the origins of contemporary france-5-第85部分

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of　his　quota。　…　Thus　no　crying　iniquity　exists；　nor　keen　suffering；　on

the　other　hand；　there　are　the　infinite　conveniences　and　daily

enjoyment　of　possessions；　the　privation　of　which；　to　the　modern　man；

is　equal　to　the　lack　of　fresh；　pure　air；　physical　security　and

protection　against　contagion；　facilities　for　circulation　and

transport；　pavements；　light；　the　salubrity　of　healthy　streets　purged

of　their　filth；　and　the　presence　and　vigilance　of　the　municipal　and

rural　police。　All　these　benefits；　the　objects　of　local　society；　are

due　to　the　machine　which　works　with　little　cost；　without　breaking　down

or　stopping　for　any　long　time；　as　lately　under　the　Republic；　and

without　any　extortion　and　clashing；　as　in　the　times　of　the　ancient

Régime。　It　works　by　itself；　almost　without　the　help　of　the　parties

interested；　and　which；　in　their　eyes；　is　not　its　least　merit；　with　it；

there　is　no　bother；　no　responsibility；　no　elections　to　attend　to；　no

discussions　to　maintain；　no　resolutions　to　pass。　There　is　only　one

bill　to　be　settled；　not　even　a　specified　bill；　but　a　surplus　of

centimes　added　to　each　franc；　and　included　with　the　principal　in　the

annual　quota。　Just　like　an　owner　who；　by　his　correct；　exact；　and

somewhat　slow　although　punctual　and　capable　supervisors；　are　relieved

of　the　care　of　his　property。　He　may　dismiss　the　head　steward　of　his

domain　in　a　fit　of　ill…humor；　but；　if　he　changes　his　stewards；　he　does

not　change　the　system；　he　is　too　accustomed　to　it；　and　his　indolence

demands　it；　he　is　not　tempted　to　take　care　and　trouble　on　himself；　nor

is　he　qualified　to　become　his　own　intendant。



And　what　is　worse；　in　the　present　case　the　master　has　forgotten　that

he　is　the　owner　of　his　domain；　he　hardly　remembers　that　he　is　a

personality。　Whether　large　or　small；　department　or　commune；　local

society　has　no　longer　the　consciousness　of　being　a　natural　body；

composed　of　involuntarily　united　members　with　common　interests；　this

sentiment；　already　weakened　and　drooping　at　the　end　of　the　ancient

régime；　lost　under　the　multiplied　attacks　of　the　Revolution　and　under

the　prolonged　compression　of　the　Empire。　During　twenty…five　years　it

has　suffered　too　much；　it　has　been　too　arbitrarily　manufactured　or

mutilated；　too　frequently　recast；　and　made　and　unmade。　…　In　the

commune；　everything　has　been　upset　over　and　over　again；　the

territorial　circumscription；　the　internal　and　external　system；　all

collective　property。　To　the　44；000　municipalities　improvised　by　the

Constituent　Assembly；　there　succeeded　under　the　Directory　6000　or　7000

cantonal　municipalities；　a　sort　of　local　syndicate；　represented　in

each　commune　by　a　subaltern　agent；　and　then；　under　the　Consulate；

36；000　distinct　and　permanent　communes。　Sovereign　at　the　start；

through　the　improvidence　and　abdication　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；

