the origins of contemporary france-2-第68章

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rolls　only　are　definitive　and　in　process　of　collection。　　A　large

number　have　not　even　begun　their　sectional　statements。〃＇24＇　…　It　is

much　worse　when；　thinking　that　they　do　understand　it；　they　undertake

to　do　their　work。　　In　their　minds；　incapable　of　abstraction；　the　law

is　transformed　and　deformed　by　extraordinary　interpretations。　　We

shall　see　what　it　becomes　when　it　is　brought　to　bear　on　feudal　dues；

on　the　forests；　on　communal　rights；　on　the　circulation　of　corn；　on

the　taxes　on　provisions；　on　the　supervision　of　the　aristocrats；　and

on　the　protection　of　persons　and　property。　　According　to　them；　it

authorizes　and　invites　them　to　do　by　force；　and　at　once；　whatever

they　need　or　desire　for　the　time　being。　…　The　municipal　officers　of

the　large　boroughs　and　towns；　more　acute　and　often　able　to

comprehend　the　decrees；　are　scarcely　in　a　better　condition　to　carry

them　out　effectively。　　They　are　undoubtedly　intelligent；　inspired　by

the　best　disposition；　and　zealous　for　the　public　welfare。　　During

the　first　two　years　of　the　Revolution　it　is；　on　the　whole；　the　best

informed　and　most　liberal　portion　of　the　bourgeoisie　which；　in　the

department　as　in　the　district；　undertakes　the　management　of　affairs。

Almost　all　are　men　of　the　law；　advocates；　notaries；　and　attorneys；

with　a　small　number　of　the　old　privileged　class　imbued　with　the　same

spirit；　a　canon　at　Besan？on；　a　gentleman　at　N？mes。　　Their　intentions

are　of　the　very　best；　they　love　order　and　liberty；　they　give　their

time　and　their　money；　they　hold　permanent　sessions　and　accomplish　an

incredible　amount　of　work；　and　they　often　voluntarily　expose

themselves　to　great　danger。　…　But　they　are　bourgeois　philosophers；

and；　in　this　latter　particular；　similar　to　their　deputies　in　the

National　Assembly；　and；　with　this　twofold　character；　as　incapable　as

their　deputies　of　governing　a　disintegrated　nation。　　In　this　twofold

character　they　are　ill…disposed　towards　the　ancient　régime；　hostile

to　Catholicism　and　feudal　rights；　unfavorable　to　the　clergy　and　the

nobility；　inclined　to　extend　the　bearing　and　exaggerate　the　rigor　of

recent　decrees；　partisans　of　the　Rights　of　Man；　and；　therefore；

humanitarians　and　optimists；　disposed　to　excuse　the　misdeeds　of　the

people；　hesitating；　tardy　and　often　timid　in　the　face　of　an　outbreak

…　in　short；　admirable　writers；　exhorters；　and　reformers；　but　good

for　nothing　when　it　comes　to　breaking　heads　and　risking　their　own

bones。　　They　have　not　been　brought　up　in　such　a　way　as　to　become　men

of　action　in　a　single　day。　　Up　to　this　time　they　have　always　lived

as　passive　administrators；　as　quiet　individuals；　as　studious　men　and

clerks；　domesticated；　conversational；　and　polished；　to　whom　words

concealed　facts；　and　who；　on　their　evening　promenade；　warmly

discussed　important　principles　of　government；　without　any

consciousness　of　the　practical　machinery　which；　with　a　police…system

for　its　ultimate　wheel；　rendered　themselves；　their　promenade；　and

their　conversation　perfectly　secure。　　They　are　not　imbued　with　that

sentiment　of　social　danger　which　produces　the　veritable　chief；　the

man　who　subordinates　the　emotions　of　pity　to　the　exigencies　of　the

public　service。　　They　are　not　aware　that　it　is　better　to　mow　down　a

hundred　conscientious　citizens　rather　than　let　them　hang　a　culprit

without　a　trial。　　Repression；　in　their　hands；　is　neither　prompt；

rigid；　nor　constant。　　They　continue　to　be　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville　what

