the origins of contemporary france-4-第8章

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a　robbery　by　the　individual　to　the　detriment　of　the　nation。＇94＇　　In

conformity　with　this　rule　there　is　a　general　rounding　up；　prolonged

for　ten　months；　which　places　the　fortunes　of　a　city　of　one　hundred　and

twenty　thousand　souls　in　the　hands　of　its　scoundrels。　　Thirty…two

revolutionary　committees　〃whose　members　are　thick　as　thieves　select

thousands　of　guards　devoted　to　them。〃＇95＇　　In　confiscated　dwellings

and　warehouses；　they　affix　seals　without　an　inventory；　they　drive　out

women　and　children　〃so　that　there　shall　be　no　witnesses；〃　they　keep

the　keys；　they　enter　and　steal　when　they　please；　or　install　themselves

for　a　revel　with　prostitutes。　　　Meanwhile；　the　guillotine　is　kept

going；　and　people　are　fired　at　and　shot　down　with　grape…shot。　　The

revolutionary　committee　officially　avow　one　thousand　six　hundred　and

eighty…two　acts　of　murder　committed　in　five　months；＇96＇　while　a

confederate　of　Robespierre's　privately　declare　that　there　were　six

thousand。＇97＇



Blacksmiths　are　condemned　to　death　for　having　shod　the　Lyonnese

cavalry；　firemen　for　having　extinguished　fires　kindled　by　republican

bombshells；　a　widow　for　having　paid　a　war…tax　during　the　siege；　market

women　for　〃having　shown　disrespect　to　patriots。〃　It　is　an　organized

〃Septembrisade〃　made　legal　and　lasting；　its　authors　are　so　well　aware

of　the　fact　as　to　use　the　word　itself　in　their　public

correspondence。＇98＇　　At　Toulon　it　is　worse；　people　are　slaughtered

in　heaps；　almost　haphazard。　　Notwithstanding　that　the　inhabitants　the

most　compromised；　to　the　number　of　four　thousand；　take　refuge　on　board

English　vessels；　the　whole　city；　say　the　representatives；　is　guilty。

Four　hundred　workmen　in　the　navy…yard　having　marched　out　to　meet

Fréron；　he　reminds　them　that　they　kept　on　working　during　the　English

occupation　of　the　town；　and　he　has　them　put　to　death　on　the　spot。　　An

order　is　issued　to　all　〃good　citizens　to　assemble　in　the　Champ　de　Mars

on　penalty　of　death。〃　They　come　there　to　the　number　of　three　thousand；

Fréron；　on　horseback；　surrounded　by　cannon　and　troops；　arrives　with

about　a　hundred　Maratists；　the　former　accomplices　of　Lemaille；

Sylvestre；　and　other　well…known　assassins；　who　form　a　body　of　local

auxiliaries　and　counselors；　he　tells　them　to　select　out　of　the　crowd

at　pleasure　according　to　their　grudge；　fancy；　or　caprice；　all　who　are

designated　are　ranged　along　a　wall　and　shot。　　The　next　morning；　and　on

the　following　days；　the　operation　is　renewed：　Fréron　writes　on　the

16th　of　Nivose　that　〃eight　hundred　Toulonese　have　already　been　shot。〃

。　　。　　。　　〃A　volley　of　musketry；〃　says　he；　in　another　letter；　and　after

that；　volley　after　volley；　until　〃the　traitors　are　all　gone。〃　Then；

for　three　months　after　this；　the　guillotine　dispatches　eighteen

hundred　persons；　eleven　young　women　have　to　mount　the　scaffold

together；　in　honor　of　a　republican　festival；　an　old　woman　of　ninety…

four　is　borne　to　it　in　an　armchair。　　The　population；　initially　of

twenty…eight　thousand　people；　is　reduced　to　six　or　seven　thousand

only。



All　this　is　not　enough；　the　two　cities　that　dared　maintain　a　siege

must　disappear　from　the　French　soil。　　The　Convention　decrees　that　〃the

city　of　Lyons　shall　be　destroyed：　every　house　occupied　by　a　rich　man

shall　be　demolished；　only　the　dwellings　of　the　poor　shall　remain；　with

edifices　specially　devoted　to　industry；　and　monuments　consecrated　to

humanity　and　public　education。〃＇99＇　The　same　at　Toulon：　〃the　houses

within　the　town　shall　be　demolished；　only　the　buildings　that　are

essential　for　army　and　navy　purposes；　for　stores　and　munitions；　shall

be　preserved。〃＇100＇　　Consequently；　a　requisition　is　made　in　Var　and

the　neighboring　departments　for　twelve　thousand　masons　to　level　Toulon

to　the　ground。　　　At　Lyons；　fourteen　thousand　laborers　pull　down　the

Chateau　Pierre…Encize；　also　the　superb　houses　on　Place　Bellecour；

those　of　the　Quai　St。…Clair；　those　of　the　Rues　de　Flandre　and　de

Bourgneuf；　and　many　others；　the　cost　of　all　this　amounts　to　four

hundred　thousand　livres　per　decade；　in　six　months　the　Republic　expends

fifteen　millions　in　destroying　property　valued　at　three　or　four

hundred　millions；　all　belonging　to　the　Republic。＇101＇　　Since　the

Mongols　of　the　fifth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　no　such　vast　and

