the origins of contemporary france-5-第85章

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cardinal；　and　minister　of　State。　It　confers　on　its　possessor；

according　to　the　greater　or　lesser　importance　of　the　place；　a　greater

or　lesser　portion　of　the　advantages　which　all　men　crave　and　seek　for

money；　power；　patronage；　influence；　consideration；　importance　and

social　pre…eminence；　thus；　according　to　the　rank　one　attains　in　the

hierarchy；　one　is　something；　or　of　some　account；　outside　of　the

hierarchy；　one　is　nothing。



Consequently；　the　faculty　for　getting　in　and　advancing　one's　self　in

these　lists　is　the　most　precious　of　all：　in　the　new　Régime　it　is

guaranteed　by　the　law　as　a　common　right　and　is　open　to　all　Frenchmen。

As　no　other　outlet　for　them　is　allowed　by　the　State　it　owes　them　this

one；　since　it　invites　them　and　reduces　everybody　to　competing　under

its　direction　it　is　bound　to　be　an　impartial　arbiter；　since　the

quality　of　citizen；　in　itself　and　through　it　alone；　confers　the　right

to　make　one's　way；　all　citizens　indifferently　must　enjoy　the　right　of

succeeding　in　any　employment；　the　very　highest；　and　without　any

distinction　as　to　birth；　fortune；　cult　or　party。　There　must　be　no　more

preliminary　exclusions；　no　more　gratuitous　preferences；　undeserved

favors；　anticipated　promotions；　no　more　special　favors。　…　Such　is　the

rule　of　the　modern　State：　constituted　as　it　is；　that　is　to　say；

monopolizer　and　omnipresent；　it　cannot　violate　this　rule　for　any

length　of　time　with　impunity。　In　France；　at　least；　the　good　and　bad

spirits　of　equality　agree　in　exacting　adherence　to　it：　on　this　point；

the　French　are　unanimous；　no　article　of　their　social　code　is　more

cherished　by　them；　this　one　flatters　their　amour…propre　and　tickles

their　imagination；　it　exalts　hope；　nourishes　illusion；　intensifies　the

energy　and　enjoyment　of　life。　…　Thus　far；　the　principle　has　remained

inert；　powerless；　held　in　suspension　in　the　air；　in　the　great　void　of

speculative　declarations　and　of　constitutional　promises。　Napoleon

brings　it　down　to　the　ground　and　renders　it　practical；　that　which　the

assemblies　had　decreed　in　vain　for　ten　years　he　brings　about　for　the

first　time　and　in　his　own　interest。　To　exclude　a　class　or　category　of

men　from　offices　and　promotion　would　be　equivalent　to　depriving　one's

self　gratuitously　of　all　the　talents　it　contains；　and；　moreover；　to

incurring；　besides　the　inevitable　rancor　of　these　frustrated　talents；

the　sullen　and　lasting　discontent　of　the　entire　class　or　category。　The

First　Consul　would　do　himself　a　wrong　were　he　to　curb　his　right　to

choose：　he　needs　every　available　capacity；　and　he　takes　them　where　he

finds　them；　to　the　right；　to　the　left；　above　or　below；　in　order　to

keep　his　regiments　full　and　enroll　in　his　service　every　legitimate

ambition　and　every　justifiable　pretension。



Under　the　monarchy；　an　obscure　birth　debarred　even　the　best　endowed

men　from　the　principal　offices。　Under　the　Consulate　and　the　Empire　the

two　leading　personages　of　the　State　are　Lebrun；　Maupeou's　old

secretary；　a　productive　translator；＇8＇　a　lawyer；　formerly　councilor　in

a　provincial　court　of　justice；　then　third…consul；　then　Duc　de

Plaisance　and　arch…chancellor　of　the　Empire　and　Cambacérès；　second…

consul；　then　Duc　de　Parme　and　arch…chancellor　of　the　Empire；　both　of

them　being　princes。　Similarly；　the　marshals　are　new　men　and　soldiers

of　fortune；　a　few　of　them　born　in　the　class　of　inferior　nobles　or　in

the　ordinary　bourgeois　class；　mostly　among　the　people　or　even　amongst

the　populace；　and；　in　its　lowest　ranks；　Masséna；　the　son　of　a　wine…

dealer；　once　a　cabin…boy　and　then　common　soldier　and　non…commissioned

officer　for　fourteen　years；　Ney；　son　of　a　cooper；　Lefebvre；　son　of　a

miller；　Murat；　son　of　a　tavern…keeper；　Lannes；　son　of　an　hostler；　and

Augereau；　son　of　a　mason　and　a　female　dealer　in　fruit　and　vegetables。

…　Under　the　Republic；　noble　birth　consigned；　or　confined；　the　ablest

and　best　qualified　men　for　their　posts　to　a　voluntary　obscurity；　only

too　glad　when　their　names　did　not　condemn　them　to　exile；　imprisonment

or　to　the　guillotine。　Under　the　Empire；　M。　de　Talleyrand　is　prince　of

Benevento；　minister　of　foreign　affairs　and　vice…grand…elector　with　a

salary　of　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　We　see　personages　of　old

