the origins of contemporary france-4-第20章

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the　community；　。　　。　　。　　。　　each　surrendering　himself　up　absolutely；

just　as　he　actually　stands；　he　and　all　his　forces；　of　which　the

property　he　possesses　forms　a　part。〃＇1＇



There　must　be　no　exception　or　reservation。　　Nothing　of　what　he

previously　was；　or　had；　now　belongs　to　him　in　his　own　right；

henceforth；　what　he　is；　or　has；　devolves　upon　him　only　through

delegation。　　His　property　and　his　person　now　form　a　portion　of　the

commonwealth。　　If　he　is　in　possession　of　these；　his　ownership　is　at

second　hand；　if　he　derives　any　benefit　there　from；　it　is　as　a

concession。　　He　is　their　depository；　trustee　and　administrator；　and

nothing　more。＇2＇　　In　other　words；　with　respect　to　these　he　is　simply　a

managing　director；　that　is　to　say　a　functionary　like　others；　with　a

precarious　appointment　and　always　revocable　by　the　State　which　has

appointed　him。



　〃As　nature　gives　to　every　man　absolute　power　over　the　members　of　his

body　the　social　pact　gives　the　social　body　absolute　power　over　all　its

members。〃



The　State；　as　omnipotent　sovereign　and　universal　proprietor；　exercises

at　discretion；　its　boundless　rights　over　persons　and　things；

consequently　we；　its　representatives；　take　all　things　and　persons　into

our　hands；　as　they　belong　to　it；　so　do　they　belong　to　us。



We　have　confiscated　the　possessions　of　the　clergy；　amounting　to　about

four　billion　livres；　we　confiscate　the　property　of　the　emigrés；

amounting　to　three　billion　livres；＇3＇　we　confiscate　the　property　of

the　guillotined　and　deported：　all　this　amounts　to　some　hundreds　of

millions；　later　on；　the　count　will　be　made；　because　the　list　remains

open　and　is　being　daily　added　to。　　We　will　sequestrate　the　property　of

〃suspects；〃　which　gives　us　the　right　to　use　it：　here　are　many　hundred

millions　more；　after　the　war　and　the　banishment　of　〃suspects；〃　we

shall　seize　the　property　along　with　its　income：　here；　again；　are

billions　of　capital。＇4＇　Meanwhile　we　take　the　property　of　hospitals

and　of　other　benevolent　institutions；　about　eight　hundred　million

livres　；　we　take　the　property　of　factories；　of　endowments；　of

educational　institutions；　and　of　literary　and　scientific　associations：

another　lot　of　millions。＇5＇　We　take　back　the　domains　rented　or

surrendered　by　the　State　for　the　past　three　centuries　and　more；　which

gives　again　about　a　couple　of　billions。＇6＇　We　take　the　possessions　of

the　communes　up　to　the　amount　of　their　indebtedness。　　We　have　already

received　as　inheritance　the　ancient　domains　of　the　crown；　also　the

later　domain　of　the　civil　list。　　More　than　three…fifths＇7＇　of　the　soil

thus　falls　into　our　hands；　which　three…fifths　are　much　the　best

stocked；　they　comprise　almost　all　the　large　and　fine　edifices；

chateaux；　abbeys；　mansions；　houses　of　superintendents　and　nearly　all

the　royal；　episcopal；　seigniorial　and　bourgeois　stock　of　rich　and

elegant　furniture；　all　plate；　libraries；　pictures　and　artistic　objects

accumulated　for　centuries。　　　Remark；　again；　the　seizure　of　specie

and　all　other　articles　of　gold　and　silver；　in　the　months　alone　of

November　and　December；　1793；　this　swoop　puts　into　our　coffers　three　or

four　hundred　millions；＇8＇　not　assignats；　but　ringing　coin。　　In　short；

whatever　the　form　of　established　capital　may　be　we　take　all　we　can　get

hold　of；　probably　more　than　three…fourths　of　it。　　　There　remains　the

portion　which　is　not　fixed　capital；　that　which　disappears　in　use；

namely；　all　that　is　consumed；　all　the　fruits　of　the　soil；　every

description　of　provision；　all　the　products　of　human　art　and　labor

which　contribute　the　maintenance　of　existence。　　Through　〃the　right　of

pre…emption〃　and　through　the　right　of　〃requisition；〃　〃the　Republic

becomes　temporary　proprietor　of　whatever　commerce；　manufacture　and

agriculture　have　produced　and　added　to　the　soil　of　France：　〃all　food

and　merchandise　is　ours　before　being　owned　by　their　holder。　　We　carry

out　of　his　house　whatever　suits　us；　we　pay　him　for　this　with　worthless

