the origins of contemporary france-4-第79章

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

death；　suffer　still　more　than　Negroes　in　a　slave…hold；　for；　through

interest　in　his　freight；　the　captain　of　the　slaver　tries　to　keep　his

human　consignment　in　good　health；　whilst；　through　revolutionary

fanaticism；　the　crew　of　the　Aix　vessel　detests　its　cargo　of　〃black…

frocks〃　and　would　gladly　send　them　to　the　bottom。　　…　According　to　this

system；　which；　up　to　Thermidor　9；　grows　worse　and　worse；　imprisonment

becomes　a　torture；　oftentimes　mortal；　slower　and　more　painful　than　the

guillotine；　and　to　such　an　extent　that；　to　escape　it；　Champfort　opens

his　veins　and　Condorcet　swallows　poison。＇21＇The　third　expedient

consists　of　murder；　with　or　without　trial。　　…　178　tribunals；　of　which

40　are　ambulatory；　pronounce　in　every　part　of　the　territory　sentences

of　death　which　are　immediately　executed　on　the　spot。＇22＇　　Between

April　6；　1793；　and　Thermidor　9；　year　II。；　（July　27th；　1794）　that　of

Paris　has　2；625　persons　guillotined；＇23＇　while　the　provincial　judges

do　as　much　work　as　the　Paris　judges。　　In　the　small　town　of　Orange

alone；　they　guillotine　331　persons。　　In　the　single　town　of　Arras　they

have　299　men　and　93　women　guillotined。　　At　Nantes；　the　revolutionary

tribunals　and　military　committees　have；　on　the　average；　100　persons　a

day　guillotined；　or　shot；　in　all　1；971。　　In　the　city　of　Lyons　the

revolutionary　committee　admit　1；684；　while　Cadillot；　one　of

Robespierre's　correspondents；　advises　him　of　6；000。＇24＇　…　The

statement　of　these　murders　is　not　complete；　but　17；000　have　been

enumerated；＇25＇　〃most　of　them　effected　without　any　formality；　evidence

or　direct　charge；〃　among　others　the　murder　of　〃more　than　1200　women；

several　of　whom　were　octogenarians　and　infirm；〃＇26＇　particularly　the

murder　of　60　women　or　young　girls；　condemned　to　death；　say　the

warrants；　for　having　attended　the　services　of　unsworn　priests；　or　for

having　neglected　the　services　of　a　sworn　priest。



　〃The　accused；　ranged　in　order；　were　condemned　at　sight。　　Hundreds　of

death…sentences　took　about　a　minute　per　head。　　Children　of　seven；　five

and　four　years　of　age；　were　tried。　　A　father　was　condemned　for　the

son；　and　the　son　for　the　father。　　A　dog　was　sentenced　to　death。　　A

parrot　was　brought　forward　as　a　witness。　　Numbers　of　accused　persons

whose　sentences　could　not　be　written　out　were　executed。〃



　At　Angers；　the　sentences　of　over　four　hundred　men　and　three　hundred

and　sixty　women；　executed　for　the　purpose　of　relieving　the　prisons；

were　mentioned　on　the　registers　simply　by　the　letters　S　or　G　（shot　or

guillotined）。＇27＇　At　Paris；　as　in　the　provinces；　the　slightest

pretext＇28＇　served　to　constitute　a　crime。　　The　daughter　of　the

celebrated　painter；　Joseph　Vernet；＇29＇　was　guillotined　for　being　a　〃

receiver；〃　for　having　kept　fifty　pounds　of　candles　in　her　house；

distributed　among　the　employees　of　La　Muette　by　the　liquidators　of　the

civil　list。　　Young　de　Maillé；＇30＇　aged　sixteen　years；　was　guillotined

as　a　conspirator；　〃for　having　thrown　a　rotten　herring　in　the　face　of

his　jailer；　who　had　served　it　to　him　to　eat。〃　Madame　de　Puy…Verin　was

guillotined　as　〃guilty〃　because　she　had　not　taken　away　from　her　deaf；

blind　and　senile　husband　a　bag　of　card…counters；　marked　with　the　royal

effigy。　　…　In　default　of　any　pretext；＇31＇　there　was　the　supposition　of

a　conspiracy；　blank　lists　were　given　to　paid　emissaries；　who　undertook

to　search　the　various　prisons　and　select　the　requisite　number　of

heads；　they　wrote　names　down　on　them　according　to　their　fancy；　and

these　provided　the　batches　for　the　guillotine。



　〃As　for　myself；〃　said　the　juryman　Vilate；　〃I　am　never　embarrassed。　　I

am　always　convinced。　　In　a　revolution；　all　who　appear　before　this

tribunal　ought　to　be　condemned。〃　…



