the origins of contemporary france-3-第18部分

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now　for　royalists；　constitutionalists；　conservatives　and　moderates　of

every　kind；　for　the　friends　of　law　and　of　order；　is　to　stay　at　home　

too　happy　if　they　may　be　allowed　to　remain　there；　to　which　the　armed

rabble　agrees；　on　the　condition　of　frequently　paying　them　visits。



Consider　their　situation　during　the　whole　of　the　electoral　period；　in

a　calm　district；　and　judge　of　the　rest　of　France　by　this　corner　of　it。

At　Mortagne；＇26＇　a　small　town　of　6；000　souls；　the　laudable　spirit　of

1789　still　existed　up　to　the　journey　to　Varennes。　　Among　the　forty　or

fifty　noble　families　were　a　good　many　liberals。　Here；　as　elsewhere

among　the　gentry；　the　clergy　and　the　middle　class；　the　philosophic

education　of　the　eighteenth　century　had　revived　the　old　provincial

spirit　of　initiative；　and　the　entire　upper　class　had　zealously　and

gratuitously　undertaken　the　public　duties　which　it　alone　could　perform

well。　　District　presidents；　mayors；　and　municipal　officers；　were　all

chosen　from　among　ecclesiastics　and　the　nobles；　the　three　principal

officers　of　the　National　Guard　were　chevaliers　of　St。　Louis；　while

other　grades　were　filled　by　the　leading　people　of　the　community。　　Thus

had　the　free　elections　placed　authority　in　the　hands　of　the　socially

superior；　the　new　order　of　things　resting　on　the　legitimate　hierarchy

of　conditions；　educations；　and　capacities。　…　But　for　six　months　the

club；　formed　out　of　〃a　dozen　hot…headed；　turbulent　fellows；　under　the

presidency　and　in　the　hands　of　a　certain　Rattier；　formerly　a　cook；〃

worked　upon　the　population　and　the　rural　districts。　　Immediately　on

the　receipt　of　the　news　of　the　King's　flight；　the　Jacobins　〃give　out

that　nobles　and　priests　had　supplied　him　with　money　for　his　departure；

to　bring　about　a　counter…revolution。〃　　One　family　had　given　such　an

amount；　and　another　so　much；　there　was　no　doubt　about　it；　the　precise

figures　are　given；　and　given　for　each　family　according　to　its　known

resources。　Forthwith；　〃the　principal　clubbists；　associated　with　the

dubious　part　of　the　National　Guard；〃　spread　through　the　streets　in

squads：　the　houses　of　the　nobles　and　of　other　suspected　persons　are

invaded。　All　the　arms；　〃guns；　pistols；　swords；　hunting…knives；　and

sword…canes；〃　are　carried　off。　Every　hole　and　corner　is　ransacked；

they　make　the　inmates　open；　or　they　force　open；　secretaries　and

clothes…presses　in　search　of　ammunition；　the　search　extending　〃even　to

the　ladies'　toilette…tables〃。　By　way　of　precaution　〃they　break　sticks

of　pomatum　in　two；　presuming　that　musket…balls　are　concealed　in　them；

and　they　take　away　hair…powder　under　the　pretext　that　it　is　either

colored　or　masked　gunpowder。〃　　Then；　without　disbanding；　the　troop

betakes　itself　to　the　environs　and　into　the　country；　where　it　operates

with　the　same　promptness　in　the　chateaux；　so　that　〃in　one　day　all

honest　citizens；　those　with　the　most　property　and　furniture　to

protect；　are　left　without　arms　at　the　mercy　of　the　first　robber　that

comes　along。〃　All　reputed　aristocrats　are　disarmed。　　As　such　are

considered　those　who　〃disapprove　of　the　enthusiasm　of　the　day；　or　who

do　not　attend　the　club；　or　who　harbor　any　unsworn　ecclesiastic；〃　and；

first　of　all；　〃the　officers　of　the　National　Guard　who　are　nobles；

