the origins of contemporary france-3-第72部分

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and　badge；　with　this　club；　each　member　〃may　go　anywhere；〃　and　do　what

seems　good　to　him。　At　Saint…Afrique　they　number　about　eighty；　among

whom　must　be　counted　the　rascals　forming　the　seventh　company　of　Tarn；

staying　in　the　town；　their　enrollment　in　the　band　is　effected　by

constantly　〃preaching　pillage　to　them；〃　and　by　assuring　them　that　the

contents　of　the　chateaux　in　the　vicinity　belong　to　them。＇14＇　　Not

that　the　chateaux　excite　any　fear；　most　of　them　are　empty；　neither　in

Saint…Afrique　nor　in　the　environs　do　the　men　of　the　ancient　régime

form　a　party；　for　many　months　orthodox　priests　and　the　nobles　have　had

to　fly；　and　now　the　well…to…do　people　are　escaping。　The　population；

however；　is　Catholic；　many　of　the　shop…keepers；　artisans；　and　farmers

are　discontented；　and　the　object　now　is　to　make　these　laggards　keep

step。　　In　the　first　place；　they　order　women　of　every　condition；

work…girls　and　servants；　to　attend　mass　performed　by　the　sworn　curé；

for；　if　they　do　not；　they　will　be　made　acquainted　with　the　cudgel。　

In　the　second　place；　all　the　suspected　are　disarmed；　they　enter　their

houses　during　the　night　in　force；　unexpectedly；　and；　besides　their

gun；　carry　off　their　provisions　and　money。　A　certain　grocer　who

persists　in　his　lukewarmness　is　visited　a　second　time；　seven　or　eight

men；　one　evening；　break　open　his　door　with　a　stick　of　timber；　he　takes

refuge　on　his　roof；　dares　not　descend　until　the　following　day　at　dawn；

and　finds　that　everything　in　his　store　has　been　either　stolen　or

broken　to　pieces。＇15＇　In　the　third　place；　there　is　〃punishment　of　the

ill…disposed。〃　　At　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening　a　squad　knocks　at　the

