the origins of contemporary france-2- 第78部分

gentlemen；　assembled　together　at　the　house　of　M。　d'Escayrac；　in

Castel；　appeal　to　all　good　citizens　to　march　to　the　assistance　of

the　proprietors　who　may　be　attacked　in　this　jacquerie；　which　is

spreading　everywhere；＇72＇　but　there　are　too　few　proprietors　in　the

country；　and　none　of　the　towns　have　too　many　of　them　for　their　own

protection。　　M。　d'Escayrac；　after　a　few　skirmishes；　abandoned　by　the

municipal　officers　of　his　village；　and　wounded；　withdraws　to　the

house　of　the　Comte　de　Clarac；　a　major…general；　in　Languedoc。　　Here；

too；　the　chateau；　is　surrounded；＇73＇　blockaded；　and　besieged　by　the

local　National　Guard。　　M。　de　Clarac　descends　and　tries　to　hold　a

parley　with　the　attacking　party；　and　is　fired　upon。　　He　goes　back

inside　and　throws　money　out　of　the　window；　the　money　is　gathered　up；

and　he　is　again　fired　upon。　　The　chateau　is　set　on　fire；　and　M。

d'Escayrac　receives　five　shots；　and　is　killed。　　M。　de　Clarac；　with

another　person；　having　taken　refuge　in　a　subterranean　vault；　are

taken　out　almost　stifled　the　next　morning　but　one　by　the　National

Guard　of　the　vicinity；　who　conduct　them　to　Toulouse；　where　they　are

kept　in　prison　and　where　the　public　prosecutor　takes　proceedings

against　them。　　The　chateau　of　Bagat；　near　Montcuq；　is　demolished　at

the　same　time。　　The　abbey　of　Espagnac；　near　Figeac；　is　assaulted

with　fire…arms；　the　abbess　is　forced　to　refund　all　rents　she　has

collected；　and　to　restore　four　thousand　livres　for　the　expenses　of　a

trial　which　the　convent　had　gained　twenty　years　before。



After　such　successes；　the　extension　of　the　revolt　is　inevitable；　and

at　the　end　of　some　weeks　and　months　it　becomes　permanent　in　the

three　neighboring　departments。　　…　　In　Creuse；＇74＇　the　judges　are

threatened　with　death　if　they　order　the　payment　of　seignorial　dues；

and　the　same　fate　awaits　all　proprietors　who　claim　their　rents。　　In

many　places；　and　especially　in　the　mountains；　the　peasants；

〃considering　that　they　form　the　nation；　and　that　clerical

possessions　are　national；〃　want　to　have　these　divided　amongst

themselves；　instead　of　their　being　sold。　　Fifty　parishes　around　La

Souterraine　receive　incendiary　letters　inviting　them　to　come　in　arms

to　the　town；　in　order　to　secure　by　force；　and　by　staking　their

lives；　the　production　of　all　titles　to　rentals。　　The　peasants；　in　a

circle　of　eight　leagues；　are　all　stirred　up　by　the　sound　of　the

tocsin；　and　preceded　by　the　municipal　officers　in　their　scarves；

there　are　four　thousand　of　them；　and　they　drag　with　them　a　wagon

full　of　arms：　this　is　for　the　revision　and　re…constitution　of　the

ownership　of　the　soil。　　…　　In　Dordogne；＇75＇　self…appointed

arbitrators　interpose　imperiously　between　the　proprietor　and　the

small　farmer；　at　the　time　of　harvest；　to　prevent　the　proprietor　from

claiming；　and　the　farmer　from　paying；　the　tithes　or　the　réve；＇76＇

any　agreement　to　this　end　is　forbidden；　whoever　shall　transgress　the

new　order　of　things；　proprietor　or　farmer；　shall　be　hung。

Accordingly；　the　rural　militia　in　the　districts　of　Bergerac；

Excideuil；　Ribérac；　Mucidan；　Montignac；　and　Perigueux；　led　by　the

municipal　officers；　go　from　commune　to　commune　in　order　to　force　the

proprietors　to　sign　an　act　of　withdrawal；　and　these　visits　〃are

always　accompanied　with　robberies；　outrages；　and　ill…treatment　from

which　there　is　no　escape　but　in　absolute　submission。〃　Moreover；

〃they　demand　the　abolition　of　every　species　of　tax　and　the　partition

