the origins of contemporary france-4-第67章

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store　belonging　to　large　manufacturers　and　leading　commercial　houses；

all　this　forms　colossal　spoil；　such　as　was　never　seen　before；

consisting　of　objects　one　likes　to　possess；　gathered　in　vast　lots；

which　lots　are　distributed　by　hundreds　of　thousands　over　the　twenty…

six　thousand　square　miles　of　territory。　　There　are　no　owners　for　this

property　but　the　nation；　an　indeterminate；　invisible　personage；　no

barrier　other　than　so　many　seals　exists　between　the　spoils　and　the

despoilers；　that　is　to　say；　so　many　strips　of　paper　held　fast　by　two

ill…applied　and　indistinct　stamps。　　Bear　in　mind；　too；　that　the

guardians　of　the　spoil　are　the　sans…culottes　who　have　made　a　conquest

of　it；　that　they　are　poor；　that　such　a　profusion　of　useful　or　precious

objects　makes　them　feel　the　bareness　of　their　homes　all　the　more；　that

their　wives　would　like　to　lay　in　a　stock　of　furniture；　moreover；　has

it　not　held　out　to　them　from　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　that

〃forty…thousand　mansions；　palaces　and　chateaux；　two…thirds　of　the

property　of　France；　would　be　the　reward　of　their　valor？〃＇124＇　　At　this

very　moment；　does　not　the　representative　on　mission　authorize　their

greed？　Are　not　Albitte　and　Collot　d'Herbois　at　Lyons；　Fouché　at

Nevers；　Javogues　at　Montbrison；　proclaiming　that　the　possessions　of

anti…revolutionaries　and　a　surplus　of　riches　form　〃the　patrimony　of

the　sans…culottes？〃＇125＇　　Do　they　not　read　in　the　proclamations　of

Monestier；＇126＇　that　the　peasants　〃before　leaving　home　may　survey　and

measure　off　the　immense　estates　of　their　seigneurs；　choose；　for

example；　on　their　return；　whatever　they　want　to　add　to　their　farm　。　　。

。　　。　　tacking　on　a　bit　of　field　or　rabbit…warren　belonging　to　the

former　count　or　marquis？〃　Why　not　take　a　portion　of　his　furniture；　any

of　his　beds　or　clothes…presses　…　…　It　is　not　surprising　that；　after

this；　the　slip　of　paper　which　protects　sequestrated　furniture　and

confiscated　merchandise　should　be　ripped　off　by　gross　and　greedy

hands！　When；　after　Thermidor；　the　master　returns　to　his　own　roof　it　is

generally　to　an　empty　house；　in　this　or　that　habitation　in　the

Morvan；＇127＇　the　removal　of　the　furniture　is　so　complete　that　a　bin

turned　upside　down　serves　for　a　table　and　chairs；　when　the　family　sit

down　to　their　first　meal。



In　the　towns　the　embezzlements　are　often　more　brazenly　carried　out

than　in　the　country。　　At　Valenciennes；　the　Jacobin　chiefs　of　the

municipality　are　known　under　the　title　of　〃seal…breakers　and　patriotic

robbers。〃＇128＇　　At　Lyons；　the　Maratists；　who　dub　themselves　〃the

friends　of　Chalier；〃　are；　according　to　the　Jacobins'　own　admission；

〃brigands；　thieves　and　rascals。〃＇129＇　They　compose；　to　the　number　of

three　or　four　hundred；　the　thirty…two　revolutionary　committees；　one

hundred　and　fifty　of　leaders；　〃all　of　them　administrators；〃　form　the

popular　club；　in　this　town　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　souls

