the origins of contemporary france-5-第48节

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nobles　or　ennobled；　deprived　by　the　law　of　their　status　as　Frenchmen

and　obliged　to　re…naturalize　themselves　according　to　the　formalities。



It　is；　accordingly；　almost　the　entire　elite　of　old　France　which　is

wanting　in　the　new　France；　like　a　limb　violently　wrenched　and　half…

detached　by　the　unskillful　and　brutal　scalpel　of　the　revolutionary

〃sawbones〃；　for　both　the　organ　and　the　body　are　not　only　living；　but

they　are　still　feverish　and　extremely　sensitive；　it　is　important　to

avoid　too　great　irritation；　inflammation　of　any　kind　would　be

dangerous。　A　skilful　surgeon；　therefore；　must　mark　the　places　for　the

stitches；　not　force　the　junctures；　but　anticipate　and　prepare　for　the

final　healing　process；　and　await　the　gradual　and　slow　results　of　vital

effort　and　spontaneous　renewal。　Above　all　he　must　not　alarm　the

patient。　The　First　Consul　is　far　from　doing　this；　on　the　contrary　his

expressions　are　all　encouraging。　Let　the　patient　keep　quiet；　there

shall　be　no　re…stitching；　the　wound　shall　not　be　touched。　The

constitution　solemnly　declares　that　the　French　people　shall　never

allow　the　return　of　the　émigrés；＇17＇　and；　on　this　point；　the　hands　of

future　legislators　are　already　tied　fast；　it　prohibits　any　exception

being　added　to　the　old　ones。　…　But；　first；　by　virtue　of　the　same

constitution；　every　Frenchman　not　an　émigré　or　banished　has　the　right

to　vote；　to　be　elected；　to　exercise　every　species　of　public　function；

consequently；　twelve　days　later；＇18＇　a　mere　order　of　the　Council　of

State　restores　civil　and　political　rights　to　former　nobles　and　the

ennobled；　to　the　kinsmen　and　relations　of　émigrés；　to　all　who　have

been　dubbed　émigrés　of　the　interior　and　whom　Jacobin　intolerance　had

excluded；　if　not　from　the　territory；　at　least　from　the　civic　body：

here　are　200；000　or　300；000　Frenchmen　already　brought　back　into

political　communion　if　not　to　the　soil。　…　They　had　succumbed　to　the

coup…d'état　of　Fructidor；　naturally；　the　leading　fugitives　or　those

transported；　suffering　under　the　same　coup…d'état；　were　restored　to

political　rights　along　with　them　and　thus　to　the　territory　…　Carnot；

Barthélémy；　Lafont…Ladébat；　Siméon；　Poissy　d'Anglas；　Mathieu　Dumas；　in

all　thirty…nine；　designated　by　name；＇19＇　very　soon　after。　Through　a

simple　extension　of　the　same　resolution；　others　of　the　Fructidor

victims；　a　crowd　of　priests　huddled　together　and　pining　away　on　the

Ile…de…Ré；　the　most　unfortunate　and　most　inoffensive　of　all。＇20＇　…　Two

months　later；　a　law　declares　that　the　list　of　émigrés　is　definitely

closed；＇21＇　a　resolution　orders　immediate　investigation　into　the

claims　of　those　who　are　to　be　struck　off　the　list；　a　second　resolution

strikes　off　the　first　founders　of　the　new　order　of　things；　the　members

of　the　National　Assembly　〃who　voted　for　the　establishment　of　equality

and　the　abolition　of　nobility；〃　and；　day　after　day；　new　erasures

succeed　each　other；　all　specific　and　by　name；　under　cover　of

toleration；　pardon；　and　exception：＇22＇　on　the　19th　of　October　1800；

there　are　already　1200　of　them。　Bonaparte；　at　this　date；　had　gained

the　battle　of　Marengo；　the　surgical　restorer　feels　that　his　hands　are

more　free；　he　can　operate　on　a　larger　scale　and　take　in　whole　bodies

collectively。　On　the　20th　of　October　1800；　a　resolution　strikes　off

entire　categories　from　the　list；　all　whose　condemnation　is　too　grossly

unjust　or　malicious；＇23＇　at　first；　minors　under　sixteen　and　the　wives

of　émigrés；　next；　farmers；　artisans；　workmen；　journeymen　and　servants

with　their　wives　and　children　and　at　last　18；000　ecclesiastics　who；

banished　by　law；　left　the　country　only　in　obedience　to　the　law。


Besides　these；　〃all　individuals　inscribed　collectively　and　without

individual　denomination；〃　those　already　struck　off；　but　provisionally；

by　local　administrations；　also　still　other　classes。　Moreover；　a　good

many　emigrants；　yet　standing　on　the　lists；　steal　back　one　by　one　into

France；　and　the　government　tolerates　them。＇24＇　Finally；　eighteen

months　later；　after　the　peace　of　Amiens　and　the　Concord　at；＇25＇　a

sénatus…consulte　ends　the　great　operation；　an　amnesty　relieves　all　who

are　not　yet　struck　off；　except　the　declared　leaders　of　the　militant

emigration；　its　notables；　and　who　are　not　to　exceed　one　thousand；　the

rest　may　come　back　and　enjoy　their　civic　rights；　only；　they　must

promise　〃loyalty　to　the　government　established　under　the　constitution

and　not　maintain　directly　or　indirectly　any　connection　or

