the origins of contemporary france-3-第74部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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

unsworn　priest；　pursued　through　the　street　by　a　troop　of　men　and

women；　who　wanted　to　remove　his　cassock　and　set　him　on　an　ass；　found

refuge；　with　great　difficulty；　in　his　country…house。　They　go　there　for

him；　however；　fetch　him　back　to　the　public　promenade；　and　there　they

kill　him。　A　number　of　brave　fellows　who　interfered　were　charged　with

incivism；　and　severely　handled。　　Repression　is　impossible；　the

department　writes　to　the　Minister　that　〃at　this　time　it　would　be

impolitic　to　follow　the　matter　up。〃　Roland　knows　that　by　experience。

The　letters　in　his　hands　show　him　that　there；　as　in　Paris；　murder

engenders　murder。　M。　d'Alespée；　a　gentleman；　has　just　been

assassinated　at　Nérac；　〃all　reputable　citizens　formed　around　him　a

rampart　with　their　bodies；〃　but　the　rabble　prevailed；　and　the

murderers；　〃through　their　obscurity；〃　escaped。　　The　Minister's

finger　stops　at　Bordeaux。　　There　the　federation　festivities　are　marked

with　a　triple　assassination。＇56＇　In　order　to　let　this　dangerous　moment

pass　by；　M。　de　Langoiran；　vicar…general　of　the　archbishopric；　had

retired　half　a　league　off；　in　the　village　of　Cauderan；　to　the

residence　of　an　octogenarian　priest；　who；　like　himself；　had　never

meddled　with　public　matters。　On　the　15th　of　July　the　National　Guards

of　the　village；　excited　by　the　speeches　of　the　previous　night；　have

come　to　the　residence　to　pick　them　up；　and　moreover；　a　third　priest

belonging　in　the　neighborhood。　　There　is　nothing　to　lay　to　their

charge；　neither　the　municipal　officers；　nor　the　justices　before　whom

they　are　brought；　can　avoid　declaring　them　innocent。　　As　a　last

recourse；　they　are　conducted　to　Bordeaux；　before　the　Directory　of　the

department。　　But　it　is　getting　dark；　and　the　riotous　crowd　becoming

impatient；　makes　an　attack　on　them。　　The　octogenarian　〃receives　so

many　blows　that　he　cannot　recover〃；　the　abbé　du　Puy　is　knocked　down

and　dragged　along　by　a　rope　attached　to　his　feet；　M。　de　Langoirac's

head　is　cut　off；　carried　about　on　a　pike；　taken　to　his　house　and

presented　to　the　servant；　who　is　told　that　〃her　master　will　not　come

home　to　supper。〃　The　torment　of　the　priests　has　lasted　from　five

o'clock　in　the　morning　to　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　the

