the origins of contemporary france-5-第41节

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might　form　platoons　in　his　rear。　Consequently；　and　through　precaution；

he　suppresses　in　advance　all　eventual　rallying　points　or　centers　of

combination　Henceforth；　every　wire　which　can　stir　up　and　bring　a

company　of　men　together　for　the　same　object　terminates　in　his　hands；

he　holds　in　his　firm　grasp　all　these　combined　wires；　guards　them　with

jealous　care；　in　order　to　strain　them　to　the　utmost。　Let　no　one

attempt　to　loosen　them；　and；　above　all；　let　no　one　entertain　a　thought

of　getting　hold　of　them；　they　belong　to　him　and　to　him　alone；　and

compose　the　public　domain；　which　is　his　domain　proper。



But；　alongside　of　his　proper　domain；　he　recognizes　another　in　which　he

himself　assigns　a　limit　to　the　complete　absorption　of　all　wills　by　his

own；　he　does　not　admit；　of　course　in　his　own　interest；　that　the　public

power；　at　least　in　the　civil　order　of　things　and　in　common　practice；

should　be　illimitable　nor；　especially；　arbitrary。＇24＇　…　This　is　due　to

his　not　being　an　utopian　or　a　theorist；　like　his　predecessors　of　the

Convention；　but　a　perspicacious　statesman；　who　is　in　the　habit　of

using　his　own　eyes。　He　sees　things　directly；　in　themselves；　he　does

not　imagine　them　through　book　formulae　or　party　phrases；　by　a　process

of　verbal　reasoning；　employing　the　gratuitous　suppositions　of

humanitarian　optimism　or　the　dogmatic　prejudices　of　Jacobin　nonsense。

He　sees　Man　just　as　he　is；　not　Man　in　himself；　an　abstract　citizen；

the　philosophic　puppet　of　the　Contrat　Social；　but　the　real　individual；

the　entire　living　man；　with　his　profound　instincts；　his　tenacious

necessities；　which；　whether　tolerated　or　not　by　legislation；　still

subsist　and　operate　infallibly；　and　which　the　legislator　must　take

into　consideration　if　he　wants　to　turn　them　to　account。　…　This

individual；　a　civilized　European　and　a　modern　Frenchman；　constituted

as　he　is　by　several　centuries　of　tolerable　police　discipline；　of

respected　rights　and　hereditary　property；　must　have　a　private　domain；

an　enclosed　area；　large　or　small；　which　belongs　and　is　reserved　to　him

personally；　to　which　the　public　power　interdicts　access　and　before

which　it　mounts　guard　to　prevent　other　individuals　from　intruding　on

it。　Otherwise　his　condition　seems　intolerable　to　him；　he　is　no　longer

disposed　to　exert　himself；　to　set　his　wits　to　work；　or　to　enter　upon

any　enterprise。　Let　us　be　careful　not　to　snap　or　loosen　this　powerful

and　precious　spring　of　action；　let　him　continue　to　work；　to　produce；

to　economize；　if　only　that　he　may　be　in　a　condition　to　pay　taxes；　let

him　continue　to　marry；　to　bring　forth　and　raise　up　sons；　if　only　to

serve　the　conscription。　Let　us　ease　his　mind　with　regard　to　his

enclosure；＇25＇　let　him　exercise　full　proprietorship　over　it　and　enjoy

it　exclusively；　let　him　feel　himself　at　home　in　his　own　house　in

perpetuity；　safe　from　any　intrusion；　protected　by　the　code　and　by　the

courts；　not　alone　against　his　enemies；　but　against　the　administration

itself。　Let　him　in　this　well…defined；　circumscribed　abode　be　free　to

turn　round　and　range　as　he　pleases；　free　to　browse　at　will；　and；　if　he

chooses；　to　consume　all　his　hay　himself。　It　is　not　essential　that　his

meadows　should　be　very　extensive：　most　men　live　with　their　nose　to　the

ground；　very　few　look　beyond　a　very　narrow　circle；　men　are　not　much

troubled　by　being　penned　up；　the　egoism　and　urgent　needs　of　daily　life

are　already　for　them　ready…made　limits：　within　these　natural　barriers

they　ask　for　nothing　but　to　be　allowed　to　graze　in　security。　Let　us

give　them　this　assurance　and　leave　them　free　to　consult　their　own

welfare。　…　As　to　the　rest；　in　very　small　number；　more　or　less

imaginative；　energetic；　and　ardent；　there　is；　outside　the　enclosure；

an　issue　expressly　provided　for　them：　the　new　administrative　and

military　professions　offer　an　outlet　to　their　ambition　and　to　their

vanity　which；　from　the　start；　keeps　on　expanding　until；　suddenly；　the

first　Consul　points　to　an　infinite　perspective　on　the　horizon。＇26＇

According　to　an　expression　attributed　to　him；　henceforth；



〃the　field　is　open　to　all　talents；〃



and　hence　all　talents；　gathered　into　the　central　current　and

precipitated　headlong　through　competition；　swell　with　their　inflow　the

immensity　of　the　public　power。



This　done；　the　principal　features　of　modern　France　are　traced；　a　tool

of　a　new　and　strange　type　arises；　defines　itself；　and　issues　forth；

its　structure　determining　its　destiny。　It　consists　of　a　social　body

