the origins of contemporary france-5-第30节

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you　play　this　part　against　me？〃　（This　last　phrase；　omitted　in

Metternich's　narrative；　is　a　characteristic　trait；　Napoleon　at　this

decisive　moment；　remains　insulting　and　aggressive；　gratuitously　and

even　to　his　own　destruction。）



＇142＇　〃Souvenirs　du　feu　duc　de　Broglie；〃　I。；　235。



＇143＇　Ibid。；　I。；　230。　Some　days　before　Napoleon　had　said　to　M。　de

Narbonne；　who　told　me　that　very　evening：　〃After　all；　what　has　this

（the　Russian　campaign）　cost　me？　　300；000　men；　among　whom；　again；　were

a　good　many　Germans。〃　…　〃Souvenirs〃；　by　PASQUIER　（Etienne…Dennis；　duc；

Librarie　Plon；　　Paris　1893。　　II。　110。　（Apropos　of　the　Frankfurt　basis；

and　accepted　by　Napoleon　when　too　late。）　〃What　characterizes　this

mistake　is　that　it　was　committed　much　more　against　the　interests　of

France　than　against　his　own。　。　。　。　He　sacrificed　her　to　the

perplexities　of　his　personal　situation；　to　the　mauvaise　honte　of　his

own　ambition；　to　the　difficulty　he　finds　in　standing　alone　to　a

certain　extent　before　a　nation　which　had　done　everything　for　him　and

which　could　justly　reproach　him　with　having　sacrificed　so　much

treasure　and　spilled　so　much　blood　on　enterprises　proved　to　have　been

foolish　and　impracticable。〃



＇144＇　Leonce　de　Lavergne；　〃Economie　rurale　de　la　France；〃　P。40。

（According　to　the　former　director　of　the　conscription　under　the

Empire。）









BOOK　SECOND。　FORMATION　AND　CHARACTER　OF　THE　NEW　STATE。



CHAPTER　I。



I。　The　Institution　of　Government。



Conditions　on　which　the　public　power　can　act。　…　Two　points　forgotten

by　the　authors　of　the　preceding　constitutions。　…　Difficulty　of　the

undertaking　and　poor　quality　of　the　available　materials。



Every　human　society　requires　government；　that　is　to　say　an　authority。

No　other　machinery　is　more　useful。　But　a　machinery　is　useful　only　if

it　is　adapted　to　its　purpose；　if　not　it　will　not　work；　or　may　even

work　contrary　to　its　purpose。　Hence；　during　its　construction；　one　must

first　of　all　consider　the　magnitude　of　the　work　it　has　to　do　as　well

as　the　quality　of　the　materials　one　has　at　one's　disposal。　It　is　very

important　to　know　beforehand　whether　it　will　lift　100　or　of　100；000

kilograms；　whether　the　pieces　fitted　together　will　be　of　iron　or　of

steel；　of　sound　or　of　unsound　timber。　…　But　the　legislators　had　not

taken　that　into　consideration　during　the　last　ten　years。　They　had　set

themselves　up　as　theoreticians；　and　likewise　as　optimists；　without

looking　at　the　things；　or　else　imagining　the　them　as　they　wished　to

have　them。　In　the　national　assemblies；　as　well　as　with　the　public；　the

task　was　deemed　easy　and　simple；　whereas　it　was　extraordinary　and

immense；　for　the　matter　in　hand　consisted　in　effecting　a　social

revolution　and　in　carrying　on　an　European　war。　The　materials　were

supposed　to　be　excellent；　as　manageable　as　they　were　substantial；

while；　in　fact；　they　were　very　poor；　being　both　refractory　and

brittle；　for　these　human　materials　consisted　of　the　Frenchmen　of　1789

and　of　the　following　years；　that　is　to　say；　of　exceedingly　sensitive

men　doing　each　other　all　possible　harm；　inexperienced　in　political

business；　Utopians；　impatient；　intractable；　and　overexcited。

Calculations　had　been　made　on　these　prodigiously　false　data；

consequently；　although　the　calculations　were　very　exact；　the　results

obtained　were　found　absurd。　Relying　on　these　data；　the　machine　had

been　planned；　and　all　its　parts　been　adjusted；　assembled；　and

balanced。　That　is　why　the　machine；　irreproachable　in　theory；　remained

unsuccessful　in　practice：　the　better　it　appeared　on　paper　the　quicker

it　broke　down　when　set　up　on　the　ground。



II。　Default　of　previous　government。



The　consequences　of　the　years　1789　to　1799。　…　Insubordination　of　the

local　powers；　conflict　of　the　central　powers；　suppression　of　liberal

institutions；　and　the　establishment　of　an　unstable　despotism。　…　Evil…

doing　of　the　government　thus　formed。



A　capital　defect　at　once　declared　itself　in　the　two　principal

compositions；　in　the　working　gear　of　the　superposed　powers　and　in　the

balance　of　the　motor　powers。　…　In　the　first　place；　the　hold　given　to

the　central　government　on　its　local　subordinates　was　evidently　too

feeble；　with　no　right　to　appoint　these；　it　could　not　select　them　as　it

pleased；　according　to　the　requirements　of　the　service。　Department；

district；　canton；　and　commune　administrators；　civil　and　criminal

judges；　assessors；　appraisers；　and　collectors　of　taxes；　officers　of

