the origins of contemporary france-2-第25节

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1789）。　　〃Ravages　du　Maconnais。〃　　　Arthur　Young；　July　27th。　　…

Buchez　and　Roux；　IV。　　215；　214。　　　Mercure　de　France；　September　12；

1789。　　（Letter　by　a　volunteer　of　Orleans。）　〃On　the　15th　of　August；

eighty…eight　ruffians；　calling　themselves　reapers；　present

themselves　at　Bascon；　in　Beauce；　and；　the　next　day；　at　a　chateau　in

the　neighborhood；　where　they　demand　within　an　hour　the　head　of　the

son　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；　M。　Tassin；　who　can　only　redeem　himself

by　a　contribution　of　1；600　livres　and　the　pillaging　of　his　cellars。



＇44＇　Letter　of　the　Count　de　Courtivron。　　…　　Arthur　Young；　July　31st。

…　　Buchez　and　Roux；　II。　　243。　　…　　Mercure　de　France；　August　15；　1789

（sitting　of　the　8th；　discourse　of　a　deputy　from　Dauphiné。）　　

Mermet；　〃Histoire　de　la　Ville　de　Vienne；〃　445　　　〃　Archives

Nationales；〃　ibid。　　（Letter　of　the　commission　of　the　States　of

Dauphiny；　July　31st。）　　〃The　list　of　burnt　or　devastated　chateaux

is　immense。〃　The　committee　already　cites　sixteen　of　them。　　

Puthod　de　la　Maison…Rouge；　ibid。　　：　〃Were　all　devastated　places　to

be　mentioned；　it　would　be　necessary　to　cite　the　whole　province　〃

（Letter　from　Macon）。　　〃They　have　not　the　less　destroyed　most　of　the

chateaux　and　bourgeois　dwellings；　either　burning　them　and　or　else

tearing　them　down。〃



＇45＇　Lally…Tollendal；　〃Second　Letter　to　my　Constituents；〃　104。



＇46＇　Doniol；　〃La　Révolution　et　la　Féodalité；〃　p。60　（a　few　days　after

the　4th　of　August）。　　…　　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　H。　　784。　　Letters　of

