the origins of contemporary france-2-第34章

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＇52＇　〃Archives　de　la　Préfecture　de　Police。〃　Extract　from　the

registers　of　the　deliberations　of　the　Conseil…Général　of　the

district　of　Saint…Roch；　October　10　1789：　Arrête：　to　request　all　the

men　in　the　commune　to　devote　themselves；　with　all　the　prudence；

activity；　and　force　of　which　they　are　capable；　to　the　discovery；

exposure；　and　publication　of　the　horrible　plots　and　infernal

treachery　which　are　constantly　meditated　against　the　inhabitants　of

the　capital；　to　denounce　to　the　public　the　authors；　abettors；　and

adherents　of　the　said　plots；　whatever　their　rank　may　be；　to　secure

their　persons　and　insure　their　punishment　with　all　the　rigor　which

outrages　of　this　kind　call　for。〃　The　commandant　of　the　battalion　and

the　district　captains　come　daily　to　consult　with　the　committee。

〃While　the　alarm　lasts；　the　first　story　of　each　house　is　to　be

lighted　with　lamps　during　the　night：　all　citizens　of　the　district

are　requested　to　be　at　home　by　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening　at　the

latest；　unless　they　should　be　on　duty。　。　。　　。　　　All　citizens　are

invited　to　communicate　whatever　they　may　learn　or　discover　in

relation　to　the　abominable　plots　which　are　secretly　going　on　in　the

capital。〃



＇53＇　Letter　of　M。　de　Guillermy；　July　31；　1790　（〃Actes　des　Ap？tres；〃

V。　56）。　〃During　these　two　nights　（July　13th　and　14th；　1789）　that　we

remained　in　session　I　heard　one　deputy　try　to　get　it　believed　that

an　artillery　corps　had　been　ordered　to　point　its　guns　against　our

hall；　another；　that　it　was　undermined；　and　that　it　was　to　be　blown

up；　another　went　so　far　as　to　declare　that　he　smelt　powder；　upon

which　M。　le　Comte　de　Virieu　replied　that　power　had　no　odor　until　it

was　burnt。〃



＇54＇　Dumont；　351。　　〃Each　constitutional　law　was　a　party　triumph。〃



＇55＇　Here　Taine　indicates　how　subversive　parties　may　proceed　to

weaken　a　nation　prior　to　their　take…over。（SR。）









CHAPTER　II。　　DESTRUCTION。



I。

Two　principal　vices　of　the　ancient　régime。　　…　Two　principal　reforms

proposed　by　the　King　and　the　privileged　classes。　　…　They　suffice　for

actual　needs。　　…　Impracticable　if　carried　further。





In　the　structure　of　the　old　society　there　were　two　fundamental　vices

which　called　for　two　reforms　of　corresponding　importance。＇1＇



In　the　first　place；　those　who　were　privileged　having　ceased　to

render　the　services　for　which　the　advantages　they　enjoyed

constituted　their　compensation　and　their　privileges　were　no　longer

anything　but　a　gratuitous　charge　imposed　on　one　portion　of　the

nation　for　the　benefit　of　the　other。　　Hence　the　necessity　for

suppressing　them。



In　the　second　place；　the　Government；　being　absolute；　made　use　of

public　resources　as　if　they　were　its　own　private　property；

arbitrarily　and　wastefully；＇2＇　it　was　therefore　necessary　to　impose

upon　it　some　effective　and　regular　restraints。



To　render　all　citizens　equal　before　taxation；　to　put　the　purse　of

the　tax…payers　into　the　hands　of　their　representatives；　such　was　the

twofold　operation　to　be　carried　out　in　1789；　and　the　privileged

class　as　well　as　the　King　willingly　lent　themselves　to　it。　　Not

only；　in　this　respect；　were　the　memorials　of　nobles　and　clergy　in

perfect　harmony；　but　the　monarch　himself；　in　his　declaration　of　the

23rd　of　June；　1789；　decreed　the　two　articles。　　Henceforth；　every　tax

or　loan　was　to　obtain　the　consent　of　the　States…General；　this

consent　was　to　be　renewed　at　each　new　meeting　of　the　States；　the

public　estimates　were　to　be　annually　published；　discussed；

specified；　apportioned；　voted　on　and　verified　by　the　States；　there

