the origins of contemporary france-1-第97章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



stature　above　five　feet；　〃holds　his　court　in　a　tavern；　treating

everyone〃　promoting　his　merchandise：



〃Come；　boys；　soup；　fish；　meat　and　salad　is　what　you　get　to　eat　in

the　regiment；〃　nothing　else；　〃I　don't　deceive　you　　…　　pie　and　Arbois

wine　are　the　extras。〃＇8＇



He　pours　the　wine；　pays　the　bill　and；　if　need　be；　yields　his

mistress。　　〃After　a　few　days　debauchery；　the　young　libertine；　with　no

money　to　pay　his　debts；　is　obliged　to　sell　himself；　while　the　laborer；

transformed　into　soldier；　begins　to　drill　under　the　lash。〃　　…　　Strange

recruits　these；　for　the　protection　of　society；　all　selected　from　the

class　which　will　attack　it；　down…trodden　peasants；　imprisoned

vagabonds；　social　outcasts；　poor　fellows　in　debt；　disheartened；

excited　and　easily　tempted；　who；　according　to　circumstances；　become　at

one　time　rioters；　and　at　another　soldiers。　　…　Which　lot　is　preferable？

The　bread　the　soldier　eats　is　not　more　abundant　than　that　of　the

prisoner；　while　poorer　in　quality；　for　the　bran　is　taken　out　of　the

bread　which　the　locked…up　vagabond　eats；　and　left　in　the　bread　which

is　eaten　by　the　soldier　who　locks　him　up＇9＇。　　In　this　state　of　things

the　soldier　ought　not　to　mediate　on　his　lot；　and　yet　this　is　just　what

his　officers　incite　him　to　do。　　They　also　have　become　politicians　and

fault…finders。　　Some　years　before　the　Revolution＇10＇　〃disputes

occurred〃　in　the　army；　〃discussions　and　complaints；　and；　the　new　ideas

fermenting　in　their　heads；　a　correspondence　was　established　between

two　regiments。　　Written　information　was　obtained　from　Paris；　authorized

by　the　Minister　of　War；　which　cost；　I　believe；　twelve　louis　per　annum。

It　soon　took　a　philosophic　turn；　embracing　dissertations；　criticisms

of　the　ministry；　and　of　the　government；　desirable　changes　and；

therefore；　the　more　diffused。〃　Sergeants　like　Hoche；　and　fencing…

masters　like　Augereau；　certainly　often　read　this　news；　carelessly　left

lying　on　the　tables；　and　commented　on　it　during　the　evening　in　their

soldier　quarters。　　Discontent　is　of　ancient　date；　and　already；　at　the

end　of　the　late　reign；　grievous　words　are　heard。　　At　a　banquet　given　by

a　prince　of　the　blood；＇11＇　with　a　table　set　for　a　hundred　guests　under

an　immense　tent　and　served　by　grenadiers；　the　odor　these　diffused

upset　the　prince's　delicate　nose。　　〃These　worthy　fellows；〃　said　he；　a

little　too　loud；　〃smell　strong　of　the　stocking。〃　One　of　the　grenadiers

bluntly　responded；　〃Because　we　haven't　got　any；〃　which　〃was　followed

by　profound　silence。〃　During　the　ensuring　years　irritation　smolders

and　augments；　the　soldiers　of　Rochambeau　have　fought　side　by　side　with

the　free　militia　of　America；　and　they　keep　this　in　mind。　　In　1788；＇12＇

Marshal　de　Vaux；　previous　to　the　insurrection　in　Dauphiny；　writes　to

minister　that　〃it　is　impossible　to　rely　on　the　troops；〃　while　four

