；　in　their　turn；　sit　down　at

the　table　and　the　conclave　of　sovereign　bellies　digests　without　giving

itself　further　trouble　about　the　millions　of　stomachs　that　are　empty。



_______________________________________________________________________…



Notes：



＇1＇　On　the　other　more　complicated　functions；　such　as　the　maintenance

of　roads；　canals；　harbors；　public　buildings；　lighting；　cleanliness；

hygiene；　superior　secondary　and　primary　education；　hospitals；　and

other　asylums；　highway　security；　the　suppression　of　robbery　and

kindred　crimes；　the　destruction　of　wolves；　etc。；　see　Rocquam；　〃Etat　de

la　France　au　18　Brumaire；〃　and　the　〃Statistiques　des　Departements；〃

published　by　the　prefets；　from　years　IX。　　to　XIII。　　…　These　branches

of　the　service　were　almost　entirely　overthrown；　the　reader　will　see

the　practical　results　of　their　suppression　in　the　documents　referred

to。



＇2＇　〃St。　　John　de　Crêvec？ur；〃　by　Robert　de　Crêvec？ur；　p。216。　　（Letter

of　Mdlle。　　de　Gouves；　July；　1800。）　〃We　are　negotiating　for　the　payment

of；　at　least；　the　arrearages　since　1789　on　the　Arras　property。〃　（M。

de　Gouves　and　his　sisters　had　not　emigrated；　and　yet　they　had　had　no

income　from　their　property　for　ten　years。）



＇3＇　Cf。　　〃The　Revolution；〃　vol。　　I。；　254…261；　311…352；　vol。　　II。；　234…

272。



＇4＇　Cf。　　〃The　Revolution；〃　II。；　273…276。



＇5＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXII。；　178。　　（Speech　by　Robespierre　in　the

Convention；　December　2；　1792。）　…　Mallet…Dupan；　〃Mémoires。〃　I。；　400。

About　the　same　date；　〃a　deputation　from　the　department　of　Gard

expressly　demands　a　sum　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　millions；　as

indemnity　to　the　cultivator；　for　grain　which　it　calls　national

property。〃　…　This　fearful　sum　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　millions；　they

add；　is　only　a　fictive　advance；　placing　at　its　disposal　real　and

purely　national　wealth；　not　belonging　in　full　ownership　to　any

distinct　member　of　the　social　body　any　more　than　the　pernicious　metals

minted　as　current　coin。〃



＇6＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXVI。；　95。　　（Declaration　of　Rights　presented　in

the　Jacobin　Club；　April　21；　1793。）



＇7＇　Decrees　in　every　commune　establishing　a　tax　on　the　rich　in　order

to　render　the　price　of　bread　proportionate　to　wages；　also　in　each

large　city　to　raise　an　army　of　paid　sans…culottes；　that　will　keep

aristocrats　under　their　pikes；　April　5…7。　　…　Decree　ordering　the

forced　loan　of　a　billion　on　the　rich；　May　20…25…　…　Buchez　et　Roux；

XXV。；　156。　　（Speech　by　Charles；　March　27。　　…　Gorsas；　〃Courrier　des

Départements；〃　No。　　for　May　I5；　1793。　　（Speech　by　Simon　in　the　club　at

Annecy。）　…　Speech　by　Guffroy　at　Chartres；　and　of　Chalier　and

associates　at　Lyons；　etc。



＇8＇　Report　by　Minister　Claviéres；　February　1；　1793；　p。　　27。　　…　Cf。

Report　of　M。　de　Montesquiou；　September　9；　1791；　p。　　47。　　〃During　the

first　twenty…six　months　of　the　Revolution　the　taxes　brought　in　three

hundred　and　fifty…six　millions　less　than　they　should　naturally　have

done。〃　…　There　is　the　same　deficit　in　the　receipts　of　the　towns；

especially　on　account　of　the　abolition　of　the　octroi。　　Paris；　under

this　head；　loses　ten　millions　per　annum。



＇9＇　Report　by　Cambon；　Pluvi？se　3；　year　III。　　〃The　Revolution　and　the

war　have　cost　in　four　years　five　thousand　three　hundred　and　fifty

millions　above　the　ordinary　expenses。〃　（Cambon；　in　his　estimates；

purposely　exaggerates　ordinary　expenses　of　the　monarchy。　　According　to

Necker's　budget；　the　expenditure　in　1759　was　fixed　at　five　hundred　and

thirty…one　millions　and　not；　as　Cambon　states；　seven　hundred　millions。

This　raises　the　expenses　of　the　Revolution　and　of　the　war　to　seven

thousand　one　hundred　and　twenty…one　millions　for　the　four　and　a　half

years；　and　hence　to　one　thousand　five　hundred　and　eighty…one　millions

per　annum；　that　is　to　say；　to　triple　the　ordinary　expenses。）　The

expenses　of　the　cities　are　therefore　exaggerated　like　those　of　the

State　and　for　the　same　reasons。



＇10＇　Schmidt；　〃Pariser　Zust？nde；〃　I。　　93；　96。　　〃During　the　first　half

of　the　year　1789　there　were　seventeen　thousand　men　at　twenty　sous　a

day　in　the　national　workshops　at　Montmartre。　　In　1790；　there　were

nineteen　thousand。　　In　1791；　thirty…one　thousand　costing　sixty

thousand　francs　a　day。　　In　1790；　the　State　expends　seventy…five

millions　for　maintaining　the　price　of　bread　in　Paris　at　eleven　sous

for　four　pounds。　　…　Ibid。；　113。　　During　the　first　six　months　of　1793

the　State　pays　the　Paris　bakers　about　seventy…five　thousand　francs　a

day　to　keep　bread　at　three　sous　the　pound。



＇11＇　Ibid。　　I。；　139…144。



＇12＇　Decree　of　September　27；　1790。　　〃The　circulation　of　assignats

shall　not　extend　beyond　one　billion　two　hundred　millions。。。。　　Those

which　are　paid　in　shall　be　destroyed　and　there　shall　be　no　other

creation　or　emission　of　them；　without　a　decree　of　the　Corps

Legislatif；　always　subject　to　this　condition　that　they　shall　not

exceed　the　value　of　the　national　possions　nor　obtain　a　circulation

above　one　billion　two　hundred　millions。



＇13＇　Schmidt；　ibid。；　I。；　104；　138；　144。



＇14＇　Felix　Rocquam；　〃L'Etat　de　la　France　au　18　Brumaire；〃　p。240。

（Report　by　Lacuée；　year　IX。　　…　Reports　by　préfets　under　the　Consulate

（Reports　of　Laumont；　préfet　of　the　Lower…Rhine；　year　X。；　of　Coichen；

préfet　of　the　Moselle；　year　XI。；　etc。）　…　Schmidt；　Pariser　Zust？nde；〃

III。；　205。　　（〃The　rate　of　interest　during　the　Revolution　was　from　four

to　five　per　cent。　　per　month；　in　1796　from　six　to　eight　per　cent。　　per

month；　the　lowest　rate　being　two　per　cent。　　per　month　with　security。〃）



＇15＇　Arthur　Young；　〃Voyage　en　France；〃　II。；　360。　　（Fr。　　translation。）

〃I　regard　Bordeaux　as　richer　and　more　commercial　than　any　city　in

England　except　London。〃



＇16＇　Ibid。；　II。；　357。　　The　statistics　of　exports　in　France　in　1787

give　three　hundred　and　forty…nine　millions；　and　imports　three　hundred

and　forty　millions　（leaving　out　Lorraine。　　Alsace；　the　three　Evéchés

and　the　We