are　the　firebrands　of　the　insurrections。＇13＇　At　Saint…Sauge；　〃the
  first　work　of　the　primary　meeting　is　to　oblige　the　municipal
  officers　to　fix　the　price　of　wheat　under　the　penalty　of　being
  decapitated。〃　At　Saint…Géran　the　same　course　is　taken　with　regard　to
  bread；　wheat；　and　meat；　at　Chatillon…en…Bayait　it　is　done　with　all
  supplies；　and　always　a　third　or　a　half　under　the　market　price；
  without　mentioning　other　exactions。　　…　　They　come　by　degrees　to　the
  drafting　of　a　tariff　for　all　the　valuables　they　know；　proclaiming
  the　maximum　price　which　an　article　may　reach；　and　so　establishing　a
  complete　code　of　rural　and　social　economy。　　We　see　in　the　turbulent
  and　spasmodic　wording　of　this　instrument　their　dispositions　and
  sentiments；　as　in　a　mirror。＇14＇　　It　is　the　program　of　villagers。
  Its　diverse　articles；　save　local　variations；　must　be　executed；　now
  one　and　now　the　other；　according　to　the　occasion；　the　need；　and　the
  time；　and；　above　all；　whatever　concerns　provisions。　　…　　The　wish；　as
  usual；　is　the　father　of　the　thought；　the　peasantry　thinks　that　it　is
  acting　by　authority：　here；　through　a　decree　of　the　King　and　the
  National　Assembly；　there；　by　a　commission　directly　entrusted　to　the
  Comte　d'Estrées。　　Even　before　this；　in　the　market…place　of　Saint…
  Amand；　〃a　man　jumped　on　a　heap　of　wheat　and　cried　out；　'In　the　name
  of　the　King　and　the　nation；　wheat　at　one…half　the　market…price！〃'　An
  old　officer　of　the　Royal　Grenadiers；　a　chevalier　of　the　order　of
  Saint…Louis；　is　reported　to　be　marching　at　the　head　of　several
  parishes；　and　promulgating　ordinances　in　his　own　name　and　that　of
  the　King；　imposing　a　fine　of　eight　livres　on　whoever　may　refuse　to
  join　him。　　…　　On　all　sides　there　is　a　swarm　of　working　people；　and
  resistance　is　fruitless。　　There　are　too　many　of　them；　the
  constabulary　being　drowned　in　the　flood。　　For；　these　rustic
  legislators　are　the　National　Guard　itself；　and　when　they　vote
  reductions　upon；　or　requisitions　for；　supplies；　they　enforce　their
  demands　with　their　guns。　　The　municipal　officials；　willingly　or
  unwillingly；　must　needs　serve　the　insurgents。　　At　Donjon　the
  Electoral　Assembly　has　seized　the　mayor　of　the　place　and　threatened
  to　kill　him；　or　to　burn　his　house；　if　he　did　not　put　the　cutting　of
  wheat　at　forty　sous；　whereupon　he　signs；　and　all　the　mayors　with
  him；　〃under　the　penalty　of　death。〃　As　soon　as　this　is　done　the
  peasants；　〃to　the　sound　of　fifes　and　drums；〃　spread　through　the
  neighboring　parishes　and　force　the　delivery　of　wheat　at　forty　sous；
  and　show　such　a　determined　spirit　that　the　four　brigades　of
  gendarmes　sent　out　against　them　think　it　best　to　retire。　　…　　Not
  content　with　taking　what　they　want；　they　provide　for　reserve
  supplies；　wheat　is　a　prisoner。　　In　Nivernais　and　Bourbonnais；　the
  peasants　trace　a　boundary　line　over　which　no　sack　of　grain　of　that
  region　must　pass；　in　case　of　any　infraction　of　this　law　the　rope　and
  the　torch　are　close　at　hand　for　the　delinquent。　　…　　It　remains　to
  make　sure　that　this　rule　is　enforced。　　In　Berri　bands　of　peasants
  visit　the　markets　to　see　that　their　tariff　is　everywhere　maintained。
  In　vain　are　they　told　that　they　are　emptying　the　markets；　〃they
  reply　that　they　know　how　to　make　grain　come；　that　they　will　take　it
  from　private　hands；　and　money　besides；　if　necessary。〃　In　fact；　the
  granaries　and　cellars　belonging　to　a　large　number　of　persons　are
  pillaged。　　Farmers　are　constrained　to　put　their　crops　into　a　common
  granary；　and　the　rich　are　put　to　ransom；　〃the　nobles　are　compelled
  to　contribute；　and　obliged　to　give　entire　domains　as　donations；
  cattle　are　carried　off；　and　they　want　to　take　the　lives　of　the
  proprietors；〃　while　the　towns；　which　defend　their　storehouses　and
  markets；　are　openly　attacked。＇15＇　　Bourbon…Lancy；　Bourbon…
  l'Archambault；　Saint…Pierre…le…Moutier；　Montlu？on；　Saint…Amand；
  Chateau…Gontier；　Decises；　each　petty　community　is　an　islet　assailed
  by　the　mounting　tide　of　rustic　insurrection。　　The　militia　pass　the
  night　under　arms；　detachments　of　the　National　Guards　of　the　large
  towns　with　regular　troops　come　and　garrison　them。　　The　red　flag　is
  continuously　raised　for　eight　days　at　Bourbon…Lancy；　and　cannon
  stand　loaded　and　pointed　in　the　public　square。　　On　the　24th　of　May
  an　attack　is　made　on　Saint…Pierre…le…Moutier；　and　fusillades　take
  place　all　night　on　both　sides。　　On　the　2nd　of　June；　Saint…Amand；
  menaced　by　twenty…seven　parishes；　is　saved　only　by　the　preparations
  it　makes　and　by　the　garrison。　　About　the　same　time　Bourbon…Lancy　is
