the origins of contemporary france-4-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



tacit　understanding　equivalent　to　that　which　binds　a　child　to　its

parent；　a　believer　to　his　church；　and；　on　both　sides；　this　mutual

understanding　is　clear　and　precise。　　The　state　engages　to　look　after

my　security　within　and　without；　I　engage　to　furnish　the　means　for　so

doing；　which　means　consist　of　my　respect　and　gratitude；　my　zeal　as　a

citizen；　my　services　as　a　conscript；　my　contributions　as　a　tax…payer；

in　short；　whatever　is　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　an　army；　a

navy；　a　diplomatic　organization；　civil　and　criminal　courts；　a　militia

and　police；　central　and　local　administrations；　in　short；　a　harmonious

set　of　organs　of　which　my　obedience　and　loyalty　constitute　the　food；

the　substance　and　the　blood。　　This　loyalty　and　obedience；　whatever　I

am；　whether　rich　or　poor；　Catholic；　Protestant；　Jew　or　free…thinker；

royalist　or　republican；　individualist　or　socialist；　upon　my　honor　and

in　my　conscience　I　owe。　　This　because　I　have　received　the　equivalent；

I　am　delighted　that　I　am　not　vanquished；　assassinated；　or　robbed。　　I

reimburse　the　State；　exactly　but　not　more　that　which　it　has　spent　on

equipment　and　personnel　for　keeping　down　brutal　cupidity；　greedy

appetites；　deadly　fanaticism；　the　entire　howling　pack　of　passions　and

desires　of　which；　sooner　or　later；　I　might　become　the　prey；　were　it

not　constantly　to　extend　over　me　its　vigilant　protection。　　When　it

demands　its　outlay　of　me　it　is　not　my　property　which　it　takes　away；

but　its　own　property；　which　it　collects　and；　in　this　light；　it　may

legitimately　force　me　to　pay。　　…　On　condition；　however；　that　it　does

not　exact　more　than　my　liabilities；　and　this　it　does　when　it　oversteps

its　original　engagements；



1。　　when　it　undertakes　some　extra　material　or　moral　work　that　I　do　not

ask　for；

2。　　when　it　constitutes　itself　sectarian；　moralist；　philanthropist；　or

pedagogue；

3。　　when　it　strives　to　propagate　within　its　borders；　or　outside　of

them；　any　religious　or　philosophic　dogma；　or　any　special　political　or

social　system。

For　then；　it　adds　a　new　article　to　the　primitive　pact；　for　which

article　there　is　not　the　same　unanimous　and　assured　assent　that

existed　for　the　pact。　　We　are　all　willing　to　be　secured　against

violence　and　fraud；　outside　of　this；　and　on　almost　any　other　point；

there　are　divergent　wills。　　I　have　my　own　religion；　my　own　opinions；

my　habits；　my　customs；　my　peculiar　views　of　life　and　way　of　regarding

the　universe；　now；　this　is　just　what　constitutes　my　personality；　what

honor　and　conscience　forbid　me　to　alienate；　and　which　the　State　has

promised　me　to　protect。　　Consequently；　when；　through　its　additional

article；　it　attempts　to　regulate　these　in　a　certain　way；　if　that　way

is　not　my　way；　it　fails　to　fulfill　its　primordial　engagement　and；

instead　of　protecting　me；　it　oppresses　me。　　Even　if　it　should　have　the

support　of　a　majority；　even　if　all　voters；　less　one；　should　agree　to

entrusting　it　with　this　supererogatory　function；　were　there　only　one

dissenter；　he　would　be　wronged；　and　in　two　ways。　　…



First　of　all；　and　in　any　event；　the　State；　to　fulfill　its　new　tasks；

exacts　from　him　an　extra　amount　of　subsidy　and　service；　for；　every

supplementary　work　brings　along　with　it　supplementary　expenses；　the

budget　is　overburdened　when　the　State　takes　upon　itself　the　procuring

of　work　for　laborers　or　employment　for　artists；　the　maintenance　of　any

particular　industrial　or　commercial　enterprise；　the　giving　of　alms；

and　the　furnishing　of　education。　　To　an　expenditure　of　money　add　an

expenditure　of　lives；　should　it　enter　upon　a　war　of　generosity　or　of

propaganda。　　Now；　to　all　these　expenditures　that　it　does　not　approve

of；　the　minority　contributes　as　well　as　the　majority　which　does

approve　of　them；　so　much　the　worse　for　the　conscript　and　the　tax…payer

if　they　belong　to　the　dissatisfied　group。　　Like　it　or　not；　the

collector　puts　his　hand　in　the　tax…payer's　pocket；　and　the　sergeant

