the origins of contemporary france-2-第42章

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ancient　régime；　but　also　the　inveterate　bitterness　and　fixed　ideas

of　so　many　suffering　minds　and　so　many　factious　intellects；

Protestants；　Jansenists；　economists；　philosophers；　men　who；　like

Fréteau；　Rabout…Saint…Etienne；　Volney；　Sieyès；　are　hatching　out　a

long　arrears　of　resentments　or　hopes；　and　who　only　await　the

opportunity　to　impose　their　system　with　all　the　intolerance　of

dogmatism　and　of　faith。　　　To　minds　of　this　stamp　the　past　is　a　dead

letter；　example　is　no　authority；　realities　are　of　no　account；　they

live　in　their　own　Utopia。　　　Sieyès；　the　most　important　of　them　all；

judges　that　〃the　whole　English　constitution　is　charlatanism；

designed　for　imposing　on　the　people；〃＇32＇　he　regards　the　English　〃as

children　in　the　matter　of　a　constitution；〃　and　thinks　that　he　is

capable　of　giving　France　a　much　better　one。　　　Dumont；　who　sees　the

first　committees　at　the　houses　of　Brissot　and　Clavières；　goes　away

with　as　much　anxiety　as　〃disgust。〃



　　〃It　is　impossible；〃　he　says；　〃to　depict　the　confusion　of　ideas；

the　license　of　the　imagination；　the　burlesque　of　popular　notions。

One　would　think　that　they　saw　before　them　the　world　on　the　day　after

the　Creation。〃



　　They　seem　to　think；　indeed；　that　human　society　does　not　exist；　and

that　they　are　appointed　to　create　it。　　　Just　as　well　might

ambassadors　〃of　hostile　tribes；　and　of　diverse　interests；　set

themselves　to　arrange　their　common　lot　as　if　nothing　had　previously

existed。〃　There　is　no　hesitation。　　　They　are　satisfied　that　the

thing　can　be　easily　done；　and　that；　with　two　or　three　axioms　of

political　philosophy；　the　first　man　that　comes　may　make　himself

master　of　it。　　　Immoderate　conceit　of　this　kind　among　men　of

experience　would　seem　ridiculous；　in　this　assembly　of　novices　it　is

a　strength。　　　A　flock　which　has　lost　its　way　follows　those　who

appears　to　forge　ahead；　they　are　the　most　irrational　but　they　are

the　most　confident；　and　in　the　Chamber　as　in　the　nation　it　is　the

daredevils　who　become　leaders。







　III。　　THE　POWER　OF　SIMPLE；　GENERAL　IDEAS。



　Ascendancy　of　the　revolutionary　party　…　Theory　in　its　favor　…　The

constraint　thus　imposed　on　men's　minds　…　Appeal　to　the　passions　…

Brute　force　on　the　side　of　the　party　…　It　profits　by　this　…

Oppression　of　the　minority。



　Two　advantages　give　this　party　the　ascendancy；　and　these　advantages

are　of　such　importance　that　henceforth　whoever　possesses　them　is

sure　of　being　master。　…　In　the　first　place　the　prevailing　theory　is

on　the　side　of　the　revolutionaries；　and　they　alone　are；　in　the

second　place；　determined　thoroughly　to　apply　it。　　　This　party；

therefore；　is　the　only　one　which　is　consistent　and　popular　in　the

face　of　adversaries　who　are　unpopular　and　inconsequent。　　　Nearly　all

of　the　latter；　indeed；　defenders　of　the　ancient　régime；　or　partisans

of　a　limited　monarchy；　are　likewise　imbued　with　abstract　principles

and　philosophical　speculation。　　　The　most　refractory　nobles　have

advocated　the　rights　of　man　in　their　memorials。　　　Mounier；　the

principal　opponent　of　the　demagogues；　was　the　leader　of　the　commons

when　they　proclaimed　themselves　to　be　the　National　…Assembly。＇33＇

This　is　enough：　they　have　entered　the　narrow　defile　which　leads　to

the　abyss。　　　They　had　no　idea　of　it　at　the　first　start；　but　one　step

leads　to　another；　and；　willing　or　unwilling；　they　march　on；　or　are

pushed　on。　　　When　the　abyss　comes　in　sight　it　is　too　late；　they　have

been　driven　there　by　the　logical　results　of　their　own　concessions；

they　can　do　nothing　but　wax　eloquent　and　indignant；　having　abandoned

their　vantage　ground；　they　find　no　halting…place　remaining。　…　　There

is　an　enormous　power　in　general　ideas；　especially　if　they　are

simple；　and　appeal　to　the　passions。　　　None　are　simpler　than　these；

since　they　are　reducible　to　the　axiom　which　assumes　the　rights　of

man；　and　subordinate　to　them　every　institution；　old　or　new。　　　None

are　better　calculated　to　inflame　the　sentiments；　since　the　doctrine

