the origins of contemporary france-5-第67部分

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relationships　by　historic　right；　are　brought　back；　in　1789；　by

philosophic　right。　After　the　declarations　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；

there　are　no　longer　in　France　either　Bretons；　Proven？als；　Burgundians

or　Alsatians；　Catholics；　Protestants　or　Israelites；　nobles　or

plebeians；　bourgeois　or　rurals；　but　simply　Frenchmen；



*　all　with　the　one　title　of　citizens；

*　all　endowed　with　the　same　civil；　religious　and　political　rights；

*　all　equal　before　the　State；

*　all　introduced　by　law　into　every　career；　collectively；　on　an　equal

footing　and　without　fear　or　favor　from　anybody；

*　all　free　to　follow　this　out　to　the　end　without　distinction　of　rank；

birth；　faith　or　fortune；

*　all；　if　they　are　good　runners；　to　receive　the　highest　prizes　at　the

end　of　the　race；　any　office　or　rank；　especially　the　leading　honors　and

positions　which；　thus　far　reserved　to　a　class　or　coterie；　had　not　been

allowed　previously　to　the　great　multitude。



Henceforth；　all　Frenchmen；　in　theory；　enjoy　rights　in　common；

unfortunately；　this　is　only　the　theory。　In　reality；　in　all　state

relationships　（dans　la　cité）；　the　new…comers　appropriate　to　themselves

the　offices；　the　pretensions；　and　more　than　the　privileges　of　their

predecessors；　the　latter；　consisting　of　large　and　small　land…owners；

gentlemen；　parliamentarians；　officials；　ecclesiastics；　notables　of

every　kind　and　degree；　are　immediately　deprived　of　the　rights　of　man。

Surrendered　to　rural　jacqueries　and　to　town　mobs；　they　undergo；　first；

the　neglect　and；　next；　the　hostility　of　the　State：　the　public　gendarme

has　ceased　to　protect　them　and　refuses　his　services；　afterwards；　on

becoming　a　Jacobin；　he　declares　himself　their　enemy；　treats　them　as

enemies；　plunders　them；　imprisons　them；　murders　them；　expels　or

transports　them；　inflicts　on　them　civil　death；　and　shoots　them　if　they

dare　return；　he　deprives　their　friends　or　kindred　who　remain　in　France

of　their　civil　rights；　he　deprives　the　nobles　or　the　ennobled　of　their

quality　as　Frenchmen；　and　compels　them　to　naturalize　themselves　afresh

according　to　prescribed　formalities　；　he　renews　against　the　Catholics

the　interdictions；　persecutions　and　brutalities　which　the　old

government　had　practiced　against　the　Calvinist　minority。　…　Thus；　in

1799　as　in　1789；　there　are　two　classes　of　Frenchmen；　two　different

varieties　of　men；　the　first　one　superior；　installed　in　the　civic　fold；

and　the　second；　inferior　and　excluded　from　it；　only；　in　1799；　the

greatest　inequality　consigned　the　inferior　and　excluded　class　to　a

still　lower；　more　remote；　and　much　worse　condition。



The　principle　（of　equalite）　；　nevertheless；　subsists。　Since　1789　it　is

inscribed　at　the　top　of　every　constitution；　it　is　still　proclaimed　in

the　new　constitution。　It　has　remained　popular；　although　perverted　and

disfigured　by　the　Jacobins；　their　false　and　gross　interpretation　of　it

could　not　bring　it　into　discredit；　athwart　the　hideous　grotesque

caricature；　all　minds　and　sentiments　ever　recur　to　the　ideal　form　of

the　cité　to　the　veritable　social　contract；　to　the　impartial；　active；

and　permanent　reign　of　distributive　justice。　Their　entire　education；

all　the　literature；　philosophy　and　culture　of　the　eighteenth　century；

leads　them　onward　to　this　conception　of　society　and　of　rights；　more