nobility　figuring　in　the　first　ranks：　among　the　clergy　M。　de

Roquelaure；　M。　de　Boisgelin；　M。　de　Broglie；　M。　Ferdinand　de　Rohan；　in

the　magistracy；　M。　Séguier；　M。　Pasquier；　M。　Molé；　on　the　domestic　and

decorative　staff　of　the　palace；　Comte　de　Ségur；　grand…master　of

ceremonies；　Comte　de　Montesquiou…Fézensac；　grand…chamberlain；　also　as

chamberlains；　Comtes　d'Aubusson　de　la　Feuillade；　de　Brigode；　de　Croy；

de　Coutades；　de　Louvois；　de　Brancas；　de　Gontaut；　de　Grammont；　de

Beauvau；　de　Lur…Saluces；　d'Haussonville；　de　Noailles；　de　Chabot；　de

Turenne；＇9＇　and　other　bearers　of　historic　names。　…　During　the

Revolution；　at　each　new　parliamentarian；　popular　or　military　coup

d'état　the　notabilities　of　the　vanquished　party　were　always　excluded

from　office　and　generally　outlawed。　After　the　coup　d'état　of　Brumaire；

not　only　are　the　vanquished　of　the　old　parties　all　brought　back　under

the　protection　of　the　law；　but；　again；　their　notables　are　promoted　to

the　highest　offices。　Among　the　monarchists　of　the　Constituent　Assembly

Mabuet　is　made　councilor　of　State；　and　Maury　archbishop　of　Paris；

forty…seven　other　ecclesiastics　who；　like　himself；　refused　to　take　the

oath　to　the　civil　constitution　of　the　clergy；　are　appointed；　like　him；

to　episcopal　thrones。　Among　the　Feuillants　of　the　Legislative

Assembly；　Vaublanc　is　made　prefect；　Beugnot　a　councilor　of　State　and

minister　of　the　finances　in　the　grand…duchy　of　Berg；　Matthieu　Dumas　a

brigadier…general　and　director　of　reviews；　Narbonne　becomes　the　aid…

de…camp　and　the　intimate　interlocutor　of　Napoleon；　and　then　ambassador

to　Vienna；　if　Lafayette　had　been　willing；　not　to　ask　for　but　to　accept

the　post；　he　would　have　been　made　a　marshal　of　France。　…　Among　the　few

Girondists　or　Federalists　who　did　not　perish　after　the　2nd　June；

Riouffe　is　prefect　and　baron；　Lanjuinais　is　senator　and　count；　among

others　proscribed；　or　half　proscribed；　the　new　Régime　restores　to　and

places　at　the　head　of　affairs　the　superior　and　special　employees　whom

the　Reign　of　Terror　had　driven　away；　or　singled　out　for　slaughter；

particularly　the　heads　of　the　financial　and　diplomatic　services　who；

denounced　by　Robespierre　on　the　8th　Thermidor；　or　arrested　on　the

morning　of　the　9th　already　felt　their　necks　under　the　blade　of　the

guillotine；　Reinhart　and　Otto　are　ambassadors；　Mollien　is　count　and

treasury　minister；　Miot　becomes　councilor　of　state；　Comte　de　Melito

minister　of　finances　at　Naples；　while　Gaudin　is　made　minister　of

finances　in　France　and　Duc　de　Ga？te。　Among　the　transported　or

fugitives　of　Fructidor；　Barthélemy　becomes　senator；　Barbé…Marbois

director　of　the　Treasury　and　first　president　of　the　Cour　des　Comptes；

Siméon；　councilor　of　State　and　then　minister　of　justice　in　Westphalia；

Portalis　is　made　minister　of　worship；　and　Fontanes　grand…master　of　the

University。　The　First　Consul　passes　the　sponge　over　all　political

antecedents：　not　only　does　he　summon　to　his　side　the　moderates　and

half…moderates　of　the　Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　of　the

Convention　and　of　the　Directory；　but　again　he　seeks　recruits　among

pure　royalists　and　pure　Jacobins；　among　the　men　the　most　devoted　to

the　ancient　Régime　and　amongst　those　most　compromised　by　the

Revolution；　at　both　extremities　of　the　most　extreme　opinions。　We　have

just　seen；　on　the　one　side；　what　hereditary　favorites　of　a　venerable

royalty；　what　born　supporters　of　the　deposed　dynasty；　are　elevated　by

him　to　the　first　of　his　magisterial；　clerical　and　court　dignities。　On

the　other　hand；　apart　from　Chasset；　Roederer　and　Grégoire；　apart　from

Fourcroy；　Bérlier　and　Réal；　apart　from　Treilhard　and　Boulay　de　La

Meurthe；　he　employs　others　branded　or　noted　for　terrible　acts；　Barère

himself；　at　least　for　a　certain　period；　and　in　the　sole　office　he　was

fitte