what is property-第99节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ying　that　which　exists　and　beginning　over　again　the　past；　I　prefer　to　render　every　thing　legitimate　by　correcting　it。　　It　is　true　that　the　corrections　which　I　propose；　though　respecting　the　form；　tend　to　finally　change　the　nature　of　the　things　corrected。　　Who　denies　it？　　But　it　is　precisely　that　which　constitutes　my　system　of　_statu　quo_。　　I　make　no　war　upon　symbols；　figures；　or　phantoms。　　I　respect　scarecrows；　and　bow　before　bugbears。　　I　ask；　on　the　one　hand；　that　property　be　left　as　it　is；　but　that　interest　on　all　kinds　of　capital　be　gradually　lowered　and　finally　abolished；　on　the　other　hand；　that　the　charter　be　maintained　in　its　present　shape；　but　that　method　be　introduced　into　administration　and　politics。　　That　is　all。　　Nevertheless；　submitting　to　all　that　is；　though　not　satisfied　with　it；　I　endeavor　to　conform　to　the　established　order；　and　to　render　unto　Caesar　the　things　that　are　Caesar's。　　Is　it　thought；　for　instance；　that　I　love　property？　。　。　。　　Very　well；　I　am　myself　a　proprietor　and　do　homage　to　the　right　of　increase；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　I　have　creditors　to　whom　I　faithfully　pay；　every　year；　a　large　amount　of　interest。　　The　same　with　politics。　　Since　we　are　a　monarchy；　I　would　cry；　〃LONG　LIVE　THE　KING；〃　rather　than　suffer　death；　which　does　not　prevent　me；　however；　from　demanding　that　the　irremovable；　inviolable；　and　hereditary　representative　of　the　nation　shall　act　with　the　proletaires　against　the　privileged　classes；　in　a　word；　that　the　king　shall　become　the　leader　of　the　radical　party。　　Thereby　we　proletaires　would　gain　every　thing；　and　I　am　sure　that；　at　this　price；　Louis　Philippe　might　secure　to　his　family　the　perpetual　presidency　of　the　republic。　　And　this　is　why　I　think　so。

If　there　existed　in　France　but　one　great　functional　inequality；　the　duty　of　the　functionary　being；　from　one　end　of　the　year　to　the　other；　to　hold　full　court　of　savants；　artists；　soldiers；　deputies；　inspectors；　&c。；　it　is　evident　that　the　expenses　of　the　presidency　then　would　be　the　national　expenses；　and　that；　through　the　reversion　of　the　civil　list　to　the　mass　of　consumers；　the　great　inequality　of　which　I　speak　would　form　an　exact　equation　with　the　whole　nation。　　Of　this　no　economist　needs　a　demonstration。　　Consequently；　there　would　be　no　more　fear　of　cliques；　courtiers；　and　appanages；　since　no　new　inequality　could　be　established。　　The　king；　as　king；　would　have　friends　（unheard…　of　thing）；　but　no　family。　　His　relatives　or　kinsmen；_agnats　et　cognats_；if　they　were　fools；　would　be　nothing　to　him；　and　in　no　case；　with　the　exception　of　the　heir　apparent；　would　they　have；　even　in　court；　more　privileges　than　others。　　No　more　nepotism；　no　more　favor；　no　more　baseness。　　No　one　would　go　to　court　save　when　duty　required；　or　when　called　by　an　honorable　distinction；　and　as　all　conditions　would　be　equal　and　all　functions　equally　honored；　there　would　be　no　other　emulation　than　that　of　merit　and　virtue。　　I　wish　the　king　of　the　French　could　say　without　shame；　〃My　brother　the　gardener；　my　sister…in…law　the　milk…maid；　my　son　the　prince…royal；　and　my　son　the　blacksmith。〃　His　daughter　might　well　be　an　artist。　　That　would　be　beautiful；　sir；　that　would　be　royal；　no　one　but　a　buffoon　could　fail　to　understand　it。

In　this　way；　I　have　come　to　think　that　the　forms　of　royalty　may　be　made　to　harmonize　with　the　requirements　of　equality；　and　have　given　a　monarchical　form　to　my　republican　spirit。　　I　have　seen　that　France　contains　by　no　means　as　many　democrats　as　is　generally　supposed；　and　I　have　compromised　with　the　monarchy。　　I　do　not　say；　however；　that；　if　France　wanted　a　republic；　I　could　not　accommodate　myself　equally　well；　and　perhaps　better。　　By　nature；　I　hate　all　signs　of　distinction；　crosses　of　honor；　gold　lace；　liveries；　costumes；　honorary　titles；　&c。；　and；　above　all；　parades。　　If　I　had　my　way；　no　general　should　be　distinguished　from　a　soldier；　nor　a　peer　of　France　from　a　peasant。　　Why　have　I　never　taken　part　in　a　review？　for　I　am　happy　to　say；　sir；　that　I　am　a　national　guard；　I　have　nothing　else　in　the　world　but　that。　　Because　the　review　is　always　held　at　a　place　which　I　do　not　like；　and　because　they　have　fools　for　officers　whom　I　am　compelled　to　obey。　　You　see；and　this　is　not　the　best　of　my　history；that；　in　spite　of　my　conservative　opinions；　my　life　is　a　perpetual　sacrifice　to　the　republic。

