《the origins of contemporary france-4》

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healthy and robust children。〃'63'



The community should guarantee him comfort; security; the certainty of

not going hungry if he becomes infirm; and; if he dies; of not leaving

his family in want。



 〃It is not enough;〃 says Barère;'64' 〃to bleed the rich; to pull down

colossal fortunes; the slavery of poverty must be banished from the

soil of the Republic。  No more beggars; no more almsgiving; no poor…

houses〃。



 〃The poor and unfortunates;〃 says Saint Just; 〃are the powerful of

the earth; they have a right to speak as masters to the governments

which neglect them;'65' they have a right to national charity。。。。  In

a democracy under construction; every effort should be made to free

people from having to battle for the bare minimum needed for survival;

by labor if he is fit for work; by education if he is a child; or with

public assistance if he is an invalid or in old age。〃'66'



 And never had the moment been so favorable。  〃Rich in property; the

Republic now expects to use the many millions the rich would have

spent on a counter revolution for the improvement of the conditions of

its less fortunate citizens。  。  。  Those who would assassinate

liberty have made it the richer。  The possessions of conspirators

exist for the benefit of the unfortunate。〃'67'  Let the poor take

with a clear conscience: it is not a charity but 〃an indemnity〃 which

we provide for them; we save their pride by providing for their

comfort; and we relieve them without humiliating them。



〃We leave charity and benevolent works to the monarchies; this

insolent and shabby way of furnishing assistance is fit only for

slaves and masters; we substitute for it a system of national works ;

on a grand scale; over the whole territory of the Republic。〃'68'



On the other hand; we cause a statement to be drawn up in each

commune; of 〃the condition of citizens without property;〃 and 〃of

national possessions not disposed of;〃 we divide these possession in

small lots; we distribute them 〃in the shape of national sales〃 to

poor folks able to work。  We give; 〃through the form of rental; 〃an

acre to each head of a family who has less than an acre of his own。

〃We thus bind all citizens to the country as well as to property。  We

restore idle and robust arms to the soil; and lost or weakened

families to the workshops in the towns。〃 … As to old and infirm

farmers or craftsmen; also poor mothers; wives and widows of artisans

and farmers; we keep in each department a 〃big ledger of national

welfare;〃 we inscribe thereon for every thousand inhabitants; four

farmers; two mechanics; five women; either mothers or widows; each

registered person shall be pensioned by the State; the same as a

maimed soldier; labor…invalids are as respectable as war…invalids。  …

Over and above those who are thus aided on account of poverty; we

relieve and elevate the entire poor class; not alone the thirteen

hundred thousand destitutes counted in France;'69' but; again; all

who; having little or no means on hand; live from day to day on what

they can earn。  We have passed a law'70' by which the public treasury

shall; through a tax on large fortunes; 〃furnish to each commune or

district the necessary funds for adapting the price of bread to the

rate of wages。〃 Our representatives in the provinces impose on the

wealthy the obligation of 〃lodging; feeding; and clothing all infirm;

aged; and indigent citizens and orphans of their respective

cantons。〃'71'  Through the decree on monopolization and the

establishment of the 〃maximum〃 we bring within reach of the poor all

objects of prime necessity。  We pay them forty sous a day for

attending district meetings; and three francs a day for serving on

committees of surveillance。  We recruit from amongst them our

revolutionary army;'72' we select amongst them the innumerable

custodians of sequesters: in this way; hundreds of thousands of sans…

culottes enter into the various public services。  … At last; the poor

are taken out of a state of poverty: each will now have his plot of

ground; his salary or pension;



〃in a well…ordered republic nobody is without some property。〃'73'



Henceforth; among individuals; the difference in welfare will be

small; from the maximum to the minimum; there will be only a degree;

