the origins of contemporary france-5-第56章

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salts　his　pork　and　eats　it；　and　likewise　butcher's　meat；　he　enjoys　his

boiled　beef　and　broth　on　Sunday；　he　drinks　wine；　his　bread　is　more

nutritious；　not　so　black　and　healthier；　he　no　longer　lacks　it　and　has

no　fear　of　lacking　it。　Formerly；　he　entertained　a　lugubrious　phantom；

the　fatal　image　of　famine　which　haunted　him　day　and　night　for

centuries；　an　almost　periodical　famine　under　the　monarchy；　a　chronic

famine　and　then　severe　and　excruciating　during　the　Revolution；　a

famine　which；　under　the　republic；　had　in　three　years　destroyed　over　a

million　of　lives。＇52＇　The　immemorial　specter　recedes　and　vanishes；

after　two　accidental　and　local　recurrences；　in　1812　and　1817；　it　never

again　appears　in　France。＇53＇



V。　Conscription　or　Professional　soldiers。



Military　service。　…　Under　the　Ancient　Regime。　…　The　militia　and

regular　troops。　…　Number　of　soldiers。　…　Quality　of　the　recruits。　…

Advantages　of　the　institution。…　Results　of　the　new　system。　…　The

obligation　universal。　…　Comparison　between　the　burdens　of　citizens　and

subjects。　…　The　Conscription　under　Napoleon。　…　He　lightens　and　then

increases　its　weight。　…　What　it　became　after　him。　…　The　law　of　1818。



One　tax　remains；　and　the　last；　that　by　which　the　State　takes；　no

longer　money；　but　the　person　himself；　the　entire　man；　soul　and　body；

and　for　the　best　years　of　his　life；　namely　military　service。　It　is　the

Revolution　which　has　rendered　this　so　burdensome；　formerly；　it　was

light；　for；　in　principle；　it　was　voluntary。　The　militia；　alone；　was

raised　by　force；　and；　in　general；　among　the　country　people；　the

peasants　furnished　men　for　it　by　casting　lots。＇54＇　But　it　was　simply　a

supplement　to　the　active　army；　a　territorial　and　provincial　reserve；　a

distinct；　sedentary　body　of　reinforcements　and　of　inferior　rank　which；

except　in　case　of　war；　never　marched；　it　turned　out　but　nine　days　of

the　year；　and；　after　1778；　never　turned　out　again。　In　1789；　it

comprised　in　all　72；260　men；　and　for　eleven　years　their　names；

inscribed　on　the　registers；　alone　constituted　their　presence　in　the

ranks。＇55＇　　There　were　no　other　conscripts　under　the　monarchy；　in　this

matter；　its　exactions　were　not　great；　ten　times　less　than　those　of　the

Republic　and　of　the　Empire；　since　both　the　Republic　and　the　Empire；

using　the　same　constraint；　were　to　levy　more　than　ten　times　the　number

of　drafted　men　or　conscripts。＇56＇



Alongside　of　this　militia　body；　the　entire　army　properly　so　called；

the　〃regular〃　troops　were；　under；　the　ancient　Régime；　all　recruited　by

free　enlistment；　not　only　the　twenty…five　foreign　regiments；　Swiss；

Irish；　Germans；　and　Liégeois；　but　again　the　hundred　and　forty…five

French　regiments；　177　000　men。＇57＇　　The　enlistment；　indeed；　was　not

free　enough；　frequently；　through　the　maneuvers　of　the　recruiting…

agent；　it　was　tainted　with　inveigling　and　surprises；　and　sometimes

with　fraud　or　violence；　but；　owing　to　the　remonstrances　due　to　the

prevailing　philanthropic　spirit；　these　abuses　had　diminished；　the　law

of　1788　had　suppressed　the　most　serious　of　them　and；　even　with　its

abuses；　the　institution　had　two　great　advantages。　…　The　army；　in　the

first　place；　served　as　an　issue：　through　it　the　social　body　purged

itself　of　its　bad　humors；　of　its　overheated　or　vitiated　blood。　At　this

date；　although　the　profession　of　soldier　was　one　of　the　lowest　and

least　esteemed；　a　barren　career；　without　promotion　and　almost　without

escape；　a　recruit　was　obtainable　for　about　one　hundred　francs　bounty

and　a　〃tip〃；　add　to　this　two　or　three　days　and　nights　of　revel　in　the

grog…shop；　which　indicates　the　kind　and　quality　of　the　recruits；　in

