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already paid to him。〃 … Perrochaux demands of citoyenne Ollemard…Dudan
〃fifty thousand livres； to prevent her imprisonment；〃 and confiscates
for his own benefit sixty thousand livres worth of tobacco； in the
house of the widow Daigneau…Mallet； who； claiming it back； is led off
by him to prison under the pretext of interceding for her。 … Chaux
frightens off by terrorism his competitors at auction sales； has all
the small farms on the Baroissière domain knocked down to him； and
exclaims concerning a place which suits him： 〃I know how to get it！
I'll have the owner arrested。 He'll be very glad to let me have his
ground to get out of prison。' 〃 … The collection is complete； and
gathered on a table； it offers specimens which can be found scattered
all over France。
VII。 The Armed Forces。
The Armed Force； the National Guard and the Gendarmerie。 … Its
purgation and composition。 … The Revolutionary Armies in Paris and
in the departments。 … Quality of the recruits。 … Their employment。
… Their expeditions into the countryside and the towns。 … Their
exploits in the vicinity of Paris and Lyons。 … The company of
Maratists； the American Hussars and the German Legion at Nantes。 …
General character of the Revolutionary government and of the
administrative staff of the Reign of Terror。
The last manipulators of the system remain； the hands which seize； the
armed force which takes bodily hold of men and things。 … The first
who are employed for this purpose are the National Guard and the
ordinary gendarmerie。 Since 1790； these bodies are of course
constantly weeded out until only fanatics and robots are left；＇143＇
nevertheless； the weeding…out continues as the system develops itself。
At Strasbourg；＇144＇ on Brumaire 14； the representatives have
dismissed； arrested and sent to Dijon the entire staff of the National
Guard to serve as hostages until peace is secured； three days
afterwards； considering that the cavalry of the town had been mounted
and equipped at its own expense； they deem it aristocratic； bourgeois；
and 〃suspect；〃 and seize the horses and put the officers in arrest。 …
At Troyes； Rousselin； 〃National civil commissioner；〃 dismisses； for
the same reason； and with not less dispatch； all of the gendarmes at
one stroke； except four； and 〃puts under requisition their horses；
fully equipped； also their arms； so as to at once mount well known and
tried sans…culottes。〃 On principle； the poor sans…culottes； who are
true at heart and in dress； alone have the right to bear arms； and
should a bourgeois be on duty he must have only a pike； care being
taken to take it away from him the moment he finishes his rounds。＇145＇
But； alongside of the usual armed force； there is still another； much
better selected and more effective； the reserve gendarmerie； a
special； and； at the same time； movable and resident body； that is to
say； the 〃revolutionary army；〃 which； after September 5； 1793； the
government had raised in Paris and in most of the large towns。 … That
of Paris； comprising six thousand men； with twelve hundred cannoneers；
sends detachments into the provinces … two thousand men to Lyons； and
two hundred to Troyes；＇146＇ Ysabeau and Tallien have at Bordeaux a
corps of three thousand men ； Salicetti； Albitte and Gasparin； one of
two thousand men at Marseilles； Ysoré and Duquesnoy； one of one
thousand men at Lille； Javogues； one of twelve hundred at Montbrison。
Others； less numerous； ranging from six hundred down to two hundred
men； hold Moulins； Grenoble； Besan？on； Belfort； Bourg； Dijon；
Strasbourg； Toulouse； Auch and Nantes。3147When； on March 27； 1794； the
Committee of Public Safety； threatened by Hébert； has them disbanded
for being Hébertists； in any of them are to remain at least as a
nucleus； under various forms and names； either as kept by the local
administration under the title of 〃paid guards；〃＇148＇ or as disbanded
soldiers； loitering about and doing nothing； getting themselves
assigned posts of rank in the National Guard of their town on account
of their exploits； in this way they keep themselves in service； which
is indispensable； for it is through these that the régime is
established and lasts。 〃The revolutionary army；＇149＇ say the orders
and decrees promulgated； 〃is intended to repress anti…revolutionaries；
to execute； whenever it is found necessary； revolutionary laws and
measures for public safety；〃 that is to say； 〃to guard those who are
shut up； arrest 'suspects；' demolish chateaux； pull down belfries；
ransack vestries for gold and silver objects； seize fine horses and
carriages；〃 and especially 〃 to seek for private stores and
monopolies；〃 in short； to exercise manual constraint and strike every
one on the spot with physical terror。 … We readily see what sort of
soldiers the revolutionary army is composed of。
Naturally； as it is recruited by voluntary enlistment； and all
candidates have passed the purifying scrutiny of the clubs； it
comprises none but ultra…Jacobins。 Naturally； the pay being forty
sous a day； it comprises none but the very lowest class。 Naturally；
as the work is as loathsome as it is atrocious； it comprises but few
others＇150＇ than those out of employment and reduced to an enlistment
to get a living； 〃hairdressers without customers； lackeys without
places； vagabonds； wretches unable to earn a living by honest labor；〃
〃thick and hard hitters〃 who have acquired the habit of bullying；
knocking down and keeping honest folks under their pikes； a gang of
confirmed scoundrels making public brigandage a cloak for private
brigandage； inhabitants of the slums glad to bring down their former
superiors into the mud； and themselves take precedence and strut about
in order to prove by their arrogance and self…display that they； in
their turn； are princes。 … 〃Take a horse； the nation pays for
it！〃＇151＇ said the sans…culottes of Bordeaux to their comrades in the
street； who； 〃in a splendid procession；〃 of three carriages； each
drawn by six horses； escorted by a body on horseback； behind； in
front； and each side； conducting Riouffe and two other 〃suspects〃 to
the Réole prison。 The commander of the squad who guards prisoners on
the way to Paris； and who 〃starves them along the road to speculate on
them；〃 is an ex…cook of Agen； having become a gendarme； he makes them
travel forty leagues extra； 〃purposely to glorify himself；〃 and 〃let
all Agen see that he has government money to spend； and that he can
put citizens in irons。〃 Accordingly； in Agen； 〃he keeps constantly and
needlessly inspecting the vehicle；〃 winking at the spectators； 〃more
triumphant than if he had made a dozen Austrians prisoners and brought
them along himself。〃 At last； to show the crowd in the street the
importance of his capture； he summons two blacksmiths to come out and
rivet； on the legs of each prisoner； a cross…bar cannon…ball weighing
eighty pounds。＇152＇ The more display these henchmen make of their
brutality；