door　of　a　distrusted　shoemaker；　it　is　opened　by　his　apprentice；　six　of

the　ruffians　enter；　and　one　of　them；　showing　a　paper；　says　to　the　poor

fellow：



　〃I　come　on　the　part　of　the　Executive　Power；　by　which　you　are

condemned　to　a　beating。〃



　〃What　for？〃



　〃If　you　have　not　done　anything　wrong；　you　are　thinking　about　it。〃＇16＇



And　so　they　beat　him　in　the　presence　of　his　family。　Many　others　like

him　are　seized　and　unmercifully　beaten　on　their　own　premises。　　As　to

the　expenses　of　the　operation；　these　must　be　defrayed　by　the

malevolent。　These；　therefore；　are　taxed　according　to　their

occupations；　this　or　that　tanner　or　dealer　in　cattle　has　to　pay　36

francs；　another；　a　hatter；　72　francs；　otherwise　〃they　will　be　attended

to　that　very　night　at　nine　o'clock。〃　　Nobody　is　exempt；　if　he　is　not

one　of　the　band。　　Poor　old　men　who　have　nothing　but　a　five…franc

assignat　are　compelled　to　give　that；　they　take　from　the　wife　of　an

unskilled　laborer；　whose　savings　consist　of　seven　sous　and　a　half；　the

whole　of　this；　exclaiming；　〃that　is　good　for　three　mugs　of　wine。〃＇17＇

When　money　is　not　to　be　had；　they　take　goods　in　kind；　they　make　short

work　of　cellars；　bee…hives；　clothes…presses；　and　poultry…yards。　They

eat；　drink；　and　break；　giving　themselves　up　to　it　heartily；　not　only

in　the　town；　but　in　the　neighboring　villages。　　One　detachment　goes　to

Brusque；　and　proceeds　so　vigorously　that　the　mayor　and　syndic…attorney

scamper　off　across　the　fields；　and　dare　not　return　for　a　couple　of

days。＇18＇　At　Versol；　the　dwelling　of　the　sworn　curé；　and　at　Lapeyre；

that　of　the　sworn　vicar；　are　both　sacked；　the　money　is　stolen　and　the

casks　are　emptied。　　In　the　house　of　the　curé　of　Douyre；　〃furniture；

clothes；　cabinets；　and　window…sashes　are　destroyed〃；　they　feast　on　his

wine　and　the　contents　of　his　cupboard；　throw　away　what　they　could　not

consume；　then　go　in　search　of　the　curé　and　his　brother；　a　former

Carthusian；　shouting　that　〃their　heads　must　be　cut　off；　and　sausage…

meat　made　of　the　rest　of　their　bodies！〃　Some　of　them；　a　little

shrewder　than　the　others；　light　on　a　prize；　for　example；　a　certain

Bourguière；　a　trooper　of　the　line；　seized　a　vineyard　belonging　to　an

old　lady；　the　widow　of　a　physician　and　former　mayor；＇19＇　he　gathered

in　its　crop；　〃publicly　in　broad　daylight；〃　for　his　own　benefit；　and

warns　the　proprietress　that　he　will　kill　her　if　she　makes　a　complaint

against　him；　and；　as　she　probably　does　complain　of　him；　he　obliges

her；　in　the　name　of　the　Executive　Power；　to　pay　him　fifty　crowns

damages。　　As　to　the　common　Jacobin　gangsters；　their　reward；　besides

food　and　drink；　is　perfect　licentiousness。　In　all　houses　invaded　at

eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening。　Whilst　the　father　flies；　or　the　husband