lays　his　hand　on　the　conscript's　collar。　　…



　In　the　second　place；　and　in　many　circumstances；　not　only　does　the

State　unjustly　take　more　than　its　due；　but　it　uses　the　money　it　has


extorted　from　me　to　apply　unjustly　new　constraints　against　me。　　Such

is　the　case；



*　when　it　imposes　on　me　its　theology　or　philosophy；

*　when　it　prescribes　for　me；　or　interdicts；　a　cult；

*　when　it　assumes　to　regulate　my　ways　and　habits；

*　when　it　assumes　to　limit　my　labor　or　expenditure；

*　when　it　assumes　to　direct　the　education　of　my　children；

*　when　it　assumes　to　fix　the　prices　of　my　wares　or　the　rate　of　my

wages。

For　then；　to　enforce　its　commands　and　prohibitions；　it　enacts　light　or

serious　penalties　against　the　recalcitrant；　all　the　way　from　political

or　civil　incapacity　to　fines；　imprisonment；　exile　and　the　guillotine。

In　other　words；　the　money　I　do　not　owe　it；　and　of　which　it　robs　me；

pays　for　the　persecution　which　it　inflicts　upon　me；　I　am　reduced　to

paying　out　of　my　own　purse　the　wages　of　my　inquisitors；　my　jailer　and

my　executioner。　　A　more　glaring　oppression　could　not　be　imagined！　…

Let　us　watch　out　for　the　encroachments　of　the　State　and　not　allow　it

to　become　anything　more　than　a　watch…dog。　　Whilst　the　teeth　and　nails

of　other　guests　in　the　household　have　been　losing　their　sharpness；　its

fangs　have　become　formidable；　it　is　now　colossal　and　it　alone　still

keeps　up　the　practice　of　fighting。　　Let　us　supply　it　with　nourishment

against　wolves；　but　never　let　it　touch　peaceable　folks　around　the

table。　　Appetite　grows　by　eating；　it　would　soon　become　a　wolf　itself；

and　the　most　ravenous　wolf　inside　the　fold。　　The　important　thing　is　to

keep　a　chain　around　its　neck　and　confine　it　within　its　own　enclosure。



IV。



The　state　is　tempted　to　encroach。　　…　Precedents　and　reasons　for　its

pretensions。



Let　us　go　around　the　fold；　which　is　an　extensive　one；　and；　through　its

extensions；　reach　into　almost　every　nook　of　private　life。　　…　　Each

private　domain；　indeed；　physical　or　moral；　offers　temptations　for　its

neighbors　to　trespass　on　it；　and；　to　keep　this　intact；　demands　the

superior　intervention　of　a　third　party。　　To　acquire；　to　possess；　to

sell；　to　give；　to　bequeath；　to　contract　between　husband　and　wife；

father；　mother　or　child；　between　master　or　domestic；　employer　or

employee；　each　act　and　each　situation；　involves　rights　limited　by

contiguous　and　adverse　rights；　and　it　is　the　State　which　sets　up　the

boundary　between　them。　　Not　that　it　creates　this　boundary；　but；　that

this　may　be　recognized；　it　draws　the　line　and　therefore　enacts　civil

laws　which　it　applies　through　its　courts　and　gendarmes　in　such　a　way

as　to　secure　to　each　individual　what　belongs　to　him。　　The　State

stands；　accordingly；　as　regulator　and　controller；　not　alone　of　private

possessions；　but　also　of　the　family　and　of　domestic　life；　its

authority　is　thus　legitimately　introduced　into　that　reserved　circle　in

which　the　individual　will　has　entrenched　itself；　and；　as　is　the　habit

of　all　great　powers；　once　the　circle　is　invaded；　its　tendency　is　to

occupy　it　fully　and　entirely。　　…　To　this　end；　it　invokes　a　new

principle。　　Constituted　as　a　moral　personality；　the　same　as　a　church；

university；　or　charitable　or　scientific　body；　is　not　the　State　bound；

like　every　corporate　body　that　is　to　last　for　ages；　to　extend　its

vision　far　and　near　and　prefer　to　private　interests；　which　are　only

life…interests；　the　common　interest　（l'intérêt　commun）　which　is

eternal？　Is　not　this　the　superior　end　to　which　all　others　should　be

subordinated；　and　must　this　interest；　which　is　supreme　over　all；　be

sacrificed　to　two　troublesome　instincts　which　are　often　unreasonable

and　sometimes　dangerous；　to　conscience；　which　overflows　in　mystic

madness；　and　to　honor；　which　may　lead　to　strife　even　to　murderous

duels？　…　Certainly　not；　and　first　of　all　when；　in　its　grandest　works；

the　State；　as　legislator；　regulates　marriages；　inheritances；　and

testaments；　then　it　is　not　respect　for　the　will　of　individuals　which

solely　guides　it；　it　does　not　content　itself　with　obliging