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the way。＇43＇ … They have no scruples in relation to him。 Present
or absent； a noble officer must certainly be plotting with his
emigrant companions； and on this a story is concocted。 Formerly； to
prove that sacks of flour were being thrown into the river； the
soldiers alleged that these sacks were tied with blue cords （cordons
bleus）。 Now； to confirm the belief that an officer is conspiring
with Coblentz； it suffices to state that he rides a white horse； a
certain captain； at Strasbourg； barely escapes being cut to pieces
for this crime； 〃the devil could not get it out of their heads that
he was acting as a spy； and that the little grey…hound〃 which
accompanies him on his rides 〃is used to make signals。 〃 … One
year after； at the time when the National Assembly completes its
work； M。 de Lameth； M。 Fréteau； and M。 Alquier state before it that
Luckner； Rochambeau； and the most popular generals； 〃no longer are
responsible for anything。〃 The Auvergne regiment has driven away its
officers and forms a separate society； which obeys no one。 The
second battalion of Beaune is on the point of setting fire to Arras。
It is almost necessary to lay siege to Phalsbourg； whose garrison
has mutinied。 Here； 〃disobedience to the general's orders is
formal。〃 There 〃are soldiers who have to be urged to stand sentinel；
whom they dare not put in confinement for discipline； who threaten
to fire on their officers； who stray off the road； pillage
everything； and take aim at the corporal who tries to bring them
back。〃 At Blois； a part of the regiment 〃has just arrived without
either clothes or arms； the soldiers having sold all on the road to
provide for their debauchery。〃 One among them； delegated by his
companions； proposes to the Jacobins at Paris to 〃de…aristocratise〃
the army by cashiering all the nobles。 Another declares； with the
applause of the club； that 〃seeing how the palisades of Givet are
constructed； he is going to denounce the Minister of War at the
tribunal of the。 sixth arrondissement of Paris。〃
It is manifest that； for noble officers； the situation is no longer
tenable。 After waiting patiently for twenty…three months； many of
them left through conscientiousness； when the National Assembly；
forcing a third oath upon them； struck out of the formula the name
of the King； their born general。＇44＇ … Others depart at the end
of the Constituent Assembly； 〃because they risk being hung。〃 A large
number resign at the end of 1791 and during the first months of
1792； in proportion as the new code and the new recruiting system
for the army develop their results。＇45＇ In fact； on the one hand；
through the soldiers and inferior officers having a voice in the
election of their chiefs and a seat in the military courts； 〃there
is no longer the shadow of discipline； verdicts are given from pure
caprice； the soldier contracts the habit of despising his superiors；
of whose punishments he has no fear； and from whom he expects no
reward； the officers are paralyzed to such a degree as to become
entirely superfluous personages。〃 On the other hand； the majority of
the National Volunteers are composed of 〃men bought by the communes
〃 and administrative bodies； worthless characters of the street…
corners； rustic vagabonds forced to march by lot or bribery；〃＇46＇
and along with them； enthusiasts and fanatics to such an extent
that； from March； 1792； from the spot of their enlistment to the
frontier； their track is everywhere marked by pillage； robbery；
devastation； and assassinations。 Naturally； on the road and at the
frontier； they denounce； drive away； imprison； or murder their
officers； and especially the nobles。 3/4 And yet； in this
extremity； numbers of noble officers； especially in the artillery
and engineer corps； persist in remaining at their posts； some
through liberal ideas； and others out of respect for their
instructions； even after the 10th of August； even after the 2nd of
September； even after the 21st of January； like their generals
Biron； Custine； de Flers； de Broglie； and de Montesquiou； with the
constant perspective of the guillotine that awaits them on leaving
the battlefield and even in the ministerial offices of Carnot。
VII。
Emigration and its causes。 … The first laws against the emigrants。
It is； accordingly； necessary that the officers and nobles should go
away； should go abroad； and not only they； but also their families。
