the origins of contemporary france-4-第66章

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to　become　a　good　cut…throat；　he　must　first　get　intoxicated；＇108＇　such

was　the　course　pursued　in　Paris　by　those　who　did　the　work　in

September：　the　revolutionary　government　being　an　organized；　prolonged

and　permanent　Septembrisade；　most　of　its　agents　are　obliged　to　drink

hard。＇109＇　…　For　the　same　reasons　when　the　opportunity；　as　well　as　the

temptation；　to　steal；　presents　itself；　they　steal。　　…　At　first；　during

six　months；　and　up　to　the　decree　assigning　them　pay；　the　revolutionary

committees　〃take　their　pay　themselves；〃＇110＇　they　then　add　to　their

legal　salary　of　three　and　five　francs　a　day　about　what　they　please：

for　it　is　they　who　assess　the　extraordinary　taxes；　and　often；　as　at

Montbrison；　〃without　making　any　list　or　record　of　collections。〃　On

Frimaire　16；　year　II。；　the　financial　committee　reports　that　〃the

collection　and　application　of　extraordinary　taxes　is　unknown　to　the

government；　that　it　was　impossible　to　supervise　them；　the　National

treasury　having　received　no　sums　whatever　arising　from　these

taxes。〃＇111＇　Two　years　after；　four　years　after；　the　accounts　of

revolutionary　taxation　of　forced　loans；　and　of　pretended　voluntary

gifts；　still　form　a　bottomless　pit；　out　of　forty　billions　of　accounts

rendered　to　the　National　Treasury　only　twenty　are　found　to　be

verified；　the　rest　are　irregular　and　worthless。　　Besides；　in　many

cases；　not　only　is　the　voucher　worthless　or　not　forthcoming；　but；

again；　it　is　proved　that　the　sums　collected　disappeared　wholly　or　in

part。　　At　Villefranche；　out　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…eight　thousand

francs　collected；　the　collector　of　the　district　deposited　but　forty…

two　thousand；　at　Baugency；　out　of　more　than　five　hundred　thousand

francs　collected；　there　were　only　fifty　thousand　deposited；　at　la

Réole；　out　of　at　least　five　hundred　thousand　francs　collected；　there

were　but　twenty…two　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty　deposited。　　〃The

