the origins of contemporary france-4-第30章

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torpid　creatures；　limited　to　their　daily　wants　and　animal　instincts；

indifferent　to　the　public　welfare　and　to　their　own　prospective

interests；　so　degenerate　as　to　have　lost　sight　of　their　own

discoveries；　unlearned　their　own　sciences；　arts　and　industries；　and；

in　short；　and　worse　than　all；　base；　false；　corrupted　souls　entirely

wanting　in　honor　and　conscience。　　Nothing　is　more　destructive　than　the

unrestricted　meddling　of　the　State；　even　when　wise　and　paternal；　in

Paraguay；　under　the　discipline　of　Jesuits；　so　minute　in　its　details；

〃Indian　physiognomy　appeared　like　that　of　animals　taken　in　a　trap。〃

They　worked；　ate；　drank　and　gave　birth　by　sound　of　bells；　under　watch

and　ward；　correctly　and　mechanically；　but　showing　no　liking　for

anything；　not　even　for　their　own　existence；　being　transformed　into　so

may　automatons；　at　least　it　may　be　said　is　that　the　means　employed　to

produce　this　result　were　gentle　and　that　they；　before　their

transformation　were　mere　brutes。　　But　those　who　the　revolutionary…

Jesuit　now　undertakes　to　transform　into　robots；　and　by　harsh　means；

are　human　beings。



VIII。



Comparison　between　despotisms。　　…　Philip　II　and　Louis　XIV。　　…　Cromwell

and　Frederick　the　Great。　　…　Peter　the　Great　and　the　Sultans。　　…

Relationship　between　the　tasks　the　Jacobins　are　to　carry　out　and　the

assets　at　their　disposal。　　…　Disproportion　between　the　burdens　they

are　to　carry　and　the　forces　at　their　disposal。　　…　Folly　of　their

undertaking。　　…　Physical　force　the　only　governmental　force　they

possess。　　…　They　are　compelled　to　exercise　it。　　…　They　are　compelled

to　abuse　it。　　…　Character　of　their　government。　　…　Character　requisite

of　their　leaders。



Several　times；　in　European　history；　despotism　almost　equally　harsh

have　born　down　heavily　on　human　effort；　but　never　have　any　of　them

been　so　thoroughly　inept；　for　none　have　ever　attempted　to　raise　so

heavy　a　mass　with　so　short　a　lever。

And　to　start　with；　no　matter　how　authoritative　the　despot　might　have

been；　his　intervention　was　limited。　　…　　Philip　II。　　burned　heretics；

persecuted　Moors　and　drove　out　Jews；　Louis　XIV。　　forcibly　converted

the　Protestants；　but　both　used　violence　only　against　dissenters；　about

a　fifteenth　or　a　twentieth　of　their　subjects。　　If　Cromwell；　on

becoming　Protector；　remained　sectarian；　and　the　compulsory　servant　of

an　army　of　sectarians；　he　took　good　care　not　to　impose　on　other

churches　the　theology；　rites　and　discipline　of　his　own　church；＇18＇　on

the　contrary；　he　repressed　fanatical　outrages；　protected　the

Anabaptists　as　well　as　his　Independents。　　He　granted　paid　curates　to

the　Presbyterians　as　well　as　the　public　exercise　of　their　worship；　he

showed　the　Episcopalians　a　large　tolerance　and　gave　them　the　right　to

worship　in　private；　he　maintained　the　two　great　Anglican　universities

and　allowed　the　Jews　to　erect　a　synagogue。　　…　Frederick　II。　　drafted

into　his　army　every　able…bodied　peasant　that　he　could　feed；　he　kept

every　man　twenty　years　in　the　service；　under　a　discipline　worse　than

slavery；　with　almost　certain　prospect　of　death；　and　in　his　last　war；

he　sacrificed　about　one　sixth　of　his　male　subjects；＇19＇　but　they　were

serfs；　and　his　conscription　did　not　touch　the　bourgeois　class。　　He　put

his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　the　bourgeois　and　of　every　other　man；　and

