brought　to　the　corn　markets　（halles）；　and　when　these　are　full　the
  price　must　necessarily　fall。
  What　a　profound　deception！　Even　in　the　granary　of　France　wheat
  remains　dear；　and　costs　about　one…third　more　than　would　be　necessary
  to　secure　the　sale　of　bread　at　two　sous　the　pound；　in　conformity
  with　the　will　of　the　people。　　For　instance；＇23＇　at　Gonesse；　Dourdan；
  Corbeil；　Mennecy；　Brunoy；　Limours；　Brie…Comte…Robert；　and　especially
  at　étampes　and　Montlhéry；　the　holders　of　grain　are　compelled　almost
  weekly；　through　the　clamors　and　violence　of　the　people；　to　reduce
  prices　one…third　and　more。　　It　is　impossible　for　the　authorities　to
  maintain；　on　their　corn…exchange；　the　freedom　of　buying　and　selling。
  The　regular　troops　have　been　sent　off　by　the　people　beforehand。
  Whatever　the　tolerance　or　connivance　of　the　soldiers　may　be；　the
  people　have　a　vague　sentiment　that　they　are　not　there　to　permit　the
  ripping　open　of　sacks　of　flour；　or　the　seizing　of　farmers　by　the
  throat。　　To　get　rid　of　all　obstacles　and　of　being　watched；　they　make
  use　of　the　municipality　itself；　and　force　it　to　effect　its　own
  disarmament。　　The　municipal　officers；　besieged　in　the　town…hall；　at
  times　threatened　with　pistols　and　bayonets；＇24＇　dispatch　to　the
  detachments　they　are　expecting　an　order　to　turn　back；　and　entreat
  the　Directory　not　to　send　any　more　troops；　for；　if　any　come；　they
  have　been　told　that　〃they　will　be　sorry　for　it。〃　Nowhere　are　there
  regular　troops。　　At　étampes；　the　people　repeat　that　〃they　are　sent
  for　and　paid　by　the　flour…dealers；〃　at　Montlhéry；　that　〃they　merely
  serve　to　arm　citizens　against　each　other；〃　at　Limours；　that　〃they
  make　grain　dearer。〃　All　pretexts　seem　good　in　this　direction；　the
  popular　will　is　absolute；　and　the　authorities　complacently　meet　its
  decrees　half…way。　　At　Montlhéry；　the　municipal　body　orders　the
  gendarmerie　to　remain　at　the　gates　of　the　town；　which　gives　full
  play　to　the　insurrection。　　　…　　　The　administrators；　however；　are　not
  relieved　by　leaving　the　people　free　to　act；　they　are　obliged　to
  sanction　their　exactions　by　ordinances。　　They　are　taken　out　of　the
  H？tel…de…Ville；　led　to　the　marketplace；　and　there　forthwith；　under
  the　dictation　of　the　uproar　which　establishes　prices；　they；　like
  simple　clerks；　proclaim　the　reduction。　　When；　moreover；　the　armed
  rabble　of　a　village　marches　forth　to　tyrannize　over　a　neighboring
  market；　it　carries　its　mayor　along　with　it　in　spite　of　himself；　as
  an　official　instrument　which　belongs　to　it。＇25＇　〃There　is　no
  resistance　against　force；〃　writes　the　mayor　of　Vert…le…Petit；　〃we
  had　to　set　forth　immediately。〃　　…　　〃　They　assured　me；〃　says　the
  Mayor　of　Fontenay；　〃that；　if　I　did　not　obey　them；　they　would　hang
  me。〃　　…　　On　any　municipal　officer　hazarding　a　remonstrance；　they
  tell　him　that　〃he　is　getting　to　be　an　aristocrat。〃　Aristocrat　and
  hung；　the　argument　is　irresistible；　and　all　the　more　so　because　it
  is　actually　applied。　　At　Corbeil；　the　procureur…syndic　who　tries　to
  enforce　the　law　is　almost　beaten　to　death；　and　three　houses　in　which
  they　try　to　find　him　are　demolished。　　At　Montlhéry；　a　seed　merchant；
  accused　of　mixing　the　flour　of　beans　（twice　as　dear）　with　wheaten
  flour；　is　massacred　in　his　own　house。　　At　étampes；　the　mayor　who
  promulgates　the　law　is　cudgeled　to　death。　　Mobs　talk　of　nothing　but
  〃burning　and　destroying；〃　while　the　farmers；　abused；　hooted　at；
  forced　to　sell；　threatened　with　death　and　robbed；　run　away；
  declaring　they　will　never　return　to　the　market　again。
  Such　is　the　first　effect　of　popular　dictatorship。　　Like　all
  unintelligent　forces；　it　operates　in　a　direction　the　reverse　of　its
  intention：　to　dearness　it　adds　dearth；　and　empties；　instead　of
  replenishing；　the　markets。　　That　of　étampes　often　contained　fifteen
  or　sixteen　hundred　sacks　of　flour；　the　week　following　this
  insurrection　there　were；　at　most；　sixty　brought　to　it。　　At
  Montlhéry；　where　six　thousand　men　had　collected　together；　each　one
  obtains　for　his　share　only　a　small　measure；　while　the　bakers　of　the
  town　have　none　at　all。　　This　being　the　case；　the　enraged　National
  Guards　tell　the　farmers　that　they　are　coming　to　see　them　on　their
  farms。　　And　they　really　go。＇26＇　Drums　roll　constantly　on　the　roads
  around　Montlhéry；　Limours；　and　other　large　market…towns。　　Columns　of
  two；　three；　and　four　hundred　men　are　seen　passing　under　the　lead　of
  their　commandant　and　of　the　mayor　whom　they　take　along　with　them。
  They　enter　each　farm；　mount　into　the　granaries；　estimate　the
