the origins of contemporary france-5-第53章

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sovereignty　of　the　people。〃



〃　Now；　in　France；　at　this　epoch；　there　are　two　groups　of　preponderant

desires　which　evidently　outweigh　all　others；　one　dating　back　the　past

ten　years；　and　the　other　for　a　century　or　more：　the　question　is　how　to

satisfy　these；　and　the　sagacious　constructor；　who　estimates　them　for

what　they　are　worth；　combines　to　this　end　the　proportions；　plan；

arrangement；　and　entire　interior　economy　of　his　edifice。



II。　The　Revolution　Ends。



Necessities　dating　from　the　Revolution。　…　Lack　of　security　for

Persons；　Property；　and　Consciences。　…　Requisite　conditions　for　the

establishment　of　order。　…　End　of　Civil　war；　Brigandage；　and　Anarchy。　…

Universal　relief　and　final　security。



The　first　of　these　two　needs　is　urgent；　almost　physical。　For　the　last

ten　years；　the　government　has　not　done　its　duty；　or　has　ruled　in　a

contrary　sense。　By　turns　or　at　the　same　time　its　impotence　and

injustice　have　been　deplorable。　It　has　committed　or　allowed　too　many

outrages　on　persons；　property；　and　consciences。　All　in　all　the

Revolution　did　nothing　else；　and　it　is　time　that　this　should　stop。

Safety　and　security　for　consciences；　property；　and　persons　is　the　loud

and　unanimous　outcry　vibrating　in　all　hears。＇3＇　…　To　calm　things　down；

many　novelties　are　required：　To　start　with；　the　political　and

administrative　concentration　just　described；　a　centralization　of　all

powers　in　one　hand；　local　powers　conferred　by　the　central　power；　and；

to　exercise　this　supreme　power　a　resolute　chief；　equal　in　intelligence

to　his　high　position。　Next；　a　regularly　paid　army；＇4＇　carefully

equipped；　properly　clothed　and　fed；　strictly　disciplined　and　therefore

obedient　and　able　to　do　its　duty　without　wavering　or　faltering；　like

any　other　instrument　of　precision。　An　active　police　force　and

gendarmerie　kept　on　a　tight　rein。　Administrators　independent　of　those

under　their　jurisdiction；　and　judges　independent　of　those　due　to　be

tried。　All　appointed；　maintained；　watched；　and　restrained　from　above；

as　impartial　as　possible；　sufficiently　competent；　and；　in　their

official　spheres；　capable　functionaries。　Finally；　freedom　of　worship；

and；　accordingly；　a　treaty　with　Rome　and　the　restoration　of　the

Catholic　Church；　that　is　to　say；　a　legal　recognition　of　the　orthodox

hierarchy　and　of　the　only　clergy　which　the　faithful　may　accept　as

legitimate；　in　other　words；　the　institution　of　bishops　by　the　Pope；

and　of　priests　by　the　bishops。



This　done；　the　rest　is　easily　accomplished。　A　well…led　army　corps

marches　along　and　tramples　out　the　embers　of　the　conflagration　now

kindling　in　the　West；　while　religious　toleration　extinguishes　the

smoldering　fires　of　popular　insurrection。　Henceforth；　there　is　an　end

to　civil　war。＇5＇　Regiments　ready　to　act　in　harmony　with　the　military

commissions＇6＇　purge　the　South　and　the　valley　of　the　Rh？ne；

thenceforth；　there　are　no　more　roving　bands　in　the　rural　districts；

while　brigandage　on　a　grand　scale；　constantly　repressed；　ceases；　and

after　this；　that　on　a　small　scale。　No　more　chouans；　chauffeurs；　or

barbets；＇7＇　The　mail…coach　travels　without　a　guard；　and　the　highways

are　safe。＇8＇　There　is　longer　any　class　or　category　of　citizens

oppressed　or　excluded　from　the　common　law；　the　latest　Jacobin　decrees

and　the　forced　loan　have　been　at　once　revoked：　noble　or　plebeian；

ecclesiastic　or　layman；　rich　or　poor；　former　émigré　or　former

terrorist；　every　man；　whatever　his　past；　his　condition；　or　his

opinions；　now　enjoys　his　private　property　and　his　legal　rights；　he　has

no　longer　to　fear　the　violence　of　the　opposite　party；　he　may　relay　on

the　protection　of　the　authorities；＇9＇　and　on　the　equity　of　the

magistrates。＇10＇　So　long　as　he　respects　the　law　he　can　go　to　bed　at

night　and　sleep　tranquilly　with　the　certainty　of　awaking　in　freedom　on

the　morrow；　and　with　the　certainty　of　doing　as　he　pleases　the　entire

day；　with　the　privilege　of　working；　buying；　selling；　thinking；　amusing

