the origins of contemporary france-5-第104章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



year　XII；　and　the　following　years；　brevets　and　grades；　decorations　of

the　Legion　d'Honneur；　the　titles　of　chevalier；　baron；　and　count；＇34＇

presents　and　endowments；　…　the　rewards　offered　to　the　representatives

of　local　society；　the　same　as　to　the　other　functionaries；　but　on　the

same　condition　that　they　will　likewise　be　functionaries；　that　is　to

say；　tools　in　the　hands　of　the　government。　In　this　respect；　every

precaution　is　taken；　especially　against　those　who；　forming　a

collective　body；　may　be　tempted　to　consider　themselves　a　deliberative

assembly；　such　as　municipal　and　general　councils；　less　easily　handled

than　single　individuals　and；　at　times；　capable　of　not　being　quite　so

docile。　None　of　these　can　hold　sessions　of　more　than　fifteen　days　in

the　year；　each　must　accept　its　budget　of　receipts　and　expenses；　almost

complete　and　ready　made；　from　the　prefecture。　In　the　way　of　receipts；

its　powers　consist　wholly　in　voting　certain　additional　and　optional

centimes；　more　or　less　numerous；　at　will；　〃within　the　limits

established　by　law〃；＇35＇　again；　even　within　these　limits；　its　decision

can　be　carried　out　only　after　an　examination　and　approval　at　the

prefecture。　There　is　the　same　regulation　in　regard　to　expenses；　the

council；　indeed；　municipal　or　general；　is　simply　consultative；　the

government　delegates　the　mayor；　sub…prefect；　or　prefect；　who

prescribes　what　must　be　done。　As　the　preliminary　steps　are　taken　by

him；　and　he　has　constant　direction　of　the　local　council　for　two　weeks；

and　finally　the　right　of　confirmation；　he　controls　it；　and　then　for

eleven　months　and　a　half；　having　sole　charge　of　the　daily　and

consecutive　execution　of　its　acts；　he　reigns　in　the　local　community。

Undoubtedly；　having　received　and　expended　money　for　the　community；　he

is　accountable　and　will　present　his　yearly　accounts　at　the　following

session；　the　law　says＇36＇　that　in　the　commune；　〃the　municipal　council

shall　listen　to　and　may　discuss　the　account　of　municipal　receipts　and

expenses。〃　But　read　the　text　through　to　the　end；　and　note　the　part

which　the　law；　in　this　case；　assigns　to　the　municipal　council。　It

plays　the　part　of　the　chorus　in　the　antique　tragedy：　it　attends；

listens；　approves；　or　disapproves；　in　the　background　and　subordinate；

approved　or　rebuked；　the　principal　actors　remain　in　charge　and　do　as

they　please；　they　grant　or　dispute　over　its　head；　independently；　just

as　it　suits　them。　In　effect；　it　is　not　to　the　municipal　council　that

the　mayor　renders　his　accounts；　but　〃to　the　sub…prefect；　who　finally

passes　them；〃　and　gives　him　his　discharge。　Whatever　the　council　may

say；　the　approval　is　valid；　for　greater　security；　the　prefect；　if　any

councilor　proves　refractory；　〃may　suspend　from　his　functions〃　a

stubborn　fellow　like　him；　and　restore　in　the　council　the　unanimity

which　has　been　partially　disturbed。　…　In　the　department；　the　council…

general　must　likewise　〃listen〃　to　the　accounts　for　the　year；　the　law；

owing　to　a　significant　omission；　does　not　say　that　is　may　discuss

them。　Nevertheless；　a　circular　of　the　year　IX　requests　it　to　〃make

every　observation　on　the　use　of　the　additional　centimes〃　which　the

importance　of　the　subject　demands；　to　verify　whether　each　sum　debited

to　expenses　has　been　used　for　the　purpose　assigned　to　it；　and　even　〃to

reject　expenses；　stating　the　reasons　for　this　decision；　which　have　not

been　sufficiently　justified。〃　And　better　still；　the　minister；　who　is　a

liberal；　addresses　a　systematic　series　of　questions　to　the　general

councils；　on　all　important　matters；＇37＇　〃agriculture；　commerce；　and

manufactures；　asylums　and　public　charities；　public　roads　and　other

works；　public　instruction；　administration　properly　so　called；　state　of

the　number　of　population；　public　spirit　and　opinions；〃　collecting　and

printing　their　observations　and　desires。　After　the　year　IX；　however；

this　publication　stops；　it　renders　the　general　councils　too　important；