municipal　authorities　were　duly　advised；　but　they　cannot　put

themselves　out　of　the　way　to　give　succor；　they　are　too　seriously

occupied　in　erecting　a　liberty…pole。



Route　from　Bordeaux　to　Caen。　　The　Minister's　finger　turns　to　the

north；　and　stops　at　Limoges。　　The　day　following　the　federation　has

been　here　celebrated　the　same　as　at　Bordeaux。＇57＇　An　unsworn　priest；

the　abbé　Chabrol；　assailed　by　a　gang　of　men　and　women；　is　first

conducted　to　the　guard…house　and　then　to　the　dwelling　of　the　juge…de…

paix；　for　his　protection　a　warrant　of　arrest　is　gotten　out；　and　he　is

kept　under　guard；　in　sight；　by　four　chasseurs；　in　one　of　the　rooms。

But　the　populace　are　not　satisfied　with　this。　　In　vain　do　the

municipal　officers　appeal　to　it；　in　vain　do　the　gendarmes　interpose

themselves　between　it　and　the　prisoner；　it　rushes　in　upon　them　and

disperses　them。　　Meanwhile；　volleys　of　stones　smash　in　the　windows；

and　the　entrance　door　yields　to　the　blows　of　axes；　about　thirty　of　the

villains　scale　the　windows；　and　pass　the　priest　down　like　a　bale　of

goods。　A　few　yards　off；　〃struck　down　with　clubs　and　other

instruments；〃　he　draws　his　last　breath；　his　head　〃crushed〃　by　twenty

mortal　wounds。　　Farther　up；　towards　Orleans；　Roland　reads　the

following　dispatches；　taken　from　the　file　for　Loiret：＇58＇　〃Anarchy　is

at　its　height；〃　writes　one　of　the　districts　to　the　Directory　of　the

department；　〃there　is　no　longer　recognition　of　any　authority；　the

administrators　of　the　district　and　of　the　municipalities　are　insulted；

and　are　powerless　to　enforce　respect。　　。　　。　　。　Threats　of　slaughter；

of　destroying　houses　and　giving　them　up　to　pillage　prevail；　plans　are

made　to　tear　down　all　the　chateaux。　　The　municipal　authorities　of

Achères；　along　with　many　of　the　inhabitants；　have　gone　to　Oison　and

Chaussy；　where　everything　is　smashed；　broken　up　and　carried　off　　On

the　16th　of　September　six　armed　men　went　to　the　house　of　M。　de

Vaudeuil　and　obliged　him　to　return　the　sum　of　300　francs；　for

penalties　pretended　to　have　been　paid　by　them。　　We　have　been　notified

that　M。　Dedeley　will　be　visited　at　Achères　for　the　same　purpose　to…

day。　　M。　de　Lory　has　been　similarly　threatened。　。　。　　　　Finally；　all

those　people　there　say　that　they　want　no　more　local　administrations　or

tribunals；　that　the　law　is　in　their　own　hands；　and　they　will　execute

it。　　In　this　extremity　we　have　decided　on　the　only　safe　course；　which

is　to　silently　accept　all　the　outrages　inflicted　upon　us。　We　have　not

called　upon　you　for　protection；　for　we　are　well　aware　of　the

embarrassment　you　labor　under。〃　　The　best　part　of　the　National

Guard；　indeed；　having　been　disarmed　at　the　county…town；　there　is　no

longer　an　armed　force　to　put　riots　down。　　Consequently；　at　this　same

date；＇59＇　the　populace；　increased　by　the　afflux　of　〃strangers〃　and

ordinary　nomads；　hang　a　corn…inspector；　plant　his　head　on　the　end　of　a

pike；　drag　his　body　through　the　streets；　sack　five　houses　and　burn　the

furniture　of　a　municipal　officer　in　front　of　his　own　door。　Thereupon；

the　obedient　municipality　sets　the　arrested　rioters　free；　and　lowers

the　price　of　bread　one…sixth。　　Above　the　Loire；　the　dispatches　of　Orne

and　Calvados　complete　the　picture。　　〃Our　district；〃　writes　a

lieutenant　of　the　gendarmerie；＇60＇　〃is　a　prey　to　brigandage。　。　。　About

thirty　rascals　have　just　sacked　the　chateau　of　Dampierre。　　Calls　for

men　are　constantly　made　upon　us；〃　which　we　cannot　satisfy；　〃because

the　call　is　general　on　all　sides。〃　The　details　are　curious；　and　here；

notwithstanding　the　Minister's　familiarity　with　popular　misdeeds；　he

cannot　avoid　noting　one　extortion　of　a　new　species。　　〃The　inhabitants

of　the　villages＇61＇　collect　together；　betake　themselves　to　different

chateaux；　seize　the　wives　and　children　of　their　proprietors；　and　keep

them　as　bail　for　promises　of　reimbursement　which　they　force　the　latter

