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La République au Village in the Southern Massif-Central, 1789–1799

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

P. M. Jones
P. M. Jones
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
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Extract

To most Frenchmen of the revolutionary generation the south conjured up a stereotype image of militant royalism in which bizarrely accoutred peasants followed ci-devant seigneurs and priests into battle and murder gangs toiled under a burning sun. The principal weakness of such a view lies not in the factual detail nor even in the presumption that the entire population was insurgent, but in its essentially linear perspective. As a recent historian has observed, the south can be characterized not only by its fervent royalist commitment but also by its predilection for the politics of extremes. The complicating and exacerbating factor in this southern counter-revolutionary equation was the presence of a parallel and equally uncompromising loyalty to the Republic. Of course, both stances were rationalizations whose ideological content needs careful weighing, but their interaction in small and often volatile communities provided counter-revolution with a dynamic which perpetuated confrontation and drove each side to extremes of savagery and fanaticism.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 23 , Issue 4 , December 1980 , pp. 793 - 812
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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References

1 Lucas, C., ‘The problem of the Midi in the French Revolution’, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, XXVIII (1978), 2Google Scholar.

2 See in particular Godechot, J., The Counter-Revolution. Doctrine and action, 1789–1804 (London, 1972)Google Scholar; Hood, J., ‘Protestant-Catholic relations and the roots of the first popular counter-revolutionary movement in France’, Journal of Modern History, XLIII (1971), 245–75CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Higgs, D., Ultraroyalism in Toulouse from its Origins to the Revolution of 1830 (Baltimore, 1973)Google Scholar; Lewis, G., The second Vendée: The continuity of Counter-Revolution in the department of the Gard, 1789–1815 (Oxford, 1978)Google Scholar.

3 See Lyons, M., ‘The “Comités de Surveillance révolutionnaire” in Toulouse, 1793–5’ (Oxford D.Phil., 1971)Google Scholar; Scott, W., Terror and repression in revolutionary Marseilles (London, 1973)Google Scholar; Kennedy, M. L., The jacobin club of Marseilles, 1790–1794 (Ithaca, 1973)Google Scholar. But note the work of Vovelle, M. on Provence and especially his cartographic study of jacobinism in the South-East in Baratier, E., Duby, G. and Hildesheimer, E. (eds.), Atlas historique: Provence, Comtat, Orange, Nice, Monaco (Paris, 1969), 63–4Google Scholar and maps 166–8.

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6 Jones, P. M., ‘The rural bourgeoisie of the Southern Massif-Central: A contribution to the study of the social structure of Ancien Régime France’, Social History, IV (12 1979), 65–83CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

7 Archives Nationales (henceforth A.N.), D III 139 petition of the ‘people’ of Meyrueis to the National Convention, 2 Ventôse III; Archives Départementales de la Lozère (henceforth A.D.L.) 226B pièces concernant David et Pierre Causse de Gatuzières; IIL871–13Tribunal du District de Meyrueis, procédures.

8 A.N. BB18 475 Justice Criminelle, Lozère 1807–1813, ‘un ami de l'humanité’ to the minister of justice, Aumont, 18 Dec. 1808.

9 Guilhamon, H. (ed.), Journal des voyages en Haute-Guienne de J. F. Henry de Richeprey (2 vols., Rodez, 1952, 1967), I, 120–7Google Scholar and notes; Bourgin, G. (ed.), Le partage des biens communaux: Documents sur la préparation de la loi du 10 Juin 1793 (Paris, 1908), 431–3Google Scholar.

10 Maury, A., ‘Sylvestre Agussol, prêtre constitutionnel’, Revue du Rouergue, LXXXXIII (1970), 27–54Google Scholar.

11 Ibid. p. 40.

12 A.N. D III 138 Comité de législation, Lozère, dossier for St Alban. Also p. 804 below.

13 See below, pp. 800, 801–2.

14 A.D.L. L 520 Comité de surveillance of St Alban, reg. dél., 20 October 1793.

15 A.D.L. 475 B1Cours et juridictions dans l'ancien régime, St Alban, 1754–80.

16 Touzery, J. (ed.), Les bénéfices du diocèse de Rodez avant la Révolution de 1789. Etat dressé par l'abbé de Grimaldi (Rodez, 1906), pp. 733–4, 824Google Scholar.

17 Reversat was killed in an exchange of fire with a chouan band on 17–18 Messidor IX (Archives Départementales de l'Aveyron (henceforth A.D.A.) IM 112a Prefect of the Aveyron to General Gouvion, commander of the 9th military division, Rodez, 22 Messidor IX.

