the origins of contemporary france-4-第164部分

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that　on　this　day　the　thermometer　is　sixteen　degrees　below　zero；　that

one　hundred；　two　hundred　other　lines　of　people　likewise　stand　waiting

at　the　doors　of　bakers　and　butchers；　enduring　the　same　cold；　and　that

they　have　already　endured　it　and　will　yet　endure　it　a　month　and　more。

Words　are　wanting　to　describe　the　sufferings　of　these　long　lines　of

motionless　beings；　during　the　night；　at　daybreak；　standing　there　five

or　six　hours；　with　the　blast　driving　through　their　rags　and　their　feet

freezing。　　…　Vent？se　is　beginning；　and　the　ration　of　bread　is　reduced

to　a　pound　and　a　half；＇138＇　Vent？se　ends；　and　the　ration　of　bread；

kept　at　a　pound　and　a　half　for　the　three　hundred　and　twenty…four

laborers；　falls　to　one　pound；　in　fact；　a　great　many　get　none　at　all；

many　only　a　half　and　a　quarter　of　a　pound。　　Germinal　follows　and　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　finding　that　its　magazines　are　giving　out；

limits　all　rations　to　a　quarter　of　a　pound。　　Thereupon；　on　the　12th　of

Germinal；　an　insurrection　of　workmen　and　women　breaks　out；　the

Convention　is　invaded　and　liberated　by　military　force。　　Paris　is

declared　in　a　state　of　siege　and　the　government；　again　in　the　saddle；

tightens　the　reins。　　Thenceforth；　the　ration　of　meat　served　out　every

four　or　five　days；　is　a　quarter　of　a　pound；　bread　averages　every　day；

sometimes　five；　sometimes　six　and　sometimes　seven　ounces；　at　long

intervals　eight　ounces；　often　three；　two　and　one　ounce　and　a　half；　or

even　none　at　all；　while　this　bread；　black　and　〃making　mischief；〃

becomes　more　and　more　worthless　and　detestable。＇139＇　People　who　are

well　off　live　on　potatoes；　but　only　for　them；　for；　in　the　middle　of

Germinal；　these　cost　fifteen　francs　the　bushel　and；　towards　the　end；

twenty　francs；　towards　the　end　of　Messidor；　forty…five　francs；　in　the

first　month　of　the　Directory；　one　hundred　and　eighty　francs；　and　then

two　hundred　and　eighty…four　francs；　whilst　other　produce　goes　up　at

the　same　rates。　　…　After　the　abolition　of　the　〃maximum　〃　the　evil

springs　not　from　a　lack　of　provisions；　but　from　their　dearness：　the

shops　are　well　supplied。　　Whoever　comes　with　a　full　purse　gets　what　he

wants＇140＇：　The　former　rich；　the　property　owners　and　large

capitalists；　may　eat　on　the　condition　that　they　hand　their　bundles　of

assignats　over；　that　they　withdrawing　their　last　louis　from　its

hiding…place；　that　they　sell　their　jewelry；　clocks；　furniture　and

clothes。　　And　the　nouveaux　rich；　the　speculators；　the　suppliers；　the

happy　and　extravagant　robbers；　spend　four　hundred；　one　thousand；　three

thousand；　then　five　thousand　francs　for　their　dinner；　and　revel　in　the

great　eating　establishments　on　fine　wines　and　exquisite　cheer：　the

burden　of　the　scarcity　is　transferred　to　other　shoulders。　　…　At

present；　the　class　which　suffers；　and　which　suffers　beyond　all　bounds

of　patience　is；　together　with　employees　and　people　with　small

incomes；＇141＇　the　crowd　of　workmen；　the　City　plebeians；　the　low

Parisian　populace



*　which　lives　from　day　to　day；

*　which　is　Jacobin　at　heart；

*　which　made　the　Revolution　in　order　to　better　itself；

*　which　finds　itself　worse　off；

*　which　gets　up　one　insurrection　more　on　the　1st　of　Prairial；

*　which　forcibly　enters　the　Tuileries　yelling　〃Bread　and　the

Constitution　of　'93；〃

*　which　installs　itself　as　sovereign　in　the　Convention；

*　which　murders　the　Representative　Féraud；

*　which　decrees　a　return　to　Terror；

