the origins of contemporary france-2-第69章

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legislative；　administrative；　ecclesiastical；　and　judiciary。　　He

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

municipal　board；　the　public　prosecutor　and　council　of　the　commune；

the　justice　of　the　peace　and　his　assessors；　and　the　electors　of　the

second　degree。　　Indirectly；　and　through　these　elected　electors；　he

appoints　the　administrators　and　procureurs…syndics　of　both　district

and　department；　the　civil　and　criminal　judges；　the　public

prosecutor；　bishops；　and　priests；　the　members　of　the　National

Assembly　and　jurors　of　the　higher　National　Court＇26＇。　　All　these

commissions　which　he　issues　are　of　short　date；　the　principal　ones；

those　of　municipal　officer；　elector；　and　deputy；　having　but　two

years　to　run；　at　the　end　of　this　brief　term　their　recipients　are

again　subject　to　his　vote；　in　order　that；　if　he　is　displeased　with

them；　he　may　replace　them　by　others。　　He　must　not　be　fettered　in　his

choice；　in　every　well…conducted　establishment　the　legitimate

proprietor　must　be　free　easily　and　frequently　to　renew　his　staff　of

clerks。　　He　is　the　only　one　in　whom　confidence　can　be　placed；　and；

for　greater　security；　all　arms　are　given　up　to　him。　　When　his　clerks

wish　to　employ　force　he　is　the　one　to　place　it　at　their　disposal。

Whatever　he　desired　as　elector　he　executes　as　National　Guard。　　On

two　occasions　he　interferes；　both　times　in　a　decisive　manner；　and

his　control　over　the　legal　powers　is　irresistible　because　these　are

born　out　of　his　vote　and　are　obeyed　only　through　his　support。　…　But

these　rights　are；　at　the　same　time；　burdens。　　The　Constitution

describes　him　as　an　〃active　citizen；〃　and　this　he　eminently　is　or

should　be；　since　public　action　begins　and　ends　with　him；　since

everything　depends　on　his　zeal　and　capacity；　since　the　machine　is

good　and　only　works　well　in　proportion　to　his　discernment；

punctuality；　calmness；　firmness；　discipline　at　the　polls；　and　in　the

ranks。　　The　law　requires　his　services　incessantly　day　and　night；　in

body　and　mind；　as　gendarme　and　as　elector。　…　How　burdensome　this

service　of　gendarme　must　be；　can　be　judged　by　the　number　of　riots。

How　burdensome　that　of　elector　must　be；　the　list　of　elections　will

show。



In　February；　March；　April；　and　May；　1789；　there　are　prolonged　parish

meetings；　for　the　purpose　of　choosing　electors　and　writing　out

grievances；　also　bailiwick　meetings　of　still　longer　duration　to

choose　deputies　and　draw　up　the　memorial。　　During　the　months　of　July

and　August；　1789；　there　are　spontaneous　gatherings　to　elect　or

confirm　the　municipal　bodies；　other　spontaneous　meetings　by　which

the　militia　is　formed　and　officered；　and　then；　following　these；

constant　meetings　of　this　same　militia　to　fuse　themselves　into　a

National　Guard；　to　renew　officers　and　appoint　deputies　to　the

federative　assemblies。　　In　December；　1789；　and　January；　1790；　there

are　primary　meetings；　to　elect　municipal　officers　and　their

councils。　　In　May；　1790；　there　are　primary　and　secondary　meetings；

to　appoint　district　and　departmental　administrators。　　In　October；

1790；　there　are　primary　meetings；　to　elect　the　justice　of　the　peace

and　his　assessors；　also　secondary　meetings；　to　elect　the　district

courts。　　In　November；　1790；　there　are　primary　meetings；　to　renew

one…half　of　the　municipal　bodies。　　In　February　and　March；　1791；

there　are　secondary　meetings；　to　nominate　the　bishop　and　curés。　　In

June；　July；　August；　September；　1791；　there　are　primary　and　secondary

meetings；　to　renew　one…half　of　the　district　and　departmental

administrators；　to　nominate　the　president；　the　public　prosecutor；

and　the　clerk　of　the　criminal　court；　and　to　choose　deputies。　　In

November；　1791；　there　are　primary　meetings　to　renew　one…half　of　the

municipal　council。　　Observe　that　many　of　these　elections　drag　along

because　the　voters　lack　experience；　because　the　formalities　are

complicated；　and　because　opinions　are　divided。　　In　August　and

September；　1791；　at　Tours；　they　are　prolonged　for　thirteen　days；＇27＇