M。　de　Langeron；　military　commander　at　Besan？on；　October　16th　and

18th　。　　　Ibid。　　；　D。　　XXIX。　　I。　　Letter　of　the　same；　September

3rd。　Arthur　Young　（in　Provence；　at　the　house　of　Baron　de　la　Tour…

d'Aignes）。　　〃The　baron　is　an　enormous　sufferer　by　the　Revolution；　a

great　extent　of　country　which　belonged　in　absolute　right　to　his

ancestors；　has　been　granted　for　quit…rents；　ceus；　and　other　feudal

payments；　so　that　there　is　no　comparison　between　the　lands　retained

and　those　thus　granted　by　his　family。　　。　　。　　。　　The　solid　payments

which　the　Assembly　have　declared　to　be　redeemable　are　every　hour

falling　to　nothing；　without　a　shadow　of　recompense　。　　。　　。　　The

situation　of　the　nobility　in　this　country　is　pitiable；　they　are

under　apprehensions　that　nothing　will　be　left　them；　but　simply　such

houses　as　the　mob　allows　to　stand　unburned；　that　the　small　farmers

will　retain　their　farms　without　paying　the　landlord　his　half　of　the

produce；　and　that；　in　case　of　such　a　refusal；　there　is　actually

neither　law　nor　authority　in　the　country　to　prevent　it。　　This

chateau；　splendid　even　in　ruins；　with　the　fortune　and　lives　of　the

owners；　is　at　the　mercy　of　an　armed　rabble。〃





CHAPTER　IV。　　PARIS。



I。



Paris。　　　Powerlessness　and　discords　of　the　authorities。　　The

people；　king。



THE　powerlessness；　indeed；　of　the　heads　of　the　Government；　and　the

lack　of　discipline　among　all　its　subordinates；　are　much　greater　in

the　capital　than　in　the　provinces。　　Paris　possesses　a　mayor；

Bailly；　but　〃from　the　first　day；　and　in　the　easiest　manner

possible；〃＇1＇　his　municipal　council；　that　is　to　say；　〃the　assembly

of　the　representatives　of　the　commune；　has　accustomed　itself　to

carry　on　the　government　alone；　overlooking　him　entirely。〃　There　is　a

central　administration；　the　municipal　council；　presided　over　by　the

mayor；　but；　〃at　this　time；　authority　is　everywhere　except　where　the

preponderating　authority　should　be；　the　districts　have　delegated　it

and　at　the　same　time　retained　it；〃　each　of　them　acts　as　if　it　were

alone　and　supreme。　　　There　are　secondary　powers；　the　district…

committees；　each　with　its　president；　its　clerk；　its　offices；　and

commissioners；　but　the　mobs　of　the　street　march　on　without　awaiting

their　orders；　while　the　people；　shouting　under　their〃　windows；

impose　their　will　on　them；　　in　short；　says　Bailly　again；

〃everybody　knew　how　to　command；　but　nobody　knew　how　to　obey。〃



〃Imagine；〃　writes　Loustalot＇2＇　himself；　〃a　man　whose　feet；　hands；

and　limbs　possessed　each　its　own　intelligence　and　will；　whose　one

leg　would　wish　to　walk　when　the　other　one　wanted　to　rest；　whose

throat　would　close　when　the　stomach　demanded　food；　whose　mouth　would

sing　when　the　eyelids　were　weighed　down　with　sleep；　and　you　will

have　a　striking　picture　of　the　condition　of　things　in　the　capital〃



There　are　〃sixty　Republics〃＇3＇　in　Paris；　each　district　is　an

independent；　isolated　power；　which　receives　no　order　without

criticizing　it；　always　in　disagreement　and　often　in　conflict　with

the　central　authority　or　with　the　other　districts。　　It　receives

denunciations；　orders　domiciliary　visits；　sends　deputations　to　the

National　Assembly；　passes　resolutions；　posts　its　bills；　not　only　in

its　own　quarter　but　throughout　the　city；　and　sometimes　even　extends

its　jurisdiction　outside　of　Paris。　　Everything　comes　within　its

province；　and　particularly　that　which　ought　not　to　do　so。　　　On　the

18th　of　July；　the　district　of　Petits…Augustins＇4＇　〃decrees　in　its

own　name　the　establishment　of　justices　of　the　peace；〃　under　the

title　of　tribunes；　and　proceeds　at　once　to　elect　its　own；　nominating

the　actor　Molé。　　On　the　30th；　that　of　the　Oratoire　annuls　the

amnesty　which　the　representatives　of　the　commune　in　the　H？tel…de…

Ville　had　granted；　and　orders　two　of　its　members　to　go　to　a　distance

of　thirty　leagues　to　arrest　M。　de　Bezenval。　　On　the　19th　of　August；

that　of　Nazareth　issues　commissions　to　seize　and　bring　to　Paris　the

arms　deposited　in　strong　places。　　From　the　beginning　each　assembly

sent　to　the　Arsenal　in　its　own　name；　and　〃obtained　as　many

cartridges　and　as　much　powder　as　it　desired。〃　Others　claim　the　right

of　keeping　a　watchful　eye　over　the　H？tel…de…Ville　and　of

reprimanding　the　National　Assembly。　　The　Oratoire　decides　that　the

representatives　of　the　commune　shall　be　invited　to　deliberate　in

public。　　Saint…Nicholas　des　Champs　deliberates　on　the　veto　and　begs

the　Assembly　to　suspend　its　vote。　　　It　is　a　strange　spectacle；

that　of　these　various　authorities　each　contradicting　and　destroying

the　other。　　To…day　the　H？tel…de…Ville　appropriates　five　loads　of

cloth　which　have　been　dispatched　by　the　Government；　and　the　district

of　Saint…Gervais　opposes　the　decision　of　the　H？tel…de…Ville。　　To…

morrow　Versailles　intercepts　grain　destined　for　Paris；　while　Paris

threatens；　if　it　is　not　restored；　to　march　on　Versailles。　　I　omit

the　incidents　that　are　ridiculous：＇5＇　anarchy　in　its　essence　is　both

tragic　and　grotesque；　and；　in　this　universal　breaking　up　of　things；

the　capital；　like　the　kingdom；　resembles　a　bear…garden　when　it　does

not　resemble　a　Babel。



But　behind　all　these　discordant　authorities　the　real　sovereign；　who

is　the　mob；　is　very　soon　apparent。　　　On　the　15th　of　July　it

undertakes　the　demolition　of　the　Bastille　of　its　own　accord；　and

this　popular　act　is　sanctioned　；　for　it　is　necessary　that

appearances　should　be　kept　up；　even　to　give　orders　after　the　blow　is

dealt；　and　to　follow　when　it　is　impossible　to　lead。＇6＇　　A　short　time

after　this　the　collection　of　the　octroi　at　the　barriers　is　ordered

to　be　resumed；　forty　armed　individuals；　however；　present　themselves

in　their　district　and　say；　that　if　guards　are　placed　at　the　octroi

stations；　〃they　will　resist　force　with　force；　and　even　make　use　of

their　cannon。〃　　　On　the　false　rumor　that　arms　are　concealed　in　the

Abbey　of　Montmartre；　the　abbess；　Madame　de　Montmorency；　is　accused

of　treachery；　and　twenty　thousand　persons　invade　the　monastery。　　

The　commander　of　the　National　Guard　and　the　mayor　are　constantly

expecting　a　riot；　they　hardly　dare　absent　themselves　a　day　to　attend

the　King　fête　at　Versailles。　　As　soon　as　the　multitude　can　assemble

in　the　streets；　an　explosion　is　imminent。　　〃On　rainy　days；〃　says

Bailly；　〃I　was　quite　at　my　ease。〃　　It　is　under　this　constant

pressure　that　the　Government　is　carried　on；　and　the　elect　of　the

people；　the　most　esteemed　magistrates；　those　who　are　in　best　repute；

are　at　the　mercy　of　the　throng　who　clamor　at　their　doors。　　In　the

district　of　St。　　Roch；＇7＇　after　many　useless　refusals；　the　General

Assembly；　notwithstanding　all　the　reproaches　of　its　conscience　and

the　resistance　of　its　reason；　is　obliged　to　open　letters　addressed

to　Monsieur；　to　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　to　the　Ministers　of　War；　of

Foreign　Affairs；　and　of　the　Marine。　　In　the　committee　on

subsistence；　M。　Serreau；　who　is　indispensable　and　who　is　confirmed

by　a　public　proclamation；　is　denounced；　threatened；　and　constrained

to　leave　Paris。　　M。　de　la　Salle；　one　of　the　strongest　patriots　among

the　nobles；　is　on　the　point　of　being　murdered　for　having　signed　an

order　for　the　transport　of　gunpowder；＇8＇　the　multitude；　in　pursuit

of　him；　attach　a　rope　to　the　nearest　street…lamp；　ransack　the　H？tel…

de…Ville；　force　every　door；　mount　into　the　belfry；　and　seek　for　the

traitor　even　under　the　carpet　of　the　bureau　and　between　the　legs　of

the　electors；　and　are　only　stayed　in　their　course　by　the　arrival　of

the　National　Guard。



The　people　not　only