the origins of contemporary france-5-第36章

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not　men；　but　robots：　perched　above　all；　a　grand…elector；　a　show

sovereign；　with　two　places　to　dispose　of　and　always　passive；　except　to

appoint　or　revoke　two　active　sovereigns；　the　two　governing　consuls。

One；　a　peace…consul；　appointing　all　civil　officers；　and　the　other　a

war…consul；　making　all　military　and　diplomatic　appointments；　each　with

his　own　ministers；　his　own　council　of　state；　his　own　court　of

judicature。　All　these　functionaries；　ministers；　consuls；　and　the

grand…elector　himself；　were　revocable　at　the　will　of　a　senate　which

from　day　to　day　could　absorb　them；　that　is　to　say；　make　them　senators

with　a　salary　of　30；000　francs　and　an　embroidered　dress…coat。＇8＇

Sieyès　evidently　had　not　taken　into　account　either　the　work　to　be　done

or　the　men　who　would　have　to　do　it；　while　Bonaparte；　who　was　doing　the

work　at　this　very　time；　who　understood　men　and　who　understood　himself；

at　once　put　his　finger　on　the　weak　spot　of　this　complex　mechanism；　so

badly　adjusted　and　so　frail。　Two　consuls；＇9＇　〃one　controlling　the

ministers　of　justice；　of　the　interior；　of　the　police；　of　the　treasury；

and　the　other　the　ministers　of　war；　of　the　navy；　and　of　foreign

affairs。〃　The　conflict　between　them　is　certain；　look　at　them　facing

each　other；　subject　to　contrary　influences　and　suggestions：　around　the

former　〃only　judges；　administrators；　financiers；　and　men　in　long

robes；〃　and　round　the　latter　〃only　epaulets　and　men　of　the　sword。〃

Certainly　〃one　will　need　money　and　recruits　for　his　army　which　the

other　will　not　grant。〃　…　And　it　is　not　your　grand…elector　who　will

make　them　agree。　〃If　he　conforms　strictly　to　the　functions　which　you

assign　to　him　he　will　be　the　mere　ghost；　the　fleshless　phantom　of　a

roi　fainéant。　Do　you　know　any　man　vile　enough　to　take　part　in　such

contrivances？　How　can　you　imagine　any　man　of　talent　or　at　all

honorable　contentedly　playing　the　part　of　a　hog　fattening　himself　on　a

few　millions？〃　…　And　all　the　more　because　if　he　wants　to　abandon　his

part　the　door　stands　open。　〃Were　I　the　grand…elector　I　would　say　to

the　war…consul　and　to　the　peace…consul　on　appointing　them；　If　you　put

in　a　minister　or　sign　a　bill　I　don't　like　I'll　put　you　out。〃　Thus　does

the　grand…elector　become　an　active；　absolute　monarch。



〃But；〃　you　may　say；　〃the　senate　in　its　turn　will　absorb　the　grand…

elector。〃　…　〃　The　remedy　is　worse　than　the　disease；　nobody；　according

to　this　plan；　has　any　guarantees；〃　and　each；　therefore；　will　try　to

secure　them　to　himself；　the　grand…elector　against　the　senate；　the

consuls　against　the　grand…elector；　and　the　senate　against　the　grand…

elector　and　consuls　combined；　each　uneasy；　alarmed；　threatened；

threatening；　and　usurping　to　protect　himself；　these　are　the　wheels

which　work　the　wrong　way；　in　a　machine　constantly　getting　out　of

order；　stopping；　and　finally　breaking　down　entirely。



Thereupon；　and　as　Bonaparte；　moreover；　was　already　master；　all　the

executive　powers　were　reduced　to　one；　and　this　power　was　vested　in

him。＇10＇　In　reality；　〃to　humor　republican　opinion〃＇11＇　they　gave　him

two　associates　with　the　same　title　as　his　own；　but　they　were　appointed

only　for　show；　simply　as　consulting；　inferior；　and　docile　registrars；

with　no　rights　save　that　of　signing　their　names　after　his　and　putting

their　signatures　to　the　procès　verbal　declaring　his　orders；　he　alone

commanded；　〃he　alone　had　the　say；　he　alone　appointed　to　all　offices；〃

so　that　they　were　already　subjects　as　he　alone　was　already　the

sovereign。



VI。　Irreconcilable　divisions。



Difficulty　of　organizing　a　legislative　power。　…　Fraudulent　and　violent

elections　for　ten　years。　…　Spirit　and　diffusion　of　hatred　against　the

men　and　dogmas　of　the　Revolution。　…　Probable　composition　of　a　freely

elected　Assembly。　…　Its　two　irreconcilable　divisions。　…　Sentiments　of

the　army。　…　Proximity　and　probable　meaning　of　a　new　coup　d'état。



It　remained　to　frame　a　legislative　power　as　a　counterpoise　to　this

