the origins of contemporary france-5-第70节

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equality　as　in　the　name　of　true　liberty；　to　allow　the　former；　who

would　suffer　most；　to　treat　fairly　and　squarely　with　the　latter；　who

will　suffer　less。　And　all　the　more　because；　by　this　arrangement；　the

civil　staff　preserves　for　itself　its　future　recruits；　it　is　from

nineteen　to　twenty…six　that　the　future　chiefs　and　under…chiefs　of　the

great　work　of　peaceful　and　fruitful　labor；　the　savants；　artists　or

scholars；　the　jurisconsults；　engineers　or　physicians；　the　enterprising

men　of　commerce　or　of　industry；　receive　and　undertake　for　themselves　a

special　and　superior　education；　discover　or　acquire　their　leading

ideas；　and　elaborate　their　originality　or　their　competency。　If　talent

is　to　be　deprived　of　these　productive　years　their　growth　is　arrested

in　full　vegetation；　and　civil　capacities；　not　less　precious　for　the

State　than　military　capacities；　are　rendered　abortive。＇71＇　…　Towards

1804；＇72＇　owing　to　substitution；　one　conscript　out　of　five　in　the

rural　districts；　one　conscript　out　of　seven　in　the　towns；　and；　on　the

average；　one　conscript　out　of　ten　in　France；　escapes　this　forced

abortive　condition；　in　1806；　the　price　of　a　substitute　varies　from

eighteen　hundred　to　four　thousand　francs；＇73＇　and　as　capital　is

scarce；　and　ready　money　still　more　so；　a　sum　like　this　is　sufficiently

large。　Accordingly；　it　is　the　rich　or　well…to…do　class；　in　other　words

the　more　or　less　cultivated　class；　which　buys　off　its　sons：　reliance

may　be　placed　on　their　giving　them　more　or　less　complete　culture。　In

this　way；　it　prevents　the　State　from　mowing　down　all　its　sprouting

wheat　and　preserves　a　nursery　of　subjects　among　which　society　is　to

find　its　future　élite。　…　Thus　attenuated；　the　military　law　is　still

rigid　enough：　nevertheless　it　remains　endurable。　It　is　only　towards

1807＇74＇　that　it　becomes　monstrous　and　grows　worse　and　worse　from　year

to　year　until　it　becomes　the　sepulcher　of　all　French　youth；　even　to

taking　as　canon　fodder　the　adolescent　under　age　and　men　already　exempt

or　free　by　purchase。　But；　as　before　these　excesses；　it　may　still　be

maintained　with　certain　modifications；　it　suffices　almost　to　retouch

it；　to　establish　exemptions　and　the　privilege　of　substitution　as

rights；　which　were　once　simply　favors；＇75＇　reduce　the　annual

contingent；　limit　the　term　of　service；　guarantee　their　lasting　freedom

to　those　liberated；　and　thus　secure　in　1818　a　recruiting　law

satisfactory　and　efficacious　which；　for　more　than　half　a　century；　will

attain　its　ends　without　being　too　detrimental　or　too　odious；　and

which；　among　so　many　laws　of　the　same　sort；　all　mischievous；　is

perhaps　the　least　pernicious。



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Notes：



＇1＇　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　book　II。；　ch。　2；　3；　4；　and　book　V。　（Laff。　I。

pp。　95　to　125　and　pp。　245　to　308。）



＇2＇　La　Bruyère　is；　I　believe；　the　first　of　these　precursors。　Cf。　his

chapters　on　〃The　Great；〃　on　〃Personal　Merit；〃　on　〃The　Sovereign　and

the　Republic；〃　and　his　chapter　on　〃Man；〃　his　passages　on　〃The

Peasants；〃　on　〃Provincial　Notes；〃　etc。　These　appeals；　later　on；　excite

the　applause　given　to　the　〃Marriage　of　Figaro。〃　But；　in　the

anticipatory　indictment；　they　strike　deeper；　there　is　no　gayety　in

them；　the　dominant　sentiment　being　one　of　sadness；　resignation；　and

bitterness。



＇3＇　〃Discours　prononcé　par　l'ordre　du　roi　et　en　sa　presence；　le　22

février　1787；〃　by　M。　de　Calonne；　contr？1eur…général；　p。22。　〃What

remains　then　to　fill　this　fearful　void　（in　the　finances）？　Abuses。　The

abuses　now　demanding　suppression　for　the　public　weal　are　the　most

considerable　and　the　best　protected；　those　that　are　the　deepest　rooted

and　which　send　out　the　most　branches。　They　are　the　abuses　which　weigh

most　heavily　on　the　working　and　producing　classes；　the　abuses　of

financial　privileges；　the　exceptions　to　the　common　law　and　to　so　many

unjust　exemptions　which　relieve　only　a　portion　of　the　taxpayers　by

aggravating　the　lot　of　the　others；　general　inequality　in　the

distribution　of　subsidies　and　the　enormous　disproportion　which　exists

in　the　taxation　of　different　provinces　and　among　the　offices　filled　by

subjects　of　the　same　sovereign；　severity　and　arbitrariness　in　the

collection　of　the　taille；　bureaux　of　internal　transportation；　and

obstacles　that　render　different　parts　of　the　same　kingdom　strangers　to

each　other；　rights　that　discourage　industry；　those　of　which　the

collection　requires　excessive　expenditure　and　innumerable　collectors。〃



＇4＇　De　Ségur；　〃　Mémoires；〃　III。；　591。　In　1791；　on　his　return　from

Russia；　his　brother　says　to　him；　speaking　of　the　Revolution：

〃Everybody；　at　first；　wanted　it　。　。　From　the　king　down　to　the　most

insignificant　man　in　the　kingdom；　everybody　did　something　to　help　it

along；　one　let　it　come　on　up　to　his　shoe…buckle；　another　up　to　his

garter；　another　to　his　waist；　another　to　his　breast；　and　some　will　not

be　content　until　their　head　is　attacked！〃



＇5＇　My　French　dictionary　tells　me　that　the　Carmagnole　is　not　only　a

popular　revolutionary　dance　but　also　a　short　and　tight　jacket　worn　by

the　revolutionaries　between　1792　and　1795　and　that　it　came　via

Marseille　with　workers　from　the　town　of　Carmagnola　in　Piedmont。　（SR。）



＇6＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　pp。　271…279。　（Laff。　I。　505　to　509。）　…Stourm　〃

