the origins of contemporary france-4-第128章
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goods。。。。 Pecuniary resources are diminishing more and more。。。。
Impositions are starving the country。〃 … Mallet…Dupan; 〃Mercure
Britannique;〃 January 25; 1799。 〃Thousands of invalids with wooden
legs garrison the houses of the tax…payers who do not pay according to
the humor of the collectors。 The proportion of impositions as now
laid in relation to those of the ancient regime in the towns generally
is as 88 to 32。〃
'105' De Tocqueville; 〃?uvres complètes;〃 V。; 65。 (Extracts from
secret reports on the state of the Republic; September 26; 1799。)
'106' Decree of Messidor 24; year VI。
'107' De Barante; 〃Histoire du Directoire;〃 III。; 456。
'108' A。 Sorel; 〃 Revue Historique;〃 No。1; for March and May; 1882。
〃Les Frontières Constitutionelles en 1795。〃 The treaties concluded in
1795 with Tuscany; Prussia and Spain show that peace was easy and that
the recognition of the Republic was effected even before the
Republican government was organized。 。 。 。 。 that France; whether
monarchical or republican; had a certain limit which French power was
not to overstep; because this was not in proportion to the real
strength of France; nor with the distribution of force among the other
European governments。 On this capital point the convention erred; it
erred knowingly; through a long…meditated calculation; which
calculation; however; was false。 and France paid dearly for its
consequences。〃 … Mallet…Dupan; II。; 288; Aug。 23; 1795。 〃The
monarchists and many of the deputies in the Convention sacrificed all
the conquests to hasten on and obtain peace。 But the fanatical
Girondists and Siéyès' committee persisted in the tension system。
They were governed by three motives: 1; the design of extending their
doctrine along with their territory; 2; the desire of successively
federalizing the States of Europe with the French Republic; and 3;
that of prolonging a partial war which also prolongs extraordinary
powers and revolutionary resources。〃 Carnot; 〃Mémoires;〃 I。; 476。
(Report to the Committee of Public Safety; Messidor 28; year II。) 〃It
seems much wiser to restrict our plans of aggrandizement to what is
purely necessary in order to obtain the maximum security of our
country。〃 … Ibid。; II。; 132; 134 and 136。 (Letters to Bonaparte; Oct。
28; 1796; and Jan。 1; 1797。) 〃It would be imprudent to fan the
revolutionary flame in Italy too strongly 。 。 。 。 They desired to
have you work out the Revolution in Piedmont; Milan; Rome and Naples;
I thought it better to treat with these countries; draw subsidies from
them; and make use of their own organization to keep them under
control。〃
'109' Carnot; ibid。; II。 147。 〃Barras; addressing me like a madman;
said; 'Yes; it is to you we owe that infamous treaty of Leoben!'〃
'110' Andre Lebon; 〃L'Angleterre et l'Emigration Fran?aise;〃 p。235。
(Letter of Wickam; June 27; 1797; words of Barthélemy to M。
d'Aubigny。)
'111' Lord Malmesbury; 〃Diary;〃 III。; 541。 (September 9; 1797。) 〃The
violent revolution which has taken place at Paris has upset all our
hopes and defeated all our reasoning。 I consider it the most unlucky
event that could have happened。〃 Ibid。; (Letter from Canning;
September 29; 1797。) 〃 We were in a hair's breadth of it (peace)。
Nothing but that cursed revolution at Paris and the sanguinary;
insolent; implacable and ignorant arrogance of the triumvirate could
have prevented us。 Had the moderate party triumphed all would have
been well; not for us only but for France; for Europe and for all the
world。〃
'112' Carnot; II。; 152。 〃Do you suppose; replied Reubell; that I want
the Cape and Trinquemale restored for Holland? The first point is to
take them; and to do that Holland must furnish the money and the
vessels。 After that I will make them see that these colonies belong
to us。〃
'113' Lord Malmesbury; 〃 Diary;〃 III。; 526。 (Letter from Paris;
Fructidor 17; year V。) … ibid。; 483。 (Conversation of Mr。 Ellis with
Mr。 Pain。)
'114' Ibid。 III。; 519; 544。 (The words of Maret and Colchen。) … 〃
Reubell;〃 says Carnot; 〃seems to be perfectly convinced that probity
and civism are two absolutely incompatible things。〃
'115' Mallet…Dupan; II。; 49。 Words of Siéyès; March 27; 1797。 Ibid;
I。; 258; 407; II。; 4; 49; 350; 361; 386。 This is so true that this
prevision actuates the concessions of the English ambassador。 (Lord
Malmesbury; 〃Diary;〃 III。; 519。 Letter to Canning。 August 29; 1797。)
〃I am the more anxious for peace because; in addition to all the
commonplace reasons; I am convinced that peace will paralyze this
country most completely; that all the violent means they have employed
for war will return upon them like an humour driven in and overset
entirely their weak and baseless constitution。 This consequence of
peace is so much more to be pressed; as the very best conditions we
could offer in the treaty。〃
'116' Mathieu Dumas; III。; 256。 … Miot de Melito; I。; 163; 191。
(Conversations with Bonaparte June and September; 1797。)
'117' Mallet…Dupan; 〃Mercure Britannique;〃 No。 for November 10; 1798。
How support gigantic and exacting crimes on its own soil? How can it
flatter itself that it will extract from an impoverished people;
without manufactures; trade or credit; nearly a billion of direct and
indirect subsidies? How renew that immense fund of confiscations on
which the French republic has lived for the past eight years? By
