the origins of contemporary france-5-第15章

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in　a　bad　mood；　intellectual　or　moral　superiority　is　of　this　order；　and

he　gradually　gets　rid　of　it；＇55＇　toward　the　end　he　no　longer　tolerates

alongside　of　him　any　but　subject　or　captive　spirits。　　His　principal

servants　are　machines　or　fanatics；　a　devout　worshipper；　like　Maret；　a

gendarme；　like　Savary；＇56＇　ready　to　do　his　bidding。　　From　the　outset；

he　has　reduced　his　ministers　to　the　condition　of　clerks；　for　he　is

administrator　as　well　as　ruler；　and　in　each　department　he　watches

details　as　closely　as　the　entire　mass。　　Accordingly；　he　requires

simply　for　head　of　departments　active　pen　pushers；　mute　executors；

docile　and　special　hands；　no　need　for　honest　and　independent　advisers。



　〃I　should　not　know　what　to　do　with　them；〃　he　said；　〃if　they　were　not

to　a　certain　extent　mediocre　in　mind　and　character。〃



As　to　his　generals；　he　admits　himself　that　〃he　likes　to　award　fame

only　to　those　who　cannot　stand　it。〃　In　any　event；　〃he　must　be　sole

master　in　making　or　unmaking　reputations；〃　according　to　his　personal

requirements。　　Too　brilliant　a　soldier　would　become　too　important；　a

subordinate　should　never　be　tempted　to　be　less　submissive。　　To　this

end　he　studies　what　he　will　omit　in　his　bulletins；　what　alterations

and　what　changes　shall　be　made　in　them。



〃It　is　convenient　to　keep　silent　about　certain　victories；　or　to

convert　the　defeat　of　this　or　that　marshal　into　a　success。　　Sometimes

a　general　learns　by　a　bulletin　of　an　action　that　he　was　never　in　and

of　a　speech　that　he　never　made。〃



If　he　complains；　he　is　notified　to　keep　still；　or　by　way　of　recompense

he　is　allowed　to　pillage；　levy　contributions；　and　enrich　himself。　　On

becoming　duke　or　hereditary　prince；　with　half　a　million　or　a　million

of　revenue　from　his　estate；　he　is　not　less　held　in　subjection；　for　the

creator　has　taken　precautions　against　his　own　creations。



〃There　are　men；〃＇57＇　he　said；　〃who　I　have　made　independent；　but　I　know

well　where　to　find　them　and　keep　them　from　being　ungrateful。〃



In　effect；　if　he　has　endowed　them　magnificently　it　is　with　domains

assigned　to　them　in　conquered　countries；　which　insures　their　fortune

being　his　fortune。　　Besides；　in　order　that　they　may　not　enjoy　any

pecuniary　stability；　he　expressly　encourages　them　and　all　his　grand

dignitaries　to　make　extravagant　outlays；　thus；　through　their　financial

embarrassments　be　holds　them　in　a　leash。　　〃We　have　seen　most　of　his

marshals；　constantly　pressed　by　their　creditors；　come　to　him　for

assistance；　which　he　has　given　as　he　fancied；　or　as　he　found　it　for

his　interest　to　attach　some　one　to　him。〃＇58＇



Thus；　beyond　the　universal　ascendancy　which　his　power　and　genius　have

conferred　on　him；　he　craves　a　personal；　supplementary；　and

irresistible　hold　on　everybody。　　Consequently；＇59＇〃he　carefully

cultivates　all　the　bad　passions　。　。　。　。　he　is　glad　to　find　the　bad

side　in　a　man；　so　as　to　get　him　in　his　power〃；　the　thirst　for　money　in

Savary；　the　Jacobin　defects　of　Fouché；　the　vanity　and　sensuality　of

Cambacérès；　the　careless　cynicism　and　〃the　easy　immorality〃　of

Talleyrand；　the　〃dry　bluntness　〃　of　Duroc；　the　courtier…like

insipidity　of　Maret；　〃the　silliness〃　of　Berthier；　he　brings　this　out；

diverts　himself　with　it；　and　profits　by　it。　　〃Where　he　sees　no　vice；

he　encourages　weaknesses；　and；　in　default　of　anything　better；　he

provokes　fear；　so　that　he　may　be　ever　and　continually　the　strongest。　。

。　。He　dreads　ties　of　affection；　and　strives　to　alienate　people　from

each　other。　。　。　。　He　sells　his　favors　only　by　arousing　anxiety；　he

thinks　that　the　best　way　to　attach　individuals　to　him　is　to　compromise

them；　and　often；　even；　to　ruin　them　in　public　opinion。〃　…　〃　If

