sons of the soil-第39章

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The　law；　such　as　the　legislature　of　these　days　manufactures　it；　has

not　the　virtue　we　attribute　to　it。　It　strikes　unequally；　it　is　so

modified　in　many　of　its　modes　of　application　that　it　virtually　refutes

its　own　principles。　This　fact　may　be　noted　more　or　less　distinctly

throughout　all　ages。　Is　there　any　historian　ignorant　enough　to　assert

that　the　decrees　of　the　most　vigilant　of　powers　were　ever　enforced

throughout　France？for　instance；　that　the　requisitions　of　the

Convention　for　men；　commodities；　and　money　were　obeyed　in　Provence；　in

the　depths　of　Normandy；　on　the　borders　of　Brittany；　as　they　were　at

the　great　centres　of　social　life？　What　philosopher　dares　deny　that　a

head　falls　to…day　in　such　or　such　department；　while　in　a　neighboring

department　another　head　stays　on　its　shoulders　though　guilty　of　a

crime　identically　the　same；　and　often　more　horrible？　We　ask　for

equality　in　life；　and　inequality　reigns　in　law　and　in　the　death

penalty！



When　the　population　of　a　town　falls　below　a　certain　figure　the

administrative　system　is　no　longer　the　same。　There　are　perhaps　a

hundred　cities　in　France　where　the　laws　are　vigorously　enforced；　and

there　the　intelligence　of　the　citizens　rises　to　the　conception　of　the

problem　of　public　welfare　and　future　security　which　the　law　seeks　to

solve；　but　throughout　the　rest　of　France　nothing　is　comprehended

beyond　immediate　gratification；　people　rebel　against　all　that　lessens

it。　Therefore　in　nearly　one　half　of　France　we　find　a　power　of　inertia

which　defeats　all　legal　action；　both　municipal　and　governmental。　This

resistance；　be　it　understood；　does　not　affect　the　essential　things　of

public　polity。　The　collection　of　taxes；　recruiting；　punishment　of

great　crimes；　as　a　general　thing　do　systematically　go　on；　but　outside

of　such　recognized　necessities；　all　legislative　decrees　which　affect

customs；　morals；　private　interests；　and　certain　abuses；　are　a　dead

letter；　owing　to　the　sullen　opposition　of　the　people。　At　the　very

moment　when　this　book　is　going　to　press；　this　dumb　resistance；　which

opposed　Louis　XIV。　in　Brittany；　may　still　be　seen　and　felt。　See　the

unfortunate　results　of　the　game…laws；　to　which　we　are　now　sacrificing

yearly　the　lives　of　some　twenty　or　thirty　men　for　the　sake　of

preserving　a　few　animals。



In　France　the　law　is；　to　at　least　twenty　million　of　inhabitants；

nothing　more　than　a　bit　of　white　paper　posted　on　the　doors　of　the

church　and　the　town…hall。　That　gives　rise　to　the　term　〃papers；〃　which

Mouche　used　to　express　legality。　Many　mayors　of　cantons　（not　to　speak

of　the　district　mayors）　put　up　their　bundles　of　seeds　and　herbs　with

the　printed　statutes。　As　for　the　district　mayors；　the　number　of　those

who　do　not　know　how　to　read　and　write　is　really　alarming；　and　the

manner　in　which　the　civil　records　are　kept　is　even　more　so。　The　danger

of　this　state　of　things；　well…known　to　the　governing　powers；　is

doubtless　diminishing；　but　what　centralization　（against　which　every

one　declaims；　as　it　is　the　fashion　in　France　to　declaim　against　all

things　good　and　useful　and　strong）；what　centralization　cannot　touch；

the　Power　against　which　it　will　forever　fling　itself　in　vain；　is　that

which　the　general　was　now　about　to　attack；　and　which　we　shall　take

leave　to　call　the　Mediocracy。



A　great　outcry　was　made　against　the　tyranny　of　the　nobles；　in　these

days　the　cry　is　against　that　of　capitalists；　against　abuses　of　power；

which　may　be　merely　the　inevitable　galling　of　the　social　yoke；　called

Compact　by　Rousseau；　Constitution　by　some；　Charter　by　others；　Czar

here；　King　there；　Parliament　in　Great　Britain；　while　in　France　the

general　levelling　begun　in　1789　and　continued　in　1830　has　paved　the

way　for　the　juggling　dominion　of　the　middle　classes；　and　delivered　the

nation　into　their　hands　without　escape。　The　portrayal　of　one　fact

alone；　unfortunately　only　too　common　in　these　days；　namely；　the

subjection　of　a　canton；　a　little　town；　a　sub…prefecture；　to　the　will

of　a　family　clique；in　short；　the　power　acquired　by　Gaubertin；will

