the origins of contemporary france-4-第15章

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and　of　other　benevolent　institutions；　about　eight　hundred　million

livres　；　we　take　the　property　of　factories；　of　endowments；　of

educational　institutions；　and　of　literary　and　scientific　associations：

another　lot　of　millions。＇5＇　We　take　back　the　domains　rented　or

surrendered　by　the　State　for　the　past　three　centuries　and　more；　which

gives　again　about　a　couple　of　billions。＇6＇　We　take　the　possessions　of

the　communes　up　to　the　amount　of　their　indebtedness。　　We　have　already

received　as　inheritance　the　ancient　domains　of　the　crown；　also　the

later　domain　of　the　civil　list。　　More　than　three…fifths＇7＇　of　the　soil

thus　falls　into　our　hands；　which　three…fifths　are　much　the　best

stocked；　they　comprise　almost　all　the　large　and　fine　edifices；

chateaux；　abbeys；　mansions；　houses　of　superintendents　and　nearly　all

the　royal；　episcopal；　seigniorial　and　bourgeois　stock　of　rich　and

elegant　furniture；　all　plate；　libraries；　pictures　and　artistic　objects

accumulated　for　centuries。　　　Remark；　again；　the　seizure　of　specie

and　all　other　articles　of　gold　and　silver；　in　the　months　alone　of

November　and　December；　1793；　this　swoop　puts　into　our　coffers　three　or

four　hundred　millions；＇8＇　not　assignats；　but　ringing　coin。　　In　short；

whatever　the　form　of　established　capital　may　be　we　take　all　we　can　get

hold　of；　probably　more　than　three…fourths　of　it。　　　There　remains　the

portion　which　is　not　fixed　capital；　that　which　disappears　in　use；

namely；　all　that　is　consumed；　all　the　fruits　of　the　soil；　every

description　of　provision；　all　the　products　of　human　art　and　labor

which　contribute　the　maintenance　of　existence。　　Through　〃the　right　of

pre…emption〃　and　through　the　right　of　〃requisition；〃　〃the　Republic

becomes　temporary　proprietor　of　whatever　commerce；　manufacture　and

agriculture　have　produced　and　added　to　the　soil　of　France：　〃all　food

and　merchandise　is　ours　before　being　owned　by　their　holder。　　We　carry

out　of　his　house　whatever　suits　us；　we　pay　him　for　this　with　worthless

paper；　we　frequently　do　not　pay　him　at　all。　　For　greater　convenience；

we　seize　objects　directly　and　wherever　we　find　them；　grain　in　the

farmer's　barn；　hay　in　the　reaper's　shed；　cattle　in　the　fold；　wine　in

the　vats；　hides　at　the　butcher's；　leather　in　the　tanneries；　soap；

tallow；　sugar；　brandy；　cloths；　linens　and　the　rest；　in　stores；　depots

and　ware…houses。　　We　stop　vehicles　and　the　horses　in　the　street。　　We

enter　the　premises　of　mail　or　coach　contractors　and　empty　their

stables。　　We　carry　away　kitchen　utensils　to　obtain　the　copper　；　we

turn　people　out　of　their　rooms　to　get　their　beds；　we　strip　them　of

their　coats　and　shirts；　in　one　day；　we　make　ten　thousand　individuals

in　one　town　go　barefoot。＇9＇



　〃When　public　needs　require　it；〃　says　representative　Isoré；　〃all

belongs　to　the　people　and　nothing　to　individuals。〃



By　virtue　of　the　same　right　we　dispose　of　persons　as　we　do　of　things。

We　decree　the　levy　en　masse　and；　stranger　still；　we　carry　it　out；　at

least　in　many　parts　of　the　country；　and　we　keep　it　up　for　months：　in

Vendée；　and　in　the　northern　and　eastern　departments；　it　is　the　entire

male；　able…bodied　population；　up　to　fifty　years　of　age；　which　we　drive

in　herds　against　the　enemy。＇10＇　We　afterwards　sign　an　entire

generation　on；　all　young　men　between　eighteen　and　twenty…five；　almost

a　million　of　men：＇11＇　whoever　fails　to　appear　is　put　in　irons　for　ten

years；　he　is　regarded　as　a　deserter；　his　property　is　confiscated；　and

his　family　is　punished　as　well；　later　he　is　classed　with　the

emigrants；　condemned　to　death；　and　his　father；　mother　and　progenitors；

