the origins of contemporary france-2- 第18部分

the　19th　of　August　the　National　Guard　rejects　its　old　officers　as

aristocrats；　and　elects　new　ones。　　On　the　27th　of　August；　the　crowd

invade　the　town…hall　and　distribute　the　arms　amongst　themselves。　　On

the　5th　of　September；　two　hundred　men；　led　by　Truelle；　president　of

the　new　committee；　force　the　salt　depot　and　have　salt　delivered　to

them　at　six　sous　per　pound。　　　Meanwhile；　in　the　lowest　quarters　of

the　city；　a　story　is　concocted　to　the　effect　that　if　wheat　is　scarce

it　is　because　Huez；　the　mayor；　and　M。　de　St。　　Georges；　the　old

commandant；　are　monopolists；　and　now　they　say　of　Huez　what　they　said

five　weeks　before　of　Foulon；　that　〃he　wants　to　make　the　people　eat

hay。〃　The　many…headed　brute　growls　fiercely　and　is　about　to　spring。

As　usual；　instead　of　restraining　him；　they　try　to　manage　him。



　〃You　must　put　your　authority　aside　for　a　moment；〃　writes　the　deputy

of　Troyes　to　the　sheriffs；〃　and　act　towards　the　people　as　to　a

friend；　be　as　gentle　with　them　as　you　would　be　with　your　equals；　and

rest　assured　that　they　are　capable　of　responding　to　it。〃



　Thus　does　Huez　act；　and　he　even　does　more；　paying　no　attention　to

their　menaces；　refusing　to　provide　for　his　own　safety　and　almost

offering　himself　as　a　sacrifice。



　〃I　have　wronged　no　one；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃why　should　any　one　bear　me

