the origins of contemporary france-5-第84章

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brief　one；　of　man　in　his　completeness；　his　decisive；　precipitate

process　hinders　him　from　seeing　the　largest　portion　of　the　real

individual；　he　has　overlooked　numerous　traits；　the　most　important　and

most　efficacious；　those　which　geography；　history；　habit；　condition；

manual　labor；　or　a　liberal　education；　stamp　on　intellect；　soul　and

body　and　which；　through　their　differences；　constitute　different　local

or　social　groups。　Not　only　does　he　overlook　all　these　characteristics；

but　he　sets　them　aside；　they　are　too　numerous　and　too　complex；　they

would　interfere　with　and　disturb　his　thoughts；　however　fitted　for

clear　and　comprehensive　logic　he　is　so　much　the　less　fitted　for

complex　and　comprehensive　ideas；　consequently；　he　avoids　them　and；

through　an　innate　operation　of　which　he　is　unconscious；　he

involuntarily　condenses；　simplifies　and　curtails　henceforth；　his　idea；

partial　and　superficial　as　it　is；　seems　to　him　adequate　and　complete；

in　his　eyes　the　abstract　quality　of　man　takes　precedence　of　and

absorbs　all　others；　not　only　has　this　a　value；　but　the　sole　value。　One

man；　therefore；　is　as　good　as　another　and　the　law　should　treat　all

alike。　…　Here；　amour…propre　（self…esteem；　pride　or　arrogance）；　so　keen

in　France；　and　so　readily　excited；　comes　in　to　interpret　and　apply　the

formula：＇3＇



　〃Since　all　men　equal　each　other；　I　am　as　good　as　any　man；　if　the　law

confers　a　right　on　people　of　this　or　that　condition；　fortune　or　birth；

it　must　confer　the　same　right　on　me。　Every　door　that　is　open　to　them

must　be　open　to　me；　every　door　that　is　closed　to　me　must　be　closed　to

them。　Otherwise；　I　am　treated　as　an　inferior　and　wounded　in　my　deepest

feelings。　When　the　legislator　places　a　ballot　in　their　hands　he　is

bound　to　place　another　just　like　it　in　my　hands；　even　if　they　know　how

to　use　it　and　I　do　not；　even　if　a　limited　suffrage　is　of　use　to　the

community　and　universal　suffrage　is　not。　So　much　the　worse　if　I　am

sovereign　only　in　name；　and　through　the　imagination；　I　consent　to　my

sovereignty　being　illusory；　but　with　the　understanding　that　the

sovereignty　of　others　is　regarded　likewise；　so　I　prefer　servitude　and

privation　for　all；　rather　than　liberties　and　advantages　for　a　few；

and；　provided　the　same　level　is　passed　over　all　heads；　I　submit　to　the

yoke　for　all　heads；　including　my　own。〃



Such　is　the　internal　composition　of　the　instinct　of'　equality；　and

such　is　the　natural　instinct　of　Frenchmen。　It　is　beneficial　or

mischievous　according　as　one　or　the　other　of　its　ingredients

predominates；　at　one　time　the　noble　sentiment　of　equity　and　at　another

time　the　low　envy　of　foolish　vanity；＇4＇　healthy　or　unhealthy；　however；

its　power　in　France　is　enormous；　and　the　new　Régime　gratifies　it　in

every　possible　way；　good　or　bad。　No　more　legal　disqualifications！　On

the　one　hand；　the　republican　laws　of　proscription　or　of　exception　were

all　repealed：　we　have　seen　an　amnesty　and　the　return　of　the　émigrés；

the　Concordat；　the　restoration　of　Catholic　worship；　the　compulsory

reconciliation　of　the　constitutionalists　with　the　orthodox；　the　First

Consul　admits　no　difference　between　them；　his　new　clergy　are　recruited

from　both　groups　and；　in　this　respect；　he　forces　the　Pope　to　yield。＇5＇

He　gives　twelve　of　the　sixty　episcopal　thrones　to　former　schismatics；

he　wants　them　to　take　their　places　boldly；　he　relieves　them　from

ecclesiastical　penitence　and　from　any　humiliating　recantation；　he

takes　care　that；　in　the　other　forty…eight　dioceses；　the　priests　who

formerly　took　the　civic　oath　shall　be　employed　and　well　treated　by

their　superiors　who；　at　the　same　epoch；　refused　to　take　the　civic

oath。　On　the　other　hand；　all　the　exclusions；　inequalities　and

distinctions　of　the　monarchy　remain　abolished。　Not　only　are　the

Calvinist　and　even　Israelite　cults　legally　authorized；　the　same　as　the

Catholic　cult；　but；　again；　the　Protestant　consistories　and　Jewish

synagogues＇6＇　are　constituted　and　organized　on　the　same　footing　as　the