executive　power；　so　concentrated　and　so　strong。　…　In　organized　and

tolerably　sound　communities　this　point　is　reached　through　an　elective

parliament　which　represents　the　public　will；　it　represents　this

because　it　is　a　copy；　a　faithful　reduction　of　that　will　on　a　small

scale；　it　is　so　organized　as　to　present　a　loyal　and　proportionate

expression　of　diverse　controlling　opinions。　In　this　case；　the

electoral　selection　has　worked　well；　one　superior　right；　that　of

election；　has　been　respected；　or；　in　other　words；　the　passions　excited

have　not　proved　too　strong；　which　is　owing　to　the　most　important

interests　not　having　proved　too　divergent。　…　Unfortunately；　in　France；

rent　asunder　and　discordant；　all　the　most　important　interests　were　in

sharp　antagonism；　the　passions　brought　into　play；　consequently；　were

furious；　no　right　was　respected；　and　least　of　all　that　of　election；

hence　the　electoral　test　worked　badly；　and　no　elected　parliament　was

or　could　be　a　veritable　expression　of　the　public　will。　Since　1791；　the

elections；　violated　and　deserted；　had　brought　intruders　only　to　the

legislative　benches；　under　the　name　of　mandatories。　These　were　endured

for　lack　of　better；　but　nobody　had　any　confidence　in　them；　and　nobody

showed　them　any　deference。　People　knew　how　they　had　been　elected　and

how　little　their　title　was　worth。　Through　inertness；　fear；　or　disgust；

the　great　majority　of　electors　had　not　voted；　while　the　voters　at　the

polls　fought　among　themselves；　the　strongest　or　least　scrupulous

expelling　or　constraining　the　rest。　During　the　last　three　years　of　the

Directory　the　electoral　assembly　was　often　divided；　each　faction

elected　its　own　deputy　and　protested　against　the　election　of　the

other。　The　government　then　chose　between　the　two　candidates　elected；

arbitrarily　and　always　with　barefaced　partiality；　and　again；　if　but

one　candidate　was　elected；　and　that　one　an　adversary；　his　election　was

invalidated。　In　sum；　for　nine　years；　the　legislative　body；　imposed　on

the　nation　by　a　faction；　was　scarcely　more　legitimate　than　the

executive　power；　another　usurper；　and　which；　later　on；　filled　up　or

purged　its　ranks。　Any　remedy　for　this　defect　in　the　electoral　machine

was　impossible；　it　was　due　to　its　internal　structure；　to　the　very

quality　of　its　materials。　At　this　date；　even　under　an　impartial　and

strong　government；　the　machine　could　not　have　answered　its　purpose；

that　of　deriving　from　the　nation　a　body　of　sober…minded　and　respected

delegates；　providing　France　with　a　parliament　capable　of　playing　its

own　part；　or　any　part　whatever；　in　the　conduct　of　public　business。



For；　suppose



*　that　the　new　governors　show　uncommon　loyalty；　energy；　and　vigilance；

　　remarkable　political　abnegation　and　administrative　omnipresence；

*　that　the　factions　are　contained　without　suppression　of　free　speech；

*　the　central　powers　neutral　yet　active；

*　no　official　candidature；

*　no　pressure　from　above；

*　no　constraint　from　below；

*　the　police…commissioners　respectful　and　gendarmes　protecting　the

　　entrance　to　every　electoral　assembly；

*　all　proceedings　regular；　no　disturbance　inside；　voting　perfectly

　　free；　the　electors　numerous；　five　or　six　millions　of　Frenchmen

　　gathered　at　the　polls；



and　guess　what　choice　they　will　make。



After　Fructidor；　there　is　a　renewal　of　religious　persecution　and　of

excessive　civil　oppression；　the　brutality　and　unworthiness　of　the

rulers　have　doubled　and　diffused　hatred　against　the　men　and　the　ideas

of　the　Revolution。　…　In　Belgium；　recently　annexed；　the　regular　and

secular　clergy　had　just　been　proscribed　in　a　mass；＇12＇　and　a　great

rural　insurrection　had　broken　out。　The　uprising　had　spread　from　the

Waes　country　and　the　ancient　seignory　of　Malines；　around　Louvain　as

far　as　Tirlemont；　and　afterward　to　Brussels；　to　Campine；　to　South

Brabant；　to　Flanders；　to　Luxembourg；　in　the　Ardennes；　and　even　to　the

frontiers　of　Liège；　many　villages　had　to　be　burned；　and　many　of　their

inhabitants　killed；　and　the　survivors　keep　this　in　mind。　In　the　twelve

western　depa