the origins of contemporary france-5-第43章

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objects；　38；000　parsonages；　4000　convents；　over　40；000　parochial

churches；　cathedrals　and　chapels。　Every　morning；　the　man　or　woman　of

the　people；　in　whom　the　need　of　worship　has　revived；　passes　in　front

of　one　of　these　buildings　robbed　of　its　cult；　these　declare　aloud　to

them　through　their　form　and　name　what　they　have　been　and　what　they

should　be　to…day。　This　voice　is　heard　by　incredulous　philosophers　and

former　Conventionalists；＇84＇　all　Catholics　hear　it；　and　out　of　thirty…

five　millions　of　Frenchmen；＇85＇　thirty…two　millions　are　Catholics。





VII。　The　Confiscated　Property。



Reasons　for　the　concordat。　…　Napoleon's　economical　organization　of　the

Church　institution。　…　A　good　bargainer。　…　Compromise　with　the　old

state　of　things。



How　withstand　such　a　just　complaint；　the　universal　complaint　of　the

destitute；　of　relatives；　and　of　believers？　…　The　fundamental

difficulty　reappears；　the　nearly　insurmountable　dilemma　into　which　the

Revolution　has　plunged　every　steady　government；　that　is　to　say　the

lasting　effect　of　revolutionary　confiscations　and　the　conflict　which

sets　two　rights　to　the　same　property　against　each　other；　the　right　of

the　despoiled　owner　and　the　right　of　the　owner　in　possession。　This

time；　again　the　fault　is　on　the　side　of　the　State；　which　has　converted

itself　from　a　policeman　into　a　brigand　and　violently　appropriated　to

itself　the　fortune　of　the　hospitals；　schools；　and　churches；　the　State

must　return　this　in　money　or　in　kind。　In　kind；　it　is　no　longer　able；

everything　has　passed　out　of　its　hands；　it　has　alienated　what　it

could；　and　now　holds　on　only　to　the　leavings。　In　money；　nothing　more

can　be　done；　it　is　itself　ruined；　has　just　become　bankrupt；　lives　on

expedients　from　day　to　day　and　has　neither　funds　nor　credit。　Nobody

dreams　of　taking　back　property　that　is　sold；　nothing　is　more　opposed

to　the　spirit　of　the　new　Régime：　not　only　would　this　be　a　robbery　as

before；　since　its　buyers　have　paid　for　it　and　got　their　receipts；　but

again；　in　disputing　their　title　the　government　would　invalidate　its

own。　For　its　authority　is　derived　from　the　same　source　as　their

property：　it　is　established　on　the　same　principle　as　their　rights　of

possession　and　by　virtue　of　the　same　accomplished　facts



*　because　things　are　as　they　are　and　could　not　be　different；

*　because　ten　years　of　revolution　and　eight　years　of　war　bear　down　on

　　the　present　with　too　heavy　a　weight；

*　because　too　many　and　too　deep　interests　are　involved　and　enlisted　on

　　the　same　side；

*　because　the　interests　of　twelve　hundred　thousand　purchasers　are

　　incorporated　with　those　of　the　thirty　thousand　officers　to　whom　the

　　Revolution　has　provided　a　rank；　along　with　that　of　all　the　new

　　functionaries　and　dignitaries；　including　the　First　Consul　himself；

　　who；　in　this　universal　transposition　of　fortunes　and　ranks；　is　the

　　greatest　of　parvenus　and　who　must　maintain　the　others　if　he　wants　to

　　be　maintained　by　them。



Naturally；　he　protects　everybody；　through　calculation　as　well　as

sympathy；　in　the　civil　as　in　the　military　order　of　things；

particularly　the　new　property…owners；　especially　the　smaller　and　the

average　ones；　his　best　clients；　attached　to　his　reign　and　to　his

person　through　love　of　property；　the　strongest　passion　of　the　ordinary

man；　and　through　love　of　the　soil；　the　strongest　passion　of　the

peasant。＇86＇　　Their　loyalty　depends　on　their　security；　and

consequently　he　is　lavish　of　guarantees。　In　his　constitution　of　the

year　VIII；＇87＇　he　declares　in　the　name　of　the　French　nation　that　after

a　legally　consummated　sale　of　national　property；　whatever　its　origin；

the　legitimate　purchaser　cannot　be　divested　of　it。〃　Through　the

institution　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　he　obliges　each　member　〃to　swear；

