the origins of contemporary france-1-第107部分

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the　hour　of　danger；　to　rally　around　these　and　form　a　compact　body。

Neither　provincial　nor　municipal　patriotism　any　longer　exists。　　The

inferior　clergy　are　hostile　to　the　prelates；　the　gentry　of　the

province　to　the　nobility　of　the　court；　the　vassal　to　the　seignior；　the

peasant　to　the　townsman；　the　urban　population　to　the　municipal

oligarchy；　corporation　to　corporation；　parish　to　parish；　neighbor　to

neighbor。　　All　are　separated　by　their　privileges　and　their　jealousies；

by　the　consciousness　of　having　been　imposed　on；　or　frustrated；　for　the

advantage　of　another。　　The　journeyman　tailor　is　embittered　against　his

foreman　for　preventing　him　from　doing　a　day's　work　in　private　houses；

hairdressers　against　their　employers　for　the　like　reason；　the　pastry…

cook　against　the　baker　who　prevents　him　from　baking　the　pies　of

housekeepers；　the　village　spinner　against　the　town　spinners　who　wish

to　break　him　up；　the　rural　wine…growers　against　the　bourgeois　who；　in

the　circle　of　seven　leagues；　strives　to　have　their　vines　pulled

up；＇14＇　the　village　against　the　neighboring　village　whose　reduction　of

taxation　has　ruined　it；　the　overtaxed　peasant　against　the　under　taxed

peasant；　one…half　of　a　parish　against　its　collectors；　who；　to　its

detriment；　have　favored　the　other　half。



〃The　nation；〃　says　Turgot；　mournfully；＇15＇　〃is　a　society　composed

of　different　orders　badly　united　and　of　a　people　whose　members　have

few　mutual　liens；　nobody；　consequently；　caring　for　any　interest　but

his　own。　　Nowhere　is　there　any　sign　of　an　interest　in　common。　　Towns　and

villages　maintain　no　more　relation　with　each　other　than　the　districts

to　which　they　are　attached；　they　are　even　unable　to　agree　together

with　a　view　to　carry　out　public　improvements　of　great　importance　to

them。〃



The　central　power　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　rules　through　its

