The Modern Regime Volume I Part 20

[Footnote 3129: Stourm, "Les Finances de l'ancien regime et de la revolution,"II., 459 to 461.--(According to the figures appended to the projected law of 1825.)--This relates only to their patrimony in real estate; their personal estate was wholly swept away, at first through the abolition, without indemnity, of their available feudal rights under the Const.i.tuent and Legislative a.s.semblies, and afterwards through the legal and forced transformation of their personal capital into national bonds (t.i.tres sur le grand-livre, rentes) which the final bankruptcy of the Directory reduced to almost nothing.]

[Footnote 3130: Pelet de la Lozere, "Opinions de Napoleon au conseil d'etat" (March 15th and July 1st, 1806): "One of the most unjust effects of the revolution was to let an emigre; whose property was found to be sold, starve to death, and give back 100,000 crowns of rente to another whose property happened to be still in the hands of the government. How odd, again, to have returned unsold fields and to have kept the woods!

It would have been better, starting from the legal forfeiture of all property, to return only 6000 francs of rente to one alone and distribute what remained among the rest."]

[Footnote 3131: Leonce de Lavergne, "Economie rurale de la France,"

p.26. (According to the table of names with indemnities awarded by the law of 1825.)--Duc de Rovigo, "Memoires," IV., 400.]

[Footnote 3132: De Puymaigre, "Souvenirs de l'emigration de l'empire et de la restauration," p.94.]

[Footnote 3133: Pelet de la Lozere, ibid., p.272.]

[Footnote 3134: De Puymaigre, ibid., pa.s.sim.--Alexandrine des echerolles, "Une famille n.o.ble pendant la Terreur," pp.328, 402, 408.--I add to published doc.u.ments personal souvenirs and family narrations.]

[Footnote 3135: Duc de Rovigo, "Memoires," IV., 399. (On the provincial n.o.blesse which had emigrated and returned.) "The First Consul quietly gave orders that none of the applications made by the large number of those who asked for minor situations in various branches of the administration should be rejected on account of emigration."]

[Footnote 3136: M. de Vitrolles, "Memoires."--M. d'Haussonville, "Ma jeunesse," p. 60: "One morning, my father learns that he has been appointed chamberlain, with a certain number of other persons belonging to the greatest families of the faubourg Saint-Germain."]

[Footnote 3137: Madame de Remusat, "Memoires," II., 312, 315 and following pages, 373.--Madame de Stael, "Considerations sur la revolution francaise," 4th part, ch IV.]

[Footnote 3138: Roederer, III., 459. (Speech by Napoleon, December 30, 1802.)--"Very well, I do protect the n.o.bles of France; but they must see that they need protection.... I give places to many of them; I restore them to public distinction and even to the honors of the drawing-room; but they feel that it is alone through my good will.--Ibid., III., 558 (January 1809): "I repent daily of a mistake I have made in my government; the most serious one I ever made, and I perceive its bad effects every day. It was the giving back to the emigres the totality of their possessions. I ought to have ma.s.sed them in common and given each one simply the chance of an income of 6000 francs. As soon as I saw my mistake I withdrew from thirty to forty millions of forests; but far too many are still in the hands of a great number of them."--We here see the att.i.tude he would impose on them, that of clients and grateful pensioners. They do not stand in this att.i.tude.

(Roederer, III., 472. Report on the Senatorerie of Caen, 1803.)--"The returned emigres are not friendly nor even satisfied; their enjoyment of what they have recovered is less than their indignation at what they have lost. They speak of the amnesty without grat.i.tude, and as only partial justice.... In other respects they appear submissive."]

[Footnote 3139: Duc de Rovigo1 "Memoires." V., 297. Towards the end, large numbers of the young n.o.bles went into the army. "In 1812, there, was not a marshal, or even a general, who had not some of these on his staff, or as aids-de-camp. Nearly all the cavalry regiments in the army were commanded by officers belonging to these families. They had already attracted notice in the infantry. All these young n.o.bles had openly joined the emperor because they were easily influenced by love of glory."]

[Footnote 3140: Madame de Remusat II., 299 (1806): "He began to surround himself about this time with so much ceremony that none of us had scarcely any intimate relations with him.... The court became more and more crowded and monotonous, each doing on the minute what he had to do.

n.o.body thought of venturing outside the brief series of ideas which are generated within the restricted circle of the same duties.... Increasing despotism,... fear of a reproof if one failed in the slightest particular, silence kept by us all.... There was no opportunity to indulge emotion or interchange any observation of the slightest importance."]

