the origins of contemporary france-5-第80节

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the　emperor　and；　opposite　to　it；　the　name　of　the　person　recommending

him。〃　All；　even　at　a　distance；　felt　that　the　master's　eyes　were　on

them。　〃I　worked；〃　says　Beugnot；＇32＇　〃from　night　to　morning；　with

singular　ardor；　I　astonished　the　natives　of　the　country　who　did　not

know　that　the　emperor　exercised　over　his　servitors；　however　far　from

him　they　might　be；　the　miracle　of　the　real　presence。　I　thought　I　saw

him　standing　over　me　as　I　worked　shut　up　in　my　cabinet。〃　…　〃Under

him；〃　writes　Roederer；　〃there　is　no　man　of　any　merit　who；　as　a　reward

for　long　and　difficult　labor；　does　not　feel　himself　better　compensated

by　a　new　task　than　by　the　most　honorable　leisure。〃　Never　did　positions

less　resemble　sinecures。　Never　was　the　happiness　of　successful

candidates　or　the　misery　of　unsuccessful　candidates　better　justified。

Never　the　compliance；　the　difficulty；　the　risks　of　a　required　task

have　been　compensated　more　fairly　by　the　enjoyment　of　the　allocated

rewards　nor　moderated　the　bitterness　of　the　frustrated

pretensions。＇33＇　　Never　were　public　functions　assigned　or　fulfilled　in

a　way　to　better　satisfy　the　legitimate　craving　for　advancement；　the

dominant　desire　of　democracy　and　of　the　century；　and　in　a　way　to

better　disarm　the　bad　passions　of　democracy　and　of　the　century；

consisting　of　an　envious　leveling；　anti…social　rancor　and　the

inconsolable　regrets　of　the　man　who　has　failed。　Never　did　human

competition　encounter　a　similar　judge；　so　constant；　so　expert　and　so

justified。　…　He　is　himself　conscious　of　the　unique　part　he　plays。　His

own　ambition；　the　highest　and　most　insatiate　of　all；　enables　him　to

comprehend　the　ambition　of　others；　to　place　everywhere　the　man　who

suits　the　post　in　the　post　which　suits　the　man　…　this　is　what　he　has

done　for　himself　and　what　he　does　for　others。　He　knows　that　in　this

lies　his　power；　his　deep…seated　popularity；　his　social　utility。



〃Nobody；〃　says　Napoleon；＇34＇　〃is　interested　in　overthrowing　a

government　in



　　　　　　　which　all　the　deserving　are　employed。〃



Then；　again；　comes　his　significant　exclamation　at　the　end；　his　summary

of　modern　society；　a　solemn　grandiose　figure　of　speech　found　in　the

legendary　souvenirs　of　a　glorious　antiquity；　a　classic　reminiscence　of

the　noble　Olympian　games；



〃Henceforth；　all　careers　are　open　to　talent！〃





IV。　The　Struggle　for　Office　and　Title。



Competition　and　prizes。　…　Multitude　of　offices。　…　How　their　number　is

increased　by　the　extension　of　central　patronage　and　of　the　French

territory。　…　Situation　of　a　Frenchman　abroad。　…　It　gives　him　rank。　…

Rapidity　of　promotion。　…　Constant　elimination　and　multiplicity　of

vacancies　in　the　army。　…　Preliminary　elimination　in　the　civil　service。

…　Proscription　of　cultivated　men　and　interruption　of　education　during

the　Revolution。　…　General　or　special　instruction　rare　in　1800。…　Small

number　of　competent　candidates。　…　Easy　promotion　due　to　the　lack　of

competitors。　…　Importance　and　attraction　the　prizes　offered。　…　The

Legion　of　Honor。　…　The　imperial　nobility。　…　Dotations　and　majorities。

…　Emulation。



Let　us　now　consider　the　career　which　he　thus　opens　to　them　and　the

prizes　he　offers。　These　prizes　are　in　full　view；　ranged　along　each

racecourse；　graduated　according　to　distances　and　more　and　more

striking　and　magnificent。　Every　ambition　is　provided　for；　the　highest

as　well　as　the　lowest；　and　these　are　countless；　for　they　consist　of

offices　of　every　grade　in　the　civil　and　military　hierarchies　of　a

great　centralized　State　whose　intervention　is　universal；　under　a

government　which　systematically　tolerates　no　authority　or　influence

outside　of　itself　and　which　monopolizes　every　species　of　social

importance　for　its　own　functionaries。＇35＇　…　All　these　prizes；　even　the

smallest　and　most　insignificant；　are　awarded　by　it。　In　the　first

place；　Napoleon　has　two　or　three　times　as　many　offices　to　bestow；　on

the　soil　of　old　France　alone；　as　the　former　kings；　for；　even　in　the

choice　of　their　staff　of　officials；　the　latter　were　not　always　free；

in　many　places　they　did　not　have；　or　no　longer　had　the　right　of

appointment。　At　one　time；　this　right　be　longed　from　time　immemorial　to

provincial　or　municipal　corporations；　laic　or　ecclesiastic；　to　a

certain　chapter；　abbey　or　collegiate　church；　to　a　bishop　in　his

diocese；　to　the　seignior　in　his　seignory。　At　another　time　the　king；

once　possessing　the　right；　had　surrendered　or　alienated　it；　in　whole

