threatened　with　domiciliary　visits　and　violence。　　As　to　the
  administrative　authorities；　their　intervention　cannot　be　expected
  on；　the　department　itself　gives　notice　to　the　minister　that；　as　the
  law　stands；　it　cannot　put　the　chateau　in　the　hands　of　the
  regulars；＇19＇　as　this　would；　it　is　said；　excite　the　National　Guard。
  Besides；　how　without　an　army　is　this　post　to　be　wrested　from　the
  hands　which　hold　it？　It　is　impossible　with　only　the　resources　which
  the　Constitution　affords　us。〃　Thus；　in　the　defense　of　the　oppressed；
  the　Constitution　is　a　dead　letter。　　…　　Hence　it　is　that　the
  refugees；　finding　protection　only　in　themselves；　undertake　to　help
  each　other。　　No　association　can　be　more　justifiable；　more　pacific；
  more　innocent。　　Its　object　is　〃to　demand　the　execution　of　the　laws
  constantly　violated；　and　to　protect　persons　and　property。〃　In　each
  quarter　they　will　try　to　bring　together　〃all　good　citizens；〃　they
  will　form　a　committee　of　eight　members；　and；　in　each　committee；
  there　will　always　be　〃an　officer　of　justice　or　a　member　of　the
  administrative　body　with　an　officer　or　subaltern　of　the　National
  Guard。〃　Should　any　citizen　be　attacked　in　person　or　property　the
  association　will　draw　up　a　petition　in　his　favor。　　Should　any
  particular　act　of　violence　require　the　employment　of　public　force；
  the　members　of　the　district　will　assemble　under　the　orders　of　the
  officer　of　justice　and　of　the　National　Guard　to　enforce　obedience。
  〃In　all　possible　cases〃　they　〃will　avoid　with　the　greatest　care　any
  insult　of　individuals；　they　will　consider　that　the　object　of　the
  meeting　is　solely　to　ensure　public　peace；　and　that　protection　from
  the　law　to　which　every　citizen　is　entitled。〃　　…　　In　short；　they　are
  volunteer　constables。　　Turn　the　inquiry　which　way　they　will；　a
  hostile　municipality　and　a　prejudiced　tribunal　can　put　no　other
  construction　upon　it；　they　find　nothing　else。　　The　only　evidence
  against　one　of　the　leaders　is　a　letter　in　which　he　tries　to　prevent
  a　gentleman　from　going　to　Coblentz；　striving　to　prove　to　him　that　he
  will　be　more　useful　at　Caen。　　The　principal　evidence　against　the
  association　is　that　of　a　townsman　whom　they　wished　to　enroll；　and　of
  whom　they　demanded　his　opinions。　　He　had　stated　that　he　was　in　favor
  of　the　execution　of　the　laws；　upon　which　they　told　him：　〃In　this
  case　you　belong　to　us；　and　are　more　of　an　aristocrat　than　you　think
  you　are。　　Their　aristocracy；　in　effect；　consists　wholly　in　the
  suppression　of　brigandage。　　No　claim　is　more　unpalatable；　because　it
  interposes　an　obstacle　to　the　arbitrary　acts　of　a　party　which　thinks
  it　has　a　right　to　do　as　it　pleases。　　On　the　4th　of　October　the
  regiment　of　Aunis　left　the　town；　and　all　good　citizens　were　handed
  over　to　the　militia；　〃in　uniform　or　not；〃　they　alone　being　armed。
  That　day；　for　the　first　time　in　a　long　period；　M。　Bunel；　the　former
  curé　of　Saint…Jean；　with　the　consent　and　assistance　of　his　sworn
  successor；　officiates　at　the　mass。　　There　is　a　large　gathering　of
  the　orthodox；　which　causes　uneasiness　among　the　patriots。　　The
  following　day　M。　Bunel　is　to　say　mass　again；　whereupon；　through　the
  municipal　authorities；　the　patriots　forbid　him　to　officiate；　to
  which　he　submits。　　Nevertheless；　for　lack　of　due　notice；　a　crowd　of
  the　faithful　have　arrived　and　the　church　is　filled。　　A　dangerous
  mob！　The　patriots　and　National　Guards　arrive　〃to　preserve　order；〃
  which　has　not　been　disturbed；　and　which　they　alone　disturb。
  Threatening　words　are　exchanged　between　the　servants　of　the　nobles
  and　the　National　Guard。　　The　latter　draw　their　swords；　and　a　young
  man　is　hewn　down　and　trampled　on；　M。　de　Saffrey；　who　comes　to　his
  assistance　unarmed；　is　himself　cut　down　and　pierced　with　bayonets；
  and　two　others　are　wounded。　　…　　Meanwhile；　in　a　neighboring　street；
  M。　Achard　de　Vagogne；　seeing　a　man　maltreated　by　armed　men；
  approaches；　in　order　to　make　peace。　　The　man　is　shot　down　and　M。
  Achard　is　covered　with　saber　and　bayonet　gashes：　〃there　is　not　a
  thread　on　him　which　is　not　dyed　with　the　blood　that　ran　down　even
  into　his　shoes。〃　In　this　condition　he　is　led　to　the　chateau　along
  with　M。　de　Saifrey。　　Others　break　down　the　door　of　the　house　of　M。
  du　Rosel；　an　old　officer　of　seventy…five　years；　of　which　fifty…nine
  have　been　passed　in　the　service；　and　pursue　him　even　over　the　wall
  of　his　garden。　　A　fourth　squad　seizes　M。　d'Héricy；　another　venerable
  officer；　who；　like　M。　du　Rosel；　was　ignorant　of　all　that　was　going
  on；　and　was　quietly　leaving　for　his　country　seat。　　…　　The　town　is
