the origins of contemporary france-4-第36章

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in　which　they　penetrate；　and　you　may　judge　of　their　vigor。　　Consider

the　height　and　unlimited　growth　of　the　trees　which　they　nourish；　and

you　may　judge　of　their　healthiness。　　Everywhere　else；　one　or　other

having　failed；　in　China；　in　the　Roman　Empire；　in　Islam；　the　sap　has

dried　downward　and　the　tree　has　become　stunted；　or　has　fallen。。。。　　It

is　the　modern　man；　who　is　neither　Chinese；　nor　antique；　nor　Moslem；

nor　Negro；　nor　savage；　the　man　formed　by　Christian　education　and

taking　refuge　in　his　conscience　as　in　a　sanctuary；　the　man　formed　by

feudal　education　and　entrenched　behind　his　honor　as　in　a　fortress；

whose　sanctuary　and　stronghold　the　new　social　contract　bids　him

surrender。



Now；　in　this　democracy　founded　on　the　preponderance　of　numbers；　into

whose　hands　am　I　required　to　make　this　surrender？　…　Theoretically；　to

the　community；　that　is　to　say；　to　a　crowd　in　which　an　anonymous

impulse　is　the　substitute　for　individual　judgment；　in　which　action

becomes　impersonal　because　it　is　collective；　in　which　nobody

acknowledges　responsibility；　in　which　I　am　borne　along　like　a　grain　of

sand　in　a　whirlwind；　in　which　all　sorts　of　outrages　are　condoned

beforehand　for　reasons　of　state：　practically；　to　the　plurality　of

voices　counted　by　heads；　to　a　majority　which；　over…excited　by　the

struggle　for　mastery；　will　abuse　its　victory　and　wrong　the　minority　to

which　I　may　belong；　to　a　provisional　majority　which；　sooner　or　later；

will　be　replaced　by　another；　so　that　if　I　am　to…day　oppressor　I　am

sure　of　being　oppressed　to…morrow；　still　more　particularly；　to　six　or

seven　hundred　representatives；　among　who　I　am　called　upon　to　choose

but　one。　　To　elect　this　unique　mandatory　I　have　but　one　vote　among　ten

thousand；　and　in　helping　to　elect　him　I　am　only　the　ten…thousandth；　I

do　not　even　count　for　a　ten…thousandth　in　electing　the　others。　　And　it

is　these　six　or　seven　hundred　strangers　to　me　to　who　I　give　full　power

to　decide　for　me　…　note　the　expression　full　power　…　which　means

unlimited　power；　not　alone　over　my　possessions　and　life；　but；　again；

over　my　conscience；　with　all　its　powers　combined；　that　is　to　say；　with

powers　much　more　extensive　than　those　I　confer　separately　on　ten

persons　in　whom　I　place　the　most　confidence　…　to　my　legal　adviser　who

looks　after　my　fortune；　to　the　teacher　of　my　children；　to　the

physician　who　cares　for　my　health；　to　the　confessor　who　directs　my

conscience；　to　friends　who　are　to　serve　as　executors　of　my　last　will

and　testament；　to　seconds　in　a　duel　who　decide　on　my　life；　on　the　was

of　my　blood　and　who　guard　my　honor。　　Without　reference　to　the

deplorable　farce；　so　often　played　around　the　ballot…box；　or　to　the

forced　and　distorted　elections　which　put　a　contrary　interpretation　on

public　sentiment；　or　to　the　official　lies　by　which；　at　this　very

moment；　a　few　fanatics　and　madmen；　who　represent　nobody　but

themselves；　assume　to　represent　the　nation；＇14＇　measure　what　degree　of

confidence　I　may　have；　even　after　honest　elections；　in　mandatories　who

are　thus　chosen！　Frequently；　I　have　voted　for　the　defeated　candidate；

in　which　case　I　am　represented　by　the　other　who　I　did　not　want　for　a

representative。　　In　voting　for　the　elected　candidate；　I　did　it　because

I　knew　of　no　better　one；　and　because　his　opponent　seemed　to　me　worse。

I　have　only　seen　him　one　time　out　of　four　and　then　fleetingly；　at　odd

moment；　I　scarcely　knew　more　of　him　than　the　color　of　his　coat；　the

tone　of　his　voice；　and　the　way　he　has　of　thumping　his　breast。　　All　I

know　of　him　is　through　his　〃platform；〃　vague　and　declamatory；　through

editorials；　and　through　drawing…room；　coffee…house；　or　street　gossip。

His　title　to　my　confidence　is　of　the　flimsiest　and　shallowest　kind；

there　is　nothing　to　substantiate　to　me　his　integrity　or　competency；　he

has　no　diploma；　and　no　one　to　endorse　him　as　has　a　private　tutor；　he

has　no　guarantee　from　the　society　to　which　he　belongs；　like　the

