第 72 节
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take long for his way of thinking to become prevalent。 In ordinary
times; social and political ideas slumber in uncultured minds in the
shape of vague antipathies; restrained aspirations; and fleeting
desires。 Behold them aroused … energetic; imperious; stubborn; and
unbridled。 Objection or opposition is not to be tolerated; dissent;
with them; is a sure sign of treachery。 … Apropos of the nonjuring
priests;'40' five hundred and twenty…seven of the National Guards of
Arras write; 〃that no one could doubt their iniquity without being
suspected of being their accomplices。 。 。 。 Should the whole
town combine and express a contrary opinion; it would simply show
that it is filled with enemies of the Constitution;〃 and forthwith;
in spite of the law and the remonstrances of the authorities; they
insist on the closing of the churches。 At Boulogne…sur…Mer; an
English vessel having shipped a quantity of poultry; game; and eggs;
〃the National Guards; of their own authority;〃 go on board and
remove the cargo。 On the strength of this; the accommodating
municipal body approves of the act; declares the cargo confiscated;
orders it to be sold; and awards one…half of the proceeds to the
National Guards and the other half to charitable purposes。 The
concession is a vain one; for the National Guards consider that one…
half is too little; 〃insult and threaten the municipal officers;〃
and immediately proceed to divide the booty in kind; each one going
home with a share of stolen hams and chickens。'41' The magistrates
must necessarily keep quiet with the guns of those they govern
pointed at them。 … Sometimes; and it is generally the case; they are
timid; and do not try to resist。 At Douai;'42' the municipal
officers; on being summoned three times to proclaim martial law;
refuse; and end by avowing that they dare not unfold the red flag:
〃Were we to take this course we should all be sacrificed on the
spot。〃 Neither the troops nor the National Guards; in fact; are to
be relied on。 In this universal state of apathy the field is open
to savages; and a dealer in wheat is hung。 … Sometimes the
administrative corps tries to resist; but in the end it has to
succumb to violence。 〃For more than six hours;〃 writes one of the
members of the district of Etampes;'43' 〃we were closed in by
bayonets leveled at us and with pistols at our breasts ; and they
were obliged to sign a dismissal of the troops which had arrived to
protect the market。 At present 〃we are all away from Etampes; there
is no longer a district or a municipality;〃 almost all have handed
in their resignations; or are to return for that purpose。 …
Sometimes; and this is the rarest case;'44' the officials do their
duty to the end; and perish。 In this same town; six months later;
Simoneau; the mayor; having refused to cut down the price of wheat;
is beaten with iron…pointed sticks; and his corpse is riddled with
balls by the murderers。 … Municipal bodies must take heed how they
undertake to stem the torrent; the; slightest opposition will soon
be at the expense of their lives。 In Touraine;'45' 〃as the
publication of the tax…rolls takes place; riots break out against
the municipal authorities; they are forced to surrender the rolls
they have drawn up; and their papers are torn up。〃 And still more;
〃they kill; they assassinate the municipal authorities。〃 In that
large commune men and women 〃beat and kick them with their fists and
sabots。 。 。 。 The mayor is laid up after it; and the procureur
of the commune died between nine and ten o'clock in the morning。
Véteau; a municipal officer; received the last sacrament this
morning ;〃 the rest have fled; being constantly threatened with
death and incendiarism。 They do not; consequently; return; and 〃no
one now will take the office of either mayor or administrator。〃 …
The outrages which the municipalities thus commit against their
superiors are committed against themselves。 The National Guards;
the mob; the controlling faction; arrogating to themselves in the
commune the same violent sovereignty which the commune pretends to
exercise against the State。
I should never finish if I undertook to enumerate the outbreaks in
which the magistrates are constrained to tolerate or to sanction
popular usurpations; to shut up churches; to drive off or imprison
priests; to suppress octrois; tax grain; and allow clerks; bakers;
corn…dealers; ecclesiastics; nobles; and officers to be hung; beaten