Nevertheless；　I　doubt　if　such　simplicity　would　be　agreeable　to　French　vanity；　to　that　inordinate　love　of　distinction　and　flattery　which　makes　our　nation　the　most　frivolous　in　the　world。　　M。　Lamartine；　in　his　grand　〃Meditation　on　Bonaparte；〃　calls　the　French　A　NATION　OF　BRUTUSES。　　We　are　merely　a　nation　of　Narcissuses。　　Previous　to　'89；　we　had　the　aristocracy　of　blood；　then　every　bourgeois　looked　down　upon　the　commonalty；　and　wished　to　be　a　nobleman。　　Afterwards；　distinction　was　based　on　wealth；　and　the　bourgeoisie　jealous　of　the　nobility；　and　proud　of　their　money；　used　1830　to　promote；　not　liberty　by　any　means；　but　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。　　When；　through　the　force　of　events；　and　the　natural　laws　of　society；　for　the　development　of　which　France　offers　such　free　play；　equality　shall　be　established　in　functions　and　fortunes；　then　the　beaux　and　the　belles；　the　savants　and　the　artists；　will　form　new　classes。　　There　is　a　universal　and　innate　desire　in　this　Gallic　country　for　fame　and　glory。　　We　must　have　distinctions；　be　they　what　they　may；　nobility；　wealth；　talent；　beauty；　or　dress。　　I　suspect　MM。　Arage　and　Garnier…Pages　of　having　aristocratic　manners；　and　I　picture　to　myself　our　great　journalists；　in　their　columns　so　friendly　to　the　people；　administering　rough　kicks　to　the　compositors　in　their　printing　offices。

〃This　man；〃　once　said　〃Le　National〃　in　speaking　of　Carrel；　〃whom　we　had　proclaimed　FIRST　CONSUL！　。　。　。　　Is　it　not　true　that　the　monarchical　principle　still　lives　in　the　hearts　of　our　democrats；　and　that　they　want　universal　suffrage　in　order　to　make　themselves　kings？　　Since　〃Le　National〃　prides　itself　on　holding　more　fixed　opinions　than　〃Le　Journal　des　Debats；〃　I　presume　that；　Armand　Carrel　being　dead；　M。　Armand　Marrast　is　now　first　consul；　and　M。　Garnier…Pages　second　consul。　　In　every　thing　the　deputy　must　give　way　to　the　journalist。　　I　do　not　speak　of　M。　Arago；　whom　I　believe　to　be；　in　spite　of　calumny；　too　learned　for　the　consulship。　　Be　it　so。　　Though　we　have　consuls；　our　position　is　not　much　altered。　　I　am　ready　to　yield　my　share　of　sovereignty　to　MM。　Armand　Marrast　and　Garnier…Pages；　the　appointed　consuls；　provided　they　will　swear　on　entering　upon　the　duties　of　their　office；　to　abolish　property　and　not　be　haughty。

Forever　promises！　　Forever　oaths！　　Why　should　the　people　trust　in　tribunes；　when　kings　perjure　themselves？　　Alas！　truth　and　honesty　are　no　longer；　as　in　the　days　of　King　John；　in　the　mouth　of　princes。　　A　whole　senate　has　been　convicted　of　felony；　and；　the　interest　of　the　governors　always　being；　for　some　mysterious　reason；　opposed　to　the　interest　of　the　governed；　parliaments　follow　each　other　while　the　nation　dies　of　hunger。　　No；　no！　　No　more　protectors；　no　more　emperors；　no　more　consuls。　　Better　manage　our　affairs　ourselves　than　through　agents。　　Better　associate　our　industries　than　beg　from　monopolies；　and；　since　the　republic　cannot　dispense　with　virtues；　we　should　labor　for　our　reform。

This；　therefore；　is　my　line　of　conduct。　　I　preach　emancipation　to　the　proletaires；　association　to　the　laborers；　equality　to　the　wealthy。　　I　push　forward　the　revolution　by　all　means　in　my　power；the　tongue；　the　pen；　the　press；　by　action；　and　example。　　My　life　is　a　continual　apostleship。

Yes；　I　am　a　reformer；　I　say　it　as　I　think　it；　in　good　faith；　and　that　I　may　be　no　longer　reproached　for　my　vanity。　　I　wish　to　convert　the　world。　　Very　likely　this　fancy　springs　from　an　enthusiastic　pride　which　may　have　turned　to　delirium；　but　it　will　be　admitted　at　least　that　I　have　plenty　of　company；　and　that　my　madness　is　not　monomania。　　At　the　present　day；　everybody　wishes　to　be　reckoned　among　the　lunatics　of　Beranger。　　To　say　nothing　of　the　Babeufs；　the　Marats；　and　the　Robespierres；　who　swarm　in　our　streets　and　workshops；　all　the　great　reformers　of　antiquity　live　again　in　the　most　illustrious　personages　of　our　time。　　One　is　Jesus　Christ；　another　Moses；　a　third　Mahomet；　this　is　Orpheus；　that　Plato；　or　Pythagoras。　　Gregory　VII。；　himself；　has　risen　from　the　grave　together　with　the　evangelists　and　the　apostles；　and　it　may　turn　out　that　even　I　am　that　slave　who；　having　escaped　from　his　master's　house；　was　forthwith　made　a　bishop　and　a　reformer　by　St。　Paul。　　As　for　the　virgins　and　holy　women；　they　are　expected　daily；　at　present；　we　have　only　Aspasias　and　courtesans。

Now；　as　in　all　diseases；　the　diagnostic　varies　according　to　the　temperament；　so　my　madness　has　its　peculiar　aspects　and　distinguishing　characteristic。

Reformers；　as　a　general　thing；　are　jealous　of　their　role；　they　suffer　no　rivals；　they　want　no　partners；　they　have　disciples；　but　no　co…laborers。　　It　is　my　desire；　on　the　contrary；　to　communicate　my　enthusiasm；　and　to　make　it；　as　far　as　I　can；　epidemic。　　I　wish　that　all　were；　like　myself；　reformers；　in　order　that　there　might　be　no　more　sects；　and　that　Christs；　Anti…Christs；　and　false　Christs　might　be　forced　to　understand　and　agree　with　each　other。

Again；　every