it　might　rally　the　entire　population　of　the　department　to　them　and

even　of　all　France　that　could　read；　it　might　hamper　the　prefect　and

diminish　his　ascendancy。　From　now　on；　it　is　the　prefect　alone　who

replies　to　these　questions；　and　of　which　the　government　gives　an

analysis　or　tables　of　statistics；＇38＇　then；　the　publication　of　these

ceases；　decidedly；　printing　always　has　its　drawbacks　…　manuscript

reports　are　much　better；　local　affairs　are　no　longer　transacted

outside　the　bureaus；　and　are　managed　with　closed　doors；　any　report

that　might　spread　outside　the　prefect's　cabinet　or　that　of　the

minister；　is　carefully　toned　down　or　purposely　stifled；　and；　under　the

prefect's　thumb；　the　general　council　becomes　an　automaton。



In　private；　dealing　directly　with　the　Emperor's　representative；　it

appears　as　if　one　is　dealing　directly　with　the　Emperor。　Consider　these

few　words　…　in　the　presence　of　the　Emperor；　they　carry　an　immeasurable

weight　in　the　scales　of　contemporaries。　For　them；　he　has　every

attribute　of　Divinity；　not　only　omnipotence　and　omnipresence；　but

again　omniscience；　and；　if　he　speaks　to　them；　what　they　feel　far

surpasses　what　they　imagine。　When　he　visits　a　town　and　confers　with

the　authorities　of　the　place　on　the　interests　of　the　commune　or

department；　his　interlocutors　are　bewildered；　they　find　him　as　well

informed　as　themselves；　and　more　clear…sighted；　it　is　he　who　explains

their　affairs　to　them。　On　arriving　the　evening　before；　he　calls　for

the　summaries　of　facts　and　figures；　every　positive　and　technical

detail　of　information；　reduced　and　classified　according　to　the　method

taught　by　himself　and　prescribed　to　his　administrators。＇39＇　　During

the　night　he　has　read　all　this　over　and　mastered　it；　in　the　morning；

at　dawn；　he　has　taken　his　ride　on　horseback；　with　extraordinary

promptness　and　accuracy；　his　topographical　glance　has　discerned　〃the

best　direction　for　the　projected　canal；　the　best　site　for　the

construction　of　a　factory；　a　harbor；　or　a　dike。〃＇40＇　　To　the

difficulties　which　confuse　the　best　brains　in　the　country；　to　much

debated；　seemingly　insoluble；　questions；　he　at　once　presents　the　sole

practical　solution；　there　it　is；　ready　at　hand；　and　the　members　of　the

local　council　had　not　seen　it；　he　makes　them　touch　it　with　their

fingers。　They　stand　confounded　and　agape　before　the　universal

competence　of　this　wonder　genius。　〃He's　more　than　a　man〃　exclaimed　the

administrators　of　Dusseldorf　to　Beugnot。＇41＇　〃Yes；〃　replied　Beugnot；

〃he's　the　devil！〃　In　effect；　he　adds　to　mental　ascendancy　the

ascendancy　of　force；　we　always　see　beyond　the　great　man　in　him　the

terror…striking　dominator；　admiration　begins　or　ends　in　fear；　the　soul

is　completely　subjugated；　enthusiasm　and　servility；　under　his　eye；

melt　together　into　one　sentiment　of　impassioned　obedience　and

unreserved　submission。＇42＇　Voluntarily　and　involuntarily；　through

conviction；　trembling；　and　fascinated；　men　abdicate　their　freedom　of

will　to　his　advantage。　The　magical　impression　remains　in　their　minds

after　he　has　departed。　Even　absent；　even　with　those　who　have　never

seen　him；　he　maintains　his　prestige　and　communicates　it　to　all　who

command　in　his　name。　Before　the　prefect；　the　baron；　the　count；　the

councilor　of　state；　the　senator　in　embroidered　uniform；　gilded　and

garnished　with　decorations；　every　municipal　or　general　council　loses

his　free　will　and　becomes　incapable　of　saying　no；　only　too　glad　if　not

obliged　to　say　yes　〃inopportunely；〃　to　enter　upon　odious　and

disagreeable　undertakings；　to　simulate　at　one's　own　expense；　and　that

of　others；　excessive　zeal　and　voluntary　self…sacrifice；　to　vote　for

and　hurrah　at　patriotic　subscriptions　of　which　it　must　contribute　the

greatest　portion　and　for　supplementary　conscriptions＇43＇　which　seize

their　sons　that　are　except　or　bought　out　of　service。＇44＇　It　allows

itself　to　be　managed；　it　is　simply　one　of　the　many　wheels　of　our

immense　machine；　one　which　receives　its　impulsion　elsewhere；　and　from

above；　through　the　interposition　of　the　prefect。　…　But；　except　in　rare

cases；　when　the　interfer