took　every　crown　they　had；　when　driven　to　it；　he　adulterated　coin　and

stopped　paying　his　functionaries；　but；　under　the　scrutiny　of　his　eyes；

always　open；　the　administration　was　honest；　the　police　effective；

justice　exact；　toleration　unlimited；　and　the　freedom　of　the　press

complete；　the　king　allowed　the　publication　of　the　most　cutting

pamphlets　against　himself；　and　their　public　sale；　even　at　Berlin。　　…　A

little　earlier；　in　the　great　empire　of　the　east；　Peter　the　Great；＇20＇

with　whip　in　hand；　lashed　his　Muscovite　bears　and　made　them　drill　and

dance　in　European　fashion；　but　were　bears　accustomed　from　father　to

son　to　the　whip　and　chain；　moreover；　he　stood　as　the　orthodox　head　of

their　faith；　and　left　their　mir　（the　village　commune）　untouched。　　…

Finally；　at　the　other　extremity　of　Europe；　and　even　outside　of　Europe；

in　the　seventh　century　the　caliph；　in　the　fifteenth　century　a　sultan；

a　Mahomet　or　an　Omar；　a　fanatical　Arab　or　brutal　Turk；　who　had　just

overcome　Christians　with　the　sword；　himself　assigned　the　limits　of　his

own　absolutism：　if　the　vanquished　were　reduced　to　the　condition　of

heavily　ransomed　tributaries　and　of　inferiors　daily　humiliated；　he

allowed　them　their　worship；　civil　laws　and　domestic　usages；　he　left

them　their　institutions；　their　convents　and　their　schools；　he　allowed

them　to　administer　the　affairs　of　their　own　community　as　they　pleased

under　the　jurisdiction　of　their　patriarch；　or　other　natural

chieftains。　　…　Thus　whatever　the　tyrant　may　have　been；　he　did　not

attempt　to　entirely　recast　Man；　nor　to　subject　all　his　subjects　to　the

recasting。　　However　penetrating　the　tyranny；　it　stopped　in　the　soul　at

a　certain　point；　that　point　reached；　the　sentiments　were　left　free。

No　matter　how　comprehensive　this　tyranny　may　have　been；　it　affected

only　one　class　of　men；　the　others；　outside　the　net；　remained　free。

When　it　wounded　all　at　once　all　sensitive　chords；　it　did　so　only　to　a

limited　minority；　unable　to　defend　themselves。　　As　far　as　the

majority；　able　to　protect　itself；　their　main　sensibilities　were

respected；　especially　the　most　sensitive；　this　one　or　that　one；　as　the

case　might　be；　now　the　conscience　which　binds　man　to　his　religion；　now

that　amour…propre　on　which　honor　depends；　and　now　the　habits　which

make　man　cling　to　customs；　hereditary　usages　and　outward　observances。

As　far　as　the　others　were　concerned；　those　which　relate　to　property；

personal　welfare；　and　social　position；　it　proceeded　cautiously　and

with　moderation。　　In　this　way　the　discretion　of　the　ruler　lessened　the

resistance　of　the　subject；　and　a　daring　enterprise；　even　mischievous；

was　not　outrageous；　it　might　be　carried　out；　nothing　was　required　but

a　force　in　hand　equal　to　the　resistance　it　provoked。



Again；　and　on　the　other　hand；　the　tyrant　possessed　this　force。　　Very

many　and　very　strong　arms　stood　behind　the　prince　ready　to　cooperate

with　him　and　countervail　any　resistance。　　…　Behind　Philip　II。　　or

Louis　XIV。　　ready　to　drive　the　dissidents　out　or　at　least　to　consent

to　their　oppression；　stood　the　Catholic　majority；　as　fanatical　or　as

illiberal　as　their　king。　　Behind　Philip　II。；　Louis　XIV。；　Frederick

II。；　and　Peter　the　Great；　stood　the　entire　nation；　equally　violent；

rallied　around　the　sovereign　through　his　consecrated　title　and

uncontested　right；　through　tradition　and　custom；　through　a　rigid

sentiment　of　duty　and　the　vague　idea　of　public　security。　　…　Peter　the

Great　counted　among　his　auxiliaries　every　eminent　and　cultivated　man

in　the　country；　Cromwell　had　his　disciplined　and　twenty…times

victorious　army；　the　caliph　or　sultan　brought　along　with　him　his

military　and　privileged　population。　　…　Aided　by　cohorts　of　this　stamp；

it　was　easy　to　raise　a　heavy　mass；　and　even　maintain　it　in　a　fixed

position。　　Once　the　operation　was　concluded　there　followed　a　sort　of

