the origins of contemporary france-3-第26部分

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upward　suddenly　from　week　to　week　and　spreading　everywhere；　growing；

on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic；　into　civil　war　in　St。　Domingo；

where　wild　beasts　are　let　loose　against　their　keepers；　50；000　blacks

take　the　field；　and；　at　the　outset；　1；000　whites　are　assassinated；

15；000　Negroes　slain；　200　sugar…mills　destroyed　and　damage　done　to　the

amount　of　600；000；000；　〃a　colony　of　itself　alone　worth　ten　provinces；

is　almost　annihilated。〃＇5＇　　At　Paris；　Condorcet　is　busy　writing　in　his

journal　that　〃this　news　is　not　reliable；　there　being　no　object　in　it

but　to　create　a　French　empire　beyond　the　seas　for　the　King；　where

there　will　be　masters　and　slaves。〃　A　corporal　of　the　Paris　National

Guard；　on　his　own　authority；　orders　the　King　to　remain　indoors；

fearing　that　he　may　escape；　and　forbids　a　sentinel　to　let　him　go　out

after　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；＇6＇　at　the　Tuileries；　stump…speakers

in　the　open　air　denounce　aristocrats　and　priests；　at　the　Palais…Royal；

there　is　a　pandemonium　of　public　lust　and　incendiary　speeches。＇7＇

There　are　centers　of　riot　in　all　quarters；　〃as　many　robberies　as　there

are　quarter…hours；　and　no　robbers　punished；　no　police；　overcrowded

courts；　more　delinquents　than　there　are　prisons　to　hold　them；　nearly

all　the　private　mansions　closed；　the　annual　consumption　in　the

faubourg　St。　Germain　alone　diminished　by　250　millions；　20；000　thieves；

with　branded　backs；　idling　away　time　in　houses　of　bad　repute；　at　the

theaters；　in　the　Palais…Royal；　at　the　National　Assembly；　and　in　the

coffee…houses；　thousands　of　beggars　infesting　the　streets；　crossways；

and　public　squares。　Everywhere　an　image　of　the　deepest　poverty　which

is　not　calling　for　one's　pity　as　it　is　accompanied　with　insolence。

Swarms　of　tattered　vendors　are　offering　all　sorts　of　paper…money；

issued　by　anybody　that　chose　to　put　it　in　circulation；　cut　up　into

bits；　sold；　given；　and　coming　back　in　rags；　fouler　than　the　miserable

creatures　who　deal　in　it。〃＇8＇　　Out　of　700；000　inhabitants　there　are

100；000　of　the　poor；　of　which　60；000　have　flocked　in　from　the

departments；＇9＇　among　them　are　30；000　needy　artisans　from　the　national

workshops；　discharged　and　sent　home　in　the　preceding　month　of　June；

but　who；　returning　three　months　later；　are　again　swallowed　up　in　the

great　sink　of　vagabondage；　hurling　their　floating　mass　against　the

crazy　edifice　of　public　authority　and　furnishing　the　forces　of

sedition。　　At　Paris；　and　in　the　provinces；　disobedience　exists

throughout　the　hierarchy。　　Directories　countermand　ministerial　orders。

Here；　municipalities　brave　the　commands　of　their　Directory；　there；

communities　order　around　their　mayor　with　a　drawn　sword。　　Elsewhere；

soldiers　and　sailors　put　their　officers　under　arrest。　The　accused

insult　the　judge　on　the　bench　and　force　him　to　cancel　his　verdict；

mobs　tax　or　plunder　wheat　in　the　market；　National　Guards　prevent　its

distribution；　or　seize　it　in　the　storehouses。　　There　is　no　security

for　property；　lives；　or　consciences。　The　majority　of　Frenchmen　are

deprived　of　their　right　to　worship　in　their　own　faith；　and　of　voting

at　the　elections。　There　is　no　safety；　day　or　night；　for　the　élite　of

the　nation；　for　ecclesiastics　and　the　gentry；　for　army　and　navy

officers；　for　rich　merchants　and　large　landed　proprietors；　no

protection　in　the　courts；　no　income　from　public　funds；　denunciations

abound；　expulsions；　banishments　to　the　interior；　attacks　on　private

houses；　there　is　no　right　of　free　assemblage；　even　to　enforce　the　law

under　the　orders　of　legal　authorities。＇10＇　　　Opposed　to　this；　and　in

contrast　with　it；　is　the　privilege　and　immunity　of　a　sect　formed　into

a　political　corporation；　〃which　extends　its　filiations　over　the　whole

kingdom；　and　even　abroad；　which　has　its　own　treasury；　its　committees；

and　its　by…laws；　which　rules　the　government；　which　judges

justice；〃＇11＇　and　which；　from　the　capital　to　the　hamlet；　usurps　or

directs　the　administration。　Liberty；　equality；　and　the　majesty　of　the

law　exist　nowhere；　except　in　words。　　Of　the　three　thousand　decrees

given　birth　to　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；　the　most　lauded；　those　the

best　set　off　by　a　philosophic　baptism；　form　a　mass　of　stillborn

abortions　of　which　France　is　the　burying…ground。　　That　which　really

subsists　underneath　the　false　appearances　of　right；　proclaimed　and

sworn　to　over　and　over　again；　is；　on　the　one　hand；　an　oppression　of

the　upper　and　cultivated　classes；　from　which　all　the　rights　of　man　are

withdrawn；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　tyranny　of　the　fanatical　and

