Revolution from 1789 to 1906 : documents selected and ed. with notes and introductions

Front matter

J

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REVOLUTION FROM 1789 TO_ 1906

Preface

HE collection of documents which follows 1s not an attempt to depict the course of various, arbitrartly selected revolutions in the words of the revolutionaries themselves. It would have been easy, no doubt, and more exciting to select the most vivid contemporaneous account of, say, the taking of the Bastille, or of the burning of the Hotel de Ville i 1871, and from these and other recitals to have constructed a fairly accurate, and certainly interesting, history of the dramatic moments of the European Revolution. The aim of the Editor has been rather to select speeches, posters, and articles which show what the revolution “was all about”: what were the problems confronting the revolutionaries: what were their principles, the thoughts in their minds, and the phrases they used: and particularly which of their acts became the seeds of the future revolution. For this reason the comparatively dull speech of Danton’s _on Property has been preferred to his famous “audacity” speech. The latter ts a splendid, but passing, piece of declamation, the former typical of the Facobin policy or lack of policy in regard to the soctal problems they had themselves raised. Similarly, much space ts given to the conspiracy of Babeuf; not that tt played a very great part at the time, but because tts importance in after years was immense

The facts given tn the Introductions may seem to be distorted or described from a perverse point of view. In actual distortion, omission, or falsehood, tt 1s hoped that the sins of this book are few. Yet the attitude taken up may seem prejudiced, unhistorical even. If this be so,the Editor can only protest that tt 1s not possible to write a good history of a revolution without understanding tt, and, therefore, in some degree sympathising with tt—unless, of course, a revolution 1s regarded as a pathological or criminal phenomenon—whtch ts not merely unhistorical but monstrously arrogant. It must also be remembered that the“common impression” (which this book may be found to contradict) is frequently erroneous espectally in what concerns revolutionary periods. For example, tt ts a very common impression that the Paris Commune of 1871 was bloodthirsty. In point of fact, it shot, under circumstances of extreme provocation a small number of hostages whose lives were “according to the rules of war” already forfeit. Their opponents, the Versatllese, were guilty of a massacre whose savage comprehensiveness passes our understanding. At least twenty thousand men and women, probably as many as thirty-five thousand, lost their lives in this holocaust, which preceded the orthodox shootings and deportations after trial. When we read M. Camille Pelletan’s detatled study of these horrors we seem to be reading of a vast pogrom or of some bestial explott of Jenghiz Khan. If a narrative written with knowledge, and under the impression of thts massacre dtjfers from one written in real or feigned ignorance of it, there ts little room for surprise.

It 1s also hoped that there is some connection between the various sections and that they are not a sertes of disconnected incidents. It ts obvious that the modern revolutionary movement must be treated as a whole, and that tts history cannot be written from a purely national standpoint. Something alien to French national history intrudes itself, for example, into the history of the Commune. This non-

vil national element ts precisely the revolutionary force, the International. This revolutionary force assumes different aspects to suit the particular problems of different countries, but it ts in essence the same. The Commune is a chapter in French history, no doubt, but it 1s also, and equally clearly, a chapter, if not the only chapter, in the history of the First International. Similarly a historian who would write the history of the German Revolution of 1848 with an eye only to the national history, would deal adequately with its connections with Jahn, Arndt, and other relics of the war of 1813, but would omit figures equally important— Maximilien Robespierre and Alphonse de Lamartine. i

The European Revolution as a whole changes from bourgeois to proletarian in the year 1848. The new, free form of soctety necessary for the full development of modern industrial capitalism had been completely outlined, but incompletely achieved by the great French Revolution of 1789. The small employing class and the middle class, in the interval between 1794. and 1848, provide the revolutionary material,and their aims are naturally limited to the restoration of the Republic as proclaimed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. We even have, in Lyons in 1830 (p. 78), the ludicrous sight of the rebellious workers affirming their respectability and dissociating themselves from the disreputable revolutionary bourgeoisie. But 1848 ends the bourgeots revolution, for during the actual revolution uprises a proletarian and socialist revolutionary movement. This can be most clearly seen in France and Germany. In England tt had been clear since the assumption of power by the middle class in 1832.