were　to　be　no　arbitrary　assessments　or　use　of　public　funds；

allowances　were　to　be　specially　assigned　for　all　separate　services；

the　household　of　the　King　included。　　In　each　province　or　district…

general；　there　was　to　be　an　elected　Provincial　Assembly；　one…half

composed　of　ecclesiastics　and　nobles；　and　the　other　half　of　members

of　the　Third…Estate；　to　apportion　general　taxes；　to　manage　local

affairs；　to　decree　and　direct　public　works；　to　administer　hospitals；

prisons；　workhouses；　and　to　continue　its　function；　in　the　interval

of　the　sessions；　through　an　intermediary　commission　chosen　by

itself；　so　that；　besides　the　principal　control　of　the　center；　there

were　to　be　thirty　subordinate　controlling　powers　at　the　extremities。

There　was　to　be　no　more　exemption　or　distinction　in　the　matter　of

taxation；　the　roadtax　（covée）　was　to　be　abolished；　also　the　right　of

franc…fief＇3＇　imposed　on　plebeians；　the　rights　of　mortmain；＇4＇

subject　to　indemnity；　and　internal　customs　duties。　　There　was　to　be

a　reduction　of　the　captaincies；　a　modification　of　the　salt…tax　and

of　the　excise；　the　transformation　of　civil　justice；　too　costly　for

the　poor；　and　of　criminal　justice；　too　severe　for　the　humbler

classes。　　Here　we　have；　besides　the　principal　reform；　equalization

of　taxes；　the　beginning　and　inducement　of　the　more　complete

operation　which　is　to　strike　off　the　last　of　the　feudal　manacles。

Moreover；　six　weeks　later；　on　the　4th　of　August；　the　privileged；　in

an　outburst　of　generosity；　come　forward　of　their　own　accord　to　cut

off　or　undo　the　whole　of　them。　　This　double　reform　thus　encountered

no　obstacles；　and；　as　Arthur　Young　reported　to　his　friends；　it

merely　required　one　vote　to　have　it　adopted。＇5＇



This　was　enough；　for　all　real　necessities　were　now　satisfied。　　On

the　one　hand；　through　the　abolition　of　privileges　in　the　matter　of

taxation；　the　burden　of　the　peasant　and；　in　general；　on　the　small

tax…payer　was　diminished　one…half；　and　perhaps　two　thirds；　instead

of　paying　fifty…three　francs　on　one　hundred　francs　of　net　income；　he

paid　no　more　than　twenty…five　or　even　sixteen；＇6＇　an　enormous

relief；　and　one　which；　with　the　proposed　revision　of　the　excise　and

salt　duties；　made　a　complete　change　in　his　condition。　　Add　to　this

the　gradual　redemption　of　ecclesiastical　and　feudal　dues：　and　after

twenty　years　the　peasant；　already　proprietor　of　a　fifth　of　the　soil；

would；　without　the　violent　events　of　the　Revolution；　in　any　case

have　attained　the　same　degree　of　independence　and　well…being　which

he　was　to　achieve　by　passing　through　it。　　On　the　other　hand；　through

the　annual　vote　on　the　taxes；　not　only　were　waste　and　arbitrariness

in　the　employment　of　the　public　funds　put　a　stop　to；　but　also　the

foundations　of　the　parliamentary　system　of　government　were　laid：

whoever　holds　the　purse…strings　is；　or　becomes；　master　of　the　rest；

henceforth　in　the　maintenance　or　establishment　of　any　service；　the

assent　of　the　States　was　to　be　necessary。　　Now；　in　the　three

Chambers　which　the　three　orders　were　thenceforward　to　form；　there

were　two　in　which　the　plebeians　predominated。　　Public　opinion；

moreover；　was　on　their　side；　while　the　King；　the　true　constitutional

monarch；　far　from　possessing　the　imperious　inflexibility　of　a

despot；　did　not　now　possess　the　initiative　of　an　ordinary　person。

Thus　the　preponderance　fell　to　the　communes；　and　they　could　legally；

without　any　collision；　execute　multiply；　and　complete；　with　the　aid

of　the　prince　and　through　him；　all　useful　reforms。＇7＇　　　This　was

enough；　for　human　society；　like　a　living　body；　is　seized　with

convulsions　when　it　is　subjected　to　operations　on　too　great　a　scale；

and　these；　although　restricted；　were　probably　all　that　France　in

