the origins of contemporary france-1-第83章

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proprietors　to　plead　in　their　behalf；　if　they　yield　precedence　in

public　it　is　only　through　decorum。　　Vainly　do　they　proclaim　it　the

recognized　sovereign；　they　grant　it　only　a　passing　authority；　and；

under　its　nominal　control；　they　remain　the　inward　masters。　　These

masters　of　Man　consists　of　physical　temperament；　bodily　needs；　animal

instinct；　hereditary　prejudice；　imagination；　generally　the　dominant

passion；　and　more　particularly　personal　or　family　interest；　also　that

of　caste　or　party。　　We　are　making　a　big　mistake　were　we　assume　men　to

be　naturally　good；　generous；　pleasant；　or　at　any　rate　gentle；　pliable；

and　ready　to　sacrifice　themselves　to　social　interests　or　to　those　of

others。　　There　are　several；　and　among　them　the　strongest；　who；　left　to

themselves；　would　only　wreak　havoc。　　…　In　the　first　place；　if　there　is

no　certainty　of　Man　being　a　remote　blood　cousin　of　the　monkey；　it　is

at　least　certain　that；　in　his　structure；　he　is　an　animal　closely

related　to　the　monkey；　provided　with　canine　teeth；　carnivorous；

formerly　cannibal　and；　therefore；　a　hunter　and　bellicose。　　Hence　there

is　in　him　a　steady　substratum　of　brutality　and　ferocity；　and　of

violent　and　destructive　instincts；　to　which　must　be　added；　if　he　is

French；　gaiety；　laughter；　and　a　strange　propensity　to　gambol　and　act

insanely　in　the　havoc　he　makes；　we　shall　see　him　at　work。　　…　　In　the

second　place；　at　the　outset；　his　condition　casts　him　naked　and

destitute　on　an　ungrateful　soil；　on　which　subsistence　is　difficult；

where；　at　the　risk　of　death；　he　is　obliged　to　save　and　to　economize。

Hence　a　constant　preoccupation　and　the　rooted　idea　of　acquiring；

accumulating；　and　possessing；　rapacity　and　avarice；　more　particularly

in　the　class　which；　tied　to　the　globe；　fasts　for　sixty　generations　in

order　to　support　other　classes；　and　whose　crooked　fingers　are　always

outstretched　to　clutch　the　soil　whose　fruits　they　cause　to　grow；…we

shall　see　this　class　at　work。　　…　Finally；　his　more　delicate　mental

organization　makes　of　him　from　the　earliest　days　an　imaginative　being

in　which　swarming　fancies　develop　themselves　into　monstrous　chimeras

to　expand　his　hopes；　fears　and　desires　beyond　all　bounds。　　Hence　an

excess　of　sensibility；　sudden　outbursts　of　emotion；　contagious

agitation；　irresistible　currents　of　passion；　epidemics　of　credulity

and　suspicion；　in　short；　enthusiasm　and　panic；　especially　if　he　is

French；　that　is　to　say；　excitable　and　communicative；　easily　thrown　off

his　balance　and　prompt　to　accept　foreign　impulsion；　deprived　of　the

natural　ballast　which　a　phlegmatic　temperament　and　concentration　of

lonely　meditations　secure　to　his　German　and　Latin　neighbors；　and　all

this　we　shall　see　at　work。　　…　　These　constitute　some　of　the　brute

forces　that　control　human　life。　　In　ordinary　times　we　pay　no　attention

to　them；　being　subordinated　they　do　not　seem　to　us　formidable。　　We　take

it　for　granted　that　they　are　allayed　and　pacified　；　we　flatter

ourselves　that　the　discipline　imposed　on　them　has　made　them　natural；

and　that　by　dint　of　flowing　between　dikes　they　are　settled　down　into

their　accustomed　beds。　　The　truth　is　that；　like　all　brute　forces；　like

a　stream　or　a　torrent；　they　only　remain　in　these　under　constraint；　it

is　the　dike　which；　through　its　resistance；　produces　this　moderation。

Another　force　equal　to　their　force　had　to　be　installed　against　their

outbreaks　and　devastation；　graduated　according　to　their　scale；　all　the

firmer　as　they　are　more　menacing；　despotic　if　need　be　against　their

despotism；　in　any　event　constraining　and　repressive；　at　the　outset　a

tribal　chief；　later　an　army　general；　all　modes　consisting　in　an

elective　or　hereditary　man…at…arms；　possessing　vigilant　eyes　and

vigorous　arms；　and　who；　with　blows；　excites　fear　and；　through　fear；

maintains　order。　　In　the　regulation　and　limitation　of　his　blows　divers

instrumentalities　are　employed；　a　pre…established　constitution；　a

division　of　powers；　a　code　of　laws；　tribunals；　and　legal　formalities。

At　the　bottom　of　all　these　wheels　ever　appears　the　principal　lever；

the　efficacious　instrument；　namely；　the　policeman　armed　against　the

savage；　brigand　and　madman　each　of　us　harbors；　in　repose　or　manacled；

but　always　living；　in　the　recesses　of　his　own　breast。＇16＇



On　the　contrary；　in　the　new　theory；　every　principle　promulgated；

every　precaution　taken；　every　suspicion　awaked　is　aimed　against　the

policeman。　　In　the　name　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　all　authority

