the origins of contemporary france-4-第31章

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

majority。　　…　They　maintain　only　a　disputed；　limited　and　transient

ascendancy　over　their　adherents。　　They　are　not　military　chieftains

like　Cromwell　and　Napoleon；　generals　of　an　army　obeyed　without　a

murmur；　but　common　stump…speakers　at　the　mercy　of　an　audience　that

sits　in　judgment　on　them。　　There　is　no　discipline　in　this　public；

every　Jacobin　remains　independent　by　virtue　of　his　principles；　if　he

accepts　leaders；　it　is　with　a　reservation　of　their　worth　to　him；

selecting　them　as　he　pleases；　he　is　free　to　change　them　when　he

pleases；　his　trust　in　them　is　intermittent；　his　loyalty　provisional；

and；　as　his　adhesion　depends　on　a　mere　preference；　he　always　reserves

the　right　to　discard　the　favorite　of　to…day　as　he　has　discarded　the

favorite　of　yesterday。　　In　this　audience；　there　is　no　such　thing　as

subordination；　the　lowest　demagogue；　any　noisy　subaltern；　a　Hébert　or

Jacques　Roux；　aspiring　to　step　out　of　the　ranks；　overbidding　the

charlatans　in　office　in　order　to　obtain　their　places。　　Even　with　a

complete　and　lasting　ascendancy　over　an　organized　band　of　docile

supporters；　the　Jacobin　leaders　would　be　feeble　for　lack　of　reliable

and　competent　instruments；　for　they　have　but　very　few　partisans　other

than　those　of　doubtful　probity　and　of　notorious　incapacity。　　…

Cromwell　had　around　him；　to　carry　out　the　puritan　program；　the　moral

élite　of　the　nation；　an　army　of　rigorists；　with　narrow　consciences；

but　much　more　strict　towards　themselves　than　towards　others；　men　who

never　drank　and　who　never　swore；　who　never　indulged　for　a　moment　in

sensuality　or　idleness；　who　forbade　themselves　every　act　of　omission

or　commission　about　which　they　held　any　scruples；　the　most　honest；　the

most　temperate；　the　most　laborious　and　the　most　persevering　of

mankind；＇22＇　the　only　ones　capable　of　laying　the　foundations　of　that

practical　morality　on　which　England　and　the　United　States　still

subsist　at　the　present　day。　　…　Around　Peter　the　Great；　in　carrying　out

his　European　program；　stood　the　intellectual　élite　of　the　country；　an

imported　staff　of　men　of　ability　associated　with　natives　of　moderate

ability；　every　well…taught　resident　foreigner　and　indigenous　Russian；

the　only　ones　able　to　organize　schools　and　public　institutions；　to　set

up　a　vast　central　and　regular　system　of　administration；　to　assign　rank

according　to　service　and　merit；　in　short；　to　erect　on　the　snow　and　mud

of　a　shapeless　barbarism　a　conservatory　of　civilization　which；

transplanted　like　an　exotic　tree；　grows　and　gradually　becomes

acclimated。　　…　Around　Couthon；　Saint…Just；　Billaud；　Collot；　and

Robespierre；　with　the　exception　of　certain　men　devoted；　not　to

Utopianism　but　the　country；　and　who；　like　Carnot；　conform　to　the

system　in　order　to　save　France；　there　are　but　a　few　sectarians　to

carry　out　the　Jacobin　program。　　These　are　men　so　short…sighted　as　not

to　clearly　comprehend　its　fallacies；　or　sufficiently　fanatical　to