physician；　the　priest　or　the　lawyer。　　With　references　as　poor　as　these

I　should　hesitate　to　recruit　him　even　as　a　domestic。　　And　all　the　more

because　the　class　from　which　I　am　obliged　to　take　him　is　almost　always

that　of　politicians；　a　suspicious　class；　especially　in　countries　in

which　universal　suffrage　prevails。　　This　class　is　not　recruited　among

the　most　independent；　the　ablest；　and　the　most　honest；　but　among

voluble；　scheming　men；　zealous　charlatans；　who　for　want　of

perseverance；　having　failed　in　private　careers；　in　situations　where

one　is　watched　too　closely　and　too　nicely　weighed　in　the　balance；　have

selected　roles　in　which　the　want　of　scrupulousness　and　discretion　is　a

force　instead　of　a　weakness；　to　their　indelicacy　and　impudence　the

doors　of　a　public　career　stand　wide　open。　　…　Such　is　the　august

personage　into　whose　hands；　according　to　the　theory；　I　am　called　upon

to　surrender　my　will；　my　will　in　full；　certainly；　if　self…renunciation

were　necessary；　I　should　risk　less　in　giving　myself　up　to　a　king　or　to

an　aristocracy；　even　hereditary；　for　then　would　my　representatives　be

at　least　recommended　by　their　evident　rank　and　their　probable

competency。　　…　Democracy；　in　its　nature　and　composition；　is　a　system

in　which　the　individual　awards　to　his　representatives　the　least　trust

and　deference；　hence；　it　is　the　system　in　which　he　should　entrust　them

with　the　least　power。　　Conscience　and　honor　everywhere　enjoin　a　man　to

retain　for　himself　some　portion　of　his　independence；　but　nowhere　is

there　so　little　be　ceded。　　　If　a　modern　constitution　ought　to　clearly

define　and　limit　the　domain　of　the　State；　it　is　in　respect　of

contemporary　democracy　that　it　ought　to　be　the　most　restrictive。



III。



Origin　and　nature　of　the　modern　State。　　…　Its　functions；　rights　and

limits。



Let　us　try　to　define　these　limits。　　…　After　the　turmoil　of　invasions

and　conquest；　at　the　height　of　social　disintegration；　amidst　the

combats　daily　occurring　between　private　parties；　there　arose　in　every

European　community　a　public　force　；　which　force；　lasting　for

centuries；　still　persists　to　our　day。　　How　it　was　organized；　through

what　early　stages　of　violence　it　passed；　through　what　accidents　and

struggles；　and　into　whose　hands　it　is　now　entrusted；　whether

temporarily　or　forever；　whatever　the　laws　of　its　transmission；　whether

by　inheritance　or　election；　is　of　secondary　importance；　the　main　thing

is　its　functions　and　their　mode　of　operation。　　It　is　essentially　a

mighty　sword；　drawn　from　its　scabbard　and　uplifted　over　the　smaller

blades　around　it；　with　which　private　individuals　once　cut　each　others'

throats。　　Menaced　by　it；　the　smaller　blades　repose　in　their　scabbards；

they　have　become　inert；　useless；　and；　finally　rusty；　with　few

exceptions；　everybody　save　malefactors；　has　now　lost　both　the　habit

and　the　desire　to　use　them；　so　that；　henceforth；　in　this　pacified

society；　the　public　sword　is　so　formidable　that　all　private　resistance

vanishes　the　moment　it　flashes。　　…　This　sword　is　forged　out　of　two

interests：　it　was　necessary　to　have　one　of　its　magnitude；　first；

against　similar　blades　brandished　by　other　communities　on　the

frontier；　and　next；　against　the　smaller　blades　which　bad　passions　are

always　sharpening　in　the　interior。　　People　demanded　protection　against

outside　enemies　and　inside　ruffians　and　murderers；　and；　slowly　and

painfully；　after　much　groping　and　much　re…tempering；　the　agreement

between　hereditary　forces　has　fashioned　the　sole　arm　which　is　capable

of　protecting　lives　and　property　with　any　degree　of　success。　　…　So

long　as　it　does　no　more　I　am　indebted　to　the　State　which　holds　the

hilt：　it　gives　me　a　security　which；　without　it；　I　could　not　have

enjoyed。　　In　return　for　this　security　I　owe　it；　for　my　quota；　the

means　for　keeping　this　weapon　in　good　condition：　he　who　enjoys　a

service　is　under　an　obligation　to　pay　for　it。　　Accordingly；　there　is

between　the　State　and　myself；　if　not　an　express　contract；　at　least　a

tacit　understanding　equivalent　to　that　which　binds　a　child　to　its

parent；　a　believer　to