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100；000 of the poor； of which 60；000 have flocked in from the
departments；＇9＇ among them are 30；000 needy artisans from the national
workshops； discharged and sent home in the preceding month of June；
but who； returning three months later； are again swallowed up in the
great sink of vagabondage； hurling their floating mass against the
crazy edifice of public authority and furnishing the forces of
sedition。 At Paris； and in the provinces； disobedience exists
throughout the hierarchy。 Directories countermand ministerial orders。
Here； municipalities brave the commands of their Directory； there；
communities order around their mayor with a drawn sword。 Elsewhere；
soldiers and sailors put their officers under arrest。 The accused
insult the judge on the bench and force him to cancel his verdict；
mobs tax or plunder wheat in the market； National Guards prevent its
distribution； or seize it in the storehouses。 There is no security
for property； lives； or consciences。 The majority of Frenchmen are
deprived of their right to worship in their own faith； and of voting
at the elections。 There is no safety； day or night； for the élite of
the nation； for ecclesiastics and the gentry； for army and navy
officers； for rich merchants and large landed proprietors； no
protection in the courts； no income from public funds； denunciations
abound； expulsions； banishments to the interior； attacks on private
houses； there is no right of free assemblage； even to enforce the law
under the orders of legal authorities。＇10＇ Opposed to this； and in
contrast with it； is the privilege and immunity of a sect formed into
a political corporation； 〃which extends its filiations over the whole
kingdom； and even abroad； which has its own treasury； its committees；
and its by…laws； which rules the government； which judges
justice；〃＇11＇ and which； from the capital to the hamlet； usurps or
directs the administration。 Liberty； equality； and the majesty of the
law exist nowhere； except in words。 Of the three thousand decrees
given birth to by the Constituent Assembly； the most lauded； those the
best set off by a philosophic baptism； form a mass of stillborn
abortions of which France is the burying…ground。 That which really
subsists underneath the false appearances of right； proclaimed and
sworn to over and over again； is； on the one hand； an oppression of
the upper and cultivated classes； from which all the rights of man are
withdrawn； and； on the other hand； the tyranny of the fanatical and
brutal rabble which assumes to itself all the rights of sovereignty。
II。
The Assembly hostile to the oppressed and favoring oppressors。
Decrees against the nobles and clergy。 Amnesty for deserters；
convicts； and bandits。 Anarchical and leveling maxims。
In vain do the honest men of the Assembly protest against this scandal
and this overthrow。 The Assembly； guided and forced by the Jacobins；
will only amend the law to damn the oppressed and to authorize their
oppressors。 Without making any distinction between armed
assemblages at Coblentz； which it had a right to punish； and refugees；
three times as numerous； old men； women and children； so many
indifferent and inoffensive people； not merely nobles but
plebeians；＇12＇ who left the soil only to escape popular outrages； it
confiscates the property of all emigrants and orders this to be
sold。＇13＇ Through the new restriction of the passport； those who
remain are tied to their domiciles； their freedom of movement； even in
the interior； being subject to the decision of each Jacobin
municipality。＇14＇ It completes their ruin by depriving them without
indemnity of all income from their real estate； of all the seignorial
rights which the Constituent Assembly had declared to be
legitimate。＇15＇ It abolishes； as far as it can； their history and
their past； by burning in the public depots their genealogical
titles。＇16＇ To all unsworn ecclesiastics； two…thirds of the French
clergy； it withholds bread； the small pension allowed them for food；
which is the ransom of their confiscated possessions；＇17＇ it declares
them 〃suspected of revolt against the law and of bad intentions
against the country；〃 it subjects them to special surveillance； it
authorizes their expulsion without trial by local rulers in case of
disturbances； it decrees that in such cases they shall be
banished。＇18＇ It suppresses 〃all secular congregations of men and
