the origins of contemporary france-1-第134章

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before　Paris　speaks。〃　　…　This　is　what　Monarchical　centralization　leads

to。　　It　has　deprived　the　groups　of　their　cohesion　and　the　individual　of

his　motivational　drive。　　Only　human　dust　remains；　and　this；　whirling

about　and　gathered　together　in　massive　force；　is　blindly　driven　along

by　the　wind。＇18＇







III。



Direction　of　the　current。　　…　　The　people　led　by　lawyers。　　…

Theories　and　piques　the　sole　surviving　forces。　　…　　Suicide　of　the

Ancient　regime。



We　are　all　well　aware　from　which　side　the　gale　comes；　and；　to

assure　ourselves；　we　have　merely　to　see　how　the　reports　of　the　Third…

Estate　are　made　up。　　The　peasant　is　led　by　the　man　of　the　law；　the

petty　attorney　of　the　rural　districts；　the　envious　advocate　and

theorist。　　This　one　insists；　in　the　report；　on　a　statement　being　made

in　writing　and　at　length　of　his　local　and　personal　grievances；　his

protest　against　taxes　and　deductions；　his　request　to　have　his　dog　free

of　the　clog；　and　his　desire　to　own　a　gun　to　use　against　the

wolves＇19＇。　　Another　one；　who　suggests　and　directs；　envelopes　all　this

in　the　language　of　the　Rights　of　Man　and　that　of　the　circular　of

Sieyès。



　〃For　two　months；〃　writes　a　commandant　in　the　South；＇20＇　〃inferior

judges　and　lawyers；　with　which　both　town　and　country　swarm；　with　a

view　to　their　election　to　the　States…General；　have　been　racing　after

the　members　of　the　Third…Estate；　under　the　pretext　of　standing　by　them

and　of　giving　them　information。　　。　　。　　They　have　striven　to　make　them

believe　that；　in　the　States…General；　they　alone　would　be　masters　and

regulate　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　that　the　Third…Estate；　in