rest；〃　says　the　collector　at　Villefranche；　〃were　wasted　by　the

Committee　of　Surveillance。〃　〃The　tax…collectors；〃　writes　the　national…

agent　at　Orleans；　〃after　having　employed　terror　gave　themselves　up　to

orgies　and　are　now　building　palaces。〃＇112＇　…　As　to　the　expenses　which

they　claim；　they　almost　always　consist　of　〃indemnities　to　members　of

revolutionary　committees；　to　patriots；　and　to　defray　the　cost　of

patriotic　missions；〃　to　maintaining　and　repairing　the　meeting…rooms　of

the　popular　clubs；　to　military　expeditions；　and　to　succoring　the　poor；

so　that　three　or　four　hundred　millions　in　gold　or　silver；　extorted

before　the　end　of　1793；　hundreds　of　millions　of　assignats　extorted　in

1793　and　1794；　in　short；　almost　the　entire　product　of　the　total

extraordinary　taxation＇113＇　was　consumed　on　the　spot　and　by　the　sans…

culottes。　　Seated　at　the　public　banqueting　table　they　help　themselves

first；　and　help　themselves　copiously。



A　second　windfall；　equally　gross。　　Enjoying　the　right　to　dispose

arbitrarily　of　fortunes；　liberties　and　lives；　they　can　traffic　in

these；　while　no　traffic　can　be　more　advantageous；　both　for　buyers　and

sellers。　　Any　man　who　is　rich　or　well…off；　in　other　words；　every　man

who　is　likely　to　be　taxed；　imprisoned　or　guillotined；　gladly　consents

〃to　compound；〃　to　redeem　himself　and　those　who　belong　to　him。　　If　he

is　prudent；　he　pays；　before　the　tax；　so　as　not　to　be　over…taxed；　he

pays；　after　the　tax；　to　obtain　a　diminution　or　delays；　he　pays　to　be

admitted　into　the　popular　club。　　When　danger　draws　near　he　pays　to

obtain　or　renew　his　certificate　of　civism；　not　to　be　declared

〃suspect；〃　not　to　be　denounced　as　a　conspirator。　　After　being

denounced；　he　pays　to　be　allowed　imprisonment　at　home　rather　than　in

the　jail；　to　be　allowed　imprisonment　in　the　jail　rather　than　in　the

general　prison；　to　be　well　treated　if　he　gets　into　this；　to　have　time

to　get　together　his　proofs　in　evidence；　to　have　his　record　（dossier）

placed　and　kept　at　the　bottom　of　the　file　among　the　clerk's　registers；

to　avoid　being　inscribed　on　the　next　batch　of　cases　in　the

revolutionary　Tribunal。　　There　is　not　one　of　these　favors　that　is　not

precious；　consequently；　ransoms　without　number　are　tendered；　while　the

rascals＇114＇　who　swarm　on　the　revolutionary　committees；　need　but　open

their　hands　to　fill　their　pockets。　　They　run　very　little　risk；　for

they　are　held　in　check　only　by　their　own　kind；　or　are　not　checked　at

all。　　In　any　large　town；　two　of　them　suffice　for　the　issue　of　a

warrant　of　arrest　save　a　reference　to　the　Committee　within　twenty…four

hours；　with　the　certainty　that　their　colleagues　will　kindly　return　the

favor。＇115＇　Moreover；　the　clever　ones　know　how　to　protect　themselves

beforehand。　　For　example；　at　Bordeaux；　where　one　of　these　clandestine

markets　had　been　set　up；　M。　Jean　Davilliers；　one　of　the　partners　in　a

large　commercial　house；　is　under　arrest　in　his　own　house；　guarded　by

four　sans…culottes；　on　the　8th　of　Brumaire；　he　is　taken　aside　and　told

〃that　he　is　in　danger　if　he　does　not　come　forward　and　meet　the

indispensable　requirements　of　the　Revolution　in　its　secret

expenditures。〃　An　important　figure；　Lemoal；　member　of　the

revolutionary　committee　and　administrator　of　the　district；　had　spoken

of　these　requirements　and　thought　that　M。　Davilliers　should

contribute　the　sum　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres。　　Upon

this；　a　knock　at　the　door　is　heard；　Lemoal　enters　and　all　present　slip

out　of　the　room；　and　Lemoal　pronounces　these　words　only：　〃Do　you

consent？〃　…　〃But　I　cannot　thus　dispose　of　my　partners'　property。〃　…

〃Then　you　will　go　to　prison。〃　At　this　threat　the　poor　man　yields　and

gives　his　note　to　Lemoal　at　twenty　days；　payable　to　bearer；　for　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres；　and；　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　by

dint　of　pushing　his　claims；　obtains　his　freedom。　　Thereupon；　Lemoal

thinks　the　matter　over；　and　deems　it　prudent　to　cover　up　his　private

extortion　by　a　public　one。　　Accordingly；　he　sends　for　M。　Davilliers　：

〃It　is　now　essential　for　you　to　openly　contribute　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　livres　more　for　the　necessities　of　the　Republic。　　I

