the origins of contemporary france-2-第40章

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jurisdiction　or　to　a　routine　of　scribbling；　with　no　escape　but

philosophical　excursions　in　imaginary　space　under　the　guidance　of

Rousseau　and　Raynal。　　　There　are　three　hundred　and　seventy…three　of

this　class；　to　whom　may　be　added　thirty…eight　farmers　and

husbandmen；　fifteen　physicians；　and；　among　the　manufacturers；

merchants；　and　capitalists；　some　fifty　or　sixty　who　are　their　equals

in　education　and　in　political　capacity。　　　Scarcely　one　hundred　and

fifty　proprietors　are　here　from　the　middle　class。＇18＇　　To　these　four

hundred　and　fifty　deputies；　whose　condition；　education；　instruction；

and　mental　range　qualified　them　for　being　good　clerks；　prominent　men

in　a　commune；　honorable　fathers　of　a　family；　or；　at　best；

provincial　academicians；　add　two　hundred　and　eight　curés；　their

equals；　this　makes　six　hundred　and　fifty　out　of　eleven　hundred　and

eighteen　deputies；　forming　a　positive　majority；　which；　again；　is

augmented　by　about　fifty　philosophical　nobles；　leaving　out　the　weak

who　follow　the　current；　and　the　ambitious　who　range　themselves　on

the　strong　side。　　…　　We　may　divine　what　a　chamber　thus　made　up　can

do；　and　those　who　are　familiar　with　such　matters　prophesy　what　it

will　do。＇19＇



〃There　are　some　able　men　in　the　National　Assembly；〃　writes　the

American　minister；　〃yet　the　best　heads　among　them　would　not　be

injured　by　experience；　and；　unfortunately；　there　are　great　numbers

who；　with　much　imagination；　have　little　knowledge；　judgment；　or

reflection。〃



It　would　be　just　as　sensible　to　select　eleven　hundred　notables　from

an　inland　province　and　entrust　them　to　the　repair　of　an　old　frigate。

They　would　conscientiously　break　the　vessel　up；　and　the　frigate　they

would　construct　in　its　place　would　founder　before　it　left　port。



If　they　would　only　consult　the　pilots　and　professional　shipbuilders！

　There　are　several　of　such　to　be　found　around　them；　whom　they

cannot　suspect；　for　most　of　them　are　foreigners；　born　in　free

countries；　impartial；　sympathetic；　and；　what　is　more；　unanimous。

The　Minister　of　the　United　States　writes；　two　months　before　the

convocation　of　the　States…General：＇20＇



〃I；　a　republican；　and　just；　as　it　were；　emerged　from　that　Assembly

which　has　formed　one　of　the　most　republican　of　republican

constitutions；　…　I　preach　incessantly　respect　for　the　prince；

attention　to　the　rights　of　the　nobility；　and　moderation；　not　only　in

the　object；　but　also　in　the　pursuit　of　it。〃



　Jefferson；　a　democrat　and　radical；　expresses　himself　no

differently。　　　At　the　time　of　the　oath　of　the　Tennis　Court；　he

redoubles　his　efforts　to　induce　Lafayette　and　other　patriots　to　make

some　arrangement　with　the　King　to　secure　freedom　of　the　press；

religious；　liberty；　trial　by　jury；　the　habeas　corpus；　and　a　national

legislature；　…　things　which　he　could　certainly　be　made　to　adopt；　…

and　then　to　retire　into　private　life；　and　let　these　institutions　act

upon　the　condition　of　the　people　until　they　had　rendered　it　capable

of　further　progress；　with　the　assurance　that　there　would　be　no　lack

of　opportunity　for　them　to　obtain　still　more。



　〃This　was　all；〃　he　continues；　〃that　I　thought　your　countrymen　able

to　bear　soberly　and　usefully。〃



　Arthur　Young；　who　studies　the　moral　life　of　France　so

conscientiously；　and　who　is　so　severe　in　depicting　old　abuses；

cannot　comprehend　the　conduct　of　the　Commons。



　　〃To　set　aside　practice　for　theory　。　。　。　　in　establishing　the

interests　of　a　great　kingdom；　in　securing　freedom　to　25；000；000　of

people；　seems　to　me　the　very　acme　of　imprudence；　the　very

quintessence　of　insanity。〃



　Undoubtedly；　now　that　the　Assembly　is　all…powerful；　it　is　to　be

hoped　that　it　will　be　reasonable：



　〃I　will　not　allow　myself　to　believe　for　a　moment　that　the

representatives　of　the　people　can　ever　so　far　forget　their　duty　to

the　French　nation；　to　humanity；　and　their　own　fame；　as　to　suffer　any

inordinate　and　impracticable　views　…　any　visionary　or　theoretic