  quantity　of　grain　thrashed　out；　and　force　the　proprietor　to　sign　an
  agreement　to　bring　it　to　market　the　following　week。　　Sometimes；　as
  they　are　hungry；　they　compel　people　to　give　them　something　to　eat
  and　drink　on　the　spot；　and　it　will　not　do　to　enrage　them；　　…　　　a
  farmer　and　his　wife　come　near　being　hung　in　their　own　barn。
  Their　effort　is　useless：　Wheat　is　impounded　and　hunted　up　in　vain；
  it　takes　to　the　earth　or　slips　off　like　a　frightened　animal。　　In
  vain　do　insurrections　continue。　　In　vain　do　armed　mobs；　in　all　the
  market…towns　of　the　department；＇27＇　subject　grain　to　a　forced
  reduction　of　price。　　Wheat　becomes　scarcer　and　dearer　from　month　to
  month；　rising　in　price　from　twenty…six　francs　to　thirty…three。　　And
  because　the　outraged　farmer　〃brings　now　a　very　little；〃　just　〃what
  is　necessary　to　sacrifice　in　order　to　avoid　threats；　he　sells　at
  home；　or　in　the　inns；　to　the　flour…dealers　from　Paris。〃　　…　　The
  people；　in　running　after　abundance；　have　thus　fallen　deeper　down
  into　want：　their　brutality　has　aggravated　their　misery；　and　it　is　to
  themselves　that　their　starvation　is　owing。　　But　they　are　far　from
  attributing　all　this　to　their　own　insubordination；　the　magistrates
  are　accused；　these；　in　the　eyes　of　the　populace；　are　〃in　league　with
  the　monopolists。〃　On　this　incline　no　stoppage　is　possible。　　Distress
  increases　rage；　and　rage　increases　distress；　and　on　this　fatal
  declivity　men　are　precipitated　from　one　outrage　to　another。
  After　the　month　of　February；　1792；　such　outrages　are　innumerable；
  the　mobs　which　go　in　quest　of　grain　or　which　cut　down　its　price
  consist　of　armies。　　One　of　six　thousand　men　comes　to　control　the
  market　of　Montlhéry。＇28＇　There　are　seven　to　eight　…thousand　men　who
  invade　the　market…place　of　Verneuil；　and　there　is　an　army　of　ten　and
  another　of　twenty…five　thousand　men；　who　remain　organized　for　ten
  days　near　Laon。　　One　hundred　and　fifty　parishes　have　sounded　the
  tocsin；　and　the　insurrection　spreads　for　ten　leagues　around。　　Five
  boats　loaded　with　grain　are　stopped；　and；　in　spite　of　the　orders　of
  district；　department；　minister；　King；　and　National　Assembly；　they
  refuse　to　surrender　them。　　Their　contents；　in　the　meantime；　are　made
  the　most　of：　〃The　municipal　officers　of　the　different　parishes；
  assembled　together；　pay　themselves　their　fees；　to　wit　：　one　hundred
  sous　per　diem　for　the　mayor；　three　livres　for　the　municipal
  officers；　two　livres　ten　sous　for　the　guards；　two　livres　for　the
  porters。　　They　have　ordered　that　these　sums　should　be　paid　in　grain；
  and　they　reduce　grain；　it　is　said；　fifteen　livres　the　sack。　　It　is
  certain　that　they　have　divided　it　amongst　themselves；　and　that
  fourteen　hundred　sacks　have　been　distributed。〃　In　vain　do　the
  commissioners　of　the　National　Assembly　make　speeches　to　them　three
  hours　in　length。　　The　discourse　being　finished；　they　deliberate；　in
  presence　of　the　commissioners；　whether　the　latter　shall　be　hung；
  drowned；　or　cut　up；　and　their　heads　put　on　the　five　points　of　the
  middle　of　the　abbey　railing。　　On　being　threatened　with　military
  force；　they　make　their　dispositions　accordingly。　　Nine　hundred　men
  who　relieve　each　other　watch　day　and　night　on　the　ground；　in　a　well
  chosen　and　permanent　encampment；　while　lookouts　stationed　in　the
  belfries　of　the　surrounding　villages　have　only　to　sound　the　alarm　to
  bring　together　twenty…five　thousand　men　in　a　few　hours。　…　　So　long
  as　the　Government　remains　on　its　feet　it　carries　on　the　combat　as
  well　as　it　can；　but　it　grows　weaker　from　month　to　month；　and；　after
  the　10th　of　August；　when　it　lies　on　the　ground；　the　mob　takes　its
  place　and　becomes　the　universal　sovereign。　　From　this　time　forth　not
  only　is　the　law　which　protects　provisioning　powerless　against　the
  disturbers　of　sale　and　circulation；　but　the　Assembly　actually
  sanctions　their　acts；　since　it　decrees＇29＇　the　stoppage　of　all
  proceedings　commenced　against　them；　remits　sentences　already　passed；
  and　sets　free　all　who　are　imprisoned　or　in　irons。　　Behold　every
  administration；　with　merchants；　proprietors；　and　farmers　abandoned
  to　the　famished；　the　furious；　and　to　robbers；　henceforth　food
  supplies　are　for　those　who　are　disposed　and　able　to　take　them。
  〃You　will　be　told；〃　says　a　petition；＇30＇　〃that　we　violate　the　law。
  We　reply　to　these　perfidious　insinuations　that　the　salvation　of　the
  people　is　the　supreme　law。　　We　come　in　order　to　keep　the　markets
  supplied；　and　to　insure　an　uniform　price　for　wheat　throughout　the
  Republic。　　For；　there　is　no　do