the origins of contemporary france-4-第16章

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

the　charm　of　contentment　for　the　boredom　of　voluptuous　pleasure；　the

majesty　of　Man　for　the　high…breeding　of　the　great；　a　magnanimous；

powerful　and　happy　people　for　an　amiable；　frivolous　and　wretched

people；　that　is　to　say；　every　virtue　and　miracle　of　the　Republic　in

the　place　of　the　vices　and　absurdities　of　the　monarchy。〃



We　will　do　this；　the　whole　of　it；　whatever　the　cost。　　Little　do　we

care　for　the　present　generation：　we　are　working　for　generations　to

come。



　〃Man；　forced　to　isolate　himself　from　society；　anchors　himself　in　the

future　and　presses　to　his　heart　a　posterity　innocent　of　existing

evils。〃＇23＇



　He　sacrifices　to　this　work　his　own　and　the　lives　of　others。



　〃On　the　day　that　I　am　persuaded；〃　writes　Saint…Just；　〃that　it　is

impossible　to　render　the　French　people　kind；　energetic；　tender　and

relentless　against　tyranny　and　injustice；　I　will　stab　myself。〃



…　〃What　I　have　done　in　the　South　I　will　do　in　the　North；〃　says　Baudot；

〃I　will　convert　them　into　patriots；　either　they　or　I　must　die。〃　…



〃We　will　make　France　a　cemetery；〃　says　Carrier；　〃rather　than　not

regenerate　it　our　own　way。〃



In　vain　may　the　ignorant　or　the　vicious　protest；　they　protest　because

they　are　ignorant　or　vicious。　　In　vain　may　the　individual　plead　his

personal　rights；　he　has　none：　through　the　social　contract；　which　is

obligatory　and　solely　valid；　he　has　surrendered　his　entire　being；

having　made　no　reservation；　〃he　has　nothing　to　claim。〃　Undoubtedly；

some　will　grumble；　because；　with　them；　the　old　wrinkle　remains　and

artificial　habits　still　cover　over　the　original　instinct。　　Untie　the

mill…horse；　and　he　will　still　go　round　in　the　same　track；　let　the

mountebank's　dog　be　turned　loose；　and　he　will　still　raise　himself　on

his　hind…legs；　if　we　would　bring　them　back　to　their　natural　gait　we

must　handle　them　roughly。　　In　like　manner；　to　restore　Man　to　his

normal　attitude；　you　must　handle　him　roughly。　　But；　in　this　respect；

have　no　scruples；＇24＇　for　we　do　not　bow　him　down；　we　raise　him　up　；　as

Rousseau　says；　〃we　compel　him　to　be　free；〃　we　confer　on　him　the

greatest　boon　a　human　being　can　receive；　we　bring　him　back　to　nature

and　to　justice。　　For　this　reason；　now　that　he　is　warned；　if　he

persists　in　his　resistance；　he　is　a　criminal　and　merits　every　kind　of

chastisements＇25＇；　for；　he　declares　himself　a　rebel　and　a　perjurer；

inimical　to　humanity；　and　a　traitor　to　the　social　compact。



IV。



Two　distortions　of　the　natural　man。　　…　Positive　religion。　　…

Proscription　of　the　orthodox　cult。　　…　Measures　against　unsworn

priests。　　…　Measures　against　the　loyal　orthodox。　　…　Destruction　of　the

constitutional　cult。　　…　Pressure　on　the　sworn　priests。　　…　Churches

closed　and　ceremonies　suppressed。　　…　Continuation　of　these

persecutions　until　the　Consulate。



Let　us　（Taine　lets　the　Jacobin　say）　begin　by　figuring　to　ourselves　the

natural　man；　certainly　we　of　to…day　have　some　difficulty　in

recognizing　him；　he　bears　but　little　resemblance　to　the　artificial

being　who　（in　1789）　stands　in　his　shoes；　the　creature　which　an

antiquated　system　of　constraint　and　fraud　has　deformed；　held　fast　in

his　hereditary　harness　of　thralldom　and　superstition；　blinded　by　his

religion　and　held　in　check　by　prestige；　exploited　by　his　government

and　tamed　by　dint　of　blows；　always　with　a　halter　on；　always　put　to

work　in　the　wrong　way　and　against　nature；　whatever　stall　he　may

occupy；　high　or　low；　however　full　or　empty　his　crib　may　be；　now　in

menial　service　like　the　blinded　hack…horse　turning　the　mill…wheel；　and