Finally, the selection of this date—1832—the year of the assumption of power by the middle class—for the beginning of the English documents ts largely arbitrary. One has to begin somewhere, and this date has seemed as conventent as any.

R. W. POSTGATE

Vill

Note iT HIS work is arranged upon the following plan. Each chapter and each section of a chapter deals with a separate revolution. Each

section is divided into two halves, the Introduction and the Documents. “Lhe Documents are reproduced as nearly as possible as they appeared at the time. Italics, for example, are never due to the Editor: and in translation it has been thought better to be occasionally clumsy, but accurate, than to paraphrase for the sake of better English. Where a portion ofa Document _has been summarised, this is in italics and indicated by the use of square brackets [so]. The frequent use of runners (....) in French has made it necessary to use only asterisks ( * * * ) to mark omissions. The chief events have been indicated in brief under their dates, and the Documents are inserted in their proper chronological order between these date-lines. It is hoped _that thereby the Documents will fall into their right chronological place at _ the first glance.

The Introductions, in those cases where there are already adequate connected histories in English, as, for example, of the German Revolution of 1848, are limited to the minimum necessary to explain the connection between the Documents. In other cases, where there is either no English history available —in Chapter I'V, Section II, for example—or the selection of Documents or the attitude of the Editor seemed to require remark, the Introductions have become somewhat more lengthy.

I wish particularly to thank Mr. M. B. Reckitt for his assistance and advice concerning Chapter J. A large portion of the Introduction to Section II was written by him, and nearly every page of the chapter bears the mark of his criticism. Mr. Laurence Welsh helped me very materially in the translation of the German Documents of 1848, where my own meagre German would have proved an almost insurmountable barrier, and by many suggestions made in other parts of the book. Mr. George Belt has earned my gratitude by the loan of several rare Chartist books. I also wish to thank the Socialist Labour Press for permission to reprint their copyright translation of the Communist Manifesto.

R. W. P.

ADDENDA

Since the Bibliographical note to the section on Chartism was written, there has appeared a good general history—Julius West’s History of the Chartist Movement (Constable, 16s.)

By aslip of the pen on page 23 I have made Robespierre defend the cult of Reason. The word should be Deism. Robespierre believed in the Supreme Being, and persecuted the Reason worshippers,

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Table of Contents

Preface, p. vii Note, p. ix Table, p. xi

Chapter I. The French Revolution Of 1789 19 20 21 22

28 29

SECTION I. . PROLOGUE Introduction, p. 3 The American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, p. 4

SECTION II, THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, 1789—1796 Introduction, p. 6

Oath of the National Assembly, June 20, 1789, p. 26

J. P. Marat: Amt du Peuple, No. xi, September 21, on the Decree of August 4, 1789, p. 26

Resolution of the Cordeliers, October 4, 1789, p. 28

Declaration of the Rights of Man, signed October 5, 1789, p. 30 Decree Confiscating Church Lands, November 2, 1789, p. 32

J. P. Marat: C’en est fait de nous, July 26, 1790, p. 32

Comte de Mirabeau: Speech on Emigrés, February 28, 1791, p. 35 Law on Associations: June 14, 1791, p. 37

Declaration of the Cordeliers Club, June 22, 1791, p. 38 Manifesto Signed in the Champs de Mars, July 16, 1791, p. 38 Declaration of Pillnitz, August 27, 1791, p. 39

Address of the Forty-Seven Sections, August 3, 1792, p. 40 (Girondin) Law on Communal Lands, August 14, 1792, p. 40

G. J. Danton: Speech (on Property), September 21, 1792, p. 41 Address of the Jacobins Club, dated April 13, 1793, p. 41

M. M. I. Robespierre: Speech (on Property), April 24, 1793, p. 43 M. E. Guadet: Speech Moving the Suppression of the Commune, May 18, 1793, p. 46

(Jacobin) Law on Communal Lands, June 10, 1793, p. 47

J. R. Hebert: Pére Duchesne on Marat’s death, July 15, 1793, p. 48 Decree on Feudal Rights, July 17, 1793, p. 50

J.R. Hebert: Pére Duchesne on Business Men, September 1, 1793, p. 51 B. C. Desmoulins: Last Number of the Vieux Cordelter, March, 1794, Pp. 52

