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the origins of contemporary france-2-第100章

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What! Madame Guillin; who was obliged to fly with horror from the

land where monsters have burnt her dwelling; slaughtered and eaten

her husband; and who live with impunity by the side of her home  …

shall Madame Guillin see her fortune confiscated for the benefit of

the communities to which she owes her dreadful misfortunes! Shall M。

de Clarac; under penalty of the same punishment; go and restore the

ruins of his chateau; where an army of scoundrels failed to smother

him!〃  …  So much the worse for them if they dare not come back!

They are to undergo civil death; perpetual banishment; and; in case

the ban be violated; they will be given up to the guillotine。  In

the same case with them are others who; with still greater

innocence; have left the territory; magistrates; ordinary rich

people; burgesses; or peasants; Catholics; and particularly one

entire class; the nonjuring clergy; from the cardinal archbishop

down to the simple village vicar; all prosecuted; then despoiled;

then crushed by the same popular oppression and by the same

legislative oppression; each of these two persecutions exciting and

aggravating the other to such an extent that; at last; the populace

and the law; one the accomplice of the other; no longer leave a roof

nor a piece of bread; nor an hour's safety to a gentleman or to a

priest。'51'



VIII。



Attitude of the non…juring priests。  …  How they become distrusted。

…  Illegal arrests by local administrations。  …  Violence or

complicity of the National Guards。  …  Outrages by the populace。  …

Executive power in the south。  …  The sixth jacquerie。  …  Its two

causes。  …  Isolated outbreaks in the north; east; and west; …

General eruption in the south and in the center。



The ruling passion flings itself on all obstacles; even those placed

by itself across its own track。  Through a vast usurpation the

minority of non…believers; indifferent or lukewarm; has striven to

impose its ecclesiastical forms on the Catholic majority; and the

situation thereby created for the Catholic priest is such that

unless he becomes schismatic; he cannot fail to appear as an enemy。

In vain has he obeyed! He has allowed his property to be taken; he

has left his parsonage; he has given the keys of the church to his

successor; he has kept aloof; he does not transgress; either by

omission or commission; any article of any decree。  In vain does he

avail himself of his legal right to abstain from taking an oath

repugnant to his conscience。  This alone makes him appear to refuse

the civic oath in which the ecclesiastical oath is included; to

reject the constitution which he accepts in full minus a parasite

chapter; to conspire against the new social and political order of

things which he often approves of; and to which he almost always

submits。'52'  In vain does he confine himself to his special and

recognized domain; the spiritual direction of things。  Through this

alone he resists the new legislators who pretend to furnish a

spiritual guidance; for; by virtue of being orthodox; he must

believe that the priest whom they elect is excommunicated; that his

sacraments are vain; and; in his office as pastor; he must prevent

his sheep from going to drink at an impure source。  In vain might he

preach to them moderation and respect。  Through the mere fact that

the schism is effected; its consequences unfold them selves; and the

peasants will not always remain as patient as their pastor。  They

have known him for twenty years; he has baptized them and married

them; they believe that his is the only true mass; they are not

satisfied to be obliged to attend another two or three leagues away;

and to leave the church; their church which their ancestors built;

and where from father to son they have prayed for centuries; in the

hands of a stranger; an intruder and heretic; who officiates before

almost empty benches; and whom gendarmes; with guns in their hands;

have installed。  Assuredly; as he passes through the street; they

will look upon him askance: it is not surprising that the women and

children soon hoot at him; that stones are thrown at night through

his windows; that in the strongly Catholic departments; Upper and

Lower Rhine; Doubs and Jura; Lozère; Deux…Sêvres and Vendée;

Finistère; Morbihan; and C?tes…du…Nord; he is greeted with universal

desertion; and then expelled through public ill…will。  It is not

surprising that his mass is interrupted and that his person is

threatened;'53' that disaffection which thus far had only reached

the upper class; descends to the popular strata; that; from one end

of France to the other; a sullen hostility prevails against the new

institutions; for now the political and social constitution is

joined to the ecclesiastical constitution like an edifice to its

spire; and; through this sharp pinnacle; seeks the storm even within

the darkening clouds of heaven。  The evil all springs out of this

unskillful; gratuitous; compulsory fusion; and; consequently; from

those who effected it。



But never will a victorious party admit that it has made a mistake。

In its eyes the nonjuring priests are alone culpable; it is

irritated against their factious conscience; and; to crush the

rebellion even in the inaccessible sanctuary of personal conviction;

there is no legal or brutal act of violence which it will not allow

itself to commit。



Behold; accordingly; a new sport thrown open; and the game is

immensely plentiful。  For it comprises not only the black or gray

robes; more than forty thousand priests; over thirty thousand nuns;

and several thousand monks; but also the devoted orthodox; that is

to say the women of the low or middle class; and; without counting

provincial nobles; a majority of the serious; steady bourgeoisie; a

majority of the peasantry…almost the whole population of several

provinces; east; west; and in the south。  A name is bestowed on

them; as lately on the nobles; it is that of fanatic; which is

equivalent to aristocrat; for it also designates public enemies

likewise placed by it beyond the pale of the law。



Little does it matter whether the law favors them; for it is

interpreted against them; arbitrarily construed and openly violated

by the partial or intimidated administrative bodies which the

Constitution has withdrawn from the control of the central authority

and subjected to the authority of popular gatherings。  From the

first months of 1791; the hounding begins; the municipalities;

districts; and departments themselves often take the lead in beating

up the game。  Six months later; the Legislative Assembly; by its

decree of November 29;'54' sounds the tally…ho; and; in spite of the

King's veto; the hounds on all sides dash forward。  During the month

of April; 1792; forty…two departments pass against nonjuring priests

〃acts which are neither prescribed nor authorized by the

Constitution;〃 and; before the end of the Legislative Assembly;

forty…three others will have followed in their train。  …  Through

this series of illegal acts; without offense; without trial; non…

jurors are everywhere in France expelled from their parishes;

relegated to the principal town of the department or district; in

some places imprisoned; put on the same footing with the emigrants;

and despoiled of their property; real and personal。'55'  Nothing

more is wanting against them but the general decree of deportation

which is to come as soon as the Assembly can get rid of the King。



In the meantime; the National Guards; who have extorted the laws;

endeavor to aggravate them in their application; and there is

nothing strange in their animosity。  Commerce is at a standstill;

industry languishes; the artisan and shopkeeper suffer; and; in

order to account for the universal discontent; it is attributed to

the insubordination of the priest。  Were it not for his stubbornness

all would go well; since the Constitution is perfect; and he is the

only one who does not accept it。  But; in not accepting it; he

attacks it。  He; therefore; is the last obstacle in the way of

public happiness; he is the scapegoat; let us drive the obnoxious

creature away! And the urban militia; sometimes on its own

authority; sometimes instigated by the municipal body its

accomplice; is seen disturbing public worship; dispersing

congregations; seizing priests by the collar; pushing them by the

shoulders out of the town; and threatening them with hanging if they

dare to return。  At Douay;'56' with guns in hand; they force the

directory of the department to order the closing of all the

oratories and chapels in hospitals and convents。  At Caen; with

loaded guns and with a cannon; they march forth against the

neighboring parish of Verson; break into houses; gather up fifteen

persons suspected of orthodoxy  …  canons; merchants; artisans;

workmen; women; girls; old men; and the infirm  …  cut off their

hair; strike them with the but…ends of their musket
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