paper；　we　frequently　do　not　pay　him　at　all。　　For　greater　convenience；

we　seize　objects　directly　and　wherever　we　find　them；　grain　in　the

farmer's　barn；　hay　in　the　reaper's　shed；　cattle　in　the　fold；　wine　in

the　vats；　hides　at　the　butcher's；　leather　in　the　tanneries；　soap；

tallow；　sugar；　brandy；　cloths；　linens　and　the　rest；　in　stores；　depots

and　ware…houses。　　We　stop　vehicles　and　the　horses　in　the　street。　　We

enter　the　premises　of　mail　or　coach　contractors　and　empty　their

stables。　　We　carry　away　kitchen　utensils　to　obtain　the　copper　；　we

turn　people　out　of　their　rooms　to　get　their　beds；　we　strip　them　of

their　coats　and　shirts；　in　one　day；　we　make　ten　thousand　individuals

in　one　town　go　barefoot。＇9＇



　〃When　public　needs　require　it；〃　says　representative　Isoré；　〃all

belongs　to　the　people　and　nothing　to　individuals。〃



By　virtue　of　the　same　right　we　dispose　of　persons　as　we　do　of　things。

We　decree　the　levy　en　masse　and；　stranger　still；　we　carry　it　out；　at

least　in　many　parts　of　the　country；　and　we　keep　it　up　for　months：　in

Vendée；　and　in　the　northern　and　eastern　departments；　it　is　the　entire

male；　able…bodied　population；　up　to　fifty　years　of　age；　which　we　drive

in　herds　against　the　enemy。＇10＇　We　afterwards　sign　an　entire

generation　on；　all　young　men　between　eighteen　and　twenty…five；　almost

a　million　of　men：＇11＇　whoever　fails　to　appear　is　put　in　irons　for　ten

years；　he　is　regarded　as　a　deserter；　his　property　is　confiscated；　and

his　family　is　punished　as　well；　later　he　is　classed　with　the

emigrants；　condemned　to　death；　and　his　father；　mother　and　progenitors；

treated　as　〃suspects；〃　imprisoned　and　their　possessions　taken。　　　To

clothe；　shoe　and　equip　our　recruits；　we　must　have　workmen；　we　summon

to　head…quarters　all　gunsmiths；　blacksmiths　and　locksmiths；　all　the

tailors　and　shoemakers　of　the　district；　〃foremen；　apprentices　and

boys；〃＇12＇　we　imprison　those　who　do　not　come　；　we　install　the　rest　in

squads　in　public　buildings　and　assign　them　their　tasks　；　they　are

forbidden　to　furnish　anything　to　private　individuals。　　Henceforth；

French　shoemakers　must　work　only　for　us；　and　each　must　deliver　to　us；

under　penalty；　so　many　pairs　of　shoes　per　decade。＇13＇　　　But；　the

civil　service　is　no　less　important　than　the　military　service；　and　to

feed　the　people　is　as　urgent　as　it　is　to　defend　them。　　Hence　we　put

〃in　requisition　all　who　have　anything　to　do　with　handling；

transporting　or　selling　provisions　and　articles　of　prime

necessity；〃＇14＇　especially　combustibles　and　food　　wood…choppers；

carters；　raftsmen；　millers；　reapers；　threshers；　wine…growers；　movers；

field…hands；　〃country　people〃　of　every　kind　and　degree。　　Their　hands

belong　to　us：　we　make　them　bestir　themselves　and　work　under　the

penalty　of　fine　and　imprisonment。　　There　shall　be　no　idlers；

especially　in　crop　time：　we　take　the　entire　population　of　a　commune　or

canton　into　the　fields；　comprising　〃the　lazy　of　both　sexes；〃＇15＇

willingly　or　not；　they　shall　do　the　harvesting　under　our　eyes；　banded

together　in　fields　belonging　to　others　as　well　as　in　their　own；　and

they　shall　put　the　sheaves　indiscriminately　into　the　public　granary。



But　in　labor　all　hangs　together；　from　the　initial　undertaking　to　the

final　result；　from　the　raw　material　to　the　most　finished　production；

from　the　great　manufacturer　down　to　the　pettiest　jobber；　grasping　the

first　link　of　the　chain　involves　grasping　the　last　one。　　The

requisition　here　again　answers　the　purpose：　we　apply　it　to　all

pursuits；　each　is　bound　to　continue　his　own；　the　manufacturer　to

manufacture；　the　trader　to　trade；　even　to　his　own　detriment；　because；

if　he　works　at　a　loss；　the　public　profits；　and　every　good　citizen

ought　to　prefer　public　profit　to　his　own　profit。＇16＇　In　effect；　let

his　office　be　what　it　will；　he　is　an　employee　of　the　community；

therefore；　the　community　may　not　only　prescribe　task…work　to　him；　but

select　his　task；　it　need　not　consult　him　in　the　matter；　for　he　has　no

right　to　refuse。　　Hence　it　is　that　we　appoint　or　maintain　people　in

spite　of　themselve