division　of　power。　　Men　have　been　kept　separate；　prevented　from　acting

in　concert；　the　work　being　so　successful　that　they　no　longer

understand　each　other；　each　class　ignoring　the　other　class；　each

forming　of　the　other　a　chimerical　picture；　each　bestowing　on　the　other

the　hues　of　its　own　imagination；　one　composing　an　idyll；　the　other

framing　a　melodrama；　one　imagining　peasants　as　sentimental　swains；　the

other　convinced　that　the　nobles　are　horrible　tyrants。　　…　　　Through

this　mutual　misconception　and　this　secular　isolation；　the　French　lose

the　habit；　the　art　and　the　faculty　for　acting　in　an　entire　body。　　They

are　no　longer　capable　of　spontaneous　agreement　and　collective　action。

No　one；　in　the　moment　of　danger；　dares　rely　on　his　neighbors　or　on　his

equals。　　No　one　knows　where　to　turn　to　obtain　a　guide。　　〃A　man　willing

to　be　responsible　for　the　smallest　district　cannot　be　found；　and；　more

than　this；　one　man　able　to　answer　for　another　man＇16＇。〃　Utter　and

irremediable　disorder　is　at　hand。　　The　Utopia　of　the　theorists　has　been

accomplished；　the　savage　condition　has　recommenced。　　Individuals　now

stand　in　by　themselves；　everyone　reverting　back　to　his　original

feebleness；　while　his　possessions　and　his　life　are　at　the　mercy　of　the

first　band　that　comes　along。　　He　has　nothing　within　him　to　control　him

but　the　sheep…like　habit　of　being　led；　of　awaiting　an　impulsion；　of

turning　towards　the　accustomed　center；　towards　Paris；　from　which　his

orders　have　always　arrived。　　Arthur　Young＇17＇　is　struck　with　this

mechanical　movement。　　Political　ignorance　and　docility　are　everywhere

complete。　　He；　a　foreigner；　conveys　the　news　of　Alsace　into　Burgundy：

the　insurrection　there　had　been　terrible；　the　populace　having　sacked

the　city…hall　at　Strasbourg；　of　which　not　a　word　was　known　at　Dijon；

〃yet　it　is　nine　days　since　it　happened；　had　it　been　nineteen　I

question　if　they　would　more　than　have　received　the　intelligence。〃

There　are　no　newspapers　in　the　cafés；　no　local　centers　of　information；

of　resolution；　of　action。　　The　province　submits　to　events　at　the

capital；　〃people　dare　not　move；　they　dare　not　even　form　an　opinion

before　Paris　speaks。〃　　…　This　is　what　Monarchical　centralization　leads

to。　　It　has　deprived　the　groups　of　their　cohesion　and　the　individual　of

his　motivational　drive。　　Only　human　dust　remains；　and　this；　whirling

about　and　gathered　together　in　massive　force；　is　blindly　driven　along

by　the　wind。＇18＇







III。



Direction　of　the　current。　　…　　The　people　led　by　lawyers。　　…

Theories　and　piques　the　sole　surviving　forces。　　…　　Suicide　of　the

Ancient　regime。



We　are　all　well　aware　from　which　side　the　gale　comes；　and；　to

assure　ourselves；　we　have　merely　to　see　how　the　reports　of　the　Third…

Estate　are　made　up。　　The　peasant　is　led　by　the　man　of　the　law；　the

petty　attorney　of　the　rural　districts；　the　envious　advocate　and

theorist。　　This　one　insists；　in　the　report；　on　a　statement　being　made

in　writing　and　at　length　of　his　local　and　personal　grievances；　his

protest　against　taxes　and　deductions；　his　request　to　have　his　dog　free

of　the　clog；　and　his　desire　to　own　a　gun　to　use　against　the

wolves＇19＇。　　Another　one；　who　suggests　and　directs；　envelopes　all　this

in　the　language　of　the　Rights　of　Man　and　that　of　the　circular　of

Sieyès。



　〃For　two　months；〃　writes　a　commandant　in　the　South；＇20＇　〃inferior

judges　and　lawyers；　with　which　both　town　and　country　swarm；　with　a

view　to　their　election　to　the　States…General；　have　been　racing　after

the　members　of　the　Third…Estate；　under　the　pretext　of　standing　by　them

and　of　giving　them　information。　　。　　。　　They　have　striven　to　make　them

believe　that；　in　the　States…General；　they　alone　would　be　masters　and

regulate　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　that　the　Third…Estate；　in

