7, 840,000 men had already been drafted from imperial France and they had to be furnished."-- Other decrees in December, placing at the disposition of the government 300,000 conscripts for the years 1806 to 1814 inclusive .-- Another decree in November organizing 140,000 men of the national guard in cohorts, intended for the defense of strongholds .-- In all, 1,300,000 men summoned in one year.

"Never has any nation been thus asked to let itself be voluntarily led in a mass to the slaughterhouse .-- Ibid., II., 59.
Senatus-consulte, and order of council for raising 10,000 young men, exempt or redeemed from conscription, as the prefects might choose, arbitrarily, from amongst the highest classes in society.

The purpose was plainly "to secure hostages in every family of doubtful loyalty.
No measure created for Napoleon more irreconcilable enemies."-- Cf.
De Segur, II., 34.

(He was charged with organizing and commanding a division of young men.) Many were sons of Vendeans or of Conventionalists, some torn from their wives the day after their marriage, or from the bedside of a wife in her confinement, of a dying father, or of a sick son; "some looked so feeble that they seemed dying." One half perished in the campaign of 1814.--"Correspondance," letter to Clarke, Minister of War, Oct.23, 1813 (in relation to the new levies): "I rely on 100,000 refractory conscripts."] [Footnote 12137: "Archives nationales," A F.,VI., 1297.

(Documents 206 to 210.) (Report to the Emperor by Count Dumas, April 10, 1810.) Besides the 170 millions of penalties 1,675,457 francs of penalty were inflicted on 2335 individuals, "abettors or accomplices."-- Ibid., A F.,VI., 1051.
(Report of Gen.