the origins of contemporary france-5-第66章

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choice　of　their　staff　of　officials；　the　latter　were　not　always　free；

in　many　places　they　did　not　have；　or　no　longer　had　the　right　of

appointment。　At　one　time；　this　right　be　longed　from　time　immemorial　to

provincial　or　municipal　corporations；　laic　or　ecclesiastic；　to　a

certain　chapter；　abbey　or　collegiate　church；　to　a　bishop　in　his

diocese；　to　the　seignior　in　his　seignory。　At　another　time　the　king；

once　possessing　the　right；　had　surrendered　or　alienated　it；　in　whole

or　in　part　through　gratuitous　favor　and　the　concession　of　a

survivorship　or　for　money　and　through　the　sale　of　an　office；　in　brief；

his　hands　were　tied　fast　by　hereditary　or　acquired　privileges　There

are　no　privileges　now　to　fetter　the　hands　of　the　First　Consul。　The

entire　civil　organization　dates　from　him。　The　whole　body　of　officials

is　thus　of　his　own　selection；　and　under　him　it　is　much　more　numerous

than　that　of　the　ancient　Régime；　for　he　has　extended　the　attributions

of　the　State　beyond　all　former　bounds。　Directly　or　indirectly；　he

appoints　by　hundreds　of　thousands　the　mayors　and　councilors　of

municipalities　and　the　members　of　general　councils；　the　entire　staff

of　the　administration；　of　the　finances；　of　the　judicature；　of　the

clergy；　of　the　University；　of　public　works　and　of　public　charity。

Besides　all　this；　myriads　of　ministerial　and　notarial　officials

lawyers；　ushers；　auctioneers；　and　by　way　of　surplus；　or　as　a　natural

result；　the　members　of　every　great　private　association　since　no

collective　enterprise；　from　the　Bank　of　France　and　the　press　to　stage

lines　and　tontines；　may　be　established　without　his　permission；　nor

exist　without　his　tolerance。　Not　counting　the　latter；　and　after

deducting　likewise　the　military　or　active　duty　and　the　functionaries

who　draw　pay；　the　prefect　from　the　earliest　years　report　that；　since

1789；　the　number　of　people　〃employed　or　under　government　pay〃　has　more

than　doubled：　In　Doubs；　in　the　year　IX；　instead　of　916　there　are　1820；

in　Meurthe　in　the　year　XIII；　instead　of　1828　there　are　3091；　in　Ain；

in　1806　instead　of　955　there　are　1771＇36＇。　As　to　the　army；　it　has

tripled；　and　according　to　the　First　Consul's　own　calculations；　instead

of　9；000　or　10；000　officers　as　in　1789；　there　are　more　than　20；000。　…

These　figures　go　on　increasing　on　the　old　territory　through　the　very

development　of　the　new　organization；　through　the　enormous　increase　of

the　army；　through　the　re…establishment　of　religious　worship；　through

the　installation　of　droits　réunis；　through　the　institution　of　the

University；　owing　to　the　increasing　number　of　officials；　curés　and

assistant…priests；　of　professors　and　school…teachers；　and　of　retired

and　pensioned　invalids。＇37＇



And　these　figures；　which　already　swell　of　themselves；　are　to　swell　an

additional　half　through　the　extension　of　the　ancient　territory。

Instead　of　86　departments　with　a　population　of　26　millions；　France

ends　in　comprising　130　departments　with　42　million　inhabitants　…

Belgium　and　Piedmont；　then　Hanover；　Tuscany；　Central　Italy；　Illyria；

Holland　and　the　Hanseatic　provinces；　that　is　to　say　44　departments　and

16　millions　of　annexed　Frenchmen；＇38＇　affording　another　large　outlet

for　little　and　big　ambitions。　…　Add　still　another；　as　a　surplus　and

not　less　extensive　outlet；　outside　of　France：　for　the　subject　princes

and　the　vassal　kings；　Eugène；　Louis；　Jerome；　Murat；　and　Joseph；　each

with　their　governments；　import　into　their　realms　a　more　or　less

numerous　body　of　French　officials；　familiars；　court　dignitaries；

generals；　ministers；　administrators；　even　clerks　and　other

