the origins of contemporary france-5-第33章

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The　philosophers　wished　to　find　a　solution　for　this　double　weakness；

innate　and　acquired　They　had　therefore　transported　sovereignty　out　of

history　into　the　ideal　and　abstract　world；　with　an　imaginary　city　of

mankind　reduced　to　the　minimum　of　a　human　being　Here　men；　infinitely

simplified；　all　alike；　equal；　separate　from　their　surroundings　and

from　their　past；　veritable　puppets；　were　all　lifting　their　hands　in

common　rectangular　motion　to　vote　unanimously　for　the　contrat　social。

In　this　contract　〃all　classes　are　reduced　to　one；＇17＇　the　complete

surrender　of　each　associate；　with　all　his　rights；　to　the　community；

each　giving　himself　up　entirely；　just　as　he　actually　is；　himself　and

all　his　forces；　of　which　whatever　he　possesses　forms　a　part；〃　each

becoming　with　respect　to　himself　and　every　act　of　his　private　life　a

delegate　of　the　State；　a　responsible　clerk；　in　short；　a　functionary；　a

functionary　of　the　people；　henceforth　the　unique；　the　absolute；　and

the　universal　sovereign。　A　terrible　principle；　proclaimed　and　applied

for　ten　years；　below　by　the　mob　and　above　by　the　government！　Popular

opinion　had　adopted　it；　accordingly　the　passage　from　the　sovereignty

of　the　King　to　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　was　easy；　smooth；＇18＇　and

to　the　novice　in　reasoning；　the　old…fashioned　taxable　and　workable

subject；　to　whom　the　principle　conferred　a　portion　of　the　sovereignty；

the　temptation　was　too　great。



　At　once；　according　to　their　custom；　the　jurists　put　themselves　at　the

service　of　the　new　reign。　And　no　dogma　was　better　suited　their　to

authoritative　instinct；　no　axiom　furnished　them　so　convenient　a

fulcrum　on　which　to　set　up　and　turn　their　logical　wheel。　This　wheel；

which　they　had　latterly　managed　with　care　and　caution　under　the

ancient　Régime；　had　suddenly　in　their　hands　turned　with　frightful

speed　and　effect　in　order　to　convert　the　rigid；　universal；　and　applied

laws；　the　intermittent　processes；　the　theoretical　pretensions；　and　the

worst　precedents　of　the　monarchy　into　practice。　This　meant



*　the　use　of　extraordinary　commissions；

*　accusations　of　lésé　majesté；

*　the　suppression　of　legal　formalities；

*　the　persecution　of　religious　beliefs　and　of　personal　opinions；

*　the　right　of　condemning　publications　and　of　coercing　thought；

*　the　right　of　instruction　and　education；

*　the　rights　of　pre…emption；　of　requisition；　of　confiscation；　and　of

proscription；



in　short；　pure　and　perfect　arbitrariness。　The　result　is　visible　in　the

deeds　of　Treilhard；　of　Berlier；　of　Merlin　de　Douai；　of　Cambacérès；　in

those　of　the　Constituant　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　in　the

Convention；　under　the　Directory；　in　their　Jacobin　zeal　or　hypocrisy；

in　their　talent　for　combining　despotic　tradition　with　tyrannical

innovation；　in　their　professional　skill　in　fabricating　on　all

occasions　a　snare　of　plausible　arguments　with　which　to　properly

strangle　the　individual；　their　adversary；　to　the　profit　of　the　State；

their　eternal　master。



In　effect；　not　only　had　they　almost　strangled　their　adversary；　but

likewise；　through　an　aftereffect；　their　master：　France　which；　after

fourteen　months　of　suffocation；　was　approaching　physical　suicide。＇19＇

Such　success；　too　great；　had　obliged　them　to　stop；　they　had　abandoned

one…half　of　their　destructive　creed；　retaining　only　the　other　half；

the　effect　of　which；　less　imminent；　was　less　apparent。　If　they　no

longer　dared　paralyze　individual　acts　in　the　man；　they　persisted　in

paralyzing　in　the　individual　all　collective　acts。　…　There　must　be　no

special　associations　in　general　society；　no　corporations　within　the

State；　especially　no　spontaneous　bodies　endowed　with　the　initiative；

proprietary　and　permanent：　such　is　Article　II。　of　the　Revolutionary

Creed；　and　the　direct　consequence　of　the　previous　one　which　posits

axiomatically　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　and　the　omnipotence　of　the

