the origins of contemporary france-4-第68章

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

acting　as　informers　and　through　terrorism；　getting　property　for

nothing；　or　at　an　insignificant　price；　and　plotting　sales　of　national

possessions；　petty　traders　from　all　quarters　with　stocks　of　goods

acquired　in　all　sorts　of　ways；　through　robberies；　through　purchases　of

stolen　goods　from　servants　and　employees　in　the　civil；　war　and　navy

departments；　and　through　abandoned　or　bought…up　claims；　in　a　word；　men

who；　having　run　away　from　other　communes；　pass　their　days　in　coffee…

houses　and　their　nights　in　houses　of　ill…fame。〃　…　At　Draguignan；

Brignolles；　Vidauban；　Fréjus；　at　Marseilles；　after　Thermidor；　the

intermittent　returns　to　Terrorism　always　restore　the　same　quarries　of

the　justiciary　and　the　police　to　office。＇138＇　〃Artisans；　once　useful；

but　now　tired　of　working；　and　whom　the　profession　of　paid　clubbists；

idle　guardians；〃　and　paid　laborers　〃has　totally　demoralized；〃

scoundrels　in　league　with　each　other　and　making　money　out　of　whatever

they　can　lay　their　hands　on；　like　thieves　at　a　fair；　habitually　living

at　the　expense　of　the　public；　〃bestowing　the　favors　of　the　nation　on

those　who　share　their　principles；　harboring　and　aiding　many　who　are

under　the　ban　of　the　law　and　calling　themselves　model　patriots；＇139＇

that　is；　in　the　pay　of　gambling　hells　and　houses　of　prostitution。〃　…

In　the　rural　districts；　the　old　bands　〃consisting　of　hordes　of

homeless　brigands〃　who　worked　so　well　during　the　anarchy　of　the

Constituent　and　Legislative　assemblies；　form　anew　during　the　anarchy

of　the　Directory；　they　make　their　appearance　in　the　vicinity　of　Apt

〃commencing　with　petty　robberies　and　then；　strong　in　the　impunity　and

title　of　sans…culottes；　break　into　farm…houses；　rob　and　massacre　the

inmates；　strip　travelers；　put　to　ransom　all　who　happen　to　cross　their

path；　force　open　and　pillage　houses　in　the　commune　of　Gorges；　stop

women　in　the　streets；　tear　off　their　rings　and　crosses；〃　and　attack

the　hospital；　sacking　it　from　top　to　bottom；　while　the　town　and

military　officers；　just　like　them；　allow　them　to　go　on。＇140＇　…　Judge

by　this　of　their　performances　in　the　time　of　Robespierre；　when　the

vendors　and　administrators　of　the　national　possessions　exercised

undisputed　control。　　Everywhere；　at　that　time；　in　the　departments　of

Var；　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　and　Vaucluse；　〃a　club　of　would…be　patriots〃　had