organized　by　a　despot　and　for　a　despot；　calculated　for　the　use　of　one

man；　excellent　for　action　under　the　impulsion　of　a　unique　will；　with　a

superior　intelligence；　admirable　so　long　as　this　intelligence　remains

lucid　and　this　will　remains　healthy。　It　is　adapted　to　a　military　life

and　not　to　civil　life；　and　therefore　badly　balanced；　hampered　（géné）

in　its　development；　exposed　to　periodical　crises；　condemned　to

precocious　debility；　but　viable　for　a　long　time；　and；　for　the　present

robust；　alone　able　to　bear　the　weight　of　the　new　reign　and　to　furnish

for　fifteen　successive　years　the　crushing　labor；　the　conquering

obedience；　the　superhuman；　murderous；　insensate　effort　which　its

master　exacts。







IV。　Napoleon's　barracks。



General　aspect　and　characteristics　of　the　new　State。　…　Contrast

between　its　structure　and　that　of　other　contemporary　or　pre…existing

States。　…　The　plurality；　complexity；　and　irregularity　of　ancient

France。　…　The　unity；　simplicity；　and　regularity　of　modern　France。　…　To

what　class　of　works　it　belongs。　…　It　is　the　modern　masterpiece　of　the

classic　spirit　in　the　political　and　social　order　of　things。



Let　us　take　a　nearer　view　of　the　master's　idea　and　of　the　way　in

which；　at　this　moment；　he　figures　to　himself　the　society　which　is

assuming　new　shape　in　his　hands。　All　the　leading　features　of　the　plan

are　fixed　beforehand　in　his　mind：　they　are　already　deeply　graven　on　it

through　his　education　and　through　his　instinct。　By　virtue　of　this

instinct；　which　is　despotic；　by　virtue　of　this　education；　which　is

classic　and　Latin；　he　conceives　human　associations　not　in　the　modern

fashion；　Germanic　and　Christian；　as　a　concert　of　initiations　starting

from　below；　but　in　the　antique　fashion；　pagan　and　Roman；　as　a

hierarchy　of　authorities　imposed　from　above。　He　puts　his　own　spirit

into　his　civil　institutions；　the　military　spirit；　consequently；　he

constructs　a　huge　barracks　wherein；　to　begin　with；　he　lodges　thirty

million；　men；　women；　and　children；　and；　later　on；　forty…two　million；

all　the　way　from　Hamburg　to　Rome。



The　edifice　is；　of　course；　superb　and　of　a　new　style。　On　comparing　it

with　other　societies　in　surrounding　Europe；　and　particularly　France　as

she　was　previous　to　1789；　the　contrast　is　striking。　…　Everywhere　else

the　social　edifice　is　a　composition　of　many　distinct　structures　…

provinces；　cities；　seignories；　churches；　universities；　and

corporations。　Each　has　begun　by　being　a　more　or　less　isolated　block　of

buildings　where；　on　an　enclosed　area；　a　population　has　lived　apart。

Little　by　little　the　barriers　have　given　way；　either　they　have　been

broken　in　or　have　tumbled　down　of　their　own　accord；　passages　have　been

made　between　one　and　the　other　and　new　additions　have　been　put　up；　at

last；　these　scattered　buildings　have　all　become　connected　and　soldered

on　as　annexes　to　the　central　pile。　But　they　combine　with　it　only

through　a　visible　and　clumsy　juxtaposition；　through　incomplete　and

bizarre　communications：　the　vestiges　of　their　former　independence　are

still　apparent　athwart　their　actual　dependence。　Each　still　rests　on

its　own　primitive　and　appropriate　foundations；　its　grand　lines

subsist；　its　main　work　is　often　almost　intact。　In　France；　on　the　eve

of　1789；　it　is　easily　recognized　what　she　formerly　was；　for　example；

it　is　clear　that　Languedoc　and　Brittany　were　once　sovereign　States；

Strasbourg　a　sovereign　town；　the　Bishop　of　Mende　and　the　Abbess　of

Remiremont；　sovereign　princes；＇27＇　every　seignior；　laic；　or

ecclesiastic；　was　so　in　his　own　domain；　and　he　still　possessed　some

remnants　of　public　power。　In　brief；　we　see　thousands　of　states　within

the　State；　absorbed；　but　not　assimilated；　each　with　its　own　statutes；

its　own　legal　customs；　its　own　civil　law；　its　own　weights　and

measures；　several　with　special　privileges　and　immunities；　some　with

their　own　jurisdiction　and　their　own　peculiar　administration；　with

their　own　imposts　and　tariffs　like　so　many　more　or　less　dismantled

fortresses；　but　whose　old　feudal；　municipal；　or　provincial　walls　still

rose　lofty　and　thick　on　the　soil　comprehended　within　the　national

enclosure。



Nothing　could　be　more　irregular　than　this　total　aggregate　thus　formed；

it　is　not　really　an　entire　whole；　but　an　agglomeration。　No　plan；　good

or　bad；　has　been　followed　out　；　the　architecture　is　of　ten　different

styles　and　of　ten　different　epochs。　That　of　the　dioceses　is　Roman　and

of　the　fourth　century；　that　of　the　seignories　is　Gothic　and　of　the

ninth　century；　one　structure　dat