the origins of contemporary france-4-第63章

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cobbler　on　the　street　corner；　a　runner　on　errands　who　was　once　a

carter's　boy；　and　another　who；　two　months　before　this；　was　a

scavenger's　apprentice；　the　latter　penniless　and　in　tatters　before　he

became　one　of　the　Committee；　and　since　that；　well　clad；　lodged　and

furnished。　　Finally；　a　former　dealer　in　lottery…tickets；　himself　a

counterfeiter　by　his　own　admission；　and　a　jail…bird。　　Four　others　have

been　dismissed　from　their　places　for　dishonesty　or　swindling；　three

are　known　drunkards；　two　are　not　even　Frenchmen；　while　the　ring…

leader；　the　man　of　brains　of　this　select　company　is；　as　usual；　a

seedy；　used…up　lawyer；　the　ex…notary　Pigeot；　and　expelled　from　his

professional　body　on　account　of　bankruptcy。　　He　is　probably　the　author

of　the　following　speculation：　After　the　month　of　September；　1793；　the

Committee；　freely　arresting　whomsoever　it　pleased　in　the　quarter；　and

even　outside　of　it；　makes　a　haul　of　〃three　hundred　heads　of　families〃

in　four　months；　with　whom　it　fills　the　old　barracks　it　occupies　in　the

rue　de　Sèvres。　　In　this　confined　and　unhealthy　tenement；　more　than　one

hundred　and　twenty　prisoners　are　huddled　together；　sometimes　ten　in

one　room；　two　in　the　same　bed；　and；　for　their　keeping；　they　pay　three

hundred　francs　a　day。　　As　sixty…two　francs　of　this　charge　are

verified；　there　is　of　this　sum；　（not　counting　other　extortions　or

concessions　which　are　not　official）；　two　hundred　and　thirty…eight

francs　profit　daily　for　these　'honest'　contractors。　　Accordingly；　they

live　freely　and　have　〃the　most　magnificent　dinners　〃　in　their　assembly

chamber；　the　contribution　of　ten　or　twelve　francs　apiece　is　〃　nothing

〃　for　them。　　…　But；　in　this　opulent　St。　　Germain　quarter；　so　many　rich

and　noble　men　and　women　form　a　herd　which　must　be　conveniently

stalled；　so　as　to　be　the　more　easily　milked。　　Consequently；　toward　the

end　of　March；　1794；　the　Committee；　to　increase　its　business　and　fill

up　the　pen；　hires　a　large　house　on　the　corner　of　the　boulevard

possessing　a　court　and　a　garden；　where　the　high　society　of　the　quarter

is　assigned　lodgings　of　two　rooms　each；　at　twelve　francs　a　day；　which

gives　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres　per　annum；　and；　as　the

rent　is　twenty…four　hundred　francs；　the　Committee　gain　one　hundred　and

forty…seven　thousand　six　hundred　livres　by　the　operation；　we　must　add

to　this　twenty　sorts　of　profit　in　money　and　other　matters　…　taxes　on

the　articles　consumed　and　on　supplies　of　every　description；　charges　on

the　dispatch　and　receipt　of　correspondence　and　other　gratuities；　such

as　ransoms　and　fees。　　A　penned…up　herd　refuses　nothing　to　its

keepers；＇53＇　and　this　one　less　than　any　other；　for　if　this　herd　is

plundered　it　is　preserved；　its　keepers　finding　it　too　lucrative　to

send　it　to　the　slaughter…house。　　During　the　last　six　months　of　Terror；

but　two　out　of　the　one　hundred　and　sixty　boarders　of　the　〃Bonnet

Rouge〃　Committee　are　withdrawn　from　the　establishment　and　handed　over

to　the　guillotine。　　It　is　only　on　the　7th　and　8th　of　Thermidor　that

the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　having　undertaken　to　empty　the

