the origins of contemporary france-2-第42章

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suppresses　all　congregations；　all　associations　of　men　or　of　women；

lay　or　ecclesiastical；　all　endowments　for　pious；　charitable；　and

missionary　purposes；　all　houses　of　education；　all　seminaries　and

colleges；　and　those　of　the　Sorbonne　and　Navarre。　　Add　to　these　the

last　sweep　of　the　broom：　under　the　Legislative　Assembly　the　division

of　all　communal　property；　except　woods：　under　the　Convention；　the

abolition　of　all　literary　societies；　academies　of　science　and　of

literature；　the　confiscation　of　all　their　property；　their　libraries；

museums；　and　botanical　gardens；　the　confiscation　of　all　communal

possessions　not　previously　divided；　and　the　confiscation　of　all　the

property　of　hospitals　and　other　philanthropic　establishments。＇58＇　

The　abstract　principle；　proclaimed　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；

reveals；　by　degrees；　its　exterminating　virtues。　　France　now；　owing

to　it；　contains　nothing　but　dispersed；　powerless；　ephemeral

individuals；　and　confronting　them；　the　State；　the　sole；　the　only

permanent　body　that　has　devoured　all　the　others；　a　veritable

Colossus；　alone　erect　in　the　midst　of　these　insignificant　dwarfs。



Substituted　for　the　others；　it　is　henceforth　to　perform　their

duties；　and　spend　the　money　well　which　they　have　expended　badly。　　

In　the　first　place；　it　abolishes　tithes；　not　gradually　and　by　means

of　a　process　of　redemption；　as　in　England；　but　at　one　stroke；　and

with　no　indemnity；　on　the　ground　that　the　tax；　being　an　abusive；

illegitimate　impost；　a　private　tax　levied　by　individuals　in　cowl　and

cassock　on　others　in　smock　frocks；　is　a　vexatious　usurpation；　and

resembles　the　feudal　dues。　　It　is　a　radical　operation；　and　in

conformity　with　principle。　　Unfortunately；　the　puerility　of　the

thing　is　so　gross　as　to　defeat　its　own　object。　　In　effect；　since　the

days　of　Charlemagne；　all　the　estates　in　the　country　which　have　been

sold　and　resold　over　and　over　again　have　always　paid　tithes；　and

have　never　been　purchased　except　with　this　charge　upon　them；　which

amounts　to　about　one…seventh　of　the　net　revenue　of　the　country。

Take　off　this　tax　and　one…seventh　is　added　to　the　income　of　the

proprietor；　and；　consequently；　a　seventh　to　his　capital。　　A　present

is　made　to　him　of　one　hundred　francs　if　his　land　is　worth　seven

hundred…francs；　and　of　one　thousand　if　it　is　worth　seven　thousand；

of　ten　thousand　if　it　is　worth　seventy　thousand；　and　of　one　hundred

thousand　if　it　is　worth　seven　hundred　thousand。　　Some　people　gain

six　hundred　thousand　francs　by　this　act；　and　thirty　thousand　francs

in　Income。＇59＇　　　Through　this　gratuitous　and　unexpected　gift；　one

hundred　and　twenty…three　millions　of　revenue；　and　two　milliards　and

a　half　of　capital；　is　divided　among　the　holders　of　real　estate　in

France；　and　in　a　manner　so　ingenious　that　the　rich　receive　the　most。

Such　is　the　effect　of　abstract　principles。　　To　afford　a　relief　of

thirty　millions　a　year　to　the　peasants　in　wooden　shoes；　an　assembly

of　democrats　adds　thirty　millions　a　year　to　the　revenue　of　wealthy

bourgeois　and　thirty　millions　a　year　to　opulent　nobles。　　The　first

part　of　this　operation　moreover；　is　but　another　burden　to　the　State；

for；　in　taking　off　the　load　from　the　holders　of　real　property；　it

has　encumbered　itself；　the　State　henceforth；　without　pocketing　a

penny；　being　obliged　to　defray　the　expenses　of　worship　in　their

place。　…　As　to　the　second　part　of　the　operation；　which　consists　in

the　confiscation　of　four　milliards　of　real　estate；　it　proves；　after

all；　to　be　ruinous；　although　promising　to　be　lucrative。　　It　makes