the　national…guard　and　even　of　the　gendarmerie；　police…commissioners；

and　other　agents　who　had　to　enforce　laws　on　the　spot；　were　nearly　all

recruited　elsewhere：　either　in　popular　assemblies　or　provided　ready…

made　by　elected　bodies。＇1＇　　They　were　for　it　merely　borrowed

instruments；　thus　originating；　they　escaped　its　control；　it　could　not

make　them　work　as　it　wanted　them　to　work。　On　most　occasions　they　would

shirk　their　duties；　at　other　times；　on　receiving　orders；　they　would

stand　inert；　or；　again；　they　would　act　outside　of　or　beyond　their

special　function；　either　going　too　far　or　acting　in　a　contrary　sense；

never　did　they　act　with　moderation　and　precision；　with　coherence　and

consequence。　For　this　reason　any　desire　of　the　government　to　do　its

job　proved　unsuccessful。　Its　legal　subordinates　…　incapable；　timid；

lukewarm；　unmanageable；　or　even　hostile　…　obeyed　badly；　did　not　obey

at　all；　or　willfully　disobeyed。　The　blade　of　the　executive　instrument；

loose　in　the　handle；　glanced　or　broke　off　when　the　thrust　had　to　be

made。



In　the　second　place；　never　could　the　two　or　three　motor　forces

thrusting　the　handle　act　in　harmony；　owing　to　the　clashing　of　so　many

of　them；　one　always　ended　in　breaking　down　the　other。　The　Constituent

Assembly　had　set　aside　the　King；　the　Legislative　Assembly　had　deposed

him；　the　Convention　had　decapitated　him。　Afterward　each　fraction　of

the　sovereign　body　in　the　Convention　had　proscribed　the　other；　the

Montagnards　had　guillotined　the　Girondists；　and　the　Thermidorians　had

guillotined　the　Montagnards。　Later；　under　the　Constitution　of　the　year

III；　the　Fructidorians　had　banished　the　Constitutionalists；　the

Directory　had　purged　the　Councils；　and　the　Councils　had　purged　the

Directory。　…　Not　only　did　the　democratic　and　parliamentary　institution

fail　in　its　work　and　break　down　on　trial；　but；　again；　through　its　own

action；　it　became　transformed　into　its　opposite。　In　a　year　or　two　a

coup　d'état　in　Paris　took　place；　a　faction　seized　the　central　power

and　converted　it　into　an　absolute　power　in　the　hands　of　five　or　six

ringleaders。　The　new　government　at　once　re…forged　the　executive

instrument　for　its　own　advantage　and　refastened　the　blade　firmly　on

the　handle；　in　the　provinces　it　dismissed　those　elected　by　the　people

and　deprived　the　governed　of　the　right　to　choose　their　own　rulers；

henceforth；　through　its　proconsuls　on　mission；　or　through　its　resident

commissioners；　it　alone　appointed；　superintended；　and　regulated　on　the

spot　all　local　authorities。＇2＇



Thus　the　liberal　constitution；　at　its　close；　gave　birth　to　a

centralized　despotism；　and　this　was　the　worst　of　its　species；　at　once

formless　and　monstrous；　for　it　was　born　out　of　a　civil　crime；　while

the　government　which　used　it　had　no　support　but　a　band　of　bigoted

fanatics　or　political　adventurers；　without　any　legal　authority　over

the　nation；　or　any　moral　hold　on　the　army；　detested；　threatened；

discordant；　exposed　to　the　resistance　of　its　own　upholders；　to　the

treachery　of　its　own　members；　and　living　only　from　day　to　day；　it

could　maintain　itself　only　through　a　brutal　absolutism　and　permanent

terror；　while　the　public　power　of　which　the　first　care　is　the

protection　of　property；　consciences；　and　lives；　became　in　its　hands

the　worst　of　persecutors；　robbers；　and　murderers。





III。



In　1799；　the　undertaking　is　more　difficult　and　the　materials　worse。



Twice　in　succession　had　the　experiment　been　tried；　the　monarchical

constitution　of　1791；　and　the　republican　constitution　of　1795；　twice

in　succession　had　the　same　events　followed　the　same　course　to　attain

the　same　end；　twice　in　succession　had　the　theoretical；　cunningly…

devised　machine　for　universal　protection　changed　into　an　efficient　and

brutal　machine　for　universal　oppression。　It　is　evident　that　if　the

same　machine　were　started　the　third　time　under　analogous　conditions；

one　might　expect　to　see　it　work　in　the　same　manner；　that　is　to　say；

contrary　to　its　purpose。



Now；　in　1799；　the　conditions　were　analogous；　and　even　worse；　for　the

work　which　the　machine　had　to　do　was　not　less；　while　the　human

materials　available　for　its　construction　were　not　so　good。　…

Externally；　the　country　was　constantly　at　war　with　Europe；　peace　could

not　be　secured　except　by　great　military　effort；　and　peace　was　as

difficult　to　preserve　as　to　win。　The　European　equilibrium　had　been　too

greatly　disturbed；　neighboring　or　rival　States　had　suffered　too　much；

the　rancor　and　distrust　provoked　by　the　invading　revolutionary