[Footnote 3141: Roederer, III., 558 (January 1809).--"The Modern Regime," ante, book I., ch. II.]

[Footnote 3142: Madame de Remusat, III., 75, 155: "When the minister of police learned that jesting or malicious remarks had been made in one of the Paris drawing-rooms he at once notified the master or mistress of the house to be more watchful of their company."--Ibid., p.187 (1807): "The emperor censured M. Fouche for not having exercised stricter watchfulness. He exiled women, caused distinguished persons to be warned, and insinuated that, to avoid the consequences of his anger, steps must be taken to show that his power was recognized in atonement for the faults committed. In consequence of these hints many thought themselves obliged to be presented."--Ibid., II., 170, 212, 303.--Duc de Rovigo, "Memoires," IV., 311 and 393. "Appointed minister of police, said he, I inspired everybody with fear: each packed up his things; nothing was talked about but exiles, imprisonment and worse still."--He took advantage of all this to recommend "everybody on his list who was inscribed as an enemy of the government" to be presented at court, and all, in fact, except stubborn "grandmothers" were presented. (Note that the Duc de Rovigo and the general Savary mentioned many times by Taine is one and the same person. Savary was the general who organized the infamous kidnapping and execution of the Duc d'Enghien. He was later made minister of police (1810-1814) and elevated Duke of Rovigo by Napoleon. SR.)]

[Footnote 3143: Madame de Stael, "Considerations sur la revolution francaise" and "Dix ans d'exil." Exile of Madame de Balbi, of Madame de Chevreuse, of Madame de Duras, of Madame d'Aveaux, of Madame de Stael, of Madame de Recamier, etc.--Duc de Rovigo, Ibid., IV., 389: "The first exiles dated from 1805; I think there were fourteen."]

[Footnote 3144: Roederer, III., 472. (Report on the Senatorerie of Caen, 1803.) The n.o.bles "have no social relations either with citizens or with the public functionaries, except with the prefect of Caen and the general in command.... Their a.s.sociation with the prefect intimates their belief that they might need him. All pay their respects to the general of division; his mantelpiece is strewed with visiting-cards."]

[Footnote 3145: Madame de la Rochejaquelein, "Memoires," 423: "We lived exposed to a tyranny which left us neither calm nor contentment. At one time a spy was placed amongst our servants, at another some of our relations would be exiled far from their homes, accused of exercising a charity which secured them too much affection from their neighbors.

Sometimes, my husband would be obliged to go to Paris to explain his conduct. Again, a hunting-party would be represented as a meeting of Vendeans. Occasionally, we were blamed for going into Poitou because our influence was regarded as too dangerous; again, we were reproached for not living there and not exercising our influence in behalf of the conscription."--Her brother-in-law, Auguste de la Rochejaquelein, invited to take service in the army comes to Paris to present his objections. He is arrested, and at the end of two months "the minister signifies to him that he must remain a prisoner so long as he refuses to be a second-lieutenant."]

[Footnote 3146: Senatus-consulte of April 26, 1802: "Considering that this measure is merely one of pardon to the large number who are always more led astray than criminal... the amnestied will remain for ten years under a special government surveillance." It may oblige each one "to leave his usual residence and go to a distance of twenty leagues, and even farther if circ.u.mstances demand it."]

[Footnote 3147: Thiers, X., 41. (Letter to Fouche, Dec.31, 1808, not inserted in the correspondence.)--"The Modern Regime," book I., ch.II.]

[Footnote 3148: Rocquain, "etat de la France au 18 brumaire," pp.33, 189, 190. (Reports of Francais de Nantes and of Fourcroy.)--"Statistique elementaire de la France," by Peuchet (according to a statement published by the minister of the interior, year IX), p.