ill…will？〃



His　sole　precaution　is　to　provide　something　for　the　unfortunate　poor

when　he　is　gone：　he　bequeaths　in　his　will　18；000　livres　to　the　poor；

and；　on　the　eve　of　his　death；　sends　100　crowns　to　the　bureau　of

charity。　　But　what　avail　self…abnegation　and　beneficence　against

blind；　insane　rage！　On　the　9th　of　September；　three　loads　of　flour

proving　to　be　unsound；　the　people　collect　and　shout　out；



　〃Down　with　the　flour…dealers！　Down　with　machinery！　Down　with　the

mayor！　Death　to　the　mayor；　and　let　Truelle　be　put　in　his　place！　〃



Huez；　on　leaving　his　court…room；　is　knocked　down；　murdered　by　kicks

and　blows；　throttled；　dragged　to　the　reception　hall；　struck　on　his

head　with　a　wooden…shoe　and　pitched　down　the　grand　staircase。　　The

municipal　officers　strive　in　vain　to　protect　him；　a　rope　is　put

around　his　neck　and　they　begin　to　drag　him　along。　　A　priest；　who

begs　to　be　allowed　at　least　to　save　his　soul；　is　repulsed　and

beaten。　　A　woman　jumps　on　the　prostrate　old　man；　stamps　on　his　face

and　repeatedly　thrusts　her　scissors　in　his　eyes。　　He　is　dragged

along　with　the　rope　around　his　neck　up　to　the　Pont　de　la　Selle；　and

thrown　into　the　neighboring　ford；　and　then　drawn　out；　again　dragged

through　the　streets　and　in　the　gutters；　with　a　bunch　of　hay　crammed

in　his　mouth。＇23＇



In　the　meantime；　his　house　as　well　as　that　of　the　lieutenant　of

police；　that　of　the　notary　Guyot；　and　that　of　M。　de　Saint…Georges；

are　sacked；　the　pillaging　and　destruction　lasts　four　hours；　at　the

notary's　house；　six　hundred　bottles　of　wine　are　consumed　or　carried

off；　objects　of　value　are　divided；　and　the　rest；　even　down　to　the

iron　balcony；　is　demolished　or　broken；　the　rioters　cry　out；　on

leaving；　that　they　have　still　to　burn　twenty…seven　houses；　and　to

take　twenty…seven　heads。　　〃No　one　at　Troyes　went　to　bed　that　fatal

night。〃…　During　the　succeeding　days；　for　nearly　two　weeks；　society

seems　to　be　dissolved。　　Placards　posted　about　the　streets　proscribe

municipal　officers；　canons；　divines；　privileged　persons；　prominent

merchants；　and　even　ladies　of　charity；　the　latter　are　so　frightened

that　they　throw　up　their　office；　while　a　number　of　persons　move　off

into　the　country；　others　barricade　themselves　in　their　dwellings　and

only　open　their　doors　with　saber　in　hand。　　Not　until　the　26th　does

the　orderly　class　rally　sufficiently　to　resume　the　ascendancy　and

arrest　the　miscreants。　　　Such　is　public　life　in　France　after　the

14th　of　July：　the　magistrates　in　each　town　feel　that　they　are　at　the

mercy　of　a　band　of　savages　and　sometimes　of　cannibals。　　Those　of

Troyes　had　just　tortured　Huez　after　the　fashion　of　Hurons；　while

those　of　Caen　did　worse；　Major　de　Belzance；　not　less　innocent；　and

under　sworn　protection；＇24＇　was　cut　to　pieces　like　Laperouse　in　the

Fiji　Islands；　and　a　woman　ate　his　heart。



　VI。





Taxes　are　no　longer　paid。　　…　Devastation　of　the　Forests。　　…　The　new

game　laws。



It　is；　under　such　circumstances；　possible　to　foretell　whether　taxes

come　in；　and　whether　municipalities　that　sway　about　in　every　popular

breeze　will　have　the　authority　to　collect　the　odious　revenues。　　

Towards　the　end　of　September；＇25＇　I　find　a　list　of　thirty…six

committees　or　municipal　bodies　which；　within　a　radius　of　fifty

leagues　around　Paris；　refuse　to　ensure　the　collection　of　taxes。　　One

of　them　tolerates　the　sale　of　contraband　salt；　in　order　not　to

excite　a　riot。　　Another　takes　the　precaution　to　disarm　the　employees

in　the　excise　department。　　In　a　third　the　municipal　officers　were

the　first　to　provide　themselves　with　contraband　salt　and　contraband

tobacco。



At　Peronne　and　at　Ham；　the　order　having　come　to　restore　the　toll…

houses；　the　people　destroy　the　soldiers'　quarters；　conduct　all　the

employees　to　their　homes；　and　order　them　to　leave　within　twenty…four

hours；　under　penalty　of　death。　　After　twenty　months'　resistance

Paris　will　end　the　matter　by　forcing　the　National　Assembly　to　give

in　and　by　obtaining　the　final　suppression　of　its　octroi。＇26＇　　　Of

all　the　creditors　whose　hand　each　one　felt　on　his　shoulders；　that　of

the　exchequer　was　the　heaviest；　and　now　it　is　the　weakest；　hence

this　is　the　first　whose　grasp　is　to　be　shaken　off；　there　is　none

which　is　more　heartily　detested　or　which　receives　harsher　treatment。

Especially　against　collectors　of　the　salt…tax；　custom…house

officers；　and　excisemen　the　fury　is　universal。　　These；

everywhere；＇27＇　are　in　danger　of　their　lives　and　are　obliged　to　fly。

At　Falaise；　in　Normandy；　the　people　threaten　to　〃cut　to　pieces　the

director　of　the　excise。〃　At　Baignes；　in　Saintonge；　his　house　is

devastated　and　his　papers　and　effects　are　burned；　they　put　a　knife

to　the　throat　of　his　son；　a　child　six　years　of　age；　saying；　〃Thou

must　perish　that　there　may　be　no　more　of　thy　race。〃

For　four　hours　the　clerks　are　on　the　point　of　being　torn　to　pieces；

through　the　entreaties　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；　who　sees　scythes