18 An important elective post attached to the municipal body – not to be confused with the judicial office of procureur which was abolished at the outset of the revolution.

19 Falgairolle, E., Les exorcismes en Lozère en 1792 (Paris, 1894), p. 27Google Scholar.

20 For this paragraph see Bonnefis, A., Monographic de Saint Rome-de-Tarn (Rodez, 1941)Google Scholar and Guilhamon, (ed.), Journal des voyages, I, 211Google Scholar, and note.

21 Ibid. p. 69.

22 See below, pp. 807–11.

23 Jones, P. M., ‘The revolutionary committees of the department of the Aveyron, France, 1793–1795’ (Oxford D.Phil., 1977), pp. 375–6Google Scholar.

24 Ibid. pp. 376–82; 410–15.

25 Although the commune contained 600 active citizens, the mayor was elected in a ballot of just 41 votes (A.N. F7365711 Aveyron 1792 – an VIII, report of Ser and Daudé, 4 November 1792).

26 A.D.A. 68L (18) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. déclarations, 21 Fructidor II.

27 A.D.A. 90L 57 Tribunal Criminel, Rodez, affaire Bourgougnon, Messidor III.

28 A.D.A. 68L (1) Comit1é de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. dél., Ventose II.

29 A.D.A. 68L (15) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. dénonces, 24 Thermidor II.

30 A.D.A. 67L (5) Comité de surveillance of Rodez, correspondance.

31 A.D.A. 68L (18) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, extract of the registers of the Committee of Public Safety, 22 Messidor II.

32 A.D.A. 68L (15) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. dénonces, 24 Thermidor II.

33 A.D.A. 68L (1) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. dél., 7–23 Vendémiaire III.

34 Ibid.reg. dél., 12 Vendémiaire III.

35 A central government nominee attached to the local authorities whose job was to supervise the execution of the law.

36 A.D.A. 68L (15) Comité de surveillance of St Affrique, reg. dénonces, 23 Vendémiaire III.

37 A.D.A. 6L 12 Conseil and directoire of the district of St Affricjue, reg. dél., 24 Vendémiaire III.

38 A.D.A. 90L 57 Tribunal criminel, Rodez, affaire Bourgougnon.

39 See Fontanié, L., Plombat ou l'époque révolutionnaire à St Geniez-d'Olt (Aveyron), 1789–1792 (Rodez, 1928)Google Scholar.

40 A.D.A. 72L (10) Comité de surveillance of St Geniez, pétitions and A.N. F7 365711mémoirede Théron cadet.

41 Rigal, J.-L. (ed.), Comité de surveillance de St Geniez-d'Olt. Procès-verbaux et arrêtés (Rodez, 1942), pp. 574–90Google Scholar, ‘Enquête sur les excès, sévices et délits commis par les membres du comité de surveillance et leurs associés, 25–28 Floréal III’.

42 A.D.A. L133Conseil of the department of the Aveyron, reg. dél., 1 July 1793.

43 A.D.A. L682 bis Enquête Delpech, decree of 13 August 1793.

44 Archives Communales de St Geniez, reg. dél., 28 Thermidor II, where the decree of 17 Sept. 1793 is transcribed.

45 A.D.A. 72L (1) Comité de surveillance of St Geniez, correspondance, comité central of the district of St Geniez to Chabot, St Geniez, 24 Brumaire II.

46 Rapport fait à la Convention Nationale par J. Borie sur la dénonce faite au Comité de Salut Public par les administrateurs du district de St Geniez (Fructidor II).

47 A.D.A. 72L (11) Comité de surveillance of St Geniez, report of J.-F. Baldit, 13 Ventôse III.

48 A.D.A. 72L (1) Comité de surveillance of St Geniez, correspondance, Long to the comité, 21 Oct. 1793.

49 A.D.A. L699 Administration of the department of the Aveyron, brigandages, an IV; L702 troubles et brigandages, Ventôse-Fructidor an V.

50 See Woloch, I., Jacobin legacy: the democratic movement under the Directory (Princeton, 1970), pp. 83–112Google Scholar.

51 Until the hiatus of Fructidor, the royalists had controlled all elections in the Lozère by means of ‘une espèce de franc-maçonnerie de la Société ou Institut philanthropique’ (A.D.L. IIM53 notes prepared for the first prefect of the Lozère, n.d.).