260.--"Statistiques des prefets," Aube, by Aubray, p.23; Aisne, by Dauchet, p.87; Lot-et-Garonne, by Pieyre, p. 45: "It is during the Revolution that the number of foundlings increased to this extraordinary extent by the too easy admission in the asylums of girls who had become mothers, along with their infants; through the pa.s.sing sojourn of soldiers in their houses; through the subversion of every principle of religion and morality."--Gers, by Balguerie: "Many defenders of the country became fathers before their departure.... The soldiers, on their return, maintained the habits of their conquests.... Many of the girls, besides, for lack of a husband took a lover."--Moselle, by Coichen, p.91: "Morals are more lax. In 1789, at Metz, there are 524 illegitimate births; in the year IX, 646; in 1789, 70 prost.i.tutes; in the year IX, 260. There is the same increase of kept women."--Peuchet, "Essai d'une statistique generale de la France," year IX, p.28. "The number of illegitimate births, from one forty-seventh in 1780, increased to nearly one eleventh of the total births, according to the comparative estimates of M. Necker and M. Mourgue."]

[Footnote 3149: Rocquam, ibid., p. 93. (Report of Barbe-Marbois.)]

[Footnote 3150: "The Revolution," III., p.416 (note), P.471 (note).

(Laff. II. pp. 307-308, p 348.)]

[Footnote 3151: "Statistiques des prefets," Deux-Sevres, by Dupin, p.

174: "Venereal diseases which thanks to good habits. were still unknown in the country in 1789, are now spread throughout the Bocage and in all places where the troops have sojourned."--"Dr. Delahay, at Parthenay observes that the number of maniacs increased fright fully in the Reign of Terror." (It should be remembered that the terminal stage of untreated syphilis is madness and death. SR.)]

[Footnote 3152: Decrees of March 19, 1793, and Messidor 23, year II.--Decrees of Brumaire 2, year IV, and Vendemiaire 16 year V.]

[Footnote 3153: "Statistiques des prefets," Rhone, by Verminac, year X.

Income of the Lyons Asylums in 1789,1.510,827 francs; to-day, 459,371 francs.--Indre, by Dalphonse, year XII. The princ.i.p.al asylum of Issoudun, founded in the twelfth century, had 27,939 francs revenue, on which it loses 16,232. Another asylum, that of the Incurables, loses, on an income of 12,062 francs, 7457 francs.--Eure, by Ma.s.son Saint-Amand, year XIII: "14 asylums and 3 small charity establishments in the department, with about 100,000 francs income in 1789, have lost at least 60,000 francs of it.--Vosges, by Desgouttes, year X: "10 asylums in the department. Most of these have been stripped of nearly the whole of their property and capital on account of the law of Messidor 23, year II; on the suspension of the execution of this law, the property had been sold and the capital returned.--Cher, by Lucay: "15 asylums before the revolution; they remain almost wholly without resources through the loss of their possessions.--Lozere, by Jerphaniou, year X: "The property belonging to the asylums, either in real estate or state securities, has pa.s.sed into other hands."--Doubs, a.n.a.lysis by Ferrieres: "Situation of the asylums much inferior to that of 1789, because they could not have property restored to them in proportion to the value of that which had been alienated. The asylum of Pontarlier lost one-half of its revenue through reimburs.e.m.e.nts in paper-money. All the property of the Ornans asylum has been sold," etc.--Rocquain, p. 187. (Report by Fourcroy.) Asylums of Orne: their revenue, instead of 123,189 francs, is no more than 68,239.--Asylums of Calvados: they have lost 173,648 francs of income, there remains of this only 85,955 francs.--Pa.s.sim, heart-rending details on the dest.i.tution of the asylums and their inmates, children, the sick and the infirm.--The figures by which I have tried to show the disproportion between requirements and resources are a minimum.]

[Footnote 3154: Abbe Allain, "l'Instruction primaire en France avant la Revolution," and Albert Duruy, "l'Instruction publique et la Revolution," pa.s.sim.]

[Footnote 3155: "Statistique de l'enseignement primaire" (1880),II., CCIV. The proportion of instructed and uninstructed people has been ascertained in 79 departments, and at various periods, from 1680 down to the year 1876, according to the signatures on 1,699,985 marriage-records.--In the "Dictionnaire de pedagogie et d'instruction primaire," published by M. Buisson, M. Maggiolo, director of these vast statistics, has given the proportion of literate and illiterate people for the different departments; now, from department to department, the figures furnished by the signatures on marriage records correspond with sufficient exactness to the number of schools, verified moreover by pastoral visits and by other doc.u.ments. The most illiterate departments are Cantal, Puy-de-Dome, Nievre, Allier, Vienne, Haute-Vienne, Deux-Sevres, Vendee and the departments of Brittany.]

