the origins of contemporary france-3-第7章

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condition　may　be；　my　incompetence；　my　ignorance；　my　insignificance　in

the　career　in　which　I　have　plodded　along；　I　have　full　control　over　the

fortunes；　lives；　and　consciences　of　twenty…six　million　French　people；

being　accordingly　Czar　and　Pope；　according　to　my　share　of　authority。　…

…　But　if　I　adhere　strictly　to　this　doctrine；　I　am　yet　more　so　than　my

quota　warrants。　This　royal　prerogative　with　which　I　am　endowed　is　only

conferred　on　those　who；　like　myself；　sign　the　Social　Contract　in　full；

others；　merely　because　they　reject　some　clause　of　it；　incur　a

forfeiture；　no　one　must　enjoy　the　advantages　of　a　pact　of　which　some

of　the　conditions　are　repudiated。　…　Even　better；　as　this　pact　is　based

on　natural　right　and　is　obligatory；　he　who　rejects　it　or　withdraws

from　it；　becomes　by　that　act　a　miscreant；　a　public　wrong…doer　and　an

enemy　of　the　people。　There　were　once　crimes　of　royal　lèse…majesty；　now

there　are　crimes　of　popular　lèse…majesty。　Such　crimes　are　committed

when　by　deed；　word；　or　thought；　any　portion　whatever　of　the　more　than

royal　authority　belonging　to　the　people　is　denied　or　contested。　The

dogma　through　which　popular　sovereignty　is　proclaimed　thus　actually

ends　in　a　dictatorship　of　the　few；　and　a　proscription　of　the　many。

Outside　of　the　sect　you　are　outside　of　the　laws。　We；　the　five　or　six

thousand　Jacobins　of　Paris；　are　the　legitimate　monarch；　the　infallible

Pontiff；　and　woe　betide　the　refractory　and　the　lukewarm；　all

government　agents；　all　private　persons；　the　clergy；　the　nobles；　the

rich；　merchants；　traders；　the　indifferent　among　all　classes；　who；

steadily　opposing　or　yielding　uncertain　adhesion；　dare　to　throw　doubt

on　our　unquestionable　right。



One　by　one　these　consequences　are　to　come　into　light；　and　it　is

evident　that；　let　the　logical　machinery　by　which　they　unfold

themselves　be　what　it　may；　no　ordinary　person；　unless　of　consummate

vanity；　will　fully　adopt　them。　He　must　have　an　exalted　opinion　of

himself　to　consider　himself　sovereign　otherwise　than　by　his　vote；　to

conduct　public　business　with　no　more　misgivings　than　his　private

business；　to　directly　and　forcibly　interfere　with　this；　to　set　himself

up；　he　and　his　clique；　as　guides；　censors　and　rulers　of　his

government；　to　persuade　himself　that；　with　his　mediocre　education　and

average　intellect；　with　his　few　scraps　of　Latin　and　such　information

as　is　obtained　in　reading…rooms；　coffee…houses；　and　newspapers；　with

no　other　experience　than　that　of　a　club；　or　a　municipal　council；　he

could　discourse　wisely　and　well　on　the　vast；　complex　questions　which

superior　men；　specially　devoted　to　them；　hesitate　to　take　up。　At　first

this　presumption　existed　in　him　only　in　germ；　and；　in　ordinary　times；

it　would　have　remained；　for　lack　of　nourishment；　as　dry…rot　or

creeping　mold；　But　the　heart　knows　not　what　strange　seeds　it　contains！

Any　of　these；　feeble　and　seemingly　inoffensive；　needs　only　air　and

sunshine　to　become　a　noxious　excrescence　and　a　colossal　plant。　Whether

third　or　fourth　rate　attorney；　counselor；　surgeon；　journalist；　curé；

artist；　or　author；　the　Jacobin　is　like　the　shepherd　that　has　just

found；　in　one　corner　of　his　hut；　a　lot　of　old　parchments　which　entitle

him　to　the　throne。　What　a　contrasts　between　the　meanness　of　his

calling　and　the　importance　with　which　the　theory　invests　him！　With

what　rapture　he　accepts　a　dogma　that　raises　him　so　high　in　his　own

estimation！　Diligently　conning　the　Declaration　of　Rights；　the

Constitution；　all　the　official　documents　that　confer　on　him　such

glorious　prerogatives；　charging　his　imagination　with　them；　he

immediately　assumes　a　tone　befitting　his　new　position。＇23＇　　Nothing

surpasses　the　haughtiness　and　arrogance　of　this　tone。　It　declares

itself　at　the　outset　in　the　harangues　of　the　clubs　and　in　the

petitions　to　the　Constituent　Assembly。　Loustalot；　Fréron；　Danton；

Marat；　Robespierre；　St。　Just；　always　employ　dictatorial　language；　that

of　the　sect；　and　which　finally　becomes　the　jargon　of　their　meanest

