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the origins of contemporary france-3-第34部分

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the Swiss regiment is stationed in garrison and where the superior

authorities are installed。  This operation is the more necessary

inasmuch as the Directory of the department loudly commends the

loyalty of the Swiss Guard and takes occasion to remind the Marseilles

municipality of the respect due to the law。  Such remonstrance is an

insult; and the municipality; in a haughty tone; calls upon the

Directory to avow or disavow its letter; 〃if you did not write it; it

is a foul report which it is our duty to examine into; and if you did;

it is a declaration of war made by you against Marseilles。〃'16'  The

Directory; in polite terms and with great circumspection; affirms both

its right and its utterance; and remarks that 〃the prorata list of

taxes of Marseilles for 1791 is not yet reported;〃 that the

municipality is much more concerned with saving the State than with

paying its contribution and; in short; it maintains its censure。  If

it will not bend it must break; and on the 4th of February; 1792; the

municipality sends Barbaroux; its secretary; to Paris; that he may

mitigate the outrages they are preparing。  During the night of the 25…

26; the drums beat the general alarm; and three or four thousand men

gather and march to Aix with six pieces of cannon。  As a precaution

they pretend to have no leaders; no captains or lieutenants or even

corporals; to quote them; all are equal; all volunteers; each being

summoned by the other; in this fashion; as all are responsible; no one

is。'17'  They reach Aix at eleven o'clock in the forenoon; find a gate

open through the connivance of those in league with them among the

populace of the town and its suburbs; and summon the municipality to

surrender the sentinels。  In the mean time their emissaries have

announced in the neighboring villages that the town was menaced by the

Swiss regiment; consequently four hundred men from Aubagne arrive in

haste; while from hour to hour the National Guards from the

surrounding villages likewise rush in。  The streets are full of armed

men; shouts arise and the tumult increases; the municipal body; in the

universal panic; loses its wits。  This body is afraid of a nocturnal

fight 〃between troops of the line; citizens; National Guards and armed

strangers; no one being able to recognize one another or know who is

an enemy。〃  It sends back a detachment of three hundred and fifty

Swiss Guards; which the Directory had ordered to its support; and

consigns the regiment to its quarters。   At this the Directory takes

to flight。  Military sentinels of all kinds are disarmed while the

Marseilles throng; turning its advantages to account; announces to the

municipality at two o'clock in the morning that; 〃allow it or not 〃 it

is going to attack the barracks immediately; in fact; cannon are

planted; a few shots are fired; a sentinel killed; and the hemmed…in

regiment is compelled to evacuate the town; the men without their guns

and the officers without their swords。  Their arms are stolen; the

people seize the suspected; the street…lamp is hauled down and the

noose is made ready。  Cayol; the flower…girl; is hung。  The

municipality; with great difficulty; saves one man who is already

lifted by the rope two feet from the ground; and obtains for three

others 〃a temporary refuge〃 in prison。







Henceforth there is no authority at the department headquarters; or

rather it has changed hands。  Another Directory; more pliable; is

installed in the place of the fugitive Directory。  Of the thirty…six

administrators who form the Council only twelve are present at the

election。  Of the nine elected only six consent to sit; while often

only three are found at its sessions; which three; to recruit their

colleagues; are obliged to pay them。'18'  Hence; notwithstanding their

position is the best in the department; they are worse treated and

more unfortunate than their servants outside。  The delegates of the

club; with the municipal officers of Marseilles seated alongside of

them; oblige them either to keep silent; or to utter what they dictate

to them。'19' 〃Our arms are tied;〃 writes one of them; 〃we are wholly

under the yoke〃 of these intruders。  〃We have twice in succession seen

more than three hundred men; many of them with guns and pistols; enter

the hall and threaten us with death if we refused them what they

asked。  We have seen infuriate motionnaires; nearly all belonging to

Avignon; mount the desks of the Directory; harangue their comrades and

excite them to rioting and crime。  〃You must decide between life or

death;〃 they exclaimed to us; 〃you have only a quarter of an hour to

choose。〃 〃National guards have offered their sabers through the

windows; left open on account of the extreme heat; to those around us

and made signs to them to cut our throats。〃  Thus fashioned; reduced

and drilled; the Directory is simply an instrument in the hands of the

Marseilles demagogues。  Camo?n; Bertin and Rebecqui; the worst

agitators and usurpers; rule there without control。  Rebecqui and

Bertin; appointed delegates in connection with matters in Arles; have

themselves empowered to call for defensive troops; they immediately

demand them for attack; to which the Directory vainly remonstrates;

