the origins of contemporary france-3-第4章

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imagining　it　applied　and　in　operation。　From　personal　recollections　and

such　information　as　he　can　obtain；　he　forms　an　idea　of　some　village　or

town；　some　community　of　moderate　size　in　the　north；　in　the　south；　or

in　the　center　of　the　country；　for　which　he　has　to　make　laws。　He　then

imagines　its　inhabitants　acting　according　to　his　principle；　that　is　to

say；　voting；　mounting　guard；　levying　taxes；　and　administering　their

own　affairs。　Familiar　with　ten　or　a　dozen　groups　of　this　sort；　which

he　regards　as　examples；　he　concludes　by　analogy　as　to　others　and　the

rest　on　the　territory。　Evidently　it　is　a　difficult　and　uncertain

process；　to　be　exact；　or　nearly　so；　requires　rare　powers　of

observation　and；　at　each　step；　a　great　deal　of　tact；　for　a　nice

calculation　has　to　be　made　on　given　quantities　imperfectly　ascertained

and　imperfectly　noted！＇15＇　　Any　political　leader　who　does　this

successfully；　does　it　through　the　ripest　experience　associated　with

genius。　And　even　then　he　keeps　his　hand　on　the　check…rein　in　pushing

his　innovation　or　reform；　he　is　almost　always　tentative；　he　applies

his　law　only　in　part；　gradually　and　provisionally；　he　wishes　to

ascertain　its　effect；　he　is　always　ready　to　stay　its　operation；　amend

it；　or　modify　it；　according　to　the　good　or　ill　results　of　experiment；

the　state　of　the　human　material　he　has　to　deal　with　is　never　clear　to

his　mind；　even　when　superior；　until　after　many　and　repeated　gropings。

　Now　the　Jacobin　pursues　just　the　opposite　course。　His　principle　is

an　axiom　of　political　geometry；　which　always　carries　its　own　proof

along　with　it；　for；　like　the　axioms　of　common　geometry；　it　is　formed

out　of　the　combination　of　a　few　simple　ideas；　and　its　evidence　imposes

itself　at　once　on　all　minds　capable　of　embracing　in　one　conception　the

two　terms　of　which　it　is　the　aggregate　expression。　Man　in　general；　the

rights　of　Man；　the　social　contract；　liberty；　equality；　reason；　nature；

the　people；　tyrants；　are　examples　of　these　basic　concepts：　whether

precise　or　not；　they　fill　the　brain　of　the　new　sectarian。　Often　these

terms　are　merely　vague　and　grandiose　words；　but　that　makes　no

difference；　as　soon　as　they　meet　in　his　brain　an　axiom　springs　out　of

them　that　can　be　instantly　and　absolutely　applied　on　every　occasion

and　to　excess。　　Mankind　as　it　is　does　not　concern　him。　He　does　not

observe　them；　he　does　not　require　to　observe　them；　with　closed　eyes　he

imposes　a　pattern　of　his　own　on　the　human　substance　manipulated　by

him；　the　idea　never　enters　his　head　of　forming　any　previous　conception

of　this　complex；　multiform；　swaying　material　…　contemporary　peasants；

artisans；　townspeople；　curés　and　nobles；　behind　their　plows；　in　their

homes；　in　their　shops；　in　their　parsonages；　in　their　mansions；　with

their　inveterate　beliefs；　persistent　inclinations；　and　powerful　wills。

Nothing　of　this　enters　into　or　lodges　in　his　mind；　all　its　avenues　are

stopped　by　the　abstract　principle　which　flourishes　there　and　fills　it

completely。　Should　actual　experience　through　the　eye　or　ear　plant　some

unwelcome　truth　forcibly　in　his　mind；　it　cannot　subsist　there；　however

noisy　and　relentless　it　may　be；　the　abstract　principle　drives　it

out；＇16＇　if　need　be　it　will　distort　and　strangle　it；　considering　it　a

slanderer　since　it　refutes　a　principle　which　is　true　and　undeniable　in

itself。　Obviously；　a　mind　of　this　kind　is　not　sound；　of　the　two

faculties　which　should　pull　together　harmoniously；　one　is　degenerated

and　the　other　overgrown；　facts　cannot　turn　the　scale　against　the

theory。　Charged　on　one　side　and　empty　on　the　other；　the　Jacobin　mind