but　which；　put　down　by　the　National　Guard；　disarmed　and　forced　back

into　lasting　obedience；　has　only　to　submit　to　the　consequences　of　its

own　outrages；　the　socialism　it　has　itself　instituted　and　the

economical　system　it　itself　has　organized。



Because　the　workers　of　Paris　have　been　usurpers　and　tyrants　they　are

now　beggars。　　Owing　to　the　ruin　brought　on　proprietors　and　capitalists

by　them；　individuals　can　no　longer　employ　them。　　Owing　to　the　ruin

they　have　brought　on　the　Treasury；　the　State　can　provide　them　with

only　the　semblance　of　charity；　and　hence；　while　all　are　compelled　to

go　hungry；　a　great　many　die；　and　many　commit　suicide。



*　On　Germinal　6th；　〃Section　of　the　Observatory；〃＇142＇　at　the

distribution；　〃forty…one　persons　had　been　without　bread；　several

pregnant　women　desired　immediate　confinement　so　as　to　destroy　their

infants；　others　asked　for　knives　to　stab　themselves。〃



*　On　Germinal　8th；〃　a　large　number　of　persons　who　had　passed　the　night

at　the　doors　of　the　bakeries　were　obliged　to　leave　without　getting　any

bread。〃



*　On　Germinal　24th；　〃the　police　commissioner　of　the　Arsenal　section

states　that　many　become　ill　for　lack　of　food；　and　that　he　buries　quite

a　number。。。。　　The　same　day；　he　has　heard　of　five　or　six　citizens；　who；

finding　themselves　without　bread；　and　unable　to　get　other　food；　throw

themselves　into　the　Seine。〃



*　Germinal　27；　〃the　women　say　that　they　feel　so　furious　and　are　in

such　despair　on　account　of　hunger　and　want　that　they　must　inevitably

commit　some　act　of　violence。　　。　　。　　。　　In　the　section　of　'Les　Amis　de

la　Patrie；'　one　half　have　no　bread。　　。　　。　　。　　Three　persons　tumbled

down　through　weakness　on　the　Boulevard　du　Temple。〃



*　Floréal　2；　〃most　of　the　workmen　in　the　'République'　section　are

leaving　Paris　on　account　of　the　scarcity　of　bread。〃



*　Floréal　5；　〃eighteen　out　of　twenty…four　inspectors　state　that

patience　is　exhausted　and　that　things　are　coming　to　an　end。〃



*　Floréal　14；　〃the　distribution　is　always　unsatisfactory　on　account　of

the　four…ounce　ration；　two　thirds　of　the　citizens　do　without　it。　　One

woman；　on　seeing　the　excitement　of　her　husband　and　her　four　children

who　had　been　without　bread　for　two　days；　trailed　through　the　gutter

tearing　her　hair　and　striking　her　head；　she　then　got　up　in　a　state　of

fury　and　attempted　to　drown　herself。〃



*　Floréal　20；　〃all　exclaim　that　they　cannot　live　on　three　ounces　of

bread；　and；　again；　of　such　bad　quality。　　Mothers　and　pregnant　women

fall　down　with　weakness。〃



*　Floréal　21；　〃the　inspectors　state　that　they　encounter　many　persons

in　the　streets　who　have　fallen　through　feebleness　and　inanition。〃



*　Floréal　23；　〃a　citoyenne　who　had　no　bread　for　her　child　tied　it　to

her　side　and　jumped　into　the　river。　　Yesterday；　an　individual　named

Mottez；　in　despair　through　want；　cut　his　throat。〃



*　Floréal　25；　〃several　persons；　deprived　of　any　means　of　existence；

gave　up　in　complete　discouragement；　and　fell　down　with　weakness　and

exhaustion。　　。　　。　　。　　In　the　'Gravilliers'　section；　two　men　were　found

dead　with　inanition。　　。　　。　　。　　The　peace　officers　report　the　decease

of　several　citizens；　one　cut　his　throat；　while　another　was　found　dead

in　his　bed。〃　Floréal　28；　〃numbers　of　people　sink　down　for　lack　of

something　to　eat；　yesterday；　a　man　was　found　dead　and　others　exhausted

through　want。〃



*　Prairial　24；　〃Inspector　Laignier　states　that　the　indigent　are

compelled　to　seek　nourishment　in　the　piles　of　garbage　on　the　corners。〃



*　Messidor　1；＇143＇　〃the　said　Picard　fell　through　weakness　at　ten

o'clock　in　the　m