women ecclesiastic or laic； even those wholly devoted to hospital
service will take away from 600；000 children the means of learning to
read and write。〃＇19＇ It lays injunctions on their dress； it places
episcopal palaces in the market for sale； also the buildings still
occupied by monks and nuns。＇20＇ It welcomes with rounds of applause a
married priest who introduces his wife to the Assembly。 Not only is
the Assembly destructive but it is insulting； the authors of each
decree passed by it add to its thunderbolt the rattling hail of their
own abuse and slander。
〃Children；〃 says a deputy； 〃have the poison of aristocracy and
fanaticism injected into them by the congregations。〃＇21＇
〃Purge the rural districts of the vermin which is devouring them！〃 …
〃Everybody knows；〃 says Isnard； 〃that the priest is as cowardly as he
is vindictive。 。 。 Let these pestiferous fellows be sent back to
Roman and Italian lazarettos 。 。 What religion is that which； in its
nature； is unsocial and rebellious in principle？〃
Whether unsworn； whether immigrants actually or in feeling； 〃large
proprietors； rich merchants； false conservatives；〃＇22＇ are all
outspoken conspirators or concealed enemies。 All public disasters are
imputed to them。 〃The cause of the troubles；〃 says Brissot；＇23＇ 〃which
lay waste the colonies； is the infernal vanity of the whites who have
three times violated an engagement which they have three times sworn
to maintain。〃 Scarcity of work and short crops are accounted for
through their cunning malevolence。
〃A large number of rich men； 〃says Fran？ois de Nantes；＇24＇ 〃allow
their property to run down and their fields to lie fallow； so as to
enjoy seeing the suffering of the people。〃
France is divided into two parties； on the one hand； the aristocracy
to which is attributed every vice； and； on the other hand； the people
on whom is conferred every virtue。＇25＇
〃The defense of liberty；〃 says Lamarque；＇26＇ 〃is basely abandoned
every day by the rich and by the former nobility； who put on the mask
of patriotism only to cheat us。 It is not in this class； but only in
that of citizens who are disdainfully called the people； that we find
pure beings； those ardent souls really worthy of liberty。〃 One step
more and everything will be permitted to the virtuous against the
wicked； if misfortune befalls the aristocrats so much the worse for
them。 Those officers who are stoned； M。 de la Jaille and others；
〃wouldn't they do better not to deserve being sacrificed to popular
fury？〃＇27＇ Isnard exclaims in the tribune； 〃it is the long…continued
immunity enjoyed by criminals which has rendered the people
executioners。 Yes； an angry people； like an angry God； is only too
often the terrible supplement of silent laws。〃＇28＇ In other words
crimes are justified and assassinations still provoked against those
who have been assassinated for the past two years。
By a forced conclusion； if the victims are criminals； their
executioners are honest； and the Assembly； which rigorously proceeds
against the former； reserves all its indulgence for the latter。 It
reinstates the numerous deserters who abandoned their flags previous
to the 1st of January； 1789；＇29＇ it allows them three sous per league
mileage； and brings them back to their homes or to their regiments to
become； along with their brethren whose desertion is more recent；
either leaders or recruits for the mob。 It releases from the galleys
the forty Swiss guards of Chateauroux whom their own cantons desired
to have kept there； it permits these 〃'martyrs to Liberty 〃 to
promenade the streets of Paris in a triumphal car；＇30＇ it admits them
to the bar of the house； and； taking a formal vote on it； extends to
them the honors of the session。＇31＇ Finally； as if it were their
special business to let loose on the public the most ferocious and
foulest of the rabble； it amnesties Jourdan； Mainvielle； Duprat； and
Raphel； fugitive convicts； jail…birds； the condottieri of all lands
assuming the title of 〃the brave brigands of Avignon；〃 and who； for
eighteen months； have pillaged and plundered the Comtat＇32＇； it stops
the trial； almost over； of the Glacière butchers； it tolerates the
return of these as victors；＇33＇ and their installation by their own
act in the places of the fugitive magistrates； allowing Avignon to be
treated as a conquered city； and； henceforth； to become their prey and
their booty。 This is a willful restoration of the vermin to the social
body； and； in this fev