selecting　its　deputies　among　men　of　the　robe；　would　secure　the　might

and　the　right　to　take　the　lead；　to　abolish　nobility　and　to　cancel　all

its　rights　and　privileges；　that　nobility　would　no　longer　be

hereditary；　that　all　citizens；　in　deserving　it；　would　be　entitled　to

claim　it；　that；　if　the　people　elected　them；　they　would　have　accorded

to　the　Third…Estate　whatever　it　desired；　because　the　curates；

belonging　to　the　Third…Estate；　having　agreed　to　separate　from　the

higher　clergy　and　unite　with　them；　the　nobles　and　the　clergy；　united

together；　would　have　but　one　vote　against　two　of　the　Third…Estate。　　。　　。

。　　If　the　third　…　Estate　had　chosen　sensible　townspeople　or　merchants

they　would　have　combined　without　difficulty　with　the　other　two　orders。

But　the　assemblies　of　the　bailiwicks　and　other　districts　were　stuffed

with　men　of　the　robe　who　had　absorbed　all　opinions　and　striven　to　take

precedence　of　the　others；　each；　in　his　own　behalf；　intriguing　and

conspiring　to　be　appointed　a　deputy。〃



　　〃In　Touraine；〃　writes　the　intendant；＇21＇　〃most　of　the　votes　have

been　bespoken　or　begged　for。　　Trusty　agents；　at　the　moment　of　voting；

placed　filled…in　ballots　in　the　hands　of　the　voters；　and　put　in　their

way；　on　reaching　the　taverns；　every　document　and　suggestion　calculated

to　excite　their　imaginations　and　determine　their　choice　for　the　gentry

of　the　bar。〃



　〃In　the　sénéchausée　of　Lectoure；　a　number　of　parishes　have　not

been　designated　or　notified　to　send　their　reports　or　deputies　to　the

district　assembly。　　In　those　which　were　notified　the　lawyers；　attorneys

and　notaries　of　the　small　neighboring　towns　have　made　up　the　list　of

grievances　themselves　without　summoning　the　community。　　。　　。　　Exact

copies　of　this　single　rough　draft　were　made　and　sold　at　a　high　price

to　the　councils　of　each　country　parish〃。　　　…



This　is　an　alarming　symptom；　one　marking　out　in　advance　the　road

the　Revolution　is　to　take：　The　man　of　the　people　is　indoctrinated　by

the　advocate；　the　pikeman　allowing　himself　to　be　led　by　the

spokesman。＇22＇



The　effect　of　their　combination　is　apparent　the　first　year。　　In

Franche…Comté＇23＇　after　consultation　with　a　person　named　Rouget；　the

peasants　of　the　Marquis　de　Chaila　〃determine　to　make　no　further

payments　to　him；　and　to　divide　amongst　themselves　the　product　of　the

wood…cuttings。〃　In　his　paper　〃the　lawyer　states　that　all　the

communities　of　the　province　have　decided　to　do　the　same　thing。　　。　　。　　His

consultation　is　diffused　to　such　an　extent　around　the　country　that

many　of　the　communities　are　satisfied　that　they　owe　nothing　more　to

the　king　nor　to　the　seigniors。　　M。　de　Marnésia；　deputy　to　the

（National）　Assembly；　has　arrived　（here）　to　pass　a　few　days　at　home　on

account　of　his　health。　　He　has　been　treated　in　the　rudest　and　most

scandalous　manner；　it　was　even　proposed　to　conduct　him　back　to　Paris

under　guard。　　After　his　departure　his　chateau　was　attacked；　the　doors

burst　open　and　the　walls　of　his　garden　pulled　down。　　（And　yet）　no

gentleman　has　done　more　for　the　people　on　his　domain　the　M。　le　Marquis

de　Marnésia。　　。　　。　　Excesses　of　every　kind　are　on　the　increase；　I　have

constant　complaints　of　the　abuse　which　the　national　militia　make　of

their　arms；　and　which　I　cannot　remedy。〃　According　to　an　utterance　in

the　National　Assembly　the　police　imagines　that　it　is　to　be　disbanded

and　has　therefore　no　desire　to　make　enemies　for　itself。　　〃The　baillages

are　as　timid　as　the　police…forces；　I　send　them　business　constantly；

but　no　culprit　is　punished。〃　　　　　〃No　nation　enjoys　liberty　so

indefinite　and　so　disastrous　to　honest　people；　it　is　absolutely

against　the　rights　of　man　to　see　oneself　constantly　liable　to　have　his

throat　cut　by　the　scoundrels　who　daily　confound　liberty　with　license。〃

…　　In　other　words；　the　passions　utilize　the　theory　to　justify

themselves；　and　the　theory　appeal　to　passion　to　be　carried　out。　　For

example；　near　Liancourt；　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld　possessed　an

uncultivated　area　of　ground；　〃at　the　commencement　of　the

revolution；＇24＇　the　poor　of　the　town　declare　that；　as　they　form　a　part

of　the　nation；　untilled　lands　being　national　property；　this　belongs　to

them；〃　and　〃with　no　other　formality〃　they　take　possession　of　it；

divide　it　up；　plant　hedges　and　clear　it　off。　　〃This；　says　Arthur　Young；

shows　the　general　disposition。　　。　　。　　。　　Pushed　a　little　farther　the

consequences　would　not　be　slight　for　properties　in　this　kingdom。〃

Already；　in　the　preceding　year；　near　Rouen；　the　marauders；　who　cut

down　and　sell　the　forests；　declare；　that　〃the　people　have　the　right　to

take　whatever　they　require　for　their　necessities。〃　They　have　had　the

doctrine　preached　to　them　that　they　are　sovereign；　and　they　act　as

sovereigns。　　The　condition　of　their　intellects　being　given；　nothing　is

more　natural　than　their　conduct。　　Several　millions　of　savages　are　thus

let　loose　by　a　few　thousand　windbags；　the　politics　of　the　café　finding

an　interpreter　and　ministrants　in　the　mob　of　the　streets。　　On　the　one

hand　brute　force　is　at　the　service　of　the　radical　dogma。　　On　the　other

hand　radical　dogma　is　at　the　service　of　brute　force。　　And　here；　in

disintegrated　France；　these　are　the　only　two　valid　powers　remaining

erect　on　the　debris　of　the　others。



______________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　Necker；　〃De　l'Administration　des　Finances；〃　II。　　422；　435。



＇2＇　The　wages　have　in　1789　been　estimated　to　be　7　sous　4　deniers　of

which　2　sous　and　6　deniers　would　have　to　be　paid　for　the　bread。

（Mercure　de　France；　May　7；　1791。）



＇3＇　Aubertin；　345。　　Letter　to　the　Comte　de　St。　　Germain　（during　the

Seven　Years　War）。　　〃The　soldier's　hardships　make　one's　heart　bleed；　he

passes　his　days　in　a　state　of　abject　misery；　despised　and　living　like

a　chained　dog　to　be　used　for　combat。〃



＇4＇　De　Tocqueville；　190；　191。



＇5＇　Archives　nationales；　H；　1591。



＇6＇　De　Rochambeau；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　　427。　　…　　D'Argenson；　December　24；

1752。　　〃30；000　men　have　been　punished　for　desertion　since　the　peace　of

1748；　this　extensive　desertion　is　attributed　to　the　new　drill　which

fatigues　and　disheartens　the　soldier；　and　especially　the　veterans。〃　　…

Voltaire；　〃Dict。　　Phil。；〃　article　〃Punishments。〃　〃I　was　amazed　one　day

on　seeing　the　list　of　deserters；　for　eight　years　amounting　to　60；000。〃



＇7＇　Archives