the origins of contemporary france-4-第125节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Multiplication　and　increasing　decline　of　Assignats。　　The　classes　who

have　to　bear　the　burden。　　…　Famine　and　misery　during　year　III；　and　the

first　half　of　year　IV。　　…　In　the　country。…　In　the　small　towns。　　…　In

large　towns　and　cities。



But；　if　the　Jacobin　system；　in　spite　of　its　surviving　founders；

gradually　relaxes　after　Thermidor；　if　the　main　ligature　tied　around

the　man's　neck；　broke　just　as　the　man　was　strangling；　the　others　that

still　bind　him　hold　him　tight；　except　as　they　are　loosened　in　places；

and；　as　it　is；　some　of　the　straps；　terribly　stiffened；　sink　deeper　and

deeper　into　his　flesh。　　…　In　the　first　place；　the　requisitions

continue　there　is　no　other　way　of　provisioning　the　armies　and　the

cities；　the　gendarme　is　always　on　the　road；　compelling　each　village　to

contribute　its　portion　of　grain；　and　at　the　legal　rate。　　The

refractory　are　subject　to　keepers；　confiscations；　fines　and

imprisonment；　they　are　confined　and　kept　in　the　district　lock　ups　〃at

their　own　expense；〃　men　and　women；　twenty　two　on　Pluvi？se　17；　year

III。；　in　the　district　of　Bar…sur…Aube　；　forty　five；　Germinal　7；　in　the

district　of　Troyes　；　forty…five；　the　same　day；　in　the　district　of

Nogent…sur…Seine；　and　twenty　others；　eight　days　later；　in　the　same

district；　in　the　commune　of　Traine　alone。＇99＇　…　The　condition　of　the

cultivator　is　certainly　not　an　easy　one；　while　public　authority；　aided

by　the　public　force；　extorts　from　him　all　it　can　at　a　rate　of　its　own；

moreover；　it　will　soon　exact　from　him　one　half　of　his　contributions　in

kind；　and；　it　must　be　noted；　that　at　this　time；　the　direct

contributions　alone　absorb　twelve　and　thirteen　sous　on　the　franc　of

the　revenue。　　Nevertheless；　under　this　condition；　which　is　that　of

laborers　in　a　Muslim　country；　the　French　peasant；　like　the　Syrian　or

Tunisian　peasant；　can　keep　himself　alive；　for；　through　the　abolition

of　the　〃maximum；〃　private　transactions　are　now　free；　and；　to　indemnify

himself　on　this　side；　he　sells　to　private　individuals　and　even　to

towns；＇100＇　by　agreement；　on　understood　terms；　and　as　dear　as　he

pleases；　all　the　dearer　because　through　the　legal　requisitions　the

towns　are　half　empty；　and　there　are　fewer　sacks　of　grain　for　a　larger

number　of　purchasers　；　hence　his　losses　by　the　government　are　more

than　made　up　by　his　gains　on　private　parties；　he　gains　in　the　end；　and

that　is　why　he　persists　in　farming。



The　weight；　however；　of　which　he　relieves　himself　falls　upon　the

overburdened　buyer；　and　this　weight；　already　excessive；　goes　on

increasing；　through　another　effect　of　the　revolutionary　institution；

until　it　becomes　ten…fold　and　even　a　hundred…fold。　　…　The　only　money；

in　fact；　which　private　individuals　possess　melts　away　in　their　hands；

and；　so　to　say；　destroys　itself。　　When　the　guillotine　stops　working；

the　assignat；　losing　its　official　value；　falls　to　its　real　value。　　In

August；　1794；　the　loss　on　it　is　sixty　six　per　cent。；　in　October；

seventy　two　per　cent。；　in　December；　seventy　eight　per　cent。；　in

January；　1795；　eighty　one　per　cent。；　and　after　that　date　the　constant

issues　of　enormous　amounts；　five　hundred　millions；　then　a　billion；　a

billion　and　a　half；　and；　finally；　two　billions　a　month；　hastens　its

depreciation。＇101＇　The　greater　the　depreciation　of　the　assignats　the

greater　the　amount　the　government　is　obliged　to　issue　to　provide　for

its　expenses；　and　the　more　it　issues　the　more　it　causes　their

depreciation；　so　that　the　decline　which　increases　the　issue　increases

the　depreciation；　until；　finally；　the　assignat　comes　down　to　nothing。

On　March　II；　1795；　the　louis　d'or　brings　two　hundred　and　five　francs

in　assignats；　May　11；　four　hundred　francs；　June　12；　one　thousand

francs；　in　the　month　of　October；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　francs；