beginning　with　the　commander　and　his　entire　staff。〃　　The　latter

allow　their　swords　to　be　taken　without　resistance；　and　with　a

forbearance　and　patriotic　spirit　of　which　their　brethren　everywhere

furnish　an　example　〃they　are　obliging　enough　to　remain　at　their　posts

so　as　not　to　disorganize　the　army；　hoping　that　this　frenzy　will　soon

come　to　an　end；〃　contenting　themselves　with　making　their　complaint　to

the　department。　　But　in　vain　the　department　orders　their　arms　to　be

restored　to　them。　　The　clubbists　refuse　to　give　them　up　so　long　as　the

king　refuses　to　accept　the　Constitution；　meanwhile　they　do　not

hesitate　to　say　that　〃at　the　very　first　gun　on　the　frontier；　they　will

cut　the　throats　of　all　the　nobles　and　unsworn　priests。〃　　After　the

royal　oath　to　the　Constitution　is　taken；　the　department　again　insists；

but　no　attention　is　paid　to　it。　　On　the　contrary；　the　National　Guard；

dragging　cannons　along　with　them；　purposely　station　themselves　before

the　mansions　of　the　unarmed　gentry；　the　ladies　of　their　families　are

followed　in　the　streets　by　urchins　who　sing　？A　IRA＇27＇　in　their　faces；

and；　in　the　final　refrain；　they　mention　them　by　name　and　promise　them

the　lantern；　　〃not　one　of　them　could　invite　a　dozen　of　his　friends　to

supper　without　incurring　the　risk　of　an　uproar。〃　　On　the　strength　of

this；　the　old　chiefs　of　the　National　Guard　resign；　and　the　Jacobins

turn　the　opportunity　to　account。　In　contempt　of　the　law　the　whole　body

of　officers　is　renewed；　and；　as　peaceable　folks　dare　not　deposit　their

votes；　the　new　staff　〃is　composed　of　maniacs；　taken　for　the　most　part；

from　the　lowest　class。〃　With　this　purged　militia　the　club　expels　nuns；

drives　off　unsworn　priests；　organizes　expeditions　in　the　neighborhood；

and　goes　so　far　as　to　purify　suspected　municipalities。＇28＇　　So　many

acts　of　violence　committed　in　town　and　country；　render　town　and

country　uninhabitable；　and　for　the　élite　of　the　propriety　owners；　or

for　well…bred　persons；　there　is　no　longer　any　asylum　but　Paris。　After

the　first　disarmament　seven　or　eight　families　take　refuge　there；　and　a

dozen　or　fifteen　more　join　them　after　a　threat　of　having　their　throats

cut；　after　the　religious　persecution；　unsworn　ecclesiastics；　the　rest

of　the　nobles；　and　countless　other　townspeople；　〃even　with　little

means；〃　betake　themselves　there　in　a　mass。　There；　at　least；　one　is

lost　in　the　crowd；　one　is　protected　by　an　incognito　against　the

outrages　of　the　commonalty；　one　can　live　there　as　a　private

individual。　　In　the　provinces　even　civil　rights　do　not　exist；　how

could　any　one　there　exercise　political　rights？　　〃All　honest　citizens

are　kept　away　from　the　primary　meetings　by　threats　or　maltreatment　。　。

。　The　electoral　battlefield　is　left　for　those　who　pay　forty…five　sous

of　taxes；　more　than　one…half　of　them　being　registered　on　the　poor

list。〃　…　Thus　the　elections　are　decided　beforehand！　The　former　cook　is

the　one　who　authorizes　or　creates　candidatures；　and　on　the　election　of

the　department　deputies　at　the　county　town；　the　electors　elected　are；

like　himself；　true　Jacobins。＇29＇





V。



Intimidation　and　withdrawal　of　the　Conservatives。　　Popular　outbreaks

in　Burgundy；　Lyonnais；　Provence；　and　the　large　cities。　　Electoral

proceedings　of　the　Jacobins；　examples　at　Aix；　Dax；　and　Montpellier。　

Agitators　go　unpunishes　　Denunciations　by　name。　　Manoeuvres　with