brutal　rabble　which　assumes　to　itself　all　the　rights　of　sovereignty。







II。



The　Assembly　hostile　to　the　oppressed　and　favoring　oppressors。　

Decrees　against　the　nobles　and　clergy。　　Amnesty　for　deserters；

convicts；　and　bandits。　　　Anarchical　and　leveling　maxims。



In　vain　do　the　honest　men　of　the　Assembly　protest　against　this　scandal

and　this　overthrow。　The　Assembly；　guided　and　forced　by　the　Jacobins；

will　only　amend　the　law　to　damn　the　oppressed　and　to　authorize　their

oppressors。　　Without　making　any　distinction　between　armed

assemblages　at　Coblentz；　which　it　had　a　right　to　punish；　and　refugees；

three　times　as　numerous；　old　men；　women　and　children；　so　many

indifferent　and　inoffensive　people；　not　merely　nobles　but

plebeians；＇12＇　who　left　the　soil　only　to　escape　popular　outrages；　it

confiscates　the　property　of　all　emigrants　and　orders　this　to　be

sold。＇13＇　　Through　the　new　restriction　of　the　passport；　those　who

remain　are　tied　to　their　domiciles；　their　freedom　of　movement；　even　in

the　interior；　being　subject　to　the　decision　of　each　Jacobin

municipality。＇14＇　It　completes　their　ruin　by　depriving　them　without

indemnity　of　all　income　from　their　real　estate；　of　all　the　seignorial

rights　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　had　declared　to　be

legitimate。＇15＇　It　abolishes；　as　far　as　it　can；　their　history　and

their　past；　by　burning　in　the　public　depots　their　genealogical

titles。＇16＇　　To　all　unsworn　ecclesiastics；　two…thirds　of　the　French

clergy；　it　withholds　bread；　the　small　pension　allowed　them　for　food；

which　is　the　ransom　of　their　confiscated　possessions；＇17＇　it　declares

them　〃suspected　of　revolt　against　the　law　and　of　bad　intentions

against　the　country；〃　it　subjects　them　to　special　surveillance；　it

authorizes　their　expulsion　without　trial　by　local　rulers　in　case　of

disturbances；　it　decrees　that　in　such　cases　they　shall　be

banished。＇18＇　　It　suppresses　〃all　secular　congregations　of　men　and

women　ecclesiastic　or　laic；　even　those　wholly　devoted　to　hospital

service　will　take　away　from　600；000　children　the　means　of　learning　to

read　and　write。〃＇19＇　　It　lays　injunctions　on　their　dress；　it　places

episcopal　palaces　in　the　market　for　sale；　also　the　buildings　still

occupied　by　monks　and　nuns。＇20＇　It　welcomes　with　rounds　of　applause　a

married　priest　who　introduces　his　wife　to　the　Assembly。　　Not　only　is

the　Assembly　destructive　but　it　is　insulting；　the　authors　of　each

decree　passed　by　it　add　to　its　thunderbolt　the　rattling　hail　of　their

own　abuse　and　slander。



　〃Children；〃　says　a　deputy；　〃have　the　poison　of　aristocracy　and

fanaticism　injected　into　them　by　the　congregations。〃＇21＇



〃Purge　the　rural　districts　of　the　vermin　which　is　devouring　them！〃　…