enlists　human　arrogance　and　pride　in　its　service；　and；　in　the　name

of　justice；　consecrates　all　the　demands　of　independence　and

domination。　　　Consider　three…fourths　of　the　deputies；　immature　and

prejudiced；　possessing　no　information　but　a　few　formulas　of　the

current　philosophy；　with　no　thread　to　guide　them　but　pure　logic；

abandoned　to　the　declamation　of　lawyers；　to　the　wild　utterances　of

the　newspapers；　to　the　promptings　of　self…esteem；　to　the　hundred

thousand　tongues　which；　on　all　sides；　at　the　bar　of　the　Assembly；　at

the　tribune；　in　the　clubs；　in　the　streets；　in　their　own　breasts；

repeat　unanimously　to　them；　and　every　day；　the　same　flattery：



　　〃You　are　sovereign　and　omnipotent。　　　Right　is　vested　in　you　alone。

The　King　exists　only　to　execute　your　will。　　　Every　order；　every

corporation；　every　power；　every　civil　or　ecclesiastical　association

is　illegitimate　and　null　the　moment　you　declare　it　to　be　so。　　　You

may　even　transform　religion。　　　You　are　the　fathers　of　the　country。

You　have　saved　France；　you　will　regenerate　humanity。　　　The　whole

world　looks　on　you　in　admiration；　finish　your　glorious　work　

forward；　always　forward。〃



　Superior　good　sense　and　rooted　convictions　could　alone　stand　firm

against　this　flood　of　seductions　and　solicitations；　but　vacillating

and　ordinary　men　are　carried　away　by　it。　　　In　the　harmony　of

applause　which　rises；　they　do　not　hear　the　crash　of　the　ruins　they

produce。　　　In　any　case；　they　stop　their　ears；　and　shun　the　cries　of

the　oppressed；　they　refuse　to　admit　that　their　work　could　possibly

bring　about　evil　results；　they　accept　the　sophisms　and　untruths

which　justify　it；　they　allow　the　assassinated　to　be　calumniated　in

order　to　excuse　the　assassins；　they　listen　to　Merlin　de　Douay；　who；

after　three　or　four　jacqueries；　when　pillaging；　arson；　and　murder

are　going　on　in　all　the　provinces；　has　just　declared　in　the　name　of

the　Committee　on　Feudalism＇34＇　that　〃a　law　must　be　presented　to　the

people；　the　justice　of　which　may　enforce　silence　on　the　feudatory

egoists　who；　for　the　past　six　months；　so　indecently　protest　against

plunder；　the　wisdom　of　which　may　restore　to　a　sense　of　duty　the

peasant　who　has　been　led　astray　for　a　moment　by　his　resentment　of　a

long　oppression。〃　And　when　Raynal；　the　surviving　patriarch　of　the

philosophic　party；　one　day；　for　a　wonder；　takes　the　plain　truth　with

him　into　their　tribune；　they　resent　his　straightforwardness　as　an

outrage；　and　excuse　it　solely　on　the　ground　of　his　imbecility。　　　An

omnipotent　legislator　cannot　depreciate　himself；　like　a　king　he　is

condemned　to　self…admiration　in　his　public　capacity。　　　〃There　were

not　thirty　deputies　amongst　us；〃　says　a　witness；　〃who　thought

differently　from　Raynal；〃　but　〃in　each　other's　presence　the　credit

of　the　Revolution；　the　perspective　of　its　blessings；　was　an　article

of　faith　which　had　to　be　believed　in；〃　and；　against　their　own

reason；　against　their　conscience；　the　moderates；　caught　in　the　net

of　their　own　acts；　join　the　revolutionaries　to　complete　the

Revolution。



　Had　they　refused；　they　would　have　been　compelled；　for；　to　obtain

the　power；　the　Assembly　has；　from　the　very　first；　either　tolerated

or　solicited　the　violence　of　the　streets。　　　But；　in　accepting

insurrectionists　for　its　allies；　it　makes　them　masters；　and

henceforth；　in　Paris　as　in　the　provinces；　illegal　and　brutal　force

becomes　the　principal　power　of　the　State。　　　〃The　triumph　was

accomplished　through　the　people；　it　was　impossible　to　be　severe　with

them；〃＇35＇　hence；　when　insurrections　were　to　be　put　down；　the

Assembly　had　neither　the　courage　nor　the　force　necessary。　　　〃They

blame　for　the　sake　of　decency；　they　frame　their　deeds　by

expediency。〃　and　in　turn　justly　undergo　the　pressure　which　they

themselves　have　sanctioned　against　others。　　　Only　three　or　four

times　do　the　majority；　when　the　insurrection　becomes　too　daring　

after　the　murder　of　the　baker　Fran？ois；　the　insurrection　of　the

Swiss　Guard　at　Nancy；　and　the　outbreak　of　the　Champ　de　Mars　　　feel

that