the origins of contemporary france-2- 第15部分

blow　too　many。　　Should　all　these　restraints；　inward　as　well　as

outward；　be　wanting；　the　man　plunges　into　insurrection。　　He　is　a

novice　in　the　acts　of　violence；　which　he　carries　out。　　He　has　no

fear　of　the　law；　because　he　abolishes　it。　　The　action　begun　carries

him　further　than　he　intended　to　go。　　Peril　and　resistance　exasperate

his　anger。　　He　catches　the　fever　from　contact　with　those　who　are

fevered；　and　follows　robbers　who　have　become　his　comrades。＇1＇　　Add

to　this　the　clamors；　the　drunkenness；　the　spectacle　of　destruction；

the　nervous　tremor　of　the　body　strained　beyond　its　powers　of

endurance；　and　we　can　comprehend　how；　from　the　peasant；　the　laborer；

and　the　bourgeois；　pacified　and　tamed　by　an　old　civilization；　we　see

all　of　a　sudden　spring　forth　the　barbarian。　　Or　still　worse；　the

primitive　animal；　the　grinning；　sanguinary；　wanton　baboon；　who

giggles　while　he　slays；　and　gambols　over　the　ruin　he　has

accomplished。　　Such　is　the　actual　government　to　which　France　is

given　up；　and　after　eighteen　months'　experience；　the　best　qualified；

most　judicious　and　profoundest　observer　of　the　Revolution　will　find

nothing　to　compare　it　to　but　the　invasion　of　the　Roman　Empire　in　the

fourth　century。＇2＇　〃The　Huns；　the　Heruli；　the　Vandals；　and　the　Goths

will　come　neither　from　the　north　nor　from　the　Black　Sea；　they　are　in

our　very　midst。〃



　II。



The　provinces。　　…　　Destruction　of　old　Authorities。　　…　　Inadequacy　of

new　Authorities



When　in　a　building　the　principal　beam　gives　way；　cracks　follow　and

multiply；　and　the　secondary　joists　fall　in　one　by　one　for　lack　of

the　prop；　which　supported　them。　　In　a　similar　manner　the　authority

of　the　King　being　broken；　all　the　powers；　which　he　delegated；　fall

to　the　ground。＇3＇　　Intendants；　parliaments；　military　commands；　grand

provosts；　administrative；　judicial；　and　police　functionaries　in

every　province；　and　of　every　branch　of　the　service；　who　maintain

order　and　protect　property；　taught　by　the　murder　of　M。　de　Launey；

the　imprisonment　of　M。　de　Besenval；　the　flight　of　Marshal　de

Broglie；　the　assassinations　of　Foullon　and　Bertier；　know　what　it

costs　should　they　try　to　perform　their　duties。　　Should　it　be

forgotten　local　insurrections　intervene；　and　keep　them　in　mind　of

it。



The　officer　in　command　in　Burgundy　is　a　prisoner　at　Dijon；　with　a

guard　at　his　door；　and　he　is　not　allowed　to　speak　with　any　one

without　permission；　and　without　the　presence　of　witnesses。＇4＇　　The

Commandant　of　Caen　is　besieged　in　the　old　palace　and　capitulates。

The　Commandant　of　Bordeaux　surrenders　Chateau…Trompette　with　its

guns　and　equipment。　　The　Commandant　at　Metz；　who　remains　firm；

suffers　the　insults　and　the　orders　of　the　populace。　　The　Commandant

of　Brittany　wanders　about　his　province　〃like　a　vagabond；〃　while　at

Rennes　his　people；　furniture；　and　plate　are　kept　as　pledges。　　As

soon　as　he　sets　foot　in　Normandy　he　is　surrounded；　and　a　sentinel　is

placed　at　his　door。　　　The　Intendant　of　Besan？on　takes　to　flight；

that　of　Rouen　sees　his　dwelling　sacked　from　top　to　bottom；　and

escapes　amid　the　shouts　of　a　mob　demanding　his　head。　　…　　At　Rennes；

the　Dean　of　the　Parliament　is　arrested；　maltreated；　kept　in　his　room

with　a　guard　over　him；　and　then；　although　ill；　sent　out　of　the　town