months　after　the　opening　of　the　States…General　16；000　deserters

roaming　around　Paris　leads　the　revolts　instead　of　suppressing

them。＇13＇









II。



The　social　organization　is　dissolved。　　…　　No　central　rallying

point。　　…　　Inertia　of　the　provinces。　　…　　Ascendancy　of　Paris。



　　Once　this　barrier　has　disappeared；　no　other　embankment　remains

and　the　inundation　spreads　all　over　France　like　over　an　immense　plain。

With　other　nations　in　like　circumstances；　some　obstacles　have　been

encountered；　elevations　have　existed；　centers　of　refuge；　old

constructions　in　which；　in　the　universal　fright；　a　portion　of　the

population　could　find　shelter。　　Here；　the　first　crisis　sweeps　away　all

that　remains；　each　individual　of　the　twenty…six　scattered　millions

standing　alone　by　himself。　　The　administrations　of　Richelieu　and　Louis

XIV。　　had　been　a　long　time　at　work　insensibly　destroying　the　natural

groupings　which；　when　suddenly　dissolved；　unite　and　form　over　again　of

their　own　accord。　　Except　in　Vendée；　I　find　no　place；　nor　any　class；　in

which　a　good　many　men；　having　confidence　in　a　few　men；　are　able；　in

the　hour　of　danger；　to　rally　around　these　and　form　a　compact　body。

Neither　provincial　nor　municipal　patriotism　any　longer　exists。　　The

inferior　clergy　are　hostile　to　the　prelates；　the　gentry　of　the

province　to　the　nobility　of　the　court；　the　vassal　to　the　seignior；　the

peasant　to　the　townsman；　the　urban　population　to　the　municipal

oligarchy；　corporation　to　corporation；　parish　to　parish；　neighbor　to

neighbor。　　All　are　separated　by　their　privileges　and　their　jealousies；

by　the　consciousness　of　having　been　imposed　on；　or　frustrated；　for　the

advantage　of　another。　　The　journeyman　tailor　is　embittered　against　his

foreman　for　preventing　him　from　doing　a　day's　work　in　private　houses；

hairdressers　against　their　employers　for　the　like　reason；　the　pastry…

cook　against　the　baker　who　prevents　him　from　baking　the　pies　of

housekeepers；　the　village　spinner　against　the　town　spinners　who　wish

to　break　him　up；　the　rural　wine…growers　against　the　bourgeois　who；　in

the　circle　of　seven　leagues；　strives　to　have　their　vines　pulled

up；＇14＇　the　village　against　the　neighboring　village　whose　reduction　of

taxation　has　ruined　it；　the　overtaxed　peasant　against　the　under　taxed

peasant；　one…half　of　a　parish　against　its　collectors；　who；　to　its

detriment；　have　favored　the　other　half。



〃The　nation；〃　says　Turgot；　mournfully；＇15＇　〃is　a　society　composed

of　different　orders　badly　united　and　of　a　people　whose　members　have

few　mutual　liens；　nobody；　consequently；　caring　for　any　interest　but

his　own。　　Nowhere　is　there　any　sign　of　an　interest　in　common。　　Towns　and

villages　maintain　no　more　relation　with　each　other　than　the　districts

to　which　they　are　attached；　they　are　even　unable　to　agree　together

with　a　view　to　carry　out　public　improvements　of　great　importance　to

them。〃



The　central　power　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　rules　through　its

