the origins of contemporary france-4-第103部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



and　day；　they　revel；〃　their　chief；　a　financial　ex…procureur；　now

〃concierge；　archivist；　secretary　and　president　of　the　popular　club；〃

holds　municipal　council　in　the　tavern。　　〃Should　they　go　out　it　was　to

chase　female　aristocrats；〃　and　one　of　them　declares　〃that　if　the　half

of　Aignay　were　slaughtered　the　other　half　would　be　all　the　better　for

it。〃　…　There　is　nothing　like　drinking　to　excite　ferocity　to　the

highest　pitch。　　At　Strasbourg　the　sixty　mustachioed　propagandist

lodged　in　the　college　in　which　they　are　settled　fixtures；　have　a　cook

provided　for　them　by　the　town；　and　they　revel　day　and　night　〃on　the

choice　provisions　put　in　requisition；〃　〃on　wines　destined　to　the

defenders　of　the　country。〃＇106＇　It　is；　undoubtedly；　when　coming　out

from　one　of　these　orgies　that　they　proceed；　sword　in　hand；　to　the

popular　club；＇107＇　vote　and　force　others　to　vote　〃death　to　all

prisoners　confined　in　the　Seminary　to　the　number　of　seven　hundred；　of

every　age　and　of　both　sexes；　without　any　preliminary　trial。〃　For　a　man

to　become　a　good　cut…throat；　he　must　first　get　intoxicated；＇108＇　such

was　the　course　pursued　in　Paris　by　those　who　did　the　work　in

September：　the　revolutionary　government　being　an　organized；　prolonged

and　permanent　Septembrisade；　most　of　its　agents　are　obliged　to　drink

hard。＇109＇　…　For　the　same　reasons　when　the　opportunity；　as　well　as　the

temptation；　to　steal；　presents　itself；　they　steal。　　…　At　first；　during

six　months；　and　up　to　the　decree　assigning　them　pay；　the　revolutionary

committees　〃take　their　pay　themselves；〃＇110＇　they　then　add　to　their

legal　salary　of　three　and　five　francs　a　day　about　what　they　please：

for　it　is　they　who　assess　the　extraordinary　taxes；　and　often；　as　at

Montbrison；　〃without　making　any　list　or　record　of　collections。〃　On

Frimaire　16；　year　II。；　the　financial　committee　reports　that　〃the

collection　and　application　of　extraordinary　taxes　is　unknown　to　the

government；　that　it　was　impossible　to　supervise　them；　the　National

treasury　having　received　no　sums　whatever　arising　from　these

taxes。〃＇111＇　Two　years　after；　four　years　after；　the　accounts　of

revolutionary　taxation　of　forced　loans；　and　of　pretended　voluntary

gifts；　still　form　a　bottomless　pit；　out　of　forty　billions　of　accounts

rendered　to　the　National　Treasury　only　twenty　are　found　to　be

verified；　the　rest　are　irregular　and　worthless。　　Besides；　in　many

cases；　not　only　is　the　voucher　worthless　or　not　forthcoming；　but；

again；　it　is　proved　that　the　sums　collected　disappeared　wholly　or　in

part。　　At　Villefranche；　out　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…eight　thousand

francs　collected；　the　collector　of　the　district　deposited　but　forty…

two　thousand；　at　Baugency；　out　of　more　than　five　hundred　thousand

francs　collected；　there　were　only　fifty　thousand　deposited；　at　la

Réole；　out　of　at　least　five　hundred　thousand　francs　collected；　there

were　but　twenty…two　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty　deposited。　　〃The