or　in　part　through　gratuitous　favor　and　the　concession　of　a

survivorship　or　for　money　and　through　the　sale　of　an　office；　in　brief；

his　hands　were　tied　fast　by　hereditary　or　acquired　privileges　There

are　no　privileges　now　to　fetter　the　hands　of　the　First　Consul。　The

entire　civil　organization　dates　from　him。　The　whole　body　of　officials

is　thus　of　his　own　selection；　and　under　him　it　is　much　more　numerous

than　that　of　the　ancient　Régime；　for　he　has　extended　the　attributions

of　the　State　beyond　all　former　bounds。　Directly　or　indirectly；　he

appoints　by　hundreds　of　thousands　the　mayors　and　councilors　of

municipalities　and　the　members　of　general　councils；　the　entire　staff

of　the　administration；　of　the　finances；　of　the　judicature；　of　the

clergy；　of　the　University；　of　public　works　and　of　public　charity。

Besides　all　this；　myriads　of　ministerial　and　notarial　officials

lawyers；　ushers；　auctioneers；　and　by　way　of　surplus；　or　as　a　natural

result；　the　members　of　every　great　private　association　since　no

collective　enterprise；　from　the　Bank　of　France　and　the　press　to　stage

lines　and　tontines；　may　be　established　without　his　permission；　nor

exist　without　his　tolerance。　Not　counting　the　latter；　and　after

deducting　likewise　the　military　or　active　duty　and　the　functionaries

who　draw　pay；　the　prefect　from　the　earliest　years　report　that；　since

1789；　the　number　of　people　〃employed　or　under　government　pay〃　has　more

than　doubled：　In　Doubs；　in　the　year　IX；　instead　of　916　there　are　1820；

in　Meurthe　in　the　year　XIII；　instead　of　1828　there　are　3091；　in　Ain；

in　1806　instead　of　955　there　are　1771＇36＇。　As　to　the　army；　it　has

tripled；　and　according　to　the　First　Consul's　own　calculations；　instead

of　9；000　or　10；000　officers　as　in　1789；　there　are　more　than　20；000。　…

These　figures　go　on　increasing　on　the　old　territory　through　the　very

development　of　the　new　organization；　through　the　enormous　increase　of

the　army；　through　the　re…establishment　of　religious　worship；　through

the　installation　of　droits　réunis；　through　the　institution　of　the

University；　owing　to　the　increasing　number　of　officials；　curés　and

assistant…priests；　of　professors　and　school…teachers；　and　of　retired

and　pensioned　invalids。＇37＇



And　these　figures；　which　already　swell　of　themselves；　are　to　swell　an

additional　half　through　the　extension　of　the　ancient　territory。

Instead　of　86　departments　with　a　population　of　26　millions；　France

ends　in　comprising　130　departments　with　42　million　inhabitants　…

Belgium　and　Piedmont；　then　Hanover；　Tuscany；　Central　Italy；　Illyria；

Holland　and　the　Hanseatic　provinces；　that　is　to　say　44　departments　and

16　millions　of　annexed　Frenchmen；＇38＇　affording　another　large　outlet

for　little　and　big　ambitions。　…　Add　still　another；　as　a　surplus　and

not　less　extensive　outlet；　outside　of　France：　for　the　subject　princes

and　the　vassal　kings；　Eugène；　Louis；　Jerome；　Murat；　and　Joseph；　each

with　their　governments；　import　into　their　realms　a　more　or　less

numerous　body　of　French　officials；　familiars；　court　dignitaries；

generals；　ministers；　administrators；　even　clerks　and　other

indispensable　subalterns；　if　for　no　other　purpose　than　to　bring　the

natives　within　the　military　and　civil　compartments　of　the　new　Régime

and　teach　them　on　the　spot　the　conscription；　the　administration；　the

civil　code；　and　systems　of　accounts　like　those　of　Paris。　Even　in　the

independent　or　allied　States；　in　Prussia；　in　Poland；　in　the

confederation　of　the　Rhine；　there　are；　at　intervals　or　permanently；

Frenchmen　in　position　and　in　authority　to　command　contingent　forces；

to　garrison　fortresses；　to　receive　supplies　and　secure　the　payment　of

war　contributions。　Even　with　the　corporal　and　custom…house　inspector

on　duty　on　coast　at　Dantzig　and　at　Reggio；　the　sentiment　of　victorious

priority　equals　the　possession　of　rank；　in　their　eyes　the　natives　of

the　country　are　semi…barbarians　or　semi…savages；　a　backward　or

prejudiced　lot；　not　even　knowing　how　to　speak　their　language；　they

feel　themselves　superior；　as　formerly　the　se？or　soldado　of　the

sixteenth　century；　or　the　civis　romanus。　Never　since　the　great　Spanish

monarchy　and　the　Old　Roman　empire　has　a　conquering　State　and

propagator　of　a　new　régime　afforded　its　subjects　such　gratifications

of　self…esteem；　nor　opened　so　vast　a　career　to　their　ambitions。



For；　having　once　adopted　their　career；　they　know　better　than　the

Spaniards　under　Charles　V。　or　the　Romans　under　Augustus；　how　far　they

can　go　and　how　fast　they　can　get　ahead。　No　obstacle　impedes　them；

nobody　feels　himself　confin