treated　as　〃suspects；〃　imprisoned　and　their　possessions　taken。　　　To

clothe；　shoe　and　equip　our　recruits；　we　must　have　workmen；　we　summon

to　head…quarters　all　gunsmiths；　blacksmiths　and　locksmiths；　all　the

tailors　and　shoemakers　of　the　district；　〃foremen；　apprentices　and

boys；〃＇12＇　we　imprison　those　who　do　not　come　；　we　install　the　rest　in

squads　in　public　buildings　and　assign　them　their　tasks　；　they　are

forbidden　to　furnish　anything　to　private　individuals。　　Henceforth；

French　shoemakers　must　work　only　for　us；　and　each　must　deliver　to　us；

under　penalty；　so　many　pairs　of　shoes　per　decade。＇13＇　　　But；　the

civil　service　is　no　less　important　than　the　military　service；　and　to

feed　the　people　is　as　urgent　as　it　is　to　defend　them。　　Hence　we　put

〃in　requisition　all　who　have　anything　to　do　with　handling；

transporting　or　selling　provisions　and　articles　of　prime

necessity；〃＇14＇　especially　combustibles　and　food　　wood…choppers；

carters；　raftsmen；　millers；　reapers；　threshers；　wine…growers；　movers；

field…hands；　〃country　people〃　of　every　kind　and　degree。　　Their　hands

belong　to　us：　we　make　them　bestir　themselves　and　work　under　the

penalty　of　fine　and　imprisonment。　　There　shall　be　no　idlers；

especially　in　crop　time：　we　take　the　entire　population　of　a　commune　or

canton　into　the　fields；　comprising　〃the　lazy　of　both　sexes；〃＇15＇

willingly　or　not；　they　shall　do　the　harvesting　under　our　eyes；　banded

together　in　fields　belonging　to　others　as　well　as　in　their　own；　and

they　shall　put　the　sheaves　indiscriminately　into　the　public　granary。



But　in　labor　all　hangs　together；　from　the　initial　undertaking　to　the

final　result；　from　the　raw　material　to　the　most　finished　production；

from　the　great　manufacturer　down　to　the　pettiest　jobber；　grasping　the

first　link　of　the　chain　involves　grasping　the　last　one。　　The

requisition　here　again　answers　the　purpose：　we　apply　it　to　all

pursuits；　each　is　bound　to　continue　his　own；　the　manufacturer　to

manufacture；　the　trader　to　trade；　even　to　his　own　detriment；　because；

if　he　works　at　a　loss；　the　public　profits；　and　every　good　citizen

ought　to　prefer　public　profit　to　his　own　profit。＇16＇　In　effect；　let

his　office　be　what　it　will；　he　is　an　employee　of　the　community；

therefore；　the　community　may　not　only　prescribe　task…work　to　him；　but

select　his　task；　it　need　not　consult　him　in　the　matter；　for　he　has　no

right　to　refuse。　　Hence　it　is　that　we　appoint　or　maintain　people　in

spite　of　themselves；　in　the　magistracy；　in　the　army　and　in　every　other

species　of　employment。　　In　vain　may　they　excuse　themselves　or　try　get

out　of　the　way；　they　must　remain　or　become　generals；　judges；　mayors；

national　agents；　town　councilors；　commissioners　of　public　welfare　or

administration；＇17＇　even　against　their　will。　　Too　bad　for　them　if　the

responsibility　is　expensive　or　dangerous；　if　they　have　no　time　for

leisure；　if　they　do　not　feel　themselves　qualified　for　it；　if　the　rank

or　services　seems　to　them　to　lead　to　a　prison　or　the　guillotine；　when

they　declare　that　the　work　is　forced　labor　we　reply　that　they　liable

to　work　for　the　State。　　　Such　is；　henceforth；　the　condition　of　all

Frenchmen；　and　likewise　of　all　French　women。　　We　force　mothers　to　take

their　daughters　to　the　meetings　of　popular　clubs。　　We　oblige　women　to

parade　in　companies；　and　march　in　procession　at　republican　festivals；

we　invade　the　family　and　select　the　most　beautiful　to　be　draped　as

antique　goddesses；　and　publicly　promenaded　on　a　chariot；　we　sometimes

even　designate　those　among　the　rich　who　must　wed　patriots＇18＇：　there

is　no　reason　why　marriage；　which　is　the　most　important　of　all

services；　should　not　be　put　in　requisition　like　the　others。　　

