the origins of contemporary france-3-第73部分

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

of　the　universal　jacquerie。　At　N？mes；＇30＇　the　head　of　the　Executive

Power　is　a　〃dancing…master。〃　The　two　leading　demagogues　of　Toulouse

are　a　shoemaker；　and　an　actor　who　plays　valets。＇31＇　At　Toulon；＇32＇　the

club；　more　absolute　than　any　Asiatic　despot；　is　recruited　from　among

the　destitute；　sailors；　harbor…hands；　soldiers；　〃stray　peddlers；〃

while　its　president；　Sylvestre；　sent　down　from　Paris；　is　a　criminal　of

the　lowest　degree。　At　Rheims；＇33＇　the　principal　leader　is　an　unfrocked

priest；　married　to　a　nun；　aided　by　a　baker；　who；　an　old　soldier；　came

near　being　hung。　　Elsewhere；＇34＇　it　is　some　deserter　tried　for

robbery；　here；　a　cook　or　innkeeper；　and　there；　a　former　lackey　The

oracle　of　Lyons　is　an　ex…commercial　traveler；　an　emulator　of　Marat；

named　Chalier；　whose　murderous　delirium　is　complicated　with　morbid

mysticism。　　The　acolytes　of　Chalier　are　a　barber；　a　hair…dresser；　an

old…clothes　dealer；　a　mustard　and　vinegar　manufacturer；　a　cloth…

dresser；　a　silk…worker；　a　gauze…maker；　while　the　time　is　near　when

authority　is　to　fall　into　still　meaner　hands；　those　of　〃the　dregs　of

the　female　population；〃　who；　aided　by　〃a　few　bullies；〃　elect　〃　female

commissaries；〃　tax　food；　and　for　three　days　pillage　the

warehouses。＇35＇　Avignon　has　for　its　masters　the　Glacière　bandits。

Arles　is　under　the　yoke　of　its　porters　and　bargemen。　　Marseilles

belongs　to　〃a　band　of　wretches　spawned　out　of　houses　of　debauchery；

who　recognize　neither　laws　nor　magistrates；　and　ruling　the　city

through　terror。〃＇36＇　　It　is　not　surprising　that　such　men；　invested

with　such　power；　use　it　in　conformity　with　their　nature；　and　that　the

interregnum；　which　is　their　reign；　spreads　over　France　a　circle　of

devastations；　robberies；　and　murders。



V。



The　companies　of　traveling　volunteers。　　Quality　of　the　recruits。

Election　of　officers。　…Robberies　and　murders。



Usually；　the　stationary　band　of　club　members　has　an　auxiliary　band　of

the　same　species　which　roves　about。　　I　mean　the　volunteers；　who

inspire　more　fear　and　do　more　harm；　because　they　march　in　a　body　and

are　armed。＇37＇　Like　their　brethren　in　the　ordinary　walks　of　life；　many

of　them　are　town　and　country　vagabonds；　most　of　them；　living　from　hand

to　mouth；　have　been　attracted　by　the　pay　of　fifteen　sous　a　day；　they

have　become　soldiers　for　lack　of　work　and　bread。＇38＇　　Each　commune；

moreover；　having　been　called　upon　for　its　army　contingent；　〃they　have

picked　up　whatever　could　be　found　in　the　towns；　all　the　scamps　hanging

around　street…corners；　men　with　no　pursuit；　and；　in　the　country；

wretches　and　vagabonds　of　every　description；　nearly　all　have　been

forced　to　march　by　money　or　drawing　lots；〃　and　it　is　probable　that　the

various　administrations　thought　that　〃in　this　way　they　would　purge

France。〃＇39＇　To　the　wretched　〃bought　by　the　communes；〃　add　others　of

the　same　stamp；　procured　by　the　rich　as　substitutes　for　their

sons。＇40＇　　Thus　do　they　pick　over　the　social　dunghill　and　obtain　at　a

discount　the　natural　and　predestined　inmates　of　houses　of　correction；

poor…houses　and　hospitals；　with　an　utter　disregard　of　quality；　even

physical；　〃the　halt；　the　maimed　and　the　blind；〃　the　deformed　and　the

defective；　〃some　too　old；　and　others　too　young　and　too　feeble　to

