《the origins of contemporary france-4》

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two months; and of the 120 brought by the 'Bayonnaise;〃 only one is

left。  … Meanwhile; in France; in the casemates of the islands of Rhé

and Oléron; over twelve hundred priests become stifled or rot away;

while; on all sides; the military commissioners in the departments

shoot down vigorously。  At Paris; and in its environs; at Marseilles;

Lyons; Bordeaux; Rennes; and in most of the large towns; sudden

arrests and clandestine abductions go on multiplying。'86'  〃Nobody; on

retiring to rest; is sure of awaking in freedom the next morning。  。

。  。  From Bayonne to Brussels; there is but one sentiment; that of

unbounded consternation。  No one dares either to speak to; encounter;

look at or help one another。  Everybody keeps aloof; trembles and

hides away。〃 … So that through this third offensive reaction; the

Jacobin Conquest is completed; and the conquering band; the new

feudalism; becomes a fixed installation。  〃All who pass here;〃 writes

a Tours habitant; 〃state that there is no difference in the country

between these times and Robespierre's'87'。。  。  。  。  It is certain

that the soil is not tenable; and that the people are continually

threatened with exactions as in a conquered country。  。  。  。

Proprietors are crushed down with impositions to such an extent that

they cannot meet their daily expenses; nor pay the cost of

cultivation。  In some of my old parishes the imposition takes about

thirteen out of twenty sous of an income。  。  。  The interest on money

amounts to four per cent。  a month。  。  。  Tours; a prey to the

terrorists who devour the department and hold all the offices; is in

the most deplorable state; every family at all well…off; every

merchant; every trader; is leaving it。〃  The veteran pillagers and

murderers; the squireens; (hobereaux) of the reign of Terror; again

appear and resume their fiefs。  At Toulouse; it is Barrau; a

shoemaker; famous up to 1792 for his fury under Robespierre; and

Desbarreaux; another madman of 1793; formerly an actor playing the

parts of valet; compelled in 1795 to demand pardon of the audience on

his knees on the stage; and; not obtaining it; driven out of the

house; and now filling the office of cashier in the theatre and posing

as department administrator。  At Blois; we find the ignoble or

atrocious characters with whom we are familiar; the assassins and

robbers Hézine; Giot; Venaille; Bézard; Berger; and Gidouin。'88'

Immediately after Fructidor; they stirred up their usual supporters

against the first convoy of the deported; 〃the idlers; the rabble of

the harbor; and the dregs of the people;〃 who overwhelmed them with

insults。  On this new demonstration of patriotism the government

restores to them their administrative or judicial 〃satrapies; and;

odious as they are; they are endured and obeyed; with the mute and

mournful obedience of despair。  〃 The soul sinks'89' on daily perusing

the executions of conscripts and émigrés; and on seeing those

condemned to transportation constantly passing by。  。  。  。  All who

displease the government are set down on these lists of the dead; so…

called émigrés; this or that curé who is notoriously known not to have

left the department。〃 It is impossible for honest people to vote at

the primary assemblies; consequently; 〃the elections are frightful。

The 〃brothers〃 and their friends loudly proclaim that neither nobles;

priests; proprietors; merchants; nor justice are wanted; everything is

to be given up to pillage。〃 Let France perish rather than accept their

domination。  〃The wretches have announced that they will not give up

their places without overthrowing all; destroying palaces and setting

Paris on fire。〃



VII。  Enforcement of Pure Jacobinism。



Application and aggravation of the laws of the reign of Terror。  …

Measures taken to impose civic religion。  … Arrest; transportation;

and execution of Priests。  … Ostracism proposed against the entire

anti…Jacobin class。  … The nobles or the ennobled; not émigrés; are

declared foreigners。  … Decrees against émigrés of every class。  …

Other steps taken against remaining proprietors。  … Bankruptcy; forced

loan; hostages。



It is natural that with pure Jacobins one notes the re…appearance of

the pure Jacobinism; the egalitarian and anti…Christian socialism; the

programme of the funereal year; in short; the rigid; plain;

exterminating ideas which the sect gathers together; like daggers

encrusted with gore; from the cast…off robes of Robespierre; Billaud…

Varennes and Collot d'Herbois。'90'



In the forefront appears the fixed and favorite idea of the old…

fashioned philosophism。  By that I mean the consistent and decreed

plan to found a lay religion; and impose the observances and dogmas of

its theories on twenty…six millions of Frenchmen; and; consequently

extirping Christianity; its worship and its clergy。  The inquisitors

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

banis
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