the origins of contemporary france-4-第85章

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Vendée；　Brittany；　Picardie　and　Flanders；　and　in　Marseilles；　Bordeaux

and　Lyons。　　In　Lyons　alone；　writes　Collot　d'Herbois；　〃there　are　sixty

thousand　persons　who　never　will　become　republicans。　　They　should　be

dealt　with；　that　is　made　redundant；　and　prudently　distributed　all　over

the　surface　of　the　Republic。〃＇99＇　…　Finally；　add　to　the　persons　of　the

lower　class；　prosecuted　on　public　grounds；　those　who　are　prosecuted　on

private　grounds。　　Among　peasants　in　the　same　village；　workmen　of　the

same　trade　and　shopkeepers　in　the　same　quarter；　there　is　always　envy；

enmities　and　spites；　those　who　are　Jacobins　become　local　pashas　and

are　able　to　gratify　local　jealousies　with　impunity；　something　they

never　fail　to　do。＇100＇



Hence；　on　the　lists　of　the　guillotined；　the　incarcerated　and　of

emigrés；　the　men　and　women　of　inferior　condition　are　in　much　greater

number；　far　greater　than　their　companions　of　the　superior　and　middle

classes　all　put　together。　　Out　of　12；000　condemned　to　death　whose　rank

and　professions　have　been　ascertained；　7；545＇101＇　are　peasants；

cultivators；　ploughmen；　workmen　of　various　sorts；　innkeepers；　wine…

dealers；　soldiers　and　sailors；　domestics；　women；　young　girls；　servants

and　seamstresses。　　Out　of　1；900　emigrés　from　Doubs；　nearly　1；100

belong　to　the　lower　class。　　Towards　the　month　of　April；　1794；　all　the

prisons　in　France　overflow　with　farmers；＇102＇　in　the　Paris　prisons

alone；　two　months　before　Thermidor　9；　there　are　2　000　of　them。＇103＇

Without　mentioning　the　eleven　western　departments　in　which　four　or

five　hundred　square　leagues　of　territory　are　devastated　and　twenty

towns　and　one　thousand　eight　hundred　villages　destroyed；＇104＇　where

the　avowed　purpose　of　the　Jacobin　policy　is　a　systematic　and　total

destruction　of　the　country；　man　and　beast；　buildings；　crops；　and　even

trees；　there　are　cantons　and　even　provinces　where　the　entire　rural　and

working　population　is　arrested　or　put　to　flight。　　In　the　Pyrenees；　the

old　Basque　populations　〃torn　from　their　natal　soil；　crowded　into　the

churches　with　no　means　of　subsistence　but　that　of　charity；〃　in　the

middle　of　winter；　so　that　sixteen　hundred　of　those　incarcerated　die

〃mostly　of　cold　and　hunger；〃＇105＇　　at　Bédouin；　a　town　of　two　thousand

souls；　in　which　a　tree　of　liberty　is　cut　down　by　some　unknown　persons；

four　hundred　and　thirty…three　houses　are　demolished　or　burned；　sixteen

persons　guillotined　and　forty…seven　shot；　while　the　rest　of　the

inhabitants　are　driven　out；　reduced　to　living　like　vagabonds　on　the

mountain；　or　in　holes　which　they　dig　in　the　ground；＇106＇　in　Alsace；

fifty　thousand　farmers　who；　in　the　winter　of　1793；　take　refuge　with

their　wives　and　children　on　the　other　side　of　the　Rhine。＇107＇　In

short；　the　revolutionary　operation　is　a　complete　prostration　of　people

of　all　classes；　the　trunks　as　well　as　the　saplings　being　felled；　and

often　in　such　a　way　as　to　clear　the　ground　entirely。



But　in　this　ruthless　felling；　however；　the　notables　of　the　people；

making　all　due　allowances；　suffer　more　than　the　ordinary　people。　　It

is　obvious　that　the　Jacobin　wood…chopper　persecutes；　insistently　and

selectively；　the　veterans　of　labor　and　savings；　the　large　cultivators

who　from　father　to　son　and　for　many　generations　have　possessed　the

same　farm；　the　master…craftsmen　whose　shops　are　well　stocked　and　who

have　good　customers；　the　respectable；　well…patronized　retailers；　who

owe　nothing；　the　village…syndics　and　trades…syndics；　all　those　showing

more　deeply　and　visibly　than　the　rest　of　their　class；　the　five　or　six

blazes　which　summon　the　ax。　　They　are　better　off；　better　provided　with

desirable　comforts　and　conveniences；　which　is　of　itself　an　offense

against　equality。　　Having　accumulated　a　small　hoard；　a　few　pieces　of

plate；　sometimes　a　few　crowns；＇108＇　a　store　of　linen　and　clothes；　a