screams　under　the　cudgel；　one　of　the　villains　stations　himself　at　the

entrance　with　a　drawn　saber　in　his　hands；　and　the　wife　or　daughter

remains　at　the　mercy　of　the　others；　they　seize　her　by　the　neck　and

maintain　their　hold。＇20＇　In　vain　does　she　scream　for　help。　〃Nobody　in

Saint…Afrique　dares　go　outdoors　at　night〃；　nobody　comes；　and；　the

following　day；　the　juge…de…paix　dares　not　receive　the　complaint；

because　〃he　is　afraid　himself。〃　　Accordingly；　on　the　23rd　of

September；　the　municipal　officers　and　the　town…clerk；　who　made　their

rounds；　were　nearly　beaten　to　death　with　clubs　and　stones；　on　the　10th

of　October　another　municipal　officer　was　left　for　dead；　a　fortnight

before　this；　a　lieutenant　of　volunteers；　M。　Mazières；　〃trying　to　do

his　duty；　was　assassinated　in　his　bed　by　his　own　men。〃　Naturally；

nobody　dares　whisper　a　word；　and；　after　two　months　of　this　order　of

things；　it　may　be　presumed　that　at　the　municipal　elections　of　the　21st

of　October；　the　electors　will　be　docile。　　In　any　event；　as　a

precaution；　their　notification　eight　days　before；　according　to　law；　is

dispensed　with；　as　extra　precaution；　they　are　informed　that　if　they　do

not　vote　for　the　Executive　Power；　they　will　have　to　do　with　the

triangular　cudgel。＇21＇　　Consequently；　most　of　them　abstain；　in　a　town

of　over　600　active　citizens；　40　votes　give　a　majority；　Bourgougnon　and

Sarrus；　the　two　chiefs　of　the　Executive　Power；　are　elected；　one　mayor；

and　the　other　syndic…attorney；　and　henceforth　the　authority　they

seized　by　force　is　conferred　on　them　by　the　law。



IV。



Ordinary　practices　of　the　Jacobin　dictatorship。　…　The　stationary

companies　of　the　clubs。　…　Their　personnel。　…　Their　leaders。



This　is　roughly　the　type　of　government　which　spring　up　in　every

commune　of　France　after　the　10th　of　August；　the　club　reigns；　but　the

form　and　processes　of　its　dictatorship　are　different；　according　to

circumstances。　　Sometimes　it　operates　directly　through　an　executive

gang　or　by　lancing　an　excited　mob；　sometimes　it　operates　indirectly

through　the　electoral　assembly　it　has　had　elected；　or　through　the

municipality；　which　is　its　accomplice。　If　the　administrations　are

Jacobin；　it　governs　through　them。　　If　they　are　passive；　it　governs

alongside　of　them。　　If　they　are　refractory；　it　purges　them；＇22＇　or

breaks　them　up；＇23＇　and；　to　put　them　down；　it　resorts　not　only　to

blows；　but　even　to　murder＇24＇　and　massacre。＇25＇　Between　massacre　and

threats；　all　intermediaries　meet；　the　revolutionary　seal　being

everywhere　impressed　with　inequalities　of　relief。



In　many　places；　threats　suffice。　In　regions　where　the　temperament　of

the　people　is　cool；　and　where　there　is　no　resistance；　it　is　pointless

to　resort　to　assault　and　battery。　What　is　the　use　is　killing　in　a　town

like　Arras；　for　instance；　where；　on　the　day　of　the　civic　oath；　the

president　of　the　department；　a　prudent　millionaire；　stalks　through　the

streets　arm　in　arm　with　Aunty　Duchesne；　who　sells　cookies　down　in　a

cellar；　where；　on　election　days；　the　townspeople；　through　cowardice；

elect　the　club　candidates　under　the　pretense　that　〃rascals　and

beggars〃　must　be　sent　off　to　Paris　to　purge　the　town　of　them！＇26＇　It

would　be　labor　lost　to　strike　people　who　grovel　so　well。＇27＇　The

faction　is　content　to　mark　them　as　mangy　curs；　to　put　them　in　pens；

keep　them　on　a　leash；　and　to　annoy　them。＇28＇　　It　posts　at　the　entrance

of　the　guard…room　a　list　of　inhabitants　related　to　an　émigré；　it　makes

domiciliary　visits；　it　draws　up　a　fancied　list　of　the　suspected；　on

which　list　all　that　are　rich　are　found　inscribed。　　It　insults　and

disarms　them；　it　confines　them　to　the　town；　it　forbids　them　to　go

outside　of　it　even　on　foot；　it　orders　them　to　present　themselves　daily

before　its　committee　of　public　safety；　it　condemns　them　to　pay　their

taxes　for　a　year　in　twenty…four　hours；　it　breaks　the　seals　of　their

letters；　it　confiscates；　demolishes；　and　sells　their　family　tombs　in

the　cemeteries。　This　is　all　in　order；　as　is　the　religious　persecution；



*　with　the　irruption　into　private　chapels　where　mass　is　said；



*　with　blows　with　gun…stocks　and　the　fist　bestowed　on　the　officiating

priest；



*　with　the　obligation　of　orthodox　parents　to　have　their　children

baptized　by　the　schismatic　curé；



*　with　the　expulsion　of　nuns；　and



*　with　the　pursuit；　imprisonment　and　transportation　of　unsworn

ecclesiastics。



But　if　the　domination　of　the　club　is　not　always　a　bloody　one；　the

judgments　are　always　those　of　an　armed　man；　who；　putting　his　gun　to

his　shoulder；　aims　at　the　wayfarers　whom　he　has　stopped　on　the　road。

Generally　they　kneel　down；　tender　their　purses；　and　the　shot　is　not

fired。　　But　the　gun　is　cocked；　nevertheless；　and；　to　be　certain　of

this；　we　have　only　to　look　at　the　shriveled　hand　grasping　the　trigger。

We　are　reminded　of　those　swarms　of　banditti　which　infested　the　country

under　the　ancient　regime；＇29＇　the　double…girdle　of　smugglers　and

receivers　embraced　within　twelve　hundred　leagues　of　internal　excise…

duties；　the　poachers　abounding　on　the　four　hundred　leagues　of　guarded

captaincies；　the　deserters　so　numerous　that　in　eight　years　they

amounted　to　sixty　thousand；　the　beggars　with　which　the　prisons

overflowed；　the　thousands　of　thieves　and　vagabonds　thronging　the

highways；　quarry　of　the　police　which　the　Revolution　let　loose　and

armed；　and　which；　in　its　turn；　from　being　prey；　became　the　hunters　of

game。　For　three　years　these　strong…armed　prowlers　have　served　as　the

hard…core　of　local　jacqueries；　at　the　present　time　they　form　the　staff

of　the　universa