fact；　very　few　could　be　obtained　except　among　men　more　or　less

disqualified　for　civil　and　domestic　life；　incapable　of　spontaneous

discipline　and　of　steady　labor；　adventurers　and　outcasts；　half…savage

or　half…blackguard；　some　of　them　sons　of　respectable　parents　thrown

into　the　army　in　an　angry　fit；　and　others　again；　regular　vagabonds

picked　up　in　beggars'　haunts；　mostly　stray　workmen　and　loafers；　in

short；　〃the　most　debauched；　the　most　hot…brained；　the　most　turbulent

people　in　an　ardent；　turbulent　and　somewhat　debauched　community。〃＇58＇

In　this　way；　the　anti…social　class　was　utilized　for　the　public　good。

Let　the　reader　imagine　an　ill…kept　domain　overrun　by　a　lot　of　stray

curs　that　might　prove　dangerous：　they　are　enticed　and　caught；　a

collar；　with　a　chain　attached　to　it；　is　put　on　their　necks　and　they

become　good　watch…dogs。　…　In　the　second　place；　this　institution

preserved　to　the　subject　the　first　and　most　precious　of　all　liberties；

the　full　possession　and　the　unrestricted　management　of　one's　own

person；　the　complete　mastery　of　body　and　being。　This　was　assured　to

him；　guaranteed　to　him　against　the　encroachments　of　the　State。　It　was

better　guaranteed　than　by　the　wisest　constitution；　for　the　institution

was　a　recognized　custom　accepted　by　everybody。　In　other　words；　it　was

a　tacit；　immemorial　convention；＇59＇　between　the　subject　and　the　State；

proclaiming　that；　if　the　State　had　a　right　to　draw　on　purses　it　had　no

right　to　draft　persons：　in　reality　and　in　fact；　the　King；　in　his

principal　function；　was　merely　a　contractor　like　any　other；　he

undertook　natural　defense　and　public　security　the　same　as　others

undertook　cleaning　the　streets　or　the　maintenance　of　a　dike。　It　was

his　business　to　hire　military　workmen　as　they　hired　their　civil

workmen；　by　mutual　agreement；　at　an　understood　price　and　at　current

market　rates。　Accordingly；　the　sub…contractors　with　whom　he　treated；

the　colonel　and　captains　of　each　regiment；　were　subject　as　he　was　to

the　law　of　supply　and　demand；　he　allowed　them　so　much　for　each

recruit；＇60＇　to　replace　those　dropped　out；　and　they　agreed　to　keep

their　companies　full。　They　were　obliged　to　procure　men　at　their　own

risk　and　at　their　own　expense；　while　the　recruiting…agent　whom　they

dispatched　with　a　bag　of　money　among　the　taverns；　enlisted

artillerymen；　horsemen　or　foot…soldiers；　after　bargaining　with　them；

the　same　as　one　would　hire　men　to　sweep　or　pave　the　street　and　to

clean　the　sewers。



Against　this　practice　and　this　principle　comes　the　theory　of　the

Contrat…Social。　It　declares　that　the　people　are　sovereign。　Now；　in

this　divided　Europe；　where　a　conflict　between　rival　States　is　always

imminent；　sovereigns　are　military　men；　they　are　such　by　birth；

education；　and　profession；　and　by　necessity；　the　title　carries　along

with　it　and　involves　the　function。　Consequently；　the　subject；　in

assuming　their　rights；　imposes　upon　himself　their　duties；　in　his　quota

（of　responsibility）　he；　in　his　turn；　is　sovereign；　but；　in　his　turn

and　in　his　person；　he　is　a　soldier。＇61＇　　Henceforth；　if　he　is　born　an

elector；　he　is　born　a　conscript；　he　has　contracted　an　obligation　of　a

new　species　and　of　infinite　reach；　the　State；　which　formerly　had　a

claim　only　on　his　possessions；　now　has　one　on　his　entire　body；　never

does　a　creditor　let　his　claims　rest　and　the　State　always　finds　reasons

or　pretexts　to　enforce　its　claims。　Under　the　threats　or　trials　of

invasion　the　people；　at　first；　had　consented　to　pay　this　one；　they

regarded　it　as　accidental　and　temporary。　After　victory　and　when　peace

came；　its　government　continues　to　enforce　the　claim；　it　becomes

