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the origins of contemporary france-2-第98章

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class; and as heads of the army; it is against them that public

distrust excites the most frequent explosions; and so much the more

as the instrument they handle is singularly explosive。  Recruited by

volunteer enlistment 〃amongst a passionate; turbulent; and somewhat

debauched people;〃 the army is composed of 〃all that are most fiery;

most turbulent; and most debauched in the nation。〃'36'  Add to these

the sweepings of the alms…houses; and you find a good many

blackguards in uniform! When we consider that the pay is small; the

food bad; discipline severe; no promotion; and desertion endemic; we

are no longer surprised at the general disorder: license; to such

men; is too powerful a temptation。  With wine; women; and money they

have from the first been made turncoats; and from Paris the

contagion has spread to the provinces。  In Brittany;'37' the

grenadiers and chasseurs of Ile…de…France 〃sell their coats; their

guns; and their shoes; exacting advances in order to consume it in

the tavern;〃 fifty…six soldiers of Penthièvre 〃wanted to murder

their officers;〃 and it is foreseen that; left to themselves; they

will soon; for lack of pay; 〃betake themselves to the highways; to

rob and assassinate。〃 In Euree…et…Loir; the dragoons;'38' with saber

and pistols in hand; visit the farmers' houses and take bread and

money; while the foot soldiers of the 〃Royal…Comtois〃 and the

dragoons of the 〃Colonel…Général〃 desert in bands in order to go to

Paris; where amusement is to be had。  The main thing with them is

〃to have a jolly time。〃 In fact; the extensive military

insurrections of the earliest date; those of Paris; Versailles;

Besan?on; and Strasbourg; began or ended with a revel。   …   Out of

these depths of gross desires there has sprung up natural or

legitimate ambitions。  A number of soldiers; for twenty years past;

have learned how to read; and think themselves qualified to be

officers。  One quarter of those enlisted; moreover; are young men

born in good circumstances; and whom a caprice has thrown into the

army。  They choke in this narrow; low; dark; confined passage where

the privileged by birth close up the issue; and they will march over

their chiefs to secure advancement。  These are the discontented; the

disputants; the orators of the mess…room; and between these barrack

politicians and the politicians of the street an alliance is at once

formed。   …   Starting from the same point they march on to the same

end; and the imagination which has labored to blacken the Government

in the minds of the people; blackens the officers in the minds of

the soldiers。



The Treasury is empty and there are arrears of pay。  The towns;

burdened with debt; no longer furnish their quotas of supplies; and

at Orleans; with the distress of the municipality before them; the

Swiss of Chateauvieux were obliged to impose on themselves a

stoppage of one sou per day and per man to have wood in winter。'39'

Grain is scarce; the flour is spoilt; and the army bread; which was

bad; has become worse。  The administration; worm…eaten by old

abuses; is deranged through the new disorder; the soldiers suffering

as well through its dissolution as through their extravagance。   …

They think themselves robbed and they complain; at first with

moderation; and justice is done to their well…founded claims。  Soon

they exact accounts; and these are made out for them。 At Strasbourg;

on these being verified before Kellermann and a commissioner of the

National Assembly; it is proved that they have not been wronged out

of a sou; nevertheless a gratification of six francs a head is given

to them; and they cry out that they are content and have nothing

more to ask for。  A few months after this fresh complaints arise;

and there is a new verification: an ensign; accused of embezzlement

and whom they wished to hang; is tried in their presence; his

accounting is tidy; none of them can cite against him a proven

charge; and; once more; they remain silent。  On other occasions;

after hearing the reading of registers for several hours; they yawn;

