the origins of contemporary france-4-第99章

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declining；　the　（Jacobin）　representatives　on　mission　having　taken　all

his　coin；　plate　and　assignats。　　Hence；　during　the　following　month；

buyers　find　on　his　unfurnished　counters　nothing　but　rubbish　and

refuse。



In　like　manner；　after　the　proclamation　of　the　maximum；＇42＇　the　peasant

refuses　to　bring　his　produce　to　market；　while　the　revolutionary　army

is　not　everywhere　on　hand　to　take　it　from　him　by　force：　he　leaves　his

crop　unthrashed　as　long　as　he　can；　and　complains　of　not　finding　the

men　to　thrash　it。　　If　necessary；　he　hides　it　or　feeds　it　out　to　his

animals。　　He　often　barters　it　away　for　wood；　for　a　side　of　bacon　or　in

payment　for　a　day's　work。　　At　night；　he　carts　it　off　six　leagues　to　a

neighboring　district；　where　the　local　maximum　is　fixed　at　a　higher

rate。　　He　knows　who；　in　his　own　vicinity；　still　has　specie　in　his

pocket　and　he　underhandedly　supplies　him　with　his　stores。　　He

especially　conceals　his　superabundance　and；　as　formerly；　pretends　to

be　poor　and　suffering。　　He　is　on　good　terms　with　the　village

authorities；　with　the　mayor　and　national　agent　who　are　as　interested

as　he　is　in　evading　the　law；　and；　on　a　bribe　being　necessary；　he　gives

it。　　At　last；　he　allows　himself　to　be　sued；　and　his　property　attached；

he　goes　to　prison　and　tires　the　authorities　out　with　his　obstinacy。

Hence；　from　week　to　week；　less　flour　and　grain　and　fewer　cattle　come

to　market；　while　meat　becomes　scarcer　at　the　butcher's；　and　bread　at

the　baker's。　　…　Having　thus　paralyzed　the　lesser　organs　of　supply　and

demand　the　Jacobins　now　have　only　to　paralyze　labor　itself；　the

skilled　hands；　the　active　and　vigorous　arms。　　This　is　simply　done　by

replacing　the　independent　private　workshop　by　the　compulsory　national

workshop　in　this　way　replacing　piece…work　by　work　by　the　day；　and　the

attentive；　energetic　workman　who　minds　his　business　and　expects　to

earn　money　in　return　by　inattentive　apathic　workmen　pressed　into　a

poorly　paid　service　but　paid　even　when　they　botch　the　job　or　laze

about。　　…　This　is　what　the　Jacobins　do　by　forcibly　commanding　the

services　of　all　sorts　of　laborers；＇43＇　〃all　who　help　handle；　transport

and　retail　produce　and　articles　of　prime　necessity；〃　〃country　people

who　usually　get　in　the　crops；〃　and；　more　particularly；　thrashers；

reapers；　carters；　rafts　men；　and　also　shoemakers；　tailors；　blacksmiths

and　the　rest。　　…　At　every　point　of　the　social　organism；　the　same

principle　is　applied　with　the　same　result。　　Substitute　everywhere　an

external；　artificial　and　mechanical　constraint　for　the　inward；　natural

and　animating　stimulant；　and　you　get　nothing　but　an　universal　atrophy。

Deprive　people　of　the　fruits　of　their　labor；　and　yet　more；　force　them

to　produce　by　fear；　confiscate　their　time；　their　painstaking　efforts

and　their　persons；　reduce　them　to　the　condition　of　fellahs；　create　in

them　the　sentiments　of　fellahs；　and　you　will　have　nothing　but　the

labor　and　productions　of　fellahs；　that　is　to　say；　a　minimum　of　labor

and　production；　and　hence；　insufficient　supplies　for　sustaining　a　very

dense　population；　which；　multiplied　through　a　superior　and　more

productive　civilization；　will　not　long　subsist　under　a　barbarous；

inferior　and　unproductive　régime。　　When　this　systematic　and　complete

expropriation　terminates　we　see　the　final　result　of　the　system；　no

longer　a　dearth；　but　famine；　famine　on　a　large　scale；　and　the

destruction　of　lives　by　millions。　　…　Among　the　Jacobins；＇44＇　some　of

the　maddest　who　are　clear…sighted；　on　account　of　their　fury；　Guffroy；

Antonelle；　Jean　Bon　Saint…André；　Collot　d'Herbois；　foresee　the

consequences　and　accept　them　along　with　the　principle。　　Others；　who

avoid　seeing　it；　are　only　the　more　determined　in　the　application　of

it。　　However；　they　all　work　together　with　all　their　might　to　aggravate

the　misery　of　which　the　lamentable　spectacle　is　so　vainly　exposed

under　their　eyes。







IV。　　Hunger。



Famine。　　…　In　the　provinces。　　…　At　Paris。　　…　People　standing　in　lines

under　the　Revolutionary　government　to　obtain　food。　　…　Its　quality。　　…

Distress　and　chagrin。



Collot　d'Herbois　wrote　from　Lyons　on　November　6；　1793：　〃There　is　not

two　days'　supply　of　provisions　here。〃　On　the　following　day：　〃The

present　population　of　Lyons　is　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　souls