and　sabers　aimed　at　his　own　head；　they　are　released　only　on　the

condition　that　they　〃abjure　their　employment。〃　　Again；　for　two

months　following　the　taking　of　the　Bastille；　insurrections　break　out

by　hundreds；　like　a　volley　of　musketry；　against　indirect　taxation。

》From　the　23rd　of　July　the　Intendant　of　Champagne　reports　that　〃the

uprising　is　general　in　almost　all　the　towns　under　his　command。〃　On

the　following　day　the　Intendant　of　Alen？on　writes　that；　in　his

province；　〃the　royal　dues　will　no　longer　be　paid　anywhere。〃　On　the

7th　of　August；　M。　Necker　states　to　the　National　Assembly　that　in　the

two　intendants'　districts　of　Caen　and　Alen？on　it　has　been　necessary

to　reduce　the　price　of　salt　one…half；　that　〃in　an　infinity　of　places

〃　the　collection　of　the　excise　is　stopped　or　suspended；　that　the

smuggling　of　salt　and　tobacco　is　done　by　〃convoys　and　by　open　force

〃　in　Picardy；　in　Lorraine；　and　in　the　Trois…évêchés；　that　the

indirect　tax　does　not　come　in；　that　the　receivers…general　and　the

receivers　of　the　taille　are　〃at　bay〃　and　can　no　longer　keep　their

engagements。　　The　public　income　diminishes　from　month　to　month；　in

the　social　body；　the　heart；　already　so　feeble；　faints；　deprived　of

the　blood　which　no　longer　reaches　it；　it　ceases　to　propel　to　the

muscles　the　vivifying　current　which　restores　their　waste　and　adds　to

their　energy。



〃All　controlling　power　is　slackened；〃　says　Necker；　〃everything　is　a

prey　to　the　passions　of　individuals。〃　Where　is　the　power　to

constrain　them　and　to　secure　to　the　State　its　dues？　　The　clergy；

the　nobles；　wealthy　townsmen；　and　certain　brave　artisans　and

farmers；　undoubtedly　pay；　and　even　sometimes　give　spontaneously。

But　in　society　those　who　possess　intelligence；　who　are　in　easy

circumstances　and　conscientious；　form　a　small　select　class；　the

great　mass　is　egotistic；　ignorant；　and　needy；　and　lets　its　money　go

only　under　constraint；　there　is　but　one　way　to　collect　the　taxes；

and　that　is　to　extort　them。　　From　time　immemorial；　direct　taxes　in

France　have　been　collected　only　by　bailiffs　and　seizures；　which　is

not　surprising；　as　they　take　away　a　full　half　of　the　net　income。

Now　that　the　peasants　of　each　village　are　armed　and　form　a　band；　let

the　collector　come　and　make　seizures　if　he　dare　！　　〃　Immediately

after　the　decree　on　the　equality　of　the　taxes；〃　writes　the

provincial　commission　of　Alsace；＇28＇　〃the　people　generally　refused

to　make　any　payments；　until　those　who　were　exempt　and　privileged

should　have　been　inscribed　on　the　local　lists。〃　In　many　places　the

peasants　threaten　to　obtain　the　reimbursement　of　their　installments；

while　in　others　they　insist　that　the　decree　should　be　retrospective

and　that　the　new　rate…payers　should　pay　for　the　past　year。　　〃No

collector　dare　send　an　official　to　distrain；　none　that　are　sent　dare

fulfill　their　mission。〃　　〃　It　is　not　the　good　bourgeois〃　of　whom

there　is　any　fear；　〃but　the　rabble　who　make　the　latter　and　every　one

else　afraid　of　them；〃　resistance　and　disorder　everywhere　come　from

〃people　that　have　nothing　to　lose。〃　　Not　only　do　they　shake　off

taxation；　but　they　usurp　property；　and　declare　that；　being　the

Nation；　whatever　belongs　to　the　Nation　belongs　to　them。　　The　forests

of　Alsace　are　laid　waste；　the　seignorial　as　well　as　communal；　and

wantonly　destroyed　with　the　wastefulness　of　children　or　of　maniacs。

〃In　many　places；　to　avoid　the　trouble　of　removing　the　woods；　they

are　burnt；　and　the　people　content　themselves　with　carrying　off　the

ashes。〃　　After　the　decrees　of　August　4th；　and　in　spite　of　the　law

which　licenses　the　proprietor　only　to　hunt　on　his　own　grounds；　the

impulse　to　break　the　law　becomes　irresistible。　　Every　man　who　can

procure　a　gun　begins　operations；＇29＇