they　number；　as　they　themselves　state；　three　thousand；　and　they　firmly

rely　on　〃sharing　with　each　other　the　wealth　of　Lyons。　　This　huge　cake

belongs　to　them；　they　do　not　allow　that　strangers；　Parisians；　should

have　a　slice；＇130＇　and　they　intend　to　eat　the　whole　of　it；　at

discretion；　without　control；　even　to　the　last　crumb。　　As　to　their　mode

of　operations；　it　consists　in　〃selling　justice；　in　trading　on

denunciations；　in　holding　under　sequestration　at　least　four　thousand

households；〃　in　putting　seals　everywhere　on　dwellings　and　warehouses；

in　not　summoning　interested　parties　who　might　watch　their　proceedings；

in　expelling　women；　children　and　servants　who　might　testify　to　their

robberies；　in　not　drawing　up　inventories；　in　installing　themselves　as

〃guardians　at　five　francs　a　day；〃　themselves　or　their　boon　companions；

and　in　〃general　squandering；　in　league　with　the　administrators。〃　It　is

impossible　to　stay　their　hands　or　repress　them；　even　for　the

representatives。　　　Take　them　in　the　act；＇131＇　and　you　must　shut　your

eyes　or　they　will　all　shout　at　the　oppression　of　patriots；　they　do

this　systematically　so　that　nobody　may　be　followed　up。



We　passed　an　order　forbidding　any　authority　to　remove　seals　without

our　consent；　and；　in　spite　of　the　prohibition；　they　broke　into　a

storehouse　under　sequestration；　。　　。　　。　　。　　forced　the　locks　and

pillaged；　under　our　own　eyes；　the　very　house　we　occupy。　　And　who　are

these　devastators？　Two　commissioners　of　the　Committee　who　emptied　the

storehouse　without　our　warrant；　and　even　without　having　any　power　from

the　Committee。〃　…　It　is　a　sack　in　due　form；　and　day　after　day；　it

began　on　the　10th　of　October；　1793；　it　continued　after；　without

interruption；　and　we　have　just　seen　that；　on　Floréal　28；　year　II。；

that　is　to　say；　April　26；　1794；　after　one　hundred　and　twenty…three

days；　it　is　still　maintained。



The　last　mad　scramble　and　the　most　extensive　of　all。　　…　In　spite　of

the　subterfuges　of　its　agents；　the　Republic；　having　stolen　immensely；

and　although　robbed　in　its　turn；　could　still　hold　on　to　a　great　deal；

and　first；　to　articles　of　furniture　which　could　not　be　easily

abstracted；　to　large　lots　of　merchandise；　also　to　the　vast　spoil　of

the　palaces；　chateaux　and　churches；　next；　and　above　all；　to　real

estate；　fixtures　and　buildings。　　To　meet　its　expenses　it　put　all　that

up　for　sale；　and　whoever　wants　anything　has　only　to　come　forward　as　a

buyer；　the　last　bidder　becoming　the　legal　owner　and　at　a　cheap　rate。

The　wood　cut　down　in　one　year　very　often　pays　for　a　whole　forest。＇132＇

Sometimes　a　chateau　can　be　paid　for　by　a　sale　of　the　iron…railings　of


the　park；　or　the　lead　on　the　roof。　　…　Here　are　found　chances　for　a

good　many　bargains；　and　especially　with　objects　of　art。　　〃The　titles

alone　of　the　articles　carried　off；　destroyed　or　injured；　would　fill

volumes。〃＇133＇　On　the　one　hand；　the　commissioners　on　inventories　and

adjudications；　〃having　to　turn　a　penny　on　the　proceeds　of　sales；〃

throw　on　the　market　all　they　can；　〃avoiding　reserving〃　objects　of

public　utility　and　sending　collections　and　libraries　to　auction　with　a

view　to　get　their　percentages。　　On　the　other　hand；　nearly　all　these

commissioners　are　brokers　or　second…hand　dealers　who　alone　know　the

value　of　rarities；　and　openly　depreciate　them　in　order　to　buy　them　in

themselves；　〃and　thus　ensure　for　themselves　exorbitant　profits。〃　In

certain　cases　the　official　guardians　and　purchasers　who　are　on　the

look…out　take　the　precaution　to　disfigure　〃　precious　articles　〃　so　as

to　have　them　bought　by　their　substitutes　and　accomplices：　〃for

instance；　they　convert　sets　of　books　into　odd　volumes；　and　take

machines　to　pieces；　the　tube　and　object…glass　of　a　telescope　are

separated；　which　pieces　the　rogues　who　have　bought　them　cheap　know　how

to　put　together　again。〃　Often；　in　spite　of　the　seals；　they　take　in

advance　antiques；　pieces　of　jewelry；　medals；　enamels　and　engraved

stones；〃　nothing　is　easier；　for　〃even　in　Paris　in　Thermidor；　year　II。；

