第635章

another lot of millions.[5] We take back the domains rented or surrendered by the State for the past three centuries and more， which gives again about a couple of billions.[6] We take the possessions of the communes up to the amount of their indebtedness. We have already received as inheritance the ancient domains of the crown， also the later domain of the civil list. More than three-fifths[7] of the soil thus falls into our hands， which three-fifths are much the best stocked； they comprise almost all the large and fine edifices， chateaux， abbeys， mansions， houses of superintendents and nearly all the royal， episcopal， seigniorial and bourgeois stock of rich and elegant furniture； all plate， libraries， pictures and artistic objects accumulated for centuries. -- Remark， again， the seizure of specie and all other articles of gold and silver； in the months alone of November and December， 1793， this swoop puts into our coffers three or four hundred millions，[8] not assignats， but ringing coin. In short， whatever the form of established capital may be we take all we can get hold of， probably more than three-fourths of it. -- There remains the portion which is not fixed capital， that which disappears in use， namely， all that is consumed， all the fruits of the soil， every description of provision， all the products of human art and labor which contribute the maintenance of existence. Through "the right of pre-emption" and through the right of "requisition，" "the Republic becomes temporary proprietor of whatever commerce， manufacture and agriculture have produced and added to the soil of France： "all food and merchandise is ours before being owned by their holder. We carry out of his house whatever suits us； we pay him for this with worthless paper； we frequently do not pay him at all. For greater convenience， we seize objects directly and wherever we find them， grain in the farmer's barn， hay in the reaper's shed， cattle in the fold， wine in the vats， hides at the butcher's， leather in the tanneries， soap， tallow， sugar， brandy， cloths， linens and the rest， in stores， depots and ware-houses. We stop vehicles and the horses in the street. We enter the premises of mail or coach contractors and empty their stables. We carry away kitchen utensils to obtain the copper ； we turn people out of their rooms to get their beds； we strip them of their coats and shirts； in one day， we make ten thousand individuals in one town go barefoot.[9]

"When public needs require it，" says representative Isoré， "all belongs to the people and nothing to individuals."By virtue of the same right we dispose of persons as we do of things.

We decree the levy en masse and， stranger still， we carry it out， at least in many parts of the country， and we keep it up for months： in Vendée， and in the northern and eastern departments， it is the entire male， able-bodied population， up to fifty years of age， which we drive in herds against the enemy.[10] We afterwards sign an entire generation on， all young men between eighteen and twenty-five， almost a million of men：[11] whoever fails to appear is put in irons for ten years； he is regarded as a deserter； his property is confiscated， and his family is punished as well； later he is classed with the emigrants， condemned to death， and his father， mother and progenitors， treated as "suspects，" imprisoned and their possessions taken. -- To clothe， shoe and equip our recruits， we must have workmen； we summon to head-quarters all gunsmiths， blacksmiths and locksmiths， all the tailors and shoemakers of the district， "foremen， apprentices and boys；"[12] we imprison those who do not come ； we install the rest in squads in public buildings and assign them their tasks ； they are forbidden to furnish anything to private individuals. Henceforth， French shoemakers must work only for us， and each must deliver to us， under penalty， so many pairs of shoes per decade.[13] -- But， the civil service is no less important than the military service， and to feed the people is as urgent as it is to defend them. Hence we put "in requisition all who have anything to do with handling， transporting or selling provisions and articles of prime necessity，"[14] especially combustibles and food -- wood-choppers， carters， raftsmen， millers， reapers， threshers， wine-growers， movers， field-hands， "country people" of every kind and degree. Their hands belong to us： we make them bestir themselves and work under the penalty of fine and imprisonment. There shall be no idlers， especially in crop time： we take the entire population of a commune or canton into the fields， comprising "the lazy of both sexes；"[15]

willingly or not， they shall do the harvesting under our eyes， banded together in fields belonging to others as well as in their own， and they shall put the sheaves indiscriminately into the public granary.