the origins of contemporary france-5-第75节

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sovereignty　being　illusory；　but　with　the　understanding　that　the

sovereignty　of　others　is　regarded　likewise；　so　I　prefer　servitude　and

privation　for　all；　rather　than　liberties　and　advantages　for　a　few；

and；　provided　the　same　level　is　passed　over　all　heads；　I　submit　to　the

yoke　for　all　heads；　including　my　own。〃



Such　is　the　internal　composition　of　the　instinct　of'　equality；　and

such　is　the　natural　instinct　of　Frenchmen。　It　is　beneficial　or

mischievous　according　as　one　or　the　other　of　its　ingredients

predominates；　at　one　time　the　noble　sentiment　of　equity　and　at　another

time　the　low　envy　of　foolish　vanity；＇4＇　healthy　or　unhealthy；　however；

its　power　in　France　is　enormous；　and　the　new　Régime　gratifies　it　in

every　possible　way；　good　or　bad。　No　more　legal　disqualifications！　On

the　one　hand；　the　republican　laws　of　proscription　or　of　exception　were

all　repealed：　we　have　seen　an　amnesty　and　the　return　of　the　émigrés；

the　Concordat；　the　restoration　of　Catholic　worship；　the　compulsory

reconciliation　of　the　constitutionalists　with　the　orthodox；　the　First

Consul　admits　no　difference　between　them；　his　new　clergy　are　recruited

from　both　groups　and；　in　this　respect；　he　forces　the　Pope　to　yield。＇5＇

He　gives　twelve　of　the　sixty　episcopal　thrones　to　former　schismatics；

he　wants　them　to　take　their　places　boldly；　he　relieves　them　from

ecclesiastical　penitence　and　from　any　humiliating　recantation；　he

takes　care　that；　in　the　other　forty…eight　dioceses；　the　priests　who

formerly　took　the　civic　oath　shall　be　employed　and　well　treated　by

their　superiors　who；　at　the　same　epoch；　refused　to　take　the　civic

oath。　On　the　other　hand；　all　the　exclusions；　inequalities　and

distinctions　of　the　monarchy　remain　abolished。　Not　only　are　the

Calvinist　and　even　Israelite　cults　legally　authorized；　the　same　as　the

Catholic　cult；　but；　again；　the　Protestant　consistories　and　Jewish

synagogues＇6＇　are　constituted　and　organized　on　the　same　footing　as　the

Catholic　churches。　Pastors　and　rabbis　likewise　become　functionaries

under　the　same　title　as　bishops　and　cure's；　all　are　recognized　or

sanctioned　by　the　government　and　all　equally　benefit　by　its　patronage：

it　is　an　unique　thing　in　Europe　to　find　the　small　churches　of　the

minority　obtaining　the　same　measure　of　indifference　and　good　will　from

the　State　as　the　great　church　of　the　majority；　and；　henceforth；　in

fact　as　in　law；　the　ministers　of　the　three　cults；　formerly　ignored；

tolerated　or　proscribed；　enjoy　their　rank；　titles　and　honors　in　the

social　as　well　as　in　the　legal　hierarchy；　equally　with　the　ministers

of　that　cult　which　was　once　the　only　one　dominant　or　allowed



Similarly；　in　the　civilian　status；　no　inferiority　or　discredit　must

legally　attach　to　any　condition　whatever；　either　to　plebeian；

villager；　peasant　or　poor　man　as　such；　as　formerly　under　the　monarchy；

nor　to　noble；　bourgeois；　citizen；　notable　or　rich　man；　as　recently

under　the　Republic。　Each　of　these　two　classes　is　relieved　of　its

degradation；　no　class　is　burdened　by　taxation　or　by　the　conscription

beyond　its　due；　all　persons　and　all　property　find　in　the　government；

in　the　administration；　in　the　tribunals；　in　the　gendarme；　the　same

reliable　protection。　…　So　much　for　equity　and　the　true　spirit　of

equality。　…　Let　us　now　turn　around　and　consider　envy　and　the　bad

spirit　of　equality。　The　plebiscite；　undoubtedly；　as　well　as　the

election　of　deputies　to　the　Corps　Legislatif　are　simply　comedies；　but；

in　these　comedies；　one　r？le　is　as　good　as　another　and　the　duke　of　the

old　or　new　pattern；　a　mere　figurant　among　hundreds　and　thousands　of

others；　votes　only　once　like　the　corner…grocer。　Undoubtedly；　the

private　individual　of　the　commune　or　department；　in　institutions　of

charity；　worship　or　education；　is　deprived　of　any　independence；　of　any

initiation；　of　any　control；　as　the　State　has　confiscated　for　itself

all　collective　action；　but　the　classes　deprived　of　this　are　especially

the　upper　classes；　alone　sufficiently　enlightened　and　wealthy　to　take

the　lead；　form　projects　and　provide　for　expenditure：　in　this

usurpation；　the　State　has　encroached　upon　and　eaten　deeper　into　the

large　body　of　superior　existences　scattered　about　than　into　the

limited　circle　where　humbler　lives　clamber　and　crawl　along；　nearly　the

entire　loss；　all　perceptible　privation；　is　for　the　large　landed

proprietor　and　not　for　his　hired　hands；　for　the　large　manufacturer　or

city　merchant　and　not　for　their　workmen　or　clerks；＇7＇　while　the　clerk；

