the origins of contemporary france-4-第93章

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before　the　Revolution；　gives　local　cupidity　a　known；　sure；　direct　and

palpable　object。　　…　At　Toulouse；　says　a　prisoner；＇136＇　〃the　details

and　value　of　an　object　were　taken　down　as　if　for　a　succession；〃　while

the　commissioners　who　drew　up　the　statement；　〃our　assassins；

proceeded；　beforehand　and　almost　under　our　eyes；　to　take　their　share；

disputing　with　each　other　on　the　choice　and　suitableness　of　each

object；　comparing　the　cost　of　adjudication　with　the　means　of　lessening

it；　discussing　the　certain　profits　of　selling　again　and　of　the

transfer；　and　consuming　in　advance　the　pickings　arising　from　sales　and

leases。〃　…　In　Provence；　where　things　are　more　advanced　and　corruption

is　greater　than　elsewhere；　where　the　purport　and　aims　of　the

Revolution　were　comprehended　at　the　start；　it　is　still　worse。　　Nowhere

did　Jacobin　rulers　display　their　real　character　more　openly；　and

nowhere；　from　1789　to　1799；　was　this　character　so　well　maintained。　　At

Toulon；　the　demagogues　in　the　year　V。；　as　in　the　year　II。；　are＇137＇

〃former　workmen　and　clerks　in　the　Arsenal　who　had　become　'bosses'　by

acting　as　informers　and　through　terrorism；　getting　property　for

nothing；　or　at　an　insignificant　price；　and　plotting　sales　of　national

possessions；　petty　traders　from　all　quarters　with　stocks　of　goods

acquired　in　all　sorts　of　ways；　through　robberies；　through　purchases　of

stolen　goods　from　servants　and　employees　in　the　civil；　war　and　navy

departments；　and　through　abandoned　or　bought…up　claims；　in　a　word；　men

who；　having　run　away　from　other　communes；　pass　their　days　in　coffee…

houses　and　their　nights　in　houses　of　ill…fame。〃　…　At　Draguignan；

Brignolles；　Vidauban；　Fréjus；　at　Marseilles；　after　Thermidor；　the

intermittent　returns　to　Terrorism　always　restore　the　same　quarries　of

the　justiciary　and　the　police　to　office。＇138＇　〃Artisans；　once　useful；

but　now　tired　of　working；　and　whom　the　profession　of　paid　clubbists；

idle　guardians；〃　and　paid　laborers　〃has　totally　demoralized；〃

scoundrels　in　league　with　each　other　and　making　money　out　of　whatever

they　can　lay　their　hands　on；　like　thieves　at　a　fair；　habitually　living

at　the　expense　of　the　public；　〃bestowing　the　favors　of　the　nation　on

those　who　share　their　principles；　harboring　and　aiding　many　who　are

under　the　ban　of　the　law　and　calling　themselves　model　patriots；＇139＇

that　is；　in　the　pay　of　gambling　hells　and　houses　of　prostitution。〃　…

In　the　rural　districts；　the　old　bands　〃consisting　of　hordes　of

homeless　brigands〃　who　worked　so　well　during　the　anarchy　of　the

Constituent　and　Legislative　assemblies；　form　anew　during　the　anarchy

of　the　Directory；　they　make　their　appearance　in　the　vicinity　of　Apt

〃commencing　with　petty　robberies　and　then；　strong　in　the　impunity　and

title　of　sans…culottes；　break　into　farm…houses；　rob　and　massacre　the

inmates；　strip　travelers；　put　to　ransom　all　who　happen　to　cross　their

path；　force　open　and　pillage　houses　in　the　commune　of　Gorges；　stop

women　in　the　streets；　tear　off　their　rings　and　crosses；〃　and　attack

the　hospital；　sacking　it　from　top　to　bottom；　while　the　town　and

military　officers；　just　like　them；　allow　them　to　go　on。＇140＇　…　Judge

by　this　of　their　performances　in　the　time　of　Robespierre；　when　the

vendors　and　administrators　of　the　national　possessions　exercised

undisputed　control。　　Everywhere；　at　that　time；　in　the　departments　of

Var；　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　and　Vaucluse；　〃a　club　of　would…be　patriots〃　had