now　on　parade　like　a　trained　dog　which；　decked　with　flags；　shows　off

its　antics　before　the　public。＇26＇　　But　imagine　all　these　out　of　the

way；　the　flags　and　the　bands；　the　fetters　and　compartments　in　the

social　stable；　and　you　will　see　a　new　man　appearing；　the　original　man；

intact　and　healthy　in　mind；　soul　and　body。　　…　In　this　condition；　he　is

free　of　prejudice；　he　is　not　ensnared　in　a　net　of　lies；　he　is　neither

Jew；　Protestant　nor　Catholic；　if　he　tries　to　imagine　the　universe　as　a

whole　and　the　principle　of　events；　he　will　not　let　himself　be　duped　by

a　pretended　revelation；　he　will　listen　only　to　his　own　reason；　he　may

chance；　now　and　then；　to　become　an　atheist；　but；　generally；　he　will

settle　down　into　a　deist。　　…　In　this　condition　of　things　he　is　not

fettered　by　a　hierarchy；　he　is　neither　noble　nor　commoner；　land…owner

nor　tenant；　inferior　nor　superior。　　Independent　of　the　others；　all　are

equal；　and；　if　all　agree　in　the　forming　of　an　association；　their

common…sense　will　stipulate　that　its　first　article　shall　secure　the

maintenance　of　this　primordial　equality。　　…　Such　is　man；　as　nature

made　him；　as　history　has　unmade　him；　and　as　the　Revolution　is　to　re…

make　him。＇27＇　　One　cannot　batter　away　too　vigorously　against　the　two

casings　that　hold　him　tight；　one　the　positive　religion　which　narrows

and　perverts　his　intellect；　and　the　other　the　social　inequality　which

perverts　and　weakens　his　will；＇28＇　for；　at　every　effort；　some　band　is

loosened；　and；　as　each　band　gives　way；　the　paralyzed　limbs　recover

their　action。



Let　us　trace；　（say　the　Jacobins）；　the　progress　of　this　liberating

operation。　　　Always　timid　and　at　loggerheads　with　the　ecclesiastical

organization；　the　Constituent　Assembly　could　take　only　half…measures；

it　cut　into　the　bark　without　daring　to　drive　the　ax　into　the　solid

trunk。　　Its　work　reduced　itself　down　to　the　confiscation　of　clerical

property；　to　a　dissolution　of　the　religious　orders；　and　to　a　check

upon　the　authority　of　the　pope；　its　object　was　to　establish　a　new

church　and　transform　priests　into　sworn　functionaries　of　the　State；

and　this　was　all。　　As　if　Catholicism；　even　administrative；　would　cease

to　be　Catholicism！　As　if　the　noxious　tree；　once　stamped　with　the

public　seal；　would　cease　to　be　noxious！　Instead　of　the　old　laboratory

of　falsehoods　being　destroyed　another　one　is　officially　established

alongside　of　it；　so　that　there　are　now　two　instead　of　one。　　With　or

without　the　official　label　it　operates　in　every　commune　in　France　and；

as　in　the　past；　it　distributes　with　impunity　its　drug　to　the　public。

This　is　precisely　what　we；　（the　Jacobins）　cannot　tolerate。　　…　We　must；

indeed；　keep　up　appearances；　and；　as　far　as　words　go；　we　will　decree

anew　freedom　of　worship。＇29＇　　But；　in　fact　and　in　practice；　we　will

demolish　the　laboratory　and　prevent　the　drug　from　being　sold；　there

shall　no　longer　be　any　Catholic　worship　in　France；　no　baptism；　no

confession；　no　marriage；　no　extreme　unction；　no　mass；　nobody　shall

preach　or　listen　to　a　sermon；　nobody　shall　administer　or　receive　a

sacrament；　save　in　secret；　and　with　the　prospect　before　him　of

imprisonment　or　the　scaffold。　　…　With　this　object　in　mind；　we　do　one

thing　at　a　time。　　There　is　no　problem　with　the　Church　claiming　to　be

be　orthodox：　its　members　having　refused　to　take　the　oath　are　outlaws；

one　excludes　oneself　from　an　association　when　one　repudiates　the　pact；

they　have　lost　their　qualifications　as　citizens　and　have　become

ordinary　foreigners　under　the　surveillance　of　the　police；　and；　as　they

propagate　around　them　discontent　and　disobedience；　they　are　not　only

foreigners　but　seditious　persons；　enemies　in　disguise；　the　authors　of

