the origins of contemporary france-4-第25章

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national　possessions　not　disposed　of；〃　we　divide　these　possession　in

small　lots；　we　distribute　them　〃in　the　shape　of　national　sales〃　to

poor　folks　able　to　work。　　We　give；　〃through　the　form　of　rental；　〃an

acre　to　each　head　of　a　family　who　has　less　than　an　acre　of　his　own。

〃We　thus　bind　all　citizens　to　the　country　as　well　as　to　property。　　We

restore　idle　and　robust　arms　to　the　soil；　and　lost　or　weakened

families　to　the　workshops　in　the　towns。〃　…　As　to　old　and　infirm

farmers　or　craftsmen；　also　poor　mothers；　wives　and　widows　of　artisans

and　farmers；　we　keep　in　each　department　a　〃big　ledger　of　national

welfare；〃　we　inscribe　thereon　for　every　thousand　inhabitants；　four

farmers；　two　mechanics；　five　women；　either　mothers　or　widows；　each

registered　person　shall　be　pensioned　by　the　State；　the　same　as　a

maimed　soldier；　labor…invalids　are　as　respectable　as　war…invalids。　　…

Over　and　above　those　who　are　thus　aided　on　account　of　poverty；　we

relieve　and　elevate　the　entire　poor　class；　not　alone　the　thirteen

hundred　thousand　destitutes　counted　in　France；＇69＇　but；　again；　all

who；　having　little　or　no　means　on　hand；　live　from　day　to　day　on　what

they　can　earn。　　We　have　passed　a　law＇70＇　by　which　the　public　treasury

shall；　through　a　tax　on　large　fortunes；　〃furnish　to　each　commune　or

district　the　necessary　funds　for　adapting　the　price　of　bread　to　the

rate　of　wages。〃　Our　representatives　in　the　provinces　impose　on　the

wealthy　the　obligation　of　〃lodging；　feeding；　and　clothing　all　infirm；

aged；　and　indigent　citizens　and　orphans　of　their　respective

cantons。〃＇71＇　　Through　the　decree　on　monopolization　and　the

establishment　of　the　〃maximum〃　we　bring　within　reach　of　the　poor　all

objects　of　prime　necessity。　　We　pay　them　forty　sous　a　day　for

attending　district　meetings；　and　three　francs　a　day　for　serving　on

committees　of　surveillance。　　We　recruit　from　amongst　them　our

revolutionary　army；＇72＇　we　select　amongst　them　the　innumerable

custodians　of　sequesters：　in　this　way；　hundreds　of　thousands　of　sans…

culottes　enter　into　the　various　public　services。　　…　At　last；　the　poor

are　taken　out　of　a　state　of　poverty：　each　will　now　have　his　plot　of

ground；　his　salary　or　pension；



〃in　a　well…ordered　republic　nobody　is　without　some　property。〃＇73＇



Henceforth；　among　individuals；　the　difference　in　welfare　will　be

small；　from　the　maximum　to　the　minimum；　there　will　be　only　a　degree；

while　there　will　be　found　in　every　dwelling　about　the　same　sort　of

household；　a　plain；　simple　household；　that　of　the　small　rural

proprietor；　well…off　farmer　or　factory　foreman；　that　of　Rousseau　at

Montmorency；　or　that　of　the　Savoyard　Vicar；　or　that　of　Duplay；　the

carpenter；　with　whom　Robespierre　lodges。＇74＇　There　will　be　no　more

domestic　servitude：　〃only　the　bond　of　help　and　gratitude　will　exists

between　employer　and　employee。〃＇75＇　…　He　who　works　for　another　citizen

belongs　to　his　family　and　sits　at　his　table。〃＇76＇　…　Through　the

transformation　of　lower　social　classes　into　middle　class　conditions　we

restore　human　dignity；　and　out　of　the　proletarian；　the　valet　and　the

workman；　we　begin　to　liberate　the　citizen。



VII。



Repression　of　Egoism。　　…　Measures　against　farmers；　manufacturers　and

merchants。　　…　Socialist　projects。　　…　Repression　of　Federalism。　　…

Measures　against　the　local；　professional　and　family　spirit。



Two　leading　obstacles　hinder　the　development　of　civism；　and　the　first

is　egoism。　　Whilst　the　citizen　prefers　the　community　to　himself；　the

egoist　prefers　himself　to　the　community。　　He　cares　only　for　his　own

interest；　he　gives　no　heed　to　public　necessities；　he　sees　none　of　the

superior　rights　which　take　precedence　of　his　derived　right；　he

supposes　that　his　property　is　his　own　without　restriction　or

condition；　he　forgets　that；　if　he　is　allowed　to　use　it；　he　must　not

use　it　to　another's　detriment。＇77＇　This　even　the　middle　or　low　class；

who　possess　goods　essential　for　survival；　will　do。　　The　greater　the

