the origins of contemporary france-4-第17章

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will　get　rid　of　this　authoritatively　through　our　missionary

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

melt　down　the　bells；　send　all　sacred　vessels　to　the　Mint；　smash　the

images　of　the　saints；　desecrate　relics；　prohibit　religious　burials；

impose　the　civil　burial；　prescribe　rest　during　the　décadi＇33＇　and

labor　on　Sundays。　　No　exception　whatever。　　Since　all　positive

religions　deal　in　error；　we　will　outlaw　them　all：　we　will　exact　from

Protestant　clergymen　a　public　abjuration；　we　will　not　let　the　Jews

practice　their　ceremonies；　we　will　have　〃an　'auto…da…fé；'　of　all　the

books　and　symbols　of　the　faith　of　Moses。〃＇34＇　　But；　of　all　these

various　juggling　machines；　the　worst　is　the　Catholic；　the　most　hostile

to　nature　due　to　the　celibacy　of　its　priesthood；　the　most　opposed　to

reason　in　the　absurdity　of　its　dogmas；　the　most　opposed　to　democracy；

since　its　powers　are　delegated　from　above　downwards；　the　best

protected　from　civil　authority　because　its　head　is　outside　of

France。＇35＇　　Accordingly；　we　must　be　most　furious　against　it；　even

after　Thermidor；＇36＇　we　will　keep　up　constant　persecution；　great　and

small；　up　to　the　Consulate；　we　will　deport　and　shoot　the　priests；　we

will　revive　against　fanatics　the　laws　of　the　Reign　of　Terror；　we　will

hamper　their　movements；　we　will　exhaust　their　patience；　we　will　keep

them　anxious　during　the　day　and　restless　at　night；　we　will　not　give

them　a　moment's　repose。＇37＇　We　will　restrict　the　population　to　the

decadal　cult　only；　we　will　change　the　market…days；　so　that　no　believer

shall　be　able　to　buy　fish　on　a　fast…day。＇38＇　…　We　have　nothing　more　at

heart　than　this　war　against　Catholicism；　no　article　on　our　program

will　be　carried　out　with　more　determination　and　perseverance。　　The

question　involved　is　truth。　　We　are　its　guardians；　its　champions；　its

ministers；　and　never　did　the　servants　of　truth　apply　force　with　such

minute　detail　and　such　effect　to　the　extirpation　of　error。



V。　　　Equality　and　Inequality。



Social　inequality。　　…　Malice　of　the　aristocratic　race。　　…　Measures

against　the　King　and　Nobles。　　…　Malice　of　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。