the　peasantry。　　General　tactics　of　the　Jacobins。



Such　is　the　pressure　under　which　voting　takes　place　in　France　during

the　summer　and　fall　of　1791。　　Domiciliary　visits＇30＇　and　disarmament

everywhere　force　nobles　and　ecclesiastics；　landed　proprietors　and

people　of　culture；　to　abandon　their　homes；　to　seek　refuge　in　the　large

towns　and　to　emigrate；＇31＇　or；　at　least；　confine　themselves　strictly

to　private　life；　to　abstain　from　all　propaganda；　from　every

candidature；　and　from　all　voting。　　It　would　be　madness　to　be　seen　in

so　many　cantons　where　searches　end　in　a　riot；　　in　Burgundy　and　the

Lyonnais；　where　castles　are　sacked；　where　aged　gentlemen　are　mauled

and　left　for　dead；　where　M。　de　Guillin　has　just　been　assassinated　and

cut　to　pieces；　at　Marseilles；　where　conservative　party　leaders　are

imprisoned；　where　a　regiment　of　Swiss　guards　under　arms　scarcely

suffices　to　enforce　the　verdict　of　the　court　which　sets　them　at

liberty；　where；　if　any　indiscreet　person　opposes　Jacobin　resolutions

his　mouth　is　closed　by　being　notified　that　he　will　be　buried　alive；　at

Toulon；　where　the　Jacobins　shoot　down　all　conservatives　and　the

regular　troops；　where　M。　de　Beaucaire；　captain　in　the　navy；　is　killed

by　a　shot　in　the　back；　where　the　club；　supported　by　the　needy；　by

sailors；　by　navvies；　and　〃vagabond　peddlers；〃　maintains　a　dictatorship

by　right　of　conquest；　at　Brest；　at　Tulle；　at　Cahors；　where　at　this

very　moment　gentlemen　and　officers　are　massacred　in　the　street。　It　is

not　surprising　that　honest　people　turn　away　from　the　ballot…box　as

from　a　center　of　cut…throats。　　Nevertheless；　let　them　come　if　they

like；　it　will　be　easy　to　get　rid　of　them。　At　Aix；　the　assessor　whose

duty　it　is　to　read　the　electors'　names　is　informed　that　〃the　names

should　be　called　out　by　an　unsullied　mouth；　that；　being　an　aristocrat

and　fanatical；　he　could　neither　speak　nor　vote；〃　and；　without　further

ceremony；　they　put　him　out　of　the　room。＇32＇　　　The　process　is　an

admirable　one　for　converting　a　minority　into　a　majority　and　yet　here

is　another；　still　more　effective。　　At　Dax；　the　Feuillants；　taking

the　title　of　〃Friends　of　the　French　Constitution；〃　have　split　up　with

the　Jacobins；＇33＇　and；　moreover；　they　insist　on　excluding　from　the

National　Guard　〃foreigners　without　property　or　position；〃　the　passive

citizens　who　are　admitted　into　it　in　spite　of　the　law；　who　usurp　the

right　of　voting　and　who　〃daily　affront　tranquil　inhabitants。〃

Consequently；　on　election　day；　in　the　church　where　the　primary　meeting

is　held；　two　of　the　Feuillants；　Laurède；　formerly　collector　of　the

vingtièmes；；　and　Brunache；　a　glazier；　propose　to　exclude　an　intruder；

a　servant　on　wages。　The　Jacobins　at　once　rush　forward。　Laurède　is

pressed　back　on　the　holy…water　basin　and　wounded　on　the　head；　on

trying　to　escape　he　is　seized　by　the　hair；　thrown　down；　pierced　in　the

arm　with　a　bayonet；　put　in　prison；　and　Brunache　along　with　him。　　Eight

days　afterwards；　at　the　second　meeting　none　are　present　but　Jacobins；

naturally；　〃they　are　all　elected〃。　They　form　the　new　municipality；

which；　notwithstanding　the　orders　of　the　department；　not　only　refuses

to　liberate　the　two　prisoners；　but　throws　them　into　a　dungeon。　　　At

Montpellier；　the　delay　in　the　operation　is　greater；　but　it　is　only　the

more　complete。　The　votes　are　deposited；　the　ballot…boxes　closed　and

sealed　up　and　the　conserv