the origins of contemporary france-5-第23节

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sovereigns　will　be　recalled　by　former　subjects；　new　princes　will　have

new　crowns　to　defend。　　A　veritable　civil　war　will　rage　for　half　a

century　over　the　vast　empire　of　the　continent　the　day　when　the　arms　of

iron　which　held　the　reins　are　turned　into　dust。〃　In　1811；　〃everybody

is　convinced＇130＇　that　on　the　disappearance　of　Napoleon；　the　master　in

whose　hands　all　power　is　concentrated；　the　first　inevitable

consequence　will　be　a　revolution。〃　At　home；　in　France；　at　this　same

date；　his　own　servitors　begin　to　comprehend　that　his　empire　is　not

merely　a　life…interest　and　will　not　last　after　he　is　gone；　but　that

the　Empire　is　ephemeral　and　will　not　last　during　his　life；　for　he　is

constantly　raising　his　edifice　higher　and　higher；　while　all　that　his

building　gains　in　elevation　it　loses　in　stability。　　〃The　Emperor　is

crazy；〃　said　Decrees　to　Marmont；＇131＇〃completely　crazy。　　He　will　ruin

us　all；　numerous　as　we　are；　and　all　will　end　in　some　frightful

catastrophe。〃　In　effect；　he　is　pushing　France　on　to　the　abyss；

forcibly　and　by　deceiving　her；　through　a　breach　of　trust　which

willfully；　and　by　his　fault；　grows　worse　and　worse　just　as　his　own

interests；　as　he　comprehends　these；　diverge　from　those　of　the　public

from　year　to　year。



At　the　treaty　of　Luneville　and　before　the　rupture　of　the　peace　of

Amiens；＇132＇　this　variance　was　already　considerable。　　It　becomes

manifest　at　the　treaty　of　Presbourg　and　still　more　evident　at　the

treaty　of　Tilsit。　　It　is　glaring　in　1808；　after　the　deposition　of　the

Spanish　Bourbons；　it　becomes　scandalous　and　monstrous　in　1812；　when

the　war　with　Russia　took　place。　　Napoleon　himself　admits　that　this　war

is　against　the　interests　of　France　and　yet　he　undertakes　it。＇133＇

Later；　at　St。　Helena；　he　falls　into　a　melting　mood　over　〃the　French

people　whom　he　loved　so　dearly。〃＇134＇　　The　truth　is；　he　loves　it　as　a

rider　loves　his　horse；　as　he　makes　it　rear　and　prance　and　show　off　its

paces；　when　he　flatters　and　caresses　it；　it　is　not　for　the　advantage

of　the　animal　but　for　his　own　purposes；　on　account　of　its　usefulness

to　him；　to　be　spurred　on　until　exhausted；　to　jump　ditches　growing

wider　and　wider；　and　leap　fences　growing　higher　and　higher；　one　ditch

more；　and　still　another　fence；　the　last　obstacle　which　seems　to　be　the

last；　succeeded　by　others；　while；　in　any　event；　the　horse　remains

forcibly　and　for　ever；　what　it　already　is；　namely；　a　beast　of　burden

and　broken　down。　…　For；　on　this　Russian　expedition；　instead　of

frightful　disasters；　let　us　imagine　a　brilliant　success；　a　victory　at

Smolensk　equal　to　that　of　Friedland；　a　treaty　of　Moscow　more

advantageous　than　that　of　Tilsit；　and　the　Czar　brought　to　heel。　　As　a

result　the　Czar　is　probably　strangled　or　dethroned；　a　patriotic

insurrection　will　take　place　in　Russia　as　in　Spain；　two　lasting　wars；

at　the　two　extremities　of　the　Continent；　against　religious　fanaticism；

more　irreconcilable　than　positive　interests；　and　against　a　scattered

barbarism　more　indomitable　than　a　concentrated　civilization。　　At　best；

a　European　empire　secretly　mined　by　European　resistance；　an　exterior

France　forcibly　superposed　on　the　enslaved　Continent；＇135＇　French

residents　and　commanders　at　St。　Petersburg　and　Riga　as　at　Dantzic；

Hamburg；　Amsterdam；　Lisbon；　Barcelona；　and　Trieste。　　Every　able…bodied

Frenchman　that　can　be　employed　from　Cadiz　to　Moscow　in　maintaining　and

administering　the　conquest。　　All　the　able…bodied　youth　annually　seized

by　the　conscription；　and；　if　they　have　escaped　this；　seized　again　by

decrees。＇136＇　　The　entire　male　population　thus　devoted　to　works　of

constraint；　nothing　else　in　prospect　for　either　the　cultivated　or　the

uncultivated；　no　military　or　civil　career　other　than　a　prolonged　guard

duty；　threatened　and　threatening；　as　soldier；　customs…inspector；　or

gendarme；　as　prefect；　sub…prefect；　or　commissioner　of　police；　that　is

to　say；　as　subaltern　henchman　and　bully　restraining　subjects　and

raising　contributions；　confiscating　and　burning　merchandise；　seizing

grumblers；　and　making　the　refractory　toe　the　mark。＇137＇　　In　1810；　one

hundred　and　sixty　thousand　of　the　refractory　were　already　condemned　by

name；　and；　moreover；　penalties　were　imposed　on　their　families　to　the

amount　of　one　hundred　and　seventy　millions　of　francs　In　1811　and　1812

the　roving　columns　which　tracked　fugitives　gathered　sixty　thousand　of

them；　and　drove　them　along　the　coast　from　the　Adour　to　the　Niemen；　on

