the origins of contemporary france-5-第102章

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of　appointments　and　candidatures。　…　Decree　of　1806　and　suppression　of

candidatures。



At　the　beginning；　an　effort　was　made　to　put　in　practice　the

constitutional　principle　proposed　by　Sieyès：　Power　in　future；

according　the　accepted　formula；　must　come　from　above　and　confidence

from　below。　To　this　end；　in　the　year　IX；　the　assembled　citizens

appointed　one…tenth　of　their　number；　about　500；000　communal　notables；

and　these；　likewise　assembled；　appointed　also　one…tenth　of　their

number；　about　50；000　departmental　notables。　The　government　selected

from　this　list　the　municipal　councilors　of　each　commune；　and；　from

this　second　list；　the　general　councilors　of　each　department。　…　The

machine；　however；　is　clumsy；　difficult　to　set　going；　still　more

difficult　to　manage；　and　too　unreliable　in　its　operation。　According　to

the　First　Consul；　it　is　an　absurd　system；　〃a　childish　piece　of

ideology；　a　great　nation　should　not　be　organized　in　this　way。〃＇15＇　At

bottom；＇16＇　〃he　does　not　want　notables　accepted　by　the　nation。　In　his

system；　he　is　to　declare　who　the　notables　of　the　nation　shall　be　and

stamp　them　with　the　seal　of　the　State；　it　is　not　for　the　nation　to

present　them　to　the　head　of　the　State　stamped　with　the　national　seal。〃

Consequently；　at　the　end　of　a　year；　he　becomes；　through　the

establishment　of　electoral　colleges；　the　veritable　grand…elector　of

all　the　notables；　he　has　transformed；　with　his　usual　address；　a

liberal　institution　into　a　reigning　instrumentality。＇17＇

Provisionally；　he　holds　on　to　the　list　of　communal　notables；　〃because

it　is　the　work　of　the　people；　the　result　of　a　grand　movement　which

must　not　prove　useless；　and　because；　moreover；　it　contains　a　large

number　of　names。　。　。　。　offering　a　wide　margin　from　which　to　make　good

selections。＇18＇　He　brings　together　these　notables　in　each　canton；　and

invites　them　to　designate　their　trusty　men；　the　candidates　from　which

he　will　choose　municipal　councilors。　But；　as　there　are　very　few

cultivated　men　in　the　rural　districts；　〃nearly　always　it　is　the　old

seignior　who　would　get　himself　designated〃；＇19＇　it　is　essential　that

the　hand　of　the　government　should　not　be　forced；　that　its　faculty　of

choosing　should　not　be　restricted。　Thus；　the　presentation　of　municipal

councilors　of　that　category　must　cease；　there　must　no　longer　be　any

preliminary　candidates。　Now；　according　the　sénatus…consulte；　this

category　is　a　large　one；　for　it　comprises　all　communes　of　less　than

5000　souls；　and　therefore　over　35；000　municipal　councils　out　of

36；000；　whose　members　are　appointed　arbitrarily；　without　the　citizens

whom　they　represent　taking　any　part　in　their　nomination。　…　Four　or

five　hundred　average　or　large　communes　still　remain；　in　which　for　each

municipal　post；　the　cantonal　assembly　designates　two　candidates

between　whom　the　government　chooses。　Let　us　see　this　assembly　duly

installed　and　at　work。



Its　president；　as　a　precautionary　step；　is　imposed　upon　it。　He　is

appointed　in　advance　by　the　government；　and　is　well　informed　as　to

what　the　government　wants。　He　alone　controls　the　police　of　the　chamber

and　the　order　of　all　deliberations。　On　opening　the　session；　he　draws　a

list　from　his　pocket；　which　list；　furnished　by　the　government；

contains　the　names　of　one　hundred　of　the　heaviest　taxpayers　of　the

canton；　from　whom　the　assembly　must　select　its　candidates。　The　lists

lies　spread　out　on　the　table；　and　the　electors　advance　in　turn；　spell

the　names；　and　try　to　read　it　over。　The　president　would　not　be　very

adroit　and　show　but　little　zeal　did　he　not　help　them　in　reading　it；

and　if　he　did　not　point　out　by　some　sign；　a　tone　of　the　voice；　or　even

a　direct　word；　what　names　were　agreeable　to　the　government。　Now；　this

government；　which　has　five　hundred　thousand　bayonets　at　command；

dislikes　opposition：　the　electors　know　it；　and　look　twice　before

expressing　any　counter　opinion；　it　is　very　probable　that　most　of　the

names　suggested　by　the　government　are　found　on　their　ballots；　were

