the origins of contemporary france-5-第43部分

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himself；＇11＇　going　and　coming　at　his　pleasure；　and　especially　of　going

to　mass　or　of　staying　away　if　he　chooses。　No　more　jacqueries　either

rural　or　urban；　no　more　proscriptions　or　persecutions　and　legal　or

illegal　spoliations；　no　more　intestine　and　social　wars　waged　with

pikes　or　by　decrees；　no　more　conquests　and　confiscations　made　by

Frenchmen　against　each　other。　With　universal　and　unutterable　relief

people　emerge　from　the　barbarous　and　anarchical　régime　which　reduced

them　to　living　from　one　day　to　another；　and　return　to　the　pacific　and

regular　régime　which　permits　them　to　count　on　the　morrow　and　make

provision　for　it。　After　ten　years　of　harassing　subjection　to　the

incoherent　absolutism　of　unstable　despotism；　here；　for　the　first　time；

they　find　a　rational　and　stable　government；　or；　at　least；　a

reasonable；　tolerable；　and　fixed　degree　of　it。　The　First　Consul　is

carrying　out　his　declarations　and　he　has　declared　that　〃The　Revolution

has　ended。〃＇12＇



III。　Return　of　the　Emigrés。



Lasting　effect　of　revolutionary　laws。　…　Condition　of　the　émigrés。　…

Progressive　and　final　amnesty。　…They　return。　…　They　recover　a　portion

of　their　possessions。　…　Many　of　them　enter　the　new　hierarchy。　…

Indemnities　for　them　incomplete。



The　main　thing　now　is　to　dress　the　severe　wounds　it　has　made　and　which

are　still　bleeding；　with　as　little　torture　as　possible；　for　it　has　cut

down　to　the　quick；　and　its　amputations；　whether　foolish　or　outrageous；

have　left　sharp　pains　or　mute　suffering　in　the　social　organism。



One　hundred　and　ninety…two　thousand　names　have　been　inscribed　on　the

list　of　émigrés＇13＇　the　terms　of　the　law；　every　émigré　is　civilly

dead；　and　his　possessions　have　become　the　property　of　the　Republic；〃

if　he　dared　return　to　France；　the　same　law　condemned　him　to　death；

there　could　be　no　appeal；　petition；　or　respite；　it　sufficed　to　prove

identity　and　the　squad　of　executioners　was　at　once　ordered　out。　Now；

at　the　beginning　of　the　Consulate；　this　murderous　law　is　still　in

force；　summary　proceedings　are　always　applicable；＇14＇　and　one　hundred

and　forty…six　thousand　names　still　appear　on　the　mortuary　list。　This

constitutes　a　loss　to　France　of　146；000　Frenchmen；　and　not　those　of

the　least　importance　…　gentlemen；　army　and　navy　officers；　members　of

parliaments；　priests；　prominent　men　of　all　classes；　conscientious

Catholics；　liberals　of　1789；　Feuillantists　of　the　Legislative

assembly；　and　Constitutionalists　of　the　years　III　and　V。　Worse　still；

through　their　poverty　or　hostility　abroad；　they　are　a　discredit　or

even　a　danger　for　France；　as　formerly　with　the　Protestants　driven　out

of　the　country　by　Louis　XIV。＇15＇　…　To　these　146；000　exiled　Frenchmen

add　200；000　or　300；000　others；　residents；　but　semi…proscribed：＇16＇

First；　those　nearly　related　and　allied　to　each　émigré；　excluded　by　the

law　from　〃every　legislative；　administrative；　municipal　and　judicial

function；〃　and　even　deprived　of　the　elective　vote。　Next；　all　former

nobles　or　ennobled；　deprived　by　the　law　of　their　status　as　Frenchmen

and　obliged　to　re…naturalize　themselves　according　to　the　formalities。



It　is；　accordingly；　almost　the　entire　elite　of　old　France　which　is

wanting　in　the　new　France；　like　a　limb　violently　wrenched　and　half…