reaching　the　frontier；　they　were　en…rolled　in　the　grand　army；　but　they

desert　the　very　first　month；　they　and　their　chained　companions；　at　the

rate　of　four　or　five　thousand　a　day。＇138＇　Should　England　be　conquered；

garrisons　would　have　to　be　maintained　there；　and　of　soldiers　equally

zealous。　　Such　is　the　dark　future　which　this　system　opens　to　the

French；　even　with　the　best　of　good　luck。　　It　turns　out　that　the　luck

is　bad；　and　at　the　end　of　1812　the　grand　army　is　freezing　in　the　snow；

Napoleon's　horse　has　let　him　tumble。　　Fortunately；　the　animal　has

simply　foundered；　〃His　Majesty's　health　was　never　better〃；＇139＇

nothing　has　happened　to　the　rider；　he　gets　up　on　his　legs；　and　what

concerns　him　at　this　moment　is　not　the　sufferings　of　his　broken…down

steed；　but　his　own　mishap；　his　reputation　as　a　horseman　is

compromised；　the　effect　on　the　public；　the　hooting　of　the　audience；　is

what　troubles　him；　the　comedy　of　a　perilous　leap；　announced　with　such

a　flourish　of　trumpets　and　ending　in　such　a　disgraceful　fall。　　On

reaching　Warsaw＇140＇　he　says　to　himself；　ten　times　over：



〃There　is　only　a　step　from　the　sublime　to　the　ridiculous。〃



The　following　year；　at　Dresden；　he　exposes　still　more　foolishly；

openly；　and　nakedly　his　master　passion；　the　motives　which　determine

him；　the　immensity　and　ferocity　of　his　pitiless　pride。



　〃What　do　they　want　of　me？〃　said　he　to　M。　de　Metternich。＇141＇　〃　Do

they　want　me　to　dishonor　myself？　Never！　I　can　die；　but　never　will　I

yield　an　inch　of　territory！　Your　sovereigns；　born　to　the　throne；　may

be　beaten　twenty　times　over　and　yet　return　to　their　capitals：　I　cannot

do　this；　because　I　am　a　parvenu　soldier。　　My　domination　will　not

survive　the　day　when　I　shall　have　ceased　to　be　strong；　and；

consequently；　feared。〃



In　effect；　his　despotism　in　France　is　founded　on　his　European

omnipotence；　if　he　does　not　remain　master　of　the　Continent；〃　he　must

settle　with　the　corps　législatif。＇142＇　　Rather　than　descend　to　an

inferior　position；　rather　than　be　a　constitutional　monarch；　controlled

by　parliamentary　chambers；　he　plays　double　or　quits；　and　will　risk

losing　everything。



　〃I　have　seen　your　soldiers；〃　says　Metternich　to　him；　〃they　are

children。　　When　this　army　of　boys　is　gone；　what　will　you　do　then？〃



At　these　words；　which　touch　his　heart；　he　grows　pale；　his　features

contract；　and　his　rage　overcomes　him；　like　a　wounded　man　who　has　made

a　false　step　and　exposes　himself；　he　says　violently　to　Metternich：



〃You　are　not　a　soldier　You　do　not　know　the　impulses　of　a　soldier's

breast！　I　have　grown　up　on　the　battle…field；　and　a　man　like　me　does

not　give　a　damn　for　the　lives　of　a　million　men！　〃＇143＇



　His　imperial　pipe…dreams　has　devoured　many　more。　　Between　1804　and

1815　he　has　had　slaughtered　1；700；000　Frenchmen；　born　within　the

boundaries　of　ancient　France；＇144＇　to　which　must　be　added；　probably；

2；000；000　men　born　outside　of　these　limits；　and　slain　for　him；　under

the　title　of　allies；　or　slain　by　him　under　the　title　of　enemies。　　All

that　the　poor；　enthusiastic；　and　credulous　Gauls　have　gained　by

entrusting　their　public　welfare　to　him　is　two　invasions；　all　that　he

bequeaths　to　them　as　a　reward　for　their　devotion；　after　this

prodigious　waste　of　their　blood　and　the　blood　of　others；　is　a　France

shorn　of　fifteen　departments　acquired　by　the　republic；　deprived　of

Savoy；　of　the　left　bank　of　the　Rhine　and　of　Belgium；　despoiled　of　the

northeast　angle　by　which　it　completed　its　boundaries；　fortified　its

most　vulnerable　point；　and；　using　the　words　of　Vauban；　〃made　its　field

square；〃　separated　from　4；000；000　new　Frenchmen　which　it　had

assimilated　after　twenty　years　of　life　in　common；　and；　worse　still；

thrown　back　within　the　frontiers　of　1789；　alone；　diminished　in　the

midst　of　its　aggrandized　neighbors；　suspected　by　all　Europe；　and

lastingly　surrounded　by　a　threatening　circle　of　distrust　and　rancor。



Such　is　the　political　work　of　Napoleon；　the　work　of　egoism　served　by

genius。　　In　his　European　structure　as　in　his　French　structure　this

sovereign　egoism　has　introduced　a　vice　of　construction。　　This

fundamental　vice　is　manifest　at　the　outset　in　the　European　edifice；

and；　at　the　expiration　of　fifteen　years；　it　brings　about　a　sudden

downfall：　in　the　French　edifice　it　is　equally　serious　but　not　so

apparent；　only　at　the　end　of　half　a　century；　or　even　a　whole　century；

is　it　to　be　made　clearly　visible；　but　its　gradual　and　slow　effects

will　be　equally　pernicious　and　they　are　no　less　sure。



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