State。　Rousseau；＇20＇　inventor　of　the　first；　had　like…wise　enunciated

the　second；　the　constituent　assembly　had　solemnly　decreed　it　and

applied　it　on　a　grand　scale；＇21＇　and　successive　assemblies　had　applied

it　on　a　still　grander　scale；＇22＇　it　was　a　faith　with　the　Jacobins；

and；　besides；　in　conformity　with　the　spirit　of　Roman　imperial　right

and　with　the　leading　maxim　of　French　monarchical　right。　On　this　point

the　three　known　jurisprudential　systems　were　in　accord；　while　their

convergence　brought　together　around　the　same　table　the　jurists　of　the

three　doctrines　in　a　common　task；　ex…parliamentarians　and　ex…members

of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　former　pro…scribers　and　the

proscribed；　the　purveyors　of　Sinamari　with　Treilhard　and　Merlin　de

Douai；　returned　from　Guiana；　alongside　of　Simeon；　Portalis；　and　Barbé…

Marbois。　There　was　nobody　in　this　conclave　to　maintain　the　rights　of

spontaneous　bodies；　the　theory；　on　all　three　sides；　no　matter　from

whom　it　proceeded；　refused　to　recognize　them　for　what　they　are

originally　and　essentially；　that　is　to　say；　distinct　organisms　equally

natural　with　the　State；　equally　indispensable　in　their　way；　and；

therefore；　as　legitimate　as　itself；　it　allowed　them　only　a　life　on

trust；　derived　from　above　and　from　the　center。　But；　since　the　State

created　them；　it　might　and　ought　to　treat　them　as　its　creatures；　keep

them　indefinitely　under　its　thumb；　use　them　for　its　purposes；　act

through　them　as　through　other　agencies；　and　transform　their　chiefs

into　functionaries　of　the　central　power。



III。　Brilliant　Statesman　and　Administrator。



The　Organizer。　…　Influence　of　Napoleon's　character　and　mind　on　his

internal　and　French　system。　…　Exigencies　of　his　external　and　European

r？le。　…　Suppression　of　all　centers　of　combination　and　concord。　…

Extension　of　the　public　domain　and　what　it　embraces。　…　Reasons　for

maintaining　the　private　domain。　…　The　part　of　the　individual。　…　His

reserved　enclosure。　…　Outlets　for　him　beyond　that。　…　His　talents　are

enlisted　in　the　service　of　public　power。　…　Special　aptitude　and

temporary　vigor；　lack　of　balance；　and　doubtful　future　of　the　social

body　thus　formed。



A　new　France；　not　the　chimerical；　communistic；　equalized；　and　Spartan

France　of　Robespierre　and　Saint…Just；　but　a　possible　real；　durable；

and　yet　leveled　and　uniform　France；　logically　struck　out　at　one　blow；

all　of　a　piece；　according　to　one　general　principle；　a　France；

centralized；　administrative；　and；　save　the　petty　egoistic　play　of

individuals；　managed　in　one　entire　body　from　top　to　bottom；　…　in

short；　the　France　which　Richelieu　and　Louis　XIV。　had　longed　for；　which

Mirabeau　after　1790　had　foreseen；＇23＇　is　now　the　work　which　the

theories　of　the　monarchy　and　of　the　Revolution　had　prepared；　and

toward　which　the　final　concurrence　of　events；　that　is　to　say；　〃the

alliance　of　philosophy　and　the　saber；〃　led　the　sovereign　hands　of　the

First　Consul。



Accordingly；　considering　his　well…known　character；　the　promptitude；

the　activity；　the　reach；　the　universality；　and　the　cast　of　his

intellect；　he　could　not　have　proposed　to　himself　a　different　work　nor

reduced　himself　to　a　lower　standard。　His　need　of　governing　and　of

administrating　was　too　great；　his　capacity　for　governing　and

administrating　was　too　great：　his　was　an　exacting　genius。　…　Moreover；

for　the　outward　task　that　he　undertook　he　required　internally；　not

only　undisputed　possession　of　all　executive　and　legislative　powers；

not　only　perfect　obedience　from　all　legal　authorities；　but；　again；　the

