sons of the soil-第41章

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sucked　the　resources　of　the　region；　and　fastened　on　power　like　limpets

to　a　ship；　escaped　all　notice　so　completely　that　General　Montcornet

had　no　suspicion　of　it。　The　prefect　boasted　of　the　prosperity　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　and　its　arrondissement；　even　the　minister　of　the

interior　was　heard　to　remark：　〃There's　a　model　sub…prefecture；　which

runs　on　wheels；　we　should　be　lucky　indeed　if　all　were　like　it。〃　Family

designs　were　so　involved　with　local　interests　that　here；　as　in　many

other　little　towns　and　even　prefectures；　a　functionary　who　did　not

belong　to　the　place　would　have　been　forced　to　resign　within　a　year。



When　this　despotic　middle…class　cousinry　seizes　a　victim；　he　is　so

carefully　gagged　and　bound　that　complaint　is　impossible；　he　is　smeared

with　slime　and　wax　like　a　snail　in　a　beehive。　This　invisible；

imperceptible　tyranny　is　upheld　by　powerful　reasons；such　as　the　wish

to　be　surrounded　by　their　own　family；　to　keep　property　in　their　own

hands；　the　mutual　help　they　ought　to　lend　each　other；　the　guarantees

given　to　the　administration　by　the　fact　that　their　agent　is　under　the

eyes　of　his　fellow…citizens　and　neighbors。　What　does　all　this　lead　to？

To　the　fact　that　local　interests　supersede　all　questions　of　public

interest；　the　centralized　will　of　Paris　is　frequently　overthrown　in

the　provinces；　the　truth　of　things　is　disguised；　and　country

communities　snap　their　fingers　at　government。　In　short；　after　the　main

public　necessities　have　been　attended　to；　it　will　be　seen　that　the

laws；　instead　of　acting　upon　the　masses；　receive　their　impulse　from

them；　the　populations　adapt　the　law　to　themselves　and　not　themselves

to　the　law。



Whoever　has　travelled　in　the　south　or　west　of　France；　or　in　Alsace；　in

any　other　way　than　from　inn　to　inn　to　see　buildings　and　landscapes；

will　surely　admit　the　truth　of　these　remarks。　The　results　of　middle…

class　nepotism　may　be；　at　present；　merely　isolated　evils；　but　the

tendency　of　existing　laws　is　to　increase　them。　This　low…level

despotism　can　and　will　cause　great　disasters；　and　the　events　of　the

drama　about　to　be　played　in　the　valley　of　Les　Aigues　will　prove　it。



The　monarchical　and　imperial　systems；　more　rashly　overthrown　than

people　realize；　remedied　these　abuses　by　means　of　certain　consecrated

lives；　by　classifications　and　categories　and　by　those　particular

counterpoises　since　so　absurdly　defined　as　〃privileges。〃　There　are　no

privileges　now；　when　every　human　being　is　free　to　climb　the　greased

pole　of　power。　But　surely　it　would　be　safer　to　allow　open　and　avowed

privileges　than　those　which　are　underhand；　based　on　trickery；

subversive　of　what　should　be　public　spirit；　and　continuing　the　work　of

despotism　to　a　lower　and　baser　level　than　heretofore。　May　we　not　have

overthrown　noble　tyrants　devoted　to　their　country's　good；　to　create

the　tyranny　of　selfish　interests？　Shall　power　lurk　in　secret　places；

instead　of　radiating　from　its　natural　source？　This　is　worth　thinking

about。　The　spirit　of　local　sectionalism；　such　as　we　have　now　depicted；

will　soon　be　seen　to　invade　the　Chamber。



Montcornet's　friend；　the　late　prefect；　Comte　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　had

