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！
as a conspirator； 〃for having thrown a rotten herring in the face of
his jailer； who had served it to him to eat。〃 Madame de Puy…Verin was
guillotined as 〃guilty〃 because she had not taken away from her deaf；
blind and senile husband a bag of card…counters； marked with the royal
effigy。 … In default of any pretext；＇31＇ there was the supposition of
a conspiracy； blank lists were given to paid emissaries； who undertook
to search the various prisons and select the requisite number of
heads； they wrote names down on them according to their fancy； and
these provided the batches for the guillotine。
〃As for myself；〃 said the juryman Vilate； 〃I am never embarrassed。 I
am always convinced。 In a revolution； all who appear before this
tribunal ought to be condemned。〃 …
At Marseilles； the Brutus Commission；＇32＇ 〃sentencing without public
prosecutor or jurymen； sent to the prisons for those it wished to put
to death。 After having demanded their names； professions and wealth
they were sent down to a cart standing at the door of the Palais de
Justice； the judges then stepped out on the balcony and pronounced the
death…sentence。〃 The same proceedings took place at Cambrai； Arras；
Nantes； Le Mans； Bordeaux； N？mes； Lyons； Strasbourg； and elsewhere。 …
Evidently； the judicial comedy is simply a parade； they make use of it
as one of the respectable means； among others less respectable； to
exterminate people whose opinions are not what they should be； or who
belong to the proscribed classes；＇33＇ Samson； at Paris； and his
colleagues in the provinces； the execution…platoons of Lyons and
Nantes； are simply the collaborators of murderers properly so called；
while legal massacres complete other massacres pure and simple。
Of this latter description； the fusillades of Toulon come first； where
the number of those who are shot largely surpasses one thousand；＇34＇
next the great drownings of Nantes； in which 4；800 men； women and
children perished；＇35＇ the other drownings； for which no figures may
be given；＇36＇ then the countless popular murders committed in France
between July 14； 1789； and August 10； 1792； the massacre of one 1；300
prisoners in Paris； in September； 1792； the long train of
assassinations which； in July； August and September； 1789； extends
over the entire territory； finally； the dispatch of the prisoners；
either shot or sabered； without trial at Lyons and in the West。 Even
excepting those who had died fighting or who； taken with arms in their
hands； were shot down or sabered on the spot； there were 10；000
persons slaughtered without trial in the province of Anjou alone：＇37＇
accordingly； the instructions of the Committee of Public Safety； also
the written orders of Carrier and Francastel； direct generals to
〃bleed freely〃 the insurgent districts；＇38＇ and spare not a life： it
is estimated that； in the eleven western departments； the dead of both
sexes and of all ages exceeded 400；000。＇39＇ … Considering the program
and principles of the Jacobin sect this is no great number； they might
have killed a good many more。 But time was wanting； during their
short reign they did what they could with the instrument in their
hands。 Look at their machine； the gradual construction of its parts；
the successive stages of its operation from its starting up to
Thermidor 9； and see how limited the period of its operation was。
Organized March 30 and April 6； 1793； the Revolutionary Committees and
the Revolutionary Tribunal had but seventeen months in which to do
their work。 They did not drive ahead with all their might until after
the fall of the Girondists； and especially after September； 1763 that
is to say for a period of eleven months。 Its loose wheels were not
screwed up and the whole was not in running order under the impulse of
the central motor until after December； 1793； that is to say during
eight months。 Perfected by the law of Prairial 22； it works for the
past two months； faster and better than before； with an energy and
rapidity that increase from week to week。 … At that date； and even
before it； the theorists have taken the bearings of their destinies
and accepted the conditions of their undertaking。 Being sectarians；
they have a faith； and as orthodoxy tolerates no heresy； and as the
conversion of heretics is never sincere or durable； heresy can be
suppressed only by suppressing heretics。 〃It is only the dead；〃 said
Barère； Messidor 16； 〃who never return。〃 On the 2nd and 3rd of
Thermidor；＇40＇ the Committee of Public Safety sends to Fouquier…
Tinville a list of four hundred and seventy…eight accused persons with
orders 〃to bring the parties named to trial at once。〃 Baudot and Jean
Bon St。 Andre； Carrier； Antonelle and Guifroy； had already estimated
the lives to be taken at several millions and； according to Collot d'
Herbois； who had a lively imagination； 〃the political perspiration
should go on freely； and not stop until from twelve to fifteen million
Frenchmen had been destroyed。〃＇41＇
To make amends； in the fourth and last division of their work； that is
to say； in spoliation； they went to the last extreme： they did all
that could be done to ruin individuals； families and the State；
whatever could be taken； they took。 … The Constituent and Legislative
Assemblies had； on their side； begun the business by abolishing tithes
and all feudal rights without indemnity； and by confiscating all
ecclesiastical property； the Jacobin operators continue and complete
the job； we have seen by what decrees and with what hostility against
collective and individual property； whether they attribute to the
State the possession of all corporations whatever； even laic； such as
colleges； schools and scientific or literary societies； hospitals and
communes； or whether they despoil individuals； indirectly through
assignats and the maximum； or directly through the forced loan；
revolutionary taxes；＇42＇ seizures of gold and silver coin；
requisitions of common useful utensils；＇43＇ sequestrations of
prisoners' property； confiscations of the possessions of emigrants and
exiles and of those deported or condemned to death。 No capital
invested in real or personal property； no income in money or produce；
whatever its source； whether leases； mortgages； private credits；
pensions； agricultural； industrial or commercial gains； the fruits of
economy or labor； from the farmers'； the manufacturers' and the
merchant's stores to the robes； coats； shirts and shoes； even to the
beds and bed…rooms of private individuals … nothing escapes their
rapacious grasp： in the country； they carry off even seed reserved for
planting； at Strasbourg and in the Upper Rhine； all kitchen utensils；
in Auvergne and elsewhere； even the shepherd's pots。 Every object of
value； even those not in public use； comes under requisition： for
instance；＇44＇ the Revolutionary Committee of Bayonne seizes a lot of
〃cotton cloth and muslin；〃 under the pretext of making 〃breeches for
the count