agents　of　the　municipality　use　anything　with　which　to　make　a　stamp；

buttons；　and　even　large　pennies；　so　that　whoever　has　a　sou　can　remove

and　re…stamp　the　seals　as　he　pleases；〃　having　been　successful；　〃they

screen　their　thefts　by　substituting　cut　pebbles　and　counterfeit　stones

for　real　ones。〃　Finally；　at　the　auction　sales；　〃fearing　the　honesty　or

competition　of　intelligent　judges；　they　offer　money　（to　these）　to　stay

away　from　the　sales；　one　case　is　cited　where　they　have　knocked　a

prospective　bidder　down。〃　In　the　meantime；　at　the　club；　they　shout

with　all　their　might；　this；　with　the　protection　of　a　member　of　the

municipality　or　of　the　Revolutionary　Committee；　shelters　them　from　all

suspicion。　　As　for　the　protector；　he　gets　his　share　without　coming　out

into　the　light。　　Accuse；　if　you　dare；　a　republican　functionary　who

secretly；　or　even　openly；　profits　by　these　larcenies；　he　will　show

clean　hands。　　…　Such　is　the　incorruptible　patriot；　the　only　one　of　his

species；　whom　the　representatives　discover　at　Strasbourg；　and　whom

they　appoint　mayor　at　once。　　On　the　10th　of　Vendémiaire；　year

III。；＇134＇　there　is　found　〃in　his　apartments〃　a　superb　and　complete

assortment　of　ecclesiastical　objects；　〃forty…nine　copes　and　chasubles；

silk　or　satin；　covered　with　gold　or　silver；　fifty…four　palles　of　the

same　description；〃　a　quantity　of　〃reliquaries；　vases　and　spoons；

censers；　laces；　silver　and　gold　fringe；　thirty…two　pieces　of　silk；〃

etc。　　None　of　these　fine　things　belong　to　him；　they　are　the　property

of　citizen　Mouet；　his　father。　　This　prudent　parent；　taking　his　word

for　it；　〃deposited　them　for　safe　keeping　in　his　son's　house　during　the

month　of　June；　1792　（old　style）；〃　…　could　a　good　son　refuse　his　father

such　a　slight　favor？　It　is　very　certain　that；　in　'93　and　'94；　during

the　young　man's　municipal　dictatorship；　the　elder　did　not　pay　the

Strasbourg　Jew　brokers　too　much；　and　that　they　did　business　in　an

off…hand　way。　　By　what　right　could　a　son　and　magistrate　prevent　his

father；　a　free　individual；　from　looking　after　〃his　own　affairs〃

and　buying　according　to　trade　principles；　as　cheap　as　he　could？



If　such　are　the　profits　on　the　sale　of　personal　property；　what　must

they　be　on　the　sale　of　real　estate？　…　It　is　on　this　traffic　that　the

fortunes　of　the　clever　terrorists　are　founded。　　It　accounts　for　the

〃colossal　wealth　peaceably　enjoyed；〃　after　Thermidor；　of　the　well…

known　〃thieves〃　who；　before　Thermidor；　were　so　many　〃little

Robespierres；〃　each　in　his　own　canton；　〃the　patriots　〃　who；　around

Orleans；　〃built　palaces；〃　who；　〃exclusives〃　at　Valenciennes；　〃having

wasted　both　public　and　private　funds；　possess　the　houses　and　property

of　emigrants；　knocked　down　to　them　at　a　hundred　times　less　than　their

value。〃＇135＇　　On　this　side；　their　outstretched　fingers　shamelessly

clutch　all　they　can　get　hold　of；　for　the　obligation　of　each　arrested

party　to　declare　his　name；　quality　and　fortune；　as　it　now　is　and　was

before　the　Revolution；　gives　local　cupidity　a　known；　sure；　direct　and

palpable　object。　　…　At　Toulouse；　says　a　prisoner；＇136＇　〃the　details

and　value　of　an　object　were　taken　down　as　if　for　a　succession；〃　while

the　commissioners　who　drew　up　the　statement；　〃our　assassins；

proceeded；　beforehand　and　almost　under　our　eyes；　to　take　their　share；

disputing　with　each　other　on　the　choice　and　suitableness　of　each

object；　comparing　the　cost　of　adjudication　with　the　means　of　lessening

it；　discussing　the　certain　profits　of　selling　again　and　of　the

transfer；　and　consuming　in　advance　the　pickings　arising　from　sales　and

leases。〃　…　In　Provence；　where　things　are　more　advanced　and　corruption

is　greater　than　elsewhere；　where　the　purport　and　aims　of　the

Revolution　were　comprehended　at　the　start；　it　is　still　worse。　　Nowhere

did　Jacobin　rulers　display　their　real　character　more　openly；　and

nowhere；　from　1789　to　1799；　was　this　character　so　well　maintained。　　At

Toulon；　the　demagogues　in　the　year　V。；　as　in　the　year　II。；　are＇137＇

〃former　workmen　and　clerks　in　the　Arsenal　who　had　become　'bosses'　by

acting　as　informer