52 A.N. F7 365711 Croizac, jeune, commissaire du Directoire-Exécutif près l'administration municipale de Villefranche (canton externe) to the minister of the interior, Villefranche, 16 Floréal VI. Cercles of a similar composition existed at Florac (A.N. C431 adresse of the republicans of Florae, 20 Pluviôse VI); Mende (A.N. Flb II Lozère 2 mémoire of the inhabitants of the Lozère, 19 Nivôse VIII) and probably St Affrique (Jones, P. M., ‘The revolutionary committee of the department of the Aveyron’, p. 422)Google Scholar.

53 A.D.A. 80L (1) Comité de surveillance of Villefranche, livre de présence, 2 Brumaire – 5 Nivôse II.

54 A central government officer attached to the municipal authorities in order to supervise the execution of the law.

55 A.N. F1b II Aveyron 16 Decree of the Directoire-exécutif, 15 Ventôse VI.

56 Unpaid arbiters who assisted the juge de paix to give judgment when conciliation failed.

57 A.N. F7 365711 Croizac jeune to the minister of the interior, 16 Floréal VI.

58 Commissaire de police of the Section des Thermes in the Year Two, Guillaume Victor Bach was denounced as a Robespierrist after Thermidor. The neo-jacobin resurgence of the Year Six pushed him to the fore once more – as one of the Paris departmental electors – and the following year he figured amongst the orators of the Manège club. A victim of Bonaparte's coup d'état, he avoided arrest and deportation by blowing his brains out in the Place de la Révolution beneath the statue of Liberty, on or about 26 Brumaire VIII (Dictionnaire de biographie française (Paris, 1948), IV, 1046Google Scholar, and Maitron, J. (ed.), Dictionnaire biographique du mouvement ouvrier français (Paris, 1964), I, 136)Google Scholar.

59 V. Bach, La grande conspiration anarchique de l'Oratoire renvoyée à ses auteurs (Floréal VI). See also Premier discours du citoyen Bach à la réunion séant au Manège, sur les moyens de consolider la République (Messidor VII).

60 Estaing; Gages; La Cavalerie; Le Viala-du-Tarn; Millau; Najac; Rieupeyroux; Rignac; St Geniez; Varen; Villecomtal; Villefranche (A.N. AFIII 216 Aveyron, élections, an VI).

61 Allenc; Langogne; La Parade; Le Malzieu; Mende; St Alban; Le Buisson; St Germain-du-Teil; Serverette (A.N. Flc III Lozère I élections, an VI, and C551 Conseil des anciens, pièces, etc.).

62 See above, pp. 800–3.

63 See above, p. 802.

64 A.D.A. L613 élections, an VI, primary assemblies of the canton interne of St Geniez.

65 A.N. F73280 petition of Bonhomme to the Committee of Public Safety, Rieupeyroux, 8 Floréal II.

66 For Taillefer's mission in the Aveyron and its repercussions see Jones, P. M., ‘The revolutionary committees of the department of the Aveyron’, pp. 65–80, 104–5, 179–203, 215–20Google Scholarand passim.

67 A.N. F74277 affaire Babeuf.

68 A.D.A. L163 élections, an VI, protest of the ‘republicans’ of Rieupeyroux, 10 Germinal VI.

69 A.D.A. L613 élections, an VI.

70 Estaing.

71 Allenc; La Cavalerie; Langogne; La Parade; Mende; Millau; Najac; Rignac; St Alban; St Geniez; Villecomtal; Villefranche.

72 Le Buisson; Le Malzieu; St Germain-du-Teil; Serverette.

73 A.D.A. L613 élections, an VI.

74 See above, note 5.

75 A.D.A. L613 élections, an VI.

76 A.D.A. L610 élections, an VI.

77 The department of the Lozère held the record for civil suits pending in the courts in the early nineteenth century (one case per 69 inhabitants). The Aveyron occupied fourth place with one case per 118 inhabitants (Angeville, A., Essai sur la statistique de la population française (Bourg, 1836 (reprinted Paris, 1969)), pp. 156, 228Google Scholar, and map 14).

78 On this subject note the criticisms voiced by the prefect of the neighbouring department of the Haute-Loire, ‘Juges de Paix: dans le plus grand nombre de cantons, ces fonctions sublimes sont devenues le domaine de l'ignorance, de l'inaptitude, de l'esprit d'aviditié ou de chicane. Les voies du réconciliation n'y sont plus connues, les formes y éternisent les procédures, les frais y écrasent les plaideurs, les opinions ou les personnes y sont le plus souvent la règle des jugements’ (Archives Départementales de la Haute-Loire 2M2I rapport du préfet, 17 Pluviôse IX).

79 A.N. F1b II Aveyron 9 mémoire entitled ‘Tout à la République: réflections concernant certains abus trop préjudiciables au gouvernement et très faciles à réprimer’, 25 Germinal VI.