the　communes　become；　in　the　hands　of　the　Convention；　so　many　timorous

subjects　surrendered　to　the　brutality　of　perambulating　pashas　and

resident　agas；　imposed　upon　them　by　Jacobin　tyranny；　then　under　the

Empire；　a　docile　herd　governed　in　a　correct　way　from　above；　but

possessing　no　authority　of　their　own；　and　therefore　indifferent　to

their　own　affairs　and　utterly　wanting　in　public　spirit。　Other　more

serious　blows　affect　of　the　them　still　more　deeply　and　acutely。

Through　a　decree　of　the　Legislative　Assembly；　in　every　commune　where　a

third　of　the　inhabitants　demand　a　partition　of　the　communal　property；

the　commune　is　stripped；　and　its　time…honored　patrimony　is　set　off　in

equal　lots；　in　portions　according　to　families　or　per　head；　and

converted　into　small　private　holdings。　（Page　319/584）Through　a　decree

of　the　Convention；　the　whole　of　the　communal　fortune；　its　debts　and

assets；　are　swallowed　up　by　the　public　fortune　and　engulfed　along　with

that　in　the　sale　of　real　property；　in　the　discredit　of　the　assignats；

and　in　the　final　bankruptcy。　After　this　prolonged　process；　communal

property；　even　when　disgorged　and　restored　by　the　exchequer；　is　not

what　it　was　before；　once　out　of　the　monster's　stomach；　the　remains　of

it；　dismembered；　spoilt；　half…digested；　are　no　longer　held　sacred　and

inviolable；　a　settlement　of　accounts　intervenes；　〃there　are　a　good

many　communes；〃　says　Napoleon＇50＇　〃whose　debts　have　been　paid　and

whose　property　was　not　sold；　there　are　many　others　whose　property　has

been　sold　and　whose　debts　are　not　paid　。　。　。　。　The　result　is　that　many

pieces　of　property　in　certain　communes　are　not　considered　reputable。〃

Consequently；　he　first　deprives　these　of　one…tenth　of　their　income

from　land；　and　then　one…quarter　of　the　produce　of　their　extra　cuttings

of　timber；＇51＇　and　finally；　their　capital。　the　whole　of　their　real

property；＇52＇　estimated　at　370　millions　；　in　exchange；　he　gives　them

138　millions　in　the　rentes；　the　loss　to　them　as　well　as　the　gain　to

him；　is　thus　232　millions；　while　the　sale　of　communal　properties　at

auction；　begun　in　1813；　continues　under　the　Restoration　in　1814；　1815；

and　even　in　1816。　A　human　community　treated　in　this　way　for　one

quarter　of　a　century；　ceases　to　be　a　personality；　and　becomes　a　mere

material　object；　as　far　as　this　is　concerned；　its　members　have　come　to

believe；　that　it　is　and　must　be　so　and　cannot　be　otherwise。



Above　the　commune；　nearly　dead；　is　the　department；　completely　dead；

here　local　patriotism　is　stamped　out　at　the　beginning　by　the

destruction　of　the　provinces。　Among　so　many　political　crimes　and　other

outrages　committed　by　the　Revolution　against　France；　this　is　one　of

the　worst。　The　Constituent　Assembly　has　dismantled　long…established

associations；　the　accumulated　work　of　ten　centuries；　historic　and

powerful　names；　each　of　which　aroused　enthusiasm　in　thousands　of

breasts　and　cemented　together　thousands　of　wills；　centers　of

spontaneous　co…operation；　firesides　warm　with　generous　feeling；　zeal；

and　devotion；　a　practical　school　of　high　political　education；　an

admirable　theater　for　available　talent；　noble　careers　open　to

legitimate　ambition；　in　short；　the　small　patrimony　whose　instinctive

cult　forms　the　first　step　out　of　egoism　and　a　march　onward　toward

thoughtful　devotion　to　the　large　patrimony。　Cut　apart　by　geometrical

shears；　and　designated　by　an　entirely　new　geographical　term；　small

sections　of　the　province　became　so　many　factitious　agglomerations　of

juxtaposed　inhabitants；　human　assemblages　without　any　soul；　and；　for

twenty　years；　the　legislator　fails　to　communicate　to　them　that

semblance　of　spirit；　the　judicial　quality　of　which　it　disposes；　it　is

only　after　1811　that　the　departments　arrive　at　civil　proprietorship

and　personality：　this　dignity；　besides；　the　State　confers　only　to

disburden　itself　and　to　burden　them；　to　impose　expenses　on　them　which

hardly　concern　them　but　which　do　concern　it；　to　compel　them　in　its

place　to　support　the　costly　maintenance　of　its　prisons；　police

quarters；　courts　of　justice；　and　prefectorial　mansions；　even　at　this

late　date；　they　are　not　yet；　in　the　eyes　of　jurisconsults　or　before

the　Council　of　State；　incontestable　proprietors　and　complete

personalities；＇53＇　they　are　not　to　be　fully　qualified　in　this　sense

until　the　law　of　1838。



Local　society；　accordingly；　proves　abortive　over　the　whole　27；000

square　leagues　of　territory；　it　is　simply　a　legal　figment；　an

artificial　grouping　together　of　neighbors　who　do　not　find　themselves

bound　and　incorporated　together　by　neighborhood；　in　order　that　their

society　might　become　viable　and　stimulating　would　require　both　commune

and　department　to　have　in　mind　and　at　heart　the　following　idea；　which

they　no　longer　entertained：



〃We　are　all　aboard　the　same　ship；　it　is　ours　and　we　are　its　crew。　We

are　here　to　manage　it　ourselves；　with　our　own　hands；　each　according　to

his　rank　and　position；　each　taking　his　part；　little　or　big；　in　doing

his　own　work。〃



_____________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　My　understanding；　today　in　1999；　that　all　people　other　animals　by

nature　are　'built'　as　egoists；　that　is　to　look　out　for　themselves；　to

preserve　their　life；　protect　their　property　and　family。　As　far　as　the

social　（or　gregarious）　instincts　are　concerned　then　there　are　several

which　manifest　themselves　in　the　correct　and　timely　order　during　our

entire　existence。　Some　will　regulate　falling　in　love；　others

procreation；　others　relationship　between　man　and　woman；　others　between

parents　and　children；　at　yet　others　the　group　and　its　choice　and

submission　to　a　leader。　One　of　the　results　is　that　everyone　wants　to

be　important　and　accepted；　another　that　a　mob　has　drives　or　instincts

which　may　galvanize　it　into　compassion；　anger；　fear　and　action。　To

this　must　be　added　that　all　people　can　remember；　not　only　what　they

have　tried；　but　also　what　they　have　seen　or　heard　about。　They　also

tend　to　imagine　that　others　react　in　the　same　way　as　they　themselves

do。　This　allows　them　to　look　ahead　and　imagine　various　possible

scenarios。　They　are　also　aware　of　how　they　would　want　to　be　dealt　with

by　others。　（SR。）



＇2＇　That　is　what　has　happened　during　communism　where　men　worked　as

little　as　possible　since　the　principle　of　equality　made　most　effort

rest　without　reward。



＇3＇　　The　so…called　〃Centimes　additionels〃　was　an　increase　in　certain

taxes　to　be　paid　to　the　communes　and　departments。



＇4＇　Rocquain；　〃L'état　de　la　France　au　18　Brumaire〃　（report　by

Fourcroy；　pp。　138；　166）〃：　A　sack　of　wheat　worth　18　francs　at　Nantes

costs　an　equal　sum　for　its　cartage　to　Brest。　I　have　seen　carters

plodding　along；　seven　or　eight　in　a　line；　each　with　six　or　eight

strong　horses　dragging　their　vehicles　and　alternately　helping　each

other；　their　horses　hauling　their　carts　out　of　ruts　into　which　they

had　got　stuck　。　。　。　In　many　places；　I　was　grieved　to　see　carts　and

wagons　leaving　the　high…road　and　traversing；　in　spaces　from　100　to　200

yards　wide；　the　plowed　ground；　when　each　made　his　own　road　。　。　。　。　The

carters　sometimes　make　only　three　or　four　leag