the origins of contemporary france-5-第78部分

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myself'　I　served　him　zealously；　when　he　said；　'myself　and　France；'　I

served　him　with　devotion。　It　is　only　when　he　said；　'Myself　without

France；'　that　I　left　him。〃



＇63＇　An　expression　found　by　Joseph　de　Maistre。



＇64＇　An　expression　heard　by　Mickiewicz　in　his　childhood。



＇65＇　These　sums　are　given；　the　former　by　Mérimée　and　the　latter　by

Sainte…　Beuve。



＇66＇　M。　de　Champagny　〃Souvenirs；〃　III。；　183。　Napoleon；　passing　his

marshals　in　review；　said　to　him　（1811）：　〃None　of　them　can　take　my

place　in　the　command　of　my　armies；　some　are　without　the　talent；　and

others　would　carry　on　war　for　their　own　benefit。　Didn't　that　burly

Soult　want　to　be　king　of　Portugal？〃　〃Well；　sire；　war　need　not　be

carried　on　any　longer。〃　〃Yes；　but　how　maintain　my　army？　And　I　must

have　an　army。〃



＇67＇　〃Souvenirs〃；　by　PASQUIER　（Etienne…Dennis；　duc）；　chancelier　de

France。　in　VI　volumes；　Librarie　Plon；　　Paris　1893。　IV。；　112。

（According　to　the　papers　of　Savary；　many　of　Napoleon's　letters　and

statements　by　M。　de　Saint…Aignan。）



＇68＇　〃Mémorial；〃　Aug。26；　1816。



＇69＇　　The　driving　motor　of　unlimited　capitalism　as　well；　a　driving

force　only　to　be　tempered　by　the　law　and　by　a　desire　for　social

admiration　of　different　kinds。　（SR。）



＇70＇　〃Travels　in　France　during　the　years　1814　and　1815。〃　（Edinburgh；

1816；　2　vols。）　…　The　author；　a　very　good　observer；　thus　sums　up　the

principle　of　the　system：　〃To　give　active　employment　to　all　men　of

talent　and　enterprise。〃　There　is　no　other　condition：　〃Birth；

education；　moral　character　were　completely　set　aside。〃　…　Hence　the

general　defect　of　the　system。　〃The　French　have　literally　no　idea　of

any　duties　which　they　must　voluntarily；　without　the　prospect　of

reward；　undertake　for　their　country。　It　never　enters　their　heads　that

a　man　may　be　responsible　for　the　neglect　of　those　public　duties　for

the　performance　of　which　he　receives　no　regular　salary。〃







BOOK　FOURTH。　Defect　and　Effects　of　the　System。



CHAPTER　I。　Local　Society。





I。　Human　Incentives。



The　two　Stimuli　of　human　action。　…　The　egoistic　instinct　and　the

social　instinct。　…　Motives　for　not　weakening　the　social　instinct。　…

Influence　on　society　of　the　law　it　prescribes。　…　The　clauses　of　a

statute　depend　on　the　legislator　who　adopts　or　imposes　them。　…

Conditions　of　a　good　statute。　…　It　favors　the　social　instinct。　…

Different　for　different　societies。　…　Determined　by　the　peculiar　and

permanent　traits　of　the　society　it　governs。　…　Capital　defect　of　the

statute　under　the　new　régime。



So　long　as　a　man　takes　an　interest　only　in　himself；　in　his　own

fortune；　in　his　own　advancement；　in　his　own　success；　his　interests　are

trivial：　all　that　is；　like　himself；　of　little　importance　and　of　short

duration。　Alongside　of　the　small　boat　which　he　steers　so　carefully

there　are　thousands　and　millions　of　others　of　like　it；　none　of　them

are　worth　much；　and　his　own　is　not　worth　more。　However　well　he　may

have　provisioned　and　sailed　it；　it　will　always　remain　what　it　is；

slight　and　fragile；　in　vain　will　he　hoist　his　flags；　decorate　it；　and

shove　ahead　to　get　the　first　place；　in　three　steps　he　has　reached　its

length。　However　well　he　handles　and　maintains　it；　in　a　few　years　it

leaks；　sooner　or　later　it　crumbles　and　sinks；　and　with　it　goes　all　his

