the origins of contemporary france-4-第97节

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sexes　and　of　all　ages　exceeded　400；000。＇39＇　…　Considering　the　program

and　principles　of　the　Jacobin　sect　this　is　no　great　number；　they　might

have　killed　a　good　many　more。　　But　time　was　wanting；　during　their

short　reign　they　did　what　they　could　with　the　instrument　in　their

hands。　　Look　at　their　machine；　the　gradual　construction　of　its　parts；

the　successive　stages　of　its　operation　from　its　starting　up　to

Thermidor　9；　and　see　how　limited　the　period　of　its　operation　was。

Organized　March　30　and　April　6；　1793；　the　Revolutionary　Committees　and

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal　had　but　seventeen　months　in　which　to　do

their　work。　　They　did　not　drive　ahead　with　all　their　might　until　after

the　fall　of　the　Girondists；　and　especially　after　September；　1763　that

is　to　say　for　a　period　of　eleven　months。　　Its　loose　wheels　were　not

screwed　up　and　the　whole　was　not　in　running　order　under　the　impulse　of

the　central　motor　until　after　December；　1793；　that　is　to　say　during

eight　months。　　Perfected　by　the　law　of　Prairial　22；　it　works　for　the

past　two　months；　faster　and　better　than　before；　with　an　energy　and

rapidity　that　increase　from　week　to　week。　　…　At　that　date；　and　even

before　it；　the　theorists　have　taken　the　bearings　of　their　destinies

and　accepted　the　conditions　of　their　undertaking。　　Being　sectarians；

they　have　a　faith；　and　as　orthodoxy　tolerates　no　heresy；　and　as　the

conversion　of　heretics　is　never　sincere　or　durable；　heresy　can　be

suppressed　only　by　suppressing　heretics。　　〃It　is　only　the　dead；〃　said

Barère；　Messidor　16；　〃who　never　return。〃　On　the　2nd　and　3rd　of

Thermidor；＇40＇　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　sends　to　Fouquier…

Tinville　a　list　of　four　hundred　and　seventy…eight　accused　persons　with

orders　〃to　bring　the　parties　named　to　trial　at　once。〃　Baudot　and　Jean

Bon　St。　　Andre；　Carrier；　Antonelle　and　Guifroy；　had　already　estimated

the　lives　to　be　taken　at　several　millions　and；　according　to　Collot　d'

Herbois；　who　had　a　lively　imagination；　〃the　political　perspiration

should　go　on　freely；　and　not　stop　until　from　twelve　to　fifteen　million

Frenchmen　had　been　destroyed。〃＇41＇



To　make　amends；　in　the　fourth　and　last　division　of　their　work；　that　is

to　say；　in　spoliation；　they　went　to　the　last　extreme：　they　did　all

that　could　be　done　to　ruin　individuals；　families　and　the　State；

whatever　could　be　taken；　they　took。　　…　The　Constituent　and　Legislative

Assemblies　had；　on　their　side；　begun　the　business　by　abolishing　tithes

and　all　feudal　rights　without　indemnity；　and　by　confiscating　all

ecclesiastical　property；　the　Jacobin　operators　continue　and　complete

the　job；　we　have　seen　by　what　decrees　and　with　what　hostility　against

collective　and　individual　property；　whether　they　attribute　to　the

State　the　possession　of　all　corporations　whatever；　even　laic；　such　as

colleges；　schools　and　scientific　or　literary　societies；　hospitals　and

communes；　or　whether　they　despoil　individuals；　indirectly　through

assignats　and　the　maximum；　or　directly　through　the　forced　loan；

revolutionary　taxes；＇42＇　seizures　of　gold　and　silver　coin；

requisitions　of　common　useful　utensils；＇43＇　sequestrations　of

prisoners'　property；　confiscations　of　the　possessions　of　emigrants　and

exiles　and　of　those　deported　or　condemned　to　death。　　No　capital

invested　in　real　or　personal　property；　no　income　in　money　or　produce；

whatever　its　source；　whether　leases；　mortgages；　private　credits；

pensions；　agricultural；　industrial　or　commercial　gains；　the　fruits　of

economy　or　labor；　from　the　farmers'；　the　manufacturers'　and　the

merchant's　stores　to　the　robes；　coats；　shirts　and　shoes；　even　to　the

beds　and　bed…rooms　of　private　individuals　…　nothing　escapes　their

rapacious　grasp：　in　the　country；　they　carry　off　even　seed　reserved　for

planting；　at　Strasbourg　and　in　the　Upper　Rhine；　all　kitchen　utensils；

in　Auvergne　and　elsewhere；　even　the　shepherd's　pots。　　Every　object　of

value；　even　those　not　in　public　use；　comes　under　requisition：　for

instance；＇44＇　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　Bayonne　seizes　a　lot　of

