the origins of contemporary france-2-第51章

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and　inertia；　the　new　law　will　remain　a　dead　letter；　and　only

exasperate　their　cupidity　or　kindle　their　resentment。　　In

anticipation　of　this　disorder　the　legislator　will　come　to　their

assistance　；　he　will　interpose　commissions　of　arbitration　between

them　and　the　lord　of　the　manor；　he　will　substitute　a　scale　of

annuities　for　a　full　and　immediate　redemption；　he　will　lend　them　the

capital　which　they　cannot　borrow　elsewhere；　he　will　establish　a

bank；　rights；　and　a　mode　of　procedure；　　　in　short；　as　in　Savoy　in

1771；　in　England　in　1845；＇19＇　and　in　Russia　in　1861；　he　will　relieve

the　poor　without　despoiling　the　rich；　he　will　establish　liberty

without　violating　the　rights　of　property；　he　will　conciliate

interests　and　classes；　he　will　not　let　loose　a　brutal　peasant　revolt

（Jacquerie）　to　enforce　unjust　confiscation；　and　he　will　terminate

the　social　conflict　not　with　strife　but　with　peace。



It　is　just　the　reverse　in　1789　In　conformity　with　the　doctrine　of

the　social　contract；　the　principle　is　set　up　that　every　man　is　born

free；　and　that　his　freedom　has　always　been　inalienable。　　If　he

formerly　submitted　to　slavery　or　to　serfdom；　it　was　owing　to　his

having　had　a　knife　at　his　throat；　a　contract　of　this　sort　is

essentially　null　and　void。　　So　much　the　worse　for　those　who　have　the

benefit　of　it　at　the　present　day；　they　are　holders　of　stolen

property；　and　must　restore　it　to　the　legitimate　owners。　　Let　no　one

object　that　this　property　was　acquired　for　cash　down；　and　in　good

faith；　they　ought　to　have　known　beforehand　that　man　and　his　liberty


are　not　commercial　matters；　and　that　unjust　acquisitions　rightly

perish　in　their　hands。＇20＇　　Nobody　dreams　that　the　State　which　was　a

party　to　this　transaction　is　the　responsible　guarantor。　　Only　one

scruple　affects　the　Assembly　；　its　jurists　and　Merlin；　its　reporter；

are　obliged　to　yield　to　proof；　they　know　that　in　current　practice；

and　by　innumerable　ancient　and　modern　titles；　the　noble　in　many

cases　is　nothing　but　an　ordinary　lessor；　and　that　if；　in　those

cases；　he　collects　his　dues；　it　is　simply　in　his　capacity　as　a

private　person；　by　virtue　of　a　mutual　contract；　because　he　has　given

a　perpetual　lease　of　a　certain　portion　of　his　land；　and　he　has　given

it　only　in　consideration　of　an　annual　payment　in　money　or　produce；

or　services；　together　with　another　contingent　claim　which　the　farmer

pays　in　case　of　the　transmission　of　the　lease。　　These　two

obligations　could　not　be　canceled　without　indemnity；　if　it　were

done；　more　than　one…half　of　the　proprietors　in　France　would　be

dispossessed　in　favor　of　the　farmers。　　Hence　the　distinction　which

the　Assembly　makes　in　the　feudal　dues。　　　　On　the　one　hand　it

abolishes　without　indemnity　all　those　dues　which　the　noble　receives

by　virtue　of　being　the　local　sovereign；　the　ancient　proprietor　of

persons　and　the　usurper　of　public。　　powers；　all　those　which　the

lessee　paid　as　serf；　subject　to　rights　of　inheritance；　and　as　former

vassal　or　dependent。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　maintains　and　decrees　as