at　Troyes；　in　January；　1790；　instead　of　three　days　they　last　for

three　weeks；　at　Paris；　in　September　and　October；　1791；　only　for　the

purpose　of　choosing　deputies；　they　last　for　thirty…seven　days；　in

many　places　their　proceedings　are　contested；　annulled；　and　begun

over　again。　　To　these　universal　gatherings；　which　put　all　France　in

motion；　we　must　add　the　local　gatherings　by　which　a　commune　approves

or　gainsays　its　municipal　officers；　makes　claims　on　the　department；

on　the　King；　or　on　the　Assembly；　demands　the　maintenance　of　its

parish　priest；　the　provisioning　of　its　market；　the　arrival　or

dispatch　of　a　military　detachment；　…　and　think　of　all　that　these

meetings；　petitions；　and　nominations　presuppose　in　the　way　of

preparatory　committees　and　preliminary　meetings　and　debates！　Every

public　representation　begins　with　rehearsals　in　secret　session。　　In

the　choice　of　a　candidate；　and；　above　all；　of　a　list　of　candidates；

in　the　appointment　in　each　commune　of　from　three　to　twenty…one

municipal　officers；　and　from　six　to　forty…two　notables；　in　the

selection　of　twelve　district　administrators　and　thirty…six

departmental　administrators；　especially　as　the　list　must　be　of　a

double　length　and　contain　twice　as　many　officers　as　there　are　places

to　fill；　immediate　agreement　is　impossible。　　In　every　important

election　the　electors　are　sure　to　be　in　a　state　of　agitation　a　month

beforehand；　while　four　weeks　of　discussion　and　caucus　is　not　too

much　to　give　to　inquiries　about　candidates；　and　to　canvassing

voters。　　Let　us　add；　accordingly；　this　long　preface　to　each　of　the

elections；　so　long　and　so　often　repeated；　and　now　sum　up　the

troubles　and　disturbances；　all　this　loss　of　time；　all　the　labor

which　the　process　demands。　　Each　convocation　of　the　primary

assemblies；　summons　to　the　town…hall　or　principal　town　of　the

canton；　for　one　or　for　several　days；　about　three　million　five

hundred　thousand　electors　of　the　first　degree。　　Each　convocation　of

the　assemblies　of　the　second　class　compels　the　attendance　and

sojourn　at　the　principal　town　of　the　department；　and　again　in　the

principal　town　of　the　district；　of　about　three　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　elected　electors。　　Each　revision　or　re…election　in　the

National　Guard　gathers　together　on　the　public　square；　or　subjects　to

roll…call　at　the　town…hall；　three　or　four　millions　of　National

Guards。　　Each　federation；　after　exacting　the　same　gathering　or　the

same　roll…call；　sends　delegates　by　hundreds　of　thousands　to　the

principal　towns　of　the　districts　and　departments；　and　tens　of

thousands　to　Paris。　…　The　powers　thus　instituted　at　the　cost　of　so

great　an　effort；　require　an　equal　effort　to　make　them　work；　one

branch　alone　of　the　administration＇28＇　keeps　2；988　officials　busy　in

the　departments；　6；950　in　the　districts；　1；175；000　in　the　communes　…

in　all；　nearly　one　million　two　hundred　thousand　administrators；

whose　places；　as　we　have　seen　above；　are　no　sinecures。　　Never　did　a

political　machine　require　so　prodigious　an　expenditure　of　force　to

set　it　up　and　keep　it　in　motion。　　In　the　United　States；　where　it　is

now　（around　1875）　deranged　by　its　own　action；　it　has　been　estimated

that；　to　meet　the　intentions　of　the　law　and　keep　each　wheel　in　its

proper　place；　it　would　be　necessary　for　each　citizen　to　give　one

whole　day　in　each　week；　or　on…sixth　of　his　time；　to　public　business。

In　France；　under　the　newly　adopted　system；　where　disorder　is

universal；　where　the　duty　of　National　Guard　is　added　to　and

complicates　that　of　elector　and　administrator；　I　estimate　that　two

days　would　be　necessary。　　This　is　what　the　Constitution　comes　to；

this　is　its　essential　and　supreme　requirement：　each　active　citizen

has　to　give　up　one…third　of　his　time　to　public　affairs。



Now；　these　twelve　hundred　thousand　administrators　and　three　or　four

million　electors　and　National　Guards；　are　just　the　men　in　France　who

have　the　least　leisure。　　The　class　of　active　citizens；　indeed；

comprises　about　all　the　men　who　labor　with　their　hands　or　with