the origins of contemporary france-4-第146节

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who　hold　office　multiply；　with　extraordinary　persistence　and

minuteness；　proscriptions　and　vigorous　measures　for　the　forcible

conversion　of　the　nation。　　The　aim　is　to　substitute　the　improvised

rites　of　a　logical　abstraction　mechanically　elaborated　in　the　closet

for　the　tender　emotions　nourished　by　the　customs　of　eighteen

centuries。　　…　Never　did　the　dull　imagination　of　a　third…rate　scholar

and　classic　poetaster；　never　did　the　grotesque　solemnity　of　a　pedant

fond　of　his　phrases；　never　did　the　irritating　hardness　of　the　narrow

and　stubborn　devotee　display　with　greater　sentimental　bombast　and　more

administrative　officiousness　than　in　the　decrees　of　the　Legislative

Corps；＇91＇　in　the　acts　passed　by　the　Directory　and　in　the　instructions

issued　by　the　ministers　Sotin；　Letourneur；　Lambrechts；　Duval　and

Fran？ois　de　Neufchateau。　　War　on　Sunday；　on　the　old　calendar　and　on

fasting；　obligatory　rest　on　the　décadi　under　penalty　of　fine　and

imprisonment；＇92＇　obligatory　fêtes　on　the　anniversaries　of　January　21

and　Fructidor　18；　participation　of　all　functionaries　with　their　cult；

obligatory　attendance　of　public　and　private　instructors　with　their

pupils　of　both　sexes　at　civic　ceremonies；　an　obligatory　liturgy　with

catechisms　and　programmes　sent　from　Paris；　rules　for　scenic　display

and　for　singings；　readings；　postures；　acclamations　and　imprecations。

One　might　shrug　his　shoulders　at　these　prescriptions　of　cuistres　and

these　parades　of　puppets；　if；　behind　the　apostles　who　compose　moral

allegories；　we　did　not　detect　the　persecutor　who　imprisons；　tortures

and　murders。　　…　By　the　decree　of　Fructidor　19；　not　only　were　all　the

laws　of　the　reign　of　Terror　against　unsworn　priests；　their　harborers

and　their　followers；　enforced　again；　but　the　Directory　arrogated　to

itself　the　right　of　banishing；　〃through　individual　acts　passed　for

cause；〃　every　ecclesiastic　〃who　disturbed　the　public　peace；〃　that　is

to　say　who　exercised　his　ministry　and　preached　his　faith；＇93＇　and；

moreover；　the　right　of　shooting　down；　within　twenty…four　hours；　every

priest　who；　banished　by　the　laws　of　1792　and　1793；　has　remained　in　or

returned　to　France。　　Almost　all　the　ecclesiastics；　even　those　who　are

sworn；　are　comprised　within　the　first　category；　the　administration

enumerates　366　in　the　department　of　Doubs　alone；＇94＇　and　556　in　that

of　Hérault。　　Thousands　of　ecclesiastics　are　comprised　in　the　second

category；　the　administration　enumerates　over　800　who；　returned　from

the　frontier　of　Spain　alone；　still　wander　about　the　southern

departments。　　On　the　strength　of　this　the　moralists　in　office　proclaim

a　hunt　for　the　black　game　in　certain　places；　an　universal　destruction

without　exception　or　reprieve。　　For　instance；　in　Belgium；　recently

incorporated　with　France；　the　whole　of　the　regular　and　secular　clergy

is　proscribed　en　masse　and　tracked　for　transportation；　560

ecclesiastics　in　〃Ourthe　and　the　forests〃；　539　in　Escaut；　883　in

Jemmapes；　884　in　Sambre…et…Meuse；　925　in　la　Lys；　957　in　Deux…Nèthes；

1；043　in　Meuse…Inférieure；　1；469　in　Dyle；　in　all　7；260；　without

counting　the　missing　names。＇95＇　　A　number　of　them　escape　abroad　or

hide　away；　but　the　rest　are　caught；　and　quite　enough　of　them　to　load

and　fill　the　carts　constantly。　　…　〃Not　a　day　passes；〃　says　an

inhabitant　of　Blois；＇96＇　〃when　from　seven　to　twenty　and　more　are

lodged　at　the　Carmelites。〃　The　next　day　they　set　out　for　the　casemates

of　Rhé　and　Oléron；　or　for　the　Sinnamary　marshes；　where　it　is　known

what　becomes　of　them：　after　a　few　months；　three…fourths　of　them　lie　in

the　cemetery。　　…　In　the　interior；　from　time　to　time；　some　are　shot　as

an　example　…　seven　at　Besan？on；　one　at　Lyons；　three　in　the　Bouches…du…

Rh？ne；　while　the　opponents　of　fanaticism；　the　official

philanthropists；　the　enlightened　deists　of　Fructidor；　use　all　these

disguised　or　declared　murders　as　a　basis　on　which　to　rear　the　cult　of

Reason。



It　remains　now　to　consolidate　the　worship　of　Reason　with　the　reign　of

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　li