of　the　soil。　　〃　　…　　It　is　impossible　for　〃proprietors　moderately

rich　〃　to　remain　in　the　country；　on　all　sides　they　take　refuge　in

Perigueux；　and　there；　organizing　in　companies；　along　with　the

gendarmerie　and　the　National　Guard　of　the　town；　overrun　the　cantons

to　restore　order。　　But　there　is　no　way　of　persuading　the　peasantry

that　it　is　order　which　they　wish　to　restore。　　With　that　stubbornness

of　the　imagination　which　no　obstacle　arrests；　and　which；　like　a

vigorous　spring；　always　finds　some　outlet；　the　people　declare　that

〃the　gendarmes　and　National　Guard〃　who　come　to　restrain　them　〃are

priests　and　gentlemen　in　disguise。〃　　…　　The　new　theories；　moreover；

have　struck　down　to　the　lowest　depths；　and　nothing　is　easier　than　to

draw　from　them　the　abolition　of　debts；　and　even　the　agrarian　law。

At　Ribérac；　which　is　invaded　by　the　people　of　the　neighboring

parishes；　a　village　tailor；　taking　the　catechism　of　the　Constitution

from　his　pocket；　argues　with　the　procureur…syndic；　and　proves　to　him

that　the　insurgents　are　only　exercising　the　rights　of　man。　　The　book

states；　in　the　first　place；　〃that　Frenchmen　are　equals　and　brethren；

and　that　they　should　give　each　other　aid；〃　and　that　〃the　masters

should　share　with　their　fellows；　especially　this　year；　which　is　one

of　scarcity。〃　In　the　next　place；　it　is　written　that　〃all　property

belongs　to　the　nation；〃　and　that　is　the　reason　why　〃it　has　taken　the

possessions　of　the　Church。〃　Now；　all　Frenchmen　compose　the　nation；

and　the　conclusion　is　clearly　apparent。　　Since；　in　the　eyes　of　the

tailor；　the　property　of　individual　Frenchmen　belongs　to　all　the

French；　he；　the　tailor；　has　a　right　to　at　least　the　quota　which

belongs　to　him。　　…　　One　travels　fast　and　far　on　this　downhill　road；

for　every　mob　considers　that　this　means　immediate　enjoyment；　and

enjoyment　according　to　its　own　ideas。　　There　is　no　care　for

neighbors　or　for　consequences；　even　when　imminent　and　physical；　and

in　twenty　places　the　confiscated　property　perishes　in　the　hands　of

the　usurpers。



This　voluntary　destruction　of　property　can　be　best　observed　in　the

third　department；　that　of　Corrèze。＇77＇　　Not　only　have　the　peasants

here　refused　to　pay　rents　from　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　not

only　have　they　〃planted　maypoles；　supplied　with　iron　hooks；　to　hang

〃　the　first　one　that　dared　to　claim　or　to　pay　them；　not　only　are

violent　acts　of　every　description　committed　〃by　entire　communes；〃

〃the　National　Guards　of　the　small　communes　participating　in　them；〃

not　only　do　the　culprits；　whose　arrest　is　ordered；　remain　at

liberty；　while　〃nothing　is　spoken　of　but　the　hanging　of　the

constables　who　serve　writs；〃　but　farther；　together　with　the

ownership　of　the　water…sources；　the　power　of　collecting；　directing；

and　distributing　the　water　is　overthrown；　and；　in　a　country　of　in　a

country　of　steep　slopes；　the　consequences　of　such　an　operation　may

be　imagined。　Three　leagues　from　Tulle；　in　a　forming　a　semi…circle；　a

pond　twenty　feet　in　depth；　and　covering　an　area　of　three　hundred

acres；　was　enclosed　by　a　broad　embankment　on　the　side　of　a　very　deep

gorge；　which　was　completely　covered　with　houses；　mills；　and

cultivation。　　On　the　17th　of　April；　1791；　a　troop　of　five　hundred

armed　men　assembled　by　the　beat　of　a　drum；　and　collected　from　three

villages　in　the　vicinity；　set　themselves　to　demolish　the　dike。　　The

proprietor；　M。　de　Sedières；　a　substitute…deputy　in　the　National

Assembly；　is　not　advised　of　it　until　eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening。

