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(July 19; 1786); of Nimes (July 1; 1786); of the intendant; M。 d'Aine
(March 19; 1786)。
'34' Archives nationales; H; 554。 (Letter of M。 de Bertrand;
intendant of Rennes; August 7; 1785)。
'35' Archives nationales; H; 426。 (Remonstrances; Feb。 1783)。 … H;
554。 (Letter of M。 de Bertrand; Aug。 17; 1785)。
'36' Archives nationales; H; 614 (Mémoire by René de Hauteville;
parliamentary advocate; Saint…Brieuc; Dec。 25; 1776。)
'37' 〃Process…verbaux de l'ass。 Prov。 de Soissonnais〃 (1787) p。
457。
'38' Archives nationales; H; 616 (A letter of M。 De Boves;
intendant of Rennes; April 23; 1774)。
'39' Périn; 〃La Jeunesse de Robespierre;〃 301。 (Doléances des
parroisses rurales en 1789)。
'40' Hippeau; 〃Le Gouvern。 de Normandie;〃 VII。 147…177 (1789)。 …
Boivin…Champeaux; 〃Notice hist。 sur la Révolution dans le département
de l'Eure;〃 p。 83 (1789)。
'41' Théron de Montaugé; p。 87。 (Letter of the prior of the
convent; March; 1789)。
'42' 〃Procès…verbaux de l'Ass。 prov。 de Lyonnais;〃 p。57。 …
Archives nationales; F4; 2073。 Memorandum of Jan。 24; 1788。
〃Charitable assistance is very limited; the provincial authorities
providing no resources for such accidents。〃
'43' Levasseur; 〃La France industrielle;〃 119。 … In 1862; the
population being almost triple (1 696 000) there are but 90 000
paupers。
'44' Albert Babeau; 〃Hist。 de Troyes;〃 I。 91。 (Letter of the mayor
Huez; July 30; 1788)。
'45' Floquet; VII; 506。
'46' Archives nationales; H; 1453。 (Letter of M。 de Sainte…Suzanne;
April 29; 1789)。
'47' Arthur Young; I。 256。
'48' 〃Correspond。 secrèt inédite;〃 from 1777 to 1792; published by
M。 de Lescure; II。 351 (May 8; 1789)。 Cf。 C。 Desmoulins; 〃La
Lanterne;〃 of 100 rioters arrested at Lyons 96 were branded。
'49' De Bezenval; II。 344; 350。 … Dussault; 〃La Prise de la
Bastille;〃 352。 … Marmontel; II; ch。 XIV; 249。 Mme。 Vigée…Lebrun; I。
177; 188。
'50' Mercier; I。 32; VI。 15; X。 179; XI。 59; XII。 83。 … Arthur
Young; I。 122。
'51' In the original; pain de Gonesse; … bread; made in a village
of this name near Paris; and renowned for its whiteness。 … TR。
'52' 〃Dialogues sur le commerce des blés;〃 by Galiani (1770)。 〃If
the strong of the markets are content; no misfortune will happen to
the administration。 The great conspire and rebel; the bourgeois
murmurs and lives a celibate; peasants and artisans despair and go
away; porters get up riots。〃
CHAPTER IV。 The Armed Forces。
I。
Military force declines。 … How the army is recruited。 … How the
soldier is treated。
Against universal sedition where is force? … The measures and
dispositions which govern the 150;000 men who maintain order are the
same as those ruling the 26 millions people subject to it。 We find
here the same abuses; disaffection; and other causes for the
dissolution of the nation which; in their turn; will dissolve the
army。
Of the 90 millions of pay'1' which the army annually costs the
treasury; 46 millions are for officers and only 44 millions for
soldiers; and we are already aware that a new ordinance reserves ranks
of all kinds for verified nobles。 In no direction is this inequality;
against which public opinion rebels so vigorously; more apparent。 On
the one hand; authority; honors; money; leisure; good…living; social
enjoyments; and plays in private; for the minority。 On the other hand;
for the majority; subjection; dejection; fatigue; a forced or betrayed
enlistment; no hope of promotion; pay at six sous a day;'2' a narrow
cot for two; bread fit for dogs; and; for several years; kicks like
those bestowed on a dog。'3' On the one hand; a nobility of high
estate; and; on the other; the lowest of the populace。 One might say
that this was specially designed for contrast and to intensify
irritation。 〃The insignificant pay of the soldier;〃 says an economist;
〃the way in which he is dressed; lodged and fed; his utter dependence;
would render it cruelty to take any other than a man of the lower
class。〃'4' Indeed; he is sought for only in the lowest layers of
society。 Not only are nobles and the bourgeoisie exempt from
conscription; but again the employees of the administration; of the
fermes and of public works; 〃all gamekeepers and forest…rangers; the
hired domestics and valets of ecclesiastics; of communities; of
religious establishments; of the gentry and of nobles;〃'5' and even of
the bourgeoisie living in grand style; and still better; the sons of
cultivators in easy circumstances; and; in general; all possessing
influence or any species of protector。 There remains; accordingly; for
the militia none but the poorest class; and they do not willingly
enter it。 On the contrary; the service is hateful to them; they
conceal themselves in the forests where they have to be pursued by
armed men: in a certain canton which; three years later; furnishes in
one day from fifty to one hundred volunteers; the young men cut off
their thumbs to escape the draft。'6' To this scum of society is added
the sweepings of the depots and of the jails。 Among the vagabonds that
fill these; after winnowing out those able to make their families
known or to obtain sponsors; 〃there are none left;〃 says an intendant;
〃but those who are entirely unknown or dangerous; out of which those
regarded as the least vicious are selected and efforts are made to
place these in the army。〃'7' … The last of its affluents is the
half…forced; half…voluntary enlistment by which the ranks are for the
most part filled; the human waste of large towns; like adventurers;
discharged apprentices; young reprobates turned out of doors; and
people without homes or steady occupation。 The recruiting agent who is
paid so much a head for his recruits and so much an inch on their
stature above five feet; 〃holds his court in a tavern; treating
everyone〃 promoting his merchandise:
〃Come; boys; soup; fish; meat and salad is what you get to eat in
the regiment;〃 nothing else; 〃I don't deceive you … pie and Arbois
wine are the extras。〃'8'
He pours the wine; pays the bill and; if need be; yields his
mistress。 〃After a few days debauchery; the young libertine; with no
money to pay his debts; is obliged to sell himself; while the laborer;
transformed into soldier; begins to drill under the lash。〃 … Strange
recruits these; for the protection of society; all selected from the
class which will attack it; down…trodden peasants; imprisoned
vagabonds; social outcasts; poor fellows in debt; disheartened;
excited and easily tempted; who; according to circumstances; become at
one time rioters; and at another soldiers。 … Which lot is preferable?
The bread the soldier eats is not more abundant than that of the
prisoner; while poorer in quality; for the bran is taken out of the
bread which the locked…up vagabond eats; and left in the bread which