show　this　social　danger　better　than　all　dogmatic　statements　put

together。　Many　oppressed　communities　will　recognize　the　truth　of　this

picture；　many　persons　secretly　and　silently　crushed　by　this　tyranny

will　find　in　these　words　an　obituary；　as　it　were；　which　may　half

console　them　for　their　hidden　woes。



At　the　very　moment　when　the　general　imagined　himself　to　be　renewing　a

warfare　in　which　there　had　really　been　no　truce；　his　former　steward

had　just　completed　the　last　meshes　of　the　net…work　in　which　he　now

held　the　whole　arrondissement　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　To　avoid　too　many

explanations　it　is　necessary　to　state；　once　for　all；　succinctly；　the

genealogical　ramifications　by　means　of　which　Gaubertin　wound　himself

about　the　country；　as　a　boa…constrictor　winds　around　a　tree；with

such　art　that　a　passing　traveller　thinks　he　beholds　some　natural

effect　of　the　tropical　vegetation。



In　1793　there　were　three　brothers　of　the　name　of　Mouchon　in　the　valley

of　the　Avonne。　After　1793　they　changed　the　name　of　the　valley　to　that

of　the　Valley　des　Aigues；　out　of　hatred　to　the　old　nobility。



The　eldest　brother；　steward　of　the　property　of　the　Ronquerolles

family；　was　elected　deputy　of　the　department　to　the　Convention。　Like

his　friend；　Gaubertin's　father；　the　prosecutor　of　those　days；　who

saved　the　Soulanges　family；　he　saved　the　property　and　the　lives　of　the

Ronquerolles。　He　had　two　daughters；　one　married　to　Gendrin；　the

lawyer；　the　other　to　Gaubertin。　He　died　in　1804。



The　second；　through　the　influence　of　his　elder　brother；　was　made

postmaster　at　Conches。　His　only　child　was　a　daughter；　married　to　a

rich　farmer　named　Guerbet。　He　died　in　1817。



The　last　of　the　Mouchons；　who　was　a　priest；　and　the　curate　of　Ville…

aux…Fayes　before　the　Revolution；　was　again　a　priest　after　the　re…

establishment　of　Catholic　worship；　and　again　the　curate　of　the　same

little　town。　He　was　not　willing　to　take　the　oath；　and　was　hidden　for　a

long　time　in　the　hermitage　of　Les　Aigues；　under　the　protection　of　the

Gaubertins；　father　and　son。　Now　about　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　he　was

treated　with　universal　respect　and　affection；　owing　to　the　harmony　of

his　nature　with　that　of　the　inhabitants。　Parsimonious　to　the　verge　of

avarice；　he　was　thought　to　be　rich；　and　the　credit　of　being　so

increased　the　respect　that　was　shown　to　him。　Monseigneur　the　bishop

paid　the　greatest　attention　to　the　Abbe　Mouchon；　who　was　always　spoken

of　as　the　venerable　curate　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and　the　fact　that　he

had　several　times　refused　to　go　and　live　in　a　splendid　parsonage

attached　to　the　Prefecture；　where　Monseigneur　wished　to　settle　him；

made　him　dearer　still　to　his　people。



Gaubertin；　now　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　received　steady　support　from

his　brother…in…law　Gendrin；　who　was　judge　of　the　municipal　court。

Gaubertin　the　younger；　the　solicitor　who　had　the　most　practice　before

this　court　and　much　repute　in　the　arrondissement；　was　already　thinking

of　selling　his　practice　after　five　years'　exercise　of　it。　He　wanted　to

succeed　his　Uncle　Gendrin　as　counsellor　whenever　the　latter　should

retire　from　the　profession。　Gendrin's　only　son　was　commissioner　of

mortgages。



Soudry's　son；　who　for　the　last　two　years　had　been　prosecuting…attorney

at　the　prefecture；　was　Gaubertin's　henchman。　The　clever　Madame　Soudry

had　secured　the　future　of　her　husband's　son　by　marrying　him　to　Rigou's

only　daughter。　The　united　fortunes　of　the　Soudrys　and　the　ex…monk；

which　would　come　eventually　to　the　attorney；　made　that　young　man　one

of　the　most　important　personages　of　the　department。



The　sub…prefect　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　nephew　of

the　general…secretary　of　one　of　the　most　important　ministries　in

Paris；　was　the　prospective　husband　of　Mademoiselle　Elise　Gaubertin；

the　mayor's　youngest　daughter；　whose　dowry；　like　that　of　her　elder

sister；　was　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　not　to　speak　of

〃expectations。〃　This　functionary