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d'instruction of Rheims; on the objection being made to him that the
Republic; as he understood it; could not last long; he replied:
〃Possibly; but say it lasts three months。 That's long enough to fill
one's pocket and belly and rumple silk dresses?〃 Another of the same
species said in 1871: 〃We shall anyhow have a week's use of it。〃
Observers of human nature will find analogous details in the history
of the Sepoy rebellion in India against the English in 1803; also in
the history of the Indians in the United States。 The September
massacres in Paris and the history of the combat of 1791 and 1792 have
already provided us with the same characteristic documents。
'169' Alfred Lallier; 〃Les Fusillades de Nantes;〃 P。23。 (Depositions
of Picard; commander of the National Guards of the escort。 … Cf。 the
depositions of Jean Jounet; paver; and of Henri Ferdinand; joiner。)
'170' Sauzay; 〃Histoire de la Persécution Révolutionnaire dans le
Département du Doubs;〃 VII。; 687。 (Letter of Grégoire; December 24;
1796。) 〃An approximative calculation makes the number of the authors
of so many crimes three hundred thousand; for in each commune there
were about five or six of these ferocious brutes who; named Brutus;
perfected the art of removing seals; drowning and cutting throats。
They consumed immense amounts in constructing 'Mountains;' in
reveling; and in fetes every three months which; after the first
parade; became parodies; represented by three or four actors in them;
and with no audience。 These consisted; finally; of a drum…beater and
the musical officer; and the latter; ashamed of himself; often
concealed his scarf in his pocket; on his way to the Temple of Reason。
。 。 。 But these 300 000 brigands had 2 or 300 directors; members of
the National convention; who cannot be called anything but scoundrels;
since the language provides no other epithet so forcible。〃
BOOK FOURTH。 The Governed。
CHAPTER I。 The Oppressed。
I。 Revolutionary Destruction。
Magnitude of revolutionary destructiveness。 … The four ways of
effecting it。 … Expulsion from the country through forced emigration
and legal banishment。 … Number of those expelled。 … Privation of
liberty。 … Different sorts of imprisonment。 … Number and situation
of those imprisoned。 … Murders after being tried; or without trial。
… Number of those guillotined or shot after trial。 … Indication of
the number of other lives destroyed。 … Necessity and plan for wider
destruction。 … Spoliation。 … Its extent。 … Squandering。 … Utter
losses。 … Ruin of individuals and the State。 … The Notables the most
oppressed。
The object of the Jacobin; first of all; is the destruction of his
adversaries; avowed or presumed; probable or possible。 Four violent
measures concur; together or in turn; to bring about the physical or
social extermination of all Frenchmen who no longer belong to the sect
or the party。
The first operation consists in expelling them from the territory。 …
Since 1789; they have been chased off through a forced emigration;
handed over to jacqueries; or popular uprisings; in the country; and
to insurrections in the cities;'1' defenseless and not allowed to
defend themselves; three…fourths of them have left France; simply to
escape popular brutalities against which neither the law nor the
government afforded them any protection。 According as the law and the
administration; in becoming more Jacobin; became more hostile to them;
so did they leave in greater crowds。 After the 10th of August and 2nd
of September; the flight necessarily was more general; for;
henceforth; if any one persisted in remaining after that date it was
with the almost positive certainty that he would be consigned to a
prison; to await a massacre or the guillotine。 About the same time;
the law added to the fugitive the banished; all unsworn priests;
almost an entire class consisting of nearly 40 000 persons。'2' It is
calculated that; on issuing from the reign of Terror; the total number
of fugitives and banished) amounted to 150 000'3' the list would have
been still larger; had not the frontier been guarded by patrols and
one had to cross it at the risk of one's life; and yet; many do risk
their lives in attempting to cross it; in disguise; wandering about at
night; in mid…winter; exposed to gunshots; determined to escape cost
what it will; into Switzerland; Italy; or Germany; and even into
Hungary; in quest of security and the right of praying to God as one
pleases。'4' … If any exiled or deported person ventures to return; he
is tracked like a wild beast; and; as soon as taken; he is
guillotined。'5' For example; M。 de Choiseul; and other unfortunates;
wrecked and cast ashore on the coast of Normandy; are not sufficiently
protected by the law of nations。 They are brought before a military
commission; saved temporarily through public commiseration; they
remain in prison until the First Consul intervenes between them and
the homicidal law and consents; through favor; to deport them to the
Dutch frontier。 … If they have taken up arms against the Republic
they are cut off from humanity; a Pandour'6' taken prisoner is treated
as a man; an émigré made prisoner is treated like a wolf … they shoot
him on the spot。 In some cases; even the pettiest legal formalities
are dispensed with。
〃When I am lucky enough to catch 'em;〃 writes Gen。 Vandamme; 〃I do
not trouble the military commission to try them。 They are already
tried … my saber and pistols do their business。〃'7'
The second operation consists in depriving 〃suspects〃 of their
liberty; of which deprivation there are several degrees; there are
various ways of getting hold of people。 … Sometimes; the 〃suspect〃 is
〃adjourned;〃 that is to say; the order of arrest is simply suspended;
he lives under a perpetual menace that is generally fulfilled; he
never knows in the morning that he will not sleep in a prison that
night。 Sometimes; he is put on the limits of his commune。 Sometimes;
he is confined to his house with or without guards; and; in the former
case; he is obliged to pay them。 Again; finally; and which occurs
most frequently; he is shut up in this or that common jail。 … In the
single department of Doubs; twelve hundred men and women are
〃adjourned;〃 three hundred put on the limits of the commune; fifteen
hundred confined to their houses; and twenty two hundred
imprisoned。'8' In Paris; thirty…six such prisons and more than
〃violins〃; or temporary jails; soon filled by the revolutionary
committees; do not suffice for the service。'9' It is estimated that;
in France; not counting more than 40;000 provisional jails; twelve
hundred prisons; full and running over; contain each more than two
hundred inmates。'10' At Paris; notwithstanding the daily void created
by the guillotine; the number of the imprisoned on Floréal 9; year
II。; amounts to 7;840; and; on Messidor 25 following; notwithstanding
the