　At　Marseilles；　the　Brutus　Commission；＇32＇　〃sentencing　without　public

prosecutor　or　jurymen；　sent　to　the　prisons　for　those　it　wished　to　put

to　death。　　After　having　demanded　their　names；　professions　and　wealth

they　were　sent　down　to　a　cart　standing　at　the　door　of　the　Palais　de

Justice；　the　judges　then　stepped　out　on　the　balcony　and　pronounced　the

death…sentence。〃　The　same　proceedings　took　place　at　Cambrai；　Arras；

Nantes；　Le　Mans；　Bordeaux；　N？mes；　Lyons；　Strasbourg；　and　elsewhere。　　…

Evidently；　the　judicial　comedy　is　simply　a　parade；　they　make　use　of　it

as　one　of　the　respectable　means；　among　others　less　respectable；　to

exterminate　people　whose　opinions　are　not　what　they　should　be；　or　who

belong　to　the　proscribed　classes；＇33＇　Samson；　at　Paris；　and　his

colleagues　in　the　provinces；　the　execution…platoons　of　Lyons　and

Nantes；　are　simply　the　collaborators　of　murderers　properly　so　called；

while　legal　massacres　complete　other　massacres　pure　and　simple。



Of　this　latter　description；　the　fusillades　of　Toulon　come　first；　where

the　number　of　those　who　are　shot　largely　surpasses　one　thousand；＇34＇

next　the　great　drownings　of　Nantes；　in　which　4；800　men；　women　and

children　perished；＇35＇　the　other　drownings；　for　which　no　figures　may

be　given；＇36＇　then　the　countless　popular　murders　committed　in　France

between　July　14；　1789；　and　August　10；　1792；　the　massacre　of　one　1；300

prisoners　in　Paris；　in　September；　1792；　the　long　train　of

assassinations　which；　in　July；　August　and　September；　1789；　extends

over　the　entire　territory；　finally；　the　dispatch　of　the　prisoners；

either　shot　or　sabered；　without　trial　at　Lyons　and　in　the　West。　　Even

excepting　those　who　had　died　fighting　or　who；　taken　with　arms　in　their

hands；　were　shot　down　or　sabered　on　the　spot；　there　were　10；000

persons　slaughtered　without　trial　in　the　province　of　Anjou　alone：＇37＇

accordingly；　the　instructions　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　also

the　written　orders　of　Carrier　and　Francastel；　direct　generals　to

〃bleed　freely〃　the　insurgent　districts；＇38＇　and　spare　not　a　life：　it

is　estimated　that；　in　the　eleven　western　departments；　the　dead　of　both

sexes　and　of　all　ages　exceeded　400；000。＇39＇　…　Considering　the　program

and　principles　of　the　Jacobin　sect　this　is　no　great　number；　they　might

have　killed　a　good　many　more。　　But　time　was　wanting；　during　their

short　reign　they　did　what　they　could　with　the　instrument　in　their

hands。　　Look　at　their　machine；　the　gradual　construction　of　its　parts；

the　successive　stages　of　its　operation　from　its　starting　up　to

Thermidor　9；　and　see　how　limited　the　period　of　its　operation　was。

Organized　March　30　and　April　6；　1793；　the　Revolutionary　Committees　and

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal　had　but　seventeen　months　in　which　to　do

their　work。　　They　did　not　drive　ahead　with　all　their　might　until　after

the　fall　of　the　Girondists；　and　especially　after　September；　1763　that

is　to　say　for　a　period　of　eleven　months。　　Its　loose　wheels　were　not

screwed　up　and　the　whole　was　not　in　running　order　under　the　impulse　of

the　central　motor　until　after　December；　1793；　that　is　to　say　during

eight　months。　　Perfected　by　the　law　of　Prairial　22；　it　works　for　the

past　two　months；　faster　and　better　than　before；　with　an　energy　and

rapidity　that　increase　from　week　to　week。　　…　At　that　date；　and　even

before　it；　the　theorists　have　taken　the　bearings　of　their　destinies

and　accepted　the　conditions　of　their　undertaking。　　Being　sectarians；

they　have　a　faith；　and　as　orthodoxy　tolerates　no　heresy；　and　as　the

conversion　of　heretics　is　never　sincere　or　durable；　heresy　can　be

suppressed　only　by　suppressing　heretics。　　〃It　is　only　the　dead；〃　said

Barère；　Messidor　16；　〃who　never　return。〃　On　the　2nd　and　3rd　of

Thermidor；＇40＇　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　sends　to　Fouquier…

