the origins of contemporary france-1-第98章

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to　excite　their　imaginations　and　determine　their　choice　for　the　gentry

of　the　bar。〃



　〃In　the　sénéchausée　of　Lectoure；　a　number　of　parishes　have　not

been　designated　or　notified　to　send　their　reports　or　deputies　to　the

district　assembly。　　In　those　which　were　notified　the　lawyers；　attorneys

and　notaries　of　the　small　neighboring　towns　have　made　up　the　list　of

grievances　themselves　without　summoning　the　community。　　。　　。　　Exact

copies　of　this　single　rough　draft　were　made　and　sold　at　a　high　price

to　the　councils　of　each　country　parish〃。　　　…



This　is　an　alarming　symptom；　one　marking　out　in　advance　the　road

the　Revolution　is　to　take：　The　man　of　the　people　is　indoctrinated　by

the　advocate；　the　pikeman　allowing　himself　to　be　led　by　the

spokesman。＇22＇



The　effect　of　their　combination　is　apparent　the　first　year。　　In

Franche…Comté＇23＇　after　consultation　with　a　person　named　Rouget；　the

peasants　of　the　Marquis　de　Chaila　〃determine　to　make　no　further

payments　to　him；　and　to　divide　amongst　themselves　the　product　of　the

wood…cuttings。〃　In　his　paper　〃the　lawyer　states　that　all　the

communities　of　the　province　have　decided　to　do　the　same　thing。　　。　　。　　His

consultation　is　diffused　to　such　an　extent　around　the　country　that

many　of　the　communities　are　satisfied　that　they　owe　nothing　more　to

the　king　nor　to　the　seigniors。　　M。　de　Marnésia；　deputy　to　the

（National）　Assembly；　has　arrived　（here）　to　pass　a　few　days　at　home　on

account　of　his　health。　　He　has　been　treated　in　the　rudest　and　most

scandalous　manner；　it　was　even　proposed　to　conduct　him　back　to　Paris

under　guard。　　After　his　departure　his　chateau　was　attacked；　the　doors

burst　open　and　the　walls　of　his　garden　pulled　down。　　（And　yet）　no

gentleman　has　done　more　for　the　people　on　his　domain　the　M。　le　Marquis

de　Marnésia。　　。　　。　　Excesses　of　every　kind　are　on　the　increase；　I　have

constant　complaints　of　the　abuse　which　the　national　militia　make　of

their　arms；　and　which　I　cannot　remedy。〃　According　to　an　utterance　in

the　National　Assembly　the　police　imagines　that　it　is　to　be　disbanded

and　has　therefore　no　desire　to　make　enemies　for　itself。　　〃The　baillages

are　as　timid　as　the　police…forces；　I　send　them　business　constantly；

but　no　culprit　is　punished。〃　　　　　〃No　nation　enjoys　liberty　so

indefinite　and　so　disastrous　to　honest　people；　it　is　absolutely

against　the　rights　of　man　to　see　oneself　constantly　liable　to　have　his

throat　cut　by　the　scoundrels　who　daily　confound　liberty　with　license。〃

…　　In　other　words；　the　passions　utilize　the　theory　to　justify

themselves；　and　the　theory　appeal　to　passion　to　be　carried　out。　　For

example；　near　Liancourt；　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld　possessed　an

