第345章

SOVEREIGNTY OF UNRESTRAINED PASSIONS.

Under these conditions when passions are freed； any determined and competent man who can gather a couple of hundred men may form a band and slip through the enlarged or weakened meshes of the net held by the passive or ineffective government. An experiment on a grand scale is about to be made on human society； owing to the slackening of the regular restraints which have maintained it， it is now possible to measure the force of the permanent instincts which attack it. They are always there even in ordinary times； we do not notice them because they are kept in check； but they are not the less energetic and effective， and， moreover， indestructible. The moment their repression ceases， their power of mischief becomes evident； just as that of the water which floats a ship， but which， at the first leak enters into it and sinks it.

I.

Old Religious Grudges - Montauban and N？mes in 1790.

Religious passions， to begin with， are not to be kept down by federations， embraces， and effusions of fraternity. In the south， where the Protestants have been persecuted for more than a century， hatreds exist more than a century old.[1] In vain have the odious edicts which oppressed them fallen into desuetude for the past twenty years； in vain have civil rights been restored to them since 1787： The past still lives in transmitted recollections； and two groups are confronting each other， one Protestant and the other Catholic， each defiant， hostile， ready to act on the defensive， and interpreting the preparations of its adversary as a plan of attack.

Under such circumstances the guns go off of their own accord. - On a sudden alarm at Uzès[2] the Catholics， two thousand in number， take possession of the bishop's palace and the H？tel-de-Ville； while the Protestants， numbering four hundred， assemble outside the walls on the esplanade， and pass the night under arms， each troop persuaded that the other is going to massacre it， one party summoning the Catholics of Jalès to its aid， and the other the Protestants of Gardonnenque. - There is but one way of avoiding civil war between parties in such an attitude， and that is the ascendancy of an energetic third party， impartial and on the spot.

A plan to this effect， which promises well， is proposed by the military commandant of Languedoc.[3] According to him the two firebrands are， on the one hand， the bishops of Lower Languedoc， and on the other， MM. Rabaut-Saint-Etienne， father and two sons， all three being pastors. Let them be responsible "with their heads" for any mob， insurrection， or attempt to debauch the army； let a tribunal of twelve judges be selected from the municipal bodies of twelve towns， and all delinquents be brought before it； let this be the court of final appeal， and its sentence immediately executed.

The system in vogue， however， is just the reverse. Both parties being organized into a body of militia， each takes care of itself， and is sure to fire on the other； and the more readily， inasmuch as the new ecclesiastical regulations， which are issued from month to month， strike like so many hammers on Catholic sensibility， and scatter showers of sparks on the primings of the already loaded guns.

At Montauban， on the 10th of May， 1790， the day of the inventory and expropriation of the religious communities，[4] the commissioners are not allowed to enter. Women in a state of frenzy lie across the thresholds of the doors， and it would be necessary to pass over their bodies； a large mob gathers around the "Cordeliers，" and a petition is signed to have the convents maintained. - The Protestants who witness this commotion become alarmed， and eighty of their National Guards march to the H？tel-de-Ville， and take forcible possession of the guard-house which protects it. The municipal authorities order them to withdraw， which they refuse to do.

Thereupon the Catholics assembled at the "Cordeliers" begin a riot， throw stones， and drive in the doors with pieces of timber， while a cry is heard that the Protestants， who have taken refuge in the guard-house， are firing from the windows. The enraged multitude immediately invade the arsenal， seize all the guns they can lay their hands on， and fire volleys on the guard-house， the effect of which is to kill five of the Protestants and wound twenty-four others. The rest are saved by a municipal officer and the police；but they are obliged to appear， two and two， before the cathedral in their shirts， and do public penance， after which they are put in prison. During the tumult political shouts have been heard： "Hurrah for the nobles！ Hurrah for the aristocracy！ Down with the nation！

Down with the tricolor flag！" Bordeaux， regarding Montauban as in rebellion against France， dispatches fifteen hundred of its National Guard to set the prisoners free. Toulouse gives its aid to Bordeaux. The fermentation is frightful. Four thousand of the Protestants of Montauban take flight； armed cities are about to contend with each other， as formerly in Italy. It is necessary that a commissioner of the National Assembly and of the King， Mathieu Dumas， should be dispatched to harangue the people of Montauban， obtain the release of the prisoners， and re-establish order.

One month after this a more bloody affray takes place at N？mes[5]