S. Maréchal: Manifesto of the Equals, May, 1796, p. 54

F. N. Babeuf: “Analysis of his Doctrine,” May, 1796, p. 56 “Soldier, Stop and Read,” May, 1796, p. 57

F, N. Babeuf: Draft of Decree, May, 1796, p. 58

CHAPTER II. INTERMEDIATE SECTION I. IRELAND, 1786 Introduction, p. 63 Letter addressed to the Munster Peasantry, July 1, 1786, p. 64 Declaration of the Belfast Volunteers, July 14, 1791, p. 65 xi

30 Oath of the United Irishmen (first form), 1792, p. 66

- 31 Oath of the United Irishmen (later form), 1795, p. 66 32 Proclamation by John Sheares, intended for May 24, 1798, p. 67 33 Proclamation by Robert Emmet, July 23, 1803, p. 68

SECTION Il. THE MUTINY AT THE NORE, 1797 Introduction, p. 71 34. Nore Seamen’s Oath, p. 72 35 Nore Seamen’s Song, No. he Oa oy 6 36 Manifesto of the Delegates to their Countrymen, June 6, 1797, p. 73 327 Resolution of the Sandwich Committee, June 7, 1797, p. 74

SECTION III. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF 1830 Introduction, p. 76 38 Summary of the Republican Programme, July, 1830, p. 78 39 Declaration of the Lyons Chiefs of Sections, November 23, 1831, p.78

CHAPTERIII. THEREVOLUTIONARY BRITISH WORKING CLASS, 1832—1854 SECTION I. THE TRADES UNIONS, 1832—1834 Introduction, p. 82 40 R. Owen: Address to the Operative Builders, August 26, 1833, p. 90 41 R. Owen: Lecture, September 8, 1833, p. 91 42 Proposals for a Builders’ Guild, September 21, 1833, p. 91 43 Derby Committee Report, December 30, 1833, p. 93 44. J. E. Smith: Second Letter on Associated Labour, March 22, 1834,

45 The Legacy of Robert Owen to the World, March 29, 1834, p. 95

46 J. E. Smith: “On the Prospects of Society,” March 30, 1834, p. 98

47 he Herald of the Rights of Industry on an 8-hours day, April 5, 1834, p. 98

48 Grand National Consolidated ‘Trades Union Programme and Manifesto, April 15, 1834, p. 99

49 R. Owen: Lecture (on the Pioneer), April 27, 1834, p. 100

50 ‘The Crisis: Leader Deprecating Strikes, May 3, 1834, p. 101

51 The “Document” (London Tailors), May 22 1S 24,/ pi TOL SECTION II. CHARTISM, 1837—1854 Introduction, p. 104

52 Bronterre’s National Reformer, No. 1, Statement of Aims, January 7, 1837, p. 113

53 London Working-men’s Association, Petition of February 18, 1837, ptr

54 P. Bussey: Speech on Arming, October 15, 1838, p. 117

55 Feargus O’Connor: Speech on Physical Force, November 6, 1838, p. 119

56 Rev. J. R. Stephens: The Political Preacher, January 6, 1839, p. 119

57 J.C. Coombe: “What is the Object of the Charter?” April 27, 1839,

58 The Eight Questions of the Convention, May 13, 1839, p. 124

59 Insurrectionary Leaflet of May 23, 1839, p. 125

60 Convention’s Resolutions on the Birmingham Riot, July 4, 1830, p. 126

61 The First National Petition, July 12, 1839, p. 127

62 Extracts from the Second National Petition, May 2, 1842, p. 130

63a & B Resolution and Placard Calling the General Strike, August 12, 1842, p. 132

64. Feargus O’Connor on Communism, 1847, p. 133

65 Resolutions of the Convention, April 5, 1848, p. 135

66 Ernest Jones: Song of the Lower Classes, 1854, p. 135

CHAPTER IV. THE REVOLUTIONS OF 1848 PROLOGUE: THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO Introduction, p. 139 67 The Communist Manifesto, 1847, p. 140

