the origins of contemporary france-4-第130章

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about　the　'maison　a　cotté。'　〃　…　They　ask　him　where　his　servant　was　on

the　10th　of　August；　1792；　and　he　replies　that　he　could　not　tell。　　〃A

lui　representé　qua　lepoque　de　cette　journee　que　touts　les　bons

citoyent　ny　gnoroit　point　leurs　existence　et　quayant　enttendue　batte

la　générale　cettait　un　motife　de　plus　pour　reconnoitre　tous　les　bons

citoyent　et　le　motife　au　quelle　il　setait　employée　pour　sauvee　la

Republique。　　A　repondue　quil　avoit　dite　l'exacte　véritée。　　A　lui

demandée　quel　etoit　dite　l'exacte　veritée　…　　a　repondue　que　cetoit

toutes　ce　qui　etoit　cy　dessue。〃







CHAPTER　II。　　　Food　and　Provisions。



I。　　　Economical　Complexity　of　Food　Chain。



Complexity　of　the　economical　operation　by　which　articles　of　prime

necessity　reach　the　consumer。…　　Conditions　of　the　operation。　　　…

Available　resources。　　　…　Cases　in　which　these　are　not　available。　　　…

Case　of　the　holder　of　these　being　no　longer　disposed　to　make　them。



Suppose　a　man　forced　to　walk　with　his　feet　in　the　air　and　his　head

downward。　　By　using　extremely　energetic　measures　he　might；　for　a

while；　be　made　to　maintain　this　unwholesome　attitude；　and　certainly　at

the　expense　of　a　bruised　or　broken　skull；　it　is　very　probable；

moreover；　that　he　would　use　his　feet　convulsively　and　kick　terribly。

But　it　is　certain　that　if　this　course　were　persisted　in；　the　man　would

experience　intolerable　pain　and　finally　sink　down；　the　blood　would

stop　circulating　and　suffocation　would　ensue；　the　trunk　and　limbs

would　suffer　as　much　as　the　head；　and　the　feet　would　become　numb　and

inert。　　…　Such　is　more　or　less　the　history　of　France　under　its　Jacobin

pedagogues；　their　rigid　theory　and　persistent　brutality　impose　on　the

nation　an　attitude　against　nature；　consequently　she　suffers；　and　each

day　suffers　more　and　more；　the　paralysis　increases；　the　functions　get

out　of　order　and　cease　to　act；　while　the　last　and　principal　one；＇1＇

the　most　urgent；　namely；　physical　support　and　the　daily　nourishment　of

the　living　individual；　is　so　badly　accomplished；　against　so　many

obstacles；　interruptions；　uncertainties　and　deficiencies；　that　the

patient；　reduced　to　extreme　want；　asks　if　to…morrow　will　not　be　worse

than　to…day；　and　whether　his　semi…starvation　will　not　end　in　complete

starvation。



Nothing；　apparently；　is　simpler；　and　yet　really　more　complex；　than　the

physiological　process　by　which；　in　the　organized　body；　the　proper

restorative　food　flows　regularly　to　the　spot　where　it　is　needed；　among

the　innumerably　diverse　and　distant　cells。　　In　like　manner；　nothing　is

simpler　at　the　first　glance；　and　yet　more　complex；　than　the　economical

process　by　which；　in　the　social　organism；　provisions　and　other

articles　of　prime　necessity；　flow　of　themselves　to　all　points　of　the

territory　where　they　are　needed　and　within　reach　of　each　consumer。　　It

is　owing　to　this　that；　in　the　social　body　as　in　the　organized　body；

the　terminal　act　presupposes　many　others　anterior　to　and　co…ordinate

with　it；　a　series　of　elaborations；　a　succession　of　metamorphoses；　one

elimination　and　transportation　after　another；　mostly　invisible　and

obscure；　but　all　indispensable；　and　all　of　them　carried　out　by

infinitely　delicate　organs；　so　delicate　that；　under　the　slightest

pressure；　they　get　out　of　order；　so　dependent　on　each　other　that　an

injury　to　one　affects　the　operations　of　the　rest；　and　thus　suppresses

or　perverts　the　final　result　to　which；　nearly　or　remotely；　they　all

contribute。



Consider；　for　a　moment；　these　precious　economical　organs　and　their

mode　of　operation。　　In　any　tolerably　civilized　community　that　has

lasted　for　any　length　of　time；　they　consist；　first　in　rank；　of　those

who　possess　wealth　arising　from　the　accumulation　of　old　and　recent

savings；　that　is　to　say；　those　who　possess　any　sort　of　security；　large

or　small；　in　money；　in　notes；　or　in　kind；　whatever　its　form；　whether

in　lands；　buildings　or　factories；　in　canals；　shipping　or　machinery；　in