Caulaincourt　is　compromised；〃　said　he；　after　the　murder　of　the　Duc

d'Enghien；　〃it　is　no　great　matter；　he　will　serve　me　all　the　better。〃



Once　that　the　creature　is　in　his　clutches；　let　him　not　imagine　that　he

can　escape　or　withhold　anything　of　his　own　accord；　all　that　he　has

belongs　to　him。　Zeal　and　success　in　the　performance　of　duty；　punctual

obedience　within　limits　previously　designated；　is　not　enough；　behind

the　functionary　he　claims　the　man。　　〃All　that　may　well　be；〃　he

replies；　to　whatever　may　be　said　in　praise　of　him；＇60＇　〃but　he　does

not　belong　to　me　as　I　would　like。〃　It　is　devotion　which　he　exacts；

and；　by　devotion；　he　means　the　irrevocable　and　complete　surrender　〃of

the　entire　person；　in　all　his　sentiments　and　opinions。〃　According　to

him；　writes　a　witness；　〃one　must　abandon　every　old　habit；　even　the

most　trifling；　and　be　governed　by　one　thought　alone；。　　that　of　his

will　and　interests。〃＇61＇　　For　greater　security；　his　servitors　ought　to

extinguish　in　themselves　the　critical　sense。　　〃What　he　fears　the　most

is　that；　close　to　him　or　far　off；　the　faculty　of　judging　should　be

applied　or　even　preserved。〃



〃His　idea　is　a　marble　groove；〃　out　of　which　no　mind　should

diverge。＇62＇　　Especially　as　no　two　minds　could　think　of　diverging　at

the　same　time；　and　on　the　same　side；　their　concurrence；　even　when

passive；　their　common　understanding；　even　if　kept　to　themselves；　their

whispers；　almost　inaudible；　constitute　a　league；　a　faction；　and；　if

they　are　functionaries；　〃a　conspiracy。〃　On　his　return　from　Spain　he

declares；　with　a　terrible　explosion　of　wrath　and　threats；＇63＇　〃that

the　ministers　and　high　dignitaries　whom　he　has　created　must　stop

expressing　their　opinions　and　thoughts　freely；　that　they　cannot　be

otherwise　than　his　organs；　that　treason　has　already　begun　when　they

begin　to　doubt；　and　that　it　is　under　full　headway　when；　from　doubt；

they　proceed　to　dissent。〃　If；　against　his　constant　encroachments；　they

strive　to　preserve　a　last　refuge；　if　they　refuse　to　abandon　their

conscience　to　him；　their　faith　as　Catholics　or　their　honor　as　honest

men；　he　is　surprised　and　gets　irritated。　　In　reply　to　the　Bishop　of

Ghent；　who；　in　the　most　respectful　manner；　excuses　himself　for　not

taking　a　second　oath　that　is　against　his　conscience；　he　rudely　turns

his　back；　and　says；　〃Very　well；　sir；　your　conscience　is　a

blockhead！〃＇64＇　　Portalis；　director　of　the　publishing　office；＇65＇

having　received　a　papal　brief　from　his　cousin；　the　Abbé　d'Astros；

respected　a　confidential　communication；　he　simply　recommended　his

cousin　to　keep　this　document　secret；　and　declared　that；　if　it　were

made　public；　he　would　prohibit　its　circulation；　by　way　of　extra

precaution　he　notified　the　prefect　of　police。　　But　he　did　not

specially　denounce　his　cousin；　have　the　man　arrested　and　the　document

seized。　　On　the　strength　of　this；　the　Emperor；　in　full　council　of

state；　apostrophizes　him　to　his　face；　and；　〃with　one　of　those　looks

which　go　straight　through　one；〃＇66＇　declares　that　he　has　committed

〃the　vilest　of　perfidies〃；　he　bestows　on　him　for　half　an　hour　a

hailstorm　of　reproaches　and　insults；　and　then　orders　him　out　of　the

room　as　if　a　lackey　who　had　been　guilty　of　a　theft。　　Whether　he　keeps

within　his　function　or　not；　the　functionary　must　be　content　to　do

whatever　is　demanded　of　him；　and　readily　anticipate　every　commission。

If　his　scruples　arrest　him；　if　he　alleges　personal　obligations；　if　he

had　rather　not　fail　in　delicacy；　or　even　in　common　loyalty；　he　incurs

the　risk　of　offending　or　losing　the　favor　of　the　master；　which　is　the

case　with　M。　de　Rémusat；＇67＇　who　is　unwilling　to　become　his　spy；

reporter；　and　denunciator　for　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　who　does　not

