the origins of contemporary france-4-第78章

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d'instruction　of　Rheims；　on　the　objection　being　made　to　him　that　the

Republic；　as　he　understood　it；　could　not　last　long；　he　replied：

〃Possibly；　but　say　it　lasts　three　months。　　That's　long　enough　to　fill

one's　pocket　and　belly　and　rumple　silk　dresses？〃　Another　of　the　same

species　said　in　1871：　〃We　shall　anyhow　have　a　week's　use　of　it。〃

Observers　of　human　nature　will　find　analogous　details　in　the　history

of　the　Sepoy　rebellion　in　India　against　the　English　in　1803；　also　in

the　history　of　the　Indians　in　the　United　States。　　The　September

massacres　in　Paris　and　the　history　of　the　combat　of　1791　and　1792　have

already　provided　us　with　the　same　characteristic　documents。



＇169＇　Alfred　Lallier；　〃Les　Fusillades　de　Nantes；〃　P。23。　　（Depositions

of　Picard；　commander　of　the　National　Guards　of　the　escort。　　…　Cf。　　the

depositions　of　Jean　Jounet；　paver；　and　of　Henri　Ferdinand；　joiner。）



＇170＇　Sauzay；　〃Histoire　de　la　Persécution　Révolutionnaire　dans　le

Département　du　Doubs；〃　VII。；　687。　　（Letter　of　Grégoire；　December　24；

1796。）　〃An　approximative　calculation　makes　the　number　of　the　authors

of　so　many　crimes　three　hundred　thousand；　for　in　each　commune　there

were　about　five　or　six　of　these　ferocious　brutes　who；　named　Brutus；

perfected　the　art　of　removing　seals；　drowning　and　cutting　throats。

They　consumed　immense　amounts　in　constructing　'Mountains；'　in

reveling；　and　in　fetes　every　three　months　which；　after　the　first

parade；　became　parodies；　represented　by　three　or　four　actors　in　them；

and　with　no　audience。　　These　consisted；　finally；　of　a　drum…beater　and

the　musical　officer；　and　the　latter；　ashamed　of　himself；　often

concealed　his　scarf　in　his　pocket；　on　his　way　to　the　Temple　of　Reason。

。　　。　　。　　But　these　300　000　brigands　had　2　or　300　directors；　members　of

the　National　convention；　who　cannot　be　called　anything　but　scoundrels；

since　the　language　provides　no　other　epithet　so　forcible。〃





BOOK　FOURTH。　　　The　Governed。



CHAPTER　I。　　The　Oppressed。



I。　　　　　Revolutionary　Destruction。



Magnitude　of　revolutionary　destructiveness。　　…　The　four　ways　of

effecting　it。　　…　Expulsion　from　the　country　through　forced　emigration

and　legal　banishment。　　…　Number　of　those　expelled。　　…　Privation　of

liberty。　　…　Different　sorts　of　imprisonment。　　…　Number　and　situation

of　those　imprisoned。　　…　Murders　after　being　tried；　or　without　trial。

…　Number　of　those　guillotined　or　shot　after　trial。　　…　Indication　of

the　number　of　other　lives　destroyed。　　…　Necessity　and　plan　for　wider

destruction。　　…　Spoliation。　　…　Its　extent。　　…　Squandering。　　…　Utter

losses。　　…　Ruin　of　individuals　and　the　State。　　…　The　Notables　the　most

oppressed。



The　object　of　the　Jacobin；　first　of　all；　is　the　destruction　of　his

adversaries；　avowed　or　presumed；　probable　or　possible。　　Four　violent

measures　concur；　together　or　in　turn；　to　bring　about　the　physical　or

