the origins of contemporary france-2-第83节

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members；　one　of　whom　is　thrown　down；　has　his　head　shaved；　and　is

promenaded　through　the　village　in　derision。　…　　When　the　small　tax…

payer　defends　himself　in　this　manner；　it　is　a　warning　that　he　must

be　humored。　　The　assessment；　accordingly；　in　the　village　councils　is

made　amongst　a　knot　of　cronies。　　Each　relieves　himself　of　the　burden

by　shoving　it　off　on　somebody　else。　　〃They　tax　the　large

proprietors；　whom　they　want　to　make　pay　the　whole　tax。〃　The　noble；

the　old　seigneur；　is　the　most　taxed；　and　to　such　an　extent　that　in

many　places　his　income　does　not　suffice　to　pay　his　quota。　…　　In　the

next　place　they　make　themselves　out　poor；　and　falsify　or　elude　the

prescriptions　of　the　law。　　〃In　most　of　the　municipalities；　houses；

tenements；　and　factories＇52＇　are　estimated　according　to　the　value　of

the　area　they　cover；　and　considered　as　land　of　the　first　class；

which　reduces　the　quota　to　almost　nothing。〃　And　this　fraud　is　not

practiced　in　the　villages　alone。　　〃Communes　of　eight　or　ten　thousand

souls　might　be　cited　which　have　arranged　matters　so　well　amongst

themselves　in　this　respect　that　not　a　house　is　to　be　found　worth

more　than　fifty　sous。〃　　…　　Last　expedient　of　all；　the　commune　defers

as　long　as　it　can　the　preparation　of　its　tax…rolls。　　On　the　30th　of

January；　1792；　out　of　40；211；　there　are　only　2；560　which　are

complete；　on　the　5th　of　October；　1792；　the　schedules　are　not　made

out　in　4；800　municipalities；　and　it　must　be　noted　that　all　this

relates　to　a　term　of　administration　which　has　been　finished　for　more

than　nine　months。　　At　the　same　date；　there　are　more　than　six

thousand　communes　which　have　not　yet　begun　to　collect　the　land…tax

of　1791；　and　more　than　fifteen　thousand　communes　which　have　not　yet

begun　to　collect　the　personal　tax；　the　Treasury　and　the　departments

have　not　yet　received　152；000；000　francs；　there　being　still

222；000；000　to　collect。　　On　the　1st　February；　1793；　there　still

remains　due　on　the　same　period　161；000；000　francs；　while　of　the

50；000；000　assessed　in　1790；　to　replace　the　salt…tax　and　other

suppressed　duties；　only　2；000；000　have　been　collected。　　Finally；　at

the　same　date；　out　of　the　two　direct　taxes　of　1792；　which　should

produce　300；000；000；　less　than　4；000；000　have　been　received。　　…　　It

is　a　maxim　of　the　debtor　that　he　must　put　off　payment　as　long　as

possible。　　Whoever　the　creditor　may　be；　the　State　or　a　private

individual；　a　leg　or　a　wing　may　be　saved　by　dint　of　procrastination。

The　maxim　is　true；　and；　on　this　occasion；　success　once　more

demonstrates　its　soundness。　　During　the　year　1792；　the　peasant

begins　to　discharge　a　portion　of　his　arrears；　but　it　is　with

assignats。　　In　January；　February；　and　March；　1792；　the　assignats

diminish　thirty…four；　forty…four；　and　forty…five　per　cent。　　in

value；　in　January；　February；　and　March；　1793；　forty…seven　and　fifty

percent。；　in　May；　June；　and　July；　1793；　fifty…four；　sixty；　and

sixty…seven　per　cent。　　Thus　has　the　old　credit　of　the　State　melted

away　in　its　hands；　those　who　have　held　on　to　their　crowns　gain　fifty

per　cent。　　and　more。　　Again；　the　greater　their　delay　the　more　their

debts　diminish；　and　already；　on　the　strength　of　this；　the　way　to

release　themselves　at　half…price　is　found。



Meanwhile；　hands　are　laid　on　the　badly　defended　landed　property　of

this　feeble　creditor。　　…　　It　is　always　difficult　for　rude　brains　to

form　any　conception　of　the　vague；　invisible；　abstract　entity　called

the　State；　to　regard　it　as　a　veritable　personage　and　a　legitimate

proprietor；　especially　when　they　are　persistently　told　that　the

State　is　everybody。　　The　property　of　all　is　the　property　of　each；

and　as　the　forests　belong　to　the　public；　the　first…comer　has　a　right

to　profit　by　them。　　In　the　month　of　December；　1789；＇53＇　bands　of

sixty　men　or　more　chop　down　the　trees　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　and　at