offer；　at　Vienna；　to　pump　out　of　Madame　d'André　the　address　of　her

husband　so　that　M。　d'André　may　be　taken　and　immediately　shot。　　Savary；

who　was　the　negotiator　for　his　being　given　up；　kept　constantly　telling

M。　de　Rémusat；　〃You　are　going　against　your　interest　…　I　must　say　that

I　do　not　comprehend　you！〃　And　yet　Savary；　himself　minister　of　the

police；　executor　of　most　important　services；　head　manager　of　the

murder　of　the　Duc　d'Enghien　and　of　the　ambuscade　at　Bayonne；

counterfeiter　of　Austrian　bank…notes　for　the　campaign　of　1809　and　of

Russian　banknotes　for　that　of　1812；＇68＇　Savary　ends　in　getting　weary；

he　is　charged　with　too　many　dirty　jobs；　however　hardened　his

conscience　it　has　a　tender　spot；　he　discovers　at　last　that　he　has

scruples。　　It　is　with　great　repugnance　that；　in　February；　1814；　he

executes　the　order　to　have　a　small　infernal　machine　prepared；　moving

by　clock…work；　so　as　to　blow　up　the　Bourbons　on　their　return　into

France。＇69＇　　〃Ah；〃　said　he；　giving　himself　a　blow　on　the　forehead；　〃it

must　be　admitted　that　the　Emperor　is　sometimes　hard　to　serve！〃



If　he　exacts　so　much　from　the　human　creature；　it　is　because；　in

playing　the　game　he　has　to　play；　he　must　absorb　everything；　in　the

situation　in　which　be　has　placed　himself；　caution　is　unnecessary。　　〃Is

a　statesman；〃　said　he；　〃made　to　have　feeling？　Is　he　not　wholly　an

eccentric　personage；　always　alone　by　himself；　he　on　one　side　and　the

world　on　the　other？〃＇70＇



In　this　duel　without　truce　or　mercy；　people　interest　him　only　whilst

they　are　useful　to　him；　their　value　depends　on　what　he　can　make　out　of

them；　his　sole　business　is　to　squeeze　them；　to　extract　to　the　last

drop　whatever　is　available　in　them。



〃I　find　very　little　satisfaction　in　useless　sentiments；〃　said　he

again；＇71＇　〃and　Berthier　is　so　mediocre　that　I　do　not　know　why　I　waste

my　time　on　him。　And　yet　when　I　am　not　set　against　him；　I　am　not　sure

that　I　do　not　like　him。〃



He　goes　no　further。　　According　to　him；　this　indifference　is　necessary

in　a　statesman。　　The　glass　he　looks　through　is　that　of　his　own

policy；＇72＇　he　must　take　care　that　it　does　not　magnify　or　diminish

objects。　…　Therefore；　outside　of　explosions　of　nervous　sensibility；

〃he　has　no　consideration　for　men　other　than　that　of　a　foreman　for　his

workmen；〃＇73＇　or；　more　precisely；　for　his　tools；　once　the　tool　is　worn

out；　little　does　he　care　whether　it　rusts　away　in　a　corner　or　is　cast

aside　on　a　heap　of　scrap…iron。　　〃Portalis；　Minister　of　Justice；＇74＇

enters　his　room　one　day　with　a　downcast　look　and　his　eyes　filled　with

tears。　　'What's　the　matter　with　you；　Portalis？'　inquired　Napoleon；

'are　you　ill？　'No；　sire；　but　very　wretched。　　The　poor　Archbishop　of

Tours；　my　old　schoolmate　。　。　。'　'Eh；　well；　what　has　happened　to　him？'

'Alas；　sire；　he　has　just　died。'　'What　do　I　care？　he　was　no　longer　good

for　anything。'〃　Owning　and　making　the　most　of　men　and　of　things；　of

bodies　and　of　souls；　using　and　abusing　them　at　discretion；　even　to

exhaustion；　without　being　responsible　to　any　one；　he　reaches　that

point　after　a　few　years　where　he　can　say　as　glibly　and　more

despotically　than　Louis　XIV。　himself；



〃My　armies；　my　fleets；　my　cardinals；　my　councils；　my　senate；　my

populations；　my　empire。〃＇75＇



　Addressing　army　corps　about　to　rush　into　battle：



　〃Soldiers；　I　need　your　lives；　and　you　owe　them　to　me。〃



He　says　to　General　Dorsenne　and　to　the　grenadiers　of　the　guard：＇76＇



　〃I　hear　that　you　complain　that　you　want　to　return　to　Paris；　to　your

mistresses。　　Undeceive　yourselves。　　I　shall　keep　you　under　arms