Paul-Louis Courier (1772–1825), after being a comparatively discreet critic of Napoleon in his letters, became a scourge of the Restoration Establishment, both secular and clerical, in pamphlets which he published from 1816 onwards. His writings were incendiary enough to attract death threats, two prosecutions, and one term of imprisonment. Unlike other pamphleteers, he was concerned with defending the rights and material security of the humble, particularly the smallholders who had bought land after the Revolution. They struggled to survive because, in addition to the normal hazards of farming, they were burdened by onerous taxation, conscription, and legislation, which restricted their freedoms in order to protect Catholic observance. His writing was distinguished not only by his preferred subject matter, but also by his lucidity of thought and by the economy and elegance of his expression.
This book first examines Paul Louis-Courier’s letters (1805–1807), which criticized the French army and Napoleon, and then considers his incendiary pamphlets from 1816 onwards, which defended the rights of smallholders who struggled under taxation, conscription, and legislation.