himself；＇11＇　going　and　coming　at　his　pleasure；　and　especially　of　going

to　mass　or　of　staying　away　if　he　chooses。　No　more　jacqueries　either

rural　or　urban；　no　more　proscriptions　or　persecutions　and　legal　or

illegal　spoliations；　no　more　intestine　and　social　wars　waged　with

pikes　or　by　decrees；　no　more　conquests　and　confiscations　made　by

Frenchmen　against　each　other。　With　universal　and　unutterable　relief

people　emerge　from　the　barbarous　and　anarchical　régime　which　reduced

them　to　living　from　one　day　to　another；　and　return　to　the　pacific　and

regular　régime　which　permits　them　to　count　on　the　morrow　and　make

provision　for　it。　After　ten　years　of　harassing　subjection　to　the

incoherent　absolutism　of　unstable　despotism；　here；　for　the　first　time；

they　find　a　rational　and　stable　government；　or；　at　least；　a

reasonable；　tolerable；　and　fixed　degree　of　it。　The　First　Consul　is

carrying　out　his　declarations　and　he　has　declared　that　〃The　Revolution

has　ended。〃＇12＇



III。　Return　of　the　Emigrés。



Lasting　effect　of　revolutionary　laws。　…　Condition　of　the　émigrés。　…

Progressive　and　final　amnesty。　…They　return。　…　They　recover　a　portion

of　their　possessions。　…　Many　of　them　enter　the　new　hierarchy。　…

Indemnities　for　them　incomplete。



The　main　thing　now　is　to　dress　the　severe　wounds　it　has　made　and　which

are　still　bleeding；　with　as　little　torture　as　possible；　for　it　has　cut

down　to　the　quick；　and　its　amputations；　whether　foolish　or　outrageous；

have　left　sharp　pains　or　mute　suffering　in　the　social　organism。



One　hundred　and　ninety…two　thousand　names　have　been　inscribed　on　the

list　of　émigrés＇13＇　the　terms　of　the　law；　every　émigré　is　civilly

dead；　and　his　possessions　have　become　the　property　of　the　Republic；〃

if　he　dared　return　to　France；　the　same　law　condemned　him　to　death；

there　could　be　no　appeal；　petition；　or　respite；　it　sufficed　to　prove

identity　and　the　squad　of　executioners　was　at　once　ordered　out。　Now；

at　the　beginning　of　the　Consulate；　this　murderous　law　is　still　in

force；　summary　proceedings　are　always　applicable；＇14＇　and　one　hundred

and　forty…six　thousand　names　still　appear　on　the　mortuary　list。　This

constitutes　a　loss　to　France　of　146；000　Frenchmen；　and　not　those　of

the　least　importance　…　gentlemen；　army　and　navy　officers；　members　of

parliaments；　priests；　prominent　men　of　all　classes；　conscientious

Catholics；　liberals　of　1789；　Feuillantists　of　the　Legislative

assembly；　and　Constitutionalists　of　the　years　III　and　V。　Worse　still；

through　their　poverty　or　hostility　abroad；　they　are　a　discredit　or

even　a　danger　for　France；　as　formerly　with　the　Protestants　driven　out

of　the　country　by　Louis　XIV。＇15＇　…　To　these　146；000　exiled　Frenchmen

add　200；000　or　300；000　others；　residents；　but　semi…proscribed：＇16＇

First；　those　nearly　related　and　allied　to　each　émigré；　excluded　by　the

law　from　〃every　legislative；　administrative；　municipal　and　judicial

function；〃　and　even　deprived　of　the　elective　vote。　Next；　all　former

nobles　or　ennobled；　deprived　by　the　law　of　their　status　as　Frenchmen

and　obliged　to　re…naturalize　themselves　according　to　the　formalities。



It　is；　accordingly；　almost　the　entire　elite　of　old　France　which　is

wanting　in　the　new　France；　like　a　limb　violently　wrenched　and　half…

detached　by　the　unskillful　and　brutal　scalpel　of　the　revolutionary

〃sawbones〃；　for　both　the　organ　and　the　body　are　not　only　living；　but

they　are　still　feverish　and　extremely　sensitive；　it　is　important　to

avoid　too　great　irritation；　inflammation　of　any　kind　would　be

dangerous。　A　skilful　surgeon；　therefore；　must　mark　the　places　for　the

stitches；　not　force　the　junctures；　but　anticipate　and　prepare　for　the

final　healing　process；　and　await　the　gradual　and　slow　results　of　vital

effort　and　spontaneous　renewal。　Above　all　he　must　not　alarm　the

patient。　The　First　Consul　is　far　from　doing　this；　on　the　contrary　his

expressions　are　all　encouraging。　Let　the　patient　keep　quiet；　there

shall　be　no　re…stitching；　the　wound　shall　not　be　touched。　The

constitution　solemnly　declares　that　the　Fren