Post-Revolutionary Letter Promoting Employee Support for Revolutionary Government

On offer is a fascinating little letter from the days of the French Revolution that hints at turmoil under the surface.

Although there is no date on the letter, context suggests it was written during the days of the Revolution. The recipient is referred to as “Citizen” and he is a Councillor of National Holidays. This would refer to the holidays established by the Revolutionary Government which brought in a new calendar in 1793. That calendar was in use until 1805. 

Therefore, it is reasonable to put the date of this letter somewhere between 1793 and 1805. The letter is a request, apparently from a school administrator, to a government official, asking him to send an instruction to his staff.

This letter appears to be a less-than-subtle hint that there are staff who are not zealous in their support of this initiative of the new Revolutionary government. Given the incredible bloodshed of the Terror that swept across France, this could be a dangerous position to take.

An excerpt follows:

Les membres composant le bureau de l'ecole centrale prient le citoyen Labourie de leur faire dire de les professors de l'ecole centrale et leurs eleves doivent de trouver a la fete de demain au rang des institutions indiquant par le programe.

[Translation: The members of the board of the Central School ask the citizen Labourie to tell them that the professors of the Central School and their students must be present at tomorrow's celebration in the row of the institutions indicated by the program].

For a historian, it hints at the turmoil and upheavals that were still taking place in French society far and wide.

This four-page, folded document measures approximately 7.5 inches by 5.0 inches. Only the outer pages have text – the front being the name of the recipient and the reverse being the letter. The paper is in good condition with some feathering and chipping along the outer edges. The handwriting is legible.