SECTION I. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, 1848—1851 Introduction, p. 165

68 Louis Blanc: Organisation of Labour, Conclusion, 1839, p. 186

69 Ledru-Rollin: Election Address, July, 1841, p. 187

70-72 Proclamations of Provisional Governments, February 24, 1848, p. 189

73-76 Decrees of February 25, 1848, p. 191

77 L. A. Blanqui: Speech on February 26, 1848, p. 191

78 Decree Instituting National Workshops, February 28, 1848, p. 192

79 Gloveworkers’ Election Placard to the Luxembourg, March, 1848, p. 193

80 A. de Lamartine: Manifesto to Europe, March 2, 1848, p. 193

81 Decree Abolishing Sub-Contracting, March 2, 1848, p. 197

82 E. Thomas: Proposals on National Workshops to the Government on March 5, 1848, p. 198

83 Committee of the Luxembourg Assembly, March 10, 1848, p. 199

84 Louis Blanc: Programme Outlined on March 20, 1848, p. 199

85 E. Thomas: Conversations with M. Marie, March 20-28, 1848, p. 201

86-87 Conciliation Awards of the Luxembourg (P/umbers and Paviors), 1848, p. 202

88 Election Placard of the Luxembourg, April, 1848, p. 204

89 E. Thomas: Workshop Regulations, April, 1848, p. 205

go A. Barbés: Placard Concerning the Rouen Massacres, April 29, 1848, p. 206

gt Documents Prepared for Issue on May 15, 1848: (a), Provisional Government; (B), Seven Decrees, p. 207

92 Decrees Actually Issued on May 15, 1848, p. 209

93 Decree on the Workshops Prepared for May 24, Issued June 21, 1848, p. 210

94 Louis Pujol: Prophecy of Days of Blood, June, 1848, p. 211

xill

95 96

Luxembourg and Workshops: Joint Placard, June 18, 1848, p. 213 Insurgents’ Proclamations, June 26, 1848, p. 214

97-100 Proclamations and Facts of the June Revolt, 1848, p. 215

IO!

I02

Ledru-Rollin: On Family and Property, August 25, 1848, p. 216 L. A. Blanqui: Extracts from the Critique Sociale, 1869, p. 218

- SECTION II. THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION, 1848—1849

103 104

IOS 106

108 109

TIO

Till

112 113 114

115 116 117 118 119

122 123

Introduction, p. 222

Summary of the Bill on the Magyar ‘Tongue, February 29, 1848, Pp. 225

Six Points Moved by Kossuth, March 18, 1848, p. 225

The Hungarian Declaration of Independence, April 19, 1849, p. 226 Abdication of the Provisional Government, August 11, 1849, p. 228

SECTION III. THE ITALIAN REVOLUTION, 1848—1849 Introduction, p. 231

“Manifesto to the European Peoples” after the Expulsion of the Austrians from Milan, March 23, 1848, p. 234

Letter of Manin on Socialism, January 14, 1849, p. 235

Decree of the Roman Republic on Necessitous Citizens, April 4, 1849, p. 236

Rome Republic Decree on Peasant Proprietorship and on Division of Church Lands, April, 1849, p. 236

Last Proclamation of the Venetian Ministry of Marine, August 9,

SECTION IV. THE GERMAN REVOLUTION OF 1848—1849 Introduction, p. 24.0

Programme of the Offenburg Conference, Winter, 1847, p. 249 Anonymous Republican Poster, March, 1848, p. 249

Hanau People’s Commission, Instructions to the Elector, March 9, 1848, p. 250

Austrian Emperor’s Proclamation, March 14, 1848, p. 252

“The Democrats to the Soldiers”: Pamphlet of pik. 1848, p.252 King of Prussia: Proclamation ’ “To My Beloved Berliners,” March 18, 1848, p. 253