at　least；　and　there　is　not　sufficient　subsistence　for　three　days。〃

Again　the　day　after：　〃Our　situation　in　relation　to　food　is

deplorable。〃　Then；　the　next　day：　〃Famine　is　beginning。〃＇45＇　…　Near　by；

in　the　Montbrison　district；　in　February；　1794；　〃there　is　no　food　or

provisions　left　for　the　people；〃　all　has　been　taken　by　requisition　and

carried　off；　even　seed　for　planting；　so　that　the　fields　lie

fallow。＇46＇　…　At　Marseilles；　〃since　the　maximum；　everything　is

lacking；　even　the　fishermen　no　longer　go　out　（on　the　sea）　so　that

there　is　no　supply　of　fish　to　live　on。〃＇47＇　…　At　Cahors；　in　spite　of

multiplied　requisitions；　the　Directory　of　Lot　and　Representative

Taillefer＇48＇　state　that　〃the　inhabitants；　for　more　than　eight　days；

are　reduced　wholly　to　maslin　bread　composed　of　one…fifth　of　wheat　and

the　rest　of　barley；　barley…malt　and　millet。〃　…　At　N？mes；＇49＇　to　make

the　grain　supply　last；　which　is　giving　out；　the　bakers　and　all　private

persons　are　ordered　not　to　sift　the　meal；　but　to　leave　the　bran　in　it

and　knead　and　bake　the　〃dough　such　as　it　is。〃　…　At　Grenoble；＇50＇　〃the

bakers　have　stopped　baking；　the　country　people　no　longer　bring　wheat

in；　the　dealers　hide　away　their　goods；　or　put　them　in　the　hands　of

neighborly　officials；　or　send　them　off。〃　…　〃　It　goes　from　bad　to

worse；〃　write　the　agents　of　Huningue；＇51＇　　one　might　say　even；　that

they　would　give　this　or　that　article　to　their　cattle　rather　than　sell

it　in　conformity　with　the　tax。〃　…　The　inhabitants　of　towns　are

everywhere　put　on　rations；　and　so　small　a　ration　as　to　scarcely　keep

them　from　dying　with　hunger。　　〃Since　my　arrival　in　Tarbes；〃　writes

another　agent；＇52＇　〃every　person　is　limited　to　half　a　pound　of　bread　a

day；　composed　one…third　of　wheat　and　two…thirds　of　corn　meal。〃　The

next　day　after　the　fête　in　honor　of　the　tyrant's　death　there　was

absolutely　none　at　all。　　〃A　half…pound　of　bread　is　also　allowed　at

Evreux；＇53＇　〃and　even　this　is　obtained　with　a　good　deal　of　trouble；

many　being　obliged　to　go　into　the　country　and　get　it　from　the　farmers

with　coin。〃　And　even　〃they　have　got　very　little　bread；　flour　or　wheat；

for　they　have　been　obliged　to　bring　what　they　had　to　Evreux　for　the

armies　and　for　Paris。〃



It　is　worse　at　Rouen　and　at　Bordeaux：　at　Rouen；　in　Brumaire；　the

inhabitants　have　only　one　quarter　of　a　pound　per　head　per　diem　of

bread；　at　Bordeaux；　〃　for　the　past　three　months；〃　says　the　agent；＇54＇

〃　the　people　sleep　at　the　doors　of　the　bakeries；　to　pay　high　for　bread

which　they　often　do　not　get　。　　。　　。　　There　has　been　no　baking　done　to…

day；　and　to…morrow　only　half　a　loaf　will　be　given　to　each　person。

This　bread　is　made　of　oats　and　beans　。　　。　　。　　On　days　that　there　is

none；　beans；　chestnuts　and　rice　are　distributed　in　very　small

quantities；〃　four　ounces　of　bread；　five　of　rice　or　chestnuts。　　〃I；　who

tell　you　this；　have　already　eaten　eight　or　ten　meals　without　bread；　I

would　gladly　do　without　it　if　I　could　get　potatoes　in　place　of　it；　but

these；　too；　cannot　be　had。〃　Five　months　later；　fasting　still

continues；　and　it　lasts　until　after　the　reign　of　Terror；　not　alone　in

the　town；　but　throughout　the　department。　　〃In　the　district　of

Cadillac；　says　Tallien；＇55＇　〃absolute　dearth　prevails；　the　citizens　of

the　rural　districts　contend　with　each　other　for　the　grass　in　the

fields；　I　have　eaten　bread　made　of　dog…grass。〃　Haggard　and　worn　out；