on　his　honor；　to　devote　himself　to　the　conservation　of　property

sanctioned　by　the　laws　of　the　republic。〃＇88＇　　According　to　the　terms

of　the　imperial　constitution＇89＇　〃he　swears〃　himself　〃to　respect　and

to　enforce　respect　for　the　irrevocability　of　the　sale　of　national

possessions。〃



Unfortunately；　a　cannon…ball　on　the　battle…field；　an　infernal　machine

in　the　street；　an　illness　at　home；　may　carry　off　the　guarantor　and　the

guarantees。＇90＇　　On　the　other　hand；　confiscated　goods　preserve　their

original　taint。　Rarely　is　the　purchaser　regarded　favorably　in　his

commune；　the　bargain　he　has　made　excites　envy；　he　is　not　alone　in　his

enjoyment　of　it；　but　the　rest　suffer　from　it。　Formerly；　this　or　that

field　of　which　he　reaps　the　produce；　this　or　that　domain　of　which　he

enjoys　the　rental；　once　provided　for　the　parsonage；　the　asylum　and　the

school；　now　the　school；　the　asylum　and　the　parsonage　die　through

inanition　for　his　advantage；　he　fattens　on　their　fasting。　In　his　own

house；　his　wife　and　mother　often　look　melancholy；　especially　during

Easter　week；　if　he　is　old；　or　becomes　ill；　his　conscience　disturbs

him；　this　conscience；　through　habit　and　heredity；　is　Catholic：　he

craves　absolution　at　the　last　moment　at　the　priest's　hands；　and　says

to　himself　that；　at　the　last　moment；　he　may　not　probably　be

absolved。＇91＇　　In　other　respects；　he　would　find　it　difficult　to

satisfy　himself　that　his　legal　property　is　legitimate　property；　for；

not　only　is　it　not　so　rightfully　before　the　tribunal　of　conscience；

but　again　it　is　not　so　in　fact　on　the　market；　the　figures；　in　this

particular；　are　convincing；　daily　and　notorious。　A　patrimonial　domain

which　brings　in　3000　francs　finds　a　purchaser　at　100；000　francs；

alongside　of　this　a　national　domain　which　brings　in　just　as　much；

finds　a　purchaser　only　at　60；000　francs；　after　several　sales　and

resale；　the　depreciation　continues　and　40　％　of　the　value　of　the

confiscated　property　is　lost。＇92＇　　A　low；　indistinct　murmur　is　heard；

and　reverberates　from　sale　to　sale；　the　muttering　of　private　probity

protesting　against　public　probity；　declaring　to　the　new　proprietor

that　his　title　is　defective；　it　lacks　one　clause　and　a　capital　one；

that　of　the　surrender　and　cession；　the　formal　renunciation；　the

authentic　withdrawal　of　the　former　owner。　The　State；　the　first　seller；

owes　this　voucher　to　the　purchasers；　let　it　procure　this　and　negotiate

accordingly；　let　it　apply　for　this　to　the　rightful　party；　to　the

owners　whom　it　has　dispossessed；　to　the　immemorial　and　legitimate

authorities；　I　mean　to　the　ancient　corporations。　These　have　been

dissolved　by　revolutionary　law　and　have　no　longer　a　representative　who

can　sign　for　them。　Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　revolutionary　law；　one　of

