the origins of contemporary france-3-第77部分

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to　see　the　national　bond　dissolving；　he　sees　departments　breaking

away；　new；　distinct；　independent；　complete　governments　forming　on　the

basis　of　popular　sovereignty；＇98＇　publicly　and　officially；　they　keep

funds　raised　for　the　central　government　for　local　uses；　they　institute

penalties　against　their　inhabitants　seeking　refuge　in　France；　they

organize　tribunals；　levy　taxes；　raise　troops；　and　undertake　military

expeditions。＇99＇　　Assembled　together　to　elect　representatives　to　the

Convention；　the　electors　of　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne　were；　additionally；

disposed　to　establish　throughout　the　department　〃the　reign　of　liberty

and　equality；〃　and　to　this　effect　they　found；　says　one　of　them；　〃an

army　of　1；200　heroes　to　purge　the　districts　in　which　the　bourgeois

aristocracy　still　raises　its　bold；　imprudent　head。〃　　Consequently；　at

Sonas；　Noves；　St。　Remy；　Maillane；　Eyrages；　Graveson；　Eyguières；

extended　over　the　territory　consisting　of　the　districts　of　Tarascon；

Arles　and　Salon；　these　twelve　hundred　heroes　are　authorized　to　get　a

living　out　of　the　inhabitants　at　pleasure；　while　the　rest　of　the

expenses　of　the　expedition　are　to　be　borne　〃by　suspected

citizens。〃＇100＇　These　expeditions　are　prolonged　six　weeks　and　more；

one　of　them　goes　outside　of　the　department；　to　Monosque；　in　the

Basses…Alpes；　and　Monosque；　obliged　to　pay　104；000　francs　to　its

〃saviors　and　fathers；〃　as　an　indemnity　for　traveling　expenses；　writes

to　the　Minister　that；　henceforth；　it　can　no　longer　meet　his

impositions。



What　kind　of　improvised　sovereigns　are　these　who　have　instituted

perambulating　brigandage？　　Roland；　on　this　point；　has　simply　to

question　his　friend　Barbaroux；　their　president　and　the　executive　agent

of　their　decrees。　　〃Nine　hundred　persons；〃　Barbaroux　himself　writes；

〃generally　of　slight　education；　impatiently　listening　to

conservatives；　and　yielding　all　attention　to　the　effervescent；　cunning

in　the　diffusion　of　calumnies；　petty　suspicious　minds；　a　few　men　of

integrity　but　unenlightened；　a　few　enlightened　but　cowardly；　many　of

them　patriotic；　but　without　judgment；　without　philosophy〃；　in　short；　a

Jacobin　club；　and　Jacobin　to　such　an　extent　as　to　〃make　the　hall　ring

with　applause＇101＇　on　receiving　the　news　of　the　September　massacre〃；

in　the　foremost　ranks；　〃a　crowd　of　men　eager　for　office　and　money；

eternal　informers；　imagining　trouble　or　exaggerating　it　to　obtain　for

themselves　lucrative　commissions；〃＇102＇　in　other　words；　the　usual　pack

of　hungry　appetites　in　full　chase。　…　To　really　know　them；　Roland　has

only　to　examine　the　last　file；　that　of　the　neighboring　departments；

and　consider　their　colleagues　in　Var。　　In　this　great　wreck　of　reason

and　of　integrity；　called　the　Jacobin　Revolution；　a　few　stray　waifs

still　float　on　the　surface；　many　of　the　department　administrations　are

composed　of　liberals；　friends　of　order；　intelligent　men；　upright　and

firm　defenders　of　the　law。　　Such　was　the　Directory　of　Var。＇103＇　To　get

rid　of　it　the　Toulon　Jacobins　contrived　an　ambush　worthy　of　the

Borgias　and　Oliverettos　of　the　sixteenth　century。＇104＇　On　the　28th　of

July；　in　the　forenoon；　Sylvestre；　president　of　the　club；　distributed

among　his　trusty　men　in　the　suburbs　and　purlieus　of　the　town　an