uncultivated　area　of　ground；　〃at　the　commencement　of　the

revolution；＇24＇　the　poor　of　the　town　declare　that；　as　they　form　a　part

of　the　nation；　untilled　lands　being　national　property；　this　belongs　to

them；〃　and　〃with　no　other　formality〃　they　take　possession　of　it；

divide　it　up；　plant　hedges　and　clear　it　off。　　〃This；　says　Arthur　Young；

shows　the　general　disposition。　　。　　。　　。　　Pushed　a　little　farther　the

consequences　would　not　be　slight　for　properties　in　this　kingdom。〃

Already；　in　the　preceding　year；　near　Rouen；　the　marauders；　who　cut

down　and　sell　the　forests；　declare；　that　〃the　people　have　the　right　to

take　whatever　they　require　for　their　necessities。〃　They　have　had　the

doctrine　preached　to　them　that　they　are　sovereign；　and　they　act　as

sovereigns。　　The　condition　of　their　intellects　being　given；　nothing　is

more　natural　than　their　conduct。　　Several　millions　of　savages　are　thus

let　loose　by　a　few　thousand　windbags；　the　politics　of　the　café　finding

an　interpreter　and　ministrants　in　the　mob　of　the　streets。　　On　the　one

hand　brute　force　is　at　the　service　of　the　radical　dogma。　　On　the　other

hand　radical　dogma　is　at　the　service　of　brute　force。　　And　here；　in

disintegrated　France；　these　are　the　only　two　valid　powers　remaining

erect　on　the　debris　of　the　others。



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Notes：



＇1＇　Necker；　〃De　l'Administration　des　Finances；〃　II。　　422；　435。



＇2＇　The　wages　have　in　1789　been　estimated　to　be　7　sous　4　deniers　of

which　2　sous　and　6　deniers　would　have　to　be　paid　for　the　bread。

（Mercure　de　France；　May　7；　1791。）



＇3＇　Aubertin；　345。　　Letter　to　the　Comte　de　St。　　Germain　（during　the

Seven　Years　War）。　　〃The　soldier's　hardships　make　one's　heart　bleed；　he

passes　his　days　in　a　state　of　abject　misery；　despised　and　living　like

a　chained　dog　to　be　used　for　combat。〃



＇4＇　De　Tocqueville；　190；　191。



＇5＇　Archives　nationales；　H；　1591。



＇6＇　De　Rochambeau；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　　427。　　…　　D'Argenson；　December　24；

