Foussedoire, Representative of the People in the Departments of Haut- and Bas-Rhin (1794)André

Foussedoire, Representative of the People in the Departments of Haut- and Bas-Rhin (1794)André Foussedoire, a Montagnard deputy en mission, published this address on 19 August 1794. He had been sent on a mission to Alsace in the spring of 1794, in the course of which he implemented a number of (seemingly, rather unpopular) measures. In this address, he attacks the violent prejudice against Jews among citizens of Haut- and Bas-Rhin.Citizens,It is with the emphasis of profound indignation that I have to complain about the humiliations that one exercises in these Departments against men that malevolence or ineptitude always endeavour to classify under the denomination Jews. One renews, every day, every moment, these reproaches of agiotage, of usury, of superstition against them, which most of them have ceased to deserve, since the national will, based on natural equity, has returned them to the dignity of their being, & has granted them the glorious title French Citizens.It has equally been assured to me, that one has gone as far as to say, in the sessions of Popular Societies, that these individuals were all scoundrels [and] crooks; that, within a few days, [and] by decree of the National Convention, they had to be chased from the Republic, & that their debtors were exempted from keeping any commitment towards them; that, in accordance with an order of the Department, contrary to all principles, they have, for a long time, constantly endured a miscarriage of justice; that, in a public auction, an Administrative Commissioner, trampling under foot both the law & his duties, opposed himself to a supposed Jew having a possession, which had fallen to him in the course of bids.That a tribunal has a tribunal has passed against one of them, who, in truth, was convicted of the offence that he had been warned of, an almost barbarous judgement, whose utterance contains expressions [that are] as hateful as [they are] impolitic, assertions [that are] equally false & counter-revolutionary, & in order to place the last stroke on this rapidly sketched picture, that one has taken indecency as far as to exhume the corpse of one of these men, who, desiring the law, had been deposed in a cemetery.No doubt, Citizens, these outrageous injustices & these reprehensible excesses sully only a few thoughtless functionaries, [who are] unworthy of your confidence, and a few individuals [who are] blinded by their prejudice or their ignorance; but it is no less urgent to publish them & to take the repressive measures that humanity and justice require under these circumstances.Citizens, may public censorship be exerted over all those who, irrespective of principles, offend their brothers through hatred or through prejudice; & as for me, when using the authority that I have been entrusted with, I will not forget [to do] anything in order to enforce the law which equally protects all Frenchmen.Signed, FOUSSEDOIRE.Source: IMPRIMÉ QUI DÉNONCE TRAITEMENT DES JUIFS EN ALSACE -- source link

More pics about