detached　by　the　unskillful　and　brutal　scalpel　of　the　revolutionary

〃sawbones〃；　for　both　the　organ　and　the　body　are　not　only　living；　but

they　are　still　feverish　and　extremely　sensitive；　it　is　important　to

avoid　too　great　irritation；　inflammation　of　any　kind　would　be

dangerous。　A　skilful　surgeon；　therefore；　must　mark　the　places　for　the

stitches；　not　force　the　junctures；　but　anticipate　and　prepare　for　the

final　healing　process；　and　await　the　gradual　and　slow　results　of　vital

effort　and　spontaneous　renewal。　Above　all　he　must　not　alarm　the

patient。　The　First　Consul　is　far　from　doing　this；　on　the　contrary　his

expressions　are　all　encouraging。　Let　the　patient　keep　quiet；　there

shall　be　no　re…stitching；　the　wound　shall　not　be　touched。　The

constitution　solemnly　declares　that　the　French　people　shall　never

allow　the　return　of　the　émigrés；＇17＇　and；　on　this　point；　the　hands　of

future　legislators　are　already　tied　fast；　it　prohibits　any　exception

being　added　to　the　old　ones。　…　But；　first；　by　virtue　of　the　same

constitution；　every　Frenchman　not　an　émigré　or　banished　has　the　right

to　vote；　to　be　elected；　to　exercise　every　species　of　public　function；

consequently；　twelve　days　later；＇18＇　a　mere　order　of　the　Council　of

State　restores　civil　and　political　rights　to　former　nobles　and　the

ennobled；　to　the　kinsmen　and　relations　of　émigrés；　to　all　who　have

been　dubbed　émigrés　of　the　interior　and　whom　Jacobin　intolerance　had

excluded；　if　not　from　the　territory；　at　least　from　the　civic　body：

here　are　200；000　or　300；000　Frenchmen　already　brought　back　into

political　communion　if　not　to　the　soil。　…　They　had　succumbed　to　the

coup…d'état　of　Fructidor；　naturally；　the　leading　fugitives　or　those

transported；　suffering　under　the　same　coup…d'état；　were　restored　to

political　rights　along　with　them　and　thus　to　the　territory　…　Carnot；

Barthélémy；　Lafont…Ladébat；　Siméon；　Poissy　d'Anglas；　Mathieu　Dumas；　in

all　thirty…nine；　designated　by　name；＇19＇　very　soon　after。　Through　a

simple　extension　of　the　same　resolution；　others　of　the　Fructidor

victims；　a　crowd　of　priests　huddled　together　and　pining　away　on　the

Ile…de…Ré；　the　most　unfortunate　and　most　inoffensive　of　all。＇20＇　…　Two

months　later；　a　law　declares　that　the　list　of　émigrés　is　definitely

closed；＇21＇　a　resolution　orders　immediate　investigation　into　the

claims　of　those　who　are　to　be　struck　off　the　list；　a　second　resolution

strikes　off　the　first　founders　of　the　new　order　of　things；　the　members

of　the　National　Assembly　〃who　voted　for　the　establishment　of　equality

and　the　abolition　of　nobility；〃　and；　day　after　day；　new　erasures

succeed　each　other；　all　specific　and　by　name；　under　cover　of

toleration；　pardon；　and　exception：＇22＇　on　the　19th　of　October　1800；

there　are　already　1200　of　them。　Bonaparte；　at　this　date；　had　gained

the　battle　of　Marengo；　the　surgical　restorer　feels　that　his　hands　are

more　free；　he　can　operate　on　a　larger　scale　and　take　in　whole　bodies

collectively。　On　the　20th　of　October　1800；　a　resolution　strikes　off

entire　categories　from　the　list；　all　whose　condemnation　is　too　grossly

unjust　or　malicious；＇23＇　at　first；　minors　under　sixteen　and　the　wives

of　émigrés；　next；　farmers；　artisans；　workmen；　journeymen　and　servants

with　their　wives　and　children　and　at　last　18；000　ecclesiastics　who；

banished　by　law；　left　the　country　only　in　obedience　to　the　law。