redeemable　at　a　certain　rate　all　those　which　the　noble　receives

through　his　title　of　landed　proprietor　and　of　simple　lessor；　all

those　which　the　lessee　pays　by　virtue　of　being　a　free　contracting

party；　former　purchaser；　tenant；　farmer　or　grantee　of　landed　estate。

　　By　this　division　it　fancies　that　it　has　respected　lawful

ownership　by　overthrowing　illegitimate　property；　and　that　in　the

feudal　scheme　of　obligations；　it　has　separated　the　wheat　from　the

chaff。＇21＇



But；　through　the　principle；　the　drawing　up　and　the　omissions　of　its

law；　it　condemns　both　to　a　common　destruction；　the　fire　on　which　it

has　thrown　the　chaff　necessarily　burns　up　the　wheat。　　　　Both　are

in　fact　bound　up　together　in　the　same　sheaf。　　If　the　noble　formerly

brought　men　under　subjection　by　the　sword；　it　is　also　by　the　sword

that　he　formerly　acquired　possession　of　the　soil。　　If　the　subjection

of　persons　is　invalid　on　account　of　the　original　stain　of　violence；

the　usurpation　of　the　soil　is　invalid　for　the　same　reason。　　And　if

the　sanction　and　guarantee　of　the　State　could　not　justify　the　first

act　of　brigandage；　they　could　not　justify　the　second；　and；　since　the

rights　which　are　derived　from　unjust　sovereignty　are　abolished

without　indemnity；　the　rights　which　are　derived　from　unjust

proprietorship　should　be　likewise　abolished　without　compensation。　　…

…　　The　Assembly；　with　remarkable　imprudence；　had　declared　in　the

preamble　to　its　law　that　〃it　abolished　the　feudal　system　entirely；〃

and；　whatever　its　ulterior　reservations　might　be；　the　fiat　has　gone

forth。　　The　forty　thousand　sovereign　municipalities　to　which　the

text　of　the　decree　is　read　pay　attention　only　to　the　first　article；

and　the　village　attorney；　imbued　with　the　rights　of　man；　easily

proves　to　these　assemblies　of　debtors　that　they　owe　nothing　to　their

creditors。　　There　must　be　no　exceptions　nor　distinctions：　no　more

annual　rents；　field…rents；　dues　on　produce；　nor　contingent　rents；

nor　lord's　dues　and　fines；　or　fifths。＇22＇　　If　these　have　been

maintained　by　the　Assembly；　it　is　owing　to　misunderstanding；

timidity；　inconsistency；　and　on　all　sides；　in　the　rural　districts；

the　grumbling　of　disappointed　greed　or　of　unsatisfied　necessities　is

heard：＇23＇



〃You　thought　that　you　were　destroying　feudalism；　while　your

redemption　laws　have　done　just　the　contrary。　　。　　。　　。　　Are　you　not

aware　that　what　was　called　a　Seigneur　was　simply　an　unpunished

usurper？　。　　。　　That　detestable　decree　of　1790　is　the　ruin　of　lease…

holders。　　It　has　thrown　the　villages　into　a　state　of　consternation。

The　nobles　reap　all　the　advantage　of　it。　　。　　Never　will　redemption

be　possible。　　Redemption　of　unreal　claims！　Redemption　of　dues　that

are　detestable！〃



In　vain　the　Assembly　insists；　specifies　and　explains　by　examples　and

by　detailed　instructions　the　mode　of　procedure　and　the　conditions　of

redemption。　　Neither　the　procedure　nor　its　conditions　are

practicable。　　It　has　made　no　provisions　for　facilitating　the

agreement　of　parties　and　the　satisfaction　of　feudal　liens；　no

special　arbitrators；　nor　bank　for　loans；　nor　system　of　annuities。

And　worse　still；　instead　of　clearing　the　road　it　has　barred　it　by

legal　arrangements。　　The　lease…holder　is　not　to　redeem　his　annual

rent　without　at　the　same　time　compounding　for　the　contingent　rent：

he　is　not　allowed　on　his　own　to　redeem　his　quota　since　he　is　tied　up

in　solidarity　with　the　other　partners。　　Should　his　hoard　be　a　small

one；　so　much　the　worse　for　him。　　Not　being　able　to　redeem　the　whole；

he　is　not　allowed　to　redeem　a　part。　　Not　having　the　money　with　which

to　relieve　himself　from　both　ground…rents　and　lord's　dues　he　cannot

relieve　himself　from　ground…rents。　　Not　having　the　money　to

liquidate　the　debt　in　full　of　those　who　are　bound　along　with　him…

self；　he　remains　a　captive　in　his　ancient　chains　by　virtue　of　the

new　law　which　announces　to　him　his　freedom。



In　the　face　of　these　unexpected　trammels　the　peasant　becomes

furious：　His　fixed　idea；　from　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　is

that　he　no　longer　owes　anything　to　anybody；　and；　among　the　speeches；

decrees；　proclamations；　and　instructions　which　rumor　brings　to　his

ears；　he　comprehends　but　one　phrase；　and　is　determined　to　comprehend

no　other；　and　that　is；　that　henceforth　his　obligations　are　removed。

He　does　not　swerve　from　this；　and　since　the　law　hinders；　instead　of

aiding　him；　he　will　break　the　law。　　In　fact；　after　the　4th　of

August；　1789；　feudal　dues　cease　to　be　collected。　　The　claims　which

are　maintained　are　not　enforced　any　more　than　those　which　are

suppressed。　　Whole　communities　come　and　give　notice　to　the　lord　of

the　manor　that　they　will　not　pay　any　more　rent。　　Others；　with　sword

in　hand；　compel　him　to　give　them　acquittances。　　Others　again；　to　be

more　secure；　break　open　his　safe；　and　throw　his　title…deeds　into　the

fire。＇24＇　　Public　force　is　nowhere　strong　enough　to　protect　him　in

his　legal　rights。　　Officers　dare　not　serve　writs；　the　courts　dare