Tinville　a　list　of　four　hundred　and　seventy…eight　accused　persons　with

orders　〃to　bring　the　parties　named　to　trial　at　once。〃　Baudot　and　Jean

Bon　St。　　Andre；　Carrier；　Antonelle　and　Guifroy；　had　already　estimated

the　lives　to　be　taken　at　several　millions　and；　according　to　Collot　d'

Herbois；　who　had　a　lively　imagination；　〃the　political　perspiration

should　go　on　freely；　and　not　stop　until　from　twelve　to　fifteen　million

Frenchmen　had　been　destroyed。〃＇41＇



To　make　amends；　in　the　fourth　and　last　division　of　their　work；　that　is

to　say；　in　spoliation；　they　went　to　the　last　extreme：　they　did　all

that　could　be　done　to　ruin　individuals；　families　and　the　State；

whatever　could　be　taken；　they　took。　　…　The　Constituent　and　Legislative

Assemblies　had；　on　their　side；　begun　the　business　by　abolishing　tithes

and　all　feudal　rights　without　indemnity；　and　by　confiscating　all

ecclesiastical　property；　the　Jacobin　operators　continue　and　complete

the　job；　we　have　seen　by　what　decrees　and　with　what　hostility　against

collective　and　individual　property；　whether　they　attribute　to　the

State　the　possession　of　all　corporations　whatever；　even　laic；　such　as

colleges；　schools　and　scientific　or　literary　societies；　hospitals　and

communes；　or　whether　they　despoil　individuals；　indirectly　through

assignats　and　the　maximum；　or　directly　through　the　forced　loan；

revolutionary　taxes；＇42＇　seizures　of　gold　and　silver　coin；

requisitions　of　common　useful　utensils；＇43＇　sequestrations　of

prisoners'　property；　confiscations　of　the　possessions　of　emigrants　and

exiles　and　of　those　deported　or　condemned　to　death。　　No　capital

invested　in　real　or　personal　property；　no　income　in　money　or　produce；

whatever　its　source；　whether　leases；　mortgages；　private　credits；

pensions；　agricultural；　industrial　or　commercial　gains；　the　fruits　of

economy　or　labor；　from　the　farmers'；　the　manufacturers'　and　the

merchant's　stores　to　the　robes；　coats；　shirts　and　shoes；　even　to　the

beds　and　bed…rooms　of　private　individuals　…　nothing　escapes　their

rapacious　grasp：　in　the　country；　they　carry　off　even　seed　reserved　for

planting；　at　Strasbourg　and　in　the　Upper　Rhine；　all　kitchen　utensils；

in　Auvergne　and　elsewhere；　even　the　shepherd's　pots。　　Every　object　of

value；　even　those　not　in　public　use；　comes　under　requisition：　for

instance；＇44＇　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　Bayonne　seizes　a　lot　of

〃cotton　cloth　and　muslin；〃　under　the　pretext　of　making　〃breeches　for

the　country's　defenders。〃　On　useful　objects　being　taken　it　is　not

always　certain　that　they　will　be　utilized；　between　their　seizure　and

putting　them　to　service；　robbery　and　waste　intervene。　　At

Strasbourg；＇45＇　on　a　requisition　being　threatened　by　the

representatives；　the　inhabitants　strip　themselves　and；　in　a　few　days；

bring　to　the　municipality　〃6；879　coats；　breeches　and　vests；　4；767

pairs　of　stockings；　16；921　pairs　of　shoes；　863　pairs　of　boots；　1351

cloaks；　20；518　shirts；　4；524　hats；　523　pairs　of　gaiters；　143　skin

vests；　2；673；　900　blankets；　besides　29　quintals　of　lint；　21　quintals

of　old　linen；　and　a　large　number　of　other　articles。〃



But　〃most　of　these　articles　remain　piled　up　in　the　storehouses；　part

of　them　rotten；　or　eaten　by　rats；　the　rest　being　abandoned　to　the

first…comer。　　。　　。　　。　　The　end　of　spoliation　was　attained。〃　…　Utter

loss　to　individuals　and　no　gain；　or　the　minimum　of　a　gain；　to　the

State。　　Such　is　the　net　result　of　the　revolutionary　g