Besides　these；　〃all　individuals　inscribed　collectively　and　without

individual　denomination；〃　those　already　struck　off；　but　provisionally；

by　local　administrations；　also　still　other　classes。　Moreover；　a　good

many　emigrants；　yet　standing　on　the　lists；　steal　back　one　by　one　into

France；　and　the　government　tolerates　them。＇24＇　Finally；　eighteen

months　later；　after　the　peace　of　Amiens　and　the　Concord　at；＇25＇　a

sénatus…consulte　ends　the　great　operation；　an　amnesty　relieves　all　who

are　not　yet　struck　off；　except　the　declared　leaders　of　the　militant

emigration；　its　notables；　and　who　are　not　to　exceed　one　thousand；　the

rest　may　come　back　and　enjoy　their　civic　rights；　only；　they　must

promise　〃loyalty　to　the　government　established　under　the　constitution

and　not　maintain　directly　or　indirectly　any　connection　or

correspondence　with　the　enemies　of　the　State。〃　On　this　condition　the

doors　of　France　are　thrown　open　to　them　and　they　return　in　crowds。



But　their　bodily　presence　is　not　of　itself　sufficient；　it　is　moreover

essential　that　they　should　not　be　absent　in　feeling；　as　strangers　and

merely　domiciliated　in　the　new　society。　Were　these　mutilated　fragments

of　old　France；　these　human　shreds　put　back　in　their　old　places；　simply

attached　or　placed　in　juxtaposition　to　modern　France；　they　would　prove

useless；　troublesome　and　even　mischievous。　Let　us　strive；　then；　to

have　them　grafted　on　afresh　through　adherence　or　complete　fusion；　and

first；　to　effect　this；　they　must　not　be　allowed　to　die　of　inanition；

they　must　take　root　physically　and　be　able　to　live。　In　private　life；

how　can　former　proprietors；　the　noblesse；　the　parliamentarians；　the

upper　bourgeoisie；　support　themselves；　especially　those　without　a

profession　or　pursuit；　and　who；　before　1789；　maintained　themselves；

not　by　their　labor；　but　by　their　income？　Once　at　home；　they　can　no

longer　earn　their　living　as　they　did　abroad；　they　can　no　longer　give

lessons　in　French；　in　dancing；　or　in　fencing。　…　There　is　no　doubt　but

that　the　sénatus…consulte　which　amnesties　them　restores　to　them　a　part

of　their　unsold　possessions；＇26＇　but　most　of　these　are　sold　and；　on

the　other　hand；　the　First　Consul；　who　is　not　disposed　to　re…establish

large　fortunes　for　royalists；＇27＇　retains　and　maintains　the　largest

portion　of　what　they　have　been　despoiled　of　in　the　national　domain：

all　woods　and　forests　of　300　arpents＇28＇　and　over；　their　stock　and

property　rights　in　the　great　canals；　and　their　personal　property

already　devoted　to　the　public　service。　The　effective　restitution　is

therefore　only　moderate；　the　émigrés　who　return　recover　but　little

more　than　one…twentieth　of　their　patrimony；　one　hundred　millions＇29＇

out　of　more　than　two　milliards。　Observe；　besides；　that　by　virtue　even

of　the　law　and　as　admitted　by　the　First　Consul；＇30＇　this　alms　is　badly

distributed；　the　most　needy　and　the　greatest　number　remain　empty…

handed；　consisting　of　the　lesser　and　medium　class　of　rural

proprietors；　especially　of　country　gentlemen　whose　domain；　worth　less

than　50；000　francs；　brings　in　only　2000　or　3000　francs　income；＇31＇　a

domain　of　this　size　came　within　reach　of　a　great　many　purses；　and

hence　found　purchasers　more　readily　and　with　greater　facility　than　a

large　holding；　the　State　was　almost　always　the　seller；　and　thenceforth

the　old　proprietor　could　make　no　furth