the origins of contemporary france-2-第72章

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to　take　part　in　person；　or　through　their　representatives；　in　the

formation　of　the　law。〃　There　must　thus　be　no　more　electors

privileged　by　their　payment　of　a　three…franc　tax。　　Down　with　the　new

aristocracy　of　active　citizens！　Let　us　restore　to　the　two　millions

of　proletarians　the　right　of　suffrage；　of　which　the　Constitution　has

unjustly　defrauded　them！　…　According　to　this　legislator；　〃men　are

born　and　remain　free；　and　equal　in　their　rights。〃　Consequently；　let

no　one　be　excluded　from　the　National　Guard；　let　everybody；　even　the

pauper；　have　some　kind　of　weapon；　a　pike　or　gun；　to　defend　his

freedom！　…　In　the　very　terms　of　the　Declaration；　〃the　law　is　the

expression　of　the　universal　will。〃　Listen　to　these　clamors　in　the

open　streets；　to　these　petitions　flowing　in　from　the　towns　on　all

sides；　behold　the　universal　will；　the　living　law　which　abolishes　the

written　law！　On　the　strength　of　this　the　leader　of　a　few　clubs　in

Paris　are　to　depose　the　King；　to　violate　the　Legislative　Assembly

and　decimate　the　National　Convention。　…　In　other　terms；　the

turbulent；　factious　minority　is　to　supplant　the　sovereign　nation；

and　henceforth　there　is　nothing　to　hinder　it　from　doing　what　it

pleases　just　when　it　pleases。　　The　operation　of　the　Constitution　has

given　to　it　the　reality　of　power；　while　the　preamble　of　the

Constitution　clothes　it　with　the　semblance　of　right。







VI。　　Summary　of　the　work　of　the　Constituent　Assembly。



Such　is　the　work　of　the　Constituent　Assembly。　　In　several　of　its

laws；　especially　those　which　relate　to　private　interests；　in　the

institution　of　civil　regulations；　in　the　penal　and　rural　codes；＇41＇

in　the　first　attempts　at；　and　the　promise　of；　a　uniform　civil　code；

in　the　enunciation　of　a　few　simple　regulations　regarding　taxation；

procedure；　and　administration；　it　planted　good　seed。　　But　in　all

that　relates　to　political　institutions　and　social　organization　its

proceedings　are　those　of　an　academy　of　Utopians；　and　not　those　of

practical　legislators。　…　On　the　sick　body　entrusted　to　it；　it

performed　amputations　which　were　as　useless　as　they　were　excessive；

and　applied　bandages　as　inadequate　as　they　were　injurious。　　With　the

exception　of　two　or　three　restrictions　admitted　inadvertently；　and

the　maintenance　of　the　show　of　royalty；　also　the　obligation　of　a

small　electoral　qualification；　it　carried　out　its　principle　to　the

end；　the　principle　of　Rousseau。　　It　deliberately　refused　to　consider

man　as　he　really　was　under　its　own　eyes；　and　persisted　in　seeing

nothing　in　him　but　the　abstract　being　created　in　books。

Consequently；　with　the　blindness　and　obstinacy　characteristic　of　a

speculative　surgeon；　it　destroyed；　in　the　society　submitted　to　its

scalpel　and　its　theories；　not　only　the　tumors；　the　enlargements；　and

the　inflamed　parts　of　the　organs；　but　also　the　organs　themselves；

and　even　the　vital　governing　centers　around　which　cells　arrange

themselves　to　recompose　an　injured　organ。　　That　is；　the　Assembly

destroyed　on　the　one　hand　the　time…honored；　spontaneous；　and　lasting

societies　formed　by　geographical　position；　history；　common

occupations　and　interests；　and　on　the　other；　those　natural　chiefs

whose　name；　repute；　education；　independence；　and　earnestness

designated　them　as　the　best　qualified　to　occupy　high　positions。　　In

one　direction　it　despoils　and　permits　the　ruin　and　proscription　of

the　superior　class；　the　nobles；　the　members　of　Parliament；　and　the

upper　middle　class。　　In　another　it　dispossesses　and　breaks　up　all

historic　or　natural　corporations；　religious　congregations；　clerical

bodies；　provinces；　parliaments；　societies　of　art　and　of　all　other

professions　and　pursuits。　　This　done；　every　tie　or　bond　which　holds

men　together　is　found　to　be　severed；　all　subordination　and　every

graduated　scale　of　rank　have　disappeared。　　There　is　no　longer　rank

and　file；　or　commander…in…chief。　　Nothing　remains　but　individual

