《the origins of contemporary france-2》

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the origins of contemporary france-2- 第79部分


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

and have chosen their leader as procureur…syndic。  Consequently; on

the 22nd of August; eighty armed peasants opened the dam of his

large pond; at the risk of submerging a village in the neighborhood;

the inhabitants of which came and closed it up。  Five other ponds

belonging to him are demolished in the course of the two following

weeks; fish to the value of from four to five thousand francs are

stolen; and the rest perish in the weeds。  In order to make this

expropriation sure; an effort is made to burn his title…deeds; his

chateau; twice attacked in the night; is saved only by the National

Guard of Ussel。  His farmers and domestics hesitate; for the time

being; whether or not to cultivate the ground; and come and ask the

steward if they could sow the seeds。  There is no recourse to the

proper authorities: the administrators and judges; even when their

own property is concerned; 〃dare not openly show themselves;〃

because 〃they do not find themselves protected by the shield of the

law。  〃  …  Popular will; traversing both the old and the new law;

obstinately persists in its work; and forcibly attains its ends。

Thus; whatever the grand terms of liberty; equality; and fraternity

may be; with which the Revolution graces itself; it is; in its

essence; a transfer of property; in this alone consists its chief

support; its enduring energy; its primary impulse and its historical

significance。  …  Formerly; in antiquity; similar movements were

accomplished; debts were abolished or lessened; the possessions of

the rich were confiscated; and the public lands were divided; but

this operation was confined to a city and limited to a small

territory。  For the first time it takes place on a large scale and

in a modern State。  …  Thus far; in these vast States; when the

deeper foundations have been disturbed; it has ever been on account

of foreign domination or on account of an oppression of conscience。

In France in the fifteenth century; in Holland in the sixteenth and

in England in the seventeenth century; the peasant; the mechanic;

and the laborer had taken up arms against an enemy or in behalf of

their faith。  On religious or patriotic zeal has followed the

craving for prosperity and comfort; and the new motive is as

powerful as the others; for in our industrial; democratic; and

utilitarian societies it is this which governs almost all lives; and

excites almost all efforts。  Kept down for centuries; the passion

recovers itself by throwing off government and privilege; the two

great weights which have borne it down。  At the present time this

passion launches itself impetuously with its whole force; with

brutal insensibility; athwart every kind of proprietorship that is

legal and legitimate; whether it be public or private。  The

obstacles it encounters only render it the more destructive ; beyond

property it attacks proprietors; and completes plunder with

proscriptions。



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Notes:





'1' The expression is that of Jean Bon Saint…André to Mathieu Dumas;

sent to re…establish tranquillity in Montauban (1790): 〃The day of

vengeance; which we have been awaiting for a hundred years; has

come!〃



'2' De Dampmartin; I。  187 (an eye…witness)。



'3' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3223 and 3216。  Letters of M。 de

Bouzols; major general; residing at Montpellier; May 21; 25; 28;

1790。



'4' Mary Lafon; 〃Histoire d'une Ville Protestante 〃。(with original

documents derived from the archives of Montauban)。



'5' Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 2216。  Procés…verbal of the

Municipality of N?mes and report of the Abbé de Belmont。   …  Report

of the Administrative commissioners; June 28; 1790。   …  Petition of

the Catholics; April 20。   …  Letters of the Municipality; the

commissioners; and M。 de Nausel; on the events of May 2 and 3。   …

Letter of M。 Rabaut Saint…Etienne; May 12  …  Petition of the widow

Gas; July 30。   …  Report (printed) of M。 Alquier; February 19;

1791。  …  Memoir (printed) of the massacre of the Catholics at

N?mes; by Froment (1790)。   …  New address of the Municipality of

N?mes; presented by M。 de Marguerite; mayor and deputy (1790);

printed。  Mercure de France; February 23; 1791。



'6' The petition is signed by 3;127 persons; besides 1560 who put a

cross declaring that they could not write。  The counter…petition of

the club is signed by 262 persons。



'7' This last item; stated in M。 Alquier's report; is denied by the

municipality。  According to it; the red rosettes gathered around the

bishop's quarters had no guns。



'8' An insurrection in the sixteenth century; when the Protestants

fired on the Catholics on St。  Michael's Day。…'TR。'



'9' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3216。  Letter of M。 de Lespin; Major

at N?mes; to the commandant of Provence; M de Perigord; July 27;

1790: 〃The plots and conspiracies which were attributed to the

vanquished party; and which; it was believed; would be discovered in

the depositions of the four hundred men in prison; vanish as the

proceedings advance。  The veritable culprits are to be found among

the informers。



'10' Buchez and Roux; III。  240 (Memorandum of the Ministers;