[Footnote 3156: One sou equals 1/20 of a franc or 5 centimes. (SR.)]

[Footnote 3157: Albert Duruy, ibid., p.25. (According to the report of M. Villemain on common-school education in 1843.)--Abbe Allain, "la Question d'enseignement en 1789," p. 88--A. Silvy, "les Colleges en France avant la Revolution," p.5. The researches of M. Silvy show that the number of high-schools (colleges) given by M. Villemain is much too low: "The number of these schools under the ancient Regime cannot be estimated at less than about 900.... I have ascertained 800.... I must add that my search is not yet finished and that I find new inst.i.tutions every day."]

[Footnote 3158: Lunet, "Histoire du college de Rodez," p. 110.--Edmond, "Histoire du college de Louis-le-Grand," p. 238.--"Statistiques des prefets," Moselle. (a.n.a.lysis by Ferriere, year XII.) Before 1789, 4 high-schools at Metz, very complete, conducted by regular canons, Benedictines, with 33 professors, 38 a.s.sistant teachers, 63 servants, 259 day-scholars and 217 boarders. All this was broken up. In the year IX there is only one central school, very inadequate, with 9 professors, 5 a.s.sistants, 3 servants and 233 day-scholars.]

[Footnote 3159: Albert Duruy, ibid., p. 25.]

[Footnote 3160: Lunet, ibid, p.110,]

[Footnote 3161: "Statistiques des prefets," Ain, by Bossi, p.368. At Bourg, before the revolution, 220 pupils, of which 70 were boarders, 8000 livres income in real property confiscated during the revolution.--At Belley, the teachers consist of the congregationist of Saint-Joseph; 250 pupils, 9950 francs revenue from capital invested in the pays d'etat, swept away by the revolution.--At Thoissy, 8000 francs rental of real property sold, etc.--Deux-Sevres, by Dupin, year IX, and "a.n.a.lyse" by Ferriere, P. 48: "Previous to the revolution, each department town had its high-school.--At Thouars, 60 boarders at 300 livres per annum, and 40 day-scholars. At Niort, 80 boarders at 450 livres per annum, and 100 day-scholars".--Aisne, by Dauchy, p.88. Before 1789, nearly all the small high-schools were gratuitous, and, in the large ones, there were scholarships open to compet.i.tion. All their possessions, except large buildings, were alienated and sold, as well as those of the 60 communities in which girls were taught gratuitously.--Eure, by Ma.s.son Saint-Amand. There were previous to 1789, 8 high-schools which were all suppressed and destroyed.--Drome, by Collin, p.66. Before the revolution, each town had its high-school,"

etc.]

[Footnote 3162: Cf. Marmontel, "Memoires," I., 16, for details of these customs; M. Jules Simon found the same customs afterwards and describes them in the souvenirs of his youth.--La Chalotais, at the end of the reign of Louis XV., had already described the efficiency of the inst.i.tution. "Even the people want to study. Farmers and craftsmen send their children to the schools in these small towns where living is cheap."--This rapid spread of secondary education contributed a good deal towards bringing on the revolution.]

[Footnote 3163: "Statistiques des prefets," Indre, by Dalphonse, year XII, p.104: "The universities, the colleges, the seminaries, the religious establishments, the free schools are all destroyed; vast plans only remain for a new system of education raised on their ruins. Nearly all of these rest unexecuted.... Primary schools have nowhere, one may say, been organized, and those which have been are so poor they had better not have been organized at all. With a pompous and costly system of public instruction, ten years have been lost for instruction."]

[Footnote 3164: Moniteur, XXI., 644. (Session of Fructidor 19, year II.) One of the members says: "It is very certain, and my colleagues see it with pain, that public instruction is null."--Fourcroy: "Reading and writing are no longer taught."--Albert Duruy, p. 208. (Report to the Directory executive, Germinal 13, year IV.) "For nearly six years no public instruction exists."--De La Sicotiere, "Histoire du college de Alencon," p.33: "In 1794, there were only two pupils in the college."--Lunet, "Histoire du college de Rodez," p.157: "The recitation-rooms remained empty of pupils and teachers from March 1793 to May 16, 1796."--"Statistiques des prefets," Eure, by Ma.s.son Saint-Amand year XIII: "In the larger section of the department, school-houses existed with special endowments for teachers of both s.e.xes. The school-houses have been alienated like other national domains; the endowments due to religious corporations or establishments have been extinguished--As to girls, that portion of society has suffered an immense loss, relatively to its education, in the suppression of religious communities which provided them with an almost gratuitous and sufficiently steady instruction."]