enormous　sack　of　red　caps；　while　he　posted　his　squads　in　convenient

places。　　In　the　mean　time　the　municipal　body；　his　accomplices；

formally　present　themselves　at　the　department　bureau；　and　invite　the

administrators　to　join　them　in　fraternizing　with　the　people。　　The

administrators；　suspecting　nothing；　accompany　them；　each　arm　in　arm

with　a　municipal　officer　or　delegate　of　the　club。　　They　scarcely　reach

the　square　when　there　rushes　upon　it　from　every　avenue　a　troop　of　red…

caps　lying　in　wait。　The　syndic…attorney；　the　vice…president　of　the

department；　and　two　other　administrators；　are　seized；　cut　down　and

hung；　another；　M。　Debaux；　succeeding　in　making　his　escape；　hides　away；

scales　the　ramparts　during　the　night；　breaks　his　thigh　and　lies　there

on　the　ground；　he　is　discovered　the　next　morning；　a　band；　led　by

Jassaud；　a　harbor…laborer；　and　by　Lemaille；　calling　him　self　　〃the

town　hangman；〃　come　and　raise　him　up；　carry　him　away　in　a　barrow；　and

hang　him　at　the　first　lamppost。　　Other　bands　dispatch　the　public

prosecutor　in　the　same　fashion；　a　district　administrator；　and　a

merchant；　and　then；　spreading　over　the　country；　pillage　and　slay　among

the　country　houses。　　In　vain　has　the　commandant　of　the　place；　M。

Dumerbion；　entreated　the　municipality　to　proclaim　martial　law。　　Not

only　does　it　refuse；　but　it　enjoins　him　to　order　one…half　of　his

troops　back　to　their　barracks。　By　way　of　an　offset；　it　sets　free　a

number　of　soldiers　condemned　to　the　galleys；　and　all　that　are　confined

for　insubordination。　　Henceforth　every　shadow　of　discipline

vanishes；　and；　in　the　following　month；　murders　multiply。　　M。　de

Possel；　a　navy　administrator；　is　taken　from　his　dwelling；　and　a　rope

is　passed　around　his　neck；　he　is　saved　just　in　time　by　a　bombardier；

the　secretary　of　the　club。　　M。　Senis；　caught　in　his　country…house；　is

hung　on　the　Place　du　Vieux　Palais。　　Desidery；　a　captain　in　the　navy；

the　curé　of　La　Valette；　and　M。　de　Sacqui　des　Thourets；　are　beheaded　in

the　suburbs；　and　their　beads　are　brought　into　town　on　the　ends　of

three　poles。　　M。　de　Flotte　d'Argenson；　vice…admiral；　a　man　of

Herculean　stature；　of　such　a　grave　aspect；　and　so　austere　that　he　is

nicknamed　the　〃Père　Eternel〃　is　treacherously　enticed　to　the　entrance

of　the　Arsenal；　where　he　sees　the　lantern　already　dropping；　he　seizes

a　gun；　defends　himself；　yields　to　numbers；　and　after　having　been

slashed　with　sabers；　is　hung。　M。　de　Rochemaure；　a　major…general　of

marines；　is　likewise　sabred　and　hung　in　the　same　manner；　a　main　artery

in　the　neck；　severed　by　the　blow　of　the　saber；　spouts　blood　from　the

corpse　and　forms　a　pool　on　the　pavement；　Barry；　one　of　the

executioners；　washes　his　hands　in　it　and　sprinkles　the　by…standers　as

if　bestowing　a　blessing　on　them。　　Barry；　Lemaille；　Jassaud；

Sylvestre；　and　other　leading　assassins；　the　new　kings　of　Toulon；

sufficiently　resemble　those　of　Paris。　　Add　to　these　a　certain　Figon；

who　gives　audience　in　his　garret；　straightens　out　social　inequalities；

forces　the　daughters　of　large　farmers　to　marry　poor　republicans；　and

rich　young　men　to　marry　prostitutes；＇105＇　and；　taking　the　lists

furnished　by　the　club　or　neighboring　municipalities；　ransoming　all　the

well…to…do　and　opulent　persons　inscribed　on　them。　　In　order　that　the

portraiture　of　the　band　may　be　complete；　it　must　be　noted　that；　on　the

23rd　of　August；　it　attempted　to　set　free　the　1800　convicts；　the