is　withdrawn　from　the　government；　every　prerogative；　every　initiative；

its　continuance　and　its　force。　　The　people；　being　sovereign　the

government　is　simply　its　clerk；　and　less　than　its　clerk；　merely　its

domestic。　　…　Between　them　〃no　contract〃　indefinite　or　at　least

enduring；　〃and　which　may　be　canceled　only　by　mutual　consent　or　the

unfaithfulness　of　one　of　the　two　parties。　　It　is　against　the　nature　of

a　political　body　for　the　sovereign　to　impose　a　law　on　himself　which　he

cannot　set　aside。〃　　…　　There　is　no　sacred　and　inviolable　charter

〃binding　a　people　to　the　forms　of　an　established　constitution。　　The

right　to　change　these　is　the　first　guarantee　of　all　rights。　　There　is

not；　and　never　can　be；　any　fundamental；　obligatory　law　for　the　entire

body　of　a　people；　not　even　the　social　contract。〃　…　　It　is　through

usurpation　and　deception　that　a　prince；　an　assembly；　and　a　body　of

magistrates　declare　themselves　representatives　of　the　people。

〃Sovereignty　is　not　to　be　represented　for　the　same　reason　that　it　is

not　to　be　ceded。　　。　　。　　。　　The　moment　a　people　gives　itself

representatives　it　is　no　longer　free；　it　exists　no　more。　　。　　。　　The

English　people　think　themselves　free　but　they　deceive　themselves；　they

are　free　only　during　an　election　of　members　of　parliament；　on　the

election　of　these　they　become　slaves　and　are　null。　　。　　。　　the　deputies　of

the　people　are　not；　nor　can　they　be；　its　representatives；　they　are

simply　its　commissioners　and　can　sign　no　binding　final　agreement。

Every　law　not　ratified　by　the　people　themselves　is　null　and　is　no

law。〃＇17＇　　〃A　body　of　laws　sanctioned　by　an　assembly　of　the　people

through　a　fixed　constitution　of　the　State　does　not　suffice；　other

fixed　and　periodical　assemblies　are　necessary　which　cannot　be

abolished　or　extended；　so　arranged　that　on　a　given　day　the　people　may

be　legitimately　convoked　by　the　law；　no　other　formal　conviction　being

requisite。　　。　　。　　The　moment　the　people　are　thus　assembled　the

jurisdiction　of　the　government　is　to　cease；　and　the　executive　power　is

to　be　suspended；〃　society　commencing　anew；　while　citizens；　restored　to

their　primitive　independence；　may　reconstitute　at　will；　for　any　period

they　determine；　the　provisional　contract　to　which　they　have　assented

only　for　a　determined　time。　　〃The　opening　of　these　assemblies；　whose

sole　object　is　to　maintain　the　social　compact；　should　always　take

place　with　two　propositions；　never　suppressed；　and　which　are　to　be

voted　on　separately；　the　first　one；　whether　the　sovereign（　people）　is

willing　to　maintain　the　actual　form　of　the　government；　the　second；

whether　the　people　are　willing　to　leave　its　administration　in　the

hands　of　those　actually　performing　its　duties。〃　　…　　Thus；　〃the　act　by

which　a　people　is　subject　to　its　chiefs　is　absolutely　only　a

commission；　a　service　in　which；　as　simple　officers　of　their　sovereign；

they　exercise　in　his　name　the　power　of　which　he　has　made　them

depositories；　and　which　he　may　modify；　limit　and　resume　at

pleasure。〃＇18＇　Not　only　does　it　always　reserve　to　itself　〃the

legislative　power　which　belongs　to　it　and　which　can　belong　only　to

it；〃　but　again；　it　delegates　and　withdraws　the　executive　power

according　to　its　fancy。　　Those　who　exercise　it　are　its　employees。　　〃　It

may　establish　and　depose　them　when　it　pleases。〃　In　relation　to　it　they

have　no　rights。　　〃It　is　not　a　matter　of　contract　with　them　but　one　of

obedience；〃　they　have　〃no　conditions〃　to　prescribe；　they　cannot　demand

of　it　the　fulfillment　of　any　engagement。　　…　　It　is　useless　to　raise　the

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