profoundly　still；　they　are　predisposed　to　it　by　the　inner　structure　of

their　intelligence；　by　the　original　cast　of　their　sensibility7　by　the

hereditary　defects　and　qualities　of　their　nature　and　of　their　race。…

The　Frenchman　easily　and　quickly　grasps　some　general　trait　of　objects

and　persons；　some　characteristic　in　common；　here；　this　characteristic

is　the　inherent　quality　of　man　which　he　dexterously　makes　prominent；

clearly　isolates；　and　then；　stepping　along　briskly　and　confidently；

rushes　ahead　on　the　high…road　to　consequences。＇2＇　　He　has　forgotten

that　his　summary　notion　merely　corresponds　to　an　extract；　and　a　very

brief　one；　of　man　in　his　completeness；　his　decisive；　precipitate

process　hinders　him　from　seeing　the　largest　portion　of　the　real

individual；　he　has　overlooked　numerous　traits；　the　most　important　and

most　efficacious；　those　which　geography；　history；　habit；　condition；

manual　labor；　or　a　liberal　education；　stamp　on　intellect；　soul　and

body　and　which；　through　their　differences；　constitute　different　local

or　social　groups。　Not　only　does　he　overlook　all　these　characteristics；

but　he　sets　them　aside；　they　are　too　numerous　and　too　complex；　they

would　interfere　with　and　disturb　his　thoughts；　however　fitted　for

clear　and　comprehensive　logic　he　is　so　much　the　less　fitted　for

complex　and　comprehensive　ideas；　consequently；　he　avoids　them　and；

through　an　innate　operation　of　which　he　is　unconscious；　he

involuntarily　condenses；　simplifies　and　curtails　henceforth；　his　idea；

partial　and　superficial　as　it　is；　seems　to　him　adequate　and　complete；

in　his　eyes　the　abstract　quality　of　man　takes　precedence　of　and

absorbs　all　others；　not　only　has　this　a　value；　but　the　sole　value。　One

man；　therefore；　is　as　good　as　another　and　the　law　should　treat　all

alike。　…　Here；　amour…propre　（self…esteem；　pride　or　arrogance）；　so　keen

in　France；　and　so　readily　excited；　comes　in　to　interpret　and　apply　the

formula：＇3＇



　〃Since　all　men　equal　each　other；　I　am　as　good　as　any　man；　if　the　law

confers　a　right　on　people　of　this　or　that　condition；　fortune　or　birth；

it　must　confer　the　same　right　on　me。　Every　door　that　is　open　to　them

must　be　open　to　me；　every　door　that　is　closed　to　me　must　be　closed　to

them。　Otherwise；　I　am　treated　as　an　inferior　and　wounded　in　my　deepest

feelings。　When　the　legislator　places　a　ballot　in　their　hands　he　is

bound　to　place　another　just　like　it　in　my　hands；　even　if　they　know　how

to　use　it　and　I　do　not；　even　if　a　limited　suffrage　is　of　use　to　the

community　and　universal　suffrage　is　not。　So　much　the　worse　if　I　am

sovereign　only　in　name；　and　through　the　imagination；　I　consent　to　my

sovereignty　being　illusory；　but　with　the　understanding　that　the

sovereignty　of　others　is　regarded　likewise；　so　I　prefer　servitude　and

privation　for　all；　rather　than　liberties　and　advantages　for　a　few；

and；　provided　the　same　level　is　passed　over　all　heads；　I　submit　to　the

yoke　for　all　heads；　including　my　own。〃



Such　is　the　internal　composition　of　the　instinct　of'　equality；　and

such　is　the　natural　instinct　of　Frenchmen。　It　is　beneficial　or

mischievous　according　as　one　or　the　other　of　its　ingredients

predominates；　at　one　time　the　noble　sentiment　of　equity　and　at　another

time　the　low　envy　of　foolish　vanity；＇4＇　healthy　or　unhealthy；　however；

its　power　in　France　is　enormous；　and　the　new　Régime　gratifies　it　in

