第550章

Dumerbion， entreated the municipality to proclaim martial law. Not only does it refuse， but it enjoins him to order one-half of his troops back to their barracks. By way of an offset， it sets free a number of soldiers condemned to the galleys， and all that are confined for insubordination. -- Henceforth every shadow of discipline vanishes， and， in the following month， murders multiply. M. de Possel， a navy administrator， is taken from his dwelling， and a rope is passed around his neck； he is saved just in time by a bombardier， the secretary of the club. M. Senis， caught in his country-house， is hung on the Place du Vieux Palais. Desidery， a captain in the navy， the curé of La Valette， and M. de Sacqui des Thourets， are beheaded in the suburbs， and their beads are brought into town on the ends of three poles. M. de Flotte d'Argenson， vice-admiral， a man of Herculean stature， of such a grave aspect， and so austere that he is nicknamed the "Père Eternel" is treacherously enticed to the entrance of the Arsenal， where he sees the lantern already dropping； he seizes a gun， defends himself； yields to numbers， and after having been slashed with sabers， is hung. M. de Rochemaure， a major-general of marines， is likewise sabred and hung in the same manner； a main artery in the neck， severed by the blow of the saber， spouts blood from the corpse and forms a pool on the pavement； Barry， one of the executioners， washes his hands in it and sprinkles the by-standers as if bestowing a blessing on them. -- Barry， Lemaille， Jassaud， Sylvestre， and other leading assassins， the new kings of Toulon， sufficiently resemble those of Paris. Add to these a certain Figon， who gives audience in his garret， straightens out social inequalities， forces the daughters of large farmers to marry poor republicans， and rich young men to marry prostitutes，[105] and， taking the lists furnished by the club or neighboring municipalities， ransoming all the well-to-do and opulent persons inscribed on them. In order that the portraiture of the band may be complete， it must be noted that， on the 23rd of August， it attempted to set free the 1800 convicts； the latter， not comprehending that they were wanted for political allies， did not dare sally forth， or， at least， the reliable portion of the National Guard arrived in time to put their chains on again. But here its efforts cease， and for more than a year public authority remains in the hands of a Jacobin faction which， as far as public order is concerned， does not even have the morals of a convict.

More than once during the course of this long review the Minister must have flushed with shame； for to the reprimands dispatched by him to these apathetic administrations， they reply by citing himself as an example：

"You desire us to denounce the arbitrary arrests to the public prosecutor； have you denounced those guilty of similar and yet greater crimes committed at the capital？ "[106] -From all quarters come the cries of the oppressed appealing to "the patriot Minister， the sworn enemy of anarchy，" to "the good and incorruptible Minister of the Interior， his only reproach， the common sense of his wife，" and he could only reply with empty phrases and condolences：

"To lament the events which so grievously distress the province， all administrations being truly useful when they forestall evils， it being very sad to be obliged to resort to such remedies， and recommend to them a more active supervision."[107]

"To lament and find consolation in the observations made in the letter，" which announces four murders， but calls attention to the fact that "the victims immolated are counter-revolutionaries."[108]

Roland has carried on written dialogues with the village municipalities， and given lessons in constitutional law to communities of pot-breakers.[109] -- But， on this territory， he is defeated by his own principles， while the pure Jacobins read him a lesson in turn；they， likewise， are able to deduce the consequences of their own creed.

"Brother and Friend， Sir，" write those of Rouen， "not to be always at the feet of the municipality， we have declared ourselves permanent， deliberative sections of the Commune."[110]

Let the so-called constituted authorities， the formalists and pedants of the Executive Council and the Minister of the Interior， look twice before censuring the exercise of popular sovereignty. This sovereign raises his voice and drives his clerks back into their holes；spoliation and murder， all this is just.

"Can you have forgotten that， after the tempest， as you yourself declared in the height of the storm， it is the nation which saves itself？ Well， sir， this is what we have done.[111] . .What！ when all France was resounding with that long expected proclamation of the abolition of tyranny， you were willing that the traitors， who strove to reestablish it， should escape public prosecution！ My God， what century is this in which we find such Ministers！"Arbitrary taxes， penalties， confiscations， revolutionary expeditions， nomadic garrisons， pillage， what fault can be found with all that？