the　same　impression　on　our　statesmen　that　the　inheritance　of　a　great

estate　makes　on　a　needy　and　fanciful　upstart。　　Regarding　it　as　a

bottomless　well　of　gold；　he　draws　upon　it　without　stint　and　strives

to　realize　all　his　fancies；　as　he　can　afford　to　pay　for　it　all；　he

is　free　to　smash　it　all。　　It　is　thus　that　the　Assembly　suppresses

and　compensates　magisterial　offices　to　the　amount　of　four　hundred

and　fifty　millions；　financial　securities　and　obligations　to　the

amount　of　three　hundred　and　twenty…one　millions；　the　household

charges　of　the　King；　Queen；　and　princes；　fifty…two　millions；

military　services　and　encumbrances；　thirty…five　millions；　enfeoffed

tithes；　one　hundred　millions；　and　so　on。＇60＇　　〃In　the　month　of　May；

1789；〃　says　Necker；　〃the　re…establishment　of　order　in　the　finances

were　mere　child's…play。〃　At　the　end　of　a　year；　by　dint　of　involving

itself　in　debt；　by　increasing　its　expenses；　and　by　abolishing　or

abandoning　its　income；　the　State　lives　now　on　the　paper…currency　it

issues；　eats　up　its　capital；　and　rapidly　marches　onward　to

bankruptcy。　　Never　was　such　a　vast　inheritance　so　quickly　reduced　to

nothing；　and　to　less　than　nothing。



Meanwhile；　we　can　demonstrate；　from　the　first　few　months；　what　use

the　administrators　will　be　able　to　make　of　it；　and　the　manner　in

which　they　will　endow　the　service　to　which　it　binds　them。　　　　No

portion　of　this　confiscated　property　is　reserved　for　the　maintenance

of　public　worship；　or　to　keep　up　the　hospitals；　asylums；　and

schools。　　Not　only　do　all　obligations　and　all　productive　real

property　find　their　way　into　the　great　national　crucible　to　be

converted　into　assignats＇61＇；　but　a　number　of　special　buildings；　all

monastic　real　estate　and　a　portion　of　the　ecclesiastical　real

estate；　diverted　from　its　natural　course；　becomes　swallowed　up　in

the　same　gulf。　　At　Besan？on；＇62＇　three　churches　out　of　eight；　with

their　land　and　treasure；　the　funds　of　the　chapter；　all　the　money　of

the　monastic　churches；　the　sacred　vessels；　shrines；　crosses；

reliquaries；　votive　offerings；　ivories；　statues；　pictures；　tapestry；

sacerdotal　dresses　and　ornaments；　plate；　jewels　and　precious

furniture；　libraries；　railings；　bells；　masterpieces　of　art　and　of

piety；　all　are　broken　up　and　melted　in　the　Mint；　or　sold　by　auction

for　almost　nothing。　　This　is　the　way　in　which　the　intentions　of　the

founders　and　donors　are　carried　out。　　　　How　are　so　many

communities；　which　are　deprived　of　their　rentals；　to　support　their

schools；　hospices；　and　asylums？　Even　after　the　decree＇63＇　which；

exceptionally　and　provisionally；　orders　the　whole　of　their　revenue

to　be　accounted　for　to　them；　will　it　be　paid　over　now　that　it　is

collected　by　a　local　administration　whose　coffers　are　always　empty；

and　whose　intentions　are　almost　always　hostile？　Every　establishment

for　benevolent　and　educational　purposes　is　evidently　sinking；　now

that　the　special　streams　which　nourished　them　run　into　and　are　lost

in　the　dry　bed　of　the　public　treasury。＇64＇　　Already；　in　1790；　there

are　no　funds　with　which　to　pay　the　monks　and　nuns　their　small

pensions　for　their　maintenance。　　In　Franche…Comté　the　Capuchins　of

Baume　have　no　bread；　and；　to　live；　they　are　obliged　to　re…sell；　with

the　consent　of　the　district；　a　portion　of　the　stores　of　their

monastery　which　had　been　confiscated。　　The　Ursuline　nuns　of　Ornans

live　on　the　means　furnished　them　by　private　individuals　in　order　to

keep　up　the　only　school　which　the　town　possesses。　　The　Bernardine

nuns　of　Pontarlier　are　reduced　to　the　lowest　stage　of　want：　〃We　are

satisfied；〃　the　district　reports；　〃that　they　have　nothing　to　put

into　their　mouths。　　We　have　to　contribute　something　every　day

amongst　ourselves　to　keep　them　from　starving。〃＇65＇　　Only　too