November　13；　two　thousand　eight　hundred　and　fifty　francs；　November　21

three　thousand　francs；　and　six　months　later；　nineteen　thousand　francs。

Accordingly；　an　assignat　of　one　hundred　francs　is　worth　in　June；　1795；

four　francs；　in　August　three　francs；　in　November　fifteen　sous；　in

December　ten　sous；　and　then　five　sous。　　Naturally；　all　provisions　rise

proportionately　in　price。　　A　pound　of　bread　in　Paris；　January　2；　1796；

costs　fifty　francs；　a　pound　of　meat　sixty　francs；　a　pound　of　candles

one　hundred　and　eighty　francs；　a　bushel　of　potatoes　two　hundred

francs；　a　bottle　of　wine　one　hundred　francs。　　The　reader　may　imagine；

if　he　can；　the　distress　of　people　with　small　incomes；　pensioners　and

employees；　mechanics　and　artisans　in　the　towns　out　of　work；＇102＇　in

brief；　all　who　have　nothing　but　a　small　package　of　assignats　to　live

on；　and　who　have　nothing　to　do；　whose　indispensable　wants　are　not

directly　supplied　by　the　labor　of　their　own　hands　in　producing　wine；

candles；　meat；　potatoes　and　bread。



Immediately　after　the　abolition　of　the　〃maximum；〃＇103＇　the　cry　of

hunger　increases。　　From　month　to　month　its　accents　become　more　painful

and　vehement　in　proportion　to　the　increased　dearness　of　provisions；

especially　in　the　summer　of　1795；　as　the　harvesting　draws　near；　when

the　granaries；　filled　by　the　crop　of　1794；　are　getting　empty。　　And

these　hungering　cries　go　up　by　millions：　for　a　good　many　of　the

departments　in　France　do　not　produce　sufficient　grain　for　home

consumption；　this　being　the　case　in　fertile　wheat　departments；　and

likewise　in　certain　districts；　cries　also　go　up　from　the　large　and

small　towns；　while　in　each　village　numbers　of　peasants　fast　because

they　have　no　land　to　provide　them　with　food；　or　because　they　lack

strength；　health；　employment　and　wages。　　〃For　a　fortnight　past；〃

writes　a　municipal　body　in　Seine…et…Marne；＇104＇　〃at　least　two　hundred

citizens　in　our　commune　are　without　bread；　grain　and　flour；　they　have

had　no　other　food　than　bran　and　vegetables。　　We　see　with　sorrow

children　deprived　of　nourishment；　their　nurses　without　milk；　unable　to

suckle　them；　old　men　falling　down　through　inanition；　and　young　men　in

the　fields　too　weak　to　stand　up　to　their　work。〃　And　other　communes　in

the　district　〃are　about　in　the　same　condition。〃　The　same　spectacle　is

visible　throughout　the　Ile…de…France；　Normandy；　and　in　Picardy。

Around　Dieppe；　in　the　country；＇105＇　entire　communes　support　themselves

on　herbs　and　bran。　　〃Citizen　representatives；〃　write　the

administrators；　〃we　can　no　longer　maintain　ourselves。　　Our　fellow

citizens　reproach　us　with　having　despoiled　them　of　their　grain　in

favor　of　the　large　communes。〃　…　〃All　means　of　subsistence　are

exhausted；〃　writes　the　district　of　Louviers；＇106＇　〃we　are　reduced　here

for　a　month　past　to　eating　bran　bread　and　boiled　herbs；　and　even　this

rude　food　is　getting　scarce。　　Bear　in　mind　that　we　have　seventy…one

thousand　people　to　govern；　at　this　very　time　subject　to　all　the

horrors　of　famine；　a　large　number　of　them　having　already　perished；

some　with　hunger　and　others　with　diseases　engendered　by　the　poor　food

they　live　on。　　〃　…　In　the　Caen　district；＇107＇　〃the　unripe　peas；　horse

peas；　beans；　and　green　barley　and　rye　are　attacked；〃　mothers　and

children　go　after　these　in　the　fields　in　default　of　other　food；　〃other

vegetables　in　the　gardens　are　already　consumed；　furniture；　the

comforts　of　the　well　to　do　class；　have　become　the　prey　of　the　farming

egoist；　having　nothing　more　to　sell　they　consequently　have　nothing

with　which　to　obtain　a　morsel　of　bread。〃



　〃　It　is　impossible；〃　writes　the　representative　on　mission；　〃to　wait

for　the　crop　without　further　aid。　　As　long　as　bran　lasted　the　people

ate　that；　none　can　now　be　found　and　despair　is　at　its　height。　　I　have

not　seen　the　sun　since　I　came。　　The　harvest　will　be　a　month　behind。

What　shall　we　do？　What　will　become　of　us？〃　…　〃In　Picardy；〃　writes　the

Beauvais　district；　〃the　great　majority　of　people　in　the　rural　communes

search　the　woods〃　to　find　mushrooms；　berries　and　wild　fruits。＇108＇

〃They　think　themselves　lucky；〃　says　the　Bapaume　district；　〃if　they　can

get　a　share　of　the　food　of　animals。〃　〃In　many　communes；〃　the　district

of　Vervier　reports；　〃the　inhabitants　are　reduced　to　living　on

herbage。〃　〃Many　families；　entire　communes；〃　reports　the　Laon

commissary；　〃have　been　without　bread　two　or　three　months　and　live　on

bran　or　herbs。　　。　　。　　。　　Mothers　of　families；　children；　old　men；

pregnant　women；　come　to　the　（members　of　the）　Directory　for　bread　and

often　faint　in　their　arms。



And　yet；　great　as　the　famine　is　in　the　country　it　is　worse　in　the

towns；　and　the　proof　of　it　is　that　the　starving　people　flock　into　the

country　to　find　whatever　they　can　to　live　on；　no　matter　how；　and；

generally　speaking；　in　vain。　　…　〃Three　quarters　of　our　fellow

citizens；〃　writes　the　Rozoy　municipality；＇109＇　〃are　forced　to　quit

work　and　overrun　the　country　here　and　there；　among　the　farmers；　to

obtain　bread　for　specie；　and　with　more　entreaty　than　the　poorest

wretches；　for　the　most　part；　they　return　with　tears　in　their　eyes　at

not　being　able　to　find；　not　merely　a　bushel　of　wheat；　but　a　pound　of

bread。〃　　〃Yesterday；〃　writes　the　Montreuil…sur…Mer　municipality；＇110