the origins of contemporary france-5-第52节

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Their　attachment　to　their　clergy；　to　the　entire　body　regular　and

secular；　is　due　to　this　contrast。　Previously；　they　were　not　always

well…disposed　to　it；　the　peasantry；　nowhere；　were　content

to　pay　tithes；　and　the　artisan；　as　well　as　the　peasant；　regarded　the

idle；　well…endowed；　meditative　monks　as　but　little　more　than　so　many

fat　drones。　The　man　of　the　people　in　France；　by　virtue　of　being　a

Gaul；　has　a　dry；　limited　imagination；　he　is　not　inclined　to

veneration；　but　is　rather　mocking；　critical　and　insubordinate　at　the

powers　above　him；　with　a　hereditary　undertone　of　distrust　and　envy　at

every　man　who　wears　a　cloth　suit　and　who　eats　and　drinks　without　doing

manual　labor。　…　At　this　time；　his　clergy　do　not　excite　his　envy；　but

his　pity；　monks　and　nuns；　cure's　and　prelates；　roofless；　without

bread；　imprisoned；　transported；　guillotined；　or；　at　best；　fugitives；

hunted　down　and　more　unfortunate　than　wild　beasts　…　it　is　he　who；

during　the　persecutions　of　the　years　II；　IV　and　VI；　harbors　them；

conceals　them；　lodges　them　and　feeds　them。　He　sees　them　suffering　for

their　faith；　which　is　his　faith；　and；　before　their　constancy；　equal　to

that　of　the　legendary　martyrs；　his　indifference　changes　into　respect

and　next　into　zeal。　From　the　year　IV；＇81＇　the　orthodox　priests　have

again　recovered　their　place　and　ascendancy　in　his　soul　which　the　creed

assigns　to　them；　they　have　again　become　his　serviceable　guides；　his

accepted　directors；　the　only　warranted　interpreters　of　Christian

truth；　the　only　authorized　dispensers　and　ministers　of　divine　grace。

He　attends　their　mass　immediately　on　their　return　and　will　put　up　with

no　other。　Brutalized　as　he　may　be；　or　indifferent　and　dull；　and　his

mind　filled　with　nothing　but　animal　concerns；　he　needs　them；＇82＇　he

misses　their　solemnities；　the　great　festivals；　the　Sunday；　and　this

privation　is　a　periodical　want　both　for　eyes　and　ears；　he　misses　the

ceremonial；　the　lights；　the　chants；　the　ringing　of　the　bells；　the

morning　and　evening　Angelus。　…　Thus；　whether　he　knows　it　or　not；　his

heart　and　senses　are　Catholic＇83＇　and　he　demands　the　old　church　back

again。　Before　the　Revolution；　this　church　lived　on　its　own　revenues；

70；000　priests；　37；000　nuns；　23；000　monks；　supported　by　endowments；

cost　the　State　nothing；　and　scarcely　anything　to　the　tax…payer；　at　any

rate；　they　cost　nothing　to　the　actual；　existing　tax…payer　not　even　the

tithes；　for；　established　many　centuries　ago；　the　tithes　were　a　tax　on

the　soil；　not　on　the　owner　in　possession；　nor　on　the　farmer　who　tilled

the　ground；　who　has　purchased　or　hired　it　with　this　tax　deducted。　In

any　case；　the　real　property　of　the　Church　belonged　to　it；　without

prejudice　to　anybody；　through　the　strongest　legal　and　most　legitimate

of　property　titles；　the　last　will　and　testament　of　thousands　of　the

dead；　its　founders　and　benefactors。　All　is　taken　from　it；　even　the

houses　of　prayer　which；　in　their　use；　disposition　and　architecture；

were；　in　the　most　manifest　manner；　Christian　works　and　ecclesiastical

objects；　38；000　parsonages；　4000　convents；　over　40；000　parochial

churches；　cathedrals　and　chapels。　Every　morning；　the　man　or　woman　of

the　people；　in　whom　the　need　of　worship　has　revived；　passes　in　front

of　one　of　these　buildings　robbed　of　its　cult；　these　declare　aloud　to

them　through　their　form　and　name　what　they　have　been　and　what　they

should　be　to…day。　This　voice　is　heard　by　incredulous　philosophers　and

former　Conventionalists；＇84＇　all　Catholics　hear　it；　and　out　of　thirty…

five　millions　of　Frenchmen；＇85＇　thirty…two　millions　are　Catholics。





VII。　The　Confiscated　Property。



Reasons　for　the　concordat。　…　Napoleon's　economical　organization　of　the

Church　institution。　…　A　good　bargainer。　…　Compromise　with　the　old

state　of　things。



How　withstand　such　a　just　complaint；　the　universal　complaint　of　the

destitute；　of　relatives；　and　of　believers？　…　The　fundamental

difficulty　reappears；　the　nearly　insurmountable　dilemma　into　which　the

Revolution　has　plunged　every　steady　government；　that　is　to　say　the

lasting　effect　of　revolutionary　confiscations　and　the　conflict　which

sets　two　rights　to　the　same　property　against　each　other；　the　right　of

the　despoiled　owner　and　the　right　of　the　owner　in　possession。　This

time；　again　the　fault　is　on　the　side　of　the　State；　which　has　converted

itself　from　a　policeman　into　a　brigand　and　violently　appropriated　to

itself　the　fortune　of　the　hospitals；　schools；　and　churches；　the　State