accept　its　horrors；　a　lot　of　social　outcasts　and　self…constituted

statesmen；　infatuated　through　incommensurate　faculties　with　the　parts

they　play；　unsound　in　mind　and　superficially　educated；　wholly

incompetent；　boundless　in　ambition；　their　consciences　perverted；

callous　or　deadened　by　sophistry；　hardened　through　arrogance　or　killed

by　crime；　by　impunity　and　by　success。



Thus；　whilst　other　despots　raise　a　moderate　weight；　calling　around

them　either　the　majority　or　the　flower　of　the　nation；　employing　the

best　strength　of　the　country　and　lengthening　their　lever　（of

despotism）　as　much　as　possible；　the　Jacobins　attempt　to　raise　an

incalculable　weight；　repel　the　majority　as　well　as　the　flower　of　the

nation；　discard　the　best　strength　of　the　country；　and　shorten　their

lever　to　the　utmost。　　They　hold　on　only　to　the　shorter　end；　the　rough；

clumsy；　iron…bound；　creaking　and　grinding　extremity；　that　is　to　say；

to　physical　force；　…　the　means　for　physical　constraint；　the　heavy　hand

of　the　gendarme　on　the　shoulder　of　the　suspect；　the　jailer's　bolts　and

keys　turned　on　the　prisoner；　the　club　used　by　the　sans…culottes　on　the

back　of　the　bourgeois　to　quicken　his　pace；　and；　better　still；　the

Septembriseur's　pike　thrust　into　the　aristocrat's　belly；　and　the　blade

falling　on　the　neck　held　fast　in　the　clutches　of　the　guillotine。　　…

Such；　henceforth；　is　the　only　machinery　they　posses　for　governing　the

country；　for　they　have　deprived　themselves　of　all　other。　　Their　engine

has　to　be　exhibited；　for　it　works　only　on　condition　that　its　bloody

image　be　stamped　indelibly　on　every　body's　imagination；　if　the　Negro

monarch　or　the　pasha　desires　to　see　heads　bowing　as　he　passes　along；

he　must　be　escorted　by　executioners。　　They　must　abuse　their　engine

because　fear　losing　its　effect　through　habit；　needs　example　to　keep　it

alive；　the　Negro　monarch　or　the　pasha　who　would　keep　the　fear　alive　by

which　he　rules；　must　be　stimulated　every　day；　he　must　slaughter　too

many　to　be　sure　of　slaughtering　enough；　he　must　slaughter　constantly；

in　heaps；　indiscriminately；　haphazard；　no　matter　for　what　offense；　on

the　slightest　suspicion；　the　innocent　along　with　the　guilty。　　He　and

his　are　lost　the　moment　they　cease　to　obey　this　rule。　　Every　Jacobin；

like　every　African　monarch　or　pasha；　must　it　that　he　may　be　and　remain

at　the　head　of　his　band。　　…　That　is　the　reason　why　the　chiefs　of　the

party；　its　natural　and　pre…determined　leaders；　are　theoreticians　able

to　grasp　its　principle　and　logicians　capable　of　drawing　its

consequences。　　They　are；　however；　so　inept　as　to　be　unable　to

understand　that　their　enterprise　exceeds　both　their　own　and　all　other

human　resources；　but　shrewd　enough　to　see　that　brutal　force　is　their

only　tool；　inhuman　enough　to　apply　it　unscrupulously　and　without

reserve；　and　perverted　enough　to　murder　at　random　in　order　to

disseminate　terror。



Notes：



＇1＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XXXII；　354。　　（Speech　by　Robespierre　in　the