〃Gentlemen who have scarcely six hundred livres income set out on
foot；〃＇47＇ and there is no doubt as to the motive of their
departure。 〃Whoever will impartially consider the sole and
veritable causes of the emigration；〃 says an honest man； 〃will find
them in anarchy。 If the liberty of the individual had not been
daily threatened； if；〃 in the civil as in the military order of
things； 〃the senseless dogma； preached by the factions； that crimes
committed by the mob are the judgments of heaven； had not been put
in practice； France would have preserved three fourths of her
fugitives。 Exposed for two years to ignominious dangers； to every
species of outrage； to innumerable persecutions； to the steel of the
assassin； to the firebrands of incendiaries； to the most infamous
charges； 'to the denouncement of' their corrupted domestics； to
domiciliary visits〃 prompted by the commonest street rumor； 〃to
arbitrary imprisonment by the Committee of Inquiry；〃 deprived of
their civil rights； driven out of primary meetings； 〃they are held
accountable for their murmurs； and punished for a sensibility which
would touch the heart in a suffering criminal。〃 … 〃 Resistance is
nowhere seen； from the prince's throne to the parsonage of the
priest； the tempest has prostrated all malcontents in resignation。〃
Abandoned 〃to the restless fury of the clubs； to informers； to
intimidated officials； they find executioners on all sides where
prudence and the safety of the State have enjoined them not even to
see enemies。 。 。 。 Whoever has detested the enormities of
fanaticism and of public ferocity； whoever has awarded pity to the
victims heaped together under the ruins of so many legitimate rights
and odious abuses； whoever； finally； has dared to raise a doubt or a
complaint； has been proclaimed an enemy of the nation。 After this
representation of malcontents as so many conspirators； every crime
committed against them has been legitimated in public opinion。＇48＇
The public conscience； formed by the factions and by that band of
political corsairs who would be the disgrace of a barbarous nation；
have considered attacks against property and towns simply as
national justice； while； more than once； the news of the murder of
an innocent person； or of a sentence which threatened him with
death； has been welcomed with shouts of joy Two systems of natural
right； two orders of justice； two standards of morality were
accordingly established； by one of these it was allowable to do
against one's fellow…creature； a reputed aristocrat； that which
would be criminal if he were a patriot。 。 。 。 Was it foreseen
that； at the end of two years； France； teeming with laws； with
magistrates； with courts； with citizen…guards； bound by solemn oaths
in the defense of order and the public safety； would still and
continually be an arena in which wild beasts would devour unarmed
men 〃 … With all； even with old men； widows and children； it is a
crime to escape from their clutches。 Without distinguishing between
those who fly to avoid becoming a prey； and those who arm to attack
the frontier； the Constituent and Legislative Assemblies alike
condemn all absentees。 The Constituent Assembly＇49＇ trebled their
real and personal taxes； and prescribed that there should be a
triple lien on their rents and dues。 The Legislative Assembly
sequestrates； confiscates； and puts into the market their
possessions； real and personal； amounting to nearly fifteen hundred
millions of cash value。 Let them return and place themselves under
the knives of the populace； otherwise they and their posterity shall
all be beggars。 … At this stroke indignation overflows； and a
bourgeois who is liberal and a foreigner； Mallet du Pan；
exclaims；＇50＇ 〃What！ twenty thousand families absolutely ignorant of
the Coblentz plans and of its assemblies； twenty thousand families
dispersed over the soil of Europe by the fury of clubs； by the
crimes of brigands； by constant lack of security； by the stupid and
cowardly inertia of petrified authorities； by the pillage of
estates； by the insolence of it cohort of tyrants without bread or
clothes； by assassinations and incendiarism； by the base servility
of silent ministers； by the whole series of revolutionary scourges；
… what' these twenty thousand desolate families； women and old men；
must see their inheritances become the prey of national robbery！
What！ Madame Guillin； who was obliged to fly with horror from the
land where monsters have bur