long　prepared　the　way　for　their　exactions。　　It　had　〃paid　appraisers

for　depreciating　whatever　was　put　up　for　sale；　and　false　names　for

concealing　real　purchasers；　〃a　person　not　of　their　clique；　was

excluded　from　the　auction…room；　if　he　persisted　in　coming　in　they

would；　at　one　time；　put　him　under　contribution　for　the　privilege　of

bidding；〃　and；　at　another　time；　make　him　promise　not　to　bid　above　the

price　fixed　by　the　league；　while；　to　acquire　the　domain；　they　paid　him

a　bonus。　　Consequently；　〃national　property〃　was　given　away　〃for　almost

nothing；〃　the　swindlers　who　acquired　it　never　being　without　a

satisfactory　warrant　for　this　in　their　own　eyes。　　Into　whose　hands

could　the　property　of　anti…revolutionists　better　fall　than　into　those

of　patriots？　According　to　Marat；　the　martyr　apostle　and　canonised

saint　of　the　Revolution；　what　is　the　object　of　the　Revolution　but　to

give　to　the　lowly　the　fortunes　of　the　great？＇141＇　In　all　national

sales　everywhere；　in　guarding　sequestrations；　in　all　revolutionary

ransoms；　taxes；　loans　and　seizures；　the　same　excellent　argument

prevails；　nowhere；　in　printed　documents　or　in　manuscripts；　do　I　find

any　revolutionary　committee　which　is　at　once　terrorist　and　honest。

Only；　it　is　rare　to　find　specific　and　individual　details　regarding　all

the　members　of　the　same　committee。　　…　Here；　however；　is　one　case；

where；　owing　to　the　lucky　accident　of　an　examination　given　in　detail；

one　can　observe　in　one　nest；　every　variety　of　the　species　and　of　its

appetites；　the　dozen　or　fifteen　types　of　the　Jacobin　hornet；　each

abstracting　what　suits　him　from　whatever　he　lights　on；　each　indulging

in　his　favorite　sort　of　rapine。　　…　At　Nantes；　〃Pinard；　the　great

purveyor　of　the　Committee；＇142＇　orders　everything　that　each　member

needs　for　his　daily　use　to　be　carried　to　his　house。〃　…　〃Gallou　takes

oil　and　brandy；〃　and　especially　〃several　barrels　from　citizen

Bissonneau's　house。〃　…　〃Durassier　makes　domiciliary　visits　and　exacts

contributions；〃　among　others　〃he　compels　citizen　Lemoine　to　pay

twenty…five　hundred　livres；　to　save　him　from　imprisonment。〃　…　〃Naud

affixes　and　removes　seals　in　the　houses　of　the　incarcerated；　makes

nocturnal　visits　to　the　dwellings　of　the　accused　and　takes　what　suits

him。〃　…　〃Grandmaison　appropriates　plate　under　sequestration；　and

Bachelier　plate　given　as　a　present。〃　…　〃Joly　superintends　executions

and　takes　all　he　can　find；　plate；　jewelry；　precious　objects。〃　…

〃Bolognié　forces　the　return　of　a　bond　of　twenty　thousand　livres

already　paid　to　him。〃　…　Perrochaux　demands　of　citoyenne　Ollemard…Dudan

〃fifty　thousand　livres；　to　prevent　her　imprisonment；〃　and　confiscates

for　his　own　benefit　sixty　thousand　livres　worth　of　tobacco；　in　the

house　of　the　widow　Daigneau…Mallet；　who；　claiming　it　back；　is　led　off

by　him　to　prison　under　the　pretext　of　interceding　for　her。　　…　Chaux

frightens　off　by　terrorism　his　competitors　at　auction　sales；　has　all

the　small　farms　on　the　Baroissière　domain　knocked　down　to　him；　and

exclaims　concerning　a　place　which　suits　him：　〃I　know　how　to　get　it！

I'll　have　the　owner　arrested。　　He'll　be　very　glad　to　let　me　have　his

ground　to　get　out　of　prison。'　〃　…　The　collection　is　complete；　and

gathered　on　a　table；　it　offers　specimens　which　can　be　found　scattered

all　over　France。



VII。　　The　Armed　Forces。



The　Armed　Force；　the　National　Guard　and　the　Gendarmerie。　　…　Its

purgation　　and　composition。　　…　The　Revolutionary　Armies　in　Paris　and

in　the　departments。　　…　Quality　of　the　recruits。　　…　Their　employment。

…　Their　expeditions　into　the　countryside　and　the　towns。　　…　Their

exploits　in　the　vicinity　of　Paris　and　Lyons。　　…　The　company　of

Maratists；　the　American　Hussars　and　the　German　Legion　at　Nantes。　　…

General　character　of　the　Revolutionary　government　and　of　the

administrative　staff　of　the　Reign　of　Terror。



The　last　manipulators　of　the　system　remain；　the　hands　which　seize；　the

armed　force　which　takes　bodily　hold　of　men　and　things。　　…　The　first

who　are　employed　for　this　purpose　are　the　National　Guard　and　the

ordinary　gendarmerie。　　Since　1790；　these　bodies　are　of　course

constantly　weeded　out　until　only　fanatics　and　robots　are　left；＇143＇

nevertheless；　the　weeding…out　continues　as　the　system　develops　itself。

At　Strasbourg；＇144＇　on　Brumaire　14；　the　representatives　have

dismissed；　arrested　and　sent　to　Dijon　the　entire　staff　of　the　National

Guard　to　serve　as　hostages　until　peace　is　secured；　three　days

afterwards；　considering　that　the　cavalry　of　the　town　had　been　mounted

and　equipped　at　its　own　expense；　they　deem　it　aristocratic；　bourgeois；