[Footnote 3165: My maternal grandmother learned how to read from a nun concealed in the cellar of the house.]

[Footnote 3166: Albert Duruy, ibid., 349. (Decree of the Directory, Pluviose 17, year V, and circular of the minister Letourneur against free schools which are "dens of royalism and superst.i.tion."--Hence the decrees of the authorities in the departments of Eure, Pas de Calais, Drome, Mayenne and La Manche, closing these dens.) "From Thermidor 27, year VI, to Messidor 2, year VII, say the authorities of La Manche, we have revoked fifty-eight teachers on their denunciation by the munic.i.p.alities and by popular clubs."]

[Footnote 3167: Archives nationales, cartons 3144 to 3145, No. 104.

(Reports of the Councillors of State on mission in the year IX.) Report by Lacuee on the first military division. Three central schools at Paris, one called the Quatre-Nations. "This school must be visited in order to form any idea of the state of destruction and dilapidation which all the national buildings are in. No repairs have been made since the reopening of the schools; everything is going to ruin.... Walls are down and the floors fallen in. To preserve the pupils from the risks which the occupation of these buildings hourly presents, it is necessary to give lessons in rooms which are very unhealthy on account of their small dimensions and dampness. In the drawing-cla.s.s the papers and models in the portfolios become moldy."]

[Footnote 3168: Albert Duruy, ibid., 484. ("Proces-verbaux des conseils-generaux," year IX, pa.s.sim.)]

[Footnote 3169: Ibid., 476. ("Statistiques des prefets," Sarthe, year X.) "Prejudices which it is difficult to overcome, as well on the stability of this school as on the morality of some of the teachers, prevented its being frequented for a time."--483. (Proces-verbaux des conseils-generaux," Bas-Rhin.) "The overthrow of religion has excited prejudices against the central schools."--482. (Ibid., Lot.) "Most of the teachers in the central school took part in the revolution in a not very honorable way. Their reputation affects the success of their teaching. Their schools are deserted."]

[Footnote 3170: Albert Duruy, ibid., '94. (According to the reports of 15 central schools, from the year VI. to the year VIII.) The average for each central school is for drawing, 89 pupils; for mathematics, 28; for the cla.s.sics, 24; for physics, chemistry and natural history, 19; for general grammar, 5; for history, 10; for legislation, 8: for belles-lettres, 6.--Rocquam, ibid., P.29. (Reports of Francais de Nantes, on the departments of the South-east.) "There, as elsewhere, the courses on general grammar, on belles-lettres, history and legislation, are unfrequented. Those on mathematics, chemistry, Latin and drawing are better attended, because these sciences open up lucrative careers.--Ibid., p. 108. (Report by Barbe-Marboi on the Brittany departments.)]

[Footnote 3171: "Statistiques des prefets," Meurthe, by Marquis, year XIII, p.120. "In the communal schools of the rural districts, the fee was so small that the poorest families could contribute to the (teacher's) salary. a.s.sessments on the communal property, besides, helped almost everywhere in providing the teacher with a satisfactory salary, so that these functions were sought after and commonly well fulfilled.. .. Most of the villages had Sisters of Saint-Vincent de Paul for instructors, or others well known under the name of Vatelottes."--"The part.i.tion of communal property, and the sale of that a.s.signed to old endowments, had deprived the communes of resources which afforded a fair compensation to schoolmasters and schoolmistresses. The product of the additional centimes scarcely sufficed for administrative expenses.--Thus, there is but little else now than people without means, who take poorly compensated places; again, they neglect their, schools just as soon as they see an opportunity to earn something elsewhere."--Archives nationales, No. 1004, cartons 3044 and 3145.

(Report of the councillors of state on mission in the year IX.--First military division, Report of Lacuee.) Aisne: "There is now no primary school according to legal inst.i.tution."--The situation is the same in Oise, also in Seine for the districts of Sceaux and Saint Denis.]

[Footnote 3172: Albert Duruy, 178. (Report drawn up in the bureaux of the ministry of the interior, year VIII.) "A detestable selection of those called instructors; almost everywhere, they are men without morals or education, who owe their nomination solely to a pretended civism, consisting of nothing but an insensibility to morality and propriety.