latter；　not　comprehending　that　they　were　wanted　for　political　allies；

did　not　dare　sally　forth；　or；　at　least；　the　reliable　portion　of　the

National　Guard　arrived　in　time　to　put　their　chains　on　again。　　But　here

its　efforts　cease；　and　for　more　than　a　year　public　authority　remains

in　the　hands　of　a　Jacobin　faction　which；　as　far　as　public　order　is

concerned；　does　not　even　have　the　morals　of　a　convict。



More　than　once　during　the　course　of　this　long　review　the　Minister　must

have　flushed　with　shame；　for　to　the　reprimands　dispatched　by　him　to

these　apathetic　administrations；　they　reply　by　citing　himself　as　an

example：



〃You　desire　us　to　denounce　the　arbitrary　arrests　to　the　public

prosecutor；　have　you　denounced　those　guilty　of　similar　and　yet　greater

crimes　committed　at　the　capital？　〃＇106＇　…



From　all　quarters　come　the　cries　of　the　oppressed　appealing　to　〃the

patriot　Minister；　the　sworn　enemy　of　anarchy；〃　to　〃the　good　and

incorruptible　Minister　of　the　Interior；　his　only　reproach；　the　common

sense　of　his　wife；〃　and　he　could　only　reply　with　empty　phrases　and

condolences：



　〃To　lament　the　events　which　so　grievously　distress　the　province；　all

administrations　being　truly　useful　when　they　forestall　evils；　it　being

very　sad　to　be　obliged　to　resort　to　such　remedies；　and　recommend　to

them　a　more　active　supervision。〃＇107＇







　〃To　lament　and　find　consolation　in　the　observations　made　in　the

letter；〃　which　announces　four　murders；　but　calls　attention　to　the　fact

that　〃the　victims　immolated　are　counter…revolutionaries。〃＇108＇



Roland　has　carried　on　written　dialogues　with　the　village

municipalities；　and　given　lessons　in　constitutional　law　to　communities

of　pot…breakers。＇109＇　　　But；　on　this　territory；　he　is　defeated　by

his　own　principles；　while　the　pure　Jacobins　read　him　a　lesson　in　turn；

they；　likewise；　are　able　to　deduce　the　consequences　of　their　own

creed。



　〃Brother　and　Friend；　Sir；〃　write　those　of　Rouen；　〃not　to　be　always　at

the　feet　of　the　municipality；　we　have　declared　ourselves　permanent；

deliberative　sections　of　the　Commune。〃＇110＇



Let　the　so…called　constituted　authorities；　the　formalists　and　pedants

of　the　Executive　Council　and　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　look　twice

before　censuring　the　exercise　of　popular　sovereignty。　This　sovereign

raises　his　voice　and　drives　his　clerks　back　into　their　holes；

spoliation　and　murder；　all　this　is　just。



　〃Can　you　have　forgotten　that；　after　the　tempest；　as　you　yourself

declared　in　the　height　of　the　storm；　it　is　the　nation　which　saves

itself？　Well；　sir；　this　is　what　we　have　done。＇111＇　。　　。　　　　What！　when

all　France　was　resounding　with　that　long　expected　proclamation　of　the

abolition　of　tyranny；　you　were　willing　that　the　traitors；　who　strove

to　reestablish　it；　should　escape　public　prosecution！　My　God；　what

century　is　this　in　which　we　find　such　Ministers！〃



Arbitrary　taxes；　penalties；　confiscations；　revolutionary　expeditions；

nomadic　garrisons；　pillage；　what　fault　can　be　found　with　all　that？



〃We　do　not　pretend　that　these　are　legal　methods；　but；　drawing　nearer

to　nature；　we　demand　what　object　the　oppressed　have　in　view　in

invoking　justice。　　Is　it　to　lag　behind　and　vainly　pursue　an　equitable

adjustment　which　is　rendered　fleeting　by　judicial　forms？　Correct　these

abuses　or　do　not　complain　of　the　sovereign　peo