turns　violently　over　on　that　side　to　which　it　leans；　and　such　is　its

incurable　infirmity。



Consider；　indeed；　the　authentic　monuments　of　Jacobin　thought；　the

〃Journal　des　Amis　de　la　Constitution；〃　the　gazettes　of　Loustalot；

Desmoulins；　Brissot；　Condorcet；　Fréron　and　Marat；　Robespierre's；　and

St。　Just's　pamphlets　and　speeches；　the　debates　in　the　Legislative

Assembly　and　in　the　Convention；　the　harangues；　addresses　and　reports

of　the　Girondins　and　Montagnards；　in　brief；　the　forty　volumes　of

extracts　compiled　by　Buchez　and　Roux。　Never　has　so　much　been　said　to

so　little　purpose；　all　the　truth　that　is　uttered　is　drowned　in　the

monotony　and　　inflation　of　empty　verbiage　and　vociferous　bombast。　One

experience　in　this　direction　is　sufficient。＇17＇　　The　historian　who

resorts　this　mass　of　rubbish　for　accurate　information　finds　none　of

any　account；　in　vain　will　he　read　kilometers　of　it：　hardly　will　he

there　meet　one　fact；　one　instructive　detail；　one　document　which　brings

before　his　eyes　a　distinct　personality；　which　shows　him　the　real

sentiments　of　a　villager　or　of　a　gentleman；　which　vividly　portrays　the

interior　of　a　h？tel…de…ville；　of　a　soldier's　barracks；　of　a　municipal

chamber；　or　the　character　of　an　insurrection。　To　define　fifteen　or

twenty　types　and　situations　which　sum　up　the　history　of　the　period；　we

have　been　and　shall　be　obliged　to　seek　them　elsewhere　…　in　the

correspondence　of　local　administrators；　in　affidavits　on　criminal

records；　in　confidential　reports　of　the　police；＇18＇　and　in　the

narratives　of　foreigners；＇19＇　who；　prepared　for　it　by　a　different

education；　look　behind　words　for　things；　and　see　France　beyond　the

〃Contrat　Social。〃　This　teeming　France；　this　grand　tragedy　which

twenty…six　millions　of　players　are　performing　on　a　stage　of　26　000

square　leagues；　is　lost　to　the　Jacobin。　His　literature；　as　well　as　his

brain；　contain　only　insubstantial　generalizations　like　those　above

cited；　rolling　out　in　a　mere　play　of　ideas；　sometimes　in　concise　terms

when　the　writer　happens　to　be　a　professional　reasoner　like　Condorcet；

but　most　frequently　in　a　tangled；　knotty　style　full　of　loose　and

disconnected　meshes　when　the　spokesman　happens　to　be　an　improvised

politician　or　a　philosophic　tyro　like　the　ordinary　deputies　of　the

Assembly　and　the　speakers　of　the　clubs。　It　is　a　pedantic　scholasticism

set　forth　with　fanatical　rant。　Its　entire　vocabulary　consists　of　about

a　hundred　words；　while　all　ideas　are　reduced　to　one；　that　of　man　in

himself：　human　units；　all　alike　equal　and　independent；　contracting

together　for　the　first　time。　This　is　their　concept　of　society。　None

could　be　briefer；　for；　to　arrive　at　it；　man　had　to　be　reduced　to　a

minimum。　Never　were　political　brains　so　willfully　dried　up。　For　it　is

the　attempt　to　systematize　and　to　simplify　which　causes　their

impoverishment。　In　that　respect　they　go　by　the　methods　of　their　time

and　in　the　track　of　Jean…Jacques　Rousseau：　their　outlook　on　life　is

the　classic　view；　　which；　already　narrow　in　the　late　philosophers；　has

now　become　even　more　narrow　and　hardened。　The　best　representatives　of

the　type　are　Condorcet；＇20＇　among　the　Girondins；　and　Robespierre；

among　the　Montagnards；　both　mere　dogmatists　and　pure　logicians；　the

latter　the　most　remarkable　and　with　a　perfection　of　intellectual

sterility　never　surpassed。　　Unquestionably；　as　far　as　the

formulation　of　durable　laws　is　concerned；　i。e。　adapting　the　social

machinery　to　personalities；　conditions；　and　circumstances；　their

mentality　is　certainly　the　most　impotent　and　harmful。　It　is

organically　short…sighted；　and　by　interposing　their　principles　between

it　and　reality；　they　shut　off　the　horizon。　Beyond　their　crowd　and　the