  attacked　by　twelve　parishes　combined；　and　Chateau…Gontier　by　the
  sabotiers　of　the　forests　in　the　vicinity。　　A　band　of　from　four　to
  five　hundred　villagers　arrests　the　convoys　of　Saint…Amand；　and
  forces　their　escorts　to　capitulate；　another　band　entrenches　itself
  in　the　Chateau　de　la　Fin；　and　fires　throughout　the　day　on　the
  regulars　and　the　National　Guard。　…　The　large　towns　themselves　are
  not　safe。　　Three　or　four　hundred　rustics；　led　by　their　municipal
  officers；　forcibly　enter　Tours；　to　compel　the　municipality　to　lower
  the　price　of　corn　and　diminish　the　rate　of　leases。　　Two　thousand
  slate…quarry…men；　armed　with　guns；　spits；　and　forks；　force　their　way
  into　Angers　to　obtain　a　reduction　on　bread；　fire　upon　the　guard；　and
  are　charged　by　the　troops　and　the　National　Guard；　a　number　remain
  dead　in　the　streets；　two　are　hung　that　very　evening；　and　the　red
  flag　is　displayed　for　eight　days。　　〃The　town；〃　say　the　dispatches；
  〃would　have　been　pillaged　and　burnt　had　it　not　been　for　the　Picardy
  regiment。〃　Fortunately；　as　the　crop　promises　to　be　a　good　one；
  prices　fall。　　As　the　Electoral　Assemblies　are　closed；　the
  fermentation　subsides；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　year；　like　a　clear
  spell　in　a　steady　storm；　the　gleam　of　a　truce　appears　in　the　civil
  war　excited　by　hunger。
  But　the　truce　does　not　last　long；　as　it　is　broken　in　twenty　places
  by　isolated　explosions；　and　towards　the　month　of　July；　1791；　the
  disturbances　arising　from　the　uncertainty　of　basic　food　supplies
  begin　again；　to　cease　no　more。　　We　will　consider　but　one　group　in
  this　universal　state　of　disorder　　…　　　that　of　the　eight　or　ten
  departments　which　surround　Paris　and　furnish　it　with　supplies。
  These　districts；　Brie　and　Beauce；　are　rich　wheat　regions；　and　not
  only　was　the　crop　of　1790　good；　but　that　of　1791　is　ample。
  Information　is　sent　to　the　minister　from　Laon＇16＇　that；　in　the
  department　of　Aisne；　〃there　is　a　supply　of　wheat　for　two　years　。　　。
  。　　that　the　barns；　generally　empty　by　the　month　of　April；　will　not
  be　so　this　season　before　July；〃　and；　consequently；　〃subsistence　is
  assured。〃　But　this　does　not　suffice；　for　the　source　of　the　evil　is
  not　in　a　scarcity　of　wheat。　　In　order　that　everybody；　in　a　vast　and
  populous　country；　where　the　soil；　cultivation；　and　occupations
  differ；　may　eat；　it　is　essential　that　food　should　be　attainable　by
  the　non…producers；　and　for　it　to　reach　them　freely；　without　delay；
  solely　by　the　natural　operation　of　supply　and　demand；　it　is
  essential　that　there　should　be　a　police　able　to　protect　property；
  transactions；　and　transport。　　Just　in　proportion　as　the　authority　of
  a　State　becomes　weakened；　and　in　proportion　as　security　diminishes；
  the　distribution　of　subsistence　becomes　more　and　more　difficult：　a
  gendarmerie；　therefore；　is　an　indispensable　wheel　in　the　machine　by
  which　we　are　able　to　secure　our　daily　bread。　　Hence　it　is　that；　in
  1791；　daily　bread　is　wanting　to　a　large　number　of　men。　　Simply
  through　the　working　of　the　Constitution；　all　restraints；　already
  slackened　both　at　the　extremities　and　at　the　center；　are　becoming
  looser　and　more　loose　each　day。　　The　municipalities；　which　are
  really　sovereign；　repress　the　people　more　feebly；　some　because　the
  latter　are　the　bolder　and　themselves　more　timid；　and　others　because
  they　are　more　radical　and　always　consider　them　in　the　right。　　The
  National　Guard　is　wearied；　never　comes　forward；　or　refuses　to　use
  its　arms。　　The　active　citizens　are　disgusted；　and　remain　at　home。
  At　étampes；＇17＇　where　they　are　convoked　by　the　commissioners　of　the
  department　to　take　steps　to　re…establish　some　kind　of　order；　only
  twenty　assemble；　the　others　excuse　themselves　by　saying　that；　if　the
  populace　knew　that　they　opposed　its　will；　〃their　houses　would　be
  burnt；〃　and　they　accordingly　stay　away。　　〃Thus；〃　write　the
  commissioners；　〃the　common…weal　is　given　up　to　artisans　and　laborers
  whose　views　are　limited　to　their　own　existence。〃　　…　　　It　is；
  accordingly；　the　lower　class　which　rules；　and　the　information　upon
  which　it　bases　its　decrees　consists　of　rumors　which　it　accepts　or
  manufactures；　to　hide　by　an　appearance　of　right　the　outrages　which
  are　due　to　its　cupidity　or　to　the　brutalities　of　its　hunger。　　At
  étampes；　〃they　have　been　made　to　believe　that　the　grain　which　had
  been　sold　for　supplying　the　departments　below　the　Loire；　is　shipped
  at　Paimb？uf　and　taken　out　of　the　kingdom　from　there　to　be　sold
  abroad。〃　In　the　suburbs　of　Rouen　they　imagine　that　grain　is
  purposely　〃　engulfed