they　were　when　they　went　into　it；　so　many　jurists　and　scribes；

fruitful　in　proclamations；　reports；　and　correspondence。　　Such　is

wholly　their　role；　and；　if　any　amongst　them；　with　more　energy；

desires　to　depart　from　it；　he　has　no　hold　on　the　commune　which；

according　to　the　Constitution；　he　has　to　direct；　and　on　that　armed

force　which　is　entrusted　to　him　with　a　view　to　insure　the　observance

of　the　laws。



To　insure　respect　for　authority；　indeed；　it　must　not　spring　up　on

the　spot　and　under　the　hands　of　its　subordinates。　　It　loses　its

prestige　and　independence　when　those　who　create　it　are　precisely

those　who　have　to　submit　to　it。　　For；　in　submitting　to　it；　they

remember　that　they　have　created　it。　　This　or　that　candidate　among

them　who　has　but　lately　solicited　their　suffrages　is　now　a

magistrate　who　issues　orders；　and　this　sudden　transformation　is

their　work。　　It　is　with　difficulty　that　they　pass　from　the　role　of

sovereign　electors　to　that　of　docile　subjects　of　the　administration；

and　recognize　a　commander　in　one　of　their　own　creatures。＇25＇　On　the

contrary；　they　will　submit　to　his　control　only　in　their　own　fashion；

reserving　to　themselves　in　practice　the　powers　the　right　to　which

they　have　conferred　on　him。



　〃We　gave　him　his　place；　and　he　must　do　as　we　want　him　to　do；〃



Such　popular　reasoning　is　the　most　natural　in　the　world。　　It　is　as

applicable　to　the　municipal　officer　wearing　his　scarf　as　to　the

officer　in　the　National　Guard　wearing　his　epaulettes；　the　former　as

well　as　the　latter　being　conferred　by　the　arbitrary　voice　of　the

electors；　and　always　seeming　to　them　a　gift　which　is　revocable　at

their　pleasure。　　The　superior　always；　and　more　particularly　in　times

of　danger　or　of　great　public　excitement；　seems；　if　directly

appointed　by　those　whom　he　commands；　to　be　their　clerk。　…　Such　is

municipal　authority　at　this　epoch；　intermittent；　uncertain；　and

weak；　and　all　the　weaker　because　the　sword；　whose　hilt　the　men　of

the　H？tel…de…Ville　seem　to　hold；　does　not　always　leave　its　scabbard

at　their　bidding。　　They　alone　are　empowered　to　summon　the　National

Guard；　but　it　does　not　depend　on　them；　and　it　is　not　at　their

disposal。　　To　obtain　its　support　it　is　needful　that　its　independent

chiefs　should　be　willing　to　respond　to　their　requisition；　that　the

men　should　willingly　obey　their　elected　officers；　that　these

improvised　soldiers　should　consent　to　quit　their　plow；　their　stores；

their　workshops　and　offices；　to　lose　their　day；　to　patrol　the

streets　at　night；　to　be　pelted　with　stones；　to　fire　on　a　riotous

crowd　whose　enmities　and　prejudices　they　often　share。　　Undoubtedly；

they　will　fire　on　some　occasions；　but　generally　they　will　remain

quiet；　with　their　arms　at　rest；　and；　at　last；　they　will　grow　weary

of　a　trying；　dangerous；　and　constant　service；　which　is　disagreeable

to　them；　and　for　which　they　are　not　fitted。　　They　will　not　answer

the　summons；　or；　if　they　do；　they　will　come　too　late；　and　in　too

small　a　number。　　In　this　event；　the　regulars　who　are　sent　for；　will

do　as　they　do　and　remain　quiet；　following　their　example；　while　the

municipal　magistrate；　into　whose　hands　the　sword　has　glided；　will　be

able　to　do　no　more　than　make　grievous　reports；　to　his　superiors　of

the　department　or　district；　concerning　the　popular　violence　of　which

he　is　a　powerless　witness。　…　In　other　cases；　and　especially　in　the

country；　his　condition　is　worse。　　The　National　Guard；　preceded　by

its　drums；　will　come　and　take　him　off　to　the　town　hall　to　authorize

by　his　presence；　and　to　legalize　by　his　orders；　the　outrages　that　it

is　about　to　commit。　　He　marches　along　seized　by　the　collar；　and

affixes　his　signature　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet。　　In　this　case　not

only　is　his　instrument　taken　away　from　him；　but　it　is　turned　against

of　holding　it　by　the　hilt；　he　feels　the　point：　the　armed　force　which

he　ought　to　make　use　of　makes　use　of　him。







IV。　　On　Universal　Suffrage。



The　National　Guard　as　electors。　…　Its　great　power。…　Its　important

task。　…　The　work　imposed　on　active　citizens。　…　They　avoid　it。



Behold；　then；　the　true　sovereign；　the　elector；　both　National　Guard

and　voter。　　They　are　the　kings　designed　by　the　Constitution；　there

he　is；　in　every　hierarchical　stage；　with　his　suffrage；　with　which　to

delegate　authority；　and　his　gun　to　assure　its　exercise。　…　Through

his　free　choice　he　creates　all　local　powers；　intermediary；　central；

legislative；　administrative；　ecclesiastical；　and　judiciary。　　He

appoints　directly；　and　in　the　primary　assemblies；　the　mayor；　the

municipal　b