the origins of contemporary france-4-第124节

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Provisions；＇90＇　five　hundred　thousand　municipal　scribes　disposed　to

quit　their　trades　or　ploughs　for　the　purpose　of　making　daily

distributions　gratuitously；　but　more　precisely；　to　maintain　four　or

five　millions　of　perfect　gendarmes；　one　in　each　family；　living　with

it；　to　help　along　the　purchases；　sales　and　transactions　of　each　day

and　to　verify　at　night　the　contents　of　the　locker。



In　short；　to　set　one　half　of　the　French　people　as　spies　on　the　other

half。　　…　These　are　the　conditions　which　secure　the　production　and

distribution　of　food；　and　which　suffice　for　the　institution　throughout

France　of　a　conscription　of　labor　and　the　captivity　of　grain。



Unfortunately；　the　peasant　does　not　understand　this　theory；　but　he

understands　business；　he　makes　close　calculations；　and　the　positive；

patent；　vulgar　facts　on　which　he　reasons　lead　to　other

conclusions：＇91＇



〃In　Messidor　last　they　took　all　my　last　years'　oats；　at　fourteen

francs　in　assignats；　and；　in　Thermidor；　they　are　going　to　take　all

this　year's　oats；　at　eleven　francs　in　assignats。　　At　this　rate　I　shall

not　sow　at　all。　　Besides；　I　do　not　need　any　for　myself；　as　they　have

taken　my　horses　for　the　army　wagons。　　To　raise　rye　and　wheat；　as　much

of　it　as　formerly；　is　also　working　at　a　loss；　I　will　raise　no　more

than　the　little　I　want　for　myself；　and　again；　I　suppose　that　this　will

be　put　in　requisition；　even　my　supplies　for　the　year！　I　had　rather　let

my　fields　lie　fallow。　　Just　see　now；　they　are　taking　all　the　live

three　months'　pigs！　Luckily；　I　killed　mine　be　forehand　and　it　is　now

in　the　pork　barrel。　　But　they　are　going　to　claim　all　salt　provisions

like　the　rest。　　The　new　grabbers　are　worse　than　the　old　ones。　　Six

months　more；　and　we　shall　all　die　of　hunger。　　It　is　better　to　cross

one's　arms　at　once　and　go　to　prison；　there；　at　least；　we　shall　be　fed

and　not　have　to　work。〃



In　effect；　they　allow　themselves　to　be　imprisoned；　the　best　of　the

small　cultivators　and　proprietors　by　thousands；　and　Lindet；＇92＇　at　the

head　of　the　Commission　on　Provisions；　speaks　with　dismay　of　the　ground

being　no　longer　tilled；　of　cattle　in　France　being　no　more　abundant

than　the　year　before；　and　of　nothing　to　be　had　to　cut　this　year。



For　a　strange　thing　has　happened；　unheard　of　in　Europe；　almost

incredible　to　any　one　familiar　with　the　French　peasant　and　his　love　of

work。　　This　field　which　he　has　ploughed；　manured；　harrowed　and　reaped

with　his　own　hands；　its　precious　crop；　the　crop　that　belongs　to　him

and　on　which　he　has　feasted　his　eyes　for　seven　months；　now　that　it　is

ripe；　he　will　not　take　the　trouble　to　gather　it；　it　would　be　bothering

himself　for　some　one　else。　　As　the　crop　that　he　sees　there　is　for　the

government；　let　the　government　defray　the　final　cost　of　getting　it　in；

let　it　do　the　harvesting；　the　reaping；　the　putting　it　in　sheaves；　the

carting　and　the　thrashing　in　the　barn。　　…　Thereupon；　the

representatives　on　mission　exclaim；　each　shouting　in　a　louder　or　lower

key；　according　to　his　character。



〃Many　of　the　cultivators；〃　writes　Dartigoyte；＇93＇　〃affect　a　supreme

indifference　for　this　splendid　crop。　　One　must　have　seen　it；　as　I

have；　to　believe　how　great　the　neglect　of　the　wheat　is　in　certain

parts；　how　it　is　smothered　by　the　grass　。　　。　　。　　。　　Draft；　if　the　case

requires　it；　a　certain　number　of　inhabitants　in　this　or　that　commune

to　work　in　another　one。　　。　　。　　。　　Every　man　who　refuses　to　work；

except　on　the　'decade'　day；　must　be　punished　as　an　ill…disposed

citizen；　as　a　royalist。〃　…



〃　Generous　friends　of　nature；〃　writes　Ferry；＇94＇　introduce　amongst

you；　perpetuate　around　you；　the　habit　of　working　in　common　and　begin

with　the　present　crop。　　Do　not　spare　either　indolent　women　or　indolent

men；　those　social　parasites；　many　of　whom　you　doubtless　have　in　your

midst。　　What！　allow　lazy　men　and　lazy　women　where　we　are！　Where　should

we　find　a　Republican　police？　。　　。　　。　　Immediately　on　the　reception　of

this　present　order　the　municipal　officers　of　each　commune　will　convoke

all　citoyennes　in　the　Temple　of　the　Eternal　and　urge　them；　in　the　name

of　the　law；　to　devote　themselves　to　the　labors　of　harvesting。　　Those

women　who　fail　in　this　patriotic　duty；　shall　be　excluded　from　the

assemblies；　from　the　national　festivals；　while　all　good　citoyennes　are

requested　to　repel　them　from　their　homes。　　All　good　citizens　are

requested　to　give　to　this　rural　festivity　that　sentimental　character

which　befits　it。〃