Catholic　churches。　Pastors　and　rabbis　likewise　become　functionaries

under　the　same　title　as　bishops　and　cure's；　all　are　recognized　or

sanctioned　by　the　government　and　all　equally　benefit　by　its　patronage：

it　is　an　unique　thing　in　Europe　to　find　the　small　churches　of　the

minority　obtaining　the　same　measure　of　indifference　and　good　will　from

the　State　as　the　great　church　of　the　majority；　and；　henceforth；　in

fact　as　in　law；　the　ministers　of　the　three　cults；　formerly　ignored；

tolerated　or　proscribed；　enjoy　their　rank；　titles　and　honors　in　the

social　as　well　as　in　the　legal　hierarchy；　equally　with　the　ministers

of　that　cult　which　was　once　the　only　one　dominant　or　allowed



Similarly；　in　the　civilian　status；　no　inferiority　or　discredit　must

legally　attach　to　any　condition　whatever；　either　to　plebeian；

villager；　peasant　or　poor　man　as　such；　as　formerly　under　the　monarchy；

nor　to　noble；　bourgeois；　citizen；　notable　or　rich　man；　as　recently

under　the　Republic。　Each　of　these　two　classes　is　relieved　of　its

degradation；　no　class　is　burdened　by　taxation　or　by　the　conscription

beyond　its　due；　all　persons　and　all　property　find　in　the　government；

in　the　administration；　in　the　tribunals；　in　the　gendarme；　the　same

reliable　protection。　…　So　much　for　equity　and　the　true　spirit　of

equality。　…　Let　us　now　turn　around　and　consider　envy　and　the　bad

spirit　of　equality。　The　plebiscite；　undoubtedly；　as　well　as　the

election　of　deputies　to　the　Corps　Legislatif　are　simply　comedies；　but；

in　these　comedies；　one　r？le　is　as　good　as　another　and　the　duke　of　the

old　or　new　pattern；　a　mere　figurant　among　hundreds　and　thousands　of

others；　votes　only　once　like　the　corner…grocer。　Undoubtedly；　the

private　individual　of　the　commune　or　department；　in　institutions　of

charity；　worship　or　education；　is　deprived　of　any　independence；　of　any

initiation；　of　any　control；　as　the　State　has　confiscated　for　itself

all　collective　action；　but　the　classes　deprived　of　this　are　especially

the　upper　classes；　alone　sufficiently　enlightened　and　wealthy　to　take

the　lead；　form　projects　and　provide　for　expenditure：　in　this

usurpation；　the　State　has　encroached　upon　and　eaten　deeper　into　the

large　body　of　superior　existences　scattered　about　than　into　the

limited　circle　where　humbler　lives　clamber　and　crawl　along；　nearly　the

entire　loss；　all　perceptible　privation；　is　for　the　large　landed

proprietor　and　not　for　his　hired　hands；　for　the　large　manufacturer　or

city　merchant　and　not　for　their　workmen　or　clerks；＇7＇　while　the　clerk；

the　workman；　the　journeyman；　the　handicraftsman；　who　grumble　at　being

the　groundlings；　find　themselves　less　badly　off　since　their　masters　or

patrons；　fallen　from　a　higher　point；　are　where　they　are　and　they　can

elbow　them。



Now　that　men　are　born　on　the　ground；　all　on　the　same　level；　and　are

confined　within　universal　and　uniform　limits；　social　life　no　longer

appears　to　them　other　than　a　competition；　a　rivalry　instituted　and

proclaimed　by　the　State；　and　of　which　it　is　the　umpire；　for；　through

its　interference；　all　are　comprised　within　its　enclosure　and　shut　up

and　kept　there；　no　other　field　is　open　to　run　on；　on　the　contrary；

every　career　within　these　bounds；　indicated　and　staked　out　beforehand；

offers　an　opportunity　for　all　runners：　the　government　has　laid　out　and

leveled　the　ground；　established　compartments；　divided　off　and　prepared

rectilinear　lists　which　converge　to　the　goal；　there；　it　presides；　the

unique　arbiter　of　the　race；　exposing　to　all　competitors　the

innumerable　prizes　which　it　proposes　for　them。　…　These　prizes　consist

of　offices；　the　various　employments　of　the　State；　political；　military；

ecclesiastical；　judiciary；　administrative　and　university；　all　the

honors　and　dignities　which　it　dispenses；　all　the　grades　of　its

hierarchy　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest；　from　that　of　corporal；

college…regent；　alderman；　office　…　supernumerary；　assistant　priest　up

to　that　of　senator；　marshal　of　France；　grand　master　of　the　university；

cardinal；　and　minister　of　State。　It　confers　o