the origins of contemporary france-2-第70章

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

heads。　　The　law　exempts　only　domestics　devoted　to　personal　service

or　common　laborers　who；　possessing　no　property　or　income；　earn　less

than　twenty…one　sous　a　day。　　Every　journeyman…miller；　the　smallest

farmer；　every　village　proprietor　of　a　cottage　or　of　a　vegetable…

garden；　any　ordinary　workman；　votes　at　the　primary　meetings；　and　may

become　a　municipal　officer。　　Again；　if　he　pays　ten　francs　a　year

direct　tax；　if　he　is　a　farmer　or　yeomen　on　any　property　which　brings

him　in　four　hundred　francs；　if　his　rent　is　one　hundred　and　fifty

francs；　he　may　become　an　elected　elector　and　an　administrator　of　the

district　or　department。　　According　to　this　standard　the　eligible　are

innumerable；　in　Doubs；　in　1790；＇29＇　they　form　two…thirds　of　the

active　citizens。　　Thus；　the　way　to　office　is　open　to　all；　or　almost

all；　and　the　law　has　taken　no　precaution　whatever　to　reserve　or

provide　places　for　the　elite；　who　could　best　fill　them。　　On　the

contrary；　the　nobles；　the　ecclesiastical　dignitaries；　the　members　of

the　parliaments；　the　grand　functionaries　of　the　ancient　regime；　the

upper　class　of　the　bourgeoisie；　almost　all　the　rich　who　possess

leisure；　are　practically　excluded　from　the　elections　by　violence；

and　from　the　various　offices　by　public　opinion：　they　soon　retire

into　private　life；　and；　through　discouragement　or　disgust；　through

monarchical　or　religious　scruples；　abandon　entirely　a　public　career。

…　The　burden　of　the　new　system　falls；　accordingly；　on　the　most

occupied　portion　of　the　community：　on　merchants；　manufacturers；

agents　of　the　law；　employees；　shopkeepers；　artisans；　and

cultivators。　　They　are　the　people　who　must　give　up　one…third　of

their　time　already　appropriated；　neglect　private　for　public

business；　leave　their　harvests；　their　bench；　their　shop；　or　their

briefs　to　escort　convoys　and　patrol　the　highways；　to　run　off　to　the

principal　town　of　the　canton；　district；　or　department；　and　stay　and

sit　there　in　the　town…hall；＇30＇　subject　to　a　deluge　of　phrases　and

papers；　conscious　that　they　are　forced　to　gratuitous　drudgery；　and

that　this　drudgery　is　of　little　advantage　to　the　public。　…　For　the

first　six　months　they　do　it　with　good　grace；　their　zeal　in　penning

memorials；　in　providing　themselves　with　arms　against　〃brigands；〃　and

in　suppressing　taxes；　rents；　and　tithes；　is　active　enough。　　But　now

that　this　much　is　obtained　or　extorted；　decreed　as　a　right；　or

accomplished　in　fact；　they　must　not　be　further　disturbed。　　They　need

the　whole　of　their　time：　they　have　their　crops　to　get　in；　their

customers　to　serve；　their　orders　to　give；　their　books　to　make　up；

their　credits　to　adjust；　all　which　are　urgent　matters；　and　neither

ought　to　be　neglected　or　interrupted。　　Under　the　lash　of　necessity

and　of　the　crisis　they　have　put　their　backs　to　it；　and；　if　we　take

their　word　for　it；　they　hauled　the　public　cart　out　of　the　mud；　but

they　had　no　idea　of　putting　themselves　permanently　in　harness　to

drag　it　along　themselves。　　Confined　as　this　class　has　been　for

centuries　to　private　life；　each　has　his　own　wheelbarrow　to　trundle

along；　and　it　is　for　this；　before　all　and　above　all；　that　he　holds

himself　responsible。　　From　the　beginning　of　the　year　1790　the

returns　of　the　votes　taken　show　that　as　many　are　absent　as　present；

at　Besan？on　there　are　only　nine　hundred　and　fifty…nine　voters　out　of

thirty…two　hundred　inscribed；　four　months　after　this　more　than　one…

half　of　the　electors　fail　to　come　to　the　polls；＇31＇　and　throughout

France；　even　at　Paris；　the　indifference　to　voting　keeps　on

increasing。　　Puppets　of　such　an　administration　as　that　of　Louis　XV。

and　Louis　XVI。　　do　not　become　Florentine　or　Athenian　citizens　in　a

single　night。　　The　hearts　and　heads　of　three　or　four　millions　of　men

are　not　suddenly　endowed　with　faculties　and　habits　which　render　them

capable　of　diverting　one…third　of　their　energies　to　work　which　is

new；　disproportionate；　gratuitous；　and　supererogatory。　…　A　fallacy