under　an　escort。　　　At　Strasbourg　〃thirty…six　houses　of　magistrates

are　marked　for　pillage。〃＇5＇　　　At　Besan？on；　the　President　of　the

Parliament　is　constrained　to　let　out　of　prison　the　insurgents

arrested　in　a　late　out…break；　and　to　publicly　burn　the　whole　of　the

papers　belonging　to　the　prosecution。　　…　　In　Alsace；　since　the

beginning　of　the　troubles；　the　provosts　were　obliged　to　fly；　the

bailiffs　and　manorial　judges　hid　themselves；　the　forest…inspectors

ran　away；　and　the　houses　of　the　guards　were　demolished。　　One　man；

sixty　years　of　age；　is　outrageously　beaten　and　marched　about　the

village；　the　people；　meanwhile；　pulling　out　his　hair；　nothing

remains　of　his　dwelling　but　the　walls　and　a　portion　of　the　roof。

All　his　furniture　and　effects　are　broken　up；　burnt　or　stolen。　　He　is

forced　to　sign；　along　with　his　wife；　an　act　by　which　he　binds

himself　to　refund　all　penalties　inflicted　by　him；　and　to　abandon　all

claims　for　damages　for　the　injuries　to　which　he　has　just　been

subjected。　　　In　Franche…Comté　the　authorities　dare　not　condemn

delinquents；　and　the　police　do　not　arrest　them；　the　military

commandant　writes　that　〃crimes　of　every　kind　are　on　the　increase；

and　that　he　has　no　means　of　punishing　them。〃　Insubordination　is

permanent　in　all　the　provinces；　one　of　the　provincial　commissions

states　with　sadness：



　〃When　all　powers　are　in　confusion　and　annihilated；　when　public

force　no　longer　exists；　when　all　ties　are　sundered；　when　every

individual　considers　himself　relieved　from　all　kinds　of　obligation；

when　public　authority　no　longer　dares　make　itself　felt；　and　it　is　a

crime　to　have　been　clothed　with　it；　what　can　be　expected　of　our

efforts　to　restore　order？　〃＇6＇



　All　that　remains　of　this　great　demolished　State　is　forty　thousand

groups　of　people；　each　separated　and　isolated；　in　towns　and　small

market　villages　where　municipal　bodies；　elected　committees；　and

improvised　National　Guards　strive　to　prevent　the　worst　excesses。　　

But　these　local　chiefs　are　novices；　they　are　human；　and　they　are

timid。　　Chosen　by　acclamation　they　believe　in　popular　rights；　in　the

midst　of　riots　they　feel　themselves　in　danger。　　Hence；　they

generally　obey　the　crowd。



〃Rarely；〃　says　one　of　the　provincial　commissions　reports；　〃do　the

municipal　authorities　issue　a　summons；　they　allow　the　greatest

excesses　rather　than　enter　upon　prosecutions　for　which；　sooner　or

later；　they　may　be　held　responsible　by　their　fellow…citizens。　　。　　。

。　　Municipal　bodies　have　no　longer　the　power　to　resist　anything。〃



Especially　in　the　rural　districts　the　mayor　or　syndic；　who　is　a

farmer；　makes　it　his　first　aim　to　make　no　enemies；　and　would　resign

his　place　if　it　were　to　bring　him　any　〃unpleasantness〃　with　it。　　His

rule　in　the　towns；　and　especially　in　large　cities；　is　almost　as　lax

and　more　precarious；　because　explosive　material　is　accumulated　here

to　a　much　larger　extent；　and　the　municipal　officers；　in　their　arm…

chairs　at　the　town…hall；　sit　over　a　mine　which　may　explode　at　any

time。　　To…morrow；　perhaps；　some　resolution　passed　at　a　tavern　in　the

suburbs；　or　some　incendiary　newspaper　just　received　from　Paris；　will

furnish　the　spark。　　…　　No　other　defense　against　the　populace　is　at

hand　than　the　sentimental　proclamations　of　the　National　Assembly；

the　useless　presence　of　troops　who　stand　by　and　look　on；　and　the

