the origins of contemporary france-4-第111章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　service；　guided　by　philosophy　and　supported　by　current　opinion　for

twenty　years；　had　likewise　given　evidence　of　active　benevolence。＇57＇　…

Nothing　is　more　precious　than　men　of　this　stamp；　for　they　are　the　life

and　soul　of　their　respective　branches　of　service；　and　are　not　to　be

replaced　in　one　lot；　at　a　given　moment；　by　persons　of　equal　merit。　　In

diplomacy；　in　the　finances；　in　judicature；　in　administration；　in

extensive　commerce　and　large　manufacturing；　a　practical；　governing

capacity　is　not　created　in　a　day；　affairs　in　all　these　are　too　vast

and　too　complicated；　there　are　too　many　diverse　interests　to　take　into

account；　too　many　near　and　remote　contingencies　to　foresee；　lacking　a

knowledge　of　technical　details；　it　is　difficult　to　grasp　the　whole；

one　tries　to　make　short　work　of　it；　one　shatters　right　and　left　and

ends　with　the　sword；　obliged　to　fall　back　on　systematic　brutality　to

complete　the　work　of　audacious　bungling。　　Except　in　war；　where

apprenticeship　takes　less　time　than　elsewhere；　ten　years　of

preparatory　education　plus　ten　years　of　practical　experience　are

required　for　the　good　government　of　men　and　the　management　of　capital

assets。　　Add　to　this；　against　the　temptations　of　power　which　are

strong；　a　stability　of　character　established　through　professional

honor；　and；　if　it　so　happens；　by　family　traditions。



After　having　directed　financial　matters　for　two　years；　Cambon＇58＇　is

not　yet　aware　that　the　functions　of　the　fermiers…généraux　of　indirect

taxes　differ　from　those　of　the　receveurs…géneraux　of　direct　taxes；＇59＇

accordingly；　he　includes；　or　allows　to　be　included；　the　forty…eight

receveurs　in　the　decree　which　sends　the　sixty　fermiers　before　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　guillotine；　and；　in

