the origins of contemporary france-2-第60节

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Their　feeble　authority。…　Insufficiency　of　their　means　of　action。　…

The　role　of　the　National　Guard。　　…



Let　us　follow　these　municipal　kings　into　their　own　domain：　the

burden　on　their　shoulders　is　immense；　and　much　beyond　what　human

strength　can　support。　　All　the　details　of　executive　duty　are

confided　to　them；　they　have　not　to　busy　themselves　with　a　petty

routine；　but　with　a　complete　social　system　which　is　being　taken　to

pieces；　while　another　is　reconstructed　in　its　place。　…　They　are　in

possession　of　four　milliards　of　ecclesiastical　property；　real　and

personal；　and　soon　there　will　be　two　and　a　half　milliards　of

property　belonging　to　the　emigrants；　which　must　be　sequestered；

valued；　managed；　inventoried；　divided；　sold；　and　the　proceeds

received。　　They　have　seven　or　eight　thousand　monks　and　thirty

thousand　nuns　to　displace；　install；　sanction；　and　provide　for。　　They

have　forty…six　thousand　ecclesiastics；　bishops；　canons；　curés；　and

vicars；　to　dispossess；　replace；　often　by　force；　and　later　on　to

expel；　intern；　imprison；　and　support。　　They　are　obliged　to　discuss；

trace　out；　teach　and　make　public　new　territorial　boundaries；　those

of　the　commune；　of　the　district　and　of　the　department。　　They　have　to

convoke；　lodge；　and　protect　the　numerous　primary　and　secondary

Assemblies；　to　supervise　their　operations；　which　sometimes　last　for

weeks。　　They　must　install　those　elected　by　them；　justices　of　the

peace；　officers　of　the　National　Guard；　judges；　public　prosecutors；

curés；　bishops；　district　and　departmental　administrators。　　They　are

to　form　new　lists　of　tax…payers；　apportion　amongst　themselves；

according　to　a　new　system　of　impost；　entirely　new　real　and　personal

taxes；　decide　on　claims；　appoint　an　assessor；　regularly　audit　his

accounts　and　verify　his　books；　aid　him　with　force；　use　force　in　the

collection　of　the　excise　and　salt　duties；　which　being　reduced；

equalized；　and　transformed　in　vain　by　the　National　Assembly；　afford

no　returns　in　spite　of　its　decrees。　　They　are　obliged　to　find　the

funds　for　dressing；　equipping；　and　arming　the　National　Guard；　to

step　in　between　it　and　the　military　commanders；　and　to　maintain

concord　between　its　diverse　battalions。　　They　have　to　protect

forests　from　pillage；　communal　land　from　being　invaded；　to　maintain

the　octroi；　to　protect　former　functionaries；　ecclesiastics；　and

nobles；　suspected　and　threatened；　and；　above　all；　to　provide；　no

matter　how；　provisions　for　the　commune　which　lacks　food；　and

consequently；　to　raise　subscriptions；　negotiate　purchases　at　a

distance　and　even　abroad；　organize　escorts；　indemnify　bakers；　supply

the　market　every　week　notwithstanding　the　dearth；　the　insecurity　of

roads；　and　the　resistance　of　cultivators。　…　Even　an　absolute　chief；

sent　from　a　distance　and　from　high　place；　the　most　energetic　and

expert　possible；　supported　by　the　best…disciplined　and　most　obedient

troops；　would　scarcely　succeed　in　such　an　undertaking；　and　there　is

instead　only　a　municipality　which　has　neither　the　authority；　the

means；　the　experience；　the　capacity；　nor　the　will。



In　the　country；　says　an　orator　in　the　tribune；＇21＇　〃the　municipal

officers；　in　twenty　thousand　out　of　forty　thousand　municipalities；

do　not　know　how　to　read　or　write。〃　The　curé；　in　effect；　is　excluded

from　such　offices　by　law；　and；　save　in　La　Vendée　and　the　noble　is

excluded　by　public　opinion。　　Besides；　in　many　of　the　provinces；

nothing　but　patois　is　spoken。＇22＇　French；　especially　the　philosophic

and　abstract　phraseology　of　the　new　laws　and　proclamations；　remains

gibberish　to　their　inhabitants。　　They　cannot　possibly　understand　and

apply　the　complicated　decrees　and　fine…spun　instructions　which　reach

them　from　Paris。　　They　hurry　off　to　the　towns；　get　the　duties　of　the

office　imposed　on　them　explained　and　commented　on　in　detail；　try　to

comprehend；　imagine　they　do；　and　then；　the　following　week；　come　back

again　without　having　understood　anything；　either　the　mode　of　keeping

state　registers；　the　distinction　between　feudal　rights　which　are

abolished　and　those　retained；　the　regulations　they　should　enforce　in

cases　of　election；　the　limits　which　the　law　imposes　as　to　their

powers　and　subordination。　　Nothing　of　all　this　finds　its　way　into

their　rude；　untrained　brains；　instead　of　a　peasant　who　has　just　left

his　oxen；　there　is　needed　here　a　legal　adept　aided　by　a　trained

clerk。　…　Prudential　considerations　must　be　added　to　their　ignorance。