the　peasant；　with　his　pallid　wife　and　children；　resorts　to　the　marsh

to　dig　roots；　while　there　is　scarcely　enough　strength　in　his　arms　to

hold　the　plough。　　…　The　same　spectacle　is　visible　in　places　which

produce　but　little　grain；　or　where　the　granaries　have　been　emptied　by

the　revolutionary　drafts。　　〃In　many　of　the　Indre　districts；〃　writes

the　representative　on　missions；＇56＇　〃food　is　wanting　absolutely。　　Even

in　some　of　the　communes；　many　of　the　inhabitants　are　reduced　to　a

frightful　state　of　want；　feeding　on　acorns；　bran　and　other　unhealthy

food。　　。　　。　　。　　The　districts　of　Chatre　and　Argenton；　especially；　will

be　reduced　to　starvation　unless　they　are　promptly　relieved。　　。　　。　　。

The　cultivation　of　the　ground　is　abandoned；　most　of　the　persons　in　the

jurisdiction　wander　about　the　neighboring　departments　in　search　of

food。〃　…　And　it　is　doubtful　whether　they　find　it。　　In　the　department

of　Cher；　〃the　butchers　can　no　longer　slaughter；　the　dealers'　stores

are　all　empty。〃　In　Allier；　〃the　slaughterhouses　and　markets　are

deserted；　every　species　of　vegetable　and　aliment　having　disappeared；

the　inns　are　closed。〃　In　one　of　the　Lozère　districts；　composed　of　five

cantons；　of　which　one　produces　an　extra　quantity　of　rye；　the　people

live　on　requisitions　imposed　on　Gard　and　the　Upper　Loire；　the

extortions　of　the　representatives　in　these　two　departments　〃were

distributed　among　the　municipalities；　and　by　these　to　the　most

indigent：　many　entire　families；　many　of　the　poor　and　even　of　the　rich；

suffered　for　want　of　bread　during　six　or　eight　days；　and　this

frequently。〃＇57＇　Nevertheless　they　do　not　riot；　they　merely　supplicate

and　stretch　forth　their　hands　〃with　tears　in　their　eyes。　　〃　…　Such　is

the　diet　and　submission　of　the　stomach　in　the　provinces。　　　Paris　is

less　patient。　　For　this　reason；　all　the　rest　is　sacrificed　to　it；＇58＇

not　merely　the　public　funds；　the　Treasury　from　which　it　gets　one　or

two　millions　per　week；＇59＇　but　whole　districts　are　starved　for　its

benefit；　six　departments　providing　grain；　twenty　six　departments

providing　pork；＇60＇　at　the　rate　of　the　maximum；　through　requisitions；

through　the　prospect　of　imprisonment　and　of　the　scaffold　in　case　of

refusal　or　concealment；　under　the　predatory　bayonets　of　the

revolutionary　army。　　The　capital；　above　all；　has　to　be　fed。　　Let　us

see；　under　this　system　of　partiality；　how　people　live　in　Paris　and

what　they　feed　on。



〃Frightful　crowds〃　at　the　doors　of　the　bakeries；　then　at　the　doors　of

the　butchers　and　grocers；　then　at　the　markets　for　butter；　eggs；　fish

and　vegetables；　and　then　on　the　quay　for　wine；　firewood　and　charcoal　…

such　is　the　steady　refrain　of　the　police　reports。＇61＇　…　And　this　lasts

uninterruptedly　during　the　fourteen　months　of　revolutionary

government：　long　lines　of　people　waiting　in　turn　for　bread；　meat；　oil；

soap　and　candles；　〃queues　for　milk；　for　butter；　for　wood；　for

charcoal；　queues　everywhere！　〃＇62＇　〃There　was　one　queue　beginning　at

the　door　of　a　grocery　in　the　Petit　Carreau　stretching　half　way　up　the

rue　Montorgueil。〃＇63＇　These　queues　form　at　three　o'clock　in　the

morning；　one　o'clock　and　at　midnight；　increasing　from　hour　to　hour。

Picture　to　yourself；　reader；　the　file　of　wretched　men　and　women

sleeping　on　the　pavement　when　the　weather　is　fine＇64＇　and　when　not

fine；　standing　up　on