the origins of contemporary france-5-第22节

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At　this　same　date；　all　the　ports　of　his　empire　are　closed　against　the

English；　which　leads　him　to　close　against　them　all　the　ports　of　the

Continent；　to　organize　against　them　the　continental　blockade；　to

proclaim　against　them　an　European　crusade；　to　prevent　the　neutrality

of　sovereigns　like　the　Pope；　of　lukewarm　subalterns　like　his　brother

Louis；　of　doubtful　collaborators　or　inadequate；　like　the　Braganzas　of

Portugal　and　the　Bourbons　of　Spain；　and　therefore　to　get　hold　of

Portugal；　Spain；　the　Pontifical　States；　and　Holland；　and　next　of　the

Hanseatic　towns　and　the　duchy　of　Oldenburg；　to　extending　along　the

entire　coast；　from　the　mouths　of　the　Cattaro　and　Trieste　to　Hamburg

and　Dantzic；　his　cordon　of　military　chiefs；　prefects；　and　custom…

houses；　a　sort　of　net　of　which　he　draws　the　meshes　tighter　and　tighter

every　day；　even　stifling　not　alone　his　home　consumer；　but　the　producer

and　the　merchant。＇118＇　…　And　all　this　sometimes　by　a　simple　decree；

with　no　other　alleged　motive　than　his　interest；　his　convenience；　or

his　pleasure；＇119＇　brusquely　and　arbitrarily；　in　violation　of

international　law；　humanity；　and　hospitality。　　It　would　take　volumes

to　describe　his　abuses　of　power；　the　tissue　of　brutalities　and

knaveries；＇120＇　the　oppression　of　the　ally　and　despoiling　of　the

vanquished；　the　military　brigandage　exercised　over　populations　in　time

of　war；　and　by　the　systematic　exactions　practiced　on　them　in　times　of

peace。＇121＇



Accordingly；　after　1808；　these　populations　rise　against　him。　He　has　so

deeply　injured　them　in　their　interests；　and　hurt　their　feelings　to

such　an　extent；＇122＇　he　has　so　trodden　them　down；　ransomed；　and　forced

them　into　his　service。　　He　has　destroyed；　apart　from　French　lives；　so

many　Spanish；　Italian；　Austrian；　Prussian；　Swiss；　Bavarian；　Saxon；　and

Dutch　lives；　he　has　slain　so　many　men　as　enemies；　he　has　enlisted　such

numbers　at　home；　and　slain　so　many　under　his　own　banners　as

auxiliaries；　that　nations　are　still　more　hostile　to　him　than

sovereigns。　　Unquestionably；　nobody　can　live　together　with　such　a

character；　his　genius　is　too　vast；　too　baneful；　and　all　the　more

because　it　is　so　vast。　　War　will　last　as　long　as　he　reigns；　it　is　in

vain　to　reduce　him；　to　confine　him　at　home；　to　drive　him　back　within

the　ancient　frontiers　of　France；　no　barrier　will　restrain　him；　no

treaty　will　bind　him；　peace　with　him　will　never　be　other　than　a　truce；

he　will　use　it　simply　to　recover　himself；　and；　as　soon　as　he　has　done

this；　he　will　begin　again；＇123＇　he　is　in　his　very　essence　anti…social。

The　mind　of　Europe　in　this　respect　is　made　up　definitely　and

unshakably。　　One　petty　detail　alone　shows　how　unanimous　and　profound

this　conviction　was。　　On　the　7th　of　March　the　news　reached　Vienna　that

he　had　escaped　from　the　island　of　Elba；　without　its　being　yet　known

where　he　would　land。　　M。　de　Metternich＇124＇　brings　the　news　to　the

Emperor　of　Austria　before　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　who　says　to

him；　〃Lose　no　time　in　finding　the　King　of　Prussia　and　the　Emperor　of

Russia；　and　tell　them　that　I　am　ready　to　order　my　army　to　march　at

once　for　France。〃　At　a　quarter　past　eight　M。　de　Metternich　is　with　the

Czar；　and　at　half…past　eight；　with　the　King　of　Prussia；　both　of　them

reply　instantly　in　the　same　manner。　　〃At　nine　o'clock；〃　says　M。　de

Metternich；　〃I　was　back。　　At　ten　o'clock　aids　flew　in　every　direction

countermanding　army　orders。　。　。　。　Thus　was　war　declared　in　less　than

an　hour。〃



VI。　Fundamental　Defaults　of　his　System。



Inward　principle　of　his　outward　deportment。　…　He　subordinates　the

State　to　him　instead　of　subordinating　himself　to　the　State。　…　Effect

of　this。…　His　work　merely　a　life…interest。　…　It　is　ephemeral。　…

Injurious。　…　The　number　of　lives　it　cost。　…　The　mutilation　of　France。

…　Vice　of　construction　in　his　European　edifice。　…　Analogous　vice　in

his　French　edifice。



Other　heads　of　states　have　similarly　passed　their　lives　in　doing

violence　to　mankind；　but　it　was　for　something　that　was　likely　to　last；

and　for　a　national　interest。　　What　they　deemed　the　public　good　was　not

a　phantom　of　the　brain；　a　chimerical　poem　due　to　a　caprice　of　the

imagination；　to　personal　passions；　to　their　own　peculiar　ambition　and

pride。　　Outside　of　themselves　and　the　coinage　of　their　brain　a　real

and　substantial　object　of　prime　importance　existed；　namely；　the　State；

the　great　body　of　society；　the　vast　organism　which　lasts　indefinitely

through　the　long　series　of　interlinked　and　responsible　generations。

If　they　drew　blood　from　the　passing　generation　it　was　for　the　benefit

of　coming　generations；　to　preserve　them　from　civil　war　or　from　foreign

domination。＇125＇　They　have　acted　generally　like　able　surgeons；　if　not

through　virtue；　at　least　through　dynastic　sentiment　and　family

traditions；　having　practiced　from　father　to　son；　they　had　acquired　the

professional　conscience；　their　first　and　only　aim　was　the　safety　and

health　of　their　patient。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　they　have　not

