The Dishonorable Profession

The Dishonorable Profession

         Once upon a time, at the end of the eighteenth century, there was a handsome man called Charles-Henri Sanson. He was French. According to writings from the time, he was tall, dandy, and sensible. He was named by others "Monsieur de Paris" - gentleman of Paris. Although some said that Sanson was a very nice man, most citizens of Paris hated being by him. That was because of his profession. He was a loyal royal worker. His job was known as an executioner. Related to the French Revolution and the chaos after it, Sanson executed more than 2,700 people. King Luis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were counted among the number. Since everyone in Paris knew the house of "Monsieur de Paris," Sanson and his family suffered great discrimination that came from people's prejudice. However, the fourth head of the Sansons, Charles-Henri, bravely and intelligently argued about the inequality of their prejudice.

         Charles-Henri Sanson had been discriminated against from his childhood. When he reached school age, his parents had to consider about where to educate him. At that time in the eighteenth century, it was not natural for all people in France to receive education. However, the Sansons had to be well educated, since they had worked not only as executioners, but also as skilled doctors, for generations. According to the biography of the family, Moires des Sansons, they had learned anatomy from the corpses that they had obtained after executions, and were better than common doctors in Paris. Still, it was difficult to find any school that could accept an executioner's son.

         Once, Sanson went to a school in Rouen, which was more than hundred kilometers away from Paris. According to the research of Balzac, a historian, the president of the school welcomed Sanson enter though he knew about his parent. Sanson studied at there for about a year. However, in his second year, his schoolmate's father revealed that Charles-Henri's father was an executioner. Even though the president tried to protect him, the other parents' letters of complaints increased and the number of students decreased. It caused him to leave from the school.

         Eventually, Charles-Henri was taught by an old priest called Grisel. Sanson studied the Bible, Latin, literature, debating, etc., under this priest. At the same time, Sanson was still suffering from discrimination against his family's occupation by people when he walked down the city of Paris. It was a path that all Sansons had gone through, since they had been born into a family of executioners. Moires des Sansons describes that they did not have a choice in their jobs; Sanson men were to become executioners and Sanson women were to be married to executioners. Charles-Henri Sanson had grown up in such an environment.

         One day after Sanson became an adult, he met a lady called Mme. le Marquise de X at a restaurant in the suburbs of Paris. The lady X found Sanson to be attractive, and let him have the dinner at her table. In their conversation, she asked Sanson about his job. In his diary, he writes, "Of course I replied that I was an officer of Parliament." It was not a lie, since he usually went to the Parliament of Paris to receive execution orders. Since Sanson dressed in good clothes and had a sword on his waist, he looked like a nobleman.

         Moires des Sansons explains, however, soon after Sanson left, a gentleman in lady X's company told her exactly what Sanson's job was. The record states that she was confused and felt ashamed that she had not only talked to, but touched, an executioner. The fact that she had thought Sanson to be attractive and that it was herself who had invited him to her table hurt lady X's pride.

         Shortly after this happening, Mme. le Marquise de X sued Sanson at the Court of Paris. It was for not having told her about his job before he dined with her, and she claimed that the executioner should be ordered to beg her forgiveness, with a rope around his neck. At that time, having a rope around a person's neck implied the person's deep repentance. Also, she demanded, in order to prevent the same happening from occurring again, when they appear to the public, from then all executioners in France should be ordered to wear a distinguishing sign to show their job.

         Sanson looked for a lawyer who could support him on the court. However, he could not find one. It might have been partly because they were afraid of the influence of Mme. le Marquise de X, but mostly because they did not want to be on an executioner's side. Sanson decided to defend himself.

         Sanson describes the scene in the court in detail in his diary. In the court, the lawyer of Mme. le Marquise de X fluently explained how shocked she had gotten after she had been told the profession of Sanson after she had eaten dinner with him. He continued his allegation saying that a man with such an abominable occupation should not be allowed even to sit with people of middle class. He implied, therefore, how Sanson could have dined with a noble person like Mme. le Marquise de X. Finally, he reaffirmed that Mme. le Marquise de X's request should be approved.

         Sanson defended himself in his answer, "Now, I ask you, gentlemen, whether there are infamous and disgraceful functions in the State?" Sanson explained that crime was something evil. Also, he declared that his profession was not criminal but just, and in the shadow of his sword, police were powerful and so innocence could live securely. "I know that my office is considered dishonorable because I slay men, . . . This is the result of mere prejudice, which must soon be dispelled if the facts are examined without prejudice," he continued. He asked to the people, what the profession of a soldier was; the answer was to slay men. Then, he explained that, on one hand, the men a soldier slew were innocent soldiers whose only sin was that they had done their duty. On the other hand, the people who an executioner slew were all crimes. Although a soldier's and an executioner's job were the same, which was to kill men, soldiers were not considered to be dishonorable but brave. "Who does not feel the absurdity of such reasoning? . . . How unfortunate is the age we live in! Fancy is supreme; virtue is oppressed," Sanson yelled to the audience. He said that if there were no one who carried out his job, the state would be filled with crime and no one would fear the laws, which would have no way to punish crime. Then he pursued, "What! . . . a deserving individual, who serves society in the most important function of the state, is to be regarded as a ruffian who cannot sit down at table with any other person!" Sanson declared that it was people's duty to get rid of this irrational discrimination. Finally, this was the conclusion of his defense, "I ask no favour; but I expect everything of your equity." After his speech, the Court withdrew further discussion and cancelled Mme. le Marquise de X's demand.

         In this speech, Sanson rehabilitated his profession. He not only saved himself, but also clearly stated the inequality of people's prejudice and discrimination. The whole speech is published by his grandson in the book. It stretches over twelve pages from page 434 to page 446, and it even includes some quotes from the Bible. Adachi, the scholar on French Literature who wrote a book about the Sansons, writes in his story that from Sanson's skill of arguing, people can imagine the education he received from Father Grisel.

                   In conclusion, Sanson saved his honor by his wits. Before the French Revolution, the society in which he was involved was filled with bigotry and it was difficult to express one's ideas. However, Sanson's words showed people that an executioner is not a death without any thoughts but a human with his human rights. He expressed that people should know that there are no disgraceful occupations.

Bibliography

Sanson, Henry. Memoirs of the Sansons from Private Notes and Documents. Vol. 1. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1876

Sanson, Henry. Moires des Sansons, Mis en Ordre, Riget Publi. Tome Deuxie. Paris: Depray de la Mahie et C, iteurs, 14. Rue d'Enghien, 14, 1862