Accordingly；　we　enter　families；　we　carry　of　the　child；　we　subject　him

to　a　civic　education。　　We　are　schoolmasters；　philanthropists；

theologians；　and　moralists。　　We　impose　by　force　our　religion　and　our

ritual；　our　morality　and　our　social　customs。　　We　lord　it　over　private

lives　and　consciences；　we　dictate　ideas；　we　scrutinize　and　punish

secret　inclinations；　we　tax；　imprison　and　guillotine　not　only　the

evil…disposed；　but　again　〃the　indifferent；　the　moderate　and　the

egoists。〃＇19＇　　Over　and　above　his　visible　acts　we　dictate　to　the

individual　his　ideas　and　his　deepest　feelings；　we　prescribe　to　him　his

affections　as　well　as　his　beliefs；　and；　according　to　a　preconceived

type；　we　refashion　his　intellect；　his　conscience　and　his

sensibilities。



III。



The　object　of　the　State　is　the　regeneration　of　man。　　…　Two　sides　to

this　undertaking。　　…　Restoration　of　the　Natural　man。　　…　Formation　of

the　Social　man。　　…　Grandeur　of　the　undertaking。　　…　To　carry　it　out；

the　use　of　force　is　a　right　and　a　duty。



There　is　nothing　arbitrary　in　this　operation；　for　the　ideal　model　is

traced　beforehand。　　If　the　State　is　omnipotent；　it　is　for　the　purpose

of　〃regenerating　Mankind；〃　and　the　theory　which　confers　its　rights；　at

the　same　time　assigns　to　it　its　object。　　In　what　does　this

regeneration　of　Man　consist？　…　Consider　a　domestic　animal　such　as　a

dog　or　a　horse。　　Scrawny；　battered；　tied　up　or　chained；　a　thousand　are

strained　and　overworked　compared　to　the　few　basking　in　idleness；　dying

from　rich　living；　and　with　all　of　them；　whether　fat　or　lean；　the　soul

is　more　spoiled　than　the　body。　　　A　superstitious　respect　keeps　them

cowed　under　their　burden；　or　makes　them　cringe　before　their　master。

Servile；　slothful；　gluttonous；　feeble；　incapable　of　resisting

adversity；　if　they　have　acquired　the　miserable　skills　of　slavery；　they

have　also　contracted　its　needs；　weaknesses　and　vices。　　A　crust　of

absurd　habits　and　perverse　inclinations；　a　sort　of　artificial　and

supplementary　being；　has　covered　over　their　original　nature。　　…　　And；

on　the　other　hand；　the　better　side　of　their　original　nature　has　had　no

chance　to　develop　itself；　for　lack　of　use。　　Separated　from　the　other；

these　two　parts　of　its　nature　have　not　acquired　the　sentiment　of

community；　they　do　not　know；　like　their　brethren　of　the　prairies；　how

to　help　each　other　and　subordinate　private　interests　to　the　interests

of　the　flock。　　Each　pulls　his　own　way；　nobody　cares　for　others；　all

are　egoists；　social　interests　have　miscarried。　　…　Such　is　Man

nowadays；　a　disfigured　slave　that　has　to　be　restored。　　Our　task；

accordingly　is　two…fold：　we　have　to　demolish　and　we　have　to　construct；

we　must　first　set　free　the　natural　Man　that　we　may　afterwards　build　up

the　social　Man。



It　is　a　vast　enterprise　and　we　are　conscious　of　its　vastness。



　〃It　is　necessary；〃　says　Billaud…Varennes；＇20＇　〃that　the　people　to

which　one　desires　to　restore　their　freedom　should　in　some　way　be

created　anew；　since　old　prejudices　must　be　destroyed；　old　habits

changed；　depraved　affections　improved；　superfluous　wants　restricted；

and　inveterate　vices　extirpated。〃



But　the　task　is　sublime；　as　the　aim　is　〃to　fulfill　the　desires　of

nature；＇21＇　accomplish　the　destinies　of　humanity；　and　fulfill　the

promises　of　philosophy〃。…



〃Our　purpose；〃　says　Robespierre；＇22＇　〃is　to　substitute　morality　for

egoism；　honesty　for　honor；　principles　for　custom；　duties　for

etiquette；　the　empire　of　reason　for　the　tyranny　of　fashion；　contempt

of　vice　for　indifference　to　misfortune；　pride　for　arrogance；　a　noble

mind　for　vanity；　love　of　glory　for　the　love　of　profit；　good　people　for

high　society；　merit　for　intrigue；　genius　for　intellectual　brilliancy；

the　ch