the origins of contemporary france-5-第49节

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

first　families　of　the　ancient　monarchy；　and；　like　one　who　knows　his

business；　he　brings　to　bear　every　means；　constraint　and　seduction；

threats　and　cajoleries；　supplies　in　ready　money；　promises　of　promotion

with　the　influence　of　a　uniform　and　gold…lace　embroidery。＇37＇　It

matters　little　whether　the　enlistment　is　voluntary　or　extorted；　the

moment　a　man　becomes　a　functionary　and　is　enrolled　in　the　hierarchy；

he　loses　the　best　portion　of　his　independence；　once　a　dignitary　and

placed　at　the　top　of　the　hierarchy；　he　gives　his　entire　individuality

up；　for　henceforth　he　lives　under　the　eye　of　the　master；　feels　the

daily　and　direct　pressure　of　the　terrible　hand　which　grasps　him；　and

he　forcibly　becomes　a　mere　tool。＇38＇　These　historic　names；　moreover；

contribute　to　the　embellishment　of　the　reign。　Napoleon　hauls　in　a　good

many　of　them；　and　the　most　illustrious　among　the　old　noblesse；　of　the

court　of　the　robe　and　of　the　sword。　He　can　enumerate　among　his

magistrates；　M。　Pasquier；　M。　Séguier；　M。　Molé；　among　his　prelates；　M。

de　Boisgelin；　M。　du　Barral；　M。　du　Belley；　M。　de　Roquelaure；　M。　de

Broglie；　among　his　military　officers；　M。　de　Fézensac；　M。　de　Ségur；　M。

de　Mortemart；　M。　de　Narbonne；＇39＇　among　the　dignitaries　of　his　palace；

chaplains；　chamberlains　and　ladies　of　honor　…　the　Rohan；　Croy；

Chevreuse；　Montmorency；　Chabot；　Montesquiou；　Noailles；　Brancas；

Gontaut；　Grammont；　Beauvau；　Saint…Aignan；　Montalembert；　Haussonville；

Choiseul…Praslin；　Mercy　d'Argenteau；　Aubusson　de　la　Feuillade；　and

many　others；　recorded　in　the　imperial　almanac　as　formerly　in　the　royal

almanac。



But　they　are　only　with　him　nominally　and　in　the　almanac。　Except

certain　individuals；　M。　de　las　Cases　and　M。　Philippe　de　Ségur；　who

gave　themselves　up　body　and　soul；　even　to　following　him　to　Saint

Helena；　to　glorifying；　admiring　and　loving　him　beyond　the　grave；　the

others　are　submissive　conscripts　and　who　remain　more　or　less

refractory　spirits。　He　does　nothing　to　win　them　over。　His　court　is

not；　like　the　old　court；　a　conversational　ball…room；　but　a　hall　of

inspection；　the　most　sumptuous　apartment　in　his　vast　barracks；　the

civil　parade　is　a　continuation　of　the　military　parade；　one　finds　one's

self　constrained；　stiff；　mute　and　uncomfortable。＇40＇



He　does　not　know　how　to　entertain　as　the　head　of　his　household；　how　to

welcome　guests　and　be　gracious　or　even　polite　to　his　pretended

courtiers；　he　himself　declares　that＇41＇　〃they　go　two　years　without

speaking　to　him；　and　six　months　without　seeing　him；　he　does　not　like

them；　their　conversation　displeases　him。〃　When　he　addresses　them　it　is

to　browbeat　them；　his　familiarities　with　their　wives　are　those　of　the

gendarme　or　the　pedagogue；　while　the　little　attentions　he　inflicts

upon　them　are　indecorous　criticisms　or　compliments　in　bad　taste。　They

know　that　they　are　spied　upon　in　their　own　homes　and　responsible　for

whatever　is　said　there；　〃the　upper　police　is　constantly　hovering　over

all　drawing…rooms。〃＇42＇　For　every　word　uttered　in　privacy；　for　any

lack　of　compliance；　every　individual；　man　or　woman；　runs　the　risk　of

exile　or　of　being　relegated　to　the　interior　at　a　distance　of　forty

leagues。＇43＇　And　the　same　with　the　resident　gentry　in　the　provinces；

they　are　obliged　to　pay　court　to　the　prefect；　to　be　on　good　terms　with

him；　or　at　least　attend　his　receptions；　it　is　important　that　their

cards　should　be　seen　on　his　mantel　piece。＇44＇　Otherwise；　let　them　take

heed；　for　it　is　he　who　reports　on　their　conduct　to　the　minister　Fouché

or　to　Savary　who　replaced　him。　In　vain　do　they　live　circumspectly　and

confine　themselves　to　a　private　life；　a　refusal　to　accept　an　office　is

unpardonable；　there　is　a　grudge　against　them　if　they　do　not　employ

their　local　influence　in　behalf　of　the　reign。＇45＇　Accordingly；　they

are；　under　the　empire　as　under　the　republic；　in　law　as　in　fact；　in　the

provinces　as　well　as　at　Paris；　privileged　persons　the　wrong　way；　a

suspicious　class　under　a　special　surveillance〃　and　subject　to

exceptional　rigor。＇46＇　In　1808；＇47＇　Napoleon　orders　Fouché　〃to　draw　up

。　。　。　among　the　old　and　wealthy　families　who　are　not　in　the　system　。　。

。　a　list　of　ten　in　each　department；　and　of　fifty　for　Paris；〃　of　which

the　sons　from　sixteen　to　eighteen　years　of　age　shall　be　forced　to

enter　Saint…Cyr　and　from　thence　go　into　the　army　as　second

lieutenants。　In　1813；　still　〃in　the　highest　classes　of　society；〃　and

arbitrarily　selected　by　the　prefects；　he　takes　ten　thousand　other

