the origins of contemporary france-4-第169章

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…　〃The　Constitution　of　the　year　III。　　will　not　work；〃　said　Baudin；　one

of　the　Five　Hundred；　to　Cornet；　one　of　the　Ancients；　〃only　I　do　not

see　where　to　find　the　executive　arm。〃　The　Jacobin　republic　still

lives；　and　its　servants；　its　doctors；　already　speak　aloud　of　its

interment　the　same　as　strangers　and　heirs　in　the　room　of　a　dying　man

who　has　become　unconscious；　like　Tiberius　when　sinking　in　his　palace

at　Misene。＇144＇　…　If　the　expiring　man　does　not　go　fast　enough　some　one

will　help　him。　　The　old　monster；　borne　down　with　crimes　and　rotten

with　vices；　rattles　in　his　throat　on　his　purple　cushions；　his　eyes　are

closed；　his　pulse　is　feeble；　and　he　gasps　for　breath。　　Here　and　there；

around　is　bed；　stand　groups　of　those　who　minister　to　his　debauches　at

Capri　and　his　murders　at　Rome；　his　minions　and　executioners　who

publicly　take　part　in　the　new　reign；　the　old　one　is　finished；　one　need

no　longer　be　circumspect　and　mute　before　corpse。　　Suddenly　the　dying

man　opens　his　eyes；　speaks　and　asks　for　food。　　The　military　tribune；　〃

the　executive　arm；〃　boldly　clears　the　apartment；　he　throws　a　pile　of

bedclothes　over　the　old　man's　head　and　quickens　the　last　sigh。　　Such

is　the　final　blow；　an　hour　later　and　breathing　stops。



X。　　　　Contrast　between　Civil　and　Military　France。



Anti…social　character　of　the　sect　and　the　faction。　　…　Contrast　between

civil　and　military　France。　　…　Elements　of　reorganization　in

institutions；　habits；　and　in　military　sentiments。　　…　Character　of　the

régime　instituted　on　the　18th　of　Brumaire；　year　VIII。



If　the　Jacobin　Republic　dies；　it　is　not　merely　on　account　of　decay；

nor　because　of　its　murders；　but；　and　above　all；　because　it　is　not　born

viable：　at　the　outset　it　harbored　within　itself　a　principle　of

dissolution　an　innate　mortal　poison；　not　alone　for　others　but　for

itself。　…　That　which　maintains　a　political　society　is　the　mutual

respect　of　its　members；　especially　the　respect　of　the　governed　for　its

rulers　and　of　the　rulers　for　the　governed；　and；　therefore；　habits　of

mutual　trust　and　confidence。　　On　the　part　of　the　governed；　a　well…

grounded　certainty　that　the　rulers　will　not　attack　private　rights；

and；　on　the　part　of　the　rulers；　a　well…founded　certainty　that　the

governed　will　not　attack　public　powers；　both　inwardly　recognizing　that

these　rights；　more　or　less　broad　or　restricted；　are　inviolable；　that

these　powers；　more　or　less　ample　or　limited；　are　legitimate。　　Finally；

each　being　convinced　that；　in　case　of　conflict；　the　trial　will　be

conducted　according　to　forms　which　law　or　custom　provide；　that　pending

the　discussion；　the　strongest　will　not　abuse　his　strength；　and　that；

when　the　discussion　is　over；　the　successful　party　will　not　wholly

sacrifice　the　loser。　　Only　on　this　condition　can　there　be　harmony

between　governors　and　the　governed；　participation　of　all　in　the　common

work；　internal　tranquility；　and；　accordingly；　stability；　security；

well…being　and　force。　　Without　this　deep　and　persistent　disposition　of

minds　and　hearts；　the　bond　of　union　among　men　is　absent。　　It

constitutes　the　brightest　of　social　sentiments；　it　may　be　said　that

this　is　the　soul　of　which　the　State　is　the　body。　　…　Now；　in　the

Jacobin　State；　this　soul　has　perished；　it　has　not　died　out　through

unforeseen　accidents；　but　through　a　forced　result　of　the　system；

through　a　practical　effect　of　the　speculative　theory；　which；

converting　each　man　into　an　absolute　sovereign；　sets　every　man　warring

against　other　men；　and　which；　under　the　pretence　of　regenerating　the

human　species；　lets　loose；　authorizes　and　consecrates　the　worst

instincts　of　human　nature；　all　the　lusts　of　license；　tyranny　and

domination。　　…　In　the　name　of　a　non…existent　ideal　people　whom　it

declares　sovereign；　the　Jacobins　have　violently　usurped　all　public

powers；　brutally　abolished　all　private　rights；　regarding　the　actual

living　people　as　a　beast　of　burden；　and　yet　worse；　as　a　robot；