only　one…half　of　them　there；　these　would　suffice；　of　the　two

candidates　proposed　for　each　place；　if　one　is　acceptable　this　one　will

be　elected；　after　making　him　a　candidate　the　government　makes　sure

that　he　will　become　titular。　The　first　act　of　the　electoral　comedy　is

played；　and　it　is　not　long　before　no　trouble　whatever　is　taken　to　play

it。　After　January；　1806；　by　virtue　of　a　decree　which　has　passed

himself；　Napoleon　is　the　only　one＇20＇　who　will　directly　fill　every

vacancy　in　the　municipal　councils；　from　now　on　these　councils　are　to

owe　their　existence　wholly　to　him。　The　two　qualities　which　constitute

them；　and　which；　according　to　Sieyès；　are　derived　from　two　distinct

sources；　are　now　derived　from　only　one　source。　Only　the　Emperor　can

confer　upon　them　both　public　confidence　and　legal　power。



The　second　act　of　the　comedy　begins；　this　act　is　more　complicated；　and

comprises　several　scenes　which　end；　some　of　them；　in　the　appointment

of　the　arrondissement　councils；　and　others　in　that　of　the　council…

general　of　the　department。　We　will　take　only　the　latter；　the　most

important；＇21＇　there　are　two；　one　following　the　other；　and　in

different　places。　…　The　first　one＇22＇　is　played　in　the　cantonal

assembly　above　described；　the　president；　who　has　just　directed　the

choice　of　municipal　candidates；　draws　from　his　portfolio　another　list；

likewise　furnished　to　him　by　the　prefect；　and　on　which　six　hundred

names　of　those　who　pay　the　heaviest　taxes　in　the　department　are

printed。　It　is　from　among　these　six　hundred　that　the　cantonal　assembly

must　elect　ten　or　twelve　members　who；　with　their　fellows；　chosen　in

the　same　way　by　the　other　cantonal　assemblies；　will　form　the　electoral

college　of　the　department；　and　take　their　seats　at　the　chief　town　of

the　prefecture。　This　time　again；　the　president；　who　is　the　responsible

leader　of　the　cantonal　flock；　takes　care　to　conduct　it；　his　finger　on

the　list　indicates　to　the　electors　which　names　the　government　prefers；

if　need　be；　he　adds　a　word　to　the　sign　he　makes；　and；　probably；　the

voters　will　be　as　docile　as　before；　and　all　the　more　because　the

composition　of　the　electoral　college　only　half　interests　them。　This

college；　unlike　the　municipal　council；　does　not　touch　or　hold　any　of

them　on　their　sensitive　side；　it　is　not　obliged　to　tighten　or　loosen

their　purse…strings；　it　does　not　vote　the　〃additional　centimes〃；　it

does　not　meddle　with　their　business；　it　there　only　for　show；　to

simulate　the　absent　people；　to　present　candidates；　and　thus　perform

the　second　electoral　scene　in　the　same　way　as　the　first　one；　but　at

the　chief　town　of　the　prefecture　and　by　new　actors。　These　extras　are

also　led　by　a　head　conductor；　appointed　by　the　government；　and　who　is

responsible　for　their　behavior；　〃a　president　who　has　in　sole　charge

the　police　of　their　assembled　college；〃　and　must　direct　their　voting。

For　each　vacancy　in　the　council…general　of　the　department；　they　are　to

present　two　names；　certainly；　almost　without　any　help；　and　with　only　a

discrete　hint；　they　will　guess　the　suitable　names。　For　they　are

smarter；　more　open…minded；　than　the　backward　and　rural　members　of　a

cantonal　assembly；　they　are　better　informed　and　better　〃posted；〃　they

have　visited　the　prefect　and　know　his　opinion；　the　opinion　of　the

government；　and　they　vote　accordingly。　It　is　certain　that　one…half；　at

least；　of　the　candidates　whom　they　present　on　the　list　are　good；　and

that　suffices；　since　twice　the　required　number　of　candidates　have　to

be　nominated。　And　yet；　in　Napoleon's　eye；　this　is　not　sufficient。　For

the　nomination　of　general　councilors；＇23＇　as　well　as　that　of　municipal

councilors；　he　suppresses　preliminary　candidature；　the　last　remnant　of

popular　representation　or　delegation。　According　to　his　theory；　he　is

himself　the　sole　representative　and　delegate　of　the　people；　invested

with　full　powers；　not　alone　in　the　State；　but　again　in　the　department

and　commune；　the　prime　and　the　universal　motor　of　the　entire　machine；

not　merely　at　the　center；　b