L. Feuerbach: Letter on Economic Conditions, April 3, 1848, P- 254

Minutes of the First Meeting of the Berlin Arbetter Club, April 6, 1848, p. 255

Fr. Hecker on the First Baden Revolt, April, 1848, p. 257

G. Struve: The Republican Official Gazette, No. 1, September 22, 1848, p. 258

Austrian Diet: Proceedings on October 7 and 8, 1848, p. 260 Resolutions of the Revolutionary Assembly, May 13, 1849, p. 262 SECTION V. THE IRISH REVOLUTIONARIES OF 1848

Introduction, p. 265

Resolutions Moved by W. Smith O’Brien, February 3, 1848, p. 266

X1V

“125 From John Mitchel’s Letters to Ulstermen, April and May, 1848,

126 The Irish Felon on the Suppression of the June Revolt in Paris, July 1, 1848, p. 269

127 From J. Fintan Lalor’s The Faith of a Felon, July 8, 1848, p. 270 EPILOGUE Introduction, p. 2.72

128 The Republican Manifesto of Kossuth, Mazzini, and Ledru-Rollin

Issued on the Fall of Sebastopol, September, 1855, p. 273

CHAPTER V. THE COMMUNE OF PARIS Introduction, p. 277

129 La Patrie en Danger, No. 50, by L. A. Blanqui, October 30, 1870,

130 Manifesto of the Central Committee, March 20, 1871, p. 289

131 First Proclamations of the Commune, March 29, 1871, p. 291

132 J. B. Millitre: “The Revolution of 1871” in La Commune, April 2, 1871, p. 292

133 The Commune: “To the Departments,” April 6, 1871, p. 295

134 Decree on the Vendéme Column, April 12, 1871, p. 296

135 Decree on Co-operative Workshops, April 16, 1871, p. 297

136 Jules Nostag: “Country-Humanity” in La Révolution, April 16, 1871, p. 297

137 Programme of the Commune, April 19, 1871, p. 298

138 Mme. A. Léo: “Revolution Without Women” in La Sociale, May 8, 1871, p. 300

139 P. Grousset: Official Manifesto “To the Great Towns,” May 15, 1871, p. 302

140 Declaration of the Minority, May 15, 1871, p. 303

141 Ch. Delescluze’s Last Proclamation, May 22, 1871, p. 304

142 Manifesto of the General Council of the International, called “The Civil War in France,” May 30, 1871, p. 305

CHAPTER VI. THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION OF 1905 Introduction, p. 34.1

143 Petition of the Workers to the Tsar, January 22, 1905, p. 363

144 Gapon’s Letter After the Massacre, January 22, 1905, p. 365

145 Resolution of the Social Democratic Party, January 23, 1905, p. 366 146 Resolution of the St. Petersburg Advocates, January 23, 1905, p. 366 '147 Resolution of the Novgorod Zemstvo, January, 1905, p. 367

148 Message of the Holy Synod, January 27, 1905, p. 367

149 Message of the Tsar, February 1, 1905, p. 368 150 L. Trotsky: The Events in St. Petersburg, February 2, 1905, p. 369 151A Announcement of the Execution of the Grand Duke Sergius by the

Organisation of Combat, February 18, 1905, p. 370 151B Defence of the Act by the Moscow Social Revolutionaries, February 18, 1905, p. 370

XxV

From the Tsar’s Manifestoes of March 3, 1905, p. 371

Black Hundred Manifestoes of April and May, 1905, p. 372

First Programme of the Peasants’ Union, May, 1905, p. 372 Resolution of the June Congress of Lettish Social Democrats, 1905,

Manifesto of the Rebel Sailors in the Black Sea, June 27, 1905, p. 374

Resolution at the Foundation of the Petrovsk Braneh of the Peasants’

Reports to the Congress of the Peasants’ Union, July 31, 1905, p. 376

Resolution of the All-Russia Zemstvo Congress, September 25, 1905, p. 380

Grikedoe Pogrom Circular, October, 1905, p. 380

Minutes of the St. Petersburg Soviet during the Second General Strike,

Resolution passed simultaneously all over Lettonia, November, 1905,

Declaration of the Khvalinshin Peasants upon the Terror, November

First Common Manifesto of the Russian Socialist Parties, December 13,

“A ppeal to the Civilised World” by the Lettish Social Democratic Union

The Viborg Manifesto, ay 23, 1906, p. 391