will　introduce　you　to　the　representatives　to　whom　you　should　make　the

offer。〃　The　chicken　being　officially　plucked　in　this　way；　nobody　would

suppose　that　it　had　been　first　privately　plucked；　and；　moreover；　the

inquisitive；　if　there　were　any；　would　be　thrown　off　the　scent　by　the

confusion　arising　from　two　sums　of　equal　amount。　　M。　Davilliers　begs

to　be　allowed　to　consult　his　partners；　and；　as　they　are　not　in　prison；

they　refuse。　　Lemoal；　on　his　side；　is　anxious　to　receive　the　money　for

his　note；　while　poor　Davilliers；　〃struck　with　terror　by　nocturnal

arrests；〃　and　seeing　that　Lemoal　is　always　on　the　top　of　the　ladder；

concludes　to　pay；　at　first；　he　gives　him　thirty　thousand　livres；　and

next；　the　charges；　amounting　in　all　to　forty…one　thousand　livres；

when；　being　at　the　end　of　his　resources；　he　begs　and　entreats　to　have

his　note　returned　to　him。　　Lemoal；　on　this；　considering　the　chicken　as

entirely　stripped；　becomes　mollified；　and　tears　off　in　presence　of　his

debtor　〃the　signature　in　full　of　the　note；〃　and；　along　with　this；　his

own　receipts　for　partial　payments　underneath。　　But　he　carefully

preserves　the　note　itself；　for；　thus　mutilated；　it　will　show；　if

necessary；　that　he　had　not　received　anything；　and　that；　through

patriotism；　he　had　undoubtedly　wished　to　force　a　contribution　from　a

merchant；　but；　finding　him　insolvent；　had　humanely　canceled　the

written　obligation。＇116＇　…　Such　are　the　precautions　taken　in　this

business。　　Others；　less　shrewd；　rob　more　openly；　among　others　the

mayor；　the　seven　members　of　the　military　commission　surnamed　〃the

seven　mortal　sins；〃　and　especially　their　president；　Lacombe；　who；　by

promising　releases；　extracts　from　eight　or　nine　captives　three　hundred

and　fifty…nine　thousand　six　hundred　livres。＇117＇　　〃Through　such

schemes；〃　writes　a　rigid　Jacobin；＇118＇　〃many　of　those　who　had　been

declared　outlaws　returned　to　Bordeaux　by　paying；　of　the　number　who

thus　redeemed　their　lives；　some　did　not　deserve　to　lose　it；　but；

nevertheless；　they　were　threatened　with　execution　if　they　did　not

consent　to　everything。　　But　material　proofs　of　this　are　hard　to

obtain。　　These　men　now　keep　silent；　for　fear；　through　open

denunciation；　of　sharing　in　the　penalty　of　the　traffickers　in　justice；

and　being　unwilling　to　expose　（anew）　the　life　they　have　preserved。〃　In

short；　the　plucked　pigeon　is　mute；　so　as　not　to　attract　attention；　as

well　as　to　avoid　the　knife；　and　all　the　more；　because　those　who　pluck

him　hold　on　to　the　knife　and　might；　should　he　cry　out；　dispatch　him

with　the　more　celerity。　　Even　if　he　makes　no　noise；　they　sometimes

dispatch　him　so　as　to　stifle　in　advance　any　possible　outcry；　which

happened　to　the　Duc　du　Chatelet　and　others。　　There　is　but　one　mode　of

self…preservation＇119＇　and　that　is；　〃to　settle　with　such　masters　by

installments；　to　pay　them　monthly；　like　wet　nurses；　on　a　scale

proportionate　to　the　activity　of　the　guillotine。〃　…　In　any　event；　the

pirates　are　not　disturbed；　for　the　trade　in　lives　and　liberties　leaves

no　trace　behind　it；　and　is　carried　on　with　impunity　for　two　years；

from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　according　to　a　tacit

understanding　between　sellers　and　buyers。



There　is　a　third　windfall；　not　less　large；　but　carried　on　in　more　open

sunshine　and　therefore　still　more　enticing。　　…　Once　the　〃suspect　is

incarcerated；　whatever　he　brings　to　prison　along　with　him；　whatever　he

leaves　behind　him　at　home；　becomes　plunder；　for；　with　the

incompleteness；　haste　and　irregularity　of　papers；＇120＇　with　the　lack

of　surveillance　and　known　connivance；　the　vultures；　great　and　small；

could　freely　use　their　beaks　and　talons。　　…　At　Toulouse；　as　in　Paris

and　elsewhere；　commissioners　take　from　prisoners　every　object　of　value

and；　accordingly；　in　many　cases；　all　gold；　silver；　assignats；　and

jewelry；　which；　confiscated　for　the　Treasury；　stop　half…way　in　the

hands　of　those　who　make　the　seizure。＇121＇　　At　Poitiers；　the　seven

scoundrels　who　form　the　ruling　oligarchy；　admit；　after　Thermidor；　that

they　stole　the　effects　of　arrested　parties。＇122＇　At　Orange；　〃Citoyenne

Riot；〃　wife　of　the　public　prosecutor；　and　〃citoyennes　Fernex　and

Ragot；〃　wives　of　two　judges；　come　in　person　to　the　record…office　to

make　selections　from　the　spoils　of　the　accused；　taking　for　their

wardrobe　silver　shoe…buckles；　laces　and　fine　linen。＇123＇　…　But　all

that　the　accused；　the　imprisoned　and　fugitives　can　take　with　them；

amounts　to　but　little　in　comparison　with　what　they　leave　at　home；　that

is　to　say；　under　sequestration。　　All　the　religious　or　seignorial

chateaux　and　mansions　in　France　are　in　this　plight；　along　with　their

furniture；　and　likewise　most　of　the　fine　bourgeois　mansions；　together

with　a　large　number　of　minor　residences；　well…furnished　and　supplied

through　provincial　economy；　besides　these；　nearly　every　warehouse　and

store　belonging　to　large　manufacturers　and　leading　commercial　houses；

all　this　forms　colossal　spoi