settled　and　permanent。　After　the　treaties　of　Luneville　and　Amiens；

Napoleon　maintains　it　in　France；　after　the　treaties　of　Paris　and

Vienna；　the　Prussian　government　is　to　maintain　it　in　Prussia。　One　war

after　another　and　the　institution　becomes　worse　and　worse；　like　a

contagion；　it　has　spread　from　State　to　State。　At　the　present　time；　it

has　overspread　the　whole　of　continental　Europe　and　here　it　reigns

along　with　its　natural　companion　which　always　precedes　or　follows　it；

its　twin…brother；　universal　suffrage。　Each　more　or　less　conspicuously

〃trotted　out〃　and　dragging　the　other　along；　more　or　less　incomplete

and　disguised；　both　being　the　blind　and　formidable　leaders　or

regulators　of　future　history；　one　thrusting　a　ballot　into　the　hands　of

every　adult；　and　the　other　putting　a　soldier's　knapsack　on　every

adult's　back：



*　with　what　promises　of　massacre　and　bankruptcy　for　the　twentieth

century；

*　with　what　exasperation　of　international　rancor　and　distrust；

*　with　what　waste　of　human　labor；

*　through　what　perversion　of　productive　discoveries；

*　through　what　perfection　of　destructive　appliances；

*　　through　what　a　recoil　to　the　lower　and　most　unwholesome　forms　of

old　militant　societies；

*　through　what　retrograde　steps　towards　brutal　and　selfish　instincts；

*　towards　the　sentiments；　habits　and　morality　of　the　antique　city　and

of　the　barbarous　tribe



is　only　too　well　known。＇62＇　　It　is　sufficient　for　us　to　place　the　two

military　systems　face　to　face；　that　of　former　times　and　that　of　to…

day：　formerly；　in　Europe；　a　few　soldiers；　some　hundreds　of　thousands　；

to…day；　in　Europe；　18　millions　of　actual　or　eventual　soldiers；　all　the

adults；　even　the　married；　even　fathers　of　families　summoned　or　subject

to　call　for　twenty…five　years　of　their　life；　that　is　to　say；　as　long

as　they　continue　able…bodied　men；　formerly；　for　the　heaviest　part　of

the　service　in　France；　no　lives　are　confiscated　by　decree；　only　those

bought　by　contract；　and　lives　suited　to　this　business　and　elsewhere

idle　or　mischievous；　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　lives　of

inferior　quality；　of　mediocre　value；　which　the　State　could　expend　with

less　regret　than　others；　and　the　sacrifice　of　which　is　not　a　serious

injury　to　society　or　to　civilization。　To…day；　for　the　same　service　in

France；　4　millions　of　lives　are　taken　by　authority；　and；　if　they

attempt　to　escape；　taken　by　force；　all　of　them；　from　the　twentieth

year　onward；　employed　in　the　same　manual　and　murderous　pursuit；

including　the　least　suited　to　the　purpose　and　the　best　adapted　to

other　purposes；　including　the　most　inventive　and　the　most　fecund；　the

most　delicate　and　the　most　cultivated；　those　remarkable　for　superior

talent　（Page　232/526）who　are　of　almost　infinite　social　value；　and

whose　forced　collapse；　or　precocious　end；　is　a　calamity　for　the　human

species。



Such　is　the　terminal　fruit　of　the　new　Régime；　military　duty　is　here

the　counterpart；　and　as　it　were；　the　ransom　of　political　right；　the

modern　citizen　may　balance　one　with　the　other　like　two　weights　in　the

scale。　On　the　one　side；　he　may　place　his　prerogative　as　sovereign；

that　is　to　say；　in　point　of　fact；　the　faculty　every　four　years　of

giving　one　vote　among　ten　thousand　for　the　election　or　non…election　of

one　deputy　among　six　hundred　and　fifty；　on　the　other　side；　he　may

place　his　positive；　active　service；　three；　four　or　five　years　of

barrack　life　and　of　passive　obedience；　and　then　twenty…eight　days

more；　then　a　thirteen…days'　summons　in　honor　of　the　flag；　and；　for

twenty　years；　at　each　rumor　of　war；　anxiously　waiting　for　the　word　of

command　which　obliges　him　to　shoulder　his　gun　and　slay　with　his　own

hand；　or　be　slain。　He　will　probably　e