support　the　fatigues　of　war；　others　so　small　as　to　stand　a　foot　lower

than　their　guns；〃　a　large　number　of　boys　of　sixteen；　fourteen；　and

thirteen；　in　short；　the　reprobate　of　great　cities　as　we　now　see　him；

stunted；　puny；　and　naturally　insolent　and　insurgent。＇41＇　〃One…third　of

them　are　found　unfit　for　service〃　on　reaching　the　frontier。＇42＇　

But；　before　reaching　the　frontier；　they　act　like　〃pirates〃　on　the

road。　　The　others；　with　sounder　bodies　and　better　hearts；　become；

under　the　discipline　of　constant　danger；　good　soldiers　at　the　end　of　a

year。　　In　the　mean　time；　however；　they　make　no　less　havoc；　for；　if

they　are　less　disposed　to　robbery；　they　are　more　fanatical。　　Nothing

is　more　delicate　than　the　military　organization；　owing　to　the　fact

that　it　represents　force；　and　man　is　always　tempted　to　abuse　force；

for　any　free　company　of　soldiers　to　remain　inoffensive　in　a　civil

community；　it　must　be　restrained　by　the　strongest　curbs；　which　curbs；

either　within　or　without；　were　wholly　wanting　with　the　volunteers　of

1792。＇43＇



Artisans；　peasants；　the　petty　bourgeois　class；　youthful　enthusiasts

stimulated　by　the　prevailing　doctrine；　they　are　still　much　more

Jacobin　than　patriotic；　the　dogma　of　popular　sovereignty；　like　a　heady

wine；　has　turned　their　inexperienced　brains；　they　are　fully　persuaded

that；　〃destined　to　contend　with　the　enemies　of　the　republic；　is　an

honor　which　permits　them　to　exact　and　to　dare　all　things。〃＇44＇　The

least　among　them　believes　himself　superior　to　the　law；　〃as　formerly　a

Condé；＇45＇〃　and　he　becomes　king　on　a　small　scale；　self…constituted；　an

autocratic　justiciary　and　avenger　of　wrongs；　a　supporter　of　patriots

and　the　scourge　of　aristocrats；　the　disposer　of　lives　and　property；

and；　without　delay　or　formality；　taking　it　upon　himself　to　complete

the　Revolution　on　the　spot　in　every　town　he　passes　through。　　He　is

not　to　be　hindered　in　all　this　by　his　officers。　　〃Having　created　his

chiefs；　they　are　of　no　more　account　to　him　than　any　of　a　man's

creations　usually　are〃；　far　from　being　obeyed；　the　officers　are　not

even　respected；　〃and　that　comes　from　resorting　to　analogies　without

considering　military　talent　or　moral　superiority。〃＇46＇　Through　the

natural　effects　of　the　system　of　election；　all　grades　of　rank　have

fallen　upon　demagogues　and　blusterers。



　〃The　intriguers；　loud…talkers；　and　especially　the　great　boozers；　have

prevailed　against　the　capable。〃＇47＇



Besides；　to　retain　his　popularity；　the　new　officer　will　go　to　a　bar

and　drink　with　his　men；＇48＇　and　he　must　show　himself　more　Jacobin　than

they　are；　from　which　it　follows　that；　not　content　with　tolerating

their　excesses；　he　provokes　them。　　Hence；　after　March；　1792；　and

even　before；＇49＇　we　see　the　volunteers　behaving　in　France　as　in　a

conquered　country。　　Sometimes　they　make　domiciliary　visits；　and　break

everything　to　pieces　in　the　house　they　visit。　　Sometimes；　they　force

the　re…baptism　of　infants　by　the　conventionalist　curé；　and　shoot　at

the　traditional　father。　　Here；　of　their　own　accord；　they　make　arrests；

there；　they　join　in　with　mutineers　and　stop　grain…boats；　elsewhere；

they　force　a　municipality　to　tax　bread；　farther　on；　they　burn　or　sack

chateaux；　and；　if　a　mayor　happens　to　inform　them　that　the　chateau　now

belongs　to　the　nation　and　not　to　an　émigré；　they　reply　with　〃thrusts；〃

