the origins of contemporary france-2-第41章

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

hundred　in　the　streets　of　Paris；　and　a　proposal　were　made　to　them　to

take　charge　of　the　Government；　ninety…nine　would　accept　it　in　Paris

and　ninety…nine　would　refuse　it　in　London　。　。　。　　The　Frenchman

thinks　that　all　difficulties　can　be　overcome　by　a　little　quickness

of　wit。　　　Mirabeau　accepted　the　post　of　reporter　to　the　Committee　on

Mines　without　having　the　slightest　tincture　of　knowledge　on　the

subject。〃



　In　short；　most　of　them　enter　politics　〃like　the　gentleman　who；　on

being　asked　if　he　knew　how　to　play　on　the　harpsichord；　replied；　'I

cannot　tell；　I　never　tried；　but　I　will　see。'　〃



　　〃The　Assembly　had　so　high　an　opinion　of　itself；　especially　the

left　side　of　it；　that　it　would　willingly　have　undertaken　the　framing

of　the　Code　of　Laws　for　all　nations。　。　。　　Never　has　so　many　men　been

seen　together；　fancying　that　they　were　all　legislators；　and　that

they　were　there　to　correct　all　the　errors　of　the　past；　to　remedy　all

mistakes　of　the　human　mind；　and　ensure　the　happiness　of　all　ages　to

come。　　　Doubt　had　no　place　in　their　minds；　and　infallibility　always

presided　over　their　contradictory　decrees。〃　　



　This　is　because　they　have　a　theory　and　because；　according　to　their

notion；　this　theory　renders　special　knowledge　unnecessary。　　　Herein

they　are　thoroughly　sincere；　and　it　is　of　set　purpose　that　they

reverse　all　ordinary　modes　of　procedure。　　　Up　to　this　time　a

constitution　used　to　be　organized　or　repaired　like　a　ship。

Experiments　were　made　from　time　to　time；　or　a　model　was　taken　from

vessels　in　the　neighborhood；　the　first　aim　was　to　make　the　ship

sail；　its　construction　was　subordinated　to　its　work；　it　was

fashioned　in　this　or　that　way　according　to　the　materials　on　hand；　a

beginning　was　made　by　examining　these　materials；　and　trying　to

estimate　their　rigidity；　weight；　and　strength。　　…　　　All　this　is

reactionary；　the　age　of　Reason　has　come　and　the　Assembly　is　too

enlightened　to　drag　on　in　a　rut。　　　In　conformity　with　the　fashion　of

the　time　it　works　by　deduction；　after　the　method　of　Rousseau；

according　to　an　abstract　notion　of　right；　of　the　State　and　of　the

social　compact。＇26＇　　According　to　this　process；　by　virtue　of

political　geometry　alone；　they　shall　have　the　perfect　vessel　and

since　it　perfect　it　follows　that　it　will　sail；　and　that　much　better

than　any　empirical　craft。　　…　　They　legislate　according　to　this

principle；　and　one　may　imagine　the　nature　of　their　discussions。

There　are　no　convincing　facts；　no　pointed　arguments；　nobody　would

ever　imagine　that　the　speakers　were　gathered　together　to　conduct

real　business。　　　Through　speech　after　speech；　strings　of　hollow

abstractions　are　endlessly　renewed　as　in　a　meeting　of　students　in

rhetoric　for　the　purpose　of　practice；　or　in　a　society　of　old

bookworms　for　their　own　amusement。　　　On　the　question　of　the　veto

〃each　orator　in　turn；　armed　with　his　portfolio；　reads　a　dissertation

which　has　no　bearing　whatever〃　on　the　preceding　one；　which　makes　a

〃sort　of　academical　session；〃＇27＇　a　succession　of　pamphlets　fresh

every　morning　for　several　days。　　　On　the　question　of　the　Rights　of

Man　fifty…four　speakers　are　placed　on　the　list。



　〃I　remember；〃　says　Dumont；　〃that　long　discussion；　which　lasted　for

weeks；　as　a　period　of　deadly　boredom；　　vain　disputes　over　words；　a

metaphysical　jumble；　and　most　tedious　babble；　the　Assembly　was

turned　into　a　Sorbonne　lecture…room；〃



　and　all　this　while　chateaux　were　burning；　while　town…halls　were

being　sacked；　and　courts　dared　no　longer　hold　assize；　while　the

distribution　of　wheat　was　stopped；　and　while　society　was　in　course

of　dissolution。　　　In　the　same　manner　the　theologians　of　the　Easter

Roman　Empire　kept　up　their　wrangles　about　the　uncreated　light　of

Mount　Tabor　while　Mahomet　II　was　battering　the　walls　of

Constantinople　with　his　cannon。　　…　　Ours；　of　course；　are　another

sort　of　men；　juvenile　in　feeling；　sincere；　enthusiastic；　even