valets。　Courtesy　or　toleration；　anything　that　denotes　regard　or

respect　for　others；　find　no　place　in　their　utterances　nor　in　their

acts；　a　swaggering；　tyrannical　conceit　creates　for　itself　a　language

in　its　own　image；　and　we　see　not　only　the　foremost　actors；　but　their

minor　associates；　enthroned　on　their　grandiloquent　platform。　Each　in

his　own　eyes　is　Roman；　savior；　hero；　and　great　man。



　〃I　stood　in　the　tribune　of　the　palace；〃　writes　Anarcharsis

Clootz；＇24＇　〃at　the　head　of　the　foreigners；　acting　as　ambassador　of

the　human　species；　while　the　ministers　of　the　tyrants　regarded　me　with

a　jealous　and　disconcerted　air。〃



A　schoolmaster　at　Troyes；　on　the　opening　of　the　club　in　that　town；

advises　the　women　〃to　teach　their　children；　as　soon　as　they　can　utter

a　word；　that　they　are　free　and　have　equal　rights　with　the　mightiest

potentates　of　the　universe。〃＇25＇　　Pétion's　account　of　the　journey　in

the　king's　carriage；　on　the　return　from　Varennes；　must　be　read　to　see

how　far　self…importance　of　a　pedant　and　the　self…conceit　of　a　lout　can

be　carried。＇26＇　　　In　their　memoirs　and　even　down　to　their　epitaphs；

Barbaroux；　Buzot；　Pétion；　Roland；　and　Madame　Roland＇27＇　give

themselves　certificates　of　virtue　and；　if　we　could　take　their　word　for

it；　they　would　pass　for　Plutarch's　model　characters。　　　This

infatuation；　from　the　Girondins　to　the　Montagnards；　continues　to　grow。

St。　Just；　at　the　age　of　twenty…four；　and　merely　a　private　individual；

is　already　consumed　with　suppressed　ambition。　Marat　says：



　〃I　believe　that　I　have　exhausted　every　combination　of　the　human

intellect　in　relation　to　morality；　philosophy　and　political　science。〃



　Robespierre；　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　the　Revolution；　is

always；　in　his　own　eyes；　Robespierre　the　unique；　the　one　pure　man；　the

infallible　and　the　impeccable；　no　man　ever　burnt　to　himself　the

incense　of　his　own　praise　so　constantly　and　so　directly。　…　At　this

level；　conceit　may　drink　the　theory　　to　the　bottom；　however　revolting

the　dregs　and　however　fatal　its　poison　even　to　those　defy　its　nausea

for　the　sake　of　swallowing　it。　And；　since　it　is　virtue；　no　one　may

refuse　it　without　committing　a　crime。　Thus　construed；　the　theory

divides　Frenchmen　into　two　groups：　one　consisting　of　aristocrats；

fanatics；　egoists；　the　corrupt；　bad　citizens　in　short；　and　the　other

patriots；　philosophers；　and　the　virtuous；　that　is　to　say；　those

belonging　to　the　sect。＇28＇　Thanks　to　this　reduction；　the　vast　moral

and　social　world　with　which　they　deal　finds　its　definition；

expression；　and　representation　in　a　ready…made　antithesis。　　The　aim　of

the　government　is　now　clear：　the　wicked　must　submit　to　the　good；　or；

which　is　briefer；　the　wicked　must　be　suppressed。　To　this　end　let　us

employ　confiscation；　imprisonment；　exile；　drowning　and　the　guillotine

and　a　large　scale。　All　means　are　justifiable　and　meritorious　against

these　traitors；　now　that　the　Jacobin　has　canonized　his　slaughter；　he

slays　through　philanthropy。　　Thus　is　the　forming　of　his　personality

completed　like　that　of　a　theologian　who　becomes　inquisitor。

Extraordinary　contrasts　are　gathered　to　construct　it：　…　a　lunatic　that

is　logical；　and　a　monster　that　pretends　to　have　a　conscience。　Under

the　pressure　of　his　faith　and　egotism；　he　has　developed　two

deformities；　one　of　the　head　and　the　other　of　the　heart；　his　common

sense　is　gone；　and　his　moral　sense　is　utterly　perverted。　In　fixing　his

mind　on　abstract　formulas；　he　is　no　longer　able　to　see　men　as　they

are。　His　self…admiration　makes　him　consider　his　adversaries；　and　even

his　rivals；　as　miscreants　deserving　of　death。　On　this　downhill　road

nothing　stops　him；　for；　in　qualifying　things　inversely　to　their　true

meaning；　he　has　violated　within　himself　the　precious　concepts　which

brings　us　back　to　truth　and　justice。　No　light　reaches　eyes　which

regard　blindness　as　clear…sightedness；　no　remorse　affects　a　soul　which

erects　barbarism　into　patriotism；　and　which　sanctions　murder　with

duty。

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