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and bourgeois in their capacity of notables; that is to say; born and
bred above others; and respected by the masses on account of their
superior condition。 … In the eyes of the genuine Jacobin; the
notables of the third class are no less criminal than the members of
the two superior classes。 〃The bourgeois;'113' the merchants; the
large proprietors;〃 writes a popular club in the South; 〃all have the
pretension of the old set (des ci…dévants)。〃 And the club complains of
〃the law not providing means for opening the eyes of the people with
respect to these new tyrants。〃 It is horrible! The stand they take is
an offense against equality and they are proud of it! And what is
worse; this stand attracts public consideration! Consequently; 〃the
club requests that the revolutionary Tribunal be empowered to consign
this proud class to temporary confinement;〃 and then 〃the people would
see the crime it had committed and recover from the sort of esteem in
which they had held it。〃 … Incorrigible and contemptuous heretics
against the new creed; they are only too lucky to be treated somewhat
like infidel Jews in the middle…ages。 Accordingly; if they are
tolerated; it is on the condition that they let themselves be pillaged
at discretion; covered with opprobrium and subdued through fear。 … At
one time; with insulting irony; they are called upon to prove their
dubious civism by forced donations。 〃Whereas;〃'114' says
Representative Milhaud; 〃all the citizens and citoyennes of Narbonne
being in requisition for the discharge and transport of forage;
whereas; this morning; the Representative; in person; having inspected
the performance of this duty;〃 and having observed on the canal 〃none
but sans…culottes and a few young citizens; whereas; not finding at
their posts any muscadin and no muscadine; whereas; the persons; whose
hands are no doubt too delicate; even temporarily; for the glorious
work of robust sans…culottes; have; on the other hand; greater
resources in their fortune; and; desiring to afford to the rich of
Narbonne the precious advantage of being equally useful to the
republic;〃 hereby orders that 〃the richest citizens of Narbonne pay
within twenty…four hours〃 a patriotic donation of one hundred thousand
livres; one…half to be assigned to the military hospitals; and the
other half; on the designation thereof by a 〃Committee of Charity;
composed of three reliable revolutionary sans…culottes;〃 to be
distributed among the poor of the Commune。 Should any 〃rich egoist
refuse to contribute his contingent he is to be immediately
transferred to the jail at Perpignan。〃 … Not to labor with one's own
hands; to be disqualified for work demanding physical strength; is of
itself a democratic stain; and the man who is sullied by this draws
down on himself; not alone an augmentation of pecuniary taxation; but
frequently an augmentation of personal compulsory labor。 At
Villeneuve; Aveyron; and throughout the department of Cantal;'115'
Representative Taillefer and his delegate Deltheil; instruct the
Revolutionary Committees to 〃place under military requisition and
conscription all muscadins above the first class;〃 that is to say; all
between twenty…five and forty years of age who are not reached by the
law。 〃By muscadins is meant all citizens of that age not married; and
exercising no useful profession;〃 in other words; those who live on
their income。 And; that none of the middle or upper class may escape;
the edict subjects to special rigor; supplementary taxes; and
arbitrary arrest; not alone property…holders and fund…holders; but
again all persons designated under the following heads; … aristocrats;
Feuillants; moderates; Girondists; federalists; muscadins; the
superstitious; fanatics the abettors of royalism; of superstition and
of federation; monopolists; jobbers; egoists; 〃suspects 〃 of incivism;
and; generally; all who are indifferent to the Revolution; of which
local committees are to draw up the lists。
Occasionally; in a town; some steps taken collectively; either a vote
or petition;。 furnish a ready…made list;'116' it suffices to read
this to know who are notables; the most upright people of the place;
henceforth; under the pretext of political repression; the levellers
may give free play to their social hatred。 … At Montargis; nine days
after the attempt of June 20; 1792;'117' two hundred and twenty…eight
notables sign an address in testimony of their respectful sympathy for
the King; a year and nine months later; in consequence of a
retroactive stroke; all are hit; and; with the more satisfaction;
inasmuch as in their persons the most respected in the town fall
beneath the blow; all whom flight and banishment had left there
belonging to the noble; ecclesiastic; bourgeois or popular
aristocracy。 Already; 〃on the purification of the constituted
authorities of Montargis; the representative had withdrawn every
signer from places of public trust and kept them out of all offices。〃
But this is not sufficient; the punishment must be more exemplary。
Four of them; the ex…mayor; an ex…collector; a district administrator
and a notable are sent to the revolutionary Tribunal in Paris; to be
guillotined in deference to principles。 Thirty…two former officers …
chevaliers of St。 Louis; mousquetaires; nobles; priests; an ex…
procureur…royal; an ex…treasurer of France; a former administrator of
the department; and two ladies; one of them designated as 〃calling
herself a former marchioness〃 … are confined; until peace is secured;
in the jail at Montargis。 Other former municipal officers and
officers in the National Guard … men of the law; notaries and
advocates; physicians; surgeons; former collectors; police
commissioners; postmasters; merchants and manufacturers; men and
women; married or widows and widowers … are to make public apology and
be summoned to the Temple of Reason to undergo there the humiliation
of a public penance on the 20th of Vent?se at three o'clock in the
afternoon。 They all go; for the summons says; 〃whoever does not
present himself on the day and hour named will be arrested and
confined until peace is declared。〃 On reaching the church; purified by
Jacobin adoration; 〃in the presence of the constituted authorities of
the popular club and of the citizens convoked in general assembly;〃
they mount one by one into a tribune raised three steps above the
floor;〃 in such a way as to be in full sight。 One by one the national
agent; or the mayor; reprimands them in the following language:
〃You have been base enough to sign a fawning address to Louis XVI。;
the most odious and the vilest of tyrants; an ogre of the human
species guilty of every sort of crime and debauchery。 You are hereby
censured by the people。 You are moreover warned that on committing
the first act of incivism; or manifesting any anti…revolutionary
conduct; the surveillance of the constituted authorities will be
extended to you in the most energet