the origins of contemporary france-4-第188部分

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Equality；　which　is　the　second　article　in　the　Jacobin　credo。　　The

object　now　is　to　mow　down　all　the　heads　which　rise　above　the　common

level；　and；　this　time；　to　mow　them　down；　not　one　by　one；　but　in　large

groups。　　Saint…Just　himself　had　only　covertly　proposed　so　extensive

and　so　sweeping　an　operation。　　Siéyès；　Merlin　de　Douai；　Reubell；

Chazal；　Chénier；　and　Boulay　de　la　Meurthe；　more　openly　and　decidedly

insist　on　a　radical　amputation。　　According　to　them；＇97＇　it　is

necessary　〃to　regulate　this　ostracism；〃　by　banishing　〃all　those　whose

prejudices；　pretensions；　even　existence；　in　a　word；　are　incompatible

with　republican　government。〃　That　is　to　say；　not　alone　priests；　but

likewise　nobles　and　the　ennobled；　all　parliamentarians；　those　who　are

well…off　and　distinguished　among　the　bourgeoisie　and　former　notables；

about　two　hundred　thousand　property…holders；　men　and　women；　in　short；

all　who　still　remained　among　those　oppressed　and　ruined　by　the

Revolution。＇98＇　…　The　proposal　was　turned　down　by　the　ex…noble　Barras

and　by　the　public　out…cry　〃of　merchants　and　workmen　themselves；〃　and

banishment　is　replaced　by　civic　degradation。　　Henceforth；＇99＇　every

noble　or　ennobled　person；　even　if　he　has　not　left　the　territory；　even

if　he　has　constantly　and　punctually　obeyed　revolutionary　laws；　even　if

he　be　not　related　to；　or　allied　with；　any　émigré；　finds　himself

deprived　of　his　quality　as　a　Frenchman。　　The　fact　alone　of　his　being

ennobled　or　noble　before　1789；　obliged　him　to　be　naturalized　according

to　legal　forms　and　conditions。　　…　As　to　the　150；000　gentlemen；

artisans　and　farmers　who　have　emigrated　or　who　have　been　accused　of

emigration；　if　they　have　returned　to；　or　remain　in　France；　they　are　to

leave　Paris　and　all　communes　above　20；000　souls　within　twenty…four

hours；　and　France　in　fifteen　days。　　If　not；　they　are　to　be　arrested；

brought　before　the　military　commissions　and　shot　on　the　spot；＇100＇　in

fact；　in　many　places；　at　Paris；　Besan？on　and　Lyons；　they　are　shot。　　…

Now；　a　large　number　of　pretended　emigrants；　who　had　never　left

France；＇101＇　nor　even　their　province；　nor　even　their　commune；　and

whose　names　have　been　put　on　the　lists　simply　to　strip　them　of　their

property；　find　that　they　are　no　longer　protected　either　by　the

constancy　or　the　notoriety　of　their　residence。　　The　new　law　is　no

sooner　read　than　they　begin　to　imagine　the　firing　squad；　the　natal

soil　is　too　warm　for　them　and　they　speedily　emigrate。＇102＇　On　the

other　hand；　once　the　name　is　down　on　the　list；　rightly　or　wrongly；　it

is　never　removed。　　The　government　purposely　refuses　to　strike　it　off；

while　two　decrees　are　applied　which　render　its　removal

impossible；＇103＇　each　name　maintained　on　the　list　of　spoliation　and

death　relieves　the　Revolution　of　a　probable　adversary；　and　places　one

more　domain　at　its　disposal。



The　Directory　renews　and　aggravates　the　measures　of　the　Convention

against　the　remainder　of　the　property…holders：　there　is　no　longer　a

disguised　but　a　declared　bankruptcy。　　386；000　fund…holders　and

pensioners　are　deprived　of　two…thirds　of　their　revenue　and　of　their

capital。＇104＇　A　forced　loan　of　100　millions　is　levied　progressively；

and　wholly　on　〃the　well…off　class。〃　Finally；　there　is　the　law　of

hostages；　this　being　atrocious；　conceived　in　the　spirit　of　September；

1792；　suggested　by　the　famous　motions　of　Collot　d'Herbois　against

those　in　confinement；　and　of　Billaud…Varennes　against　the　youth；　Louis

