. at the Origin of Revolution: Printing in Exile

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At the Origin of Revolution: Printing in Exile

Jan Roegiers University of Leuven, Belgium

Abstract The Brabant Revolution of 1787-90 is often described in terms of the contrast with its French contemporary. Nevertheless in many ways they followed the same pattern. Anonymous pamphlets, printed under a fictitious address, played an essential role in propagating anti-Josephist ideas. They were often printed abroad, especially in the principality of Liege. The main author among the clerical opposition, EX. de Feller, had most of his pamphlets printed by J.J.Tutot at Liege even before he had to Bee the country. A particularly important role was played by the Leuven (Louvain) typographer J.J. Michel, printer of e.g. the famous so called 'Letters of Keure- menne', who left the Austrian Netherlands to evade persecution and established himself at Sint- Truiden. There he met the papal nuncio Zondadari, expelled by Joseph II, and other exiles including professors from the University of Leuven. With their help he continued printing pamphlets and tracts and organized the distribution of this kind of literature, not only his own work but also products from the Liege presses. It is possible that some exiles were involved in similar activities in Holland. After the successful revolution had resulted in the triumph of the conservative party, the demo- cratic opposition left the new Republic of the United Belgian States for France, where they also had pamphlets printed and prepared their taking over of power with French assistance.

Keywords pamphlets, Brabant Revolution, EX. de Feller, Keuremenne, J.J. Tutot, J.J. Michel, Liege, Sint- Truiden, Lille

Since Daniel Mornet and his Les origines intellectuelles de la Revolution ftanfaise (1933), historians have been aware of the role and importance of pamphlets and other clandestine writings for the origins of the French Revolution. And since Robert Darnton described in Edition et sedition (1991) the production and distribution of this type of publication, we have been fully aware of the volume of this production and the many ways that had to be followed before these small but dangerous products could reach their readers. It is clear that the sharpest and most prosecuted publications were printed outside France,

© Koninklijke Brill NY, LeiJen, 2008 j. Roegiers / Qut£rendo 38 (2008) 322-332 and possibly the majority of French booksellers were involved in the further distribution of this kind of seditious literature. In this article I want to demonstrate how the same patterns are to be found in the production and distribution of the pamphlets that prepared and accom- panied the Brabant Revolution of 1787-9. By prosecuting authors and print- ers for the production of seditious literature, the government of the Austrian Netherlands made them even more active and productive: they fled to the neighbouring countries where they could continue their business almost openly and with impunity, often even supported by the local authorities. Old and new channels were used by them to reach readers in their home country. By my estimation some three or four thousand political pamphlets were published in or about the Southern Netherlands between the accession of Joseph II to the throne in 1780 and the Austrian restoration at the end of 1790. This ephemeral literature constituted the first organ of opinion in our history and it played an essential role in the development of the revolutionary movement.' Most historians have described the origins and course of the Brabant Revo- lution in terms of the differences between it and its French counterpart. According to many of them this was a reactionary uprising in a backward country against the salutary reforms introduced by the enlightened emperor Joseph II. More recent historiography has confirmed the many modern aspects in the social and economic structure of Belgium compared with France, and later also how the reaction against imperial absolutism contained manyele- ments of mature political thought. A careful analysis of the pamphlet literature has been essential in coming to this conclusion. It is unfair to compare the Brabant Revolution and the short lived Republic of the United Belgian States it generated with its French contemporary, which took a process lasting many years to come to a head. This revolution and the Belgian Republic have to be studied as a phenomenon in its own right, judged upon its own merits. But be that as it may, it is generally accepted that this episode forms the beginning of modern political history in Belgium.'

I Pamphlets from this period have been studied by all authors who published on the Brabant Revolution, e.g. among the more recent: Janet L. Polasky, Revolution in Brussels I787-I793 (Brus- sels 1985); G. van den Bossche, Enlightened Innovation and the Ancient Constitution. The intel- lectual justifications of Revolution in Brabant (I787-I790) (Brussels 2001); Johannes Koll, 'Die belgische Nation:' Patriotismus und Nationalbewusstsein in den Sudlichen Niederlanden im spaten I8. Jahrhundert (Miinster 2003). An exhibition catalogue with almost exclusively these materials is Brabant in Revolutie I787-I80I (Leuven 1988).

2 For a short overview and further bibliography, see J. Roegiers & N.C.E van Sas, 'Revolution