1789　could　endure。　　To　equitably　reorganize　afresh　the　whole　system

of　direct　and　indirect　taxation；　to　revise；　recast；　and　transfer　to

the　frontiers　the　customs…tariffs；　to　suppress；　through　negotiations

and　with　indemnity；　feudal　and　ecclesiastical　claims；　was　an

operation　of　the　greatest　magnitude；　and　as　complex　as　it　was

delicate。　　Things　could　be　satisfactorily　arranged　only　through

minute　inquiries；　verified　calculations；　prolonged　essays；　and

mutual　concessions。　　In　England；　in　our　day；　a　quarter　of　a　century

has　been　required　to　bring　about　a　lesser　reform；　the　transformation

of　tithes　and　manorial…rights；　and　time　likewise　was　necessary　for

our　Assemblies　to　perfect　their　political　education；＇8＇　to　get　of

their　theories；　to　learn；　by　contact　with　practical　business；　and　in

the　study　of　details；　the　distance　which　separates　speculation　from

practice；　to　discover　that　a　new　system　of　institutions　works　well

only　through　a　new　system　of　habits；　and　that　to　decree　a　new　system

of　habits　is　tantamount　to　attempting　to　build　an　old　house。　　

Such；　however；　is　the　work　they　undertake。　　They　reject　the　King's

proposals；　the　limited　reforms；　the　gradual　transformations。

According　to　them；　it　is　their　right　and　their　duty　to　re…make

society　from　top　to　bottom。　　Such　is　the　command　of　pure　reason；

which　has　discovered　the　Rights　of　Man　and　the　conditions　of　the

Social　Contract。





II



Nature　of　societies；　and　the　principle　of　enduring　constitutions。



Apply　the　Social　Contract；　if　you　like；　but　apply　it　only　to　those

for　whom　it　was　drawn　up。　　These　were　abstract　beings；　belonging

neither　to　a　period　nor　to　a　country；　perfect　creatures　hatched　out

under　the　magic　wand　of　a　metaphysician。　　They　had　as　a　matter　of

fact　come　into　existence　by　removing　all　the　characteristics　which

distinguish　one　man　from　another；＇9＇　a　Frenchman　from　a　Papuan；　a

modern　Englishman　from　a　Briton　in　the　time　of　Caesar；　and　by

retaining　only　the　part　which　is　common　to　all。＇10＇　The　essence　thus

obtained　is　a　prodigiously　meager　one；　an　infinitely　curtailed

extract　of　human　nature；　that　is；　in　the　phraseology　of　the　day；



　　〃A　BEING　WITH　A　DESIRE　TO　BE　HAPPY　AND　THE　FACULTY　OF　REASONING；〃



nothing　more　and　nothing　else。　　After　this　pattern　several　million

individuals；　all　precisely　alike；　have　been　prepared　while；　through

a　second　simplification；　as　extraordinary　as　the　first　one；　they　are

all　supposed　to　be　free　and　all　equal；　without　a　past；　without

kindred；　without　responsibility；　without　traditions；　without

customs；　like　so　many　mathematical　units；　all　separable　and　all

equivalent；　and　then　it　is　imagined　that；　assembled　together　for　the

first　time；　these　proceed　to　make　their　primitive　bargain。　　From　the

nature　they　are　supposed　to　possess　and　the　situation　in　which　they

are　placed；　no　difficulty　is　found　in　deducing　their　interests；

their　wills；　and　the　contract　between　them。　　But　if　this　contract

suits　them；　it　does　not　follow　that　it　suits　others。　　On　the

contrary；　if　follows　that　is　does　not　suit　others；　the　inconvenience

becomes　extreme　on　its　being　imposed　on　a　living　society；　the

measure　of　that　inconvenience　will　be　the　immensity　of　the　distance

which　divides　a　hollow　abstraction；　a　philosophical　phantom；　an

empty　insubstantial　image　from　the　real　and　complete　man。



In　any　event　we　are　not　here　considering　a　specimen；　so　reduced　and

mutilated　as　to　be　only　an　outline　of　a　human　being；　no；　we　are　to

the　contrary　considering　Frenchmen　of　the　year　1789。　　It　is　for　them

alone　that　the　constitution　is　being　made：　it　is　therefore　they

alone　who　should　be　consi