stock　of　provisions　or　goods；　they　do　not　willingly　submit　to　being

plundered；　which　is　the　offense　of　egoism。　　Being　egoists；　it　is

presumed　that　they　are　hostile　to　the　system　of　fraternity；　at　least

indifferent　to　it；　as　well　as　lukewarm　towards　the　Republic；　that　is

to　say；　Moderates；　which　is　the　worst　offense　of　all。＇109＇　Being　the

foremost　of　their　class；　they　are　haughty　like　the　nobles　or　the

bourgeois　and　regard　themselves　as　superior　to　a　poor　man；　to　a

vagabond；　to　a　genuine　sans…culotte；　the　fourth　and　most　inexcusable

of　all　offenses。　　Moreover；　from　the　fact　of　their　superior　condition；

they　have　contracted　familiarities　and　formed　connections　with　the

proscribed　class；　the　farmer；　the　intendant；　the　overseer　is　often

attached　to　his　noble　proprietor　or　patron；＇110＇　many　of　the　farmers；

shopkeepers　and　craftsmen　belonging　to　old　families　are　considered　as

affiliated　with　the　bourgeoisie　or　the　clergy；＇111＇　through　a　son　or

brother　who　has　risen　a　degree　in　trade；　or　by　some　industrial

pursuit；　or　who；　having　completed　his　studies；　has　become　a　curé　or

lawyer；　or　else　through　some　daughter；　or　well…married　sister；　or

through　one　who　has　become　a　nun：　now；　this　relation；　ally；　friend　or

comrade　of　a　〃suspect　〃　is　himself　a　〃suspect；〃　…　the　last　anti…

revolutionary　and　decisive　barrier。　　Sober　and　well…behaved　persons；

having　prospered　or　maintained　themselves　under　the　ancient　régime；

must　naturally　cherish　respect　for　former　institutions；　they　must

involuntarily　retain　a　deep　feeling　of　veneration　for　the　King；　and

especially　for　religion；　they　are　devout　Catholics；　and　therefore　are

chagrined　to　see　the　churches　shut　up；　worship　prohibited　and

ecclesiastics　persecuted；　and　would　again　be　glad　to　go　to　Mass；　honor

Easter；　and　have　an　orthodox　curé　who　could　administer　to　them

available　sacraments；　a　baptism；　an　absolution；　a　marriage…rite；　a

genuine　extreme　unction。＇112＇　…　Under　all　these　headings；　they　have

made　personal　enemies　of　the　rascals　who　hold　office；　on　all　these

grounds；　they　are　struck　down；　what　was　once　meritorious　with　them　is

now　disgraceful。　　Thus；　the　principal　swath　consists　of　the　élite　of

the　people；　selected　from　amongst　the　people　itself；　it　is　against　the

〃subordinate　aristocracy；〃　those　most　capable　of　doing　and　conducting

manual　labor；　the　most　creditable　workmen；　through　their　activity；

frugality　and　good　habits；　that　the　Revolution；　in　its　rigor　against

the　inferior　class；　rages　with　the　greatest　fury。



VIII。　　Rigor　against　the　Upper　Classes。



The　rigor　of　the　revolutionary　laws　increase　according　to　the

elevation　of　the　class。　　…　The　Notables　properly　so　called　attacked

because　of　their　being　Notables。　　…　Orders　of　Taillefer；　Milhaud；　and

Lefiot。　　…　The　public　atonement　of　Montargis。



For　the　same　reason；　as　far　as　the　notables；　properly　so…called；　are

concerned；　it　bears　down　still　more　heavily；　not　merely　on　the　nobles

because　of　ancient　privileges；　not　merely　on　ecclesiastics　on　the

score　of　being　insubordinate　Catholics；　but　on　nobles；　ecclesiastics

and　bourgeois　in　their　capacity　of　notables；　that　is　to　say；　born　and

bred　above　others；　and　respected　by　the　masses　on　account　of　their

superior　condition。　　…　　In　the　eyes　of　the　genuine　Jacobin；　the

notables　of　the　third　class　are　no　less　criminal　than　the　members　of

the　two　superior　classes。　　〃The　bourgeois；＇113＇　the　merchants；　the

large　proprietors；〃　writes　a　popular　club　in　the　South；　〃all　have　the

pretension　of　the　old　set　（des　ci…dévants）。〃　And　the　club　complains　of

〃the　law　not　providing　means　for　opening　the　eyes　of　the　people　with

respect　to　these　new　tyrants。〃　It　is　horrible！　The　stand　they　take　is

an　offense　against　equality　and　they　are　proud　of　it！　And　what　is

worse；　this　stand　attracts　public　consideration！　Consequently；　〃the

club　requests　that　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　be　empowered　to　consign