…　Measures　against　landowners；　capitalists　and　people　with　incomes。　　…

Destruction　of　large　fortunes。　　…　Measures　taken　to　prevent　the　large

fortunes　in　reconstituting　themselves。



Next　to　superstition　there　is　another　monster　to　be　destroyed；　and；

also　here　it　was　the　Constituent　Assembly　that　had　begun　the　assault。

But　it　had　also；　through　lack　of　courage　or　of　logic；　it　stopped；

after　two　or　three　feeble　blows：

*　Banning　of　heraldic　insignia；　titles　of　nobility　and　territorial

names；

*　abolition；　without　indemnity；　of　all　the　dues　belonging　to　the

seigneur　by　right　of　his　former　proprietorship　over　persons；

*　abolition　of　the　permission　to　purchase　other　feudal　rights　at　a

price　agreed　upon；

*　limitation　of　royal　power。

This　was　little　enough。　　When　it　concerns　usurpers　and　tyrants　they

must　be　treated　in　another　fashion；　for　their　privilege　is；　of　itself；

an　outrage　on　the　rights　of　man。　　Consequently；



*　we　（the　Jacobins）　have　dethroned　the　King　and　cut　off　his　head；＇39＇

*　we　have　suppressed；　without　indemnity；　the　entire　feudal　debt；

comprising　the　rights　vested　in　the　seigneurs　by　virtue　of　their　being

owners　of　real…estate；　and　merely　lessors；

*　we　have　abandoned　their　persons　and　possessions　to　the　claims　and

rancor　of　local　jacqueries；

*　we　have　reduced　them　to　emigration；

*　we　imprison　them　if　they　stay　at　home；

*　we　guillotine　them　if　they　return。



（As　the　aristocrats　are）Reared　in　habits　of　supremacy；　and　convinced

that　they　are　of　a　different　species　from　other　men；　the　prejudices　of

their　race　are　incorrigible；　they　are　incapable　of　companionship　with

their　social　equals；　we　cannot　too　carefully　crush　them　out；　or；　at

the　very　least；　hold　them　firmly　down。＇40＇　　Besides；　they　are　guilty

from　the　fact　of　having　existed；　for；　they　have　taken　both　the　lead

and　the　command　without　any　right　to　do　so；　and；　in　violation　of　all

right；　they　have　misused　mankind；　having　enjoyed　their　rank；　it　is　but

just　that　they　should　pay　for　it。　　Privileged　in　reverse；　they　must　be

treated　the　same　as　vagabonds　were　treated　under　their　reign；



*　stopped　by　the　police　and　sent　off　with　their　families　into　the

interior；

*

*　crowded　into　prisons；

*

*　executed　in　a　mass；　or；　at　least；

*

*　expelled　from　Paris；　the　seaports　and　fortified　towns；　put　on　the

limits；

*

*　compelled　to　present　themselves　daily　at　the　municipality；

*

*　deprived　of　their　political　rights；

*

*　excluded　from　public　offices；　〃popular　clubs；　committees　of

supervision　and　from　communal　and　section　assemblages。〃＇41＇

*

Even　this　is　indulgence；　branded　with　infamy；　we　ought　to　class　them

with　galley…slaves；　and　set　them　to　work　on　the　public　highways。＇42＇



　〃Justice　condemns　the　people's　enemies　and　the　partisans　of　tyranny

to　eternal　slavery。〃＇43＇



But　that　is　not　enough；　because；　apart　from　the　aristocracy　of　rank；

there　are　other　aristocracies　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　has　left

untouched；＇44＇　especially　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。　　Of　all　the

