书城公版The Origins of Contemporary France
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第401章

Laureau. "Behold the provinces in flames, insurrection in nineteen departments, and revolt everywhere declaring itself . . . The only liberty is that of brigandage; we have no taxation, no order, no government." Mercure de France, April 7, 1792. "More than twenty departments are now participating in the horrors of anarchy and in a more or less destructive insurrection."[61] Moniteur, XII. 30. Speech by M. Caillasson. The total amount of property sold up to November 1, 1791, is 1,526 millions; the remainder for sale amounts to 669 millions.

[62] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3225. Letter of the Directory of Ille-et-Vilaine, March 24, 1792. "The National Guards of the district purposely expel all nonjuring priests, who have not been replaced, under the pretext of the trouble they would not fail to cause at Easter."[63] Moniteur, XI. 420. (Sitting of February 18, 1792.) Report by M. Cahier, Minister of the Interior.

[64] "Archives Nationales," F7, 3250. Deposition of the municipal officers of Gosnay and Hesdiguel (district of Béthune), May 18, 1792. Six parishes took part in this expedition; the mayor's wife had a rope around her neck, and came near being hung. - Moniteur, XII, 154, April 15, 1792. - "Archives Nationales," F7, 3225.

Letter of the Directory of Ile-et-Vilaine, March 24, 1792, and official statement of the commissioners for the district of Vitré;letter of the same directory, April 21, 1792, and report of the commissioners sent to Acigné, April 6.

[65] Moniteur, XII. 200. Report of M. Cahier, April 23, 1792. The directories of these four departments refuse to cancel their illegal acts, alleging that "their armed National Guards pursue refractory priests."[66] Mercure de France, April 7, 1792. Letters written from Aurillac. - "Archives Nationales," F7, 3202. - Letter of the directory of the district of Aurillac, March 27, 1792 (with seven official statements); of the directory of the district of Saint-Flour, March 19 (with the report of its commissioners); of M.

Duranthon, minister of justice, April 22; petition of M. Lorus, municipal officer of Aurillac. - Letter of M. Duranthon, June 9, 1792. "I am just informed by the royal commissioner of the district of Saint-Flour that, since the departure of the troops, the magistrates dare no longer exercise their functions in the midst of the brigands who surround them."[67] "Archives Nationales," F7,, 3219. Letters of M. Niel, administrator of the department of Haute-Garonne, February 27, 1792;of M. Sainfal, March 4; of the directory of the department, March 1;of the royal commissioner, tribunal of Castelsarrasin, March 13.

[68] The following are some examples of these rustic desires: