the origins of contemporary france-5-第91章

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can　go　and　how　fast　they　can　get　ahead。　No　obstacle　impedes　them；

nobody　feels　himself　confined　his　post；　each　considers　the　one　he

occupies　as　provisional；　each　takes　it　only　to　await　a　better　one；

anticipating　another　at　a　very　early　date；　he　dashes　onward；　springs

aloft　and　occupies　in　advance　the　superior　post　which　he　means　to

secure　on　the　first　vacancy；　and；　under　this　Régime；　the　vacancies　are

numerous。　…　These　vacancies；　in　the　military　service　and　in　the　grade

of　officers；　may　be　estimated　at　nearly　four　thousand　per　annum；＇39＇

after　1808　and　1809；　but　especially　after　the　disaster　of　1812　and

1813；　places　are　no　longer　lacking　but　subjects　fill　them；　Napoleon　is

obliged　to　accept　youths　for　officers　as　beardless　as　his　conscripts；

eighteen…year…old　apprentices　who；　after　a　year　or　six　months　in　the

military　academy；　might　finish　their　apprenticeship　on　the　battle…

field；　pupils　taken　from　the　philosophy　or　rhetoric　classes；　willing

children　（de　bonne　volonté）：　On　the　13th　of　December　1808；　he　draws　50

from　his　lycées；　who　don　the　gold…lace　of　under…officers　at　once；　in

1809；　he　calls　out　250；　to　serve　in　the　depot　battalions；　in　1810；　he

calls　out　150　of　the　age　of　nineteen　who　〃know　the　drill；〃　and　who　are

to　be　sent　on　distant　expeditions　with　the　commission　of　second…

lieutenant；　in　1811；　400　for　the　school　of　noncommissioned　officers　at

Fontainebleau；　20　for　the　Ile…de…Ré　and　84　who　are　to　be

quartermasters；　and；　in　1812；　112　more　and　so　on。　Naturally；　thanks　to

annually　increasing　gaps　made　by　cannon　and　bayonet；　the　survivors　in

this　body　of　youth　mount　the　faster；　in　1813　and　1814；　there　are

colonels　and　lieutenant…colonels　of　the　age　of　twenty…five。



In　the　civil　service；　if　fewer　are　killed　everybody　is　almost　equally

over　tasked。　Under　this　reign　one　is　soon　used　up；　physically　and

morally；　even　in　pacific　employments；　and　this　also　supplies

vacancies。　Besides；　in　default　of　deaths；　wounds　and　violent

elimination；　there　is　another　elimination；　not　less　efficacious；

operating　in　this　direction；　and　for　a　long　time；　in　favor　of　men　of

ability；　preparing　places　for　them　and　accelerating　their　advancement。

Napoleon　accepts　none　but　competent　candidates；　now；　in　1800；　there　is

a　dearth　of　acceptable　candidates　for　places　in　the　civil　service　and

not；　as　in　1789；　or　at　the　present　time；　a　superabundance　and　even　too

great　a　crowd。　…　In　the　military　service　especially；　capacity　is

innate；　natural　endowments；　courage；　coolness；　quick　perception；

physical　activity；　moral　ascendancy；　topographical　imagination　form

its　principal　elements；　men　just　able　to　read；　write　and　cipher

became；　in　three　or　four　years；　during　the　Revolution；　admirable

officers　and　conquering　generals。　…　It　is　not　the　same　in　relation　to

civil　capacity；　this　requires　long　and　continuous　study。　To　become　a

priest；　magistrate；　engineer；　professor；　prefect　or　school…teacher；

one　must　have　studied　theology　or　law；　mathematics　or　Latin；

administration　or　the　finances。　If　not；　the　functionary　is　not

qualified　to　serve：　he　must；　at　the　very　least；　know　how　to　spell；　be

able　to　write　French；　examine　a　law…case；　draw　up　a　report；　keep

accounts；　and　if　needs　be；　comprehend　a　plan；　make　an　estimate　and

read　off　a　map。　Men　of　this　stamp　are　rare　at　the　beginning　of　the

Consulate。　As　notables；＇40＇　the　Revolution　mowed　them　down　first。

Among　all　their　sons　and　so　many　well…bred　youth　who　have　become

soldiers　through　patriotism；　or　who　have　left　their　families　to

prevent　these　from　becoming　suspect；　one　half　repose　on　the

battlefield　or　have　left　the　hospital　only　for　the　cemetery；　〃the

muscadin＇41＇　died　from　the　first　campaign。〃　In　any　event；　for　them　and

their　younger　brothers；　for　the　children　beginning　to　learn　Latin　and

mathematics；　for　all　who　hoped　to　pursue　liberal　professions；　for　the

entire　generation　about　to　receive　either　a　superior；　a　common；　or