generous；　and　further；　more　devoted；　laborious；　and　in　some　cases

endowed　with　rare　talent。　　　But　neither　zeal；　nor　labor；　nor　talent

are　of　any　use　when　not　employed　in　the　service　of　a　sound　idea；　and

if　in　the　service　of　a　false　one；　the　greater　they　are　the　more

mischief　they　do。



　Towards　the　end　of　the　year　1789；　there　can　be　not　doubt　of　this；

and　the　parties　now　formed　reveal　their　presumption；　improvidence；

incapacity；　and　obstinacy。　　　〃This　Assembly；〃　writes　the　American

ambassador；＇28＇　〃may　be　divided　into　three　parties；　



　one　called　the　aristocrats；　consists　of　the　high　clergy；　the

parliamentary　judges；　and　such　of　the　nobility　as　think　they　ought

to　form　a　separate　order。〃　This　is　the　party　which　offers　resistance

to　follies　and　errors；　but　with　follies　and　errors　almost　equally

great。　　　In　the　beginning　〃the　prelates；＇29＇　instead　of　conciliating

the　curés；　kept　them　at　a　humiliating　distance；　affecting

distinctions；　exacting　respect；〃　and；　in　their　own　chamber；　〃ranging

themselves　apart　on　separate　benches。〃　The　nobles；　on　the　other

hand；　the　more　to　alienate　the　commons；　began　by　charging　these

with；　〃revolt；　treachery；　and　treason；〃　and　by　demanding　the　use　of

military　force　against　them。　　　Now　that　the　victorious　Third…Estate

has　again　overcome　them　and　overwhelms　them　with　numbers；　they

become　still　more　maladroit；　and　conduct　the　defense　much　less

efficiently　than　the　attack。　　　〃In　the　Assembly；〃　says　one　of　them；

〃they　do　not　listen；　but　laugh　and　talk　aloud；〃　they　take　pains　to

embitter　their　adversaries　and　the　galleries　by　their　impertinence。

〃They　leave　the　chamber　when　the　President　puts　the　question　and

invite　the　deputies　of　their　party　to　follow　them；　or　cry　out　to

them　not　to　take　part　in　the　deliberation　：　through　this　desertion；

the　clubbists　become　the　majority；　and　decree　whatever　they　please。〃

It　is　in　this　way　that　the　appointment　of　judges　and　bishops　is

withdrawn　from　the　King　and　assigned　to　the　people。　　　Again；　after

the　return　from　Varennes；　when　the　Assembly　finds　out　that　the

result　of　its　labors　is　impracticable　and　wants　to　make　it　less

democratic；　the　whole　of　the　right　side　refuses　to　share　in　the

debates；　and；　what　is　worse；　votes　with　the　revolutionaries　to

exclude　the　members　of　the　Constituent　from　the　Legislative

Assembly。　　　Thus；　not　only　does　it　abandon　its　own　cause；　but　it

commits　self…destruction；　and　its　desertion　ends　in　suicide。　　　



　　A　second　party　remains；　〃the　middle　party；〃＇30＇　which　consists　of

well…intentioned　people　from　every　class；　sincere　partisans　of　a

good　government；　but；　unfortunately；　they　have　acquired　their　ideas

of　government　from　books；　and　are　admirable　on　paper。　　　But　as　it

happens　that　the　men　who　live　in　the　world　are　very　different　from

imaginary　men　who　dwell　in　the　heads　of　philosophers；　it　is　not　to

be　wondered　at　if　the　systems　taken　out　of　books　are　fit　for　nothing

but　to　be　upset　by　another　book。　　　Intellects　of　this　stamp　are　the

natural　prey　of　utopians。　　　Lacking　the　ballast　of　experience　they

are　carried　away　by　pure　logic　and　serve　to　enlarge　the　flock　of

theorists。　　…　　The　latter　form　the　third　party；　which　is　called　the

〃enragés　（the　wild　men）；　and　who；　at　the　expiration　of　six　months；

find　themselves　〃the　most　numerous　of　all。〃



　〃It　is　composed；〃　says　Morris；　〃of　that　class　which　in　America　is

known　by　the　name　of　pettifogging　lawyers；　together　with　a　host　of

curates　and　many　of　those　persons　who　in　all　revolutions　throng　to

the　standard　of　change　because　they　are　not　well。＇31＇　　This　last

party　is　in　close　alliance　with　the　populace　and　derives　from　this

circumstance　very　great　authority。〃



　　All　powerful　passions　are　on　its　side；　not　merely　the　irritation

of　the　people　tormented　by　misery　and　suspicion；　not　merely　the

ambition　and　self…esteem　of　the　bourgeois；　in　revolt　against　the

ancient　régime；　but　also　the　inveterate　bitterness　and　fixed　ideas

of　so　many　suffering　minds　and　so　many　factious　in