the　workman；　the　journeyman；　the　handicraftsman；　who　grumble　at　being

the　groundlings；　find　themselves　less　badly　off　since　their　masters　or

patrons；　fallen　from　a　higher　point；　are　where　they　are　and　they　can

elbow　them。



Now　that　men　are　born　on　the　ground；　all　on　the　same　level；　and　are

confined　within　universal　and　uniform　limits；　social　life　no　longer

appears　to　them　other　than　a　competition；　a　rivalry　instituted　and

proclaimed　by　the　State；　and　of　which　it　is　the　umpire；　for；　through

its　interference；　all　are　comprised　within　its　enclosure　and　shut　up

and　kept　there；　no　other　field　is　open　to　run　on；　on　the　contrary；

every　career　within　these　bounds；　indicated　and　staked　out　beforehand；

offers　an　opportunity　for　all　runners：　the　government　has　laid　out　and

leveled　the　ground；　established　compartments；　divided　off　and　prepared

rectilinear　lists　which　converge　to　the　goal；　there；　it　presides；　the

unique　arbiter　of　the　race；　exposing　to　all　competitors　the

innumerable　prizes　which　it　proposes　for　them。　…　These　prizes　consist

of　offices；　the　various　employments　of　the　State；　political；　military；

ecclesiastical；　judiciary；　administrative　and　university；　all　the

honors　and　dignities　which　it　dispenses；　all　the　grades　of　its

hierarchy　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest；　from　that　of　corporal；

college…regent；　alderman；　office　…　supernumerary；　assistant　priest　up

to　that　of　senator；　marshal　of　France；　grand　master　of　the　university；

cardinal；　and　minister　of　State。　It　confers　on　its　possessor；

according　to　the　greater　or　lesser　importance　of　the　place；　a　greater

or　lesser　portion　of　the　advantages　which　all　men　crave　and　seek　for

money；　power；　patronage；　influence；　consideration；　importance　and

social　pre…eminence；　thus；　according　to　the　rank　one　attains　in　the

hierarchy；　one　is　something；　or　of　some　account；　outside　of　the

hierarchy；　one　is　nothing。



Consequently；　the　faculty　for　getting　in　and　advancing　one's　self　in

these　lists　is　the　most　precious　of　all：　in　the　new　Régime　it　is

guaranteed　by　the　law　as　a　common　right　and　is　open　to　all　Frenchmen。

As　no　other　outlet　for　them　is　allowed　by　the　State　it　owes　them　this

one；　since　it　invites　them　and　reduces　everybody　to　competing　under

its　direction　it　is　bound　to　be　an　impartial　arbiter；　since　the

quality　of　citizen；　in　itself　and　through　it　alone；　confers　the　right

to　make　one's　way；　all　citizens　indifferently　must　enjoy　the　right　of

succeeding　in　any　employment；　the　very　highest；　and　without　any

distinction　as　to　birth；　fortune；　cult　or　party。　There　must　be　no　more

preliminary　exclusions；　no　more　gratuitous　preferences；　undeserved

favors；　anticipated　promotions；　no　more　special　favors。　…　Such　is　the

rule　of　the　modern　State：　constituted　as　it　is；　that　is　to　say；

monopolizer　and　omnipresent；　it　cannot　violate　this　rule　for　any

length　of　time　with　impunity。　In　France；　at　least；　the　good　and　bad

spirits　of　equality　agree　in　exacting　adherence　to　it：　on　this　point；

the　French　are　unanimous；　no　article　of　their　social　code　is　more

cherished　by　them；　this　one　flatters　their　amour…propre　and　tickles

their　imagination；　it　exalts　hope；　nourishes　illusion；　intensifies　the

energy　and　enjoyment　of　life。　…　Thus　far；　the　principle　has　remained

inert；　powerless；　held　in　suspension　in　the　air；　in　the　great　void　of

speculative　declarations　and　of　constitutional　promises。　Napoleon

brings　it　down　to　the　ground　and　renders　it　practical；　that　which　the

assemblies　had　decreed　in　vain　for　ten　years　he　brings　about　for　the

first　time　and　in　his　own　interest。　To　exclude　a　class　or　category　of

men　from　offices　and　promotion　would　be　equivalent　to　depriving　one's

self　gratuitously　of　all　the　talents　it　contains；　and；　moreover；　to

incurring；　besides　the　inevitable　rancor　of　these　frustrated　talents；

the　sullen　and　lasting　discontent　of　the　entire　class　or　category。　The

First　Consul　would　do　himself　a　wrong　were　he　to　curb　his　right　to

choose：　he　needs　every　available　capacity；　and　he　takes　them　where　he

finds　them；　to　the　right；　to　the　left；　above　or　below；　in　order　to

keep　his　regiments　full　and　enroll　in　his　service　every　legitimate

ambition　and　every　justifiable　pretension。



Under　the　monarchy；　an　obscure　birth　debarred　even　the　best　endowed

men　from　the　principal　offices。　Under　the　Consulate　and　the　Empire　the

two　leading　personages　of　the　State　are　Lebrun；　Maupeou's　old

secretary；　a　productive　translator；＇8＇　a　lawyer；　formerly　councilor　in

a　provincial