the origins of contemporary france-4-第134章

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June　they　are　enormously　long。＇26＇　　Naturally；　for　lack　of　bread；

people　fall　back　on　other　aliments；　which　also　grow　dearer；　add　to

this　the　various　contrivances　and　effects　of　Jacobin　politics　which

still　further　increase　the　dearness　of　food　of　all　sorts；　and　also　of

every　other　necessary　article：　for　instance；　the　extremely　bad

condition　of　the　roads；　which　renders　transportation　slower　and　more

costly；　the　prohibition　of　the　export　of　coin　and　hence　the　obtaining

of　food　from　abroad；　the　decree　which　obliges　each　industrial　or

commercial　association；　at　present　or　to　come；　to　〃　pay　annually　into

the　national　treasury　one…quarter　of　the　amount　of　its　dividends；〃　the

revolt　in　Vendée；　which　deprives　Paris　of　six　hundred　oxen　a　week；　the

feeding　of　the　armies；　which　takes　one…half　of　the　cattle　brought　to

the　Poissy　market；　shutting　off　the　sea　and　the　continent；　which　ruins

manufacturers　and　extensive　commercial　operations；　the　insurrections

in　Bordeaux；　Marseilles　and　the　South；　which　still　further　raise　the

price　of　groceries；　sugar；　soap；　oil；　candles；　wine　and　brandy。＇27＇　…

Early　in　1793；　a　pound　of　beef　in　France　is　worth　on　the　average；

instead　of　six　sous　twenty　sous；　in　May；　at　Paris；　brandy　which；　six

months　before；　cost　thirty…five　sous；　costs　ninety…four　sous；　in　July；

a　pound　of　veal；　instead　of　five　sous；　costs　twenty…two　sous。　　Sugar；

from　twenty　sous；　advances　to　four　francs　ten　sous；　a　candle　costs

seven　sous。　　France；　pushed　on　by　the　Jacobins；　approaches　the　depths

of　misery；　entering　the　first　circle　of　its　Inferno；　other　circles

follow　down　deeper　and　deeper；　narrower　still　and　yet　more　somber；

under　Jacobin　impulsion　is　she　to　descend　to　the　lowest？







III。　　Privation。



First　and　general　cause　of　privations。　　…　The　socialist　principle　of

the　Revolutionary　government。　　…　Measures　against　large　as　well　as

small　properties。　　…　Expropriation　of　all　remaining　corporations；

enormous　issues　of　paper…money。　　forced　rates　of　its　circulation；

forced　loans；　requisitions　of　coin　and　plate；　revolutionary　taxes；

suppression　of　special　organs　of　labor　on　a　large　scale。　　…　New

measures　against　small　proprietorship。　　…　The　Maximum；　requisitions

for　food　and　labor。　　…　Situation　of　the　shop…keeper；　cultivator　and

laborer。　　…　Effect　of　the　measures　on　labor　on　a　small　scale。

Stoppage　of　sales。



Obviously；　if　the　people　is　not　being　fed　properly　and　in　places　not

at　all；　it　is　because　one　of　the　central　and　most　important　fibers　of

the　economical　machine　has　been　incapacitated。　　It　is　evident　that

this　fiber　controls　the　sentiment　by　which　man　holds　on　to　his

property；　fears　to　risk　it；　refuses　to　depreciate　it；　and　tries　to

increase　it。＇28＇　Obviously　in　the　real　human　being；　such　as　he

actually　is　made　up；　this　intense　sentiment；　tenacious；　always

stirring　and　active；　is　the　magazine　of　inward　energy　which　provides

for　three…fourths；　almost　the　whole；　of　that　unremitting　effort；　that

calculating　attention；　that　determined　perseverance　which　leads　the

individual　to　undergo　privation；　to　contrive　and　to　exert　himself；　to

turn　to　profitable　account　the　labor　of　his　hands；　brain　and　capital；

and　to　produce；　save　and　create　for　himself　and　for　others　various

resources　and　comforts。



（It　is　probable　that　disinterested　motives；　pure　love　for　one's

neighbor；　for　humanity；　for　country；　do　not　form　a　hundredth　part　of

the　total　energy　that　produces　human　activity。　　It　must　not　be

forgotten　that　the　actions　of　men　are　alloyed　with　motives　of　a　lower

order；　such　as　love　of　fame；　the　desire　of　self…admiration　and　of

self…approval；　fear　of　punishment　and　hope　of　reward　beyond　the　grave；

all　of　these　being　interested　motives；　and　without　which　disinterested

motives　would　be　inoperative　excepting　in　two　or　three　souls　among　ten

thousand。＇29＇）



Thus　far；　in　society　as　a　whole；　this　sentiment　has　been　only