Les　Finances　de　1'ancien　régime　et　de　la　Révolution；〃　I。；　171　to　177。

…　（Report　by　Ramel；　January　31；　1796。）　〃One　would　scarcely　believe　it

…　the　holders　of　real…estate　now　owe　the　public　treasury　over　13

milliards。〃…　（Report　by　Gaudin；　Germinal；　year　X。　on　the　assessment

and　collection　of　direct　taxes。）　〃This　state　of　things　constituted　a

permanent；　annual　deficit　of　200　millions。〃



＇7＇　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　p。　99；　　and　〃The　Revolution；〃　p。407。　（Laff。

I。　pp　77…78　and　II。　300）　（About　1；200　millions　per　annum　in　bread　for

Paris；　instead　of　45　millions　for　the　civil　and　military　household　of

the　King　at　Versailles。）



＇8＇　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　p。　68。　（Laff。　I。　p。　55）　…　Madame　Campan；

〃Mémoires；〃　I。；　291；　292。



＇9＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　II。；　151；　and　III。；　500。　（Laff。　II。　282…283）



＇10＇　〃Mémorial。〃　（Napoleon's　own　words。）　　〃The　day　when；　adopting　the

unity　and　concentration　of　power；　which　could　alone　save　us；　。　。　。　the

destinies　of　France　depended　solely　on　the　character；　measures　and

conscience　of　him　who　had　been　clothed　with　this　accidental

dictatorship　…　beginning　with　that　day；　public　affairs；　that　is　to

stay　the　State；　was　myself　。　。　。　I　was　the　keystone　of　an　entirely　new

building　and　how　slight　the　foundation！　Its　destiny　depended　on　each

of　my　battles。　Had　I　been　defeated　at　Marengo　you　would　have　then　had

a　complete　1814　and　1815。〃



＇11＇　Beugnot；　〃Mémoires；〃II。；　317。　〃To　be　dressed；　taxed；　and　ordered

to　take　up　arms；　like　most　folks；　seemed　a　punishment　as　soon　as　one

had　found　a　privilege　within　reach；〃　such；　for　example；　as　the　title

of　〃déchireur　de　bateaux〃　（one　who　condemns　unseaworthy　craft　and

profits　by　it）；　or　inspector　of　fresh　butter　（using　his　fingers　in

tasting　it）；　or　tide…waiter　and　inspector　of　salt　fish。　These　titles

raised　a　man　above　the　common　level；　and　there　were　over　twenty

thousand　of　them。



＇12＇　See　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　p。　129。　（Laff。　I。　p。　99）



＇13＇　Madame　de　Rémusat；　〃Mémoires；〃　III。；　316；　317。



＇14＇　De　Beausset；　〃Intérieur　du　palais　de　Napoléon　〃　I。；　p。　9　et　seq。。

For　the　year　1805　the　total　expense　is　2；338；167　francs；　for　the　year

1806　it　reaches　2；770；861　francs；　because　funds　were　assigned　〃for　the

annual　augmentation　of　plate；　1；000　silver　plates　and　other　objects。〃

…　〃Napoleon　knew；　every　New　Year's　day；　what　he　expended　（for　his

household）　and　nobody　ever　dared　overpass　the　credits　he　allowed。〃



＇15＇　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　pp。　35o…357。（Laff。　I。　259…266）



＇16＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　I。　pp。　276…281。（Laff。　pp。　508…510）　…　Stourm；

ibid。；　168…171。　（Speech　by　Bénard…Lagrave　to　the　Five　Hundred；

Pluvi？se　II；　year　IV。）　〃It　cannot　be　concealed　that；　for　many　years；

people　were　willingly　accustoming　themselves　to　the　non…payment　of

taxes。〃



＇17＇　Stourm；　ibid。；II。；　365。　（Speech　of　Ozanam　to　the　Five　Hundred；

Pluvi？se　14；　year　VII。）　〃Scandalous　traffic。　。　。　。　Most　of　the　（tax）

collectors　in　the　republic　are　heads　and　managers　of　banks。〃　…

（Circular　of　the　minister　of　the　finances；　Floréal　25　year　VII。）

〃Stock…jobbing　of　the　worst　kind　to　which　many　collectors　give

themselves　up；　using　bonds　and　other　public　securities　received　in

payment　of　taxes。〃　…　（Report　by　Gros…Cassaud　Florimond；　Sep。19；　1799。）

〃Among　the　corruptible　and　corrupting　agents　there　are　only　too　many

public　functionaries。〃　…　Mollien；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。；　222。　（In　1800；　he

had　just　been　appointed　director　of　the　sinking…fund。）　〃The

commonplace　compliment　which　was　everywhere　paid　to　me　（and　even　by

statesmen　who　affected　the　sternest　morality）　was　as　follows　…　you　are

very　fortunate　to　have　an　office　in　which　one　may　legitimately

accumulate　the　largest　fortune　in　Fran