systems　…　。　。　。　　to　turn　aside　their　exertions　from　that　security

which　is　in　their　hands；　to　place　on　the　chance　and　hazard　of　public

commotion　and　civil　war　the　invaluable　blessings　which　are　certainly

in　their　power。　　　I　will　not　conceive　it　possible　that　men　who　have

eternal　fame　within　their　grasp　will　place　the　rich　inheritance　on

the　cast　of　a　die；　and；　losing　the　venture；　be　damned　among　the

worst　and　most　profligate　adventurers　that　ever　disgraced　humanity。〃



　As　their　plan　becomes　more　definite　the　remonstrances　become　more

decided；　and　all　the　expert　judges　point　out　to　them　the　importance

of　the　wheels　which　they　are　willfully　breaking。



　　〃As　they　have＇21＇　hitherto　felt　severely　the　authority　exercised

over　them　in　the　name　of　their　princes；　every　limitation　of　that

authority　seems　to　them　desirable。　　　Never　having　felt　the　evils　of

too　weak　an　executive；　the　disorders　to　be　apprehended　from　anarchy

make　as　yet　no　impression〃　　〃They　want　an　American

Constitution；＇22＇　but　with　a　King　instead　of　a　President；　without

reflecting　they　have　no　American　citizens　to　support　that

Constitution。　。　。　　If　they　have　the　good　sense　to　give　the　nobles；

as　nobles；　some　portion　of　the　national　power；　this　free

constitution　will　probably　last；　But　otherwise　it　will　degenerate

either　into　a　pure　monarchy；　or　a　vast　republic；　or　a　democracy。

Will　the　latter　last？　I　doubt　it。　　　I　am　sure　that　it　will　not；

unless　the　whole　nation　is　changed。〃



　　A　little　later；　when　they　renounce　a　parliamentary　monarchy　to　put

in　its　place　〃a　royal　democracy；〃　it　is　at　once　explained　to　them

that　such　an　institution　applied　to　France　can　produce　nothing　but

anarchy；　and　finally　end　in　despotism。



　　〃Nowhere＇23＇　has　liberty　proved　to　be　stable　without　a　sacrifice

of　its　excesses；　without　some　barrier　to　its　own　omnipotence。　。　。　　。

Under　this　miserable　government　。　。　。　　the　people；　soon　weary　of

storms；　and　abandoned　without　legal　protection　to　their　seducers　or

to　their　oppressors；　will　shatter　the　helm；　or　hand　it　over　to　some

audacious　hand　that　stands　ready　to　seize　it。〃



　Events　occur　from　month　to　month　in　fulfillment　of　these

predictions；　and　the　predictions　grow　gloomier　and　more　gloomy。　　　It

is　a　flock　of　wild　birds：＇24＇



　　〃It　is　very　difficult　to　guess　whereabouts　the　flock　will　settle

when　it　flies　so　wild。　。　。　　。　This　unhappy　country；　bewildered　in

the　pursuit　of　metaphysical　whims；　presents　to　our　moral　view　a

mighty　ruin。　　　The　Assembly；　at　once　master　and　slave；　new　in　power；

wild　in　theory；　raw　in　practice；　engrossing　all　functions　without

being　able　to　exercise　any；　has　freed　that　fierce；　ferocious　people

from　every　restraint　of　religion　and　respect。　。　。　　。　　Such　a　state

of　things　cannot　last　。　。　。　　The　glorious　opportunity　is　lost　and

for　this　time；　at　least；　the　Revolution　has　failed。〃



　We　see；　from　the　replies　of　Washington；　that　he　is　of　the　same

opinion。　　　On　the　other　side　of　the　Channel；　Pitt；　the　ablest

practician；　and　Burke；　the　ablest　theorist；　of　political　liberty；

express　the　same　judgment。　　　Pitt；　after　1789；　declares　that　the

French　have　overleaped　freedom。　　　After　1790；　Burke；　in　a　work　which

is　a　prophecy　as　well　as　a　masterpiece；　points　to　military

dictatorship　as　the　termination　of　the　Revolution；　〃the　most

completely　arbitrary　power　that　has　ever　appeared　on　earth。〃　Nothing

is　of　any　effect。　　　With　the　exception　of　the　small　powerless　group

around　Malouet　and　Mounier；　the　warnings　of　Morris；　Jefferson；

Romilly；　Dumont；　Mallet　du　Pan；　Arthur　Young；　Pitt　and　Burke；　all　of

them　men　who　have　experience　of　free　institutions；　are　received　with

indifference　or　repelled　with　disdain。　　　Not　only　are　our　new

politicians　incapable；　but　they　think　themselves　the　contrary；　and

their　incompetence　is　aggravated　by　their　infatuation。



　　〃I　often　used　to　say；　〃writes　Dumont；＇25＇　〃that　if　a　hundred

persons　were　stopped　at　haphazard　in　the　streets　of　London；　and　a

hundred　in　the　streets　of　Paris；　and　a　proposal　w