this　proud　class　to　temporary　confinement；〃　and　then　〃the　people　would

see　the　crime　it　had　committed　and　recover　from　the　sort　of　esteem　in

which　they　had　held　it。〃　…　Incorrigible　and　contemptuous　heretics

against　the　new　creed；　they　are　only　too　lucky　to　be　treated　somewhat

like　infidel　Jews　in　the　middle…ages。　　Accordingly；　if　they　are

tolerated；　it　is　on　the　condition　that　they　let　themselves　be　pillaged

at　discretion；　covered　with　opprobrium　and　subdued　through　fear。　　…　At

one　time；　with　insulting　irony；　they　are　called　upon　to　prove　their

dubious　civism　by　forced　donations。　　〃Whereas；〃＇114＇　says

Representative　Milhaud；　〃all　the　citizens　and　citoyennes　of　Narbonne

being　in　requisition　for　the　discharge　and　transport　of　forage；

whereas；　this　morning；　the　Representative；　in　person；　having　inspected

the　performance　of　this　duty；〃　and　having　observed　on　the　canal　〃none

but　sans…culottes　and　a　few　young　citizens；　whereas；　not　finding　at

their　posts　any　muscadin　and　no　muscadine；　whereas；　the　persons；　whose

hands　are　no　doubt　too　delicate；　even　temporarily；　for　the　glorious

work　of　robust　sans…culottes；　have；　on　the　other　hand；　greater

resources　in　their　fortune；　and；　desiring　to　afford　to　the　rich　of

Narbonne　the　precious　advantage　of　being　equally　useful　to　the

republic；〃　hereby　orders　that　〃the　richest　citizens　of　Narbonne　pay

within　twenty…four　hours〃　a　patriotic　donation　of　one　hundred　thousand

livres；　one…half　to　be　assigned　to　the　military　hospitals；　and　the

other　half；　on　the　designation　thereof　by　a　〃Committee　of　Charity；

composed　of　three　reliable　revolutionary　sans…culottes；〃　to　be

distributed　among　the　poor　of　the　Commune。　　Should　any　〃rich　egoist

refuse　to　contribute　his　contingent　he　is　to　be　immediately

transferred　to　the　jail　at　Perpignan。〃　…　Not　to　labor　with　one's　own

hands；　to　be　disqualified　for　work　demanding　physical　strength；　is　of

itself　a　democratic　stain；　and　the　man　who　is　sullied　by　this　draws

down　on　himself；　not　alone　an　augmentation　of　pecuniary　taxation；　but

frequently　an　augmentation　of　personal　compulsory　labor。　　At

Villeneuve；　Aveyron；　and　throughout　the　department　of　Cantal；＇115＇

Representative　Taillefer　and　his　delegate　Deltheil；　instruct　the

Revolutionary　Committees　to　〃place　under　military　requisition　and

conscription　all　muscadins　above　the　first　class；〃　that　is　to　say；　all

between　twenty…five　and　forty　years　of　age　who　are　not　reached　by　the

law。　　〃By　muscadins　is　meant　all　citizens　of　that　age　not　married；　and

exercising　no　useful　profession；〃　in　other　words；　those　who　live　on

their　income。　　And；　that　none　of　the　middle　or　upper　class　may　escape；

the　edict　subjects　to　special　rigor；　supplementary　taxes；　and

arbitrary　arrest；　not　alone　property…holders　and　fund…holders；　but

again　all　persons　designated　under　the　following　heads；　…　aristocrats；

Feuillants；　moderates；　Girondists；　federalists；　muscadins；　the

superstitious；　fanatics　the　abettors　of　royalism；　of　superstition　and

of　federation；　monopolists；　jobbers；　egoists；　〃suspects　〃　of　incivism；

and；　generally；　all　who　are　indifferent　to　the　Revolution；　of　which

local　committees　are　to　draw　up　the　lists。




Occasionally；　in　a　town；　some　steps　taken　c