第253章

At Peronne and at Ham， the order having come to restore the toll-houses， the people destroy the soldiers' quarters， conduct all the employees to their homes， and order them to leave within twenty-four hours， under penalty of death. After twenty months' resistance Paris will end the matter by forcing the National Assembly to give in and by obtaining the final suppression of its octroi.[26] -- Of all the creditors whose hand each one felt on his shoulders， that of the exchequer was the heaviest， and now it is the weakest； hence this is the first whose grasp is to be shaken off； there is none which is more heartily detested or which receives harsher treatment.

Especially against collectors of the salt-tax， custom-house officers， and excisemen the fury is universal. These， everywhere，[27] are in danger of their lives and are obliged to fly.

At Falaise， in Normandy， the people threaten to "cut to pieces the director of the excise." At Baignes， in Saintonge， his house is devastated and his papers and effects are burned； they put a knife to the throat of his son， a child six years of age， saying， "Thou must perish that there may be no more of thy race."For four hours the clerks are on the point of being torn to pieces；through the entreaties of the lord of the manor， who sees scythes and sabers aimed at his own head， they are released only on the condition that they "abjure their employment." -- Again， for two months following the taking of the Bastille， insurrections break out by hundreds， like a volley of musketry， against indirect taxation.

>From the 23rd of July the Intendant of Champagne reports that "the uprising is general in almost all the towns under his command." On the following day the Intendant of Alen？on writes that， in his province， "the royal dues will no longer be paid anywhere." On the 7th of August， M. Necker states to the National Assembly that in the two intendants' districts of Caen and Alen？on it has been necessary to reduce the price of salt one-half； that "in an infinity of places " the collection of the excise is stopped or suspended； that the smuggling of salt and tobacco is done by "convoys and by open force " in Picardy， in Lorraine， and in the Trois-évêchés； that the indirect tax does not come in， that the receivers-general and the receivers of the taille are "at bay" and can no longer keep their engagements. The public income diminishes from month to month； in the social body， the heart， already so feeble， faints； deprived of the blood which no longer reaches it， it ceases to propel to the muscles the vivifying current which restores their waste and adds to their energy.

"All controlling power is slackened，" says Necker， "everything is a prey to the passions of individuals." Where is the power to constrain them and to secure to the State its dues？ -- The clergy， the nobles， wealthy townsmen， and certain brave artisans and farmers， undoubtedly pay， and even sometimes give spontaneously.

But in society those who possess intelligence， who are in easy circumstances and conscientious， form a small select class； the great mass is egotistic， ignorant， and needy， and lets its money go only under constraint； there is but one way to collect the taxes， and that is to extort them. From time immemorial， direct taxes in France have been collected only by bailiffs and seizures； which is not surprising， as they take away a full half of the net income.

Now that the peasants of each village are armed and form a band， let the collector come and make seizures if he dare ！ -- " Immediately after the decree on the equality of the taxes，" writes the provincial commission of Alsace，[28] "the people generally refused to make any payments， until those who were exempt and privileged should have been inscribed on the local lists." In many places the peasants threaten to obtain the reimbursement of their installments， while in others they insist that the decree should be retrospective and that the new rate-payers should pay for the past year. "No collector dare send an official to distrain； none that are sent dare fulfill their mission." -- " It is not the good bourgeois" of whom there is any fear， "but the rabble who make the latter and every one else afraid of them；" resistance and disorder everywhere come from "people that have nothing to lose." -- Not only do they shake off taxation， but they usurp property， and declare that， being the Nation， whatever belongs to the Nation belongs to them. The forests of Alsace are laid waste， the seignorial as well as communal， and wantonly destroyed with the wastefulness of children or of maniacs.