they declare to it that 〃not being under its inspection; it has no

authority over them; being independent of it; they have no orders to

receive from it nor to render to it any account of their conduct。〃 So

much the worse for the Directory on attempting to revoke their powers。

Bertin informs its vice…president that; if it dares do this he will

cut off his head。  They reply to the Minister's observations with the

utmost insolence。'20'  They glory in the boldness of the stroke and

prepare another; their march on Aix being only the first halt in the

long…meditated campaign which involves the possession of Arles。







III。



The Constitutionalists of Arles。  The Marseilles expedition against

Arles。  Excesses committed by them in the town and its vicinity。 

Invasion of 〃Apt;〃 the club and its volunteers。



No city; indeed; is more odious to them。  For two years; led or

pushed on by its mayor; M。 d'Antonelle; it has marched along with them

or been dragged along in their wake。  D'Antonelle; an ultra…

revolutionary; repeatedly visited and personally encouraged the

bandits of Avignon。  To supply them with cannon and ammunition he

stripped the Tour St。 Louis of its artillery; at the risk of

abandoning the mouths of the Rhone to the Barbary pirates。'21' In

concert with his allies of the Comtat; the Marseilles club; and his

henchmen from the neighboring boroughs; he rules in Arles 〃by terror。〃

Three hundred men recruited in the vicinity of the Mint; artisans or

sailors with strong arms and rough hands; serve him as satellites。  On

the 6th of June 1791; they drive away; on their own authority; the

unsworn priests; who had taken refuge in the town。'22'    At this;

however; the 〃property…owners and decent people;〃 much more numerous

and for a long time highly indignant; raise their heads; twelve

hundred of them assemble in the church of Saint…Honorat; swore to

maintain the constitution and public order;〃'23' and then moved to the

(Jacobin) club; where; in their quality of national guards and active

citizens and in conformity with its by…laws; they were admitted en

masse。  At the same time; acting in concert with the municipality;

they reorganize the National Guard and form new companies; the effect

of which is to put an end to the Mint gang; thus depriving the faction

of all its strength。  Thenceforth; without violence or illegal acts;

the majority of the club; as well as of the National Guard; consists

of constitutional monarchists; the elections of November; 1791; giving

to the partisans of order nearly all the administrative offices of the

commune and of the district。  M。 Loys; a physician and a man of

energy; is elected mayor in the place of M。 d'Antonelle; he is known

as able to suppress a riot; 〃holding martial law in one hand; and his

saber in the other。〃   This is too much;  so Marseilles feel

compelled to bring Arles under control 〃to atone for the disgrace of

having founded it。〃'24' In this land of ancient cities political

hostility is embittered with old municipal grudges; similar to those

of Thebes against Plat?e; of Rome against Veii; of Florence against

Pisa。  The Guelphs of Marseilles brooded over the one idea of crushing

the Ghibellins of Arles。  Already; in the electoral assembly of

November; 1791; M。 d'Antonelle; the president; had invited the

communes of the department to take up arms against this anti…jacobin

city。'25'  Six hundred Marseilles volunteers set out on the instant;

install themselves at Salon; seize the syndic…attorney of the hostile

district; and refuse to give him up; this being an advance…guard of

4;000 men promised by the forty or fifty clubs of the party。'26' To

arrest their operations requires the orders of the three

commissioners; resolutions passed by the Directory still intact; royal

proclamations; a decree of the Constituent Assembly; the firmness of

the still loyal troops and the firmer stand taken by the Arlesians

who; putting down an insurrection of the Mint band; had repaired their

ramparts; cut away their bridges and mounted guard with their guns

loaded。'27' But it is only a postponement。  Now that the commissioners

have gone; and the king's authority a phantom; now that the last loyal

regiment is disarmed; the terrified Directory recast and obeying like

a servant; with the Legislative Assembly allowing everywhere the

oppression of the Constitutionalists by the Jacobins; a fresh Jacobin

expedition may be started against the Constitutionalists with

impunity。 Accordingly; on the 23rd of March; 1792; the Marseilles army

of 4;500 men sets out on its march with nineteen pieces of cannon。



In vain the commissioners of the neighboring departments; sen
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