particles；　26　millions　of　equal　and　disconnected　atoms。　　Never　was

so　much　disintegrated　matter；　less　capable　of　resistance；　offered　to

hands　undertaking　to　mold　it。　　Harshness　and　violence　will　be

sufficient　to　ensure　success。　　These　brutal　hands　are　ready　for　the

work；　and　the　Assembly　which　has　reduced　the　material　to　powder　has

likewise　provided　the　mortar　and　pestle。　　As　awkward　in　destruction

as　it　is　in　construction；　it　invents　for　the　restoration　of　order　in

a　society　which　is　turned　upside　down　a　machine　which　would；　of

itself；　create　disorder　in　a　tranquil　society。　　The　most　absolute

and　most　concentrated　government　would　not　be　strong　enough　to

effect　without　disturbance　a　similar　equalization　of　ranks；　the　same

dismemberment　of　associations；　and　the　same　displacement　of

property。　　No　social　transformation　can　be　peacefully　accomplished

without　a　well…commanded　army；　obedient　and　everywhere　present；　as

was　the　case　in　the　emancipation　of　the　Russian　serfs　by　Emperor

Alexander。　　The　new　Constitution；＇42＇　on　the　contrary；　reduces　the

King　to　the　position　of　an　honorary　president；　suspected　and　called

in　question　by　a　disorganized　State。　　Between　him　and　the

legislative　body　it　interposes　nothing　but　sources　of　conflict；　and

suppresses　all　means　of　concord。　　The　monarch　has　no　hold　whatever

on　the　administrative　departments　which　he　must　direct；　the　mutual

independence　of　the　powers；　from　the　center　to　the　extremities　of

the　State；　everywhere　produces　indifference；　negligence；　and

disobedience　between　the　injunctions　issued　and　their　execution。

France　is　a　federation　of　forty　thousand　municipal　sovereignties；　in

which　the　authority　of　legal　magistrates　varies　according　to　the

caprice　of　active　citizens。　　These　active　citizens；　too　heavily

loaded；　shy　away　from　the　performance　of　public　duty；　in　which　a

minority　of　fanatics　and　ambitious　men　monopolize　the　right　to

speak；　to　vote；　all　influence；　the　power　and　all　action。　　They

justify　their　multiple　ursurpations；　their　unbridled　despotism；　and

their　increasing　encroachments　by　the　Declaration　of　the　Rights　of

Man。　　The　masterpiece＇43＇　of　ideal　abstractions　and　of　practical

absurdities　is　accomplished。　　In　accordance　with　the　Constitution

spontaneous　anarchy　becomes　legalized　anarchy。　　The　latter　is

perfect；　nothing　finer　of　the　kind　has　been　seen　since　the　ninth

century。



______________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　The　name　for　the　dreaded　secret　Royal　warrant　of　arrest。　　（SR。）



＇2＇　The　initiative　rests　with　the　King　on　one　point：　war　cannot　be

decreed　by　the　Assembly　except　on　his　formal　and　preliminary

proposition。　　This　exception　was　secured　only　after　a　violent

struggle　and　a　supreme　effort　by　Mirabeau。



＇3＇　Speech　by　Lanjuinais；　November　7；　1789。　　〃We　determined　on　the

separation　of　the　powers。　　Why；　then；　should　the　proposal　he　made　to

us　to　unite　the　legislative　power　with　the　executive　power　in　the

persons　of　the　ministers？〃



＇4＇　See　the　attendance　of　the　Ministers　before　the　Legislative

Assembly。



＇5＇　〃Any　society　in　which　the　separation　of　the　powers　is　not

clearly　defined　has　no　constitution。〃　（Declaration　of　Rights；

article　XVI。）　…　This　principle　is　borrowed　from　a　text　by

Montesquieu；　also　from　the　American　Constitution。　　In　the　rest　the

theory　of　Rousseau　is　followed。



＇6＇　Mercure　de　France；　an　expression　by　Mallet　du　Pan。



＇7＇　Constitution　of　1791；　ch。　　II。　　articles　5；　6；　7。　　　Decree　of

September　25　…　October　6；　1791；　section　III。　　articles；　8　to　25。



＇8＇　Speeches　by　Barnave　and　Roederer　in　the　constituent　Assembly。　…

Speeches　by　Barnave　and　Duport　in　the　Jacobin　Club。



＇9＇　Principal　texts。　　（Duvergier；　〃Collection　des　Lois　et　Decrets。〃）

…　Laws　on　municipal　and　administrative　organization；　December　14　and

22；　1789；　August　12…20；　1790；　March　12；　1791。　　On　the　municipal

organization　of　Paris；　May　21st；　June　27；　1790。　…　Laws　on　the

organization　of　the　Judiciary；　August　16…24；　1790；　September　16…29；

1791；　September　29；　October　21；