and　threaten　to　cut　his　throat。＇50＇　As　the　10th　of　August　draws　near；

the　phantom　of　authority；　which　still　occasionally　imposed　on　them；

completely　vanishes；　and　〃they　risk　nothing　in　killing〃　whoever

displeases　them。＇51＇　　Exasperated　by　the　perils　they　are　about　to

encounter　on　the　frontier；　they　begin　war　in　the　interior。

Provisionally；　and　as　a　precaution；　they　slaughter　probable

aristocrats　on　the　way；　and　treat　the　officers；　nobles　and　priests

they　meet　on　the　road　worse　than　their　club　allies。　For；　on　the　one

hand；　being　merely　on　the　march；　they　are　much　safer　from　punishment

than　local　murderers；　in　a　week；　lost　in　the　army；　they　will　not　be

sought　for　in　camp；　and　they　may　slay　with　perfect　security。　On　the

other　hand；　as　they　are　strangers　and　newcomers；　they　are　not　able；

like　local　persons；　to　identify　a　person。　So　on　account　of　　a　name；　a

dress；　qualifications；　a　coffee…house　rumor；　or　an　appearance；　however

venerable　and　harmless　a　man　may　be；　they　kill　him；　not　because　they

know　him；　but　because　they　do　not　know　him。



VI。



A　tour　of　France　in　the　cabinet　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior。　

From　Carcassonne　to　Bordeaux。　　Bordeaux　to　Caen。　　The　north　and

the　east。　　Chalons…sur…Marne　to　Lyons。　　　The　Comtat　and　Provence。

　The　tone　and　the　responses　of　the　Jacobin　administration。　　The

programme　of　the　party。



Let　us　enter　the　cabinet　of　Roland；　Minister　of　the　Interior；　a

fortnight　after　the　opening　of　the　Convention；　and　suppose　him

contemplating；　some　evening；　in　miniature；　a　picture　of　the　state　of

the　country　administered　by　him。　　His　clerks　have　placed　the

correspondence　of　the　past　few　weeks　on　his　table；　arranged　in　proper

order；　his　replies　are　noted　in　brief　on　the　margin；　he　has　a　map　of

France　before　him；　and；　placing　his　finger　on　the　southern　section；　he

moves　it　along　the　great　highway　across　the　country。　At　every　stage　he

recurs　to　the　paper　file　of　letters；　and　passing　innumerable　reports

of　violence；　he　merely　gives　his　attention　to　the　great　revolutionary

exploits。＇52＇　Madame　Roland；　I　imagine；　works　with　her　husband；　and

the　couple；　sitting　together　alone　under　the　lamp；　ponder　over　the

doings　of　the　ferocious　brute　which　they　have　set　free　in　the

provinces　the　same　as　in　Paris。



Their　eyes　go　first　to　the　southern　extremity　of　France。　There；＇53＇　on

the　canal　of　the　Deux…Mers；　at　Carcassonne；　the　population　has　seized

three　boats　loaded　with　grain；　demanded　provisions；　then　a　lower

prices　of　bread；　then　guns　and　cannon　from　the　magazine；　and；　lastly；

the　heads　of　the　administrators；　an　inspector…general　has　been　wounded

by　an　axe；　and　the　syndic…attorney　of　the　department；　M。　Verdie；

massacred。　　　The　Minister　follows　with　his　eye　the　road　from

Carcassonne　to　Bordeaux；　and　on　the　right　and　on　the　left　he　finds

traces　of　blood。　At　Castres；＇54＇　a　report　is　spread　that　a　dealer　in

grain　was　trying　to　raise　the　price；　whereupon　a　mob　gathers；　and；　to

save　the　dealer；　he　is　placed　in　the　guard…house。　The　volunteers；

however；　force　open　the　guard…house；　and　throw　the　man　out　of　the

first…story　window；　they　then　finish　him　off　with　〃blows　with　clubs

and　weights；〃　drag　his　body　along　the　street　and　cast　it　into　the

river。　　The　evening　before；　at　Clairac；＇55＇　M。　Lartigue…Langa；　an

unsworn　priest；　pursued