uncertain　help　of　a　National　Guard　which　will　arrive　too　late。

Occasionally　these　townspeople；　who　are　now　the　rulers；　utter　a　cry

of　distress　from　under　the　hands　of　the　sovereigns　of　the　street　who

grasp　them　by　the　throat。　　At　Puy…en…Velay；＇7＇　a　town　of　twenty

thousand　inhabitants；　the　présidial；＇8＇　the　committee　of　twenty…four

commissioners；　a　body　of　two　hundred　dragoons；　and　eight　hundred　men

of　the　guard　of　burgesses；　are　〃paralyzed；　and　completely　stupefied；

by　the　vile　populace。　　A　mild　treatment　only　increases　its

insubordination　and　insolence。〃　This　populace　proscribes　whomsoever　it

pleases；　and　six　days　ago　a　gibbet；　erected　by　its　hands；　has　announced

to　the　new　magistrates　the　fate　that　awaits　them。



　〃　What　will　become　of　us　this　winter；〃　they　exclaim；　〃in　our

impoverished　country；　where　bread　is　not　to　be　had！　We　shall　be　the

prey　of　wild　beasts！〃



　III。



Public　feeling。　　…　Famine



These　people；　in　truth；　are　hungry；　and；　since　the　Revolution；　their

misery　has　increased。　　Around　Puy…en…Velay　the　country　is　laid

waste；　and　the　soil　broken　up　by　a　terrible　tempest；　a　fierce

hailstorm；　and　a　deluge　of　rain。　　In　the　south；　the　crop　proved　to

be　moderate　and　even　insufficient。



〃To　trace　a　picture　of　the　condition　of　Languedoc；〃　writes　the

intendant；＇9＇　〃would　be　to　give　an　account　of　calamities　of　every

description。　　The　panic　which　prevails　in　all　communities；　and　which

is　stronger　than　all　laws；　stops　traffic；　and　would　cause　famine

even　in　the　midst　of　plenty。　　Commodities　are　enormously　expensive；

and　there　is　a　lack　of　cash。　　Communities　are　ruined　by　the　enormous

outlays　to　which　they　are　exposed：　The　payment　of　the　deputies　to

the　seneschal's　court；　the　establishment　of　the　burgess　guards；

guardhouses　for　this　militia；　and　the　purchase　of　arms；　uniforms；

and　outlays　in　forming　communes　and　permanent　councils。　　To　this

must　be　add　the　cost　of　the　printing　of　all　kinds；　and　the

publication　of　trivial　deliberations。　　Further　the　loss　of　time　due

to　disturbances　occasioned　by　these　circumstances；　and　the　utter

stagnation　of　manufactures　and　of　trade。〃　All　these　causes　combined

〃have　reduced　Languedoc　to　the　last　extremity。〃…



In　the　Center；　and　in　the　North；　where　the　crops　are　good；

provisions　are　not　less　scarce；　because　wheat　is　not　put　in

circulation；　and　is　kept　concealed。



　〃For　five　months；〃　writes　the　municipal　assembly　of　Louviers；＇10＇

〃not　a　farmer　has　made　his　appearance　in　the　markets　of　this　town。

Such　a　circumstance　was　never　known　before；　although；　from　time　to

time；　high　prices　have　prevailed　to　a　considerable　extent。　　On　the

contrary；　the　markets　were　always　well　supplied　in　proportion　to　the

high　price　of　grain。〃



　In　vain　the　municipality　orders　the　surrounding　forty…seven

parishes　to　provide　them　with　wheat。　　They　pay　no　attention　to　the

mandate；　each　for　himself　and　each　for　his　own　house；　the　intendant

is　no　longer　present　to　compel　local　interests　to　give　way　to　public

interests。



〃In　the　wheat　districts　around　us；〃　says　a　letter　from　one　of　the

Burgundy　towns；　〃we　cannot　rely　on　being　able　to　make　free

purchases。　　Special　regulations；　supported　by　the　civic　guard；

prevent　grain　from　being　sent　out；　and　put　a　stop　to　its

circulation。　　The　adjacent　markets　are　of　no　use　to　us。　　Not　a　sack

of　grain　has