the origins of contemporary france-4-第119章

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Blois；　〃he　passes　the　night　in　an　orgy　with　his　brothers　and　friends；〃

fellow…thieves　and　murderers　as　above　described。　　He　curses　Madame

Barbé…Marbois　who　comes　to　take　leave　of　her　husband；　dismissing　on

the　spot　the　commandant　of　the　gendarmerie　who　supports　her　in　a

swoon；　and；　noticing　the　respect　and　attentions　which　all　the

inhabitants；　even　the　functionaries；　show　to　the　prisoners；　he　cries

out；　〃Well；　what　airs　and　graces　for　people　that　will　perhaps　be　dead

in　three　or　four　days！〃　On　the　vessel　which　transports　them；　and　still

in　sight　of　Rochelle；　a　boat　is　observed　rowing　vigorously　to　overtake

them　and　they　hear　a　shout　of　〃I　am　Lafond…Ladébat's　son！　Allow　me　to

embrace　my　father！〃　A　speaking…trumpet　from　the　vessel　replies：　〃Keep

away　or　you'll　be　fired　on！〃　…　Their　cabins；　on　the　voyage；　are

noxious；　they　are　not　allowed　to　be　on　deck　more　than　four　at　a　time；

one　hour　in　the　morning　and　an　hour　in　the　evening。　　The　sailors　and

soldiers　are　forbidden　to　speak　to　them；　their　food　consists　of　a

sailor's　ration；　and　this　is　spoilt；　toward　the　end　of　the　voyage　they

are　starved。　　In　Guyanna　they　are　allowed　one　candle　to　a　mess；　and　no

table…linen；　they　lack　water；　or　it　is　not　drinkable；　out　of　sixteen

taken　to　Sinnamary　only　two　survive。



Those　who　are　deported　the　following　year；　priests；　monks；　deputies；

journalists　and　artisans　accused　of　emigration；　fare　worse。　　On　all

the　roads　leading　to　Rochefort；　sorrowful　crowds　are　seen　on　carts　or

tramping　along　in　files；　on　foot；　the　same　as　former　chains　of

convicts。　　〃An　old　man　of　eighty…two；　Monsieur　Dulaurent　of　Quimper；

thus　traverses　four　departments；〃　in　irons　which　strangle　him。

Following　upon　this；　the　poor　creatures；　between　the　decks　of　the

〃Décade〃　and　the　〃Bayonnaise；〃　crammed　in；　suffocated　through　lack　of

air　and　by　the　torrid　heat；　badly　treated　and　robbed；　die　of　hunger　or

asphyxia；　while　Guyanna　completes　the　work　of　the　voyage：　out　of　193

conveyed　on　board　the　'Décade；〃　only　39　remain　at　the　end　of　twenty…

two　months；　and　of　the　120　brought　by　the　'Bayonnaise；〃　only　one　is

left。　　…　Meanwhile；　in　France；　in　the　casemates　of　the　islands　of　Rhé

and　Oléron；　over　twelve　hundred　priests　become　stifled　or　rot　away；

while；　on　all　sides；　the　military　commissioners　in　the　departments

shoot　down　vigorously。　　At　Paris；　and　in　its　environs；　at　Marseilles；

Lyons；　Bordeaux；　Rennes；　and　in　most　of　the　large　towns；　sudden

arrests　and　clandestine　abductions　go　on　multiplying。＇86＇　　〃Nobody；　on

retiring　to　rest；　is　sure　of　awaking　in　freedom　the　next　morning。　　。

。　　。　　From　Bayonne　to　Brussels；　there　is　but　one　sentiment；　that　of

unbounded　consternation。　　No　one　dares　either　to　speak　to；　encounter；

look　at　or　help　one　another。　　Everybody　keeps　aloof；　trembles　and

hides　away。〃　…　So　that　through　this　third　offensive　reaction；　the

Jacobin　Conquest　is　completed；　and　the　conquering　band；　the　new

feudalism；　becomes　a　fixed　installation。　　〃All　who　pass　here；〃　writes

a　Tours　habitant；　〃state　that　there　is　no　difference　in　the　country

between　these　times　and　Robespierre's＇87＇。。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is　certain