They　do　not　wish　to　make　enemies　for　themselves　in　their　commune；

and　they　abstain　from　any　positive　action；　especially　in　all　tax

matters。　　Nine　months　after　the　decree　on　the　patriotic

contribution；　〃twenty…eight　thousand　municipalities　are　overdue；　not

having　（yet）　returned　either　rolls　or　estimates。〃＇23＇　　At　the　end　of

January；　1792；　〃out　of　forty　thousand　nine　hundred　and　eleven

municipalities；　only　five　thousand　four　hundred　and　forty…eight　have

deposited　their　registers；　two　thousand　five　hundred　and　eighty

rolls　only　are　definitive　and　in　process　of　collection。　　A　large

number　have　not　even　begun　their　sectional　statements。〃＇24＇　…　It　is

much　worse　when；　thinking　that　they　do　understand　it；　they　undertake

to　do　their　work。　　In　their　minds；　incapable　of　abstraction；　the　law

is　transformed　and　deformed　by　extraordinary　interpretations。　　We

shall　see　what　it　becomes　when　it　is　brought　to　bear　on　feudal　dues；

on　the　forests；　on　communal　rights；　on　the　circulation　of　corn；　on

the　taxes　on　provisions；　on　the　supervision　of　the　aristocrats；　and

on　the　protection　of　persons　and　property。　　According　to　them；　it

authorizes　and　invites　them　to　do　by　force；　and　at　once；　whatever

they　need　or　desire　for　the　time　being。　…　The　municipal　officers　of

the　large　boroughs　and　towns；　more　acute　and　often　able　to

comprehend　the　decrees；　are　scarcely　in　a　better　condition　to　carry

them　out　effectively。　　They　are　undoubtedly　intelligent；　inspired　by

the　best　disposition；　and　zealous　for　the　public　welfare。　　During

the　first　two　years　of　the　Revolution　it　is；　on　the　whole；　the　best

informed　and　most　liberal　portion　of　the　bourgeoisie　which；　in　the

department　as　in　the　district；　undertakes　the　management　of　affairs。

Almost　all　are　men　of　the　law；　advocates；　notaries；　and　attorneys；

with　a　small　number　of　the　old　privileged　class　imbued　with　the　same

spirit；　a　canon　at　Besan？on；　a　gentleman　at　N？mes。　　Their　intentions

are　of　the　very　best；　they　love　order　and　liberty；　they　give　their

time　and　their　money；　they　hold　permanent　sessions　and　accomplish　an

incredible　amount　of　work；　and　they　often　voluntarily　expose

themselves　to　great　danger。　…　But　they　are　bourgeois　philosophers；

and；　in　this　latter　particular；　similar　to　their　deputies　in　the

National　Assembly；　and；　with　this　twofold　character；　as　incapable　as

their　deputies　of　governing　a　disintegrated　nation。　　In　this　twofold

character　they　are　ill…disposed　towards　the　ancient　régime；　hostile

to　Catholicism　and　feudal　rights；　unfavorable　to　the　clergy　and　the

nobility；　inclined　to　extend　the　bearing　and　exaggerate　the　rigor　of

recent　decrees；　partisans　of　the　Rights　of　Man；　and；　therefore；

humanitarians　and　optimists；　disposed　to　excuse　the　misdeeds　of　the

people；　hesitating；　tardy　and　often　timid　in　the　face　of　an　outbreak

…　in　short；　admirable　writers；　exhorters；　and　reformers；　but　good

for　nothing　when　it　comes　to　breaking　heads　and　risking　their　own

bones。　　They　have　not　been　brought　up　in　such　a　way　as　to　become　men

of　action　in　a　single　day。　　Up　to　this　time　they　have　always　lived

as　passive　administrators；　as　quiet　individuals；　as　studious　men　and

clerks；　domesticated；　conversational；　and　polished；　to　whom　words

concealed　facts；　and　who；　on　their　evening　promenade；　warmly

discussed　important　principles　of　government；　without　any

consciousness　of　the　practical　machinery　which；　with　a　police…system

for　its　ultimate　wheel；　rendered　themselves；　their　promenade；　and

their　conversation　perfectly　secure。　　They　are　not　imbued　with　that

sentiment　of　social　danger　which　produces　the　veritable　chief；　the

man　who　subordinates　the　emotions　of　pity　to　the　exigencies　of　the

public　service。　　They　are　not　aware　that　it　is　better　to　mow　down　a

hundred　conscientious　citizens　rather　than　let　them　hang　a　culprit

without　a　trial。　　Repression；　in　their　hands；　is　neither　prompt；

rigid；　nor　constant。　　They　continue　to　be　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville　what

they　were　when　they　went　into　it；　so　many　jurists　and　scribes；

fruitful　in　proclamations；　reports；　and　correspondence。　　Such　is

wholly　their　role；　and；　if　any　amongst　them；　with　more　energy；

desires　to　depart　from　it；　he　has　no　hold　on　the　commune　which；

according　to　the　Constitution；　he　has　to　direct；　and　on　that　armed

force　which　is　entrusted　to　him　with　a　view　to　insure　the　observance

of　the　laws。



To　insure　respect　for　authority；　indeed；　it　must　not　spring　up　on

the　spot　and　under　the　hands　of　its　subordinates。　　It　loses　its

prestige　and　independence　when　those　who　c