sovereignties；　that　of　the　rich　man　over　the　poor　one　is　the　most

burdensome。　　In　effect；　not　only；　in　contempt　of　equality；　does　he

consume　more　than　his　share　of　the　common　products　of　labor；　and

without　producing　anything　himself；　but　again；　in　contempt　of　liberty；

he　may　fix　wages　as　he　pleases；　and；　in　contempt　of　humanity；　he

always　fixes　them　at　the　lowest　point。　　Between　himself　and　the　needy

he　never　makes　other　than　the　most　unjust　contracts。　　Sole　possessor

of　land；　capital　and　the　necessities　of　life；　he　imposes　conditions

which　others；　deprived　of　means；　are　forced　to　accept　at　the　risk　of

starvation；　he　speculates　at　his　discretion　on　wants　which　cannot　be

put　off；　and　makes　the　most　of　his　monopoly　by　maintaining　the　poor　in

their　destitute　situations。　　That　is　why；　writes　Saint　Just：＇45＇



　〃Opulence　is　a　disgrace；　for　every　thousand　livres　expenditure　of

this　kind　a　smaller　number　of　natural　or　adopted　children　can　be

looked　after。〃　…



〃The　richest　Frenchman；〃　says　Robespierre；　〃ought　not　to　have　now　more

three　thousand　livres　rental。〃　…



Beyond　what　is　strictly　necessary；　no　property　is　legitimate；　we　have

the　right　to　take　the　superfluous　wherever　we　find　it。　　Not　only　to…

day；　because　we　now　require　it　for　the　State　and　for　the　poor；　but　at

all　times；　because　the　superfluous；　in　all　times；　confers　on　its　owner

an　advantage　in　contracts；　a　control　of　wages；　an　arbitrary　power　over

the　means　of　living；　in　short；　a　supremacy　of　condition　worse　than

preeminence　in　rank。　　Consequently；　our　hand　is　not　only　against　the

nobles；　but　also　against　the　rich　and　well…to…do　bourgeois＇46＇　the

large　land…owners　and　capitalists；　we　are　going　to　demolish　their

crafty　feudalism　from　top　to　bottom。＇47＇　　…　In　the　first　place；　and

merely　through　the　effect　of　the　new　institutions；　we　prevent　any

capitalist　from　deducting；　as　he　is　used　to　do；　the　best　portion　of

the　fruits　of　another's　labor；　the　hornets　shall　no　longer；　year　after

year；　consume　the　honey　of　the　bees。　　To　bring　this　about；　we　have

only　to　let　the　assignats　（paper　money）　and　their　forced　rate　（of

exchange）　work　things　out。　　Through　the　depreciation　of　paper…money；

the　indolent　land…owner　or　capitalist　sees　his　income　melting　away　in

his　hands；　his　receipts　consist　only　of　nominal　values。　　On　the　1st　of

January；　his　tenant　pays　him　really　for　a　half　term　instead　of　a　full

term；　on　the　1st　of　March；　his　farmer　settles　his　account　with　a　bag

of　grain。＇48＇　　The　effect　is　just　the　same　as　if　we　had　made　fresh

contracts；　and　reduced　by　one…half；　three…quarters；　or；　even　more；　the

rate　of　interest　on　loans；　the　rent　of　houses　and　the　leases　of　farm

lands。　　…　Whilst　the　revenue　of　the　landlord　evaporates；　his　capital

melts　away；　and　we　do　the　best　we　can　to　help　this　along。　　If　he　has

claims　on　ancient　corporations　or　civil　and　religious　establishments

of　any　description；　whether　provincial　governments；　congregations；

associations；　endowments　or　hospitals；　we　withdraw　his　special

guarantee；　we　convert　his　title…deeds　into　a　state　annuity；　we　combine

his　private　fortune　with　the　public　fortune　whether　he　will　or　not；　we

drag　him　into　the　universal　bankruptcy；　toward　which　we　are　conducting

all　the　creditors　of　the　Republic。＇49＇　　…　Besides；　to　ruin　him；　we

have　more　direct　and　prompt　means。　　If　an　émigré；　and　there　are

hundreds　of　thousands　of　émigrés；　we　confiscate　his　possessions。　　If

he　has　been　guillotined　or　deported；　and　there　are　tens　of　thousands

of　these；　we　confiscate　his　possessions。　　If　he　is　〃recognized　as　an

enemy　of　the　Revolution；〃＇50＇　and　〃all　the　rich　pray　for　the　counter…

revolution；〃＇51＇　we　sequestrate　his　property；　enjoying　the　usufruct　of

it　until　peace　is　declared；　and　we　shall　have　the　property　after　the

war　is　over。　　Usufruct　or　property；　the　State；　in　either　case；

inherits；　at　the　most　we　might　grant　temporary　aid　to　the　family；

which　is　not　even　entitled　to　maintenance。



It　is　impossible　to　uproot　fortunes　more　thoroughly。　　As　to　those

which　are　not　at　once　eradicated　we　get　rid　of　them　piecemeal；　and

against　these　we　employ　two　axes：



On　the　one　hand；　we　decree　the　principle　of　progressive　taxation；　and

on　this　basis　we　establish　the　forced　loan：＇52＇　in　incomes；　we

distinguish　between　the　essential　and　the　surplus；　we　fix　according　as

the　excess　is　greater　or　less　we　take　a　quarter；　a　third　or　the　half

of　it；　and；　when　above　nine　thousand　francs；　the　whole；　beyond　its

small　alimentary　reserve；　the　most　opulent　family　will　keep　only　four

thousand　five　hundred　francs　income。



On　the　other　hand；　we　cut　deep　into　capital　through　revolutionary

taxes；　our　committees　and　provincial　proconsuls　levy　arbitrarily　what

suits　them；　three　hundred；　five　hundred；　up　to　one　million　two　hundred

thousand　francs；＇53＇　on　this　or　that　banker；　trader；　bourgeois　or

widow；　payable　within　a　week；　all　the　worse　for　the　person　taxed　if　he

or　she　has　no　money　on　hand　and　is　unable　to　borrow　it；　we　declare

them　〃suspects；〃　we　imprison　them；　we　sequestrate　their　property　and

the　State　enjoys　it　in　their　place。



In　any　event；　even　when　the　amount　is　paid；　we　force　him　or　her　to

deposit　their　silver　and　gold　coin　in　our　hands；　sometimes　with

assignats　as　security；　and　often　nothing；　henceforth；　money　must

circulate　and　the　precious　metals　are　in　requisition；＇54＇　everybody

will　deliver　up　what　plate　he　possesses。　　And　let　nobody　presume　to

conceal　his　hoard；　all　treasure；　whether　silver…plate；　diamonds；

ingots；　gold　or　silver；　coined　or　un…coined；　〃discovered；　or　that　may

be　discovered；　buried　in　the　ground　or　concealed　in　cellars；　inside　of

walls　or　in　garrets；　under　floors；　pavements；　or　hearthstones；　or　in

chimneys　and　other　hiding　places；〃＇55＇