  full　of　tumult；　and；　through　the　orders　of　the　municipal
  authorities；　the　general　alarm　is　sounded。
  The　time　for　the　special　constables　to　act　has　come；　about　sixty
  gentlemen；　with　a　number　of　merchants　and　artisans；　set　out。
  According　to　the　rules　of　their　association；　and　with　significant
  scruple；　they　beg　an　Officer　of　the　National　Guard；　who　happens　to
  be　passing；　to　put　himself　at　their　head；　they　reach　the　Place
  Saint…Sauveur；　encounter　the　superior　officer　sent　after　them　by　the
  municipal　authorities；　and；　at　his　first　command；　follow　him　to　the
  H？tel…de…Ville。　　On　reaching　this；　without　any　resistance　on　their
  part；　they　are　arrested；　disarmed；　and　searched。　　The　rules　and
  regulations　of　their　league　are　found　on　their　persons；　they　are
  evidently　hatching　a　counter…revolution。　　The　uproar　against　them　is
  terrible。　　〃To　keep　them　safe；〃　they　are　conducted　to　the　chateau；
  while　many　of　them　are　cruelly　treated　on　the　way　by　the　crowd。
  Others；　seized　in　their　houses　　…　　M。　Levaillant　and　a　servant　of　M。
  d'Héricy　　…　　are　carried　off　bleeding　and　pierced　with　bayonets。
  Eighty…two　prisoners　are　thus　collected；　while　fears　are　constantly
  entertained　that　they　may　escape。　　〃Their　bread　and　meat　are　cut　up
  into　little　pieces；　to　see　that　nothing　is　concealed　therein；　the
  surgeons；　who　are　likewise　treated　as　aristocrats；　are　denied　access
  to　them。〃　Nocturnal　visits　are；　at　the　same　time；　paid　to　their
  houses；　every　stranger　is　ordered　to　present　himself　at　the　H？tel…
  de…Ville；　to　state　why　he　comes　to　the　town　to　reside；　and　to　give
  up　his　arms；　every　nonjuring　priest　is　forbidden　to　say　mass。　　The
  Department；　which　is　disposed　to　resist；　has　its　hands　tied　and
  confesses　its　powerlessness。　　〃The　people；〃　it　writes；　〃know　their
  strength：　they　know　that　we　have　no　power；　excited　by　disreputable
  citizens；　they　permit　whatever　serves　their　passions　or　their
  interests；　they　influence　our　deliberations；　and　force　us　to　those
  which；　under　other　circumstances；　we　should　carefully　avoid。〃　　…
  Three　days　after　this　the　victors　celebrate　their　triumph　〃with
  drums；　music；　and　lighted　torches；　the　people　are　using　hammers　to
  destroy　on　the　mansions　the　coats…of…arms　which　had　previously　been
  covered　over　with　plaster；〃　the　defeat　of　the　aristocrats　is
  accomplished。　　…　　And　yet　their　innocence　is　so　clearly　manifest
  that　the　Legislative　Assembly　itself　cannot　help　recognizing　it。
  After　eleven　weeks　of　durance　the　order　is　given　to　set　them　free；
  with　the　exception　of　two；　a　youth　of　less　than　eighteen　years　and
  an　old　man；　almost　an　octogenarian；　on　whom　two　letters；
  misunderstood；　still　leave　a　shadow　of　suspicion。　　…　　But　it　is　not
  certain　that　the　people　are　disposed　to　give　them　up。　　The　National
  Guard　refuses　to　discharge　them　in　open　daylight　and　serve　as　their
  escort。　　Even　the　evening　before　numerous　groups　of　women；　a　few　men
  mingled　with　them；　talk　of　murdering　all　those　fellows　the　moment
  they　set　foot　outside　the　chateau。〃　They　have　to　be　let　out　at　two
  o'clock　in　the　morning；　secretly；　under　a　strong　guard；　and　to　leave
  the　town　at　once　as　six　months　before　they　left　the　rural　districts。
  …　　Neither　in　country　nor　in　the　town＇20＇　are　they　under　the
  protection　of　civil　or　religious　law；　a　gentleman；　who　is　not
  compromised　in　the　affair；　remarks　that　their　situation　is　worse
  than　that　of　Protestants　and　vagabonds　during　the　worst　years　of　the
  Ancient　Régime。　　of　them　and　who　abuse　the　use　of　them？　Why　should
  one　be　on　an　equality　for　purposes　of　payment；　and　distinguished
  〃Does　not　the　law　allow　（nonjuring）　priests　the　liberty　of　saying
  mass？　Why　then　can　we　not　listen　to　their　mass　except　at　the　risk　of
  our　lives？　Does　not　the　law　command　all　citizens　to　preserve　the
  public　peace？　Why　then　are　those　whom　the　cry　to　arms　has　summoned
  forth　to　maintain　public　order　assailed　as　aristocrats？　Why　is　the
  refuge　of　citizens　which　the　laws　have　declared　sacred；　violated
  without　orders；　without　accusation；　without　any　appearance　of　wrong…
  doing？　Why　are　all　prominent　citizens　and　those　who　are　well　off
  disarmed　in　preference　to　others？　Are　weapons　exclusively　made　for
  those　but　lately　deprived　only　for　purposes　of　annoyance　and　insult〃
  He　has　spoken　right。　　Those　who　now　rule　form　an　aristocracy　in　an
  inverse　sense；　contrary　to　the　law；　and　yet　more　contrary　to
  nature。＇21＇　　For；　by　a　violent　inversion；　the　lower　grades　in　the
  graduated　scale　of　c