that　the　soil　is　not　tenable；　and　that　the　people　are　continually

threatened　with　exactions　as　in　a　conquered　country。　　。　　。　　。

Proprietors　are　crushed　down　with　impositions　to　such　an　extent　that

they　cannot　meet　their　daily　expenses；　nor　pay　the　cost　of

cultivation。　　In　some　of　my　old　parishes　the　imposition　takes　about

thirteen　out　of　twenty　sous　of　an　income。　　。　　。　　The　interest　on　money

amounts　to　four　per　cent。　　a　month。　　。　　。　　Tours；　a　prey　to　the

terrorists　who　devour　the　department　and　hold　all　the　offices；　is　in

the　most　deplorable　state；　every　family　at　all　well…off；　every

merchant；　every　trader；　is　leaving　it。〃　　The　veteran　pillagers　and

murderers；　the　squireens；　（hobereaux）　of　the　reign　of　Terror；　again

appear　and　resume　their　fiefs。　　At　Toulouse；　it　is　Barrau；　a

shoemaker；　famous　up　to　1792　for　his　fury　under　Robespierre；　and

Desbarreaux；　another　madman　of　1793；　formerly　an　actor　playing　the

parts　of　valet；　compelled　in　1795　to　demand　pardon　of　the　audience　on

his　knees　on　the　stage；　and；　not　obtaining　it；　driven　out　of　the

house；　and　now　filling　the　office　of　cashier　in　the　theatre　and　posing

as　department　administrator。　　At　Blois；　we　find　the　ignoble　or

atrocious　characters　with　whom　we　are　familiar；　the　assassins　and

robbers　Hézine；　Giot；　Venaille；　Bézard；　Berger；　and　Gidouin。＇88＇

Immediately　after　Fructidor；　they　stirred　up　their　usual　supporters

against　the　first　convoy　of　the　deported；　〃the　idlers；　the　rabble　of

the　harbor；　and　the　dregs　of　the　people；〃　who　overwhelmed　them　with

insults。　　On　this　new　demonstration　of　patriotism　the　government

restores　to　them　their　administrative　or　judicial　〃satrapies；　and；

odious　as　they　are；　they　are　endured　and　obeyed；　with　the　mute　and

mournful　obedience　of　despair。　　〃　The　soul　sinks＇89＇　on　daily　perusing

the　executions　of　conscripts　and　émigrés；　and　on　seeing　those

condemned　to　transportation　constantly　passing　by。　　。　　。　　。　　All　who

displease　the　government　are　set　down　on　these　lists　of　the　dead；　so…

called　émigrés；　this　or　that　curé　who　is　notoriously　known　not　to　have

left　the　department。〃　It　is　impossible　for　honest　people　to　vote　at

the　primary　assemblies；　consequently；　〃the　elections　are　frightful。

The　〃brothers〃　and　their　friends　loudly　proclaim　that　neither　nobles；

priests；　proprietors；　merchants；　nor　justice　are　wanted；　everything　is

to　be　given　up　to　pillage。〃　Let　France　perish　rather　than　accept　their

domination。　　〃The　wretches　have　announced　that　they　will　not　give　up

their　places　without　overthrowing　all；　destroying　palaces　and　setting

Paris　on　fire。〃



VII。　　Enforcement　of　Pure　Jacobinism。



Application　and　aggravation　of　the　laws　of　the　reign　of　Terror。　　…

Measures　taken　to　impose　civic　religion。　　…　Arrest；　transportation；

and　execution　of　Priests。　　…　Ostracism　proposed　against　the　entire

anti…Jacobin　class。　　…　The　nobles　or　the　ennobled；　not　émigrés；　are

declared　foreigners。　　…　Decrees　against　émigrés　of　every　class。　　…

Other　steps　taken　against　remaining　proprietors。　　…　Bankruptcy；　forced

loan；　hostages。



It　is　natural　that　with　pure　Jacobins　one　notes　the　re…appearance　of

the　pure　Jacobinism；　the　egalitarian　and　anti…Christian　socialism；　the

programme　of　the　funereal　year；　in　short；　the　rigid；　plain；

exterminating　ideas　which　the　sect　gathers　together；　like　daggers

encrusted　with　gore；　from　the　cast…off　robes　of　Robespierre；　Billaud…

Varennes　and　Collot　d'Herbois。＇90＇



In　the　forefront　appears　the　fixed　and　favorite　idea　of　the　old…

fashioned　philosophism。　　By　that　I　mean　the　consistent　and　decreed

plan　to　found　a　lay　religion；　and　impose　the　observances　and　dogmas　of

its　theories　on　twenty…six　millions　of　Frenchmen；　and；　consequently

extirping　Christianity；　its　worship　and　its　clergy。　　The　inquisitors

who　hold　office　multiply；　with　extraordinary　persistence　and

minuteness；　proscriptions　and　vigorous　measures　for　the　forcible