Convention；　Floréal　18；　year　II。）　〃　Sparta　gleams　like　a　flash　of

lightening　amidst　profoundest　darkness〃。



＇2＇　Milos　taken　by　the　Athenians；　Thebes；　after　Alexander's　victory；

Corinth；　after　its　capture　by　the　Romans。　　…　In　the　Peloponnesian　war；

the　Plateans；　who　surrender　at　discretion；　are　put　to　death。　　Nicias

is　murdered　in　cold　blood　after　his　defeat　in　Sicily。　　The　prisoners

at　？gos…Potamos　have　their　thumbs　cut　off。



＇3＇　Fustel　de　Coulanges；〃La　Cité　Antique〃；　ch。　　XVII。



＇4＇　Plato；　〃The　Apology　of　Socrates。〃　…　See　also　in　the　〃Crito〃

Socrates'　reasons　for　not　eluding　the　penalty　imposed　on　him。　　The

antique　conception　of　the　State　is　here　clearly　set　forth。



＇5＇　Cf。　　the　code　of　Manu；　the　Zendavesta；　the　Pentateuch　and　the

Tcheou…Li。　　In　this　last　code　（Biot's　translation）；　will　be　found　the

perfection　of　the　system；　particularly　in　vol。　　I。；　241；　247；　II。；

393；　III。；　9；　11；　21；　52。　　〃Every　district　chief；　on　the　twelfth　day

of　the　first　moon；　assembles　together　the　men　of　his　district　and

reads　to　them　the　table　of　rules；　he　examines　their　virtue；　their

conduct；　their　progress　in　the　right　path；　and　in　their　knowledge；　and

encourages　them；　he　investigates　their　errors；　their　failings　and

prevents　them　from　doing　evil。　　。　　。　　。　　Superintendents　of　marriages

see　that　young　people　marry　at　the　prescribed　age。〃　The　reduction　of

man　to　a　State　automaton　is　plain　enough　in　the　institution　of

〃Overseer　of　Gags。　　。　　。〃　At　all　grand　hunts；　at　all　gatherings　of

troops；　he　orders　the　application　of　gags。　　In　these　cases　gags　are

put　in　the　soldiers'　mouths；　they　then　fulfill　their　duties　without

tumult　or　shouting。〃



＇6＇　These　two　words　have　no　exact　equivalents　in　Greek　or　Latin；

Conscientia；　dignitas；　honos　denote　different　shade　of　meaning。　　This

difference　is　most　appreciable　in　the　combination　of　the　two　modern

terms　delicate　conscience；　scrupulous　conscience；　and　the　phrase　of

stake　one's　honour　on　this　or　that；　make　it　a　point　of　honor；　the　laws

of　honor；　etc。　　The　technical　terms　of　antique　morality：　the

beautiful；　truthfulness；　the　sovereign　good；　indicate　ideas　of　another

stamp　and　origin。



＇7＇　　Alas；　modern　20th　century　democratic　Man　has　given　up　honor　and

conscience；　all　he　has　got　to　do　is　to　be　correct　and　follow　the

thousands　of　rules　governing　his　life。　　And　；　of　course；　make　sure

that　he　is　following　orders　or　sure　of　not　being　caught　when　he　breaks

the　natural　rules　of　friendship；　honor　or　conscience。　　Conscience；　on

the　other　had；　will　always　lurk　somewhere　in　the　shadows　of　our　mind；

because　we　all　know　how　we　would　like　to　be　treated　by　others；　and

will　be　forced　not　to　transgress　certain　boundaries　in　case　an

intended　victim　might　be　in　a　position　to　take　his　revenge。　　That　I　am

not　alone　in　seeing　things　this　way　I　noted　in　an　interview　with　the

79　year　old　French　author　Michel　Déon　in　Le　Figaro　on　the　16th　of　May

1998　in　which　Mr。　　Déon　said：　〃　Everywhere　we　are　still　in　a　nursery。

A　great　movement　attempting　to　turn　us　all　into　half…wits　（une　grande

campagne　de　crétinisation　est　en　route）。　　When　these　are　the　only　ones

left；　the　governments　have　an　easy　job。　　It　is　very　clever。〃　（SR。）



＇8＇　Montaigne；　Essays；　book　I。；　ch。　　42：　〃　Observe　in　provinces　far

from　the　court；　in　Brittany　for　example；　the　retinue；　the　subjects；

the　duties；　the　ceremony；　of　a　seignior　living　alone　by　himself；

brought　up　among　his　dependents；　and　likewise　observe　the　flights　of

his　imagination；　there　is　nothing　which　is　more　royal；　he　may　allude

to　his　superior　once　a　year；　as　if　he　were　the　King　of　Persia。。。　　The

burden　of　sovereignty　scarcely　affects　the　French　gentilhomme　twice　in

his　life。。。　　he　who　lurks　in　his　own　place　avoiding　dispute　and　trial

is　as　free　as　the　Duke　of　Venice。〃



＇9＇　〃Mémoires　de　Chateaubriand；〃　vol。　　I。　　（〃Les　Soirées　au　Chateau　de

Cambourg〃。）



＇10＇　In　China；　the　moral　principle　is　just　the　opposite。　　The　Chinese；

amidst　obstacles　and　embarrassments；　always　enjoin　siao…sin；　which

means；　〃abate　thy　affections。〃　（Huc；　〃L'Empire　Chinoise；〃　I。；　204。）



＇11＇　In　the　United　states　the　moral　order　of　things　reposes　chiefly　on

puritan　ideas；　nevertheless　deep　traces　of　feudal　conceptions　are

found　there；　for　instance；　the　general　deference　for　women　which　is

quite　chivalric　there；　and　even　excessive。



＇12＇　Observe；　from　this　point　of　view；　in　the　woman　of　modern　times

the　defenses　of　female　virtue。　　The　（male）　sentiment　of　duty　is　the

first　safeguard　of　modesty；　but　this　has　a　much　more　powerful

auxiliary　in　the　sentiment　of　honor；　or　deep　innate　pride。



＇13＇　The　moral　standard　varies；　but　according　to　a　fixed　law；　the　same

as　a　mathematical　function。　　Each　community　has　its　own　moral

elements；　organization；　history　and　surroundings；　and　necessarily　its

peculiar　conditions　of　vitality。　　When　the　queen　been　in　a　hive　is

chosen　and　impregnated　this　condition　involves　the　massacre　of　useless

male　and　female　rivals　（Darwin）