annihilation　of　all　moral　authority　but　his　own；　that　is　to　say；　the

silence　of　public　opinion　and　the　isolation　of　each　individual；　and

therefore　the　abolition；　preventive　and　systematic；　of　any　religious；

ecclesiastic；　pedagogic；　charitable；　literary；　departmental；　or

communal　initiative　that　might；　now　or　in　the　future　gather　men

against　him　or　alongside　of　him。　Like　a　good　general　he　secures　his

rear。　At　strife　with　all　Europe；　he　so　arranges　it　as　not　to　allow　in

the　France　he　drags　along　after　him　refractory　souls　or　bodies　which

might　form　platoons　in　his　rear。　Consequently；　and　through　precaution；

he　suppresses　in　advance　all　eventual　rallying　points　or　centers　of

combination　Henceforth；　every　wire　which　can　stir　up　and　bring　a

company　of　men　together　for　the　same　object　terminates　in　his　hands；

he　holds　in　his　firm　grasp　all　these　combined　wires；　guards　them　with

jealous　care；　in　order　to　strain　them　to　the　utmost。　Let　no　one

attempt　to　loosen　them；　and；　above　all；　let　no　one　entertain　a　thought

of　getting　hold　of　them；　they　belong　to　him　and　to　him　alone；　and

compose　the　public　domain；　which　is　his　domain　proper。



But；　alongside　of　his　proper　domain；　he　recognizes　another　in　which　he

himself　assigns　a　limit　to　the　complete　absorption　of　all　wills　by　his

own；　he　does　not　admit；　of　course　in　his　own　interest；　that　the　public

power；　at　least　in　the　civil　order　of　things　and　in　common　practice；

should　be　illimitable　nor；　especially；　arbitrary。＇24＇　…　This　is　due　to

his　not　being　an　utopian　or　a　theorist；　like　his　predecessors　of　the

Convention；　but　a　perspicacious　statesman；　who　is　in　the　habit　of

using　his　own　eyes。　He　sees　things　directly；　in　themselves；　he　does

not　imagine　them　through　book　formulae　or　party　phrases；　by　a　process

of　verbal　reasoning；　employing　the　gratuitous　suppositions　of

humanitarian　optimism　or　the　dogmatic　prejudices　of　Jacobin　nonsense。

He　sees　Man　just　as　he　is；　not　Man　in　himself；　an　abstract　citizen；

the　philosophic　puppet　of　the　Contrat　Social；　but　the　real　individual；

the　entire　living　man；　with　his　profound　instincts；　his　tenacious

necessities；　which；　whether　tolerated　or　not　by　legislation；　still

subsist　and　operate　infallibly；　and　which　the　legislator　must　take

into　consideration　if　he　wants　to　turn　them　to　account。　…　This

individual；　a　civilized　European　and　a　modern　Frenchman；　constituted

as　he　is　by　several　centuries　of　tolerable　police　discipline；　of

respected　rights　and　hereditary　property；　must　have　a　private　domain；

an　enclosed　area；　large　or　small；　which　belongs　and　is　reserved　to　him

personally；　to　which　the　public　power　interdicts　access　and　before

which　it　mounts　guard　to　prevent　other　individuals　from　intruding　on

it。　Otherwise　his　condition　seems　intolerable　to　him；　he　is　no　longer

disposed　to　exert　himself；　to　set　his　wits　to　work；　or　to　enter　upon

any　enterprise。　Let　us　be　careful　not　to　snap　or　loosen　this　powerful

and　precious　spring　of　action；　let　him　continue　to　work；　to　produce；

to　economize；　if　only　that　he　may　be　in　a　condition　to　pay　taxes；　let

him　continue　to　marry；　to　bring　forth　and　raise　up　sons；　if　only　to

serve　the　conscription。　Let　us　ease　his　mind　with　regard　to　his

enclosure；＇25＇　let　him　exercise　full　proprietorship　over　it　and　enjoy

it　exclusively；　let　him　feel　himself　at　home　in　his　own　house　in

perpetuity；　safe　from　any　intrusion；　protected　by　the　code　and　by　the

courts；　not　alone　against　his　enemies；　but　against　the　administration

itself。　Let　him　in　this　well…defined；　circumscribed