lost　his　position　just　before　the　last　arrival　of　the　general　at　Les

Aigues。　This　dismissal　drove　him　into　the　ranks　of　the　Liberal

opposition；　where　he　became　one　of　the　chorus　of　the　Left；　a　position

he　soon　after　abandoned　for　an　embassy。　His　successor；　luckily　for

Montcornet；　was　a　son…in…law　of　the　Marquis　de　Troisville；　uncle　of

the　countess；　the　Comte　de　Casteran。　He　welcomed　Montcornet　as　a

relation　and　begged　him　to　continue　his　intimacy　at　the　Prefecture。

After　listening　to　the　general's　complaints　the　Comte　de　Casteran

invited　the　bishop；　the　attorney…general；　the　colonel　of　the

gendarmerie；　counsellor　Sarcus；　and　the　general　commanding　the

division　to　meet　him　the　next　day　at　breakfast。



The　attorney…general；　Baron　Bourlac　（so　famous　in　the　Chanterie　and

Rifael　suits）；　was　one　of　those　men　well…known　to　all　governments；　who

attach　themselves　to　power；　no　matter　in　whose　hands　it　is；　and　who

make　themselves　invaluable　by　such　devotion。　Having　owed　his　elevation

in　the　first　place　to　his　fanaticism　for　the　Emperor；　he　now　owed　the

retention　of　his　official　rank　to　his　inflexible　character　and　the

conscientiousness　with　which　he　fulfilled　his　duties。　He　who　once

implacably　prosecuted　the　remnant　of　the　Chouans　now　prosecuted　the

Bonapartists　as　implacably。　But　years　and　turmoils　had　somewhat

subdued　his　energy　and　he　had　now　become；　like　other　old　devils

incarnate；　perfectly　charming　in　manner　and　ways。



The　general　explained　his　position　and　the　fears　of　his　bailiff；　and

spoke　of　the　necessity　of　making　an　example　and　enforcing　the　rights

of　property。



The　high　functionaries　listened　gravely；　making；　however；　no　reply

beyond　mere　platitudes；　such　as；　〃Undoubtedly；　the　laws　must　be

upheld〃；　〃Your　cause　is　that　of　all　land…owners〃；　〃We　will　consider

it；　but；　situated　as　we　are；　prudence　is　very　necessary〃；　〃A　monarchy

could　certainly　do　more　for　the　people　than　the　people　would　do　for

itself；　even　if　it　were；　as　in　1793；　the　sovereign　people〃；　〃The

masses　suffer；　and　we　are　bound　to　do　as　much　for　them　as　for

ourselves。〃



The　relentless　attorney…general　expressed　such　kindly　and　benevolent

views　respecting　the　condition　of　the　lower　classes　that　our　future

Utopians；　had　they　heard　him；　might　have　thought　that　the　higher　grade

of　government　officials　were　already　aware　of　the　difficulties　of　that

problem　which　modern　society　will　be　forced　to　solve。



It　may　be　well　to　say　here　that　at　this　period　of　the　Restoration；

various　bloody　encounters　had　taken　place　in　remote　parts　of　the

kingdom；　caused　by　this　very　question　of　the　pillage　of　woods；　and　the

marauding　rights　which　the　peasants　were　everywhere　arrogating　to

themselves。　Neither　the　government　nor　the　court　liked　these

outbreaks；　nor　the　shedding　of　blood　which　resulted　from　repression。

Though　they　felt　the　necessity　of　rigorous　measures；　they　nevertheless

treated　as　blunderers　the　officials　who　were　compelled　to　employ　them；

and　dismissed　them　on　the　first　pretence。　The　prefects　were　therefore

anxious　to　shuffle　out　of　such　difficulties　whenever　possible。



At　the　very　beginning　of　the　conversation　Sarcus　（the　rich）　had　made　a

sign　to　the　prefect　and　the　attorney…general　which　Montcornet　did　not

see；　but　which　set　the　tone　of　the　discussion。　The　attorney…general

was　well　aware　of　the　state　of　mind　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　valley

des　Aigues　through　his　subordinate；　Soudry　the　young　attorney。



〃I　foresee　a　terrible　struggle；〃　the　latter　had　said　to　him。　〃They

mean　to　kill　the　gendarmes；　my　spies　tell　me　so。　It　will　be　very　hard

to　convict　them　for　it。　The　instant　the　jury　feel　they　are　incurring

the　hatred　of　the　friends　of　the　twenty　or　thirty　prisoners；　they　will

not　sustain　us；we　could　not　get　them　to　convict　for　death；　nor　even

for　the　galleys。　Possibly　by　prosecuting　in　person　you　might　get　a　few

years'　imprisonment　for　the　actual　murderers。　Better　shut　our　eyes

than　open　them；　if　by　opening　them　we　bring　on　a　collision　which　costs

bloodshed　and　several　thousand　francs　to　the　State；not　to　speak　of

the　cost　of　keeping　the　guilty　in　prison。　It　is　too　high　a　price　to

pay　for　a　victory　which　will　only　reveal　our　judicial　weakness　to　the

eyes　of　all。〃



Montcornet；　who　was　wholly　without　suspicion　of　the　strength　and

influence　of　the　Mediocracy　in　his　happy　valley；　did　not　even　mention

Gaubertin；　whose　hand　kept　these　embers　of　opposition　always　alive；

though　smouldering。　After　breakfast　the　attorney…general　took

Montcornet　by　the　arm　and　led　him　to　the　Prefect's　study。　When　the

general　left　that　room　after　their　conference；　he　wrote　to　his　wife

that　he　was　starting　for　Paris　and　should　be　absent　a　week。　We　shall

see；　after　the　execution　of　certain　measures　suggested　by　Baron

Bourlac；　the　attorney…general；　whether　the　secret　advic