effort。　Is　it　reasonable　to　work　so　hard　for　this；　and　is　so　slight　an

object　worth　so　great　an　effort？



Fortunately；　man　has；　for　a　better　placement　of　his　effort；　other

aims；　more　vast　and　more　substantial：　a　family；　a　commune；　a　church；　a

country；　all　the　associations　of　which　he　is　or　becomes　a　member；　all

the　collective　undertakings　in　behalf　of　science；　education；　and

charity；　of　local　or　general　utility；　most　of　them　provided　with　legal

statutes　and　organized　as　corporations　or　even　as　a　legal　entity。　They

are　as　well　defined　and　protected　as　he　is；　but　more　precious　and　more

viable：　for　they　are　of　service　to　a　large　number　of　men　and　last　for

ever。　Some；　even；　have　a　secular　history；　and　their　age　predicts　their

longevity。　In　the　countless　fleet　of　boats　which　so　constantly　sink；

and　which　are　so　constantly　replaced　by　others；　they　last　like　top

rated　liners。　The　men　from　the　flotilla　now　and　then　sign　on　these

large　vessels；　and　the　result　of　their　labor　is　not；　as　it　is　at　home；

futile　or　short…lived；　it　will　remain　above　the　surface　after　he　and

his　boat　have　disappeared。　It　has　entered　into　the　common　mass　of　work

which　owes　its　protection　to　its　mass；　undoubtedly　the　portion　he

contributes　may　be　worked　over　again　later　on；　but　its　substance

remains；　and　often　also　its　form：



*　like　a　precept　of　Jesus；

*　like　Archimedes'　theorem



which　rests　a　definite　acquisition；　intact　and　permanently　fixed　for

two　thousand　years；　immortal　from　the　first　day。　…　Consequently；　the

individual　may　take　an　interest；　no　longer　merely　in　his　own　boat；　but

again　in　some　ship；　in　this　or　that　particular　one；　in　this　or　that

association　or　community；　according　to　his　preferences　and　his

aptitudes；　according　to　attractiveness；　proximity；　and　convenience　of

access；　all　of　which　is　a　new　motivation　for　his　activities；　opposing

his　egoism；　which；　powerful　as　it　may　be；　may　still　be　overcome；　since

a　soul　might　be　very　generous　or　qualified　by　long　and　special

discipline。　Out　of　this　issues　every　sacrifice；　the　surrender　of

one's…self　to　one's　work　or　to　a　cause；



*　the　devotion　of　the　sister　of　charity　or　of　the　missionary；

*　the　abnegation　of　the　scientist　who　buries　himself　for　twenty　years

in　the　minutia　of　a　thankless　task；

*　the　heroism　of　the　explorer　who　risks　himself　on　a　desert　or　among

savages；

*　the　courage　of　the　soldier　who　stakes　his　life　in　defense　of　his

flag。



But　these　cases　are　rare；　with　the　mass　of　men；　and　in　most　of　their

actions；　personal　interest　prevails　against　common　interest；　while

against　the　egoistic　instinct　the　social　instinct　is　feeble。　Hence　the

danger　of　weakening　this。　The　temptation　of　the　individual　to　prefer

his　own　boat　to　the　large　ship　is　only　too　great；　if　it　is　desirable

for　him　to　go　aboard　and　work　there；　he　must　be　provided　with　the

facilities　and　motives　which　prompt　him　to　go　aboard　and　do　the　work；

at　the　very　least；　he　must　not　be　deprived　of　them。　Now；　that　depends

on　the　State；　a　sort　of　central　flag…ship；　the　only　one　that　is　armed；

and　which　has　all　subordinate　vessels　under　its　guns；　for；　whatever

the　society　may　be；　provincial　or　municipal；　educational　or

charitable；　religious　or　laic；　it　is　the　State　which　sanctions　or

adopts　its　statues；　good　or　bad；　and　which；　by　its　laws；　tribunals；