subjecting　their　human　machine　to　the　cruelest　restraints　in　order　to

mechanically　maintain　it　in　the　unnatural；　rigid　posture；　which；

according　to　principles；　they　inflict　upon　it。　　Thenceforth；　all　ties

are　sundered　between　them　and　the　nation；　to　prey　upon；　bleed　and

starve　this　nation；　to　re…conquer　it　after　it　bad　escaped　them；　to

repeatedly　enchain　and　gag　it　…　all　this　they　could　well　do；　but　to

reconcile　it　to　their　government；　never！　…　Between　them；　and　for　the

same　reason；　through　another　consequence　of　the　same　theory；　and

another　effect　of　the　same　lusts；　no　bond　between　them　would　hold。

Each　faction　inside　of　the　party；　having　forged　its　ideal　people

according　to　its　own　logical　process　and　necessities；　exercised　the

orthodox　privilege　of　claiming　the　monopoly　of　sovereignty。＇145＇　To

secure　the　benefits　of　omnipotence；　it　has　combated　its　rivals　with

falsified；　annulled　or　constrained　elections；　with　plots　and

mendacity；　with　ambushes　and　sudden　assaults；　with　the　pikes　of　the

rabble　and　with　the　bayonets　of　soldiers。　　It　has　then　massacred；

guillotined；　shot；　and　deported　the　vanquished　as　tyrants；　traitors　or

rebels；　and　survivors　do　not　forget　this。　　They　have　learnt　what　their

so　called　eternal　constitutions　amount　to；　they　know　how　to　estimate

their　proclamations　and　oaths；　their　respect　for　law；　justice；　their

humanity；　they　understand　them　and　know　that　they　are　all　so　many

fraternal　Cains；＇146＇　all　more　or　less　debased；　dangerous；　soiled　and

depraved　by　their　work；　the　distrust　is　irremediable。　　They　can　still

turn　out　manifests；　decrees　and　cabals；　and　get　up　revolutions；　but

they　can　no　longer　agree　amongst　themselves　and　heartily　defer　to　the

justified　ascendancy　and　recognized　authority　of　any　one　or　among

their　own　body。　　…　After　ten　years　of　mutual　assault　there　is　not　one

among　the　three　thousand　legislators　who　have　sat　in　the　sovereign

assemblies　that　can　count　on　the　deference　and　loyalty　of　a　hundred

Frenchmen。　　The　social　body　is　disintegrated；　amongst　the　millions　of

disconnected　atoms　not　a　nucleus　of　spontaneous　cohesion　and　stable

co…ordination　remains。　　It　is　impossible　for　civil　France　to

reconstruct　itself；　as　impossible　as　it　would　be　to　build　a　Notre　Dame

of　Paris；　or　a　St。　　Peter's　of　Rome　out　of　the　slime　of　the　streets　or

the　dust　of　the　highways。



With　military　France　it　is　otherwise。　　Here；　men　have　made　trial　of

each　other；　and　are　devoted　to　each　other；　subordinates　to　their

leaders；　and　all　to　one　great　work。　　The　sentiments　are　strong　and

healthy　which　bind　human　wills　in　a　cluster　of　mutual　sympathy；　trust；

esteem　and　admiration；　and　all　these　super　abound；　while　the　free

companionship　which　still　subsists　between　inferior　and　superior；＇147＇

that　gay　unrestrained　familiarity　so　dear　to　the　French；　draws　the

knot　still　closer。　　In　this　world　unsullied　by　political　defilements

and　ennobled　by　habits　of　abnegation；＇148＇　there　is　all　that

constitutes　an　organized　and　visible　society；　a　hierarchy；　not

external　and　veneered；　but　moral　and　deep…seated；　with　uncontested

titles；　recognized　superiorities；　an　accepted　subordination；　rights

and　duties　stamped　on　all　consciences；　in　brief；　what　has　always　been

wanting　in　revolutionary　institutions；　the　discipline　of　sentiments

and　emotions。　　Give　to　these　men　a　countersign　and　they　do　not

discuss；　provided　it　is　legal；　or　seems　so；　they　act　accordingly；　not

merely　against　strangers；　but　against　Frenchmen：　thus；　already　on　the

13th　Vendémiaire　they　mowed　down　the　Parisians；　and　on　the　18th　of

Fructidor　they　purged　the　Legislative　Corps。　　Let　a　famous　general

appear；　and　provided　he　respects　formalities；　they　will　follow　him　and

once　more　repeat　the　operation。　　…　One　does　appear；　one　who　for　three

years　has　thought　of　nothing　else；　but　who　on　this　occasion　will

repeat　the　operation　only　for　his　own　advantage。　　He　is　the　most

illustrious　of　all；　and　precisely　the　conductor　or　promoter　of　the　two

previous　ones；　the　very　same　who　personally　brought　about　the　13th　of

Vendémiaire；　an