social　extermination　of　all　Frenchmen　who　no　longer　belong　to　the　sect

or　the　party。



The　first　operation　consists　in　expelling　them　from　the　territory。　　…

Since　1789；　they　have　been　chased　off　through　a　forced　emigration；

handed　over　to　jacqueries；　or　popular　uprisings；　in　the　country；　and

to　insurrections　in　the　cities；＇1＇　defenseless　and　not　allowed　to

defend　themselves；　three…fourths　of　them　have　left　France；　simply　to

escape　popular　brutalities　against　which　neither　the　law　nor　the

government　afforded　them　any　protection。　　According　as　the　law　and　the

administration；　in　becoming　more　Jacobin；　became　more　hostile　to　them；

so　did　they　leave　in　greater　crowds。　　After　the　10th　of　August　and　2nd

of　September；　the　flight　necessarily　was　more　general；　for；

henceforth；　if　any　one　persisted　in　remaining　after　that　date　it　was

with　the　almost　positive　certainty　that　he　would　be　consigned　to　a

prison；　to　await　a　massacre　or　the　guillotine。　　About　the　same　time；

the　law　added　to　the　fugitive　the　banished；　all　unsworn　priests；

almost　an　entire　class　consisting　of　nearly　40　000　persons。＇2＇　It　is

calculated　that；　on　issuing　from　the　reign　of　Terror；　the　total　number

of　fugitives　and　banished）　amounted　to　150　000＇3＇　the　list　would　have

been　still　larger；　had　not　the　frontier　been　guarded　by　patrols　and

one　had　to　cross　it　at　the　risk　of　one's　life；　and　yet；　many　do　risk

their　lives　in　attempting　to　cross　it；　in　disguise；　wandering　about　at

night；　in　mid…winter；　exposed　to　gunshots；　determined　to　escape　cost

what　it　will；　into　Switzerland；　Italy；　or　Germany；　and　even　into

Hungary；　in　quest　of　security　and　the　right　of　praying　to　God　as　one

pleases。＇4＇　…　If　any　exiled　or　deported　person　ventures　to　return；　he

is　tracked　like　a　wild　beast；　and；　as　soon　as　taken；　he　is

guillotined。＇5＇　For　example；　M。　de　Choiseul；　and　other　unfortunates；

wrecked　and　cast　ashore　on　the　coast　of　Normandy；　are　not　sufficiently

protected　by　the　law　of　nations。　　They　are　brought　before　a　military

commission；　saved　temporarily　through　public　commiseration；　they

remain　in　prison　until　the　First　Consul　intervenes　between　them　and

the　homicidal　law　and　consents；　through　favor；　to　deport　them　to　the

Dutch　frontier。　　…　If　they　have　taken　up　arms　against　the　Republic

they　are　cut　off　from　humanity；　a　Pandour＇6＇　taken　prisoner　is　treated

as　a　man；　an　émigré　made　prisoner　is　treated　like　a　wolf　…　they　shoot

him　on　the　spot。　　In　some　cases；　even　the　pettiest　legal　formalities

are　dispensed　with。

　〃When　I　am　lucky　enough　to　catch　'em；〃　writes　Gen。　　Vandamme；　〃I　do

not　trouble　the　military　commission　to　try　them。　　They　are　already

tried　…　my　saber　and　pistols　do　their　business。〃＇7＇



The　second　operation　consists　in　depriving　〃suspects〃　of　their

liberty；　of　which　deprivation　there　are　several　degrees；　there　are

various　ways　of　getting　hold　of　people。　　…　Sometimes；　the　〃suspect〃　is

〃adjourned；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　order　of　arrest　is　simply　suspended；