…　And　the　programme　is　carried　out；　here　in　idyllic　shape　and　there

under　compulsion。　　Around　Avignon；＇95＇　the　commanding　officer；　the

battalions　of　volunteers；　and　patriotic　ladies；　〃the　wives　and

daughters　of　patriots；〃　inscribe　themselves　as　harvesters。　　Around

Arles；　〃the　municipality　drafts　all　the　inhabitants；　patrols　are　sent

into　the　country　to　compel　all　who　are　engaged　on　other　work　to　leave

it　and　do　the　harvesting。〃　The　Convention；　on　its　side；　orders＇96＇　the

release；　〃provisionally；　of　all　ploughmen；　day…laborers；　reapers；　and

professional　artisans　and　brewers；　in　the　country　and　in　the　market

towns　and　communes；　the　population　of　which　is　not　over　twelve　hundred

inhabitants；　and　who　are　confined　as　'suspects。'　〃　…　In　other　terms；

physical　necessity　has　imposed　silence　on　the　inept　theory；　above　all

things；　the　crop　must　be　harvested；　and　indispensable　arms　be　restored

to　the　field　of　labor。　　The　governors　of　France　are　compelled　to　put

on　the　brake；　if　only　for　an　instant；　at　the　last　moment；　at　sight　of

the　yawning　abyss；　of　approaching　and　actual　famine；　France　was　then

gliding　into　it；　and；　if　not　engulfed；　it　is　simply　a　miracle。



Four　fortunate　circumstances；　at　the　last　hour；　concur　to　keep　her

suspended　on　the　hither　brink　of　the　precipice。　　…　The　winter　chances

to　be　exceptionally　mild。＇97＇　The　vegetables　which　make　up　for　the

absence　of　bread　and　meat　provide　food　for　April　and　May；　while　the

remarkably　fine　harvest；　almost　spontaneous；　is　three　weeks　in

advance。　　…　Another；　and　the　second　piece　of　good　fortune；　consists　in

the　great　convoy　from　America；　one　hundred　and　sixteen　vessels　loaded

with　grain；　which　reached　Brest　on　the　8th　of　June；　1794；　in　spite　of

English　cruisers；　thanks　to　the　sacrifice　of　the　fleet　that　protected

it　and　which；　eight　days　previously；　had　succumbed　in　its　behalf。　　The

third　stroke　of　fortune　is　the　entry　of　a　victorious　army　into　the

enemies　country　and　feeding　itself　through　foreign　requisitions；　in

Belgium；　in　the　Palatinate　and　on　the　frontier　provinces　of　Italy　and

Spain。　　…　Finally；　most　fortunate　of　all；　Robespierre；　Saint　Just　and

Couthon；　the　Paris　commune　and　the　theorist　Jacobins；　are　guillotined

on　the　23rd　of　July；　and　with　them　falls　despotic　socialism。

Henceforth；　the　Jacobin　edifice　crumbles；　owing　to　great　crevices　in

its　walls。　　The　〃maximum；〃　in　fact；　is　no　longer　maintained；　while　the

Convention；　at　the　end　of　December；　1794；　legally　abolishes　it。　　The

farmers　now　sell　as　they　please　and　at　two　prices；　according　as　they

are　paid　in　assignats　or　coin；　their　hope；　confidence　and　courage　are

restored；　in　October　and　November；　1794；　they　voluntarily　do　their　own

plowing　and　planting；　and　still　more　gladly　will　they　gather　in　their

own　crops　in　July；　1795。　　Nevertheless；　we　can　judge　by　the

discouragement　into　which　they　had　been　plunged　by　four　months　of　the

system；　the　utter　prostration　into　which　they　would　have　fallen　had

the　system　lasted　an　indefinite　time。　　It　is　very　probable　that

cultivation　at　the　end　of　one　or　two　years　would　have　proved

unproductive　or　have　ceased　altogether。　　Already；　subject　to　every

sort　of　exhortation　and　threat；　the　peasant　had　remained　inert；

apparently　deaf　and　insensible；　like　an　overloaded　beast　of　burden

which；　so　often　struck；　grows　obstinate　or　sinks　down　and　refuses　to

move。　　It　is　evident　that　he　would　have　never　stirred　again　could

Saint…Just；　holding　him　by　the　throat；　have　bound　him　hand　and　foot；

as　he　had　done　at　Strasbourg；　in　the　multiplied　knots　of　his　Spartan

Utopia。　　We　should　have　seen　what　labor　and　the　stagnation　it　produces

comes　to；　when　managed　through　State　maneuvers　by　administrative

manikins　and　humanitarian　automatons。　　This　experiment　had　been　tried

in　China；　in　the　eleventh　century；　and　according　to　principles；　long

and　regularly；　by　a　well　manipulated　and　omnipotent　State；　on　the　most

industrious　and　soberest　people　in　the　world；　and　men　died　in　myriads

like　flies。　　If　the　French；　at　the　end　of　1794　and　during　the

following　years　did　not　die　like　flies；　it　was　because　the　Jacobin

system　was　relaxed　too　soon。＇98＇



VI。　　Relaxation。



Relaxation　of　the　Revolutionary　system　after　Thermidor。　　…　Repeal　of

the　Maximum。　　…　　New　situation　of　the　peasant。　　…　He　begins　to

cultivation　again。　　…　Requisition　of　grain　by　the　State。　　…　The

cultivator　indemnifies　himself　at　the　expense　of　private　persons。　　…

Multiplication　and　increasing　decline　of　Assignats。　　The　classes　who

have　to　bear