he is no patriot， - how could he be， enjoying an income of two hundred thousand livres， and， moreover， is he not a general-advocate？[120] One of these offenses is sufficient. - Alone and by itself， "opulence，"writes Saint-Just， "is a disgrace，" and， according to him， a man is opulent "who supports fewer children than he has thousands of livres income； in effect， among the persons confined as "rich and egoists" we find， according to the very declaration of the Revolutionary Committee， persons with incomes of only 4，000， 3，700， 1，500， and even 500 livres.[121] Moreover， a fortune or a competence， inspires its possessor with anti-revolutionary sentiments； consequently， he is for the moment an obstruction； "You are rich，" says Cambon， making use of a personification， "you cherish an opinion， which compels us to be on the defensive； pay then， so as to indemnify us and be thankful for our indulgence which， precautionary and until peace is declared， keeps you under bolt and bar."[122] Rich， anti-revolutionary， and vicious，"according to Robespierre，[123] "these three traits depend on each other， and， therefore， the possession of the superfluous is an infallible sign of aristocracy， a visible mark of incivism" and， as Fouché says， "a stamp of reprobation." "The superfluous is an evident and unwarrantable violation of the people's rights； every man who has more than his wants call for， cannot use， and therefore he must only abuse."[124] Whoever does not make over to the masses the excess of what is strictly necessary. . . . places himself in the rank of 'suspects.' Rich egoists， you are the cause of our misfortunes！"[125]
"You dared to smile contemptuously on the appellation of sans-culottes；[126] you have enjoyed much more than your brethren alongside of you dying with hunger； you are not fit to associate with them， and since you have disdained to have them eat at your table， they cast you out eternally from their bosom and condemn you， in turn， to wear the shackles prepared for them by your indifference or your maneuvers." In other words， whoever has a good roof over his head， or wears good clothes， man or woman， idler or industrious， noble or commoner， is available for the prison or the guillotine， or， at the very least， he is a taxable and workable serf at pleasure； his capital and accumulations， if not spontaneously and immediately handed over， form a criminal basis and proof of conviction. - The orders of arrest are generally issued against him on account of his wealth； in order to drain a town of these offenders one by one， all are penned together according to their resources； at Strasbourg，[127] 193 persons are taxed， each from 6，000 to 300，000 livres， in all 9 million livres， payable within twenty-four hours， by the leading men of each profession or trade， bankers， brokers， merchants， manufacturers， professors， pastors， lawyers， physicians， surgeons， publishers， printers， upholsterers， glass-dealers， rope-makers， master-masons， coffee-house and tavern keepers. And let there be no delay in responding to these orders within the prescribed time！ Otherwise the delinquents will be placed in the stocks， on the scaffold， face to face with the guillotine. "One of the best citizens in the commune， who had steadily manifested his attachment to the Revolution， being unable to realize a sum of 250，000 livres in one day， was fastened in the pillory."[128] Sometimes the orders affected an entire class， not alone nobles or priests， but all the members of any bourgeois profession or even of any handicraft. At Strasbourg， a little later， "considering that the thirst for gold has always controlled the brewers of the commune，" they are condemned to 250，000 livres fine， to be paid in three days under penalty of being declared rebels， with the confiscation of their possessions；" then， upon another similar consideration， the bakers and flour dealers are taxed three hundred thousand livres.[129] In addition to this， writes Representative Milhaud， at Guyardin，[130] "We have ordered the arrest of all bankers， stock-brokers and notaries. . . . All their wealth is confiscated；we estimate the sums under seal at 2 or 3 millions in coin， and 15 or 16 in assignats." There is the same haul of the net at Paris. By order of Lhuillier， procureur of the department， "seals are placed in the offices of all the bankers， stock-brokers， silversmiths， etc.，"and they themselves are shut up in the Madelonettes； a few days after， that they may pay their drafts， they are let out as a favor， but on condition that they remain under arrest in their homes， at their own expense， under guard of two good sans-culottes.[131] In like manner， at Nantes，[132] Lyons， Marseilles and Bordeaux， the prisons are filled and the guillotine works according to the categories. At one time they are "all of the Grand Théatre，" or the principal merchants， "to the number of more than 200，" are incarcerated at Bordeaux in one night.[133] At another time， Paris provides a haul of farmer-generals or parliamentarians. Carts leave Toulouse conveying its parliamentarians to Paris to undergo capital punishment. At Aix， writes an agent，[134]
"the guillotine is going to work on former lawyers a few hundred heads legally taken off will do the greatest good."And， as new crimes require new terms to designate them， they add to "incivisme" and "moderantisme，" the term "negociantisme，" all of which are easily stated and widespread crimes.
"The rich and the merchants，" writes an observer，[135] "are here， as elsewhere， born enemies of equality and lovers of hideous federalism， the only aristocracy that remains to be crushed out."Barras， with still greater precision， declares in the tribune that， "commerce is usurious， monarchical and anti-revolutionary."[136]