prisons；　breaks　in　upon　the　precious　herd　and　disturbs　the　well…laid

scheme；　so　admirably　managed。　　…　It　was　only　too　well　managed；　for　it

excited　jealousy；　three　months　after　Thermidor；　the　〃　Bonnet　Rouge〃

committee　is　denounced　and　condemned；　ten　are　sentenced　to　twenty

years　in　irons；　with　the　pillory　in　addition；　and；　among　others；　the

clever　notary；＇54＇　amidst　the　jeering　and　insults　of　the　crowd。　　…　And

yet　these　are　not　the　worst；　their　cupidity　had　mollified　their

ferocity。　　Others；　less　adroit　in　robbing；　show　greater　cruelty　in

murdering。　　In　any　event；　in　the　provinces　as　well　as　in　Paris；　in　the

revolutionary　committees　paid　three　francs　a　day　for　each　member；　the

quality　of　one　or　the　other　of　the　officials　is　about　the　same。

According　to　the　pay…lists　which　Barère　keeps；　there　are　twenty…one

thousand　five　hundred　of　these　committees　in　France。＇55＇



IV。　　Provincial　Administration。



The　administrative　staff　in　the　provinces。　　…　Jacobinism　less　in　the

departmental　towns　than　in　Paris。　　…　Less　in　the　country　than　in　the

towns。　　…　The　Revolutionary　Committees　in　the　small　communes。　　…

Municipal　bodies　lukewarm　in　the　villages。　　…　Jacobins　too　numerous　in

bourgs　and　small　towns。　　…　Unreliable　or　hampered　as　agents　when

belonging　to　the　administrative　bodies　of　large　or　moderate…sized

towns。　　…　Deficiency　of　locally　recruited　staff。



　Had　the　laws　of　March　21　and　September　5；　1793；　been　strictly

enforced；　there　would；　instead　of　21；500　have　been　45；000　of　these

revolutionary　committees。　　They　would　have　been　composed　of　540；000

members　costing　the　public　591　millions　per　year。＇56＇　This　would　have

made　the　regular　administrative　body；　already　twice　as　numerous　and

twice　as　costly　as　under　the　ancient　régime；　an　extra　corps　expending；

〃simply　in　surveillance；〃　one　hundred　millions　more　than　the　entire

taxation　of　the　country；　the　greatness　of　which　had　excited　the　people

against　the　ancient　régime。　　…　Happily；　the　poisonous　and　monstrous

fungal　growth　was　only　able　to　achieve　half　its　intended　size；　neither

the　Jacobin　seed　nor　the　bad　atmosphere　it　required　to　make　it　spread

could　be　found　anywhere。　　〃The　people　of　the　provinces；〃　says　a

contemporary；＇57＇　〃are　not　up　to　the　level　of　the　Revolution；　it

opposes　old　habits　and　customs　and　the　resistance　of　inertia　to

innovations　which　it　does　not　understand。〃　〃The　plowman　is　an

estimable　man；〃　writes　a　missionary　representative；　〃　but　he　is

generally　a　poor　patriot。〃＇58＇　Actually；　there　is　on　the　one　hand；

less　of　human　sediment　in　the　departmental　towns　than　in　the　great

Parisian　sink；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　rural　population；　preserved

