the origins of contemporary france-2-第47节

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burnt　in　the　recent　jacqueries：　otherwise　he　is　despoiled　without

indemnity。　　All　feudal　claims　are　swept　away　by　this　act　without

exception　and　without　compensation。



In　a　similar　manner；　the　Constituent　Assembly；　setting　common　law

aside　in　relation　to　inheritances　ab　intestato；　had　deprived　all

eldest　sons　and　males　of　any　advantages。＇30＇　　The　Convention；

suppressing　the　freedom　of　testamentary　bequest；　prohibits　the

father　from　disposing　of　more　than　one…tenth　of　his　possessions；　and

again；　going　back　to　the　past；　it　makes　its　decrees　retrospective：

every　will　opened　after　the　14th　of　July；　1789；　is　declared　invalid

if　not　in　conformity　with　this　decree；　every　succession　from　the

14th　of　June；　1789；　which　is　administered　after　the　same　date；　is

re…divided　if　the　division　has　not　been　equal；　every　donation　which

has　been　made　among　the　heirs　after　the　same　date　is　void。　　Not　only

is　the　feudal　family　destroyed　in　this　way；　but　it　must　never　be

reformed。　　The　aristocracy；　being　once　declared　a　venomous　plant；　it

is　not　sufficient　to　prime　it　away；　but　it　must　be　extirpated；　not

only　dug　up　by　the　root；　but　its　seed　must　be　crushed　out。　　　　A

malignant　prejudice　is　aroused　against　it；　and　this　grows　from　day

to　day。　　The　stings　of　self…conceit；　the　disappointments　of

ambition；　and　envious　sentiments　have　prepared　the　way。　　Its　hard；

dry　kernel　consists　of　the　abstract　idea　of　equality。　　All　around

revolutionary　fervor　has　caused　blood　to　flow；　has　embittered

tempers；　intensified　sensibilities；　and　created　a　painful　abscess

which　daily　irritation　renders　still　more　painful。　　Through　steadily

brooding　over　a　purely　speculative　preference　this　has　become　a

fixed　idea；　and　is　becoming　a　murderous　one。　　It　is　a　strange

passion；　one　wholly　of　the　brains；　nourished　by　magniloquent

phrases；　but　the　more　destructive；　because　phantoms　are　created　out

of　words；　and　against　phantoms　no　reasoning　nor　actual　facts　can

prevail。　　This　or　that　shopkeeper　who；　up　to　this　time；　had　always

formed　his　idea　of　nobles　from　his　impressions　of　the　members　of　the

Parliament　of　his　town　or　of　the　gentry　of　his　canton；　now　pictures

them　according　to　the　declamations　of　the　club　and　the　invectives　of

the　newspapers。　　The　imaginary　figure；　in　his　mind；　has　gradually

absorbed　the　living　figure：　he　no　longer　sees　the　calm　and　engaging

countenance；　but　a　grinning　and　distorted　mask。　　Kindliness　or

indifference　is　replaced　by　animosity　and　distrust；　they　are

overthrown　tyrants；　ancient　evil…doers；　And　enemies　of　the　public；

he　is　satisfied　beforehand　and　without　further　investigation　that

they　are　hatching　plots。　　If　they　avoid　being　caught；　it　is　owing　to

their　address　and　perfidy；　and　they　are　only　the　more　dangerous　the

more　inoffensive　they　appear。　　Their　sub…mission　is　merely　a　feint；

their　resignation　hypocrisy；　their　favorable　disposition；　treachery。

Against　these　conspirators　who　cannot　be　touched　the　law　is

inadequate；　let　us　stretch　it　in　practice；　and　as　they　wince　at

equality　let　us　try　to　make　them　bow　beneath　the　yoke。



In　fact；　illegal　persecution　precedes　legal　prosecution　；　the

privileged　person　who；　by　the　late　decrees；　seems　merely　to　be

brought　within　the　pale　of　the　common　law；　is；　in　fact；　driven

outside　of　it。　　The　King；　disarmed；　is　no　longer　able　to　protect

him；　the　partial　Assembly　repels　his　complaints　；　the　committee　of

inquiry　regards　him　as　a　culprit　when　he　is　simply　oppressed。　　His

income；　his　property；　his　repose；　his　freedom；　his　home；　his　life；

that　of　his　wife　and　of　his　children；　are　in　the　hands　of　an

administration　elected　by　the　crowd；　directed　by　clubs；　and

threatened　or　violated　by　the　mob。　　He　is　debarred　from　the

elections。　　The　newspapers　denounce　him。　　He　undergoes　domiciliary

visits。　　In　hundreds　of　places　his　chateau　is　sacked；　the　assassins

and　incendiaries　who　depart　from　it　with　their　hands　full　and

steeped　in　blood　are　not　prosecuted；　or　are　shielded　by　an

amnesty：＇31＇　it　is　established　by　innumerable　precedents　that　he　may

be　run　down　with　impunity。　　To　prevent　him　from　defending　himself；

companies　of　the　National　Guard　come　and　seize　his　arms：　he　must

become　a　prey；　and　an　easy　prey；　like　game　kept　back　in　its

enclosure　for　an　approaching　hunt。　　　　In　vain　he　abstains　from

provocation　and　reduces　himself　to　the　standing　of　a　private

individual。　　In　vain　does　he　patiently　endure　numerous　provocations