partially　touched；　and　the　injury　has　mainly　been　to　the　well…to…do　or

rich　classes。　　At　first　only　one…half　of　its　useful　energy　has　been

destroyed　since　only　those　services　rendered　by　the　rich　and　wealthy

classes　have　been　dispensed　with。　　Little　else　than　the　labor　of　the

capitalist；　proprietor　or　contractor　has　been　suppressed；　whose　far…

reaching；　combined；　comprehensive　labor；　the　rewards　of　which　consist

of　objects　of　luxury　and　convenience；　ensure　for　society　that　abundant

supplies　are　always　on　hand；　through　ready　and　spontaneous

distribution　of　indispensable　commodities。　　There　remains　（for　the

Jacobins）　to　crush　out　what　is　left　of　this　laborious　and　nutritive

fiber；　the　remnant　of　useful　energy　has　to　be　destroyed　down　to　its

extirpation　among　the　people。　　Here　there　must　be　a　suppression；　as

far　as　possible；　of　all　manual；　rude　labor　even　on　a　small　scale；　and

of　its　rudimentary　fruits；　the　discouragement　of　the　insignificant

shopkeeper；　mechanic　and　ploughman　must　be　effected；　the　corner…grocer

must　be　prevented　from　selling　his　sugar　and　candles；　and　the　cobbler

from　mending　shoes：　the　miller　must　think　of　giving　up　his　mill　and

the　wagoner　of　abandoning　his　cart；　the　farmer　must　be　convinced　that

the　best　thing　he　can　do　is　to　get　rid　of　his　horses；　eat　his　pork

himself；＇30＇　let　his　oxen　famish　and　leave　his　crops　to　rot　on　the

ground。　　…　The　Jacobins　are　to　do　all　this；　for　it　is　the　inevitable

result　of　the　theory　that　they　have　proclaimed　and　which　they　apply。

According　to　this　theory　the　stern；　strong；　deep…seated　instinct

through　which　the　individual　stubbornly　holds　on　to　what　he　has；　to

what　he　makes　for　himself　and　for　those　that　belong　to　him；　is　just

the　unwholesome　fiber　that　must　be　rooted　out　or　paralyzed　at　any

cost；　its　true　name　is　〃egoism；　incivism；〃　and　its　operations　consist

of　outrages　on　the　community；　which　is　the　sole　legitimate　proprietor

of　property　and　products；　and；　yet　more；　of　all　persons　and　services。

Body　and　soul；　all　belongs　to　the　State；　nothing　to　individuals；　and；

if　need　be；　the　State　has　the　right　to　take　not　only　lands　and

capital；　but；　again；　to　claim　and　tax　at　whatever　rate　it　pleases　all

corn　and　cattle；　all　vehicles　and　the　animals　that　draw　them；　all

candles　and　sugar；　it　has　the　right　to　appropriate　to　itself　and　tax

at　whatever　rate　it　pleases；　the　labor　of　shoemaker；　tailor；　miller；

wagoner；　ploughman；　reaper　and　thrasher。　　The　seizure　of　men　and

things　is　universal；　and　the　new　sovereigns　do　their　best　at　it；　for；

in　practice；　necessity　urges　them　on；　insurrection　thunders　at　their

door；　their　supporters；　all　crackbrains　with　empty　stomachs；　the　poor

and　the　idle；　and　the　Parisian　populace；　listen　to　no　reason　and

blindly　insist　on　things　haphazard；　they　are　bound　to　satisfy　their

patrons　at　once；　to　issue　one　on　top　of　the　other　all　the　decrees　they

call　for；　even　when　impracticable　and　mischievous　to　starve　the

provinces　so　as　to　feed　the　city；　to　starve　the　former　to…morrow　so　as

to　feed　the　latter　to…day。　　…　Subject　to　the　clamors　and　menaces　of

the　street　they　dispatch　things　rapidly；　they　cease　to　care　for　the

future；　the　present　being　all　that　concerns　them；　they　take　and　take

forcibly；　they　uphold　violence　by　brutality；　they　support　robbery　with

murder；　they　expropriate　persons　by　categories　and　appropriate　objects

by　categories；　and　after　the　rich　they　despoil　the　poor。　　…　During

fourteen　months　the　revolutionary　government　thus　keeps　both　hands　at

work；　one　hand　completing　the　confiscation　of　property；　large　and

medium；　and　the　other　proceeding　to　the　entire　abolition　of　property

even　on　a　small　scale。



Against　large　or　medium　properties　it　suffices　to　extend　and　aggravate

the　decrees　already　passed。　　…　The　spoliation　of　the　last　of　existing

corporations　must　be　effected：　the　government；　confiscates　the

property　of　hospitals；　communes；　and　all　scientific　or　literary

associations。＇31＇



To　this　we　must　add　the　spoliation　of　State　credits　and　all　other

credits：　it　issues　in　fourteen　months　5