every　possible　way；　good　or　bad。　No　more　legal　disqualifications！　On

the　one　hand；　the　republican　laws　of　proscription　or　of　exception　were

all　repealed：　we　have　seen　an　amnesty　and　the　return　of　the　émigrés；

the　Concordat；　the　restoration　of　Catholic　worship；　the　compulsory

reconciliation　of　the　constitutionalists　with　the　orthodox；　the　First

Consul　admits　no　difference　between　them；　his　new　clergy　are　recruited

from　both　groups　and；　in　this　respect；　he　forces　the　Pope　to　yield。＇5＇

He　gives　twelve　of　the　sixty　episcopal　thrones　to　former　schismatics；

he　wants　them　to　take　their　places　boldly；　he　relieves　them　from

ecclesiastical　penitence　and　from　any　humiliating　recantation；　he

takes　care　that；　in　the　other　forty…eight　dioceses；　the　priests　who

formerly　took　the　civic　oath　shall　be　employed　and　well　treated　by

their　superiors　who；　at　the　same　epoch；　refused　to　take　the　civic

oath。　On　the　other　hand；　all　the　exclusions；　inequalities　and

distinctions　of　the　monarchy　remain　abolished。　Not　only　are　the

Calvinist　and　even　Israelite　cults　legally　authorized；　the　same　as　the

Catholic　cult；　but；　again；　the　Protestant　consistories　and　Jewish

synagogues＇6＇　are　constituted　and　organized　on　the　same　footing　as　the

Catholic　churches。　Pastors　and　rabbis　likewise　become　functionaries

under　the　same　title　as　bishops　and　cure's；　all　are　recognized　or

sanctioned　by　the　government　and　all　equally　benefit　by　its　patronage：

it　is　an　unique　thing　in　Europe　to　find　the　small　churches　of　the

minority　obtaining　the　same　measure　of　indifference　and　good　will　from

the　State　as　the　great　church　of　the　majority；　and；　henceforth；　in

fact　as　in　law；　the　ministers　of　the　three　cults；　formerly　ignored；

tolerated　or　proscribed；　enjoy　their　rank；　titles　and　honors　in　the

social　as　well　as　in　the　legal　hierarchy；　equally　with　the　ministers

of　that　cult　which　was　once　the　only　one　dominant　or　allowed



Similarly；　in　the　civilian　status；　no　inferiority　or　discredit　must

legally　attach　to　any　condition　whatever；　either　to　plebeian；

villager；　peasant　or　poor　man　as　such；　as　formerly　under　the　monarchy；

nor　to　noble；　bourgeois；　citizen；　notable　or　rich　man；　as　recently

under　the　Republic。　Each　of　these　two　classes　is　relieved　of　its

degradation；　no　class　is　burdened　by　taxation　or　by　the　conscription

beyond　its　due；　all　persons　and　all　property　find　in　the　government；

in　the　administration；　in　the　tribunals；　in　the　gendarme；　the　same

reliable　protection。　…　So　much　for　equity　and　the　true　spirit　of

equality。　…　Let　us　now　turn　around　and　consider　envy　and　the　bad

spirit　of　equality。　The　plebiscite；　undoubtedly；　as　well　as　the

election　of　deputies　to　the　Corps　Legislatif　are　simply　comedies；　but；

in　these　comedies；　one　r？le　is　as　good　as　another　and　the　duke　of　the

old　or　new　pattern；　a　mere　figurant　among　hundreds　and　thousands　of

others；　votes　only　once　like　the　corner…grocer。　Undoubtedly；　the

private　individual　of　the　commune　or　department；　in　institutions　of

charity；　worship　or　education；　is　deprived　of　any　independence；　of　any

initiation；　of　any　control；　as　the　State　has　confiscated　for　itself

all　collective　action；　but　the　classes　deprived　of　this　are　especially

the　upper　classes；　alone　sufficiently　enlightened　and　wealthy　to　take

the　lead；　form　projects　and　provide　for　expenditure：