persons；　exempt　or　redeemed　from　the　conscription；　even　the　married；

even　fathers　of　families；　who；　under　the　title　of　guards　of　honor；

become　soldiers；　at　first　to　be　slaughtered　in　his　service；　and　next；

and　in　the　mean　time；　to　answer　for　the　fidelity　of　their　relatives。

It　is　the　old　law　of　hostages；　a　resumption　of　the　worst　proceedings

of　the　Directory　for　his　account　and　aggravated　for　his　profit。　…

Decidedly；　the　imperial　Régime；　for　the　old　royalists；　resembles　too

much　the　Jacobin　régime；　they　are　about　as　repugnant　to　one　as　to　the

other；　and　their　aversion　naturally　extends　to　the　whole　of　the　new

society。　…　As　they　comprehend　it；　they　are　more　or　less　robbed　and

oppressed　for　a　quarter　of　a　century。　In　order　that　their　hostility

may　cease；　the　indemnity　of　1825　is　essential；　fifty　years　of　gradual

adaptation；　the　slow　elimination　of　two　or　three　generations　of

fathers　and　the　slow　elimination　of　two　or　three　generations　of　sons。



Nothing　is　so　difficult　as　the　reparation　of　great　social　wrongs。　In

this　case　the　incomplete　reparation　did　not　prove　sufficient；　the

treatment　which　began　with　gentleness　ended　with　violence；　and；　as　a

whole；　the　operation　only　half　succeeded。



IV。　Education　and　Medical　Care。



Confiscation　of　collective　fortunes。　…　Ruin　of　the　Hospitals　and

Schools。



Other　wounds　are　not　less　deep；　and　their　cure　is　not　less　urgent；　for

they　cause　suffering；　not　only　to　one　class；　but　to　the　whole　people　…

that　vast　majority　which　the　government　strives　to　satisfy。　Along　with

the　property　of　the　émigrés；　the　Revolution　has　confiscated　that　of

all　local　or　special　societies；　ecclesiastic　or　laic；　of　churches　and

congregations；　universities　and　academies；　schools　and　colleges；

asylums　and　hospitals；　and　even　the　property　of　the　communes。　All

these　fortunes　have　been　swallowed　up　by　the　public　treasury；　which　is

a　bottomless　pit；　and　are　gone　forever。　…　Consequently；　all　services

thus　maintained；　especially　charitable　institutions；　public　worship

and　education；　die　or　languish　for　lack　of　sustenance；　the　State；

which　has　no　money　for　itself；　has　none　for　them。　And　what　is　worse；

it　hinders　private　parties　from　taking　them　in　charge；　being　Jacobin；

that　is　to　say　intolerant　and　partisan；　it　has　proscribed　worship；

driven　nuns　out　of　the　hospitals；　closed　Christian　schools；　and；　with

its　vast　power；　it　prevents　others　from　carrying　out　at　their　own

expense　the　social　enterprises　which　it　no　longer　cares　for。



And　yet　the　needs　for　which　this　work　provides　have　never　been　so

great　nor　so　imperative。　In　ten　years；＇48＇　the　number　of　foundlings

increased　from　23；000　to　62；000；　it　is；　as　the　reports　state；　a

deluge：　there　are　1097　instead　of　400　in　Aisne；　1500　in　Lot…et…

Garonne；　2035　in　la　Manche；　2043　in　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　2673　in

Calvados。　From　3000　to　4000　beggars　are　enumerated　in　each　department

and　about　300；000　in　all　France。＇49＇　　As　to　the　sick；　the　infirm；　the

mutilated；　unable　to　earn　their　living；　it　suffices；　for　an　idea　of

their　multitude；　to　consider　the　régime　to　which　the　political　doctors

have　just　subjected　France；　the　Régime　of　fasting　and　bloodletting。

Two　millions　of　Frenchmen　have　marched　under　the　national　flag；　and

eight　hundred　thousand　have　died　under　it；＇50＇　among　the　survivors；

how　many　cripples；　how　many　with　one　arm　and　with　wooden　legs！　All

Frenchmen　have　eaten　dog…bread　for　three　years　and　often　have　not　had

enough　of　that　to　live　on；　over　a　million　have　died　of　starvation　and

poverty；　all　the　wealthy　and　well…to…do　Frenchmen　have　been　ruined　and

have　lived　in　constant　fear　of　the　guillotine；　four　hundred　thousand

have　wasted　away　in　prisons；　of　the　survivors；　how　many　shattered

constitutions；　how　many　bodies　and　brains　disordered　by　an　excess　of

suffering　and　anxiety；　by　physical　and　moral　wear　and　tear！＇51＇



Now；　in　1800；　assistance　is　lacking　for　this　crowd　of　civil　and

military　invalids；　the　charitable　establishments　being　no　longer　in　a

condition　to　furnish　it。　Under　the　Constituent　Assembly；　through　the

suppression　of　ecclesiastical　property　and　the　abolition　of　octrois；　a

large　portion　of　their　revenue　had　been　cut　off；　that　assigned　to　them

out　of　octrois　and　the　tithes。　Under　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　the

Convention；　through　the　dispersion　and　persecution　of　nuns　and　monks；

they　were　deprived　of　a　body　of　able　male　and　female　volunteer

servants　who；　insti