〃Everybody　knows；〃　says　Isnard；　〃that　the　priest　is　as　cowardly　as　he

is　vindictive。　。　。　　Let　these　pestiferous　fellows　be　sent　back　to

Roman　and　Italian　lazarettos　。　。　　What　religion　is　that　which；　in　its

nature；　is　unsocial　and　rebellious　in　principle？〃



Whether　unsworn；　whether　immigrants　actually　or　in　feeling；　〃large

proprietors；　rich　merchants；　false　conservatives；〃＇22＇　are　all

outspoken　conspirators　or　concealed　enemies。　All　public　disasters　are

imputed　to　them。　〃The　cause　of　the　troubles；〃　says　Brissot；＇23＇　〃which

lay　waste　the　colonies；　is　the　infernal　vanity　of　the　whites　who　have

three　times　violated　an　engagement　which　they　have　three　times　sworn

to　maintain。〃　Scarcity　of　work　and　short　crops　are　accounted　for

through　their　cunning　malevolence。



　〃A　large　number　of　rich　men；　〃says　Fran？ois　de　Nantes；＇24＇　〃allow

their　property　to　run　down　and　their　fields　to　lie　fallow；　so　as　to

enjoy　seeing　the　suffering　of　the　people。〃



France　is　divided　into　two　parties；　on　the　one　hand；　the　aristocracy

to　which　is　attributed　every　vice；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　people

on　whom　is　conferred　every　virtue。＇25＇



〃The　defense　of　liberty；〃　says　Lamarque；＇26＇　〃is　basely　abandoned

every　day　by　the　rich　and　by　the　former　nobility；　who　put　on　the　mask

of　patriotism　only　to　cheat　us。　It　is　not　in　this　class；　but　only　in

that　of　citizens　who　are　disdainfully　called　the　people；　that　we　find

pure　beings；　those　ardent　souls　really　worthy　of　liberty。〃　　One　step

more　and　everything　will　be　permitted　to　the　virtuous　against　the

wicked；　if　misfortune　befalls　the　aristocrats　so　much　the　worse　for

them。　　Those　officers　who　are　stoned；　M。　de　la　Jaille　and　others；

〃wouldn't　they　do　better　not　to　deserve　being　sacrificed　to　popular

fury？〃＇27＇　Isnard　exclaims　in　the　tribune；　〃it　is　the　long…continued

immunity　enjoyed　by　criminals　which　has　rendered　the　people

executioners。　Yes；　an　angry　people；　like　an　angry　God；　is　only　too

often　the　terrible　supplement　of　silent　laws。〃＇28＇　　In　other　words

crimes　are　justified　and　assassinations　still　provoked　against　those

who　have　been　assassinated　for　the　past　two　years。



By　a　forced　conclusion；　if　the　victims　are　criminals；　their

executioners　are　honest；　and　the　Assembly；　which　rigorously　proceeds

against　the　former；　reserves　all　its　indulgence　for　the　latter。　It

reinstates　the　numerous　deserters　who　abandoned　their　flags　previous

to　the　1st　of　January；　1789；＇29＇　it　allows　them　three　sous　per　league

mileage；　and　brings　them　back　to　their　homes　or　to　their　regiments　to

become；　along　with　their　brethren　whose　desertion　is　more　recent；

either　leaders　or　recruits　for　the　mob。　It　releases　from　the　galleys

the　forty　Swiss　guards　of　Chateauroux　whom　their