the origins of contemporary france-5-第94节

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the　systematic　centralization　instituted　by　the　First　Consul。　The　Duc

d'Angoulême；　when；　in　1815；　he　was　paraded　about　the　country；　among

the　bridges；　canals；　and　splendid　roads　of　Languedoc；　on　being

reminded　that　these　fine　works　were　formerly　executed　by　the　〃ètats〃

of　the　province；　dryly　replied　〃We　prefer　the　departments　to　the

provinces。〃＇47＇



With　the　exception　of　a　few　antiquarian　and　half…rustic　royalists；

nobody　objects；　there　is　no　thought　of　reconstructing　the　machine　on

another　plan；　in　sum；　nobody　is　dissatisfied　with　the　way　it　works。　It

works　well；　most　effectively；　under　the　Restoration　as　under　the

Empire；　it　renders　to　those　who　are　interested　the　service　demanded　of

it；　it　goes　on　providing　better　and　better　for　the　two　grand　objects

of　local　society；　care　for　the　public　highways　and　protection　against

natural　calamities。　In　1814；　its　net　results　are　already　admirable　and

do　it　credit　…　reparation　of　the　ruins　accumulated　by　the

Revolution；＇48＇　the　continuation　and　completion　of　former　projects；

new　and　striking　enterprises；　dikes　against　the　sea　and　the　rivers；

basins；　moles；　and　jetties　in　the　harbors；　quays；　and　bridges；　locks

and　canals；　public　edifices；　27；200　kilometers　of　national　roads　and

18；600　kilometers　of　departmental　roads；＇49＇　without　counting　the

district　roads　just　laid　out；　all　this　done　regularly；　exactly；　and

economically；　Charles　Nicolas；　〃Les　Budgets　de　la　France　depuis　le

commencement　du　XIXe　siècle。〃　In　1816；　the　four　direct　contributions

returned；　in　principal；　249　millions；　and；　in　additional　centimes；　89

millions　only。　For　a　long　time　the　additional　centimes　applied　to　the

local　service　and　voted　by　the　department　or　by　the　commune　are　not

many　and　do　not　exceed　5　％。　of　the　principal。　by　competent

functionaries；　employed　and　superintended；　who　at　first　through　fear

are　compelled　to　be　prudent；　and　then　through　habit　and　honor　have

become　honest　accountants；　there　is　no　waste；　no　underhand　stealing；

no　arbitrary　charges；　no　sum　is　turned　aside　between　receipts　and

expenses　to　disappear　and　be　lost　on　the　road；　or　flow　out　of　its

channel　in　another　direction。　The　sensitive　taxpayer；　large　or　small；

no　longer　smarts　under　the　painful　goad　which　formerly　pricked　him　and

made　him　jump。　Local　taxation；　annexed　to　the　general　tax；　is　found　to

be　reformed；　lightened；　and　duly　proportioned。　Like　the　principal；　the

〃additional　centimes〃　are　an　equitable　charge；　graduated　according　to

the　sum　of　net　revenue；　like　the　principal；　they　are　assessed

according　to　the　assumed　sum　of　this　net　revenue　by　the　councils　of

the　arondissements　among　the　communes；　and　by　the　communal　assessors

among　the　inhabitants。　They　are　collected　by　the　same　collector；　with

the　same　formalities；　and　every　taxpayer　who　thinks　himself　taxed　too

heavily　finds　a　court　of　appeal　in　the　council　of　the　prefecture；

before　which　he　can　make　his　claim　and　obtain　the　release　or　reduction

of　his　quota。　…　Thus　no　crying　iniquity　exists；　nor　keen　suffering；　on

the　other　hand；　there　are　the　infinite　conveniences　and　daily

enjoyment　of　possessions；　the　privation　of　which；　to　the　modern　man；

is　equal　to　the　lack　of　fresh；　pure　air；　physical　security　and

protection　against　contagion；　facilities　for　circulation　and

transport；　pavements；　light；　the　salubrity　of　healthy　streets　purged

of　their　filth；　and　the　presence　and　vigilance　of　the　municipal　and

rural　police。　All　these　benefits；　the　objects　of　local　society；　are

due　to　the　machine　which　works　with　little　cost；　without　breaking　down

or　stopping　for　any　long　time；　as　lately　under　the　Republic；　and

without　any　extortion　and　clashing；　as　in　the　times　of　the　ancient

Régime。　It　works　by　itself；　almost　without　the　help　of　the　parties

interested；　and　which；　in　their　eyes；　is　not　its　least　merit；　with　it；

there　is　no　bother；　no　responsibility；　no　elections　to　attend　to；　no

discussions　to　maintain；　no　resolutions　to　pass。　There　is　only　one

bill　to　be　settled；　not　even　a　specified　bill；　but　a　surplus　of

centimes　added　to　each　franc；　and　included　with　the　principal　in　the

annual　quota。　Just　like　an　owner　who；　by　his　correct；　exact；　and

somewhat　slow　although　punctual　and　capable　supervisors；　are　relieved

of　the　care　of　his　property。　He　may　dismiss　the　head　steward　of　his

domain　in　a　fit　of　ill…humor；　but；　if　he　changes　his　stewards；　he　does

not　change　the　system；　he　is　too　accustomed　to　it；　and　his　indolence