a　secret　and　widespread　Vendée；　it　is　not　necessary　for　us　to

prosecute　them　as　charlatans；　it　is　sufficient　to　strike　them　down　as

rebels。　　As　such；　we　have　already　banished　from　France　all　unsworn

ecclesiastics；　about　forty　thousand　priests；　and　we　are　deporting

those　who　did　not　cross　the　frontier　within　the　allotted　time：　we

allow　only　sexagenarians　and　the　infirm　to　remain　on　French　soil；　and；

again；　as　prisoners　and　in　seclusion；　they　incur　the　penalty　of　death

if　they　do　not　of　their　own　accord　report　to　the　prisons　of　their

country　town；　the　banished　who　return　home　incur　the　penalty　of　death；

and　there　is　penalty　of　death　against　those　who　shelter　priests。＇30＇

Consequently；　in　default　of　an　orthodox　clergy；　there　must　no　longer

be　an　orthodox　worship；　the　most　dangerous　of　the　two　manufactories　of

superstition　is　shut　down。　　That　the　sale　of　this　poisonous　food　may

be　more　surely　stopped　we　punish　those　who　ask　for　it　the　same　as

those　who　provide　it；　and　we　prosecute　not　only　the　pastors；　but；

again；　the　fanatics　of　the　flock；　if　these　are　not　the　authors　of　the

ecclesiastical　rebellion　they　are　its　promoters　and　accomplices。　　Now；

thanks　to　the　schism　among　them；　we　already　know　who　they　are；　and；　in

each　commune；　the　list　is　made　out。　　We　style　as　fanatics　all　who

reject　the　ministry　of　the　sworn　priests；　the　bourgeois　who　calls　him

an　interloper；　all　the　nuns　who　do　not　confess　to　him；　all　the

peasants　who　stay　away　from　his　mass；　all　the　old　women　who　do　not

kiss　his　paten；　and　all　the　relations　of　an　infant　who　do　not　wish　him

to　baptize　it。　　All　these　people　and　those　who　associate　with　them；

whether　allied；　close　relatives；　friends；　guests　or　visitors；　of

whatever　class；　either　men　or　women；　are　seditious　at　heart；　and；

therefore；　〃suspects。〃　We　deprive　them　of　their　electoral　rights；　we

withdraw　their　pensions；　we　impose　on　them　special　taxation；　we

confine　them　to　their　dwellings；　we　imprison　them　by　thousands；　and

guillotine　them　by　hundreds；　the　rest　will　gradually　become

discouraged　and　abandon　an　impracticable　cult。＇31＇　　…　The　lukewarm

remain；　the　sheep…like　crowd　which　holds　on　to　its　rites：　the

Constituent　Assembly　will　seize　them　wherever　it　finds　them；　and；　as

they　are　the　same　in　the　authorized　as　in　the　refractory　church；

instead　of　seeking　them　with　the　priest　who　does　not　submit；　it　will

seek　them　with　the　one　who　does。　　But　it　will　proceed　without　zeal；

without　confidence；　often　even　with　distrust；　questioning　itself

whether　these　rites；　being　administered　by　one　who　is　excommunicated；

are　not　of　doubtful　quality。　　Such　a　church　is　not　sound；　and　we　have

only　to　give　it　a　push　to　knock　it　down。　　We　will　do　all　we　can　to

discredit　constitutional　priests：　we　will　prohibit　them　from　wearing

the　ecclesiastical　costume；　and　force　them　by　law　to　bestow　the

nuptial　benediction　on　their　apostate　brethren；　we　will　employ　terror

and　imprisonment　to　constrain　them　to　marry；　we　will　given　them　no

respite　until　they　return　to　civil　life；　some　admitting　themselves　to

be　impostors；　many　by　surrendering　their　priestly　credentials；　and

most　of　them　by　resigning　their　places。＇32＇　　Deprived　of　leaders　by

these　voluntary　or　forced　desertions；　the　Catholic　flock　will　allow

itself　to　be　easily　led　out　of　the　fold；　while；　to　remove　all

temptation　to　go　back；　we　will　tear　the　enclosure　down。　　In　the

communes　in　which　we　are　masters　we　will　make　the　Jacobins　of　the

place　demand　the　abolition　of　worship；　while；　in　other　communes；　we

will　get　rid　of　this　authoritatively　through　our　missionary

representatives。　　We　will　close　the　churches；　demolish　the　steeples；

me