he　lives　under　a　perpetual　menace　that　is　generally　fulfilled；　he

never　knows　in　the　morning　that　he　will　not　sleep　in　a　prison　that

night。　　Sometimes；　he　is　put　on　the　limits　of　his　commune。　　Sometimes；

he　is　confined　to　his　house　with　or　without　guards；　and；　in　the　former

case；　he　is　obliged　to　pay　them。　　Again；　finally；　and　which　occurs

most　frequently；　he　is　shut　up　in　this　or　that　common　jail。　　…　In　the

single　department　of　Doubs；　twelve　hundred　men　and　women　are

〃adjourned；〃　three　hundred　put　on　the　limits　of　the　commune；　fifteen

hundred　confined　to　their　houses；　and　twenty　two　hundred

imprisoned。＇8＇　In　Paris；　thirty…six　such　prisons　and　more　than

〃violins〃；　or　temporary　jails；　soon　filled　by　the　revolutionary

committees；　do　not　suffice　for　the　service。＇9＇　It　is　estimated　that；

in　France；　not　counting　more　than　40；000　provisional　jails；　twelve

hundred　prisons；　full　and　running　over；　contain　each　more　than　two

hundred　inmates。＇10＇　　At　Paris；　notwithstanding　the　daily　void　created

by　the　guillotine；　the　number　of　the　imprisoned　on　Floréal　9；　year

II。；　amounts　to　7；840；　and；　on　Messidor　25　following；　notwithstanding

the　large　batches　of　50　and　60　persons　led　in　one　day；　and　every　day；

to　the　scaffold；　the　number　is　still　7；502。＇11＇　There　are　more　than

one　thousand　persons　in　the　prisons　of　Arras；　more　than　one　thousand

five　hundred　in　those　of　Toulouse；　more　than　three　thousand　in　those

of　Strasbourg；　and　more　than　thirteen　thousand　in　those　of　Nantes。　　In

the　two　departments　alone　of　Bouches　du…Rh？ne　and　Vaucluse；

Representative　Maignet；　who　is　on　the　spot；　reports　from　12；000　to

15；000　arrests。＇12＇　　〃A　little　before　Thermidor；〃　says　Representative

Beaulieu；　〃the　number　of　incarcerated　arose　to　nearly　400；000；　as　is

apparent　on　the　lists　and　registers　then　before　the　Committee　of

General　Security。〃＇13＇　…　　Among　these　poor　creatures；　there　are

children；　and　not　alone　in　the　prisons　of　Nantes　where　the

revolutionary　searches　have　collected　the　whole　of　the　rural

population；　in　the　prisons　of　Arras；　among　twenty　similar　cases；　I

find　a　coal…dealer　and　his　wife　with　their　seven　sons　and　daughters；

from　seventeen　down　to　six　years　of　age；　a　widow　with　her　four

children　from　nineteen　down　to　twelve　years　of　age；　another　noble

widow　with　her　nine　children；　from　seventeen　down　to　three　years　of

age；　and　six　children；　without　father　or　mother；　from　twenty…three

down　to　nine　years　of　age。＇14＇　…　These　prisoners　of　State　were

treated；　almost　everywhere；　worse　than　robbers　and　assassins　under　the

ancient　régime。　　They　began　by　subjecting　them　to　rapiotage；　that　is

to　say；　stripping　them　naked　or；　at　best；　feeling　their　bodies　under

their　shirts；　women　and　young　girls　fainted　away　under　this

examination；　formerly　confined　to　convicts　on　entering　the　bagnio。＇15＇

…　Frequently；　before　consigning　them　to　their　dungeons　or　shutting

them　up　in　their　cells；　they　would　be　left　two　or　three　nights　pell…

mell　in　a　lower　hall　on　benches；　or　in　the　court　on　the　pavement；

〃without　beds　or　straw。〃　〃The　feelings　are　wounded　in　all　directions；

every　point　of　sensibility；　so　to　say；　being　played　upon。　　They　are

deprived　one　after　the　other　of　their　property；　assignats；　furniture；

and　food；　of　daylight　and　lamp…light；　of　the　assistance　which　their

wants　and　infirmities　demand；　of　a　knowledge　of　public　events；　of　all

communication；　either　immediate　or　written；　with　fathers；　sons　and

husbands。〃＇16＇　They　are　obliged　to　pay　for　their　lodgings；　their

keepers；　and　for　what　they　eat；　they　are　robbed　at　their　very　doors　of

the　supplies　they　send　for　outside；　they　are　compelled　to　eat　at　a

mess…table；　they　are　furnished　with　scant　and　nauseous　food；　〃spoilt

codfish；　putrid　herrings　and　meat；　rotten　vegetables；　all　this

accompanied　with　a　mug　of　Seine　water　colored　red　with　some　drug　or

other。〃＇17＇　They　starve　them；　bully　them；　and　vex　them　purposely　as　if

they　meant　to　exhaust　their　patience　and　drive　them　into　a　revolt；　so

as　to　get　rid　of　them　in　a　mass；　or；　at　least；　to　justify　the

increasing　rapid　strokes　of　the　guillotine。　　They　are　huddled　together

in　tens；　twenties　and　thirties；　in　one　room　at　La　Force；　〃eight　in　a

chamber；　fourteen　feet　square；〃　where　all　the　beds　touch；　and　many

overlap　each　other；　where　two　out　of　the　eight　inmates　are　obliged　to

sleep　on　the　floor；　where　vermin　swarm；　where　the　closed　sky…lights；

the　standing　tub；　and　the　crowding　together　of　bodies　poisons　the

atmosphere。　　…　In　many　places；　the　proportion　of　the　sick　and　dying　is

greater　than　in　the　hold　of　a　slave…ship。　　〃Of　ninety　individuals　with

whom　I　was　shut　up　two　months　ago；〃　writes　a　prisoner　at　Strasbourg；

〃sixty…six　were　taken　to　the　hospital　in　the　space　of　eight　days。〃＇18＇

In　the　prisons　of　Nantes；　3000　out　13；000　prisoners　die　of　typhoid

fever　and　of　the　rot　in　two　months。＇19＇　　400　priests＇20＇　confined　on　a

vessel　between　decks；　in　the　roadstead　of　Aix；　stowed　on　top　of　each

other；　wasted　with　hunger；　eaten　up　by　vermin；　suffocated　for　lack　of

air；　half…frozen；　beaten；　mocked　at；　and　constantly　threatened　with