the origins of contemporary france-5-第25章

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him；　〃Lose　no　time　in　finding　the　King　of　Prussia　and　the　Emperor　of

Russia；　and　tell　them　that　I　am　ready　to　order　my　army　to　march　at

once　for　France。〃　At　a　quarter　past　eight　M。　de　Metternich　is　with　the

Czar；　and　at　half…past　eight；　with　the　King　of　Prussia；　both　of　them

reply　instantly　in　the　same　manner。　　〃At　nine　o'clock；〃　says　M。　de

Metternich；　〃I　was　back。　　At　ten　o'clock　aids　flew　in　every　direction

countermanding　army　orders。　。　。　。　Thus　was　war　declared　in　less　than

an　hour。〃



VI。　Fundamental　Defaults　of　his　System。



Inward　principle　of　his　outward　deportment。　…　He　subordinates　the

State　to　him　instead　of　subordinating　himself　to　the　State。　…　Effect

of　this。…　His　work　merely　a　life…interest。　…　It　is　ephemeral。　…

Injurious。　…　The　number　of　lives　it　cost。　…　The　mutilation　of　France。

…　Vice　of　construction　in　his　European　edifice。　…　Analogous　vice　in

his　French　edifice。



Other　heads　of　states　have　similarly　passed　their　lives　in　doing

violence　to　mankind；　but　it　was　for　something　that　was　likely　to　last；

and　for　a　national　interest。　　What　they　deemed　the　public　good　was　not

a　phantom　of　the　brain；　a　chimerical　poem　due　to　a　caprice　of　the

imagination；　to　personal　passions；　to　their　own　peculiar　ambition　and

pride。　　Outside　of　themselves　and　the　coinage　of　their　brain　a　real

and　substantial　object　of　prime　importance　existed；　namely；　the　State；

the　great　body　of　society；　the　vast　organism　which　lasts　indefinitely

through　the　long　series　of　interlinked　and　responsible　generations。

If　they　drew　blood　from　the　passing　generation　it　was　for　the　benefit

of　coming　generations；　to　preserve　them　from　civil　war　or　from　foreign

domination。＇125＇　They　have　acted　generally　like　able　surgeons；　if　not

through　virtue；　at　least　through　dynastic　sentiment　and　family

traditions；　having　practiced　from　father　to　son；　they　had　acquired　the

professional　conscience；　their　first　and　only　aim　was　the　safety　and

health　of　their　patient。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　they　have　not