equilibrium；　the　mass；　kept　in　the　air　by　a　permanent　counterbalance；

only　required　a　little　daily　effort　to　prevent　it　from　falling。



It　is　just　the　opposite　with　the　Jacobin　enterprise。　　When　it　is　put

into　operation；　the　theory；　more　exacting；　adds　an　extra　weight　to　the

uplifted　mass；　and；　finally；　a　burden　of　almost　infinite　weight。　　…　At

first；　the　Jacobin　confined　his　attacks　to　royalty；　to　nobility；　to

the　Church；　to　parliaments；　to　privileges；　to　ecclesiastical　and

feudal　possessions；　in　short；　to　medieval　foundations。　　Then　he

attacks　yet　more　ancient　and　more　solid　foundations；　positive

religion；　property　and　the　family。　　…　For　four　years　he　has　been

satisfied　with　demolition　and　now　he　wants　to　construct。　　His　object

is　not　merely　to　do　away　with　a　positive　faith　and　suppress　social

inequality；　to　proscribe　revealed　dogmas；　hereditary　beliefs；　an

established　cult；　the　supremacy　of　rank　and　superiority　of　fortunes；

wealth；　leisure；　refinement　and　elegance；　but　he　wants；　in　addition　to

all　this；　to　re…fashion　the　citizen。　　He　wants　to　create　new

sentiments；　impose　natural　religion　on　the　individual；　civic

education；　uniform　ways　and　habits；　Jacobin　conduct；　Spartan　virtue；

in　short；　nothing　is　to　be　left　in　a　human　being　that　is　not

prescribed；　enforced　and　constrained。　　…　Henceforth；　there　is　opposed

to　the　Revolution；　not　alone　the　partisans　of　the　ancient　régime　…

priests；　nobles；　parliamentarians；　royalists；　and　Catholics　…　but；

again；　every　person　imbued　with　European　civilization；　every　member　of

a　regular　family；　any　possessor　of　a　capital；　large　or　small；　every

kind　or　degree　of　proprietor；　farmer；　manufacturer；　merchant；　artisan

or　farmer；　even　most　of　the　revolutionaries。　　Nearly　all　the

revolutionaries　count　on　escaping　the　constraints　they　impose；　and　who

only　like　the　strait　jacket　when　it　is　on　another's　back。　　…　The

influence　of　resistant　wills　at　this　moment　becomes　incalculable：　it

would　be　easier　to　raise　a　mountain；　and；　just　at　this　moment；　the

Jacobins　have　deprived　themselves　of　every　moral　force　through　which　a

political　engineer　acts　on　human　wills。



Unlike　Philip　II。　　and　Louis　XIV。　　they　are　not　supported　by　the

intolerance　of　a　vast　majority；　for；　instead　of　fifteen　or　twenty

orthodox　against　one　heretic；　they　count　in　their　church　scarcely　more

than　one　orthodox　against　fifteen　or　twenty　heretics。＇21＇　…　They　are

not；　like　legitimate　sovereigns；　supported　by　the　stubborn　loyalty　of

an　entire　population；　following　in　the　steps　of　its　chieftain　out　of

the　prestige　of　hereditary　right　and　through　habits　of　ancient　fealty。

On　the　contrary；　their　reign　is　only　a　day　old　and　they　themselves　are

interlopers。　　At　first　installed　by　a　coup　d'état　and　afterwards　by

the　semblance　of　an　election；　they　have　extorted　or　obtained　by　trick

the　suffrages　through　which　they　act。　　They　are　so　familiar　with　fraud

and　violence　that；　in　their　own　Assembly；　the　ruling　minority　has

seized　and　held　on　to　power　by　violence　and　fraud；　putting　down　the

majority　by　riots；　and　the　departments　by　force　of　arms。　　To　give

their　brutalities　the　semblance　of　right；　they　improvise　two　pompous

demonstrations；　first；　the　sudden　manufacture　of　a　paper　constitution；

which　molders　away　in　their　archives；　and　next；　the　scandalous　farce

of　a　hollow　and　compulsory　plebiscite。　　…　A　dozen　leaders　of　the　party

concentrate　unlimited　authority　in　their　own　hands；　but；　as　admitted

by　them；　their　authority　is　derivative；　it　is　the　Convention　which

makes　them　its　delegates；　their　precarious　title　has　to　be　renewed

monthly；　a　turn　of　the　majority　may　sweep　them　and　their　work　away　to…

morrow；　an　insurrection　of　the　people；　whom　they　have　familiarized

with　insurrection；　may　to…morrow　sweep　them　away；　their　work　and　their

majority。　　…