XVII。；　but　extended；　elaborated　and　drawn　up　with　cool　legal　acumen；

and　enforced　and　applied　with　the　foresight　of　an　administrator。　　

Remark　that；　without　counting　the　Belgian　departments；　where　an

extensive　insurrection　is　under　way　and　spreading；　more　than　one…half

of　the　territory　falls　under　the　operation　of　this　law。　　for；　out　of

the　eighty…six　departments　of　France；＇105＇　properly　so　called；　forty…

five　are　at　this　moment；　according　to　the　terms　of　the　decree；＇106＇　〃

declared　to　be　in　a　state　of　civil　uprising。〃　Actually；　in　these

departments；　according　to　official　reports；　armed　mobs　of　conscripts

are　resisting　the　authorities　charged　with　recruiting　them；　bands　of

two　hundred；　three　hundred　and　eight　hundred　men　overrun　the　country；

troops　of　brigands　force　open　the　prisons；　assassinate　the　gendarmes

and　set　their　inmates　free；　the　tax…collectors　are　robbed；　killed　or

maimed；　municipal　officers　slain；　proprietors　ransomed；　estates

devastated；　and　diligences　stopped　on　the　highways。〃　Now；　in　all　these

cases；　in　all　the　departments；　cantons　or　communes；　three　classes　of

persons；　at　first　the　relations　and　allies　of　the　émigrés；　next　the

former　nobles　and　ennobled；　and　finally　the　〃fathers；　mothers；

grandfathers　and　grandmothers　of　persons　who；　without　being　ex…nobles

or　relations　of　émigrés；〃　nevertheless　form　a　part　of　the　bands　or

mobs；　are　declared　〃personally　and　civilly　responsible〃　for　the

violent　acts　committed。　　Even　when　these　acts　are　only　〃imminent；〃　the

administration　of　the　department　must；　in　its　report；　give　a　list　of

all　the　men　and　women　who　are　responsible；　these　are　to　be　taken　as

〃hostages；〃　and　kept　in　confinement　at　their　own　expense　in　the　local

jail。　　If　they　escape；　they　must　be　put　on　the　same　footing　as

émigrés；　that　is　to　say　punished　with　death。　　If　any　damage　is

sustained；　they　are　to　pay　costs；　if　any　murder　is　committed　or

abduction　effected；　four　amongst　them　must　be　deported。　　Observe；

moreover；　that　the　local　authorities　are　obliged；　under　severe

penalties；　to　execute　the　law　at　once。　　Note　that；　at　this　date；　they

are　ultra　Jacobin；　since　to　inscribe　on　the　list　of　hostages；　not　a

noble　or　a　bourgeois；　but　an　honest　peasant　or　respectable　artisan；　it

suffices　for　these　local　sovereigns　to　designate　his　son　or　grandson；

who　might　either　be　absent；　fugitive　or　dead；　as　being　〃notoriously

〃insurgent　or　refractory。　　The　fortunes；　liberties　and　lives　of　every

individual　in　easy　circumstances　are　thus　legally　surrendered　to　the

despotism；　cupidity　and　hostility　of　the　levelers　in　office。　　…

Contemporaries　estimate　that　200；000　persons　were　affected　by　this

law。＇107＇　　The　Directory；　during　the　three　months　of　existence　yet

remaining　to　it；　enforces　it　in　seventeen　departments；　thousands　of

women　and　old　men　are　arrested；　put　in　confinement；　and　ruined；　while

several　are　sent　off　to　Cayenne　　and　this　is　called　respect　for　the

rights　of　man。



VIII。　　Propaganda　and　Foreign　Conquests。



Propaganda　and　foreign　conquests。　　…　Proximity　and　advantages　of

Peace。　　…　Motives　of　the　Fructidorians　for　breaking　off　peace

negotiations　with　England；　and　for　abandoning　the　invasion　of　foreign

countries。　　…　How　they　found　new　republics。　　…　How　governed。　　…

Estimate　of　foreign　rapine。　　…　Number　of　French　lives　sacrificed　in

the　war。



After　the　system　which　the　Fructidoreans　establish　in　France；　we　may

consider　the　system　they　impose　abroad　…　always　the　same　contrast；

between　the　name　and　the　thing；　the　same　phrases　covering　the　same

misdeeds