Vincennes。　　In　April；　1790；　in　the　forest　of　Saint…Germain；　〃the

patrols　arrest　all　kinds　of　delinquents　day　and　night：〃　handed　over

to　the　National　Guards　and　municipalities　in　the　vicinity；　these　are

〃almost　immediately　released；　even　with　the　wood　which　they　have　cut

down　against　the　law。〃　iii　There　is　no　means　of　repressing　〃the

reiterated　threats　and　insults　of　the　low　class　of　people。〃　A　mob　of

women；　urged　on　by　an　old　French　guardsman；　come　and　pillage　under

the　nose　of　the　escort　a　load　of　faggots　confiscated　for　the　benefit

of　a　hospital；　and　in　the　forest　itself；　bands　of　marauders　fire

upon　the　patrols。　　…　　At　Chantilly；　three　game…keepers　are　mortally

wounded；＇54＇　both　parks　are　devastated　for　eighteen　consecutive

days；　the　game　is　all　killed；　transported　to　Paris　and　sold。　　…　　At

Chambord　the　lieutenant　of　the　constabulary　writes　to　announce　his

powerlessness；　the　woods　are　ravaged　and　even　burnt；　the　poachers

are　now　masters　of　the　situation；　breaches　in　the　wall　are　made　by

them；　and　the　water　from　the　pond　is　drawn　off　to　enable　them　to

catch　the　fish。　　…　　At　Claix；　in　Dauphiny；　an　officer　of　the

jurisdiction　of　woods　and　forests；　who　has　secured　an　injunction

against　the　inhabitants　for　cutting　down　trees　on　leased　ground；　is

seized；　tortured　during　five　hours；　and　then　stoned　to　death。　　…　　In

vain　does　the　National　Assembly　issue　three　decrees　and　regulations；

placing　the　forests　under　the　supervision　and　protection　of

administrative　bodies；　　…　　he　latter　are　too　much　afraid　of　their

charge。　　Between　the　central　power；　which　is　weak　and　remote；　and

the　people；　present　and　strong；　they　always　decide　in　favor　of　the

latter。　　Not　one　of　the　five　municipalities　surrounding　Chantilly　is

disposed　to　assist　in　the　execution　of　the　laws；　while　the

directories　of　the　district　and　department　respectively；　sanction

their　inertia。　…　　Similarly；　near　Toulouse；＇55＇　where　the

magnificent　forest　of　Larramet　is　devastated　in　open　day　and　by　an

armed　force；　where　the　wanton　destruction　by　the　populace　leaves

nothing　of　the　underwood　and　shrubbery　but　〃a　few　scattered　trees

and　the　remains　of　trunks　cut　at　different　heights；〃　the

municipalities　of　Toulouse　and　of　Tournefeuille　refuse　all　aid。　　And

worse　still；　in　other　provinces；　as　for　instance　in　Alsace；　〃whole

municipalities；　with　their　mayors　at　the　head；　cut　down　woods　which

are　confided　to　them；　and　carry　them　off。〃＇56＇　　If　some　tribunal　is

disposed　to　enforce　the　law；　it　is　to　no　purpose；　it　takes　the　risk；

either　of　not　being　allowed　to　give　judgment；　or　of　being

constrained　to　reverse　its　decision。　　At　Paris　the　judgment　prepared

against　the　incendiaries　of　the　tax…offices　could　not　be　given。　　At

Montargis；　the　sentence　pronounced　against　the　marauders　who　had

stolen　cartloads　of　wood　in　the　national　forests　had　to　be　revised；

and　by　the　judges　themselves。　　The　moment　the　tribunal　announced　the

confiscation　of　the　carts　and　horses　which　had　been　seized；　there

arose　a　furious　outcry　against　it；　the　court　was　insulted　by　those

present；　the　condemned　parties　openly　declared　that　they　would　have

their　carts　and　horses　back　by　force。　　Upon　this　〃the　judges

withdrew　into　the　council…chamber；　and　when　soon　after　they　resumed

their　seats；　that　part　of　their　decision　which　related　to　the

confiscation　was　canceled。〃



And　yet　this　administration　of　justice；　ludicrous　and　flouted　as　it

may　be；　is　still　a　sort　of　barrier。　　When　it　falls；　along　with　the

Government；　everything　is　exposed　to　plunder；　and　there　is　no　such

thing　as　public　property。　　…　　After　August　10；　1792；　each　commune　or

individual　appropriates　whatever　comes　in　its　way；　either　products

or　the　soil　itself。　　Some　of　the　plunderers　go　so　far　as　to　say

that；　since　the　Government　no　longer　represses　them；　they　act　under

its　authority。＇57＇　　〃They　have　destroyed　even　the　recent　plantation

of　young　trees。〃　〃One　of　the　villages　near　Fontainebleau　cleared　off

and　divided　an　entire　grove。　　At　Rambouillet；　from　August　10th　to

the　end　of　October；〃　the　loss　is　more　than　100；000　crowns；　the　rural

agitators　demand　with　threats　the　partition　of　the　forest　among　the

inhabitants。　　〃The　destruction　is　enormous〃　everywhere；　prolonged

for　entire　months；　and　of　such　a　kind；　says　the　minister；　as　to　dry

up　this　source　of　public　revenue　for　a　long　time　to　come。　　…

Communal　property　is　no　more　respected　than　national　property。　　In

each　commune；　these　bold　and　needy　folk；　the　rural　populace；　are

privileged　to　enjoy　and　make　the　most　of　it。　　Not　content　with

enjoying　it；　they　desire　to　acquire　ownership　of　it；　and；　for　days

after　the　King's　fall；　the　Legislative　Assembly；　losing　its　footing

in　the　universal　breaking　up；　empowers　the　indigent　to　put　in　force

the　agrarian　law。　　Henceforth　it　suffices　in　any　commune　for　one…

third　of　its　inhabitants　of　both　sexes；　servants；　common　laborers；

shepherds；　farm…hands　or　cowherds；　and　even　paupers；　to　demand　a

partition　of　the　communal　possessions。　　All　that　the　commune　owns；

save　public　edifices　and　woods；　is　to　be　cut　up　into　as　many　equal

lots　as　there　are　heads；　the　lots　to　be　drawn