selecting　its　deputies　among　men　of　the　robe；　would　secure　the　might

and　the　right　to　take　the　lead；　to　abolish　nobility　and　to　cancel　all

its　rights　and　privileges；　that　nobility　would　no　longer　be

hereditary；　that　all　citizens；　in　deserving　it；　would　be　entitled　to

claim　it；　that；　if　the　people　elected　them；　they　would　have　accorded

to　the　Third…Estate　whatever　it　desired；　because　the　curates；

belonging　to　the　Third…Estate；　having　agreed　to　separate　from　the

higher　clergy　and　unite　with　them；　the　nobles　and　the　clergy；　united

together；　would　have　but　one　vote　against　two　of　the　Third…Estate。　　。　　。

。　　If　the　third　…　Estate　had　chosen　sensible　townspeople　or　merchants

they　would　have　combined　without　difficulty　with　the　other　two　orders。

But　the　assemblies　of　the　bailiwicks　and　other　districts　were　stuffed

with　men　of　the　robe　who　had　absorbed　all　opinions　and　striven　to　take

precedence　of　the　others；　each；　in　his　own　behalf；　intriguing　and

conspiring　to　be　appointed　a　deputy。〃



　　〃In　Touraine；〃　writes　the　intendant；＇21＇　〃most　of　the　votes　have

been　bespoken　or　begged　for。　　Trusty　agents；　at　the　moment　of　voting；

placed　filled…in　ballots　in　the　hands　of　the　voters；　and　put　in　their

way；　on　reaching　the　taverns；　every　document　and　suggestion　calculated

to　excite　their　imaginations　and　determine　their　choice　for　the　gentry

of　the　bar。〃



　〃In　the　sénéchausée　of　Lectoure；　a　number　of　parishes　have　not

been　designated　or　notified　to　send　their　reports　or　deputies　to　the

district　assembly。　　In　those　which　were　notified　the　lawyers；　attorneys

and　notaries　of　the　small　neighboring　towns　have　made　up　the　list　of

grievances　themselves　without　summoning　the　community。　　。　　。　　Exact

copies　of　this　single　rough　draft　were　made　and　sold　at　a　high　price

to　the　councils　of　each　country　parish〃。　　　…



This　is　an　alarming　symptom；　one　marking　out　in　advance　the　road

the　Revolution　is　to　take：　The　man　of　the　people　is　indoctrinated　by

the　advocate；　the　pikeman　allowing　himself　to　be　led　by　the

spokesman。＇22＇



The　effect　of　their　combination　is　apparent　the　first　year。　　In

Franche…Comté＇23＇　after　consultation　with　a　person　named　Rouget；　the

peasants　of　the　Marquis　de　Chaila　〃determine　to　make　no　further

payments　to　him；　and　to　divide　amongst　themselves　the　product　of　the

wood…cuttings。〃　In　his　paper　〃the　lawyer　states　that　all　the

communities　of　the　province　have　decided　to　do　the　same　thing。　　。　　。　　His

consultation　is　diffused　to　such　an　extent　around　the　country　that

many　of　the　communities　are　satisfied　that　they　owe　nothing　more　to

the　king　nor　to　the　seigniors。　　M。　de　Marnésia；　deputy　to　the

（National）　Assembly；　has　arrived　（here）　to　pass　a　few　days　at　home　on

account　of　his　health。　　He　has　been　treated　in　the　rudest　and　most

scandalous　manner；　it　was　even　proposed　to　conduct　him　back　to　Paris

under　guard。　　After　his　departure　his　chateau　was　attacked；　the　doors

burst　open　and　the　walls　of　his　garden　pulled　down。　　（And　yet）　no

gentleman　has　done　more　for　the　people　on　his　domain　the　M。　le　Marquis

de　Marnésia。　　。　　。　　Excesses　of　every　kind　are　on　the　increase；　I　have

constant　complaints　of　the　abuse　which　the　national　militia　make　of

their　arms；　and　which　I　cannot　remedy。〃　According　to　an　utterance　in

the　National　Assembly　the　police　imagines　that　it　is　to　be　disbanded

and　has　therefore　no　desire　to　make　enemies　for　itself。　　〃The　baillages

are　as　timid　as　the　police…forces；　I　send　them　business　constantly；

but　no　culprit　is　punished。〃　　　　　〃No　nation　enjoys　liberty　so

indefinite　and　so　disastrous　to　honest　people；　it　is　absolutely

against　the　rights　of　man　to　see　oneself　constantly　liable　to　have　his

throat　cut　by　the　scoundrels　who　daily　confound　liberty　with　license。〃

…　　In　other　words；　the　passions　utilize　the　theory　to　justify

themselves；　and　the　theory　appeal　to　passion　to　be　carried　out。　　For

example；　near　Liancourt；　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld　possessed　an

uncultivated　area　of　ground；　〃at　the　commencement　of　the

revolution；＇24＇　the　poor　of　the　town　declare　that；　as　they　form　a　part

of　the　nation；　untilled　lands　being　national　property；　this　belongs　to

them；〃　and　〃with　no　other　formality〃　they　take　possession　of　it；

divide　it　up；　plant　hedges　and　clear　it　off。　　〃This；　says　Arthur　Young；

shows　the　general　disposition。　　。　　。