French Revolution 1793
Source: Poster published by Tournachon-Molin, Ville Affranchie, [n.d. 1793];
Translated: from the original for marxists.org by Mitchell Abidor 2015;
CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2015.
From the transcript of the meeting of the National Convention of the 21st day of the first month of the year II of the French Republic, one and indivisible.
The National Convention, after having heard the report of the Committee of Public Safety, decrees:
Upon presentation by the Committee of Public Safety, there shall be named by the National Convention an extraordinary commission composed of five members to militarily and without delay punish the counter-revolutionaries of Lyon.
All the inhabitants of Lyon shall be disarmed.
All their arms shall be immediately distributed to the defenders of the Republic.
A portion shall be handed over to the patriots of Lyon, who were oppressed by the rich and the counter-revolutionaries.
The city of Lyon shall be destroyed; any building inhabited by the wealthy shall be demolished. All that shall be left will be the houses of the poor, the residences of patriots either outlawed or led astray, the buildings especially employed by industry, and those monuments dedicated to humanity and public instruction.
The name of Lyon shall be erased from the list cities of the Republic.
The gathering of the houses that remain shall henceforth bear the name of Ville Affranchie [Liberated City].
There shall be raised over the ruins of Lyon a column that will attest to posterity the crimes and punishment of the royalists of that city, with this inscription:
Lyon made war on Liberty; Lyon is no more.
The 18th day of the first month of the second year of the French Republic, one and indivisible.
The representatives of the people shall immediately select the commissioners who will draw up the list of all those properties that belonged to the rich and the counterrevolutionaries of Lyon so the Convention can immediately decide upon the means of execution of the decree of _______which set aside these properties for the indemnification of patriots.
Sealed by the inspector, signed S.L. Monnet
Confirmed in conformity with the original by we the secretaries of the Convention, in Paris, the 22nd day of the first month of the year II of the Republic.
Signed:
Gr. Jagot, secretary,
Louis, of the Lower Rhine, secretary