even　a　primary　instruction；　and　hence　to　furnish　brains　prepared　for

intellectual　work；　there　was　a　lack　of　this　for　ten　years。　Not　only

were　the　endowments　which　provided　for　instruction　confiscated　but　the

educational　staff；　nearly　all　ecclesiastic；　was　one　of　the　most

proscribed　among　those　proscribed。　Whilst　military　requisition　and　the

closing　of　the　schools　suppressed　the　pupils；　massacres；　banishment；

imprisonment；　destitution　and　the　scaffold　suppressed　the　teachers。

Whilst　the　ruin　of　universities　and　colleges　did　away　with　theoretical

apprenticeship；　the　ruin　of　manufactures　and　of　trade　abolished

practical　apprenticeship。　Through　the　long　interruption　of　all

studies；　general　instruction　as　well　as　special　competency　became　rare

product　in　the　market。　…　Hence　it　is　that；　in　1800；　and　during　the

three　or　four　following　years；　whoever　brought　to　market　either　one

the　other　of　these　commodities　was　certain　of　a　quick　sale；＇42＇　the

new　government　needed　them　more　than　anybody。　The　moment　the　seller

made　up　his　mind；　he　was　bought；　and；　whatever　he　may　be；　a　former

Jacobin　or　a　former　émigré；　he　is　employed。　If　he　brings　both

commodities　and　is　zealous；　he　is　promptly　promoted；　if；　on　trial；　he

is　found　of　superior　capacity；　he　will；　like　Mollien；　Gaudin；

Tronchet；　Pasquier　and　Molé；　attain　to　the　highest　posts；　for　he　finds

scarcely　any　competitors。　These　he　would　have　had　had　things　followed

their　usual　course；　it　is　the　Revolution　which　has　cleared　the　ground

around　him；　without　that　the　road　would　have　been　obstructed；

competent　candidates　would　have　swarmed。　Reckon；　if　possible；　how　many

men　of　talent　who　were　destroyed；　royalists；　monarchists；　feuillants；

Girondists　and　even　Jacobins。　They　were　the　élite　of　the　noblesse；　of

the　clergy；　of　the　bourgeoisie；　of　the　youth　and　those　of　riper　age。

Thus　rid　of　their　most　formidable　rivals　the　survivors　pursue　their

way　at　top　speed；　the　guillotine　has　wrought　for　them　in　advance；　it

has　effected　openings　in　their　own　ranks；　made　by　bullets　in　every

battle　in　the　ranks　of　the　army；　and；　in　the　civil　hierarchy　as　in　the

military　hierarchy；　merit；　if　demonstrated　by　services；　or　not

arrested　by　death；　reaches　the　highest　summit　in　very　few　years。



The　prizes　offered　on　these　summits　are　splendid；　no　attraction　is

lacking。　The　great　trainer　who　displays　them　has　omitted　none　of　the

seductions　which　excite　and　stimulate　an　ordinary　mind。　He　has

associated　with　the　positive　values　of　power　and　wealth　every　value

incident　to　imagination　and　opinion；　hence　his　institution　of

decorations　and　the　Legion　of　Honor。＇43＇



〃They　call　it　a　toy；〃＇44＇　said　he；　〃　but　men　are　led　by　toys。　。　。

Frenchmen　are　not　changed　by　ten　years　of　revolution。　。　。　。　See　how

the　people　prostrate　themselves　before　foreign　decorations：　they　have

been　surprised　by　them　and　accordingly　do　not　fail　to　wear　them。　。　。　。

The　French　cherish　but　one　sentiment；　honor：　that　sentiment；　then；

requires　nourishing　…　they　must　have　honors。〃



　A　very　few　are　satisfied　with　their　own　achievements；　ordinary　men

are　not　even　content　with　the　approbation　they　perceive　in　the　eyes　of

others：　it　is　too　intermittent；　too　reserved；　too　mute；　they　need　fame

that　is　brilliant　and　noisy；　they　want　to　hear　the　constant　hum　of

admiration　and　respect　whenever　they　appear　or　whenever　their　name　is

mentioned。　Even　this　does　not　suffice；　they　are　unwilling　that　their

merit　should　rest　in　men's　minds　in　the　vague　state　of　undefined

greatness；　but　that　it　should　be　publicly　estimated；　have　its　current

value；　enjoy　undisputed　and　measured　rank　on　the　scale　above　all　other

lesser　merits。　…　The　new　institution　affords　complete　satisfaction　to

all　these　exigencies　of　human　and　French　nature。　On　the　14th　of　July；

1804；＇45＇　the　anniversary　of　the　taking　of　the　Bastille；　Napoleon

administers　the　oath　to　the　legionaries　and；　after　a　solemn　mass；

distributes　the　insignia　under　the　dome　of　the　Invalides　in　the

presence　of　the　empress　and　the　court；　and　again　one　month　later