conversion　of　the　nation。　　The　aim　is　to　substitute　the　improvised

rites　of　a　logical　abstraction　mechanically　elaborated　in　the　closet

for　the　tender　emotions　nourished　by　the　customs　of　eighteen

centuries。　　…　Never　did　the　dull　imagination　of　a　third…rate　scholar

and　classic　poetaster；　never　did　the　grotesque　solemnity　of　a　pedant

fond　of　his　phrases；　never　did　the　irritating　hardness　of　the　narrow

and　stubborn　devotee　display　with　greater　sentimental　bombast　and　more

administrative　officiousness　than　in　the　decrees　of　the　Legislative

Corps；＇91＇　in　the　acts　passed　by　the　Directory　and　in　the　instructions

issued　by　the　ministers　Sotin；　Letourneur；　Lambrechts；　Duval　and

Fran？ois　de　Neufchateau。　　War　on　Sunday；　on　the　old　calendar　and　on

fasting；　obligatory　rest　on　the　décadi　under　penalty　of　fine　and

imprisonment；＇92＇　obligatory　fêtes　on　the　anniversaries　of　January　21

and　Fructidor　18；　participation　of　all　functionaries　with　their　cult；

obligatory　attendance　of　public　and　private　instructors　with　their

pupils　of　both　sexes　at　civic　ceremonies；　an　obligatory　liturgy　with

catechisms　and　programmes　sent　from　Paris；　rules　for　scenic　display

and　for　singings；　readings；　postures；　acclamations　and　imprecations。

One　might　shrug　his　shoulders　at　these　prescriptions　of　cuistres　and

these　parades　of　puppets；　if；　behind　the　apostles　who　compose　moral

allegories；　we　did　not　detect　the　persecutor　who　imprisons；　tortures

and　murders。　　…　By　the　decree　of　Fructidor　19；　not　only　were　all　the

laws　of　the　reign　of　Terror　against　unsworn　priests；　their　harborers

and　their　followers；　enforced　again；　but　the　Directory　arrogated　to

itself　the　right　of　banishing；　〃through　individual　acts　passed　for

cause；〃　every　ecclesiastic　〃who　disturbed　the　public　peace；〃　that　is

to　say　who　exercised　his　ministry　and　preached　his　faith；＇93＇　and；

moreover；　the　right　of　shooting　down；　within　twenty…four　hours；　every

priest　who；　banished　by　the　laws　of　1792　and　1793；　has　remained　in　or

returned　to　France。　　Almost　all　the　ecclesiastics；　even　those　who　are

sworn；　are　comprised　within　the　first　category；　the　administration

enumerates　366　in　the　department　of　Doubs　alone；＇94＇　and　556　in　that

of　Hérault。　　Thousands　of　ecclesiastics　are　comprised　in　the　second

category；　the　administration　enumerates　over　800　who；　returned　from

the　frontier　of　Spain　alone；　still　wander　about　the　southern

departments。　　On　the　strength　of　this　the　moralists　in　office　proclaim

a　hunt　for　the　black　game　in　certain　places；　an　universal　destruction

without　exception　or　reprieve。　　For　instance；　in　Belgium；　recently

incorporated　with　France；　the　whole　of　the　regular　and　secular　clergy

is　proscribed　en　masse　and　tracked　for　transportation；　560

ecclesiastics　in　〃Ourthe　and　the　forests〃；　539　in　Escaut；　883　in

Jemmapes；　884　in　Sambre…et…Meuse；　925　in　la　Lys；　957　in　Deux…Nèthes；

1；043　in　Meuse…Inférieure；　1；469　in　Dyle；　in　all　7；260；　without

counting　the　missing　names。＇95＇　　A　number　of　them　escape　abroad　or

hide　away；　but　the　rest　are　caught；　and　quite　enough　of　them　to　load

and　fill　the　carts　constantly。　　…　〃Not　a　day　passes；〃　says　an

inhabitant　of　Blois；＇96＇　〃when　from　seven　to　twenty　and　more　are

lodged　at　the　Carmelites。〃　The　next　day　they　set　out　for　the　casemates

of　Rhé　and　Oléron；　or　for　the　Sinnamary　marshes；　where　it　is　known

what　becomes　of　them：　after　a　few　months；　three…fourths　of　them　lie　in

the　cemetery。　　…　In　the　interior；　from　time　to　time；　some　are　shot　as

an　example　…　seven　at　Besan？on；　one　at　Lyons；　three　in　the　Bouches…du…

Rh？ne；　while　the　opponents　of　fanaticism；　the　official

philanthropists；　the　enlightened　deists　of　Fructidor；　use　all　these

disguised　or　declared　murders　as　a　basis　on　which　to　rear　the　cult　of

Reason。



It　remains　now　to　consolidate　the　worship　of　Reason　with　the　reign　of

Equality；　which　is　the　second　article　in　the　Jacob