In vain the commissioners of the neighboring departments， sent by the Minister， represent to them that Arles submits， that she has laid down her arms， and that the town is now garrisoned with troops of the line；-- the Marseilles army requires the withdrawal of this garrison. -- In vain the garrison departs. Rebecqui and his acolytes reply that "nothing will divert them from their enterprise； they cannot defer to anybody's decision but their own in relation to any precaution tending to ensure the safety of the southern departments." -- In vain the Minister renews his injunctions and counter-orders. The Directory replies with a flagrant falsehood， stating that it is ignorant of the affair and refuses to give the government any assistance. -- In vain M. de Wittgenstein， commander-in-chief in the south， offers his services to the Directory to repel the invaders. The Directory forbids him to take his troops into the territory of the department.[28] -- Meanwhile， on the 29th of March， the Marseilles army effects a breach with its cannon in the walls of defenseless Arles； its fortifications are demolished and a tax of 1，400，000 francs is levied on the owners of property. In contempt of the National Assembly's decree the Mint bandits， the longshoremen， the whole of the lowest class again take up their arms and lord it over the disarmed population. Although "the King's commissioner and most of the judges have fled， jury examinations are instituted against absentees，" the juries consisting of the members of the Mint band.[29] The conquerors imprison， smite and slaughter as they please. Countless peaceable individuals are struck down and mauled， dragged to prison and many of them are mortally wounded. An old soldier， eighty years of age， retired to his country home three months earlier， dies after twenty days' confinement in a dungeon， from a blow received in the stomach by a rifle butt； women are flogged. "All citizens that with an interest in law and order，" nearly five thousand families， have emigrated；their houses in town and in the country are pillaged， while in the surrounding boroughs， along the road leading from Arles to Marseilles， the villains forming the hard core of the Marseilles army， rove about and gorge themselves as in a vanquished country.[30]
They eat and drink voraciously， force the closets， carry off linen and food， steal horses and valuables， smash the furniture， tear up books， and burn papers.[31] All this is only the appropriate punishment of the aristocrats. Moreover， it is no more than right that patriots should be indemnified for their toil， and a few blows too many are not out of place in securing the rule of the right party. -- For example， on the false report of order being disturbed at Chateau-Renard， Bertin and Rebecqui send off a detachment of men， while the municipal body in uniform， followed by the National Guard， with music and flags， comes forth to meet and salute it. Without uttering a word of warning， the Marseilles troop falls upon the cortège， strikes down the flags， disarms the National Guard， tears the epaulettes off the officers'
shoulders， drags the mayor to the ground by his scarf， pursues the counselors， sword in hand， puts the mayor and syndic-attorney in arrest， and， during the night， sacks four dwellings， the whole under the direction of three Jacobins of the place under indictment for recent crimes or misdemeanors. Henceforth at Chateau-Renard they will look twice before subjecting patriots to indictment.[32] -- At Vélaux "the country house of the late seignior is sacked， and everything is carried away， even to the tiles and window-glass." A troop of two hundred men "overrun the village， levy contributions， and put all citizens who are well-off under bonds for considerable sums." Camo？n， the Marseille chief， one of the new department administrators， who is in the neighborhood， lays his hand on everything that is fit to be taken， and， a few days after this， 30，000 francs are found in his carpet-bag.-Taught by the example others follow and the commotion spreads. In every borough or petty town the club profits by these acts to satiate its ambition its greed， and its hatred. That of Apt appeals to its neighbors， whereupon 1，500 National Guards of Gordes， St. Saturnin， Gouls and Lacoste， with a thousand women and children armed with clubs and scythes， arrive one morning before the town. On being asked by whose orders they come in this fashion， they reply， "by the orders which their patriotism has given them." -- "The fanatics，"or partisans of the sworn priests， "are the cause of their journey"：