to　sign；　not　merely　for　feudal　taxes；　but；　again；　for　expenses　to

which　this　taxation　may　have　given　rise；〃　first　under　the　actual

proprietor　and　then　under　his　predecessors；　in　the　mean　time　they

install　themselves　on　the　premises；　demand　payments　for　their　time；

devastate　the　buildings　on　the　place；　and　sell　the　furniture。　　　All

this　is　accompanied　with　the　usual　slaughter。　The　Directory　of　the

department　of　Orne　advises　the　Minister＇62＇　that　〃a　former　noble　has

been　killed　（homicide）　in　the　canton　of　Sepf；　an　ex…curé　in　the　town

of　Bellême；　an　unsworn　priest　in　the　canton　of　Putanges；　an　ex…

capuchin　in　the　territory　of　Alen？on。〃　The　same　day；　at　Caen；　the

syndic…attorney　of　Calvados；　M。　Bayeux；　a　man　of　sterling　merit；

imprisoned　by　the　local　Jacobins；　has　just　been　shot　down　in　the

street　and　bayoneted；　while　the　National　Assembly　was　passing　a　decree

proclaiming　his　innocence　and　ordering　him　to　be　set　at　liberty。＇63＇



Route　of　the　East。　　At　Rouen；　in　front　of　the　H？tel…de…ville；　the

National　Guard；　stoned　for　more　than　an　hour；　finally　fire　a　volley

and　kill　four　men；　throughout　the　department　violence　is　committed　in

connection　with　grain；　while　wheat　is　stolen　or　carried　off　by

force；＇64＇　but　Roland　is　obliged　to　restrict　himself；　he　can　note　only

political　disturbances。　Besides；　he　is　obliged　to　hurry　up；　for

murders　abound　everywhere。　In　addition　to　the　turmoil　of　the　army　and

the　capital；＇65＇　each　department　in　the　vicinity　of　Paris　or　near　the

frontier　furnishes　its　quota　of　murders。　They　take　place　at　Gisors；　in

the　Eure；　at　Chantilly；　and　at　Clermont　in　the　Oise；　at　Saint…Amand　in

the　Pas…de…Calais；　at　Cambray　in　the　Nord；　at　Retel　and　Charleville　in

the　Ardennes；　at　Rheims　and　at　Chalons　in　the　Marne；　at　Troyes　in　the

Aube；　at　Meaux　in　Seine…et…Marne；　and　at　Versailles　in　Seine…et…

Oise。＇66＇　　Roland；　I　imagine；　does　not　open　this　file；　and　for　a

good　reason；　he　knows　too　well　how　M。　de　Brissac　and　M。　Delessart；　and

the　other　sixty…three　persons　killed　at　Versailles；　it　was　he　who

signed　Fournier's　commission；　the　commander　of　the　murderers。　At　this

very　moment　he　is　forced　to　correspond　with　this　villain；　to　send　him

certificates　of　〃zeal　and　patriotism；〃　and　to　assign　him；　over　and

above　his　robberies；　30；000　francs　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the

operation。＇67＇　　But　among　the　dispatches　there　are　some　he　cannot

overlook；　if　he　desires　to　know　to　what　his　authority　is　reduced；　in

what　contempt　all　authority　is　held；　how　the　civil　or　military　rabble

exercises　its　power；　with　what　promptitude　it　disposes　of　the　most

illustrious　and　most　useful　lives；　especially　those　who　have　been；　or

are　now；　in　command；　the　Minister　perhaps　saying　to　himself　that　his

turn　will　come　next。



Let　us　look　at　the　case　of　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld。　A　philanthropist

since　he　was　young；　a　liberal　on　entering　the　Constituent　Assembly；

elected　president　of　the　Paris　department；　one　of　the　most　persistent；

most　generous；　and　most　respected　patriots　from　first　to　last；　　who

better　deserved　to　be　spared　than？　　Arrested　at　Gisors＇68＇　by　order　of

the　Paris　Commune；　he　left　the　inn；　escorted　by　the　Parisian

commissary；　surrounded　by　the　municipal　council；　twelve　gendarmes　and

one　hundred　National　Guards；　behind　him　walked　his　mother；　eighty

years　of　age；　his　wife　following　in　a　carriage；　there　could　be　no　fear

of　an　escape。　　But；　for　a　suspected　person；　death　is　more　certain　than

a　prison；　three　hundred　volunteers　of　the　Orne　and　the　Sarthe

departments；　on　their　way　through　Gisors；　collect　and　cry　out：　〃We

must　have　his　head　　nothing　shall　stop　us！〃　A　stone　hits　M。　de　la

Rochefoucauld　on　the　temple；　he　falters；　his　escort　is　broken　up；　and

they　finish　him　with　clubs　and　sabers；　while　the　municipal　council

〃have　barely　time　to　drive　off　the　c