club　it　distinguishes　nothing；　while　in　the　vagueness　and　confusion　of

the　distance　it　erects　the　hollow　idols　of　its　own　Utopia。　　But　when

power　is　to　be　seized　by　assault；　and　a　dictatorship　arbitrarily

exercised；　the　mechanical　inflexibility　of　such　a　mind　is　useful

rather　than　detrimental。　It　is　not　embarrassed　or　slowed　down；　like

that　of　a　statesman；　by　the　obligation　to　make　inquiries；　to　respect

precedents；　of　looking　into　statistics；　of　calculating　and　tracing

beforehand　in　different　directions　the　near　and　remote　consequences　of

its　work　as　this　affects　the　interests；　habits；　and　passions　of

diverse　classes。　All　this　is　now　obsolete　and　superfluous：　the　Jacobin

knows　on　the　spot　the　correct　form　of　government　and　the　good　laws。

For　both　construction　as　well　as　for　destruction；　his　rectilinear

method　is　the　quickest　and　most　vigorous。　For；　if　calm　reflection　is

required　to　get　at　what　suits　twenty…six　millions　of　living　Frenchmen；

a　mere　glance　suffices　to　understand　the　desires　of　the　abstract　men

of　their　theory。　Indeed；　according　to　the　theory；　men　are　all　shaped

to　one　pattern；　nothing　being　left　to　them　but　an　elementary　will；

thus　defined；　the　philosophic　robot　demands　liberty；　equality　and

popular　sovereignty；　the　maintenance　of　the　rights　of　man　and　adhesion

to　the　〃Contrat　Social。〃　That　is　enough：　from　now　on　the　will　of　the

people　is　known；　and　known　beforehand；　a　consultation　among　citizens

previous　to　action　is　not　essential；　there　is　no　obligation　to　await

their　votes。　In　any　events；　a　ratification　by　the　people　is　sure；　and

should　this　not　be　forthcoming　it　is　owing　to　their　ignorance；　disdain

or　malice；　in　which　case　their　response　deserves　to　be　considered　as

null。　The　best　thing　to　do；　consequently；　through　precaution　and　to

protect　the　people　from　what　is　bad　for　them；　is　to　dictate　to　them

what　is　good　for　them。　　　Here；　the　Jacobin　might　be　sincere；　for　the

men　in　whose　behalf　he　claims　rights　are　not　flesh…and…blood

Frenchmen；　as　we　see　them　in　the　streets　and　in　the　fields；　but　men　in

general；　as　they　ought　to　be　on　leaving　the　hands　of　Nature；　or　after

the　teachings　of　Reason。　As　to　the　former；　there　is　no　need　of　being

scrupulous　because　they　are　infatuated　with　prejudices　and　their

opinions　are　mere　drivel；　as　for　the　latter；　it　is　just　the　opposite：

full　of　respect　for　the　vainglorious　images　of　his　own　theory；　of

ghosts　produced　by　his　own　intellectual　device；　the　Jacobin　will

always　bow　down　to　responses　that　he　himself　has　provided；　for；　the

beings　that　he　has　created　are　more　real　in　his　eyes　than　living　ones

and　it　is　their　suffrage　on　which　he　counts。　Accordingly；　viewing

things　in　the　worst　lights；　he　has　nothing　against　him　but　the

momentary　antipathy　of　a　purblind　generation。　To　offset　this；　he

enjoys　the　approval　of　humanity；　self…obtained；　that　of　a　posterity

which　his　acts　have　regenerated；　that　of　men　who；　thanks　to　him；　who

are　again　become　what　they　should　never　have　ceased　to　be。　Hence；　far

from　looking　upon　himself　as　an　usurper　or　a　tyrant；　he　considers

himself　the　natural　mandatory　of　a　veritable　people；　the　authorized

executor　of　the　common　will。　Marching　along　in　the　procession　formed

for　him　by　this　imaginary　crowd；　sustained　by　millions　of　metaphysical

wills　created　by　himself　in　his　own　image；　he　has　their　unanimous

assent；　and；　like　a　chorus　of　triumphant　shouts；　he　will　fill　the

outward　world　with　the　inward　echo　of　his　own　voice。



IV。



What　the　theory　promises。　…　How　it　flatters　wounded　self…esteem。　

The　ruling　passion　of　the　Jacobin。　　Apparent　both　in　style　and

conduct。　　He　alone　is　virtuous　in　his　own　estimation；