long　prepared　the　way　for　their　exactions。　　It　had　〃paid　appraisers

for　depreciating　whatever　was　put　up　for　sale；　and　false　names　for

concealing　real　purchasers；　〃a　person　not　of　their　clique；　was

excluded　from　the　auction…room；　if　he　persisted　in　coming　in　they

would；　at　one　time；　put　him　under　contribution　for　the　privilege　of

bidding；〃　and；　at　another　time；　make　him　promise　not　to　bid　above　the

price　fixed　by　the　league；　while；　to　acquire　the　domain；　they　paid　him

a　bonus。　　Consequently；　〃national　property〃　was　given　away　〃for　almost

nothing；〃　the　swindlers　who　acquired　it　never　being　without　a

satisfactory　warrant　for　this　in　their　own　eyes。　　Into　whose　hands

could　the　property　of　anti…revolutionists　better　fall　than　into　those

of　patriots？　According　to　Marat；　the　martyr　apostle　and　canonised

saint　of　the　Revolution；　what　is　the　object　of　the　Revolution　but　to

give　to　the　lowly　the　fortunes　of　the　great？＇141＇　In　all　national

sales　everywhere；　in　guarding　sequestrations；　in　all　revolutionary

ransoms；　taxes；　loans　and　seizures；　the　same　excellent　argument

prevails；　nowhere；　in　printed　documents　or　in　manuscripts；　do　I　find

any　revolutionary　committee　which　is　at　once　terrorist　and　honest。

Only；　it　is　rare　to　find　specific　and　individual　details　regarding　all

the　members　of　the　same　committee。　　…　Here；　however；　is　one　case；

where；　owing　to　the　lucky　accident　of　an　examination　given　in　detail；

one　can　observe　in　one　nest；　every　variety　of　the　species　and　of　its

appetites；　the　dozen　or　fifteen　types　of　the　Jacobin　hornet；　each

abstracting　what　suits　him　from　whatever　he　lights　on；　each　indulging

in　his　favorite　sort　of　rapine。　　…　At　Nantes；　〃Pinard；　the　great

purveyor　of　the　Committee；＇142＇　orders　everything　that　each　member

needs　for　his　daily　use　to　be　carried　to　his　house。〃　…　〃Gallou　takes

oil　and　brandy；〃　and　especially　〃several　barrels　from　citizen

Bissonneau's　house。〃　…　〃Durassier　makes　domiciliary　visits　and　exacts

contributions；〃　among　others　〃he　compels　citizen　Lemoine　to　pay

twenty…five　hundred　livres；　to　save　him　from　imprisonment。〃　…　〃Naud

affixes　and　removes　seals　in　the　houses　of　the　incarcerated；　makes

nocturnal　visits　to　the　dwellings　of　the　accused　and　takes　what　suits

him。〃　…　〃Grandmaison　appropriates　plate　under　sequestration；　and

Bachelier　plate　given　as　a　present。〃　…　〃Joly　superintends　executions

and　takes　all　he　can　find；　plate；　jewelry；　precious　objects。〃　…

〃Bolognié　forces　the　return　of　a　bond　of　twenty　thousand　livres

already　paid　to　him。〃　…　Perrochaux　demands　of　citoyenne　Ollemard…Dudan

〃fifty　thousand　livres；　to　prevent　her　imprisonment；〃　and　confiscates

for　his　own　benefit　sixty　thousand　livres　worth　of　tobacco；　in　the

house　of　the　widow　Daigneau…Mallet；　who；　claiming　it　back；　is　led　off

by　him　to　prison　under　the　pretext　of　interceding　for　her。　　…　Chaux

frightens　off　by　terrorism　his　competitors　at　auction　sales；　has　all

the　small　farms　on　the　Baroissière　domain　knocked　down　to　him；　and

exclaims　concerning　a　place　which　suits　him：　〃I　know　how　to　get　it！

I'll　have　the　owner　arrested。　　He'll　be　very　glad　to　let　me　have　his

ground　to　get　out　of　prison。'　〃　…　The　collection　is　complete；　and

gathered　on　a　table；　it　offers　specimens　which　can　be　found　scattered

all　over　France。



VII。　　The　Armed　Forces。



The　Armed　Force；　the　National　Guard　and　the　Gendarmerie。　　…　Its

purgation　　and　composition。　　…　The　Revolutionary　Armies　in　Paris　and

in　the　departments。　　…　Quality　of　the　recruits。　　…　Their　employment。

…　Their　expeditions　into　the　countryside　and　the　towns。　　…　Their

exploits　in　the　vicinity　of　Paris　and　Lyons。　　…　The　company　of

Maratists；　the　American　Hussars　and　the　German　Legion　at　Nantes。　　…

General　character　of　the　Revolutionary　government　and　of　the

administrative　staff　of　the　Reign　of　Terror。



The　last　manipulators　of　the　system　remain；　the　hands　which　seize；　the

armed　force　which　takes　bodily　hold　of　men　and　things。　　…　The　first

who　are　employed　for　this　purpose　are　the　National　Guard　and　the

ordinary　gendarmerie。　　Since　1790；　these　bodies　are　of　course

constantly　weeded　out　until　only　fanatics　and　robots　are　left；＇143＇

nevertheless；　the　weeding…out　continues　as　the　system　develops　itself。

At　Strasbourg；＇144＇　on　Brumaire　14；　the　representatives　have