indispensable　subalterns；　if　for　no　other　purpose　than　to　bring　the

natives　within　the　military　and　civil　compartments　of　the　new　Régime

and　teach　them　on　the　spot　the　conscription；　the　administration；　the

civil　code；　and　systems　of　accounts　like　those　of　Paris。　Even　in　the

independent　or　allied　States；　in　Prussia；　in　Poland；　in　the

confederation　of　the　Rhine；　there　are；　at　intervals　or　permanently；

Frenchmen　in　position　and　in　authority　to　command　contingent　forces；

to　garrison　fortresses；　to　receive　supplies　and　secure　the　payment　of

war　contributions。　Even　with　the　corporal　and　custom…house　inspector

on　duty　on　coast　at　Dantzig　and　at　Reggio；　the　sentiment　of　victorious

priority　equals　the　possession　of　rank；　in　their　eyes　the　natives　of

the　country　are　semi…barbarians　or　semi…savages；　a　backward　or

prejudiced　lot；　not　even　knowing　how　to　speak　their　language；　they

feel　themselves　superior；　as　formerly　the　se？or　soldado　of　the

sixteenth　century；　or　the　civis　romanus。　Never　since　the　great　Spanish

monarchy　and　the　Old　Roman　empire　has　a　conquering　State　and

propagator　of　a　new　régime　afforded　its　subjects　such　gratifications

of　self…esteem；　nor　opened　so　vast　a　career　to　their　ambitions。



For；　having　once　adopted　their　career；　they　know　better　than　the

Spaniards　under　Charles　V。　or　the　Romans　under　Augustus；　how　far　they

can　go　and　how　fast　they　can　get　ahead。　No　obstacle　impedes　them；

nobody　feels　himself　confined　his　post；　each　considers　the　one　he

occupies　as　provisional；　each　takes　it　only　to　await　a　better　one；

anticipating　another　at　a　very　early　date；　he　dashes　onward；　springs

aloft　and　occupies　in　advance　the　superior　post　which　he　means　to

secure　on　the　first　vacancy；　and；　under　this　Régime；　the　vacancies　are

numerous。　…　These　vacancies；　in　the　military　service　and　in　the　grade

of　officers；　may　be　estimated　at　nearly　four　thousand　per　annum；＇39＇

after　1808　and　1809；　but　especially　after　the　disaster　of　1812　and

1813；　places　are　no　longer　lacking　but　subjects　fill　them；　Napoleon　is

obliged　to　accept　youths　for　officers　as　beardless　as　his　conscripts；

eighteen…year…old　apprentices　who；　after　a　year　or　six　months　in　the

military　academy；　might　finish　their　apprenticeship　on　the　battle…

field；　pupils　taken　from　the　philosophy　or　rhetoric　classes；　willing

children　（de　bonne　volonté）：　On　the　13th　of　December　1808；　he　draws　50

from　his　lycées；　who　don　the　gold…lace　of　under…officers　at　once；　in

1809；　he　calls　out　250；　to　serve　in　the　depot　battalions；　in　1810；　he

calls　out　150　of　the　age　of　nineteen　who　〃know　the　drill；〃　and　who　are

to　be　sent　on　distant　expeditions　with　the　commission　of　second…

lieutenant；　in　1811；　400　for　the　school　of　noncommissioned　officers　at

Fontainebleau；　20　for　the　Ile…de…Ré　and　84　who　are　to　be

quartermasters；　and；　in　1812；　112　more　and　so　on。　Naturally；　thanks　to

annually　increasing　gaps　made　by　cannon　and　bayonet；　the　survivors　in

this　body　of　youth　mount　the　faster；　in　1813　and　1814；　there　are

colonels　and　lieutenant…colonels　of　the　age　of　twenty…five。



In　the　civil　service；　if　fewer　are　killed　everybody　is　almost　equally

over　tasked。　Under　this　reign　one　is　soon　used　up；　physically　and

morally；　even　in　pacific　employments；　and　this　also　supplies

vacancies。　Besides；　in　default　of　deaths；　wounds　and　violent

elimination；　there　is　another　elimination；　not　less　efficacious；

operating　in　this　direction；　and　for　a　long　time；　in　favor　of　men　of

ability；　preparing　places　for　them　and　accelerating　their　advancement。

Napoleon　accepts　none　but　competent　candidates；　now；　in　1800；　there　is

a　dearth　of　acceptable　candidates　for　places　in　the　civil　service　and