and　resist　only　extreme　violence。　　I　have　read　many　hundreds　of

investigations　in　the　original　manuscripts；　and　almost　always　I　have

admired　the　humanity　of　the　nobles；　their　forbearance；　their　horror

of　bloodshed。　　Not　only　are　a　great　many　of　them　men　of　courage　and

all　men　of　honor；　but　also；　educated　in　the　philosophy　of　the

eighteenth　century；　they　are　mild；　sensitive；　and　deeds　of　violence

are　repugnant　to　them。　　Military　officers　especially　are　exemplary；

their　great　defect　being　their　weakness：　rather　than　fire　on　the

crowd　they　surrender　the　forts　under　their　command；　and　allow

themselves　to　be　insulted　and　stoned　by　the　people。　　For　two

years；＇32＇　〃exposed　to　a　thousand　outrages；　to　defamation；　to　daily

peril；　persecuted　by　clubs　and　misguided　soldiers；〃　disobeyed；

menaced；　put　under　arrest　by　their　own　men；　they　remain　at　their

post　to　prevent　the　ranks　from　being　broken　up；　〃with　stoic

perseverance　they　put　up　with　contempt　of　their　authority　that　they

may　preserve　its　semblance；　their　courage　is　of　that　rarest　kind

which　consists　in　remaining　at　the　post　of　duty；　impassive　beneath

both　affronts　and　blows。　　　　Through　a　wrong　of　the　greatest

magnitude；　an　entire　class　which　have　no　share　in　the　favors　of　the

Court；　and　which　suffered　as　many　injuries　as　any　of　the　common

plebeians；　is　confounded　with　the　titled　parasites　who　besiege　the

antechambers　of　Versailles。　　Twenty…five　thousand　families；　〃the

nursery　of　the　army　and　the　fleet；〃　the　elite　of　the　agricultural

proprietors；　also　many　gentlemen　who　look　after　and　turn　to　account

the　little　estates　on　which　they　live；　and　〃who　have　not　left　their

homes　a　year　in　their　lives；〃　become　the　pariahs　of　their

canton。＇33＇　　After　1789；　they　begin　to　feel　that　their　position　is

no　longer　tenable。＇34＇



〃　It　is　absolutely　in　opposition　to　the　rights　of　man；〃　says　another

letter　from　Franche…Comté；　〃to　find　one's　self　in　perpetual　fear　of

having　one's　throat　cut　by　scoundrels　who　are　daily　confounding

liberty　with　license。〃



〃I　never　knew　anything　so　wearying；〃　says　another　letter　from

Champagne；　〃as　this　anxiety　about　property　and　security。　　Never　was

there　a　better　reason　for　it。　　A　moment　suffices　to　let　loose　an

intractable　population　which　thinks　that　it　may　do　what　it　pleases；

and　which　is　carefully　sustained　in　that　error〃



　〃After　the　sacrifices　that　we　have　made；〃　says　a　letter　from

Burgundy；　〃we　could　not　expect　such　treatment。　　I　thought　that　our

property　would　be　the　last　violated　because　the　people　owed　us　some

return　for　staying　at　home　in　the　country　to　expend　among　them　the

few　resources　that　remain　to　us。　　。　　。　　（Now）；　I　beg　the　Assembly　to

repeal　the　decree　on　emigration；　otherwise　it　may　be　said　that

people　are　purposely　kept　here　to　be　assassinated。　　。　　。　　In　case　it

should　refuse　to　do　us　this　justice；　I　should　be　quite　as　willing　to

have　it　decree　an　act　of　proscription　against　us；　for　we　should　not

then　be　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　protection　of　laws　which　are

doubtless　very　wise；　but　which　are　not　respected　anywhere。〃



　〃　It　is　not　our　privileges；〃　say　several　others；　〃it　is　not　our

nobility　that　we　regret；　but　how　is　the　persecution　to　which　we　are

abandoned　to　be　supported？　There　is　no　safety　for　us；　for　our

property；　or　for　our　families。　　Wretches　who　are　our　debtors；　the

small　farmers　who　rob　us　of　our　incomes；　daily　threaten　us　with　the

torch　and　the　lamp　post。　　We　do　not　enjoy　one　hour　of　repose；　not　a

night　that　we　are　certain　to　pass　through　without　trouble。　　Our

persons　are　given　up　to　the　vilest　outrages；　our　dwellings　to　an

inquisition　of　armed　tyrants；　we　are　robbed　of　our　rentals　with

impunity；　and　our　property　is　openly　attacked。　　We；　being　now　the

only　people　to　pay　imposts；　are　unfairly　taxed；　in　various　places

our　entire　incomes　would　not。　　suffice　to　pay　the　quota　which

crushes　us。　　We　can　make　no　complaint　without　incurring　the　risk　of

being　massacred。　　The　tribunals　and　the　administrative　bodies；　the

tools　of　the　multitude；　daily　sacrifice　us　to　its　attacks。　　Even　the

Government　seems　afraid　of　compromising　itself　by　claiming　the

protection　of　the　laws　on　our　behalf。　　It　is　sufficient　to　be

pointed　out　as　an　aristocrat　to　be　without　any　security。　　If　our

peasants；　in　general；　have　shown　more　honesty；　consideration；　and

attachment　toward　us；　every　bourgeois　of　importance；　the　wild

members　of　clubs；　the　vilest　of　men　who　sully　a　uniform；　consider

themselves　privileged　to　insult　us；　and　these　wretches　go　unpunish