must　return　this　in　money　or　in　kind。　In　kind；　it　is　no　longer　able；

everything　has　passed　out　of　its　hands；　it　has　alienated　what　it

could；　and　now　holds　on　only　to　the　leavings。　In　money；　nothing　more

can　be　done；　it　is　itself　ruined；　has　just　become　bankrupt；　lives　on

expedients　from　day　to　day　and　has　neither　funds　nor　credit。　Nobody

dreams　of　taking　back　property　that　is　sold；　nothing　is　more　opposed

to　the　spirit　of　the　new　Régime：　not　only　would　this　be　a　robbery　as

before；　since　its　buyers　have　paid　for　it　and　got　their　receipts；　but

again；　in　disputing　their　title　the　government　would　invalidate　its

own。　For　its　authority　is　derived　from　the　same　source　as　their

property：　it　is　established　on　the　same　principle　as　their　rights　of

possession　and　by　virtue　of　the　same　accomplished　facts



*　because　things　are　as　they　are　and　could　not　be　different；

*　because　ten　years　of　revolution　and　eight　years　of　war　bear　down　on

　　the　present　with　too　heavy　a　weight；

*　because　too　many　and　too　deep　interests　are　involved　and　enlisted　on

　　the　same　side；

*　because　the　interests　of　twelve　hundred　thousand　purchasers　are

　　incorporated　with　those　of　the　thirty　thousand　officers　to　whom　the

　　Revolution　has　provided　a　rank；　along　with　that　of　all　the　new

　　functionaries　and　dignitaries；　including　the　First　Consul　himself；

　　who；　in　this　universal　transposition　of　fortunes　and　ranks；　is　the

　　greatest　of　parvenus　and　who　must　maintain　the　others　if　he　wants　to

　　be　maintained　by　them。



Naturally；　he　protects　everybody；　through　calculation　as　well　as

sympathy；　in　the　civil　as　in　the　military　order　of　things；

particularly　the　new　property…owners；　especially　the　smaller　and　the

average　ones；　his　best　clients；　attached　to　his　reign　and　to　his

person　through　love　of　property；　the　strongest　passion　of　the　ordinary

man；　and　through　love　of　the　soil；　the　strongest　passion　of　the

peasant。＇86＇　　Their　loyalty　depends　on　their　security；　and

consequently　he　is　lavish　of　guarantees。　In　his　constitution　of　the

year　VIII；＇87＇　he　declares　in　the　name　of　the　French　nation　that　after

a　legally　consummated　sale　of　national　property；　whatever　its　origin；

the　legitimate　purchaser　cannot　be　divested　of　it。〃　Through　the

institution　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　he　obliges　each　member　〃to　swear；

on　his　honor；　to　devote　himself　to　the　conservation　of　property

sanctioned　by　the　laws　of　the　republic。〃＇88＇　　According　to　the　terms

of　the　imperial　constitution＇89＇　〃he　swears〃　himself　〃to　respect　and

to　enforce　respect　for　the　irrevocability　of　the　sale　of　national

possessions。〃



Unfortunately；　a　cannon…ball　on　the　battle…field；　an　infernal　machine

in　the　street；　an　illness　at　home；　may　carry　off　the　guarantor　and　the

guarantees。＇90＇　　On　the　other　hand；　confiscated　goods　preserve　their

original　taint。　Rarely　is　the　purchaser　regarded　favorably　in　his

commune；　the　bargain　he　has　made　excites　envy；　he　is　not　alone　in　his

enjoyment　of　it；　but　the　rest　suffer　from　it。　Formerly；　this　or　that

field　of　which　he　reaps　the　produce；　this　or　that　domain　of　which　he

enjoys　the　rental；　once　provided　for　the　parsonage；　the　asylum　and　the

school；　now　the　school；　the　asylum　and　the　parsonage　die　through

inanition　for　his　advantage；　he　fattens　on　their　fasting。　In　his　own

house；　his　wife　and　mother　often　look　melancholy；　especially　during

Easter　week；　if　he　is　old；　or　becomes　ill；　his　conscience　disturbs

him；　this　conscience；　through　habit　and　heredity；　is　Catholic：　he

craves　absolution　at　the　last　moment　at　the　priest's　hands；　and　says

to　himself　that；　at　the　last　moment；　he　may　not　probably　be

absolved。＇91＇　　In　other　respects；　he　would　find　it　difficult　to

satisfy　himself　that　his　legal　property　is　legitimate　property；　for；

not　only　is　it　not　so　rightfully　before　the　tribunal　of　conscience；

but　again　it　is　not　so　in　fact　on　the　market；　the　figures；　in　this

particular；　are　convincing；　daily　and　notorious。　A　patrimonial　domain

which　brings　in　3000　francs　finds　a　purchaser　at　100；000　francs；

alongside　of　this　a　national　domain　which　brings　in　just　as　much；

finds　a　purchaser　only　at　60；000　francs；　after　several　sales　and

resale；　the　depreciation　continues　and　40　％　of　the　value　of　the

confiscated　property　is　lost。＇92＇　　A　low；　indistinct　murmur　is　heard；

and　reverberates　from　sale　to　sale；　the　muttering　of　private　probity

protesting　against　public　probity；　declaring　to　the　new　proprietor

that　his　title　is　defective；　it　lacks　one　clause　and　a　capital　one；

that