not；　as　in　1789；　or　at　the　present　time；　a　superabundance　and　even　too

great　a　crowd。　…　In　the　military　service　especially；　capacity　is

innate；　natural　endowments；　courage；　coolness；　quick　perception；

physical　activity；　moral　ascendancy；　topographical　imagination　form

its　principal　elements；　men　just　able　to　read；　write　and　cipher

became；　in　three　or　four　years；　during　the　Revolution；　admirable

officers　and　conquering　generals。　…　It　is　not　the　same　in　relation　to

civil　capacity；　this　requires　long　and　continuous　study。　To　become　a

priest；　magistrate；　engineer；　professor；　prefect　or　school…teacher；

one　must　have　studied　theology　or　law；　mathematics　or　Latin；

administration　or　the　finances。　If　not；　the　functionary　is　not

qualified　to　serve：　he　must；　at　the　very　least；　know　how　to　spell；　be

able　to　write　French；　examine　a　law…case；　draw　up　a　report；　keep

accounts；　and　if　needs　be；　comprehend　a　plan；　make　an　estimate　and

read　off　a　map。　Men　of　this　stamp　are　rare　at　the　beginning　of　the

Consulate。　As　notables；＇40＇　the　Revolution　mowed　them　down　first。

Among　all　their　sons　and　so　many　well…bred　youth　who　have　become

soldiers　through　patriotism；　or　who　have　left　their　families　to

prevent　these　from　becoming　suspect；　one　half　repose　on　the

battlefield　or　have　left　the　hospital　only　for　the　cemetery；　〃the

muscadin＇41＇　died　from　the　first　campaign。〃　In　any　event；　for　them　and

their　younger　brothers；　for　the　children　beginning　to　learn　Latin　and

mathematics；　for　all　who　hoped　to　pursue　liberal　professions；　for　the

entire　generation　about　to　receive　either　a　superior；　a　common；　or

even　a　primary　instruction；　and　hence　to　furnish　brains　prepared　for

intellectual　work；　there　was　a　lack　of　this　for　ten　years。　Not　only

were　the　endowments　which　provided　for　instruction　confiscated　but　the

educational　staff；　nearly　all　ecclesiastic；　was　one　of　the　most

proscribed　among　those　proscribed。　Whilst　military　requisition　and　the

closing　of　the　schools　suppressed　the　pupils；　massacres；　banishment；

imprisonment；　destitution　and　the　scaffold　suppressed　the　teachers。

Whilst　the　ruin　of　universities　and　colleges　did　away　with　theoretical

apprenticeship；　the　ruin　of　manufactures　and　of　trade　abolished

practical　apprenticeship。　Through　the　long　interruption　of　all

studies；　general　instruction　as　well　as　special　competency　became　rare

product　in　the　market。　…　Hence　it　is　that；　in　1800；　and　during　the

three　or　four　following　years；　whoever　brought　to　market　either　one

the　other　of　these　commodities　was　certain　of　a　quick　sale；＇42＇　the

new　government　needed　them　more　than　anybody。　The　moment　the　seller

made　up　his　mind；　he　was　bought；　and；　whatever　he　may　be；　a　former

Jacobin　or　a　former　émigré；　he　is　employed。　If　he　brings　both

commodities　and　is　zealous；　he　is　promptly　promoted；　if；　on　trial；　he

is　found　of　superior　capacity；　he　will；　like　Mollien；　Gaudin；

Tronchet；　Pasquier　and　Molé；　attain　to　the　highest　posts；　for　he　finds

scarcely　any　competitors。　These　he　would　have　had　had　things　followed

their　usual　course；　it　is　the　Revolution　which　has　cleared　the　ground

around　him；　without　that　the　road　would　have　been　obstructed；

competent　candidates　would　have　swarmed。　Reckon；　if　possible；　how　many

men　of　talent　who　were　destroyed；　royalists；　monarchists；　feuillants；

Girondists　and　even　Jacobins。　They　were　the　élite　of　the　noblesse；　of

the　clergy；　of　the　bourgeoisie；　of　the　youth　and　those　of　riper　age。

Thus　rid　of　their　most　formidable　rivals　the　survivors　pursue　their

way　at　top　speed；　the　guillotine　has　wrought　for　them　in　advance；　it

has　effected　openings　in　their　own　ranks；　made　by　bullets　in　every

battle　in　the　ranks　of　the　army；　and