these　corporations；　with　more　vitality　than　the　rest；　still　subsists

with　its　proper；　if　not　legal；　representative；　its　regular　and

undisputed　chief。　This　chief　is　qualified　and　authorized　to　bind　the

body；　for；　institutionally；　he　is　supreme；　and　the　conscience　of　all

its　members　is　in　his　hand。　His　signature　is　of　the　highest　value；　it

is　very　important　to　obtain　this；　and　the　First　Consul　concludes　the

Concordat　with　the　Pope。



By　this　Concordat；　the　Pope　〃declares　that　neither　himself　nor　his

successors　shall　in　any　manner　disturb　the　purchasers　of　alienated

ecclesiastical　property；　and　that　the　ownership　of　the　said　property；

the　rights　and　revenues　derived　there　from；　shall　consequently　remain

in　commutable　in　their　hands　or　in　those　of　their　assigns。〃＇93＇

Henceforth　the　possession　of　this　property　is　no　longer　a　sin；　at

least；　it　is　not　condemned　by　the　spiritual　authority；　by　that

external　conscience　which；　in　Catholic　countries；　governs　the　inward

conscience　and　often　supplies　its　place；　the　Church；　the　moral　head；

removes　with　its　own　hands　the　moral　scruple；　the　last　small　stone；

troublesome　and　dangerous；　which；　lying　underneath　the　cornerstone　of

lay　society；　breaks　the　level　of　the　entire　structure　and　compromises

the　equilibrium　of　the　new　government。　…　In　exchange；　the　State　endows

the　Church。　By　the　same　Concordat；　and　by　the　decrees　which　follow　it；

〃the　government＇94＇　ensures　a　suitable　salary　to　bishops　and　cure's；〃

15；000　francs　to　each　archbishop；　10；000　francs　to　each　bishop；　1500

francs　to　each　curé　of　the　first　class　and　1000　francs　to　each　curé　of

the　second　class；＇95＇　also；　later　on；＇96＇　a　maximum　of　500　francs　and　a

minimum　of　300　francs　to　each　assistant…priest　or　vicar。　〃If

circumstances　require　it；＇97＇　the　conseils…généraux　of　the　large

communes　may　grant　to　prelates　or　to　curés　an　increase　of　salary　out

of　their　rural　possessions　or　octrois。〃　In　all　cases；　archbishops；

bishops；　curés　and　priests　shall　be　lodged；　or　receive　a　lodging

indemnity。　So　much　for　the　support　of　persons。…As　to　real

property；＇98＇　〃all　the　metropolitan　churches；　cathedrals；　parochial

buildings　and　others；　not　alienated；　and　needed　for　the　purposes　of

worship；　shall　be　subject　to　the　disposition　of　the　bishops。〃　…　The

parsonages　and　gardens　attached　to　these；　not　alienated；　shall　be

given　up　to　the　curés　and　assistant…priests。〃　…　〃　The　possessions　of

the　fabriques；＇99＇　not　alienated；　as　well　as　the　rentals　they　enjoyed；

and　which　have　not　been　transferred；　shall　be　restored　to　their

original　purpose。　…　As　to　the　outlay　and　expenditure　for　worship；＇100＇

for　the　parochial　center　or　cathedral；　if　its　revenue　is　not

sufficient；　this　shall　receive　aid　from　its　commune　or　from　its

department；　besides；　〃an　assessment　of　10　％。＇101＇　　shall　be　laid　on

the　revenues　of　all　the　real　estate　of　the　communes；　such　as　houses；

woods；　and　rural　possessions；　for　the　formation　of　a　common　fund　of

subsidy；〃　a　general　sum　with　which　to　provide　for　〃acquisitions；

reconstructions　or　repairs　of　churches；　。　。　。　seminaries　and

parsonages。〃　Moreover；＇102＇　the　government　allows　〃the　French

Catholics　to　make　endowments；　if　so　disposed；　in　favor　of　churches　。　。

。　for　the　support　of　ministers　and　the　exercise　of　worship；〃　that　is

to　say　to　bequeath　or　make　gifts　to　the　fabriques　or　seminaries；　in

fine；　it　exempts　seminarists；　the　future　cure's；　from　the

conscription。



It　also　exempts　the　〃Ignorantins；〃　or　brethren　of　the　Christian

schools；　who　are　the　instructors　of　the　common　people。　With　respect　to

these　and　in　relation　to　every　other　Catholic　institution；　it　follows

the　same　utilitarian　principle；　the　fundamental　maxim　of　laic　and

practical　good　sense：　when　religious　vocations　make　their　appearance

and　serve　the　public；　it　welcomes　and　makes　use　of　them；　it　grants

them　facilities；　dispensations　and　favors；　its　protection；　its

donations；　or　at　least　its　tolerance。　Not　only　does　it　turn　their　zeal

to　account；　but　it　authorizes　their　association。＇103＇　Numerous

societies　of　men　or　of　women　again　spring　up　with　the　assent　of　the

public　authorities　…　the　〃Ignorantins；〃　the　〃Filles　de　la　Charité；〃

the　〃Seurs　Hospitalières；〃　the　〃S？urs　de　Saint…Thomas；〃　the　〃S？urs　de

Saint…Charles；〃　the　〃S？urs　Vatelottes。〃　The　Council　of　State　accepts

and　approves　of　their　statutes；　vows；　hierarchy；　and　internal

regulations。　They　again　become　proprietors；　they　may　acce