recklessly　undertaken　extravagant；　bloody；　and　over…risky　operations；

rarely　have　they　given　way　to　temptation　through　a　desire　to　display

their　skill；　through　the　need　of　dazzling　and　astonishing　the　world；

through　the　novelty；　keenness；　and　success　of　their　saws　and　scalpels。

They　felt　that　a　longer　and　superior　existence　to　their　own　was

imposed　upon　them；　they　looked　beyond　them…selves　as　far　as　their

sight　would　reach；　and　so　took　measures　that　the　State　after　them

might　do　without　them；　live　on　intact；　remain　independent；　vigorous；

and　respected　athwart　the　vicissitudes　of　European　conflict　and　the

uncertain　problems　of　coming　history。　　Such；　under　the　ancient　régime；

was　what　were　called　reasons　of　state；　these　had　prevailed　in　the

councils　of　princes　for　eight　hundred　years；　along　with　unavoidable

failures　and　after　temporary　deviations；　these　had　become　for　the　time

being　and　remained　the　preponderating　motive。　　Undoubtedly　they

excused　or　authorized　many　breaches　of　faith；　many　outrages；　and；　to

come　to　the　word；　many　crimes；　but；　in　the　political　order　of　things；

especially　in　the　management　of　external　affairs；　they　furnished　a

governing　and　a　salutary　principle。　　Under　its　constant　influence

thirty　monarchs　had　labored；　and　it　is　thus　that；　province　after

province；　they　had　solidly　and　enduringly　built　up　France；　by　ways　and

means　beyond　the　reach　of　individuals　but　available　to　the　heads　of

States。



Now；　this　principle　is　lacking　with　their　improvised　successor。　　On

the　throne　as　in　the　camp；　whether　general；　consul；　or　emperor；　he

remains　the　military　adventurer；　and　cares　only　for　his　own

advancement。　　Owing　to　the　great　defect　in　the　education　of　both

conscience　and　sentiments；　instead　of　subordinating　himself　to　the

State；　he　subordinates　the　State　to　him；　he　does　not　look　beyond　his

own　brief　physical　existence　to　the　nation　which　is　to　survive　him。

Consequently；　he　sacrifices　the　future　to　the　present；　and　his　work　is

not　to　be　enduring。　　After　him　the　deluge！　Little　does　he　care　who

utters　this　terrible　phrase；　and　worse　still；　he　earnestly　wishes；

from　the　bottom　of　his　heart　that　everybody　should　utter　it。



　〃My　brother；〃　said　Joseph；　in　1803；＇126＇　〃desires　that　the　necessity

of　his　existence　should　be　so　strongly　felt；　and　the　benefit　of　this

considered　so　great；　that　nobody　could　look　beyond　it　without

shuddering。　　He　knows；　and　be　feels　it；　that　he　reigns　through　this

idea　rather　than　through　force　or　gratitude。　　If　to…morrow；　or　on　any

day；　it　could　be　said；　'Here　is　a　tranquil；　established　order　of

things；　here　is　a　known　successor；　Bonaparte　might　die　without　fear　of

change　or　disturbance；'　my　brother　would　no　longer　think　himself

secure。　。　。　。　Such　is　the　principle　which　governs　him。〃



In　vain　do　years　glide　by；　never　does　he　think　of　putting　France　in　a

way　to　subsist　without　him；　on　the　contrary；　he　jeopardizes　lasting

acquisitions　by　exaggerated　annexations；　and　it　is　evident　from　the

very　first　day　that　the　Empire　will　end　with　the　Emperor。　　In　1805；

the　five　per　cents　being　at　eighty　francs；　his　Minister　of　the

Finances；　Gaudin；　observes　to　him　that　this　is　a　reasonable　rate。＇127＇

〃No　complaint　can　now　be　made；　since　these　funds　are　an　annuity　on

Your　Majesty's　life。〃　…　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　…　〃I　mean　that　the

Empire　has　become　so　great　as　to　be　ungovernable　without　you。〃　…　〃If

my　successor　is　a　fool　so　much　the　worse　for　him！〃　…　〃Yes；　but　so　much

the　worse　for　France！〃　Two　years　later；　M。　de　Metternich；　by　way　of　a

political　summing　up；　expresses　his　general　opinion：　〃It　is　remarkable

that　Napoleon；　constantly　disturbing　and　modifying　the　relations　of

all　Europe；　has　not　yet　taken　a　single　step　toward　ensuring　the

maintenance　of　his　successors。〃＇128＇　In　1809；　adds　the　same

diplomat：＇129＇　〃His　death　will　be　the　signal　for　a　new　and　frightful

upheaval；　so　many　divided　elements　all　tend　to　combine。　　Deposed

sovereigns　will　be　recalled　by　former　subjects；　n