cattle　or　tools；　as　well　as　in　every　species　of　merchandise　or

produce。　　…　And　see　what　use　they　make　of　these：　each　person；

reserving　what　he　needs　for　daily　consumption；　devotes　his　available

surplus　to　some　enterprise；　the　capitalist　his　ready　money；　the　real…

estate　owner　his　land　and　tenements；　the　farmer　his　cattle；　seed　and

farming　implements；　the　manufacturer　his　mills　and　raw　material；　the

common…carrier　his　vessels；　vehicles　and　horses；　the　trader　his

warehouses　and　stock　of　goods　for　the　year；　and　the　retailer　his　shop

and　supplies　for　a　fortnight。　　To　which　everybody；　the　agriculturist；

merchant　and　manufacturer；　necessarily　adds　his　cash　on　hand；　the

deposits　in　his　bank　for　paying　the　monthly　salaries　of　his　clerks；

and　at　the　end　of　the　week；　the　wages　of　his　workmen。　　…　Otherwise；　it

would　be　impossible　to　till　the　soil；　to　build；　to　fabricate；　to

transport；　to　sell；　however　useful　the　work　might　be；　it　could　not　be

perfected；　or　even　begun；　without　a　preliminary　outlay　in　money　or　in

kind。　　In　every　enterprise；　the　crop　presupposes　labor　and　seed　corn。

If　I　want　to　dig　a　hole　I　am　obliged　to　hire　a　pick　and　the　arms　to

wield　it；　or；　in　other　terms；　to　make　certain　advances。　　But　these

advances　are　made　only　on　two　conditions：　first；　that　he　who　makes

them　is　able　to　make　them；　that　is　to　say；　that　he　is　the　possessor　of

an　available　surplus；　and　next；　being　the　owner　of　this　surplus；　that

he　desires　to　make　them；　with　this　proviso　that　he　may　gain　instead　of

losing　by　the　operation。　　…　If　I　am　wholly　or　partially　ruined；　if　my

tenants　and　farmers　do　not　pay　their　rent；＇2＇　if　my　lands　or　goods　do

not　bring　half　their　value　in　the　market；　if　the　net　proceeds　of　my

possessions　are　threatened　with　confiscation　or　pillage；　not　only　have

I　fewer　securities　to　dispose　of；　but；　again；　I　become　more　and　more

uneasy　about　the　future；　over　and　above　my　immediate　consumption　I

have　to　provide　for　a　prospective　consumption；　I　add　to　my　reserve

stores　especially　of　coin　and　provisions；　I　hold　on　to　the　remnant　of

my　securities　for　myself　and　those　who　belong　to　me；　they　are　no

longer　available　and　I　can　no　longer　make　loans　or　enter　upon　my

enterprise。　　And；　on　the　other　hand；　if　the　loan　or　enterprise；

instead　of　bringing　me　a　profit；　brings　me　loss；　if　the　law　is

powerless　or　fails　to　do　me　justice　and　adds　extra　to　ordinary　risks；

if　my　work　once　perfected　is　to　become　the　prey　of　the　government；　of

brigands　or　of　whoever　pleases　to　seize　it；　if　I　am　compelled　to

surrender　my　wares　and　merchandise　at　one…half　their　cost；　if　I　cannot

produce；　put　in　store；　transport　or　sell　except　by　renouncing　all

profit　and　with　the　certainty　of　not　getting　back　my　advances；　I　will

no　longer　make　loans　or　enter　upon　any　under…taking　whatever。



Such　is　the　disposition　and　situation　of　people　able　to　make　advances

in　anarchical　times；　when　the　State　falters　and　no　longer　performs　its

customary　service；　when　property　is　no　longer　adequately　protected　by

the　public　force；　when　jacqueries　overspread　the　country　and

insurrections　break　out　in　the　towns；　when　chateaux　are　sacked；

archives　burnt；　shops　broken　into；　provisions　carried　off　and

transportation　is　brought　to　a　halt；　when　rents　and　leases　are　no

longer　paid；　when　the　courts　dare　no　longer　convict；　when　the

constable　no　longer　dares　serve　a　warrant；　when　the　gendarmerie　holds

back；　when　the　police　fails　to　act；　when　repeated　amnesties　shield

robbers　and　incendiaries；　when　a　revolution　brings　into　local　and

central　power　dishonest　and　impoverished　adventurers　hostile　to　every

one　that　possesses　property　of　any　kind。　　…　Such　is　the　disposition

and　situation　of　all　who　are　in　possession　of　the　means　to　initiate

projects　in　socialistic　times



*　when　the　usurping　State；　instead　of　protecting　private　property；

destroys　or　seizes　it；

*　when　it　takes　for　itself　the　property　of　many　of　the　great

corporations；

*　when　it　suppresses　legally　established　credits　without　indemnity；

*　when；　by　dint　o