cease to listen; and go outside to get something to drink。   …   But

the figures of their demands; as these have been summed up by their

mess…room calculators; remain implanted in their brains; they have

taken root there; and are constantly springing up without any

account or refutation being able to extirpate them。 No more writings

nor speeches  …   what they want is money: 11;000 livres for the

Beaune regiment; 39;500 livres for that of Forez; 44;000 livres for

that of Salm; 200;000 livres for that of Chateauvieux; and similarly

for the rest。  So much the worse for the officers if the money…chest

does not suffice for them; let them assess each other; or borrow on

their note of hand from the municipality; or from the rich men of

the town。   …   For greater security; in divers places; the soldiers

take possession of the military chest and mount guard around it: it

belongs to them; since they form the regiment; and; in any case; it

is better that it should be in their hands than in suspected hands。

…   Already; on the 4th of June; 1790; the Minister of War announces

to the Assembly that 〃the military body threatens to fall into a

perfect state of anarchy。〃 His report shows 〃the most incredible

pretensions put forth in the most plain…spoken way  …   orders

without force; chiefs without authority; the military chest and

flags carried away; the orders of the King himself openly defied;

the officers condemned; insulted; threatened; driven off; some of

them even captive amidst their own troops; leading a precarious life

in the midst of disgust and humiliations; and; as the climax of

horror; commanders having their throat cut under the eyes and almost

in the arms of their own soldiers。〃



It is much worse after the July Federation。  Entertained; flattered;

and indoctrinated at the clubs; their delegates; inferior officers

and privates; return to the regiment Jacobins; and henceforth

correspond with the Jacobins of Paris; 〃receiving their instructions

and reporting to them;〃'40'  …  Three weeks later; the Minister of

War gives notice to the National Assembly that there is no limit to

the license in the army。  〃Couriers; the bearers of fresh

complaints; are arriving constantly。〃 In one place 〃a statement of

the fund is demanded; and it is proposed to divide it。〃 Elsewhere; a

garrison; with drums beating; leaves the town; deposes its officers;

and comes back sword in hand。  Each regiment is governed by a

committee of soldiers。  〃It is in this committee that the detention

of the lieutenant…colonel of Poitou has been twice arranged; here it

is that 'Royal…Champagne' conceived the insurrection〃 by which it

refused to recognize a sub…lieutenant sent to it。  〃Every day the

minister's cabinet is filled with soldiers who are sent as

representatives to him; and who proudly come and intimate to him the

will of their constituents。〃 Finally; at Strasbourg; seven

regiments; each represented by three delegates; formed a military

congress。  The same month; the terrible insurrection of Nancy breaks

out  …   three regiments in revolt; the populace with them; the

arsenal pillaged; three hours of furious fighting in the streets;

the insurgents firing from the windows of the houses and from the

cellar openings; five hundred dead among the victors; and three

thousand among the vanquished。   …   The following month; and for

six weeks;'41' there is another insurrection; less bloody; but more

extensive; better arranged and more obstinate; that of the whole

squadron at Brest; a mutiny of twenty thousand men; at first against

their admiral and their officers; then against the new penal code

and against the National Assembly itself。  The latter; after

remonstrating in vain; is obliged not only not to take rigorous

measures; but again to revise its laws。'42'



》From this time forth; I cannot enumerate the constant outbreaks in

the fleet and in the army。   …   Authorized by the minister; the

soldier goes to the club; where he is repeatedly told that his

officers; being aristocrats; are traitors。  At Dunkirk; he is

additionally taught how to get rid of them。 Clamors; denunciations;

insults; musket…shots  …   these are the natural means; and they are

put in practice: but there is another; recently discovered; by which

an energetic officer of whom they are afraid may be driven away。

Some patriotic bully is found who comes and insults him。 If the

officer fights and is not killed; the municipal authorities have him

arraigned; and his chiefs send him off along with his seconds 〃in

order not to disturb the harmony between the soldier and the

citizen。〃 If he declines the proposed duel; the contempt of his men

obliges him to quit the regiment。  In either case he is got out of

the way。'43'  …   They have no scruples in relation to him。 Present

or absent; a noble officer must certainly be plotting with h
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