〃cotton　cloth　and　muslin；〃　under　the　pretext　of　making　〃breeches　for

the　country's　defenders。〃　On　useful　objects　being　taken　it　is　not

always　certain　that　they　will　be　utilized；　between　their　seizure　and

putting　them　to　service；　robbery　and　waste　intervene。　　At

Strasbourg；＇45＇　on　a　requisition　being　threatened　by　the

representatives；　the　inhabitants　strip　themselves　and；　in　a　few　days；

bring　to　the　municipality　〃6；879　coats；　breeches　and　vests；　4；767

pairs　of　stockings；　16；921　pairs　of　shoes；　863　pairs　of　boots；　1351

cloaks；　20；518　shirts；　4；524　hats；　523　pairs　of　gaiters；　143　skin

vests；　2；673；　900　blankets；　besides　29　quintals　of　lint；　21　quintals

of　old　linen；　and　a　large　number　of　other　articles。〃



But　〃most　of　these　articles　remain　piled　up　in　the　storehouses；　part

of　them　rotten；　or　eaten　by　rats；　the　rest　being　abandoned　to　the

first…comer。　　。　　。　　。　　The　end　of　spoliation　was　attained。〃　…　Utter

loss　to　individuals　and　no　gain；　or　the　minimum　of　a　gain；　to　the

State。　　Such　is　the　net　result　of　the　revolutionary　government。　　After

having　laid　its　hand　on　three…fifths　of　the　landed　property　of　France；

after　having　wrested　from　communities　and　individuals　from　ten　to

twelve　billions　of　real　and　personal　estate；　after　having　increased；

through　assignats　and　territorial　warrants；　the　public　debt；　which　was

not　five　billions　in　1789；　to　more　than　fifty　billions；＇46＇　no　longer

able　to　pay　its　employees；　reduced　to　supporting　its　armies　as　well　as

itself　by　forced　contributions　on　conquered　territories；　it　ends　in

bankruptcy；　it　repudiates　two…thirds　of　its　debt；　and　its　credit　is　so

low　that　the　remaining　third　which　it　has　consolidated　and　guaranteed

afresh；　loses　eighty…three　per　cent。　　the　very　next　day。　　In　its

hands；　the　State　has　itself　suffered　as　much　as　the　private

individuals。　　…　Of　the　latter；　more　than　1　200　000　have　suffered

physically：　several　millions；　all　who　owned　anything；　great　or　small；


have　suffered　through　their　property。＇47＇　But；　in　this　multitude　of

the　oppressed；　it　is　the　notables　who　are　chiefly　aimed　at　and　who；　in

their　possessions　as　well　as　in　their　persons；　have　suffered　the　most。







II。　　　　The　Value　of　Notables　in　Society。



Various　kinds　and　degrees　of　Notables　in　1789。　　…　The　great　social

staff。　　…　Men　of　the　world。　　…　Their　breeding。　　…　Their　intellectual

culture。　　…　Their　humanity　and　philanthropy。　　…　Their　moral　temper。　　…

Practical　men。　　…　Where　recruited；　…　Their　qualifications。　　…　Their

active　benevolence。　　…　Scarcity　of　them　and　their　worth　to　a

community。



On　estimating　the　value　of　a　forest　you　begin　by　dividing　its

vegetation　into　two　classes；　on　the　one　hand　the　full…grown　trees；　the

large　or　medium…sized　oaks；　beeches　and　aspens；　and；　on　the　other；　the

saplings　and　the　undergrowth。　　In　like　manner；　in　estimating　society；

you　divide　the　individuals　composing　it　into　two　groups；　one

consisting　of　its　notables　of　every　kind　and　degree；　and　the　other；　of

the　common　run　of　men。　　If　the　forest　is　an　old　one　and　has　not　been

too　badly　managed；　nearly　the　whole　of　its　secular　growth　is　found　in

its　clusters　of　full…grown　trees。　　Nearly　all　the　useful　wood　is　to　be

found　in　the　mature　forest。　　A　few　thousand　large　handsome　trees　and

the　three　or　four　hundred　thousand　saplings；　young　and　old；　of　the

reserve；　contain　more　useful　and　valuable　wood　than　the　twenty　or

thirty　millions　shrubs；　bushes　and　heathers　put　together。　　It　is　the

same　in　a　community　which　has　existed　for　a　long　time　under　a

tolerably　strict　system　of　justice　and　police；　almost　the　entire　gain

of　a　secular　civilization　is　found　concentrated　in　its　notables；

which；　taking　it　all　in　all；　was　the　state　of　French　society　in

1789。＇48＇



Let　us　first　consider　the　most　prominent　personages。　　　…　It　is

certain；　that；　among　the　aristocracy；　the　wealthiest　and　most

conspicuous　families　had　ceased　to　render　services　proportionate　to

the　cost　of　their　maintenance。　　Most　of　the　seigniors　and　ladies　of

the　Court；　the　worldly　bishops；　abbés；　and　parliamentarians　of　the

drawing…room；　knew　but　little　more　than　how　to　solicit　with　address；

make　a　graceful　parade　of　themselves　and　spend　lavishly。　　An　ill…

understood　system　of　culture　had　diverted　them　from　their　natural

avocations；　and　converted　them　into　showy　and　agreeable　specimens　of

vegetation；　often　hollow；　blighted；　sapless　and　over…pruned；　besides

being　very　costly；　over…manured　and　too　freely　watered；　and　the

skillful　gardening　which　shaped；　grouped　and　arranged　them　in

artificial　forms　and　bouquets；　rendered　their　fruit　abortive　that

flowers　might　be　multiplied。　　…　But　the　flowers　were　exquisite；　and

even　in　a　moralist's　eyes；　such　flowering　counts　for　something。　　On

the　side　of　civility；　good…breeding　and　deportment；　the　manners　and

customs　of　high　life　had　reached　a　degree　of　perfection；　which　never；

in　France　or　elsewhere；　had　been　attained　before；　and　which　has　never

sinc