dismissed；　arrested　and　sent　to　Dijon　the　entire　staff　of　the　National

Guard　to　serve　as　hostages　until　peace　is　secured；　three　days

afterwards；　considering　that　the　cavalry　of　the　town　had　been　mounted

and　equipped　at　its　own　expense；　they　deem　it　aristocratic；　bourgeois；

and　〃suspect；〃　and　seize　the　horses　and　put　the　officers　in　arrest。　　…

At　Troyes；　Rousselin；　〃National　civil　commissioner；〃　dismisses；　for

the　same　reason；　and　with　not　less　dispatch；　all　of　the　gendarmes　at

one　stroke；　except　four；　and　〃puts　under　requisition　their　horses；

fully　equipped；　also　their　arms；　so　as　to　at　once　mount　well　known　and

tried　sans…culottes。〃　On　principle；　the　poor　sans…culottes；　who　are

true　at　heart　and　in　dress；　alone　have　the　right　to　bear　arms；　and

should　a　bourgeois　be　on　duty　he　must　have　only　a　pike；　care　being

taken　to　take　it　away　from　him　the　moment　he　finishes　his　rounds。＇145＇



But；　alongside　of　the　usual　armed　force；　there　is　still　another；　much

better　selected　and　more　effective；　the　reserve　gendarmerie；　a

special；　and；　at　the　same　time；　movable　and　resident　body；　that　is　to

say；　the　〃revolutionary　army；〃　which；　after　September　5；　1793；　the

government　had　raised　in　Paris　and　in　most　of　the　large　towns。　　…　That

of　Paris；　comprising　six　thousand　men；　with　twelve　hundred　cannoneers；

sends　detachments　into　the　provinces　…　two　thousand　men　to　Lyons；　and

two　hundred　to　Troyes；＇146＇　Ysabeau　and　Tallien　have　at　Bordeaux　a

corps　of　three　thousand　men　；　Salicetti；　Albitte　and　Gasparin；　one　of

two　thousand　men　at　Marseilles；　Ysoré　and　Duquesnoy；　one　of　one

thousand　men　at　Lille；　Javogues；　one　of　twelve　hundred　at　Montbrison。

Others；　less　numerous；　ranging　from　six　hundred　down　to　two　hundred

men；　hold　Moulins；　Grenoble；　Besan？on；　Belfort；　Bourg；　Dijon；

Strasbourg；　Toulouse；　Auch　and　Nantes。3147When；　on　March　27；　1794；　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　threatened　by　Hébert；　has　them　disbanded

for　being　Hébertists；　in　any　of　them　are　to　remain　at　least　as　a

nucleus；　under　various　forms　and　names；　either　as　kept　by　the　local

administration　under　the　title　of　〃paid　guards；〃＇148＇　or　as　disbanded

soldiers；　loitering　about　and　doing　nothing；　getting　themselves

assigned　posts　of　rank　in　the　National　Guard　of　their　town　on　account

of　their　exploits；　in　this　way　they　keep　themselves　in　service；　which

is　indispensable；　for　it　is　through　these　that　the　régime　is

established　and　lasts。　　〃The　revolutionary　army；＇149＇　say　the　orders

and　decrees　promulgated；　〃is　intended　to　repress　anti…revolutionaries；

to　execute；　whenever　it　is　found　necessary；　revolutionary　laws　and

measures　for　public　safety；〃　that　is　to　say；　〃to　guard　those　who　are

shut　up；　arrest　'suspects；'　demolish　chateaux；　pull　down　belfries；

ransack　vestries　for　gold　and　silver　objects；　seize　fine　horses　and

carriages；〃　and　especially　〃　to　seek　for　private　stores　and

monopolies；〃　in　short；　to　exercise　manual　constraint　and　strike　every

one　on　the　spot　with　physical　terror。　　…　We　readily　see　what　sort　of

soldiers　the　revolutionary　army　is　composed　of。



Naturally；　as　it　is　recruited　by　voluntary　enlistment；　and　all

candidates　have　passed　the　purifying　scrutiny　of　the　clubs；　it

comprises　none　but　ultra…Jacobins。　　Naturally；　the　pay　being　forty

sous　a　day；　it　comprises　none　but　the　very　lowest　class。　　Naturally；

as　the　work　is　as　loathsome　as　it　is　atrocious；　it　comprises　but　few

others＇150＇　than　those　out　of　employment　and　reduced　to　an　enlistment

to　get　a　living；　〃hairdressers　without　customers；　lackeys　without

places；　vagabonds；　wretches　unable　to　earn　a　living　by　honest　labor；〃

〃thick　and　hard　hitters〃　who　have　acquired　the　habit　of　bullying；

knocking　down　and　keeping　honest　folks　under　their　pikes；　a　gang　of

confirmed　scoundrels　making　public　brigandage　a　cloak　for　private

brigandage；　inhabitants　of　the　slums　glad　to　bring　down　their　former

superiors　into　the　mud；　and　themselves　take　precedence　and　strut　about

in　order　to　prove　by　their　arrogance　and　self…display　that　they；　in

their　turn；　are　princes。　　…　〃Take　a　horse；　the　nation　pays　for

it！〃＇151＇　said　the　sans…culottes　of　Bordeaux　to　their　comrades　in　the

street；　who；　〃in　a　splendid　procession；〃　of　three　carriages；　each

drawn　by　six　horses；　escorted　b