At ?tampes, the mayor who
promulgates the law is cudgeled to death. Mobs talk of nothing but
"burning and destroying," while the farmers, abused, hooted at,
forced to sell, threatened with death and robbed, run away,
declaring they will never return to the market again.
Such is the first effect of popular dictatorship. Like all
unintelligent forces, it operates in a direction the reverse of its
intention: to dearness it adds dearth, and empties, instead of
replenishing, the markets. That of ?tampes often contained fifteen
or sixteen hundred sacks of flour; the week following this
insurrection there were, at most, sixty brought to it. At
Montlh?ry, where six thousand men had collected together, each one
obtains for his share only a small measure, while the bakers of the
town have none at all. This being the case, the enraged National
Guards tell the farmers that they are coming to see them on their
farms. And they really go.[26] Drums roll constantly on the roads
around Montlh?ry, Limours, and other large market-towns.
Pages:
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646