of　monstrous　duplicity　lies　at　the　basis　of　the　political　theories

of　the　day　and　of　those　which　were　invented　during　the　following　ten

years。　　Arbitrarily；　and　without　any　examination；　a　certain　weight

and　resistance　are　attributed　to　the　human　metal　employed。　　It　is

found　on　trial　to　have　ten　times　less　resistance　and　twenty　times

more　weight　than　was　supposed。







V。　　The　Ruling　Minority。



The　restless　minority。　…　Its　elements。…　The　clubs。…　Their

ascendancy。…　How　they　interpret　the　Rights　of　Man。　…　Their

usurpations　and　violence。



In　default　of　the　majority；　who　shirk　their　responsibilities；　it　is

the　minority　which　does　the　work　and　assumes　the　power。　　The

majority　having　resigned；　the　minority　becomes　sovereign；　and　public

business；　abandoned　by　the　hesitating；　weak；　and　absent　multitude；

falls　into　the　hands　of　the　resolute；　energetic；　ever…present　few

who　find　the　leisure　and　the　disposition　to　assume　the

responsibility。　　In　a　system　in　which　all　offices　are　elective；　and

in　which　elections　are　frequent；　politics　becomes　a　profession　for

those　who　subordinate　their　private　interests　to　it；　and　who　find　it

of　personal　advantage；　every　village　contains　five　or　six　men　of

this　class；　every　borough　twenty　or　thirty；　every　town　its　hundreds

and　Paris　its　many　thousands。＇32＇　These　are　veritable　active

citizens　They　alone　give　all　their　time　and　attention　to　public

matters；　correspond　with　the　newspapers　and　with　the　deputies　at

Paris；　receive　and　spread　abroad　the　party　watchword　on　every

important　question；　hold　caucuses；　get　up　meetings；　make　motions；

draw　up　addresses；　overlook；　rebuke；　or　denounce　the　local

magistrates；　form　themselves　into　committees；　publish　and　push

candidates；　and　go　into　the　suburbs　and　the　country　to　canvass　for

votes。　　They　hold　the　power　in　recompense　for　their　labor；　for　they

manage　the　elections；　and　are　elected　to　office　or　provided　with

places　by　the　successful　candidates。　　There　is　a　prodigious　number

of　these　offices　and　places；　not　only　those　of　officers　of　the

National　Guard　and　the　administrators　of　the　commune；　the　district；

and　the　department；　whose　duties　are　gratuitous；　or　little　short　of

it；　but　a　quantity　of　others　which　are　paid；＇33＇　…　eighty…three

bishops；　seven　hundred　and　fifty　deputies；　four　hundred　criminal

judges；　three　thousand　and　seven　civil　judges；　five　thousand

justices　of　the　peace；　twenty　thousand　assessors　forty　thousand

communal　collectors；　forty…six　thousand　curés；　without　counting　the

accessory　or　insignificant　places　which　exist　by　tens　and　hundreds

of　thousands；　from　secretaries；　clerks；　bailiffs　and　notaries；　to

gendarmes；　constables；　office…clerks；　beadles；　grave…diggers；　and

keepers　of　sequestered　goods。　　The　pasture　is　vast　for　the

ambitious；　it　is　not　small　for　the　needy；　and　they　seize　upon　it。

Such　is　the　rule　in　pure　democracies：　hence　the　swarm　of　politicians

in　the　United　States。　　When　the　law　incessantly　calls　all　citizens

to　political　action；　there　are　only　a　few　who　devote　themselves　to

it；　these　become　expert　in　this　particular　work；　and；　consequently；

preponderant。　　But　they　must　be　paid　for　their　trouble；　and　the

election　secures　to　them　their　places　because　they　manage　the

elections。



Two　sorts　of　men　furnish　the　recruits　for　this　dominant　minority：　on

the　one　hand　the　enthusiasts；　and　on　the　other　those　who　have　no

social　position。　　Towards　the　end　of　1789；　moderate　people；　who　are

minding　their　own　business；　retire　into　privacy；　and　are　daily　less

disposed　to　show　themselves。　　The　public　square　is　occupied　by

others　who；　through　zeal　and　political　passion；　abandon　their

pursuits；　and　by　those　who；　finding　themselves　hampered　in　their

social　sphere；　or　repelled　from　ordinary　circles；　were　merely

awaiting　a　new　opening　to　take　a　fresh　start。　　In　these　utopian　and

revolutionary　times；　there　is　no　lack　of　either　class。　　Flung　out　by

handfuls；　the　dogma　of　popular　sovereignty　fall