division　of　power。　　Men　have　been　kept　separate；　prevented　from　acting

in　concert；　the　work　being　so　successful　that　they　no　longer

understand　each　other；　each　class　ignoring　the　other　class；　each

forming　of　the　other　a　chimerical　picture；　each　bestowing　on　the　other

the　hues　of　its　own　imagination；　one　composing　an　idyll；　the　other

framing　a　melodrama；　one　imagining　peasants　as　sentimental　swains；　the

other　convinced　that　the　nobles　are　horrible　tyrants。　　…　　　Through

this　mutual　misconception　and　this　secular　isolation；　the　French　lose

the　habit；　the　art　and　the　faculty　for　acting　in　an　entire　body。　　They

are　no　longer　capable　of　spontaneous　agreement　and　collective　action。

No　one；　in　the　moment　of　danger；　dares　rely　on　his　neighbors　or　on　his

equals。　　No　one　knows　where　to　turn　to　obtain　a　guide。　　〃A　man　willing

to　be　responsible　for　the　smallest　district　cannot　be　found；　and；　more

than　this；　one　man　able　to　answer　for　another　man＇16＇。〃　Utter　and

irremediable　disorder　is　at　hand。　　The　Utopia　of　the　theorists　has　been

accomplished；　the　savage　condition　has　recommenced。　　Individuals　now

stand　in　by　themselves；　everyone　reverting　back　to　his　original

feebleness；　while　his　possessions　and　his　life　are　at　the　mercy　of　the

first　band　that　comes　along。　　He　has　nothing　within　him　to　control　him

but　the　sheep…like　habit　of　being　led；　of　awaiting　an　impulsion；　of

turning　towards　the　accustomed　center；　towards　Paris；　from　which　his

orders　have　always　arrived。　　Arthur　Young＇17＇　is　struck　with　this

mechanical　movement。　　Political　ignorance　and　docility　are　everywhere

complete。　　He；　a　foreigner；　conveys　the　news　of　Alsace　into　Burgundy：

the　insurrection　there　had　been　terrible；　the　populace　having　sacked

the　city…hall　at　Strasbourg；　of　which　not　a　word　was　known　at　Dijon；

〃yet　it　is　nine　days　since　it　happened；　had　it　been　nineteen　I

question　if　they　would　more　than　have　received　the　intelligence。〃

There　are　no　newspapers　in　the　cafés；　no　local　centers　of　information；

of　resolution；　of　action。　　The　province　submits　to　events　at　the

capital；　〃people　dare　not　move；　they　dare　not　even　form　an　opinion

before　Paris　speaks。〃　　…　This　is　what　Monarchical　centralization　leads

to。　　It　has　deprived　the　groups　of　their　cohesion　and　the　individual　of

his　motivational　drive。　　Only　human　dust　remains；　and　this；　whirling

about　and　gathered　together　in　massive　force；　is　blindly　driven　along

by　the　wind。＇18＇







III。



Direction　of　the　current。　　…　　The　people　led　by　lawyers。　　…

Theories　and　piques　the　sole　surviving　forces。　　…　　Suicide　of　the

Ancient　regime。



We　are　all　well　aware　from　which　side　the　gale　comes；　and；　to

assure　ourselves；　we　have　merely　to　see　how　the　reports　of　the　Third…

Estate　are　made　up。　　The　peasant　is　led　by　the　man　of　the　law；　the

petty　attorney　of　the　rural　districts；　the　envious　advocate　and

theorist。　　This　one　insists；　in　the　report；　on　a　statement　being　made

in　writing　and　at　length　of　his　local　and　personal　grievances；　his

protest　against　taxes　and　deductions；　his　request　to　have　his　dog　free

of　the　clog；　and　his　desire　to　own　a　gun　to　use　against　the

wolves＇19＇。　　Another　one；　who　suggests　and　directs；　envelopes　all　this

in　the　language　of　the　Rights　of　Man　and　that　of　the　circular　of

Sieyès。



　〃For　two　months；〃　writes　a　commandant　in　the　South；＇20＇　〃inferior

judges　and　lawyers；　with　which　both　town　and　country　swarm；　with　a

view　to　their　election　to　the　States…General；　have　been　racing　after

the　members　of　the　Third…Estate；　under　the　pretext　of　standing　by　them

and　of　giving　them　information。　　。　　。　　They　have　striven　to　make　them

believe　that；　in　the　States…General；　they　alone　would　be　masters　and

regulate　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　that　the　Third…Estate；　in

selecting　its　deputies　among　men　of　the　robe；　would　secure　the　might

and　the　right　to　take　the　lead；　to　abolish　nobility　and　to　cancel　all

its　rights　and　privileges；　that　nobility　would　no　longer　be

hereditary；　that　all　citizens；　in　deserving　it；　would　be　entitled　to

claim　it；　that；　if　the　people　elected　them；　they　would　have　accorded

to　the　Third…Estate　whatever　it　desired；　because　the　curates；

belonging　to　the　Third…Estate；　having　agreed　to　separate　from　the

higher　clergy　and　unite　with　them；　the　nobles　and　the　clergy；　united

together；　would　have　but　one　vote　against　two　of　the　Third…Estate。　　。　　。

。　　If　the　third　…　Estate　had　chosen　sensible　townspeople　or　merchants

they　would　have　combined　without　difficulty　with　the　other　two　orders。

But　the　assemblies　of　the　bailiwicks　and　other　districts　were　stuffed

with　men　of　the　robe　who　had　absorbed　all　opinions　and　striven　to　take

precedence　of　the　others；　each；　in　his　own　behalf；　intriguing　and

conspiring　to　be　appointed　a　deputy。〃



　　〃In　Touraine；〃　writes　the　intendant；＇21＇　〃most　of　the　votes　have

been　bespoken　or　begged　for。　　Trusty　agents；　at　the　moment　of　voting；

placed　filled…in　ballots　in　the　hands　of　the　voters；　and　put　in　their

way；　on　reaching　the　taverns；　every　document　and　suggestion　calculated

to　excite　their　imaginations　and　determine　their　choice　for　the　gentry

of　the　bar。〃