the origins of contemporary france-4-第84章

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bourgeois　dwelling　and　patrimonial　office；　the　humble　rural　domain；

farm；　shop　and　factory；　all　were　transmitted　intact　from　one

generation　to　another。＇85＇　Great　or　small；　the　individual　was　not

exclusively　interested　in　himself；　his　thoughts　also　traveled　forward

to　the　future　and　back　to　the　past；　on　the　side　of　ancestors　and　on

that　of　descendants；　along　the　endless　chain　of　which　his　own　life　was

but　a　link；　he　possessed　traditions；　he　felt　bound　to　set　examples。

Under　this　twofold　title；　his　domestic　authority　was　uncontested；＇86＇

his　household　and　all　his　employees　followed　his　instructions　without

swerving　and　without　resistance。　　When；　by　virtue　of　this　domestic

discipline；　a　family　had　maintained　itself　upright　and　respected　on

the　same　spot　for　a　century；　it　could　easily　advance　a　degree；　it

could　introduce　one　of　its　members　into　the　upper　class；　pass　from　the

plow　or　trade　to　petty　offices；　and　from　these　to　the　higher　ones　and

to　parliamentary　dignities；　from　the　four　thousand　posts　that　ennoble

to　the　legalized　nobility；　from　the　lately　made　nobles　to　the　old

nobility。　　Apart　from　the　two　or　three　thousand　gilded　drones　living

on　the　public　honey　at　Versailles；　apart　from　the　court　parasites　and

their　valets；　three　or　four　hundred　thousand　notables　and　half…

notables　of　France　thus　acquired　and　kept　their　offices；　consideration

and　fortune；　they　were　therefore　their　legitimate　possessors。　　The

peasant…proprietor　and　master…artisan　had　risen　from　father　to　son；　at

four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　toiled　all　day　and　never　drank。　　From