while there will be found in every dwelling about the same sort of

household; a plain; simple household; that of the small rural

proprietor; well…off farmer or factory foreman; that of Rousseau at

Montmorency; or that of the Savoyard Vicar; or that of Duplay; the

carpenter; with whom Robespierre lodges。'74' There will be no more

domestic servitude: 〃only the bond of help and gratitude will exists

between employer and employee。〃'75' … He who works for another citizen

belongs to his family and sits at his table。〃'76' … Through the

transformation of lower social classes into middle class conditions we

restore human dignity; and out of the proletarian; the valet and the

workman; we begin to liberate the citizen。



VII。



Repression of Egoism。  … Measures against farmers; manufacturers and

merchants。  … Socialist projects。  … Repression of Federalism。  …

Measures against the local; professional and family spirit。



Two leading obstacles hinder the development of civism; and the first

is egoism。  Whilst the citizen prefers the community to himself; the

egoist prefers himself to the community。  He cares only for his own

interest; he gives no heed to public necessities; he sees none of the

superior rights which take precedence of his derived right; he

supposes that his property is his own without restriction or

condition; he forgets that; if he is allowed to use it; he must not

use it to another's detriment。'77' This even the middle or low class;

who possess goods essential for survival; will do。  The greater the

demand for these goods the higher they raise their prices; soon; they

sell only at an exorbitant rate; and worse still; stop selling and

store their goods or products; in the expectation of selling them

dearer。  In this way; they speculate on another's wants; they augment

the general distress and become public enemies。  Nearly all the

agriculturists; manufacturers and tradesmen of the day; little and

big; are public enemies … farmers; tenant farmers; market…gardeners;

cultivators of every degree; as well as foremen; shopkeepers;

especially wine…dealers; bakers and butchers。



〃All merchants are essentially anti…revolutionaries; and would sell

their country to gain a few pennies。〃'78'



We will not tolerate this legal brigandage。  Since 〃agriculture has

done nothing for liberty and has sought only its own gain;〃'79' we

will put it under surveillance; and; if necessary; under control。

Since 〃commerce has become a species of miserly tyrant;〃 since 〃it has

become self…paralyzed;〃 and; 〃through a sort of anti…revolutionary

contempt; neglected the manufacture; handling and expedition of

diverse materials;〃 we will thwart 〃the calculations of its barbarous

arithmetic; and purge it of the aristocratic and corrupting

fermentation which oppresses it。〃 We make monopoly 〃a capital

crime;〃'80' we call him a monopolist who 〃takes food and wares of

prime necessity out of circulation;〃 and 〃keeps them stored without

daily and publicly offering them for sale。〃 Penalty of death against

whoever; within eight days; does not make a declaration; or if he

makes a false one。  Penalty of death against the dealer who does not

post up the contents of his warehouse; or who does not keep open shop。

Penalty of death against any person who keeps more bread on hand than

he needs for his subsistence。'81' Penalty of death against the

cultivator who does not bring his grain weekly to market。  Penalty of

death against the dealer who does not post up the contents of his

warehouse; or who does not keep open shop。  Penalty of death against

the manufacturer who does not verify the daily use of his workable

material。  … As to prices; we intervene authoritatively between buyer

and seller; we fix the maximum price for all objects which; near or

remotely; serve to feed; warm and clothe man; we will imprison whoever

offers or demands anything more。  Whether the dealer or manufacturer

pays expenses at this rate; matters not; if; after the maximum is

fixed; he closes factory; or gives up business; we declare him a

〃suspect;〃 we chain him down to his pursuit; we oblige him to lose by

it。  … This is the way to clip the claws of beasts of prey; little and

big! But the claws grow out again; and; instead of paring them down;

it would probably be better to pull them out。  Some amongst us have

already thought of that; the right of pre…emption shall be applied to

every article; 〃in each department; national storehouse might be

established where farmers; land…owners and manufacturers would be

obliged to deposit at a fixed price; paid down; the surplus of their

consumption of every species of merchandise。  The nation would

distribute this merchandise to wholesale dealers; reserving a profit

of six per cent。  The profit of the wholesale dealer would be fixed at

eight per cent and that of the retailer at twelve per cent。〃'82' In

this way ; farmers; manufacturers; and merchants would all become

clerks of the State; appointed on a premium or a discount; unable to

gain a great deal; they would not be tempted to gain too much; they

would cease to be greedy and soon cease to be egoists。'83'  … Since;

fundamentally; egoism is the capital vice and individual

proprietorship the food that nourishes it; why not suppress individual

proprietorship altogether? Our extreme logicians; with Bab?uf at the

head of them; go as far as that; and Saint…Just seems to be of that

opinion。'84' We are not concerned with the enacting of an Agrarian;

the nation may reserve the soil to itself and divide among

individuals; not the soil; but its lease。  The outcome of this

principle affor
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