书城公版The Origins of Contemporary France
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第556章

You are mere children; your enthusiasm is merely a straw bonfire! If the National Assembly does not try two illustrious heads in regular form or some generous Décius strike them down, you are all lost. -- "Ibid.,, May 17, 1790: "Our rural districts are much dissatisfied with the decree on feudal privileges . . . A reform is necessary, in which more chateaux must be burnt. It would not be a serious evil were there not some danger of the enemies of the Revolution profiting by these discontents to lessen the confidence of the people in the National Assembly." -- Sept. 27, 1790. "The worst party is successful; it is forgotten that insurrection is the most sacred of duties when the country is in danger." -- Jan.24, 1791. "The wise man shuts his eyes to the grievances or weaknesses of the private individual; but the citizen should show no mercy, even to his father, when the public welfare is at stake."[92] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3202. Report of the commissary, member of the Cantal directory, Oct. 24. On the 16th of October at Chaudesaigues the volunteers break open a door and then kill one of their comrades who opposes them, whom the commissary tries to save.

The mayor of the place, in uniform, leads them to the dwellings of aristocrats, urging them on to pillage; they enter a number of houses by force and exact wine. The next day at Saint-Urcize they break into the house of the former curé, devastate or pillage it, and "sell his furniture to different persons in the neighborhood." The same treatment is awarded to sieur Vaissier, mayor, and to lady Lavalette;their cellars are forced open, barrels of wine are taken to the public square, and drinking takes place from the tap. After this "the volunteers go in squads into the neighboring parishes and compel the inhabitants to give them money or effects." The commissary and municipal officers of St. Urcize who tried to mediate were nearly killed and were saved only through the efforts of a detachment of regular cavalry. As to the Jacobin mayor of Chaudesaigues, it was natural that he should preach pillage; on the sale of the effects of the nuns "he kept all bidders away, and had things knocked down to him for almost nothing."[93] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3217. Letter or Castanet, an old gendarme, N?mes, Aug.21. -- Letter of M. Griolet, syndic-attorney of the Gard, Sept. 8: "I beg, sir, that this letter may he considered as confidential; I pray you do not compromise me. " -- Letter of M.

Gilles, juge-de-paix at Rocquemaure, Oct.31 (with official reports).

[94] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3227. Letter of the municipal officers of Tullins, Sept. 8.

[95] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3190. Letter of Danton, Oct. 9. --Memorandum of M. Casimir Audiffret (with documents in support of it).

His son had been locked up by mistake, instead of another Audiffret, belonging to the Comtat; he was slashed with a saber in prison Aug.25.

Report of the surgeon, Oct. 17: "The wounded man has two gashes more on the head, one on the left cheek and the right leg is paralyzed; he has been so roughly treated in carrying him from prison to prison as to bring on an abscess on the wrist; if he is kept there he will soon die."[96] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3195. Letter of M. Amiel, president of the bureau of conciliation, Oct. 28. -- Letter of an inhabitant of Avignon, Oct. 7. -- Other letters without signatures. -- Letter of M.

Gilles, juge-de-paix, Jan. 23, 1793.

[97] Fabre, "Histoire de Marseilles," II. 478 and following pages. --"Archives Nationales," F7, 3195. Letter of the Minister of Justice, M.

de Joly (with supporting documents), Aug. 6. -- Official reports of the Marseilles municipality, July 21, 22, 23. -- Official report of the municipality of Aix, Aug. 24. -- Letter of the syndic-attorney of the department (with a letter of the municipality of Aubagne), Sept.

22, etc., in which M. Jourdan, a ministerial officer, is accused of "aristocracy." A guard is assigned to him. About midnight the guard is overcome, he is carried off, and then killed in spite of the entreaties of his wife and son. The letter of the municipality ends with the following: "Their lamentations pierced our hearts. But, alas, who can resist the French people when aroused? We remain, gentlemen, very cordially yours, the municipal officers of Aubagne."[98] This stage of revolution seems to be sought after by the secret communist revolutionaries arranging for the break-up of formerly powerful independent states such as Germany, Yougoslavia, India etc.

(SR).

[99] Moniteur, XIII. 560. Act passed by the administrators of the Bouches-du-Rh?ne, Aug. 3, "forbidding special collectors from henceforth paying taxes with the national treasury." -Ibid., 744. Areport by Roland. The department of Var, having called a meeting of commissaries at Avignon to provide for the defense of these regions, the Minister says: "This step, subversive of all government, nullifies the general regulations of the executive power." -- "Archives Nationales," F7, 3195. Deliberation of the three administrative bodies assembled at Marseilles, Nov. 5, 1792. -- Petition of Anselme, a citizen of Avignon, residing in Paris, Dec. 14. - Report of the Saint-Rémy affair, etc.