Joseph the Good

Guislain-François-Joseph the Good , born with Arras (Pas-de-Calais) the September 25th 1765 and guillotine with Amiens (Somme) the October 16th 1795, is a revolutionist French.

Youth

Wire of a policeman of the échevinage of Arras, it belongs to a family of nine children in extreme cases of poverty. Raise at the oratoriens of Arras, then of Juilly, it is intended at the ecclesiastical state without too much conviction and share to make its noviciate with Paris in 1783. Entered the Congregation of the Oratory in 1784, it is named with the college of Beaune, where it proves to be an excellent professor of rhetoric. His/her companions call it “Well-named”. In December 1789, Talleyrand, bishop of Autun, priest orders it.

Its pupils being itself escaped, the May 5th 1790, to attend the Festival of the Federation to Dijon, the Good is blamed by its superiors; it runs by car after its pupils, brings back them to the college, but, at this time, tears its clothes and declares that it leaves the congregation. When it reconsiders this blow of anger, the following day, one refuses to take it again.

It is withdrawn in Ciel, close to Beauvais, in the father of one of his pupils. There, it receives, the June 8th 1791, the news of its nomination like constitutional Curé of Neuville-Vitasse (Pas-de-Calais) and of Vernois, close to Beaune. He chooses initially Vernois, but, learning that his/her mother became insane with the news which he lent the constitutional oath, he accepts Neuville-Vitasse, to approach his family.

Beginnings in policy

After the August 10th, 1792, whereas it has just given up the priesthood, voted by plebiscite like voter, it is elected second substitute for the Pas-de-Calais to the national Convention, the September 9th, with 400 votes out of 609 voters, mayor of Arras the September 14th and administrator of the department. It makes stop and drive out of Arras the police chiefs of the Commune of Paris sent to explain and justify the decisions taken starting from the August 10th, and Guffroy announces it like suspect of moderantism. Its fellow-citizens mark confidence that it inspires to them by naming it Prosecutor-syndic department the October 20th. However, the departmental, reticent assembly in front of her abjuration, the évince soon of this last load. In December, a new general advice is elected in Arras, is directed by Nicolas François Hacot. The Good then leaves its function of mayor for that of member of the Directory. The November 5th 1792, it Marie with her German cousin, Elisabeth Reigned, of Saint-Pol.-on-Ternoise.

A short while, during the autumn and the winter 1792-1793, of the sights of the Girondins, with which it shares the opposition to the Procès of Louis XVI and the rejection of Marat, it greets their fall in May - June 1793.

July 1st 1793, it is allowed to sit at Convention, to replace Magniez, and sits with the Montagne. Envoy first once on mission in the Somme and the Oise the August 9th 1793 (8 Brumaire Year II -22 Messidor Year II), with Andre Dumont, it fights against the monopolizers to ensure the provisioning of the armies. Of return to Paris, he is elected, the September 14th, with the Comité of general security, where he is, with Bottom, one of faithful of Robespierre. Bernard Holy denounces it like federalistic, to have defended, against this representative, on mission in the Coast-with Or, the members of the general advice of the commune of Beaune.

He refuses a mission in the Orne, because of the health of his wife. The October 29th, it is sent in the Pas-de-Calais, where it is opposed to the attempts Sans-culotte S of inspiration hebertist, fight against the monopolization, organizes the requisitions frumentaires and pursues refractory priests and deserters. However, it is shown rather moderate so that Guffroy shows it tepidity and presents it to Convention like the guard counter-revolutionaries. The March 6th 1794, the Comité of public hello recalls it, before returning it, with the same capacities, in the same department.

The terrorist

See also: Terror (French revolution)

Carried by the revolutionary fever, whereas the enemy is with a few miles of Arras, it starts to prevail against the royalists and applies with the last rigor the national measures: Law of the suspects, tax on the maximum , reorganization of the inspection committee of Arras. In February 1794, it obtains the institutionalization of the revolutionary Tribunal, which sits at Arras then with Cambrai until the July 10th; it takes care personally of the composition of the jurys and intervenes at the time of lawsuit.

Guffroy denounces it again, like exaggerated terrorist, this time, but the absence of probity of the indicter prevents with its step from obtaining the sufficient echo with Paris. At the origin of these charges, one finds the public prosecutor of Arras, Demuliez, which, suspected by the Good of secret intelligences with the Contre-révolution, stopped and led to Paris, calls with him his/her friend Guffroy, with which it depicts the envoy on mission of Arras like a monster. Guffroy then writes a booklet entitled: Secrecies of Joseph the Good and his accomplices, second republican censure, or Letter of has. - B. - J. Guffroy, Représentant of the People, Député to Convention, by the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, with National Convention and the Public opinion. Supporting documents , where it takes again calumnies of Demuliez.

However, when Guffroy carries to the platform its attacks against the Good, the July 25th 1794, the business is returned to the examination of the Comité of public hello, and Barère, into a report/ratio presented a few days after, rejects the denunciation. The more so as the Good was characterized by its energetic control vis-a-vis the Austrians, who threatened Cambrai. Called in this city by Saint-Just and Bottom, the Good one revived courages and prepared the victory of Fleurus. At the end of the Terror, one could count more: 1000 prisoners and more than 300 people condemned in the Pas-de-Calais.

Denunciation and judgment

But, the 15 Thermidor Year II, a few days after the Fall of Robespierre, of new denunciations against the Good leads this time to a decree of charge. Recalled to Paris, it is stopped. The 18 Floréal (May 7th 1795), the Parliament charges a commission with 21 members with examining her control. Quirot, the rapporteur, reports of its investigation the 1st Messidor An III (June 19th 1795). It divided into four classes the facts charged to the Good (1° legal assassinations, 2° oppression of the citizens in mass, 3° exercise of personal revenges, 4° flights and dilapidations) and concludes with the committal for trial.

Admitted with the bar to justify itself, the Good advertisement three paper baskets which were removed from its residence and which its enemies seized. After several weeks devoted to hear its defense, like the procedure trails in length, it is decided that Quirot will read his article report/ratio by article and that the defendant will answer it in the same order. The Good denies the majority of the facts that one reproaches him, attenuates others of them. Its defense is especially centered on the fact that it did nothing but carry out the decrees of the Convention. For the fourth count of indictment (flights and dilapidations), the Parliament refuses to hear the continuation of the report/ratio, informant whom the Good was fully justified in this respect.

He is not translated less by it in front of the criminal court of Amiens. During its fourteen months of detention, he writes with his wife a series of letters which were collected and published in 1815 per Emile the Good, their son, examining magistrate with Châlon-sur-saône. This passage there is found: “O my friend, do not say any more that I will die, I will begin a new life in all the hearts devoted to the Republic. ” Condemned to dead the October 11th 1795 for abuse of power during its mission, it is carried out with Amiens the 24 Vendémiaire An IV (October 16th 1795). The criminal court judged without call, according to the law of the 12 Prairial. Vainly the Good one requires it to profit from the news constitution and to be provided in cassation; the Convention passes to the day order.

During more than one century, the image of Joseph the Good one gave place to a true ideological conflict, marked by political debates at the local level. While the line identified it with a sanguinary proconsul, for the left, it incarnated a Republic which distributed the cheap bread and of the political offices to the modest militants.

Sources

Dictionary of the French members of Parliament of 1789 to 1889, volume 4, p. 13-14
François Wartelle, “the Good Joseph”, Albert Soboul (to dir.), historical Dictionary of the French revolution , Paris, university Presses of France, 1989 (rééd. Quadriga, 2005, p. 656)

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