rest；〃　says　the　collector　at　Villefranche；　〃were　wasted　by　the

Committee　of　Surveillance。〃　〃The　tax…collectors；〃　writes　the　national…

agent　at　Orleans；　〃after　having　employed　terror　gave　themselves　up　to

orgies　and　are　now　building　palaces。〃＇112＇　…　As　to　the　expenses　which

they　claim；　they　almost　always　consist　of　〃indemnities　to　members　of

revolutionary　committees；　to　patriots；　and　to　defray　the　cost　of

patriotic　missions；〃　to　maintaining　and　repairing　the　meeting…rooms　of

the　popular　clubs；　to　military　expeditions；　and　to　succoring　the　poor；

so　that　three　or　four　hundred　millions　in　gold　or　silver；　extorted

before　the　end　of　1793；　hundreds　of　millions　of　assignats　extorted　in

1793　and　1794；　in　short；　almost　the　entire　product　of　the　total

extraordinary　taxation＇113＇　was　consumed　on　the　spot　and　by　the　sans…

culottes。　　Seated　at　the　public　banqueting　table　they　help　themselves

first；　and　help　themselves　copiously。



A　second　windfall；　equally　gross。　　Enjoying　the　right　to　dispose

arbitrarily　of　fortunes；　liberties　and　lives；　they　can　traffic　in

these；　while　no　traffic　can　be　more　advantageous；　both　for　buyers　and

sellers。　　Any　man　who　is　rich　or　well…off；　in　other　words；　every　man

who　is　likely　to　be　taxed；　imprisoned　or　guillotined；　gladly　consents

〃to　compound；〃　to　redeem　himself　and　those　who　belong　to　him。　　If　he

is　prudent；　he　pays；　before　the　tax；　so　as　not　to　be　over…taxed；　he

pays；　after　the　tax；　to　obtain　a　diminution　or　delays；　he　pays　to　be

admitted　into　the　popular　club。　　When　danger　draws　near　he　pays　to

obtain　or　renew　his　certificate　of　civism；　not　to　be　declared

〃suspect；〃　not　to　be　denounced　as　a　conspirator。　　After　being

denounced；　he　pays　to　be　allowed　imprisonment　at　home　rather　than　in

the　jail；　to　be　allowed　imprisonment　in　the　jail　rather　than　in　the

general　prison；　to　be　well　treated　if　he　gets　into　this；　to　have　time

to　get　together　his　proofs　in　evidence；　to　have　his　record　（dossier）

placed　and　kept　at　the　bottom　of　the　file　among　the　clerk's　registers；

to　avoid　being　inscribed　on　the　next　batch　of　cases　in　the

revolutionary　Tribunal。　　There　is　not　one　of　these　favors　that　is　not

precious；　consequently；　ransoms　without　number　are　tendered；　while　the

rascals＇114＇　who　swarm　on　the　revolutionary　committees；　need　but　open

their　hands　to　fill　their　pockets。　　They　run　very　little　risk；　for

they　are　held　in　check　only　by　their　own　kind；　or　are　not　checked　at

all。　　In　any　large　town；　two　of　them　suffice　for　the　issue　of　a

warrant　of　arrest　save　a　reference　to　the　Committee　within　twenty…four

hours；　with　the　certainty　that　their　colleagues　will　kindly　return　the

favor。＇115＇　Moreover；　the　clever　ones　know　how　to　protect　themselves

beforehand。　　For　example；　at　Bordeaux；　where　one　of　these　clandestine

markets　had　been　set　up；　M。　Jean　Davilliers；　one　of　the　partners　in　a

large　commercial　house；　is　under　arrest　in　his　own　house；　guarded　by

four　sans…culottes；　on　the　8th　of　Brumaire；　he　is　taken　aside　and　told

〃that　he　is　in　danger　if　he　does　not　come　forward　and　meet　the

indispensable　requirements　of　the　Revolution　in　its　secret

expenditures。〃　An　important　figure；　Lemoal；　member　of　the

revolutionary　committee　and　administrator　of　the　district；　had　spoken

of　these　requirements　and　thought　that　M。　Davilliers　should

contribute　the　sum　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres。　　Upon

this；　a　knock　at　the　door　is　heard；　Lemoal　enters　and　all　present　slip

out　of　the　room；　and　Lemoal　pronounces　these　words　only：　〃Do　you

consent？〃　…　〃But　I　cannot　thus　dispose　of　my　partners'　property。〃　…

〃Then　you　will　go　to　prison。〃　At　this　threat　the　poor　man　yields　and

gives　his　note　to　Lemoal　at　twenty　days；　payable　to　bearer；　for　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres；　and；　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　by

dint　of　pushing　his　claims；　obtains　his　freedom。　　Thereupon；　Lemoal

thinks　the　matter　over；　and　deems　it　prudent　to　cover　up　his　private

extortion　by　a　public　one。　　Accordingly；　he　sends　for　M。　Davilliers　：

〃It　is　now　essential　for　you　to　openly　contribute　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　li