demands　it；　he　is　not　tempted　to　take　care　and　trouble　on　himself；　nor

is　he　qualified　to　become　his　own　intendant。



And　what　is　worse；　in　the　present　case　the　master　has　forgotten　that

he　is　the　owner　of　his　domain；　he　hardly　remembers　that　he　is　a

personality。　Whether　large　or　small；　department　or　commune；　local

society　has　no　longer　the　consciousness　of　being　a　natural　body；

composed　of　involuntarily　united　members　with　common　interests；　this

sentiment；　already　weakened　and　drooping　at　the　end　of　the　ancient

régime；　lost　under　the　multiplied　attacks　of　the　Revolution　and　under

the　prolonged　compression　of　the　Empire。　During　twenty…five　years　it

has　suffered　too　much；　it　has　been　too　arbitrarily　manufactured　or

mutilated；　too　frequently　recast；　and　made　and　unmade。　…　In　the

commune；　everything　has　been　upset　over　and　over　again；　the

territorial　circumscription；　the　internal　and　external　system；　all

collective　property。　To　the　44；000　municipalities　improvised　by　the

Constituent　Assembly；　there　succeeded　under　the　Directory　6000　or　7000

cantonal　municipalities；　a　sort　of　local　syndicate；　represented　in

each　commune　by　a　subaltern　agent；　and　then；　under　the　Consulate；

36；000　distinct　and　permanent　communes。　Sovereign　at　the　start；

through　the　improvidence　and　abdication　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；

the　communes　become；　in　the　hands　of　the　Convention；　so　many　timorous

subjects　surrendered　to　the　brutality　of　perambulating　pashas　and

resident　agas；　imposed　upon　them　by　Jacobin　tyranny；　then　under　the

Empire；　a　docile　herd　governed　in　a　correct　way　from　above；　but

possessing　no　authority　of　their　own；　and　therefore　indifferent　to

their　own　affairs　and　utterly　wanting　in　public　spirit。　Other　more

serious　blows　affect　of　the　them　still　more　deeply　and　acutely。

Through　a　decree　of　the　Legislative　Assembly；　in　every　commune　where　a

third　of　the　inhabitants　demand　a　partition　of　the　communal　property；

the　commune　is　stripped；　and　its　time…honored　patrimony　is　set　off　in

equal　lots；　in　portions　according　to　families　or　per　head；　and

converted　into　small　private　holdings。　（Page　319/584）Through　a　decree

of　the　Convention；　the　whole　of　the　communal　fortune；　its　debts　and

assets；　are　swallowed　up　by　the　public　fortune　and　engulfed　along　with

that　in　the　sale　of　real　property；　in　the　discredit　of　the　assignats；

and　in　the　final　bankruptcy。　After　this　prolonged　process；　communal

property；　even　when　disgorged　and　restored　by　the　exchequer；　is　not

what　it　was　before；　once　out　of　the　monster's　stomach；　the　remains　of

it；　dismembered；　spoilt；　half…digested；　are　no　longer　held　sacred　and

inviolable；　a　settlement　of　accounts　intervenes；　〃there　are　a　good

many　communes；〃　says　Napoleon＇50＇　〃whose　debts　have　been　paid　and

whose　property　was　not　sold；　there　are　many　others　whose　property　has

been　sold　and　whose　debts　are　not　paid　。　。　。　。　The　result　is　that　many

pieces　of　property　in　certain　communes　are　not　considered　reputable。〃

Consequently；　he　first　deprives　these　of　one…tenth　of　their　income

from　land；　and　then　one…quarter　of　the　produce　of　their　extra　cuttings

of　timber；＇51＇　and　finally；　their　capital。　the　whole　of　their　real

property；＇52＇　estimated　at　370　millions　；　in　exchange；　he　gives　them

138　millions　in　the　rentes；　the　loss　to　them　as　well　as　the　gain　to

him；　is　thus　232　millions；　while　the　sale　of　communal　properties　at

auction；　begun　in　1813；　continues　under　the　Restoration　in　1814；　1815；

and　even　in　1816。　A　human　community　treated　in　this　way　for　one

quarter　of　a　century；　ceases　to　be　a　personality；　and　becomes　a　mere

material　object；　as　far　as　this　is　concerned；　its　members　have　come　to

believe；　that　it　is　and　must　be　so　and　cannot　be　otherwise。



Above　the　commune；　nearly　dead；　is　the　department；　completely　dead；

here　local　patriotism　is　stamped　out　at　the　beginning　by　the

destruction　of　the　provinces。　Among　so　many　political　crimes　and　other

outrages　committed　by　the　Revolution　against　France；　this　is　one　of

the　worst。　The　Constituent　Assembly　has　dismantled　long…established

associations；　the　accumulated　work　of　ten　centuries；　historic　and

powerful　names；　each　of　which　aroused　enthusiasm　in　thousands　of

breasts　and　cemented　together　thousands　of　wills；　centers　of

spontaneous　co…operation；　firesides　warm　with　generous　feeling；　zeal；

and　devotion；　a　practical　school　of　high　political　education；　an

admirable　theater　for　available　talent；　noble　careers　open　to

legitimate　ambition；　in　short；　the　small　patrimony