demand　for　these　goods　the　higher　they　raise　their　prices；　soon；　they

sell　only　at　an　exorbitant　rate；　and　worse　still；　stop　selling　and

store　their　goods　or　products；　in　the　expectation　of　selling　them

dearer。　　In　this　way；　they　speculate　on　another's　wants；　they　augment

the　general　distress　and　become　public　enemies。　　Nearly　all　the

agriculturists；　manufacturers　and　tradesmen　of　the　day；　little　and

big；　are　public　enemies　…　farmers；　tenant　farmers；　market…gardeners；

cultivators　of　every　degree；　as　well　as　foremen；　shopkeepers；

especially　wine…dealers；　bakers　and　butchers。



〃All　merchants　are　essentially　anti…revolutionaries；　and　would　sell

their　country　to　gain　a　few　pennies。〃＇78＇



We　will　not　tolerate　this　legal　brigandage。　　Since　〃agriculture　has

done　nothing　for　liberty　and　has　sought　only　its　own　gain；〃＇79＇　we

will　put　it　under　surveillance；　and；　if　necessary；　under　control。

Since　〃commerce　has　become　a　species　of　miserly　tyrant；〃　since　〃it　has

become　self…paralyzed；〃　and；　〃through　a　sort　of　anti…revolutionary

contempt；　neglected　the　manufacture；　handling　and　expedition　of

diverse　materials；〃　we　will　thwart　〃the　calculations　of　its　barbarous

arithmetic；　and　purge　it　of　the　aristocratic　and　corrupting

fermentation　which　oppresses　it。〃　We　make　monopoly　〃a　capital

crime；〃＇80＇　we　call　him　a　monopolist　who　〃takes　food　and　wares　of

prime　necessity　out　of　circulation；〃　and　〃keeps　them　stored　without

daily　and　publicly　offering　them　for　sale。〃　Penalty　of　death　against

whoever；　within　eight　days；　does　not　make　a　declaration；　or　if　he

makes　a　false　one。　　Penalty　of　death　against　the　dealer　who　does　not

post　up　the　contents　of　his　warehouse；　or　who　does　not　keep　open　shop。

Penalty　of　death　against　any　person　who　keeps　more　bread　on　hand　than

he　needs　for　his　subsistence。＇81＇　Penalty　of　death　against　the

cultivator　who　does　not　bring　his　grain　weekly　to　market。　　Penalty　of

death　against　the　dealer　who　does　not　post　up　the　contents　of　his

warehouse；　or　who　does　not　keep　open　shop。　　Penalty　of　death　against

the　manufacturer　who　does　not　verify　the　daily　use　of　his　workable

material。　　…　As　to　prices；　we　intervene　authoritatively　between　buyer

and　seller；　we　fix　the　maximum　price　for　all　objects　which；　near　or

remotely；　serve　to　feed；　warm　and　clothe　man；　we　will　imprison　whoever

offers　or　demands　anything　more。　　Whether　the　dealer　or　manufacturer

pays　expenses　at　this　rate；　matters　not；　if；　after　the　maximum　is

fixed；　he　closes　factory；　or　gives　up　business；　we　declare　him　a

〃suspect；〃　we　chain　him　down　to　his　pursuit；　we　oblige　him　to　lose　by

it。　　…　This　is　the　way　to　clip　the　claws　of　beasts　of　prey；　little　and

big！　But　the　claws　grow　out　again；　and；　instead　of　paring　them　down；

it　would　probably　be　better　to　pull　them　out。　　Some　amongst　us　have

already　thought　of　that；　the　right　of　pre…emption　shall　be　applied　to

every　article；　〃in　each　department；　national　storehouse　might　be

established　where　farmers；　land…owners　and　manufacturers　would　be

obliged　to　deposit　at　a　fixed　price；　paid　down；　the　surplus　of　their

consumption　of　every　species　of　merchandise。　　The　nation　would

distribute　this　merchandise　to　wholesale　dealers；　reserving　a　profit

of　six　per　cent。　　The　profit　of　the　wholesale　dealer　would　be　fixed　at

eight　per　cent　and　that　of　the　retailer　at　twelve　per　cent。〃＇82＇　In

this　way　；　farmers；　manufacturers；　and　merchants　would　all　become

clerks　of　the　State；　appointed　on　a　premium　or　a　discount；　unable　to

gain　a　great　deal；　they　would　not　be　tempted　to　gain　too　much；　they

would　cease　to　be　greedy　and　soon　cease　to　be　egoists。＇83＇　　…　Since；

fundamentally；　egoism　is　the　capital　vice　and　individual

proprietorship　the　food　that　nourishes　it；　why　not　suppress　individual

proprietorship　altogether？　Our　extreme　logicians；　with　Bab？uf　at　the

head　of　them；　go　as　far　as　that；　and　Saint…Just　seems　to　be　of　that

opinion。＇84＇　We　are　not　concerned　with　the　enacting　of　an　Agrarian；

the　nation　may　reserve　the　soil　to　itself　and　divide　among

individuals；　not　the