vigorous　spring；　always　finds　some　outlet；　the　people　declare　that
  〃the　gendarmes　and　National　Guard〃　who　come　to　restrain　them　〃are
  priests　and　gentlemen　in　disguise。〃　　…　　The　new　theories；　moreover；
  have　struck　down　to　the　lowest　depths；　and　nothing　is　easier　than　to
  draw　from　them　the　abolition　of　debts；　and　even　the　agrarian　law。
  At　Ribérac；　which　is　invaded　by　the　people　of　the　neighboring
  parishes；　a　village　tailor；　taking　the　catechism　of　the　Constitution
  from　his　pocket；　argues　with　the　procureur…syndic；　and　proves　to　him
  that　the　insurgents　are　only　exercising　the　rights　of　man。　　The　book
  states；　in　the　first　place；　〃that　Frenchmen　are　equals　and　brethren；
  and　that　they　should　give　each　other　aid；〃　and　that　〃the　masters
  should　share　with　their　fellows；　especially　this　year；　which　is　one
  of　scarcity。〃　In　the　next　place；　it　is　written　that　〃all　property
  belongs　to　the　nation；〃　and　that　is　the　reason　why　〃it　has　taken　the
  possessions　of　the　Church。〃　Now；　all　Frenchmen　compose　the　nation；
  and　the　conclusion　is　clearly　apparent。　　Since；　in　the　eyes　of　the
  tailor；　the　property　of　individual　Frenchmen　belongs　to　all　the
  French；　he；　the　tailor；　has　a　right　to　at　least　the　quota　which
  belongs　to　him。　　…　　One　travels　fast　and　far　on　this　downhill　road；
  for　every　mob　considers　that　this　means　immediate　enjoyment；　and
  enjoyment　according　to　its　own　ideas。　　There　is　no　care　for
  neighbors　or　for　consequences；　even　when　imminent　and　physical；　and
  in　twenty　places　the　confiscated　property　perishes　in　the　hands　of
  the　usurpers。
  This　voluntary　destruction　of　property　can　be　best　observed　in　the
  third　department；　that　of　Corrèze。＇77＇　　Not　only　have　the　peasants
  here　refused　to　pay　rents　from　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　not
  only　have　they　〃planted　maypoles；　supplied　with　iron　hooks；　to　hang
  〃　the　first　one　that　dared　to　claim　or　to　pay　them；　not　only　are
  violent　acts　of　every　description　committed　〃by　entire　communes；〃
  〃the　National　Guards　of　the　small　communes　participating　in　them；〃
  not　only　do　the　culprits；　whose　arrest　is　ordered；　remain　at
  liberty；　while　〃nothing　is　spoken　of　but　the　hanging　of　the
  constables　who　serve　writs；〃　but　farther；　together　with　the
  ownership　of　the　water…sources；　the　power　of　collecting；　directing；
  and　distributing　the　water　is　overthrown；　and；　in　a　country　of　in　a
  country　of　steep　slopes；　the　consequences　of　such　an　operation　may
  be　imagined。　Three　leagues　from　Tulle；　in　a　forming　a　semi…circle；　a
  pond　twenty　feet　in　depth；　and　covering　an　area　of　three　hundred
  acres；　was　enclosed　by　a　broad　embankment　on　the　side　of　a　very　deep
  gorge；　which　was　completely　covered　with　houses；　mills；　and
  cultivation。　　On　the　17th　of　April；　1791；　a　troop　of　five　hundred
  armed　men　assembled　by　the　beat　of　a　drum；　and　collected　from　three
  villages　in　the　vicinity；　set　themselves　to　demolish　the　dike。　　The
  proprietor；　M。　de　Sedières；　a　substitute…deputy　in　the　National
  Assembly；　is　not　advised　of　it　until　eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening。
  Mounting　his　horse；　along　with　his　guests　and　domestics；　he　makes　a
  charge　on　the　insane　wretches；　and；　with　the　aid　of　pistol　and　gun
  shots；　disperses　them。　　It　was　time；　for　the　trench　they　had　dug　was
  already　eight　feet　deep；　and　the　water　was　nearly　on　a　level　with
  it：　a　half…hour　later　and　the　terrible　rolling　mass　of　waters　would
  have　poured　out　on　the　inhabitants　of　the　gorge。　　…　　But　such
  vigorous　strokes；　which　are　rare　and　hardly　ever　successful；　are　no
  defense　against　universal　and　continuous　attacks。　　The　regular
  troops　and　the　gendarmerie；　both　of　which　are　in　the　way　of
  reorganization　or　of　dissolution；　are　not　trustworthy；　or　are　too
  weak。　　There　are　no　more　than　thirty　of　the　cavalry　in　Creuse；　and
  as　many　in　Corrèze。　　The　National　Guards　of　the　towns　are　knocked　up
  by　expeditions　into　the　country；　and　there　is　no　money　with　which　to
  provide　for　their　change　of　quarters。　　And　finally；　as　the　elections
  are　in　the　hands　of　the　people；　this　brings　into　power　men　disposed
  to　tolerate　popular　excesses。　　At　Tulle；　the　electors　of　the　second
  class；　almost　all　chosen　from　among　the　cultivators；　and；　moreover；
  catechized　by　the　club；　nominate　for　deputies　and　public　prosecutor
  only　the　candidates　who　are　pledged　against　rentals　and　against
  water　privileges。　　…　　Accordingly；　the　general　demolition　of　the
  dikes　begins　as　the　month　of　May　approaches。　　This　operation
  continues　unopposed　on　a　vast　pond；　a　league　and　a　half　from　the
  town；　and　lasts　for　a　whole　week；　elsewhere；　on　the　arrival　of　the
  guards　or　of　the　gendarmerie；　they　are　fired　upon。　　Towards　the　end
  of　September；　all　the　embankments　in　the　department　are　broken　down：
  nothing　is　left　in　the　place　of　the　ponds　but　fetid　marshes；　the
  mill…wheels　no　longer　turn；　and　the　fields　are　no　longer　watered。
  But　those　who　demolish　them　carry　away　baskets　full　of　fish；　and　the
  soil　of　the　ponds　again　becomes　communal。　　…　　Hatred　is　not　the
  motive　which　impels　them；　but　the　instinct　of　acquisition：　all　these
  violent　outstretched　hands；　which　rigidly　resist　the　law；　are
  directed　against　property；　but　not　against　the　proprietor；　they　are
  more　greedy　than　hostile。　　One　of　the　noblemen　of　Corrèze；＇78＇　M。　de
  Saint…Victour；　has　been　absent　for　five　years。　　From　the　beginning
  of　the　Revolution；　although　his　feudal　dues　constitute　one…half　of
  the　income　of　his　estate；　he　has　given　orders　that　no　rigorous
  measures　shall　be　employed　in　their　collection；　and　the　result　is
  that；　since　1789；　none　of　them　were　collected。　　Moreover；　having　a
  reserve　stock　of　wheat　on　hand；　he　lent　grain；　to　the　amount　of　four
  thousand　francs；　to　those　of　his　tenants　who　had　none。　　In　short；　he
  is　liberal；　and；　in　the　neighboring　town；　at　Ussel；　he　even　passes
  for　a　Jacobin。　　In　spite　of　all　this；　he　is　treated　just　like　the
  rest。　　It　is　because　the　parishes　in　his　domain　are　〃clubbist；〃
  governed　by　associations　of　moral　and　practical　levelers；　in　one　of
  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。