1752。　　〃30；000　men　have　been　punished　for　desertion　since　the　peace　of

1748；　this　extensive　desertion　is　attributed　to　the　new　drill　which

fatigues　and　disheartens　the　soldier；　and　especially　the　veterans。〃　　…

Voltaire；　〃Dict。　　Phil。；〃　article　〃Punishments。〃　〃I　was　amazed　one　day

on　seeing　the　list　of　deserters；　for　eight　years　amounting　to　60；000。〃



＇7＇　Archives　nationales；　H；　554。　　（Letter　of　M。　de　Bertrand；

intendant　of　Rennes；　August　17；　1785）。



＇8＇　Mercier；　XI；　121。



＇9＇　Now　we　know　better。　　The　most　healthy　bread　is　the　one　in　which

some　bran　is　left；　such　bran　is　not　only　good　for　the　digestion　but

contains　vitamins　and　minerals　as　well。　　（SR）。



＇10＇　De　Vaublanc；　149。



＇11＇　De　Ségur；　I；　20　（1767）。



＇12＇　Augeard；　〃Mémoires；〃　165。



＇13＇　Horace　Walpole；　September　5；　1789。



＇14＇　Laboulaye；　〃De　l'Administration　fran？aise　sous　Louis　XVI。〃

（Revue　des　Cours　littéraires；　IV；　743）。　　…　　Albert　Babeau；　I；　111。

（Doléances　et　veux　des　corporations　de　Troyes）。



＇15＇　De　Tocqueville；　158。



＇16＇　Ibid。　　304。　　（The　words　of　Burke。）



＇17＇　Travels　in　France；　I。　　240；　263。



＇18＇　What　an　impression　this　view　must　have　made　on　Lenin　who

sought；　between　1906　and　1909　in　Paris；　the　means　and　ways　with　which

to　re…create　the　French　revolution　in　Russia。　　（SR。）



＇19＇　Beugnot；　I。　　115；　116。



＇20＇　Archives　nationales；　procès…verbaux　and　cahiers　of　the　States…

General；　vol。　　XIII；　p。　　405。　　（Letter　of　the　Marquis　de　Fodoas；

commandant　of　Armagnac；　to　M。　Necker；　may　29；　1789。）



＇21＇　Ibid。　　Vol。　　CL；　p。　　174。　　（　Letter　from　the　intendant　of　Tours　of

March　25；　1789。）



＇22＇　〃Lenin　deviated　from　Marx　not　in　preaching　the　necessity　for

violent　proletarian　revolution；　but　by　advocating　the　creation　of　an

elite　party　of　professional　revolutionaries　to　hasten　this　end；　and　by

arguing　for　the　dictatorship　of　this　party　rather　than　the　working

class　as　a　whole。〃　The　Guinness　Encyclopedia　page　269。　　（SR。）



＇23＇　Archives　nationales；　H；　784。　　（Letters　of　M。　de　Langeron；

military　commandant　at　Besan？on；　October　16　and　18；　1789）。　　The

consultation　is　annexed。



＇24＇　Arthur　Young；　I；　344。













CHAPTER　V。　　SUMMARY。



I。　　Suicide　of　the　Ancient　Regime。



　　These　two　forces；　radical　dogma　and　brute　force；　are　the

successors　and　executors　of　the　Ancient　regime；　and；　on　contemplating

the　way　in　which　this　regime　engendered；　brought　forth；　nourished；

installed　and　stimulated　them　we　cannot　avoid　considering　its　history

as　one　long　suicide；　like　that　of　a　man　who；　having　mounted　to　the　top

of　an　immense　ladder；　cuts　away　from　under　his　feet　the　support　which

has　kept　him　up。　　…　　　In　a　case　of　this　kind　good　intentions　are　not

sufficient；　to　be　liberal　and　even　generous；　to　enter　upon　a　few　semi…

reforms；　is　of　no　avail。　　On　the　contrary；　through　both　their　qualities

and　defects；　through　both　their　virtues　and　their　vices；　the

privileged　wrought　their　own　destruction；　their　merits　contributing　to

their　ruin　as　well　as　their　faults。　　…　　Founders　of　society；　formerly

entitled　to　their　advantages　through　their　services；　they　have

preserved　their　rank　without　fulfilling　their　duties；　their　position

in　the　local　as　in　the　central　government　is　a　sinecure；　and　their

privileges　have　become　abuses。　　At　their　head；　a　king；　creating　France

by　devoting　himself　to　her　as　if　his　own　property；　ended　by

sacrificing　her　as　if　his　own　property；　the　public　purse　is　his

private　purse；　while　passions；　vanities；　personal　weaknesses；

luxurious　habits；　family　solicitudes；　the　intrigues　of　a　mistress　and

the　caprices　of　a　wife；　govern　a　state　of　twenty…six　millions　of　men

with　an　arbitrariness；　a　heedlessness；　a　prodigality；　a　lack　of　skill；

an　absence　of　consistency　that　would　scarcely　be　overlooked　in　the

management　of　a　private　domain。　　…　　The　king　and　the　privileged　excel

in　one　direction；　in　manners；　in　good　taste；　in　fashion；　in　the　talent

for　representation　and　in　entertaining　and　receiving；　in　the　gift　of

graceful　conversation；　in　finesse　and　in　gaiety；　in　the　art　of

converting　life　into　a　brilliant　and　ingenious　festivity；　regarding

the　world　as　a　drawing　room　of　refined　idlers　in　which　it　suffices　to

be　amiable　and　witty；　whilst；　actually；　it　is　an　arena　where　one　must

be　strong　for　combats；　and　a　laboratory　in　which　one　must　work　in

order　to　be　useful。　　…　　　Through　the　habit；　perfection　and　sway　of

polished　intercourse　they　stamped　on　the　French　intellect　a　classic

form；　which；　combined　with　recent　scientific　acquisitions；　produced

the　philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century；　the　disrepute　of　tradition；

the　ambition　of　recasting　all　human　institutions　according　to　the　sole

dictates　of　Reason；　the　appliance　of　mathematical　methods　to　politics

and　morals；　the　catechism　of　the　Rights　of　Man；　and　other　dogmas　of

anarchical　and　despotic　character　in　the　CONTRAT　SOCIAL。　　…　　　Once

this　chimera　is　born　they　welcome　it　as　a　drawing　room　fancy；　they　use

the　little　monster　as　a　plaything；　as　yet　innocent　and　decked　with

ribbons　like　a　pastoral　lambkin；　they　never　dream　of　its　becoming　a

raging；　formidable　brute；　they　nourish　it；　and　caress　it；　and　then；

opening　their　doors；　they　let　it　descend　into　the　streets。　　…　　　Here

among　the　middle　class　which　the　government　has　rendered　ill…disposed

by　compromising　its　fortunes；　which　the　privileged　have　offended　by

restricting　its　ambition；　which　is　wounded　by　inequality　through

injured　self…esteem；　the　revolutionary　theory　gains　rapid　accessions；

a　sudden　asperity；　and；　in　a　few　years；　it　finds　itself　undisputed

master　of　public　opinion。　　…　　At　this　moment　and　at　its　summons；

another　colossal　monster　rises　up；　a　monster　with　millions　of　heads；　a

blind；　startled　animal；　an　entire　people　pressed　down；　exasperated　and

suddenly　loosened　against　the　government　whose　exactions　have

despoiled　it；　against　the　privileged　whose　rights　have　reduced　it　to

starvation；　without；　in　these　rural　districts　abandoned　by　their

natural　protectors；　encountering　any　surviving　authority；　without；　in

these　provinces　subject　to　the　yoke　of　universal　centralization；

encountering　a　single　independent　group　and　without　the　possibility　of

forming；　in　this　society