fact；　all　of　them　would　have　been　sent　there　had　not　a　man　familiar

with　the　business；　Gaudin；　Commissioner　of　the　Treasury；　heard　the

decree　proclaimed　in　the　street　and　run　to　explain　to　the　Committee　on

Finances　that　〃there　was　nothing　in　common〃　between　the　two　groups　of

outlaws；　that　the　fermiers　were　holders　of　leases　on　probable　profits

while　the　receveurs　were　paid　functionaries　at　a　fixed　salary；　and　the

crimes　of　the　former；　proved　or　not　proved；　were　not　imputable　to　the

latter。　　Great　astonishment　on　the　part　of　these　improvised

financiers！　〃They　make　an　outcry；〃　says　Gaudin；　〃and　assert　that　I　am

mistaken。　　I　insist；　and　repeat　what　I　have　told　the　President；

Cambon；　I　affirm　on　says　to　one　of　the　members；　'Since　that　is　so；　go

to　the　bureau　of　procès…verbaux　and　scratch　out　the　term　receveurs…

généraux　from　the　decree　passed　this　morning。'　my　honor　and　offer　to

furnish　them　the　proof　of　it；　finally；　they　are　satisfied　and　the

President　〃　…　Such　are　the　gross　blunders　committed　by　interlopers；

and　even　carried　out；　when　not　warned　and　restrained　by　veterans　in

the　service。　　Cambon；　accordingly；　in　spite　of　the　Jacobins；　retains

in　his　bureaux　all　whom　he　can　among　veteran　officials。　　If　Carnot

manages　the　war　well；　it　is　owing　to　his　being　himself　an　educated

officer　and　to　maintaining　in　their　positions　d'Arcon；　d'Obenheim；　de

Grimoard；　de　Montalembert　and　Marescot；　all　eminent　men　bequeathed　to

him　by　the　ancient　régime。＇60｝　Reduced；　before　the　9th　of　Thermidor；

to　perfect　nullity；　the　Ministry　of　Foreign　Affairs　is　not　again　to

become　useful　and　active　until　the　professional　diplomats；　Miot；

Colchen；　Otto　and　Reinhart；＇61＇　resume　their　ascendancy　and　influence。

It　is　a　professional　diplomat；　Barthélemy；　who；　after　the　9th　of

Thermidor；　really　directs　the　foreign　policy　of　the　Convention；　and

brings　about　the　peace　of　Basle。



III。　　　The　three　classes　of　Notables。



The　Nobility。　　…　Its　physical　and　moral　preparation　through　feats　of

arms。　　…　The　military　spirit。　　…　High　character。　　…　Conduct　of

officers　in　1789…1792。　　…　Service　for　which　these　nobles　were　adapted。



Three　classes；　the　nobles；　the　clergy　and　the　bourgeoisie；　provided

this　superior　élite；　and；　compared　with　the　rest　of　the　nation；　they

themselves　formed　an　élite。　　…　Thirty　thousand　gentlemen；　scattered

through　the　provinces；　had　been　brought　up　from　infancy　to　the

profession　of　arms；　generally　poor；　they　lived　on　their　rural　estates

without　luxuries；　comforts　or　curiosity；　in　the　society　of　wood…

rangers　and　game…keepers；　frugally　and　with　rustic　habits；　in　the　open

air；　in　such　a　way　as　to　ensure　robust　constitutions。　　A　child；　at　six

years　of　age；　mounted　a　horse；　he　followed　the　hounds；　and　hardened

himself　against　inclemencies；＇62＇　afterwards；　in　the　academies；　he

rendered　his　limbs　supple　by　exercise　and　obtained　that　rugged　health

which　is　necessary　for　living　under　a　tent　and　following　a　campaign。

From　early　childhood；　he　was　imbued　with　a　military　spirit；　his　father

and　uncles　at　table　talked　of　nothing　but　their　perils　in　war　and

feats　of　arms；　his　imagination　took　fire；　he　got　accustomed　to　looking

upon　their　pursuits　as　the　only　ones　worthy　of　a　man　of　rank　and

feeling；　and　he　plunged　ahead　with　a　precocity　which　we　no　longer

comprehend。　　I　have　read　many　records　of　the　service　of　gentlemen　who

were　assassinated；　guillotined　or　emigrés；　they　nearly　always　began

their　careers　before　the　age　of　sixteen；　often　at　fourteen；　thirteen

and　eleven。＇63＇　M。　des　Echerolles；＇64＇　captain　in　the　Poitou

regiment；　had　brought　along　with　him　into　the　army　his　only　son；　aged

nine；　and　a　dozen　little　cousins　of　the　same　age。　　Those　children

fought　like　old　soldiers；　one　of　them　had　his　leg　fractured　by　a　ball；

young　des　Echerolles　received　a　saber　stroke　which　cut　away　his　cheek

from　the　ear　to　the　upper　lip；　and　he　was　wounded　seven　times；　still

young；　he　received　the　cross　of　St。　　Louis。　　To　serve　the　State；　seek

conflict　and　expose　one's　life；　seemed　an　obligation　of　their　rank；　a

hereditary　debt；　out　of　nine　or　ten　thousand　officers　who　discharged

this　debt　most　of　them　cared　only　for　this　and　looked　for　nothing

beyond。　　Without　fortune　and　without　influence；　they　had　renounced

promotion；　fully　aware　that　the　higher　ranks　were　reserved　for　the

heirs　of　great　families　and　the　courtiers　at　Versailles。　　After

serving　fifteen　or　twenty　years；　they　returned　home　with　a　captain's

commission　and　the　cross　of　St。　　Louis；　sometimes　with　a　small

pension；　contented　with　having　done　their　duty　and　conscious　of　their

own　honor。　　On　the　approach　of　the　Revolution；　this　old　spirit；

illumined　by　the　new　ideas；　became　an　almost　civic　virtue：＇65＇　we　have

seen　how　they　behaved　between　1789　and　1792；　their　moderation；　their

forbearance；　their　sacrifice　of　self…love；　their　abnegation　and　their

stoical　impassability；　their　dislike　to　strike；　the　coolness　with

which　they　persisted　in　receiving　without　returning　blows；　and　in

maintaining；　if　not　public　order；　at　least　the　last　semblance　of　it。

Patriots　as　much　as　soldiers；　through　birth；　education　and　conviction；

they　formed　a　natural；　special　nursery；　eminently　worthy　of

preserving；　inasmuch　as　it　furnished　society　with　ready…made

instruments　for　defense；　internally　against　rascals　and　brutes；　and

externally　against　the　enemy。　　Less　calm　in　disposition　and　more　given

to　pleasure　than　the　rural　nobles　of　Prussia；　under　slacker　discipline

and　in　the　midst　of　greater　worldliness；　but　more　genial；　more

courteous　and　more　liberal…minded；　the　twenty…six　thousand　noble

families　of　France　upheld　in　their　sons　the　traditions　and　prejudices；

the　habits　and　aptitudes；　those　energies　of　body；　heart　and　mind＇66＇

through　which　the　Prussian　〃junkers〃　were　able　to　constitute　the

Prussian　army；　organize　the　German　army　and　make　Germany　the　first

power　of　Europe。



IV。　　　The　Clergy。



Where　recruited。　　…　Professional　inducements。　　…　Independence　of

ecclesiastics。　　…　Their　substantial　merits。　　…　Their　theoretical　and

practical　information。　　…　Their　distribution　over　the　territory。　　…

Utility　of　their　office。　　…　Their　conduct　in　1790…1800。　　…　Their

courage；