October 28; 1789)。 … 〃 Archives Nationales;〃 D; XXIX。  3。

Deliberation of the Municipal council of Vernon (November 4; 1789)



'11' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 KK; 1105。  correspondence of M。 de

Thiard; November 4; 1789。   …  See similar occurrences; September 4;

October 23; November 4 and 19; 1789; January 27 and March 27; 1790



'12' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3257。  Letter from Gex; May 29;

1790。   …  Buchez and Roux; VII。  198; 369 (September; October;

1790)。



'13' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。  correspondence of M。 de

Bercheny; Commandant of the four central provinces。  Letters of May

25; June 11; 19; and 27; 1790。   …  〃 Archives Nationales;〃 D。

XXIX。  4。  Deliberations of the district administrators of Bourbon…

Lancy; May 26。



'14' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。  2453。  Minutes of the meeting of a

dozen parishes in Nivernais; June 4。  〃White bread is to be 2 sous;

and brown bread 11/2 sous。  Husbandmen are to have 30 sous; reapers

10 sous; wheelwrights 10 sous; bailiffs 6 sous per league。  Butter

is to be at 8 sous; meat at 5 sous; pork at 8 sous; oil at 8 sous

the pint; a square foot of masonry…work 40 sous; a pair of large

sabots 3 sous。  All rights of pasturage and of forests are to he

surrendered。  The roads are to be free everywhere; as formerly。  All

seignorial rents arc to be suppressed。  Millers are to take only one

thirty…second of a bushel。  The seigneurs of our department are to

give up all servile holidays and ill…acquired property。  The curé of

Bièze is simply to say mass at nine o'clock in the morning and

vespers at two o'clock in the afternoon; in summer and winter; he

must marry and bury gratis; it being reserved to us to pay him a

salary。  He is to be paid 6 sous for masses; and not to leave his

curé except to repeat his breviary and make proper calls on the men

and women of his parish。  Hats must be had from 3 livres to 30 sous。

Nails 3 livres the gross。  Curés are to have none but circumspect

females of fifty for domestics。  Curés are not to go to either fairs

or markets。  All curés are to he on the same footing as the one at

Bièze。  There must he no more wholesale dealers in wheat。  Law

officers who make unjust seizures must return the money。  Farm

leases must expire on St。  Martin's Day。  M。 le Comte; although not

there; M。 de Tontenelle; and M。 de Commandant must sign this

document without difficulty。  M。 de Mingot is formally to resign his

place in writing: he went away with his servant…woman  …  he even

missed his mass on the first Friday of the Fête…Dieu; and it is

supposed that he slept in the woods。  Joiners' wages shall he fixed

at the same rate as wheelwrights'。  Ox…straps are not to cost over

40 sous; yokes 10 sous。  Masters must pay one…half of the tailles 。

Notaries are to take only the half of what they had formerly; as

well as comptrollers。  The Commune claims the right of protest

against whatever it may have forgotten in the present article; in

fact or in law。〃 (It is signed by about twenty persons; several of

them being mayors and municipal clerks。)



'15' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。  The same correspondence; May

29; June 11 and 17; September 15; 1790。 … ibid; F7; 3257。  Letter of

the municipal authorities of Marsigny; May 3; of the municipal

officers of Bourbon…Lancy; June 5。  Extract from letters written to

M。 Amelot; June 1st。



'16' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3185; 3186。  Letter of the President

of the Tribunal of the district of Laon; February 8; 1792。



'17' 〃Archives Nationales F7; 3268。  Procés…verbal and observations

of the two commissioners sent to étampes September 22…25; 1791。



'18' 〃Archives Nationales F7; 3265。  The following document; among

many others; shows the expedients and conceptions of the popular

imagination。  Petition of several inhabitants of the commune of

Forges (Seine Inférieure) 〃to the good and incorruptible Minister of

the Interior〃 (October 16; 1792)。  After three good crops in

succession; the famine still continues。  Under the ancient régime

wheat was superabundant; hogs were fed with it; and calves were

fattened with bread。  It is certain; therefore; that wheat is

diverted by monopolists and the enemies of the new regime。  The

farms are too large; let them he divided。  There is too much

pasture…ground: sow it with wheat。  Compel each farmer and land…

owner to give a statement of his crop: let the quantity be published

at the church service; and in case of falsehood let the man be put

to death or imprisoned; and his grain he confiscated。  Oblige all

the cultivators of the neighborhood to sell their wheat at Forges

only; etc。〃



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