from　intellectual　miasmas；　better　resists　social　epidemics　than　the

urban　population。　　Less　infested　with　vicious　adventurers；　less

fruitful　in　disordered　intellects；　the　provinces　supply　a　corps　of

inquisitors　and　terrorists　with　greater　difficulty。



And　first；　in　the　thousands　of　communes　which　have　less　than　five

hundred　inhabitants；＇59＇　in　many　other　villages　of　greater　population；

but　scattered＇60＇　and　purely　agricultural；　especially　in　those　in

which　patois　is　spoken；　there　is　a　scarcity　of　suitable　subjects　for　a

revolutionary　committee。　　People　make　use　of　their　hands　too　much；

horny　hands　do　not　write　every　day；　nobody　desires　to　take　up　a　pen；

especially　to　keep　a　register　that　may　be　preserved　and　some　day　or

other　prove　compromising。　　It　is　already　a　difficult　matter　to　recruit

a　municipal　council；　to　find　a　mayor；　the　two　additional　municipal

officers；　and　the　national　agent　which　the　law　requires；　in　the　small

communes；　these　are　the　only　agents　of　the　revolutionary　government；

and　I　fancy　that；　in　most　cases；　their　Jacobin　fervor　is　moderate。

Municipal　officer；　national　agent　or　mayor；　the　real　peasant　of　that

day　belongs　to　no　party；　neither　royalist　nor　republican；＇61＇　his

ideas　are　rare；　too　transient　and　too　sluggish；　to　enable　him　to　form

a　political　opinion。　　All　he　comprehends　of　the　Revolution　is　that

which　nettles　him；　or　that　which　he　sees　every　day　around　him；　with

his　own　eyes；　to　him　'93　and　'94　are　and　will　remain　〃the　time　of　bad

paper　（money）　and　great　fright；〃　and　nothing　more。＇62＇　Patient　in　his

habits。；　he　submits　to　the　new　as　he　did　to　the　ancient　régime；

bearing　the　load　put　on　his　shoulders；　and　stooping　down　for　fear　of　a

heavier　one。　　He　is　often　mayor　or　national　agent　in　spite　of　himself；

he　has　been　obliged　to　take　the　place　and　would　gladly　throw　the

burden　off。　　For；　as　times　go；　it　is　onerous；　if　he　executes　decrees

and　orders；　he　is　certain　to　make　enemies；　if　he　does　not　execute

them；　he　is　sure　to　be　imprisoned；　he　had　better　remain；　or　go　back

home　〃Gros…Jean；〃　as　he　was　before。　　But　he　has　no　choice；　the

appointment　being　once　made　and　confirmed；　he　cannot　decline；　nor

resign；　under　penalty　of　being　a　〃suspect；〃　he　must　be　the　hammer　in

order　not　to　become　the　anvil。　　Whether　he　is　a　wine…grower；　miller；

ploughman　or　quarry…man；　he　acts　reluctantly；　〃submitting　a　petition

for　resignation；〃　as　soon　as　the　Terror　diminishes；　on　the　ground　that

〃he　writes　badly；〃　that　〃he　knows　nothing　whatever　about　law　and　is

unable　to　enforce　it；〃　that　〃he　has　to　support　himself　with　his　own

hands；〃　that　〃he　has　a　family　to　provide　for；　and　is　obliged　to　drive

his　own　cart〃　or　vehicle；　in　short；　entreating　that　he　〃may　be

relieved　of　his　charge。〃＇63＇　…　These　involuntary　recruits　are

evidently　nothing　more　than　common　laborers；　if　they　drag　along　the

revolutionary　cart　they　do　it　like　their　horses；　because　they　are

pressed　into　the　service。



Above　the　small　communes；　in　the　large　villages　possessing　a

revolutionary　committee；　and　also　in　certain　bourgs；　the　horses　in

harness　often　pretend　to　draw　and　do　not；　for　fear　of　crushing　some

one。　　…　At　this　epoch；　a　straggling　village；　especially　when　isolated；

in　an　out…of…the…way　place　and　on　no　highway；　is　a　small　world　in

itself；　much　more　secluded　than　now…a…days；　much　less　accessible　to

Parisian　verbiage　and　outside　pressure；　local　opinion　here

preponderates；　neighbors　support　each　other；　they　would　shrink　from

denouncing　a　worthy　man　whom　they　had　known　for　twenty　years；　the

moral　sway　of　honest　folks　suffices　for　keeping　down

〃blackguards。〃＇64＇　If　the　mayor　is　republican；　it　is　only　in　words；

perhaps　for　self…protection；　to　protect　his　commune；　and　because　one

must　howl　along　with　the　other　wolves。　　…　…　…Moreover；　in　other

bourgs；　and　in　the　small　towns；　the　fanatics　and　rascals　are　not

sufficiently　numerous　to　fill　all　the　offices；　and；　in　order　to　fill

the　vacancies；　those　who　are　not　good　Jacobins　have　been　pushed

forward　or　admitted　into　the　new　administrative　corps；　lukewarm；

indifferent；　timid　or　needy　men；　who　take　the　place　as　an　asylum　or

ask　for　it　as　a　means　of　subsistence。　　〃　Citizens；〃　one　of　the

recruits；　more　or　less　under　restraint；　writes　later　on；＇65＇　〃　I　was

put　on　the　Committee　of　Surveillance　of　Aignay　by　force；　and　installed

by　force。〃　Three　or　four　madmen　on　it　ruled；　and　if　one　held　any

discussion　with　them；　〃it　was　always　threats　。　　。　　。　　。　　Always

trembling；　always　afraid；　…　that　is　the　way　I　passed　eight　months

doing　duty　in　that　miserable　place。〃　…　Finally；　in　medium…sized　or

large　towns；　the　dead…lock　produced　by　collective　dismissals；　the

pell…mell　of　improvised　appointments；　and　the　sudden　renewal　of　an

entire　set　of　officials；　threw　into　the　administration；　willingly　or

not；　a　lot　of　pretended　Jacobins　who；　at　heart；　are　Girondists　or

Feuillantists；　but　who；　having　been　excessively　long…winded；　are

assigned　offices　on　account　of　their　stump…speeches；　and　who

thenceforth　sit　alongside　of　the　worst　Jacobins；　in　the　worst

employment。　　〃Members　of　the　Feurs　Revolutionary　Committee　…　those　who

make　that　objection　to　me；〃　wrote　a　lawyer　in　Clermont