to death; or to have their throats cut。 Ninety…four thick files of
records in the national archives are filled with these acts of
violence; and do not contain two…thirds of them。 It is worth while
to take in detail one case more; a special one; and one that is
authentic; which serves as a specimen; and which presents a
foreshortened image of France during one tranquil year。 At Aix; in
the month of December; 1790;'46' in Opposition to the two Jacobin
clubs; a club had been organized; had complied with all the
formalities; and; like the 〃 Club des Monarchiens〃 at Paris; claimed
the same right of meeting as the others。 But here; as at Paris; the
Jacobins recognize no rights but for themselves alone; and refuse to
admit their adversaries to the privileges of the law。 Moreover;
alarming rumors are circulated。 A person who has arrived from Nice
states that he had 〃heard that there were twenty thousand men
between Turin and Nice; under the pay of the emigrants; and that at
Nice a neuvaine'47' was held in Saint Fran?ois…de…Paule to pray God
to enlighten the French。〃 A counter…revolution is certainly under
way。 Some of the aristocrats have stated 〃with an air of triumph;
that the National Guard and municipalities are a mere toy; and that
this sort of thing will not last long。〃 One of the leading members
of the new club; M。 de Guiraitiand; an old officer of seventy…eight
years; makes speeches in public against the National Assembly; tries
to enlist artisans in his party; 〃affects to wear a white button on
his hat fastened by pins with their points jutting out;〃 and; as it
is stated; he has given to several mercers a large order for white
cockades。 In reality; on examination; not one is found in any shop;
and all the dealers in ribbons; on being interrogated; reply that
they know of no transaction of that description。 But this simply
proves that the culprit is a clever dissimulator; and the more
dangerous because he is eager to save the country。 … On the 12th of
December; at four o'clock in the afternoon; the two Jacobin clubs
fraternise; and pass in long procession before the place of meeting;
〃where some of the members; a few officers of the Lyons regiment and
other individuals; are quietly engaged at play or seeing others
play。〃 The crowd hoot; but they remain quiet。 The procession passes
by again; and they hoot and shout; 〃Down with the aristocrats to the
lamp post with them! 〃 Two or three of the officers standing on the
threshold of the door become irritated; and one of them; drawing his
sword; threatens to strike a young man if he keeps on。 Upon this
the crowd cries out; 〃Guard! Help! An assassin!〃 and rushes at the
officer; who withdraws into the house; exclaiming; 〃To arms!〃 His
comrades; sword in hand; descend in order to defend the door; M。 de
Guiramand fires two pistol shots and receives a stab in the thigh。
A shower of stones smashes in the windows; and the door is on the
point of being burst open when several of the members of the club
save themselves by taking to the roof。 About a dozen others; most
of them officers; form in line; penetrate the crowd with uplifted
swords; strike and get struck; and escape; five of them being
wounded。 The municipality orders the doors and windows of the club…
house to be walled up; sends the Lyons regiment away; decrees the
arrest of seven officers and of M。 de Guiramand; and all this in a
few hours; with no other testimony than that of the conquerors。
But these prompt; vigorous and partial measures are not sufficient
for the Jacobin club; other conspirators must be seized; and it is
the club which designates them and goes to take them。 … Three months
before this; M。 Pascalis; an advocate; on addressing along with
some of his professional brethren the dissolved parliament; deplored
the blindness of the people; 〃exalted by prerogatives of which they
knew not the danger。〃 A man who dared talk in this way is evidently
a traitor。 … There is another; M。 Morellet de la Roquette; who
refused to join the proscribed club。 His former vassals; however;
had been obliged to bring an action against him to make him accept
the redemption of his feudal dues; also; six years before this; his
carriage; passing along the public promenade; had run over a child;
he likewise is an enemy of the people。 While the municipal officers
are deliberating; 〃a few members of the club〃 get together and
decide that M。 Pascalis and M。 de la Ro