irrational　waste　had　been　seen　　such　frenzy　against　the　most

profitable　fruits　of　industry　and　human　civilization。　　　Again；　one

can　understand　how　the　Mongols；　who　were　nomads；　desired　to　convert

the　soil　into　one　vast　steppe。　　But；　to　demolish　a　town　whose　arsenal

and　harbor　is　maintained　by　it；　to　destroy　the　leaders　of

manufacturing　interests　and　their　dwellings　in　a　city　where　its

workmen　and　factories　are　preserved；　to　keep　up　a　fountain　and　stop

the　stream　which　flows　from　it；　or　the　stream　without　the　fountain；　is

so　absurd　that　the　idea　could　only　enter　the　head　of　a　Jacobin。　　His

imagination　has　run　so　wild　and　his　prevision　become　so　limited　that

he　is　no　longer　aware　of　contradictions；　the　ferocious　stupidity　of

the　barbarian　and　the　fixed　idea　of　the　inquisition　meet　on　common

ground；　the　earth　is　not　big　enough　for　any　but　himself　and　the

orthodox　of　his　species。　　Employing　absurd；　inflated　and　sinister

terms　he　decrees　the　extermination　of　heretics：　not　only　shall　their

monuments；　dwellings　and　persons　be　destroyed；　but　every　vestige　of

them　shall　be　eradicated　and　their　names　lost　to　the　memory　of

man。＇102＇



　〃The　name　of　Toulon　shall　be　abolished；　that　commune　shall　henceforth

bear　the　name　of　Port…la…Montagne。〃　…　〃The　name　of　Lyons　shall　be

stricken　off　the　list　of　towns　belonging　to　the　Republic；　the

remaining　collection　of　houses　shall　henceforth　bear　the　name　of

Ville…Affranchie。　　A　column　shall　be　erected　on　the　ruins　of　Lyons

bearing　this　inscription：　'Lyons　made　war　on　Liberty！　Lyons　is　no

more！'〃







X。



Destruction　of　the　Girondin　party。　　　Proscription　of　the　Deputies　of

the　〃Right〃。　　　Imprisonment　of　the　73。　　　Execution　of　the　21。　　

Execution；　suicide；　or　flight　of　the　rest。



In　all　this　there　is　no　intention　to　spare　in　Paris　the　chiefs　of　the

insurrection　or　of　the　party；　either　deputies　or　ministers；　on　the

contrary；　the　object　is　to　complete　the　subjection　of　the　Convention；

to　stifle　the　murmurs　of　the　〃Right；〃　to　impose　silence　on　Ducos；

Boyer…Fonfrède；　Vernier；　and　Couhey；　who　still　speak　and　protest。＇103＇

Hence　the　decrees　of　arrest　or　death；　launched　weekly　from　the　top　of

the　〃Mountain；〃　fall　on　the　majority　like　guns　fired　into　a　crowd。

Decrees　of　accusation　follow：　on　the　15th　of　June；　against　Duchatel；

on　the　17th　against　Barbaroux；　on　the　23rd　against　Brissot；　on　the　8th

of　July　against　Devérité　and　Condorcet；　on　the　14th　against　Lauze…

Deperret　and　Fauchet；　on　the　30th　against　Duprat　Jr。；　Valée　and

Mainvielle；　on　the　2nd　of　August　against　Rouyer；　Brunel　and　Carra；

Carra；　Lauze…Deperret　and　Fauchet；　present　during　the　session；　are

seized　on　the　spot；　which　is　plain　physical　warning：　none　is　more

effective　to　check　the　unruly。　　　Decrees　are　passed　on　the　18th　of

July　accusing　Coustard；　on　the　28th　of　July　against　Gensonné；　La

Source；　Vergniaud；　Mollevaut；　Gardien；　Grangeneuve；　Fauchet；　Boilleau；

Valazé；　Cussy；　Meillan；　each　being　aware　that　the　tribunal　before

which　he　must　appear　is　the　waiting　room　to　the　guillotine。　　

Decrees　of　condemnation　are　passed　on　the　12th　of　July　against

Birotteau；　the　28　of　July　against　Buzot；　Barbaroux；　Gorsas；

Lanjuniais；　Salles；　Louvet；　Bergoeing；　Pétion；　Guadet；　Chasset；

Chambon；　Lidon；　Valady；　Defermon；　Kervelégen；　Larivière；　Rabaut…Saint…

étienne；　and　Lesage；　pronounced　outlaws　and　traitors；　they　are　to　be