and　police；　insures　their　execution；　whether　rigidly　or　carelessly。

Therefore；　on　this　point；　it　is　responsible；　it　must　adopt　or　impose

the　proper　statute；　the　most　suitable　social　form　for　strengthening

the　social　instinct；　for　maintaining　disinterested　zeal；　for　the

encouragement　of　voluntary　and　gratuitous　labor。



This　form；　of　course；　differs　according　to　different　societies；　the

same　charter　or　constitution　is　not　proper　for　a　church　system　and　a

commune；　nor　for　a　Protestant　church　and　a　Catholic　church；　nor　for　a

town　of　one　hundred　thousand　inhabitants　and　a　village　of　five

hundred。　Each　association　has　its　own　peculiar　and　distinctive

features；　which　grade　it　according　to　its　kind；　according　to　its

spiritual　or　temporal　aims；　according　to　its　liberal　or　authoritative

spirit；　according　to　is　small　or　large　dimensions；　according　to　the

simplicity　or　complexity　of　its　affairs；　according　to　the　capacity　or

incapacity　of　its　members：　features　which　within　it　are　both　efficient

and　permanent；　whatever　the　legislator　may　do；　these　will　remain　and

will　regulate　all　activity。　Thus　let　him；　in　each　case；　keep　this　in

mind。　But　in　all　cases　his　office　is　the　same；　always；　on　drawing　up

and　countersigning　a　statute；　he　intervenes　in　the　coming　conflict

between　the　social　instinct　and　the　egoistic　instinct；　every　provision

which　he　enacts　will　contribute；　nearby　or　at　a　distance；　to　the　final

ascendancy　of　the　former　or　of　the　latter。　Now；　the　legislator　the

natural　ally　of　the　former；　for　the　former　is　his　indispensable

auxiliary。　In　every　work　or　enterprise　of　public　utility；　if　the

legislator　is　the　external　promoter；　social　instinct　is　the　internal

promoter；　and　on　the　inner　spring　becoming　weak　or　breaking；　the

impulsion　from　outside　remains　without　effect。　Hence　it　is　that；　if

the　legislator　would　accomplish　anything；　otherwise　than　on　paper；　he

must；　before　any　object　or　interest；　concern　himself　with　the　social

instinct＇1＇；　thus　preserving　and　humoring　it；　find　room　for　it　and　its

usefulness；　let　it　have　full　play；　getting　all　the　service　it　is

capable　of　rendering；　and　especially　not　twist　or　release　it。　…　In

this　respect；　any　blunder　might　prove　disastrous；　and　in　every　statute

for　each　society；　for　each　of　the　human　vessels　which　gather　together

and　serve　as　a　retinue　of　individual　vessels；　there　are　two　capital

errors。　On　the　one　hand；　if　the　statute；　in　fact　and　practically；　is

or　becomes　too　grossly　unjust；　if　the　rights　and　benefits　which　it

confers　are　not　compensated　by　the　duties　and　obligations　it　imposes；

if　it　multiplies　excessive　burdens　for　some　and　sinecures　for　others；

if；　at　last；　the　exploited　individual　discovers　that　he　is　overcharged

beyond　his　due；　…　thereafter　he　refuses　on　his　own　to　add　voluntarily

to　his　load。　Let　others；　let　the　favored　and　the　privileged　bear　the

gratuitous；　extra　weight。　Far　from　stepping　forward　and　offering　his

shoulders；　he　gets　out　of　the　way；　hides　himself；　and　lightens　his

load　as　much　as　he　can；　he　even　rebels　when　he　has　a　chance；　and

violently　casts　off　every　legal　burden；　be　it　tax　or　due　of　any　kind。

Thus　did　the　ancient　régime　perish。　…　On　the　other　hand；　if　the

statute　withdraws　the　management　of　the　ship　from　those　who　are

concerned；　if；　on　this　vessel；　which　belongs　to　them；　it　per