conquering every year a new nation and devastating its treasuries; its
character; its monts…de…piété; its owners of property。 The Republic;
for ten years past; would have laid down its arms had it been reduced
to its own capital。
'118' Mallet…Dupan; 〃 Mercure Britannique;〃 Nos。 for November 25; and
December 25; 1798; and passim。
'119' Ibid。; No。 for January 25; 1799。 〃The French Republic is
eating Europe leaf by leaf like the head of an artichoke。〃 It
revolutionizes nations that it may despoil them; and it despoils them
that it may subsist。〃
'120' Letter of Mallet…Dupan to a deputy on a declaration of war
against Venice and on the Revolution effected at Genoa。 (The
〃Quotidienne;〃 Nos。 410; 413; 414; 421。) … Ibid。; 〃Essai Historique
sur la destruction de le Signe et de le Liberté Historique。〃 (Nos。 I;
2; and 3 of the 〃 Mercure Britannique。〃) … Carnot; II。; 153。 (Words
of Carnot in relation to the Swiss proceedings of the Directory。) 〃It
is the fable of the Wolf and the Lamb。〃
'121' Overhauling of the Constitution or the purging of the
authorities in Holland by Delacroix; January 22; 1798; in Cisalpine by
Berthier; February; 1798; by Trouve; August; 1798; by Brune;
September; 1798; in Switzerland by Rapinat; June; 1798; etc。
'122' Mallet…Dupan; (〃Mercure Britannique。〃 numbers for November 26。
December 25; 1798; March 10 and July 10; 1799)。 Details and documents
relating to popular insurrections in Belgium; Switzerland; Suabia;
Modena; the Roman States。 Piedmont and Upper Italy。 … Letter of an
officer in the French army dated at Turin and printed at Paris。
〃Wherever the civil commissioners pass the people rise in
insurrection; and; although I have come near being a victim of these
insurrections four times; I cannot blame the poor creatures; even the
straw of their beds is taken。 Most of Piedmont; as I wrote; has risen
against the French robbers; as they call us。 Will you be surprised
when I tell you that; since the pretended revolution of this country;
three or four months ago; we have devoured ten millions of coin;
fifteen millions of paper money; with the diamonds; furniture; etc。;
of the Crown? The people judge us according to our actions and regard
us with horror and execrations。〃
'123' Mallet…Dupan; Ibid。; number for January; 1799。 (List according
to articles; with details; figures and dates。) … Ibid。; No。 for May
25; 1799: details of the sack of Rome according to the 〃Journal〃 of M。
Duppa; an eye witness。 … Ibid。; Nos。 for February 10 and 25; 1799:
details of spoliation in Switzerland; Lombardy; Lucca and Piedmont。 …
The following figures show the robberies committed by individuals: In
Switzerland; 〃the Directorial commissary; Rapinat; the major…general;
Schawembourg and the ordinance commissary; Rouhière; each carried away
a million tournois。〃 〃Rouhière; besides this; levied 20 per cent。 on
each contract he issued; which was worth to him 350;000 livres。 His
first secretary Toussaint; stole in Berne alone; 150;000 livres。 The
secretary of Rapinat; Amberg; retired with 300;000 livres。〃 General
Lorge carried off 150;000 livres in specie; besides a lot of gold
medals taken from the H?tel…de…Ville at Berne; his two brigadier…
generals; Rampon and Pijon; each appropriated 216;000 livres。 〃Gen。
Duheur; encamped in Brisgav; sent daily to the three villages at once
the bills of fare for his meals and ordered requisitions for them; he
demanded of one; articles in kind and; simultaneously; specie of
another。 He was content with 100 florins a day; which he took in
provisions and then in money。〃 … 〃 Massena; on entering Milan at
eleven o'clock in the evening; had carried off in four hours; without
giving any inventory or receipt; all the cash…boxes of the convents;
hospitals and monts…de…piété; which were enormously rich; taking also;
among others; the casket of diamonds belonging to Prince Belgiojoso。
That night was worth to Massena 1;200;000 livres。〃 (Mallet…Dupan;
〃Mercure Britannique;〃 February 10; 1799; and 〃Journal;〃 MS。; March;
1797。) On the sentiments of the Italians; cf。 the letter of
Lieutenant Dupin; Prairial 27; year VIII。; (G。 Sand; 〃Histoire de ma
vie;〃 II。 251) one account of the battle of Marengo; lost up to two
o'clock in the afternoon; 〃I already saw that the Po; and the Tessin
were to be crossed; a country to traverse of which every inhabitant is
our enemy。〃
'124' Mallet…Dupan; ibid。; number for January 10 1791。 〃December 31;
1796。 Marquis Litta had already paid assessments amounting to 500;000
livres milanais; Marquis T。; 420;000; Count Grepi 900;000; and other
proprietors in proportion。〃 Ransom of the 〃Decurioni of Milan; and
other hostages sent into France; 1;500;000 livres。〃 This is in
conformity with the Jacobin theory。 In the old instructions of
Carnot; we read the following sentence: 〃Assessments must be laid
exclusively on the rich; the people must see that we are only
liberators。。。。 Enter as benefactors of the people; and at the same
time as the scourge of the great; the rich and enemies of the French
name。〃 (Carnot; I。; 433。)
'125' Ludovic Sciout; IV。; 776。 (Reports of the year VII。; Archives
Nationales; F。7; 7701 and 7718。) 〃Out of 1;400 men composing the first
auxiliary battalion of conscripts; 1087 cowardly deserted their flag
(Haute…Loire); and out of 900 recently recruited at Puy; to form the
nucleus of the second battalion; 800 aga