correspondence　with　the　enemies　of　the　State。〃　On　this　condition　the

doors　of　France　are　thrown　open　to　them　and　they　return　in　crowds。



But　their　bodily　presence　is　not　of　itself　sufficient；　it　is　moreover

essential　that　they　should　not　be　absent　in　feeling；　as　strangers　and

merely　domiciliated　in　the　new　society。　Were　these　mutilated　fragments

of　old　France；　these　human　shreds　put　back　in　their　old　places；　simply

attached　or　placed　in　juxtaposition　to　modern　France；　they　would　prove

useless；　troublesome　and　even　mischievous。　Let　us　strive；　then；　to

have　them　grafted　on　afresh　through　adherence　or　complete　fusion；　and

first；　to　effect　this；　they　must　not　be　allowed　to　die　of　inanition；

they　must　take　root　physically　and　be　able　to　live。　In　private　life；

how　can　former　proprietors；　the　noblesse；　the　parliamentarians；　the

upper　bourgeoisie；　support　themselves；　especially　those　without　a

profession　or　pursuit；　and　who；　before　1789；　maintained　themselves；

not　by　their　labor；　but　by　their　income？　Once　at　home；　they　can　no

longer　earn　their　living　as　they　did　abroad；　they　can　no　longer　give

lessons　in　French；　in　dancing；　or　in　fencing。　…　There　is　no　doubt　but

that　the　sénatus…consulte　which　amnesties　them　restores　to　them　a　part

of　their　unsold　possessions；＇26＇　but　most　of　these　are　sold　and；　on

the　other　hand；　the　First　Consul；　who　is　not　disposed　to　re…establish

large　fortunes　for　royalists；＇27＇　retains　and　maintains　the　largest

portion　of　what　they　have　been　despoiled　of　in　the　national　domain：

all　woods　and　forests　of　300　arpents＇28＇　and　over；　their　stock　and

property　rights　in　the　great　canals；　and　their　personal　property

already　devoted　to　the　public　service。　The　effective　restitution　is

therefore　only　moderate；　the　émigrés　who　return　recover　but　little

more　than　one…twentieth　of　their　patrimony；　one　hundred　millions＇29＇

out　of　more　than　two　milliards。　Observe；　besides；　that　by　virtue　even

of　the　law　and　as　admitted　by　the　First　Consul；＇30＇　this　alms　is　badly

distributed；　the　most　needy　and　the　greatest　number　remain　empty…

handed；　consisting　of　the　lesser　and　medium　class　of　rural

proprietors；　especially　of　country　gentlemen　whose　domain；　worth　less

than　50；000　francs；　brings　in　only　2000　or　3000　francs　income；＇31＇　a

domain　of　this　size　came　within　reach　of　a　great　many　purses；　and

hence　found　purchasers　more　readily　and　with　greater　facility　than　a

large　holding；　the　State　was　almost　always　the　seller；　and　thenceforth

the　old　proprietor　could　make　no　further　claim　or　pretension。　…　Thus；

for　many　of　the　émigrés；　〃the　sénatus…consulte　of　the　year　X　is　simply

a　permit　to　starve　to　death　in　France　〃and；＇32＇　four　years　later；＇33＇

Napoleon　himself　estimates　that　〃40；000　are　without　the　means　of

subsistence。〃　They　manage　to　keep　life　and　soul　together　and　nothing

more；＇34＇　many；　taken　in　and　cared　for　by　their　friends　or　relations；

are　supported　as　guests　or　parasites；　somewhat　through　compassion　and

again　on　humanitarian　grounds。　One　recovers　his　silver　plate；　buried

in　a　cellar；　another　finds　notes　payable　to　bearer；　forgotten　in　an

old　chest。　　Sometimes；　the　purchaser　of　a　piece　of　property；　an　honest

man；　gives　it　back　at　the　price　he　paid　for　it；　or　even　gratis；　if；

during　the　time　he　had　held　it；　he　had　derived　sufficient　profit　from

it。　Occasionally；　when　the　adjudication　happens　to　have　been

fraudulent；　or　the　sale　too　irregular；　and　subject　to　legal

proceedings；　the　dishonest　purchaser　does　not　refuse　a　compromise。　But

these　cases　are　rare；　and　the　evicted　owner；　if　he　desires　to　dine

regularly；　will　wisely　seek　a　small　remunerative　position　and　serve　as

clerk；　book…keeper　or　accountant。　M。　des　Echerolles；　formerly　a

brigadier…general；　keeps　the　office　of　the　new　line　of　diligences　at

Lyons；　and　earns　1200　francs　a　year。　M。　de　Puymaigre；　who；　in　1789；

was　worth　two　millions；　becomes　a　contr？leur　des　droits　réunis　at

Briey　with　a　salary　of　2400　francs。　…　In　every　branch　of　the　new

administration　a　royalist　is　welcome　to　apply　for　a　post；＇35＇　however

slightly　recommended；　he　obtains　the　place。　Sometimes　he　even　receives

one　without　having　asked　for　it；　M。　de　Vitrolles＇36＇　thus　becomes；　in

spite　of　himself；　inspector　of　the　imperial　sheepfolds；　this　fixes　his

position　and　makes　it　appear　as　if　he　had　given　in　his　adhesion　to　the

government。　…　Naturally；　the　great　political　recruiter　singles　out　the

tallest　and　most　imposing　subjects；　that　is　to　say；　belonging　to　the

first　families　of　the　ancien