thankful　are　they　when　the　local　administration　gives　them　something

to　eat；　or　allows　others　to　give　them　something。　　In　many　places　it

strives　to　famish　them；　or　takes　delight　in　annoying　them。　　In

March；　1791；　the　department　of　Doubs；　in　spite　of　the　entreaties　of

the　district；　reduces　the　pension　of　the　Visitant　nuns　to　one

hundred　and　one　livres　for　the　choristers；　and　fifty　for　the　lay…

sisters。　　Two　months　before　this；　the　municipality　of　Besan？on；

putting　its　own　interpretation　on　the　decree　which　allowed　nuns　to

dress　as　they　pleased；　enjoins　them　all；　including　even　the　sisters

of　charity；　to　abandon　their　old　costume；　which　few　among　them　had

the　means　of　replacing。　　　Helplessness；　indifference；　or

malevolence；　such　are　the　various　dispositions　which　are　encountered

among　the　new　authorities　whose　duty　it　is　to　support　and　protect

them。　　To　let　loose　persecution　there　is　now　only　needed　a　decree

which　puts　the　civil　power　in　conflict　with　religious　convictions。

That　decree　is　promulgated；　and；　on　the　12th　of　July；　1790；　the

Assembly　establishes　the　civil　constitution　of　the　clergy。



Notwithstanding　the　confiscation　of　ecclesiastical　property；　and　the

dispersion　of　the　monastic　communities；　the　main　body　of　the

ecclesiastical　corps　remains　intact：　seventy　thousand　priests　ranged

under　the　bishops；　with　the　Pope　in　the　center　as　the　commander…in…

chief。　　There　is　no　corporation　more　solid；　more　incompatible；　or

more　attacked。　　For；　against　it　are　opposed　implacable　hatreds　and

fixed　opinions：　the　Gallicanism　of　the　jurists　who；　from　St。　　Louis

downwards；　are　the　adversaries　of　ecclesiastical　power；　the　doctrine

of　the　Jansenists　who；　since　Louis　XIII。；　desire　to　bring　back　the

Church　to　its　primitive　form；　and　the　theory　of　the　philosophers

who；　for　sixty　years；　have　considered　Christianity　as　a　mistake　and

Catholicism　as　a　scourge。　　At　the　very　least　the　institution　of　a

clergy　in　Catholicism　is　condemned；　and　they　think　that　they　are

moderate　if　they　respect　the　rest。



〃WE　MIGHT　CHANGE　THE　RELIGION；〃



say　the　deputies　in　the　tribune。＇66＇　　Now；　the　decree　affects

neither　dogma　nor　worship；　it　is　confined　to　a　revision　of　matters

of　discipline；　and　on　this　particular　domain　which　is　claimed　for

the　civil　power；　it　is　pretended　that　demolition　and　re…construction

may　be　effected　at　discretion　without　the　concurrence　of　the

ecclesiastical　power。



Here　there　is　an　abuse　of　power；　for　an　ecclesiastical　as　well　as

civil　society　has　the　right　to　choose　its　own　form；　its　own

hierarchy；　its　own　government。　　…　On　this　point；　every　argument　that

can　be　advanced　in　favor　of　the　former　can　be　repeated　in　favor　of

the　latter；　and　the　moment　one　becomes　legitimate　the　other　becomes

legitimate　also。　　The　justification　for　a　civil　or　of　a　religious

community　or　society　may　be　the　performance　of　a　long　series　of

services　which；　for　centuries；　it　has　rendered　to　its　members；　the

zeal　and　success　with　which　it　discharges　its　functions；　the

feelings　of　gratitude　they　entertain　for　it；　the　importance　they

attribute　to　its　offices；　the　need　they　have　of　it；　and　their

attachment　to　it；　the　conviction　imprinted　in　their　minds　that

without　it　they　would　be　deprived　of　a　benefit　upon　which　they　set

more　store　than　upon　any　other。　　This　benefit；　in　a　civil　society；

is　the　security　of　persons　and　property。　　In　the　religious　society

it　is　the　eternal　salvation　of　the　soul。　　iii　In　all　other

particulars　the　resemblance　is　complete；　and　the　titles　of　the

Church　are　as　good　as　those　of　the　State。　　Hence；　if　it　be　just　for

one　to　be　sovereign　and　free　on　its　own　domain；　it　is　just　for　t