led　to　the　scaffold　without　trial　as　soon　as　they　can　be　got　hold　of。

　Finally；　on　the　3rd　of　October；　a　great　haul　of　the　net　in　the

Assembly　itself　sweeps　off　the　benches　all　the　deputies　that　still

seem　capable　of　any　independence：　the　first　thing　is　to　close　the

doors　of　the　hall；　which　is　done　by　Amar；　reporter　of　the　Committee　of

General　Security；＇104＇　then；　after　a　declamatory　and　calumnious

speech；　which　lasts　two　hours；　he　reads　off　names　on　two　lists　of

proscriptions：　forty…five　deputies；　more　or　less　prominent　among　the

Girondins；　are　to　be　at　once　summoned　before　the　revolutionary

tribunal；　seventy…three　others；　who　have　signed　secret　protests

against　the　31st　of　May　and　2nd　of　June；　are　to　be　put　in　jail。　　No

arguing！　the　majority　dares　not　even　express　an　opinion。　　Some　of　the

proscribed　attempt　to　exculpate　themselves；　but　they　are　not　allowed

to　be　heard；　none　but　the　Montagnards　have　the　floor；　and　they　do　no

more　than　add　to　the　lists；　each　according　to　personal　enmity；

Levasseur　has　Vigée　put　down；　and　Duroi　adds　the　name　of　Richon。　　One

their　names　being　called；　all　the　poor　creatures　who　happen　to　be

inscribed；　quietly　advance　and　〃huddle　together　within　the　bar　of　the

house；　like　lambs　destined　to　slaughter；〃　and　here　they　are　separated

into　two　flocks；　on　the　one　hand　the　seventy…three；　and　on　the　other；

the　ten　or　twelve　who；　with　the　Girondins　already　kept　under　lock　and

key；　are　to　furnish　the　sacramental　and　popular　number；　the　twenty…two

traitors；　whose　punishment　is　a　requirement　of　the　Jacobin

imagination；＇105＇　on　the　left；　the　batch　for　the　prison；　on　the　right；

the　batch　for　the　guillotine。



To　those　who　might　be　tempted　to　imitate　them　or　defend　them　this　is　a

sufficient　lesson。　　…　Subject　to　the　boos；　hisses　and　insults　from　the

hags　lining　the　streets；　the　seventy…three＇106＇　are　conducted　to　the

prisoners'　room　in　the　town　hall。　　This；　already　full；　is　where　they

pass　the　night　standing　on　benches；　scarcely　able　to　breathe。　　The

next　day　they　are　crammed　into　the　prison　for　assassins　and　robbers；

〃la　Force；〃　on　the　sixth　story；　under　the　roof；　in　this　narrow　garret

their　beds　touch　each　other；　while　two　of　the　deputies　are　obliged　to

sleep　on　the　floor　for　lack　of　room。　　Under　the　skylights；　which　serve

for　windows；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase　are　two　pig…pens；　at　the

end　of　the　apartment　are　the　privies；　and　in　one　corner　a　night…tub；

which　completes　the　poisoning　of　the　atmosphere　already　vitiated　by

this　crowded　mass　of　human　beings。　　The　beds　consist　of　sacks　of　straw

swarming　with　vermin；　they　are　compelled　to　endure　the

discipline；＇107＇　rations　and　mess　of　convicts。　　And　they　are　lucky　to

escape　at　this　rate：　for　Amar　takes　advantage　of　their　silent

deportment　to　tax　them　with　conspiracy；　other　Montagnards　likewise

want　to　arraign　them　at　the　revolutionary　Tribunal：　at　all　events；　it

is　agreed　that　the　Committee　of　General　Security　shall　examine　their

records　and　maintain　the　right　of　designating　new　culprits　amongst

them。　　For　ten　months　they　thus　remain　under　the　knife；　in　daily

expectation　of　joining　the　twenty…two　on　the　Place　de　la　Révolution。

　With　respect　to　the　latter；　the　object　is　not　to　try　them　but　to

kill　them；　and　the　semblance　of　a　trial　is　sim