72 EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [370 



the reorganization of the Belgian government after the 

 French pattern."^ The act caused a stir of resentment and 

 opposition in Belgium where the elections of December 29 

 practically restored the statists or conservative revolutionists 

 under Vander Noot.'" Chuquet cites a number of protests 

 from Hainaut, Namur, Anvers, Louvain, Malines, Tour- 

 nesis, Herve, Bruxelles, Liege. Pamphlets against France 

 were circulated in great numbers. " Placards attached to 

 the walls of Malines declared the fatherland in danger and 

 invited the Belgians to unite in order to eject the barbarians 

 who had come to annihilate religion, to destroy the corpora- 

 tions and to impose their assignats."" Even Dumouriez, 

 the victor of Jemappes, at first refused to proclaim and ex- 

 ecute the objectionable decree. " I shall not be," he wrote, 

 " the Attila, the scourge of Belgium, and I shall not play 

 two conflicting roles in this unhappy country : that of the 

 liberator according to my proclamations and that of the 

 oppressor by the execution of the decree. . . .""* But the 

 thirty commissioners received their orders in consequence 



''^ This decree stipulates that in the countries occupied by French 

 troops, in the name of the French nation the sovereignty of the 

 people be proclaimed; all constituted authorities, all existing duties 

 and contributions, feudalism, etc., to be abolished; the people be 

 assured that France brings them peace, help, etc. ; that primary 

 assemblies be convened to create a new government; that all former 

 privileged individuals and officers of state be in this instance ex- 

 cluded from voting; that all property of the former princes, their 

 adherents, of the state treasure, of lay and ecclesiastical bodies and 

 communes be placed under the protection of the French nation. 

 These and various other things being done, the French nation shall, 

 so the decree orders, choose commissaries to be sent to these lib- 

 erated peoples in order to fraternize with them. Article il reads: 

 " La nation f rangaise declare qu'elle traitera comme ennemi le peuple 

 qui, refusant la liberie et I'egalite, ou y rcnonc^ant, voudrait con- 

 server, rappelcr ou traiter avcc le prince et Ics castes privilegiees; 

 elle promet et s'engage dc ne souscrire aucun traite, et de ne poser 

 les armes qu'apres rafTermisscmcnf dc la souvereignete et de I'inde- 

 pendence du peuple sur le territoire duquel les troupes de la Re- 

 publique seront entrees, qui aura adopte Ics principcs de I'egalite, ct 

 etabli un gouvernement libre ct populaire." This decree was adopted 

 by the Convention on Dec. 15, 1792 (Arch, pari., ser. I, vol. Iv, pp. 

 70-76, lOO-IOl). 



^'' Chuquet, Jemappes, pp. 210, 213. 



''"' Only the Province of Liege, not Liege city, and the cities of 

 Mons and Charleroi seemed to approve of it (ibid., pp. 200-203). 



'8 Ibid., p. 206. 