recklessly　undertaken　extravagant；　bloody；　and　over…risky　operations；

rarely　have　they　given　way　to　temptation　through　a　desire　to　display

their　skill；　through　the　need　of　dazzling　and　astonishing　the　world；

through　the　novelty；　keenness；　and　success　of　their　saws　and　scalpels。

They　felt　that　a　longer　and　superior　existence　to　their　own　was

imposed　upon　them；　they　looked　beyond　them…selves　as　far　as　their

sight　would　reach；　and　so　took　measures　that　the　State　after　them

might　do　without　them；　live　on　intact；　remain　independent；　vigorous；

and　respected　athwart　the　vicissitudes　of　European　conflict　and　the

uncertain　problems　of　coming　history。　　Such；　under　the　ancient　régime；

was　what　were　called　reasons　of　state；　these　had　prevailed　in　the

councils　of　princes　for　eight　hundred　years；　along　with　unavoidable

failures　and　after　temporary　deviations；　these　had　become　for　the　time

being　and　remained　the　preponderating　motive。　　Undoubtedly　they

excused　or　authorized　many　breaches　of　faith；　many　outrages；　and；　to

come　to　the　word；　many　crimes；　but；　in　the　political　order　of　things；

especially　in　the　management　of　external　affairs；　they　furnished　a

governing　and　a　salutary　principle。　　Under　its　constant　influence

thirty　monarchs　had　labored；　and　it　is　thus　that；　province　after

province；　they　had　solidly　and　enduringly　built　up　France；　by　ways　and

means　beyond　the　reach　of　individuals　but　available　to　the　heads　of

States。



Now；　this　principle　is　lacking　with　their　improvised　successor。　　On

the　throne　as　in　the　camp；　whether　general；　consul；　or　emperor；　he

remains　the　military　adventurer；　and　cares　only　for　his　own

advancement。　　Owing　to　the　great　defect　in　the　education　of　both

conscience　and　sentiments；　instead　of　subordinating　himself　to　the

State；　he　subordinates　the　State　to　him；　he　does　not　look　beyond　his

own　brief　physical　existence　to　the　nation　which　is　to　survive　him。

Consequently；　he　sacrifices　the　future　to　the　present；　and　his　work　is

not　to　be　enduring。　　After　him　the　deluge！　Little　does　he　care　who

utters　this　terrible　phrase；　and　worse　still；　he　earnestly　wishes；

from　the　bottom　of　his　heart　that　everybody　should　utter　it。



　〃My　brother；〃　said　Joseph；　in　1803；＇126＇　〃desires　that　the　necessity

of　his　existence　should　be　so　strongly　felt；　and　the　benefit　of　this

considered　so　great；　that　nobody　could　look　beyond　it　without

shuddering。　　He　knows；　and　be　feels　it；　that　he　reigns　through　this

idea　rather　than　through　force　or　gratitude。　　If　to…morrow；　or　on　any

day；　it　could　be　said；　'Here　is　a　tranquil；　established　order　of

things；　here　is　a　known　successor；　Bonaparte　might　die　without　fear　of

change　or　disturbance；'　my　brother　would　no　longer　think　himself

secure。　。　。　。　Such　is　the　principle　which　governs　him。〃



In　vain　do　years　glide　by；　never　does　he　think　of　putting　France　in　a

way　to　subsist　without　him；　on　the　contrary；　he　jeopardizes　lasting

acquisitions　by　exaggerated　annexations；　and　it　is　evident　from　the

very　first　day　that　the　Empire　will　end　with　the　Emperor。　　In　1805；

the　five　per　cents　being　at　eighty　francs；　his　Minister　of　the

Finances；　Gaudin；　observes　to　him　that　this　is　a　reasonable　rate。＇127＇

〃No　complaint　can　now　be　made；　since　these　funds　are　an　annuity　on

Your　Majesty's　life。〃　…　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　…　〃I　mean　that　the

Empire　has　become　so　great　as　to　be　ungovernable　without　you。〃　…　〃If

my　successor　is　a　fool　so　much　the　worse　for　him！〃　…　〃Yes；　but　so　much

the　worse　for　France！〃　Two　years　later；　M。　de　Metternich；　by　way　of　a

political　summing　up；　expresses　his　general　opinion：　〃It　is　remarkable

that　Napoleon；　constantly　disturbing　and　modifying　the　relations　of

all　Europe；　has　not　yet　taken　a　single　step　toward　ensuring　the

maintenance　of　his　successors。〃＇128＇　In　1809；　adds　the　same

diplomat：＇129＇　〃His　death　will　be　the　signal　for　a　new　and　frightful

upheaval；　so　many　divided　elements　all　tend　to　combine。　　Deposed

sovereigns　will　be　recalled　by　former　subjects；　new　princes　will　have

new　crowns　to　defend。　　A　veritable　civil　war　will　rage　for　half　a

century　over　the　vast　empire　of　the　continent　the　day　when　the　arms　of

iron　which　held　the　reins　are　turned　into　dust。〃　In　1811；　〃everybody

is　convinced＇130＇　that　on　the　disappearance　of　Napoleon；　the　master　in

whose　hands　all　power　is　concentrated；　the　first　inevitable

consequence　will　be　a　revolution。〃　At　home；　in　France；　at　this　same

date；　his　own　servitors　begin　to　comprehend　that　his　empire　is　not

merely　a　life…interest　and　will　not　last　after　he　is　gone；　but　that

the　Empire　is　ephemeral　and　will　not　last　during　his　life；　for　he　is

constantly　raising　his　edifice　higher　and　higher；　while　all　that　his

building　gains　in　elevation　it　loses　in　stability。　　〃The　Emperor　is

crazy；〃　said　Decrees　to　Marmont；＇131＇〃completely　crazy。　　He　will　ruin

us　all；　numerous　as　we　are；　and　all　will　end　in　some　frightful

catastrophe。〃　In　effect；　he　is　pushing　France　on　to　the　abyss；

forcibly　and　by　deceiving　her；　through　a　breach　of　trust　which

willfully；　and　by　his　fault；　grows　worse　and　worse　just　as　his　own

interests；　as　he　comprehends　these；　diverge　from　those　of　the　public

from　year　to　year。



At　the　treaty　of　Luneville　and　before　the　rupture　of　the　peace　of

Amiens；＇132＇　this　variance　was　already　considerable。　　It　becomes

manifest　at　the　treaty　of　Presbourg　and　still　more　evident　at　the

treaty　of　Tilsit。　　It　is　glaring　in　1808；　after　the　deposition　of　the

Spanish　Bourbons；　it　becomes　scandalous　and　monstrous　in　1812；　when

the　war　with　Russia　took　place。　　Napoleon　himself　admits　that　this　war

is　against　the　interests　of　France　and　yet　he　undertakes　it。＇133＇

Later；　at　St。　Helena；　he　falls　into　a　melting　mood　over　〃the　French

people　whom　he　loved　so　dearly。〃＇134＇　　The　truth　is；　he　loves　it　as　a

rider　loves　his　horse；　as　he　makes　it　rear　and　prance　and　show　off　its

paces；　when　he　flatters　and　caresses　it；　it　is　not　for　the　advantage

of　the　animal　but