Mounting　his　horse；　along　with　his　guests　and　domestics；　he　makes　a

charge　on　the　insane　wretches；　and；　with　the　aid　of　pistol　and　gun

shots；　disperses　them。　　It　was　time；　for　the　trench　they　had　dug　was

already　eight　feet　deep；　and　the　water　was　nearly　on　a　level　with

it：　a　half…hour　later　and　the　terrible　rolling　mass　of　waters　would

have　poured　out　on　the　inhabitants　of　the　gorge。　　…　　But　such

vigorous　strokes；　which　are　rare　and　hardly　ever　successful；　are　no

defense　against　universal　and　continuous　attacks。　　The　regular

troops　and　the　gendarmerie；　both　of　which　are　in　the　way　of

reorganization　or　of　dissolution；　are　not　trustworthy；　or　are　too

weak。　　There　are　no　more　than　thirty　of　the　cavalry　in　Creuse；　and

as　many　in　Corrèze。　　The　National　Guards　of　the　towns　are　knocked　up

by　expeditions　into　the　country；　and　there　is　no　money　with　which　to

provide　for　their　change　of　quarters。　　And　finally；　as　the　elections

are　in　the　hands　of　the　people；　this　brings　into　power　men　disposed

to　tolerate　popular　excesses。　　At　Tulle；　the　electors　of　the　second

class；　almost　all　chosen　from　among　the　cultivators；　and；　moreover；

catechized　by　the　club；　nominate　for　deputies　and　public　prosecutor

only　the　candidates　who　are　pledged　against　rentals　and　against

water　privileges。　　…　　Accordingly；　the　general　demolition　of　the

dikes　begins　as　the　month　of　May　approaches。　　This　operation

continues　unopposed　on　a　vast　pond；　a　league　and　a　half　from　the

town；　and　lasts　for　a　whole　week；　elsewhere；　on　the　arrival　of　the

guards　or　of　the　gendarmerie；　they　are　fired　upon。　　Towards　the　end

of　September；　all　the　embankments　in　the　department　are　broken　down：

nothing　is　left　in　the　place　of　the　ponds　but　fetid　marshes；　the

mill…wheels　no　longer　turn；　and　the　fields　are　no　longer　watered。

But　those　who　demolish　them　carry　away　baskets　full　of　fish；　and　the

soil　of　the　ponds　again　becomes　communal。　　…　　Hatred　is　not　the

motive　which　impels　them；　but　the　instinct　of　acquisition：　all　these

violent　outstretched　hands；　which　rigidly　resist　the　law；　are

directed　against　property；　but　not　against　the　proprietor；　they　are

more　greedy　than　hostile。　　One　of　the　noblemen　of　Corrèze；＇78＇　M。　de

Saint…Victour；　has　been　absent　for　five　years。　　From　the　beginning

of　the　Revolution；　although　his　feudal　dues　constitute　one…half　of

the　income　of　his　estate；　he　has　given　orders　that　no　rigorous

measures　shall　be　employed　in　their　collection；　and　the　result　is

that；　since　1789；　none　of　them　were　collected。　　Moreover；　having　a

reserve　stock　of　wheat　on　hand；　he　lent　grain；　to　the　amount　of　four

thousand　francs；　to　those　of　his　tenants　who　had　none。　　In　short；　he

is　liberal；　and；　in　the　neighboring　town；　at　Ussel；　he　even　passes

for　a　Jacobin。　　In　spite　of　all　this；　he　is　treated　just　like　the

rest。　　It　is　because　the　parishes　in　his　domain　are　〃clubbist；〃

governed　by　associations　of　moral　and　practical　levelers；　in　one　of

them　〃the　brigands　have　organized　themselves　into　a　municipal　body；〃

and　have　chosen　t