father　to　son；　the　trader；　notary；　lawyer　and　office…holder；　had　been

careful；　economical；　skillful　and　attentive　to　business；　correct　in

their　papers；　precise　in　their　accounts。　　From　father　to　son；　the

nobleman　had　served　bravely；　the　parliamentarian　had　judged　equitably；

as　a　point　of　honor；　with　a　salary　inferior　to　the　interest　of　the　sum

paid　by　him　to　acquire　his　rank　or　post。　　Each　of　these　men　received

no　more　than　his　due；　his　possessions　and　his　rank　were　the　savings　of

his　ascendants；　the　price　of　social　services　rendered　by　the　long　file

of　deserving　dead；　all　that　his　ancestors；　his　father　and　himself　had

created　or　preserved　of　any　stable　value；　each　piece　of　gold　that

remained　in　the　hereditary　purse　represented　the　balance　of　a

lifetime；　the　enduring　labor　of　some　one　belonging　to　his　line；　while

among　these　gold　pieces；　he　himself　had　provided　his　share。　　…　For；

personal　services　counted；　even　among　the　upper　nobility；　and　all　the

more　among　the　lower　class；　in　the　Third…Estate；　and　among　the　people。

Among　the　notables　of　every　degree　just　described；　most　of　them；　in

1789；　were　fully　grown　men；　many　of　them　mature；　a　goodly　number

advanced　in　years；　and　some　quite　aged；　consequently；　in　justification

of　his　rank　and　emoluments；　or　of　his　gains　and　his　fortune；　each

could　allege　fifteen；　twenty；　thirty　and　forty　years　of　labor　and

honorability　in　private　or　public　situations；　the　grand…vicar　of　the

diocese　as　well　as　the　chief…clerk　of　the　ministry；　the　intendant　of

the　généralité　as　well　as　the　president　of　the　royal　tribunal；　the

village　curé；　the　noble　officer；　the　office…holder；　the　lawyer；　the

procureur；　the　large　manufacturer；　the　wholesale　dealer；　as　well　as

the　well…to…do　farmer；　and　the　well…known　handicraftsman。　　…　Thus；　not

only　were　they　an　élite　corps；　the　most　valuable　portion　of　the

nation；　the　best　timber　of　the　forest；　but　again；　the　wood　of　each

branch　belonged　to　that　trunk；　it　grew　there；　and　was　the　product　of

its　own　vegetation；　it　sprung　out　of　the　trunk　wholly　through　the

unceasing　and　spontaneous　effort　of　the　native　sap；　through　time…

honored　and　recent　labor；　and；　on　this　account；　it　merited　respect。　　…

Through　a　double　onslaught；　at　once　against　each　human　branch　and

against　the　entire　French　forest；　the　Jacobin　wood…choppers　seek　to

clear　the　ground。　　Their　theory　results　in　this　precept；　that　not　one

of　the　noble　trees　of　this　forest；　not　one　valuable　trunk　from　the

finest　oak　to　the　smallest　sapling；　should　be　left　standing。



VII。　　　Principle　of　socialist　Equality。



All　superiorities　of　rank　are　illegitimate。　　…　Bearing　of　this

principle。　　…　Incivique　benefits　and　enjoyments。　　…　How　revolutionary

laws　reach　the　lower　class。　　…　Whole　populations　affected　in　a　mass。

…　proportion　of　the　lowly　in　the　proscription　lists。　　How　the

revolutionary　laws　specially　affect　those　who　are　prominent　among　the

people。



Not　that　the　ravages　which　they　make　stop　there！　The　principle

extended　far　beyond　that。　　The　fundamental　rule；　according　to　Jacobin

maxims；　is　that　every　public　or　private　advantage　which　any　citizen

enjoys　and　which　is　not　enjoyed　by　another　citizen；　is　illegitimate。

…　On　Vent？se　19；　year　II。；　Henriot；　general　in　command；　having

surrounded　the　Palais　Royal　and　made　a　sweep　of　〃suspects；〃　renders　an

account　of　his　expedition　as　follows：＇87＇　〃One　hundred　and　thirty

muscadins　have　been　arrested。　　。　　。　　。　　These　gentlemen　are

transferred　to　the　Petits…Pêres。　　Being　well…fed　and　plump；　they

cannot　be　sans…culottes。〃　Henriot　was　right；　for；　to　live　well　is

incivique。　　Whoever　lays　in　stores　of　provisions　is　criminal；　even　if

he　has　gone　a　good　ways　for　them；　even　if　he　has　not　overpaid　the

butcher　of　his　quarter；　even　if　he　has　not　diminished　by　an　ounce　of

meat　the　ration　of　his　neighbor；　when　he　is　found　out；　he　is　punished

and　his　hoard　confiscated。　　〃A　citizen＇88＇　had　a　little　pig　brought　to

him　from　a　place　six　leagues　from　Paris；　and　killed　it　at　once。　　Three

hours　afterwards；　the　pig　was　seized　by　commissioners　and　distributed

among　the　people；　without　the　owner　getting　a　bit　of　it；〃　moreover；

the　said　owner　〃was　imprisoned。〃　…　He　is　a　monopolist！　To　Jacobin

people；　to　empty　stomachs；　there　is　no　greater　crime；　this　misdeed；　to

their　imaginations；　explains　the　arrest　of　Hébert；　their　favorite：　〃It

is　said　at　the　Halle　（the　covered　Paris　market）＇89＇　that　he　has

monopolized　a　brother　of　the　order　of　Saint…Antoine＇90＇　as　well　as　a

pot　of　twenty…five　pounds　of　Brittany　butter；〃　which　is　enough；　they

immediately　and　〃unanimously　consign　Père　Duchesne　to　the　guillotine。〃

（Note　that　the　Père　Duchesne；　founded　by　Hébert；　was　the　most　radical

and　revolutionary　journal。　　（SR。）　…　Of　all　privileges；　accordingly；

that　of　having　a　supply　of　food　is　the　most　offensive；　〃it　is　now

necessary　for　one　who　has　two　dishes　to　give　one　of　them　to　him　who

has　none；〃＇91＇　every　man　who　manages　to　eat　more　than　another　is　a

robber；　for；　in　the　first　place；　he　robs　the　community；　the　sole

legitimate　owner　of　aliments；　and　next；　he　robs；　and　personally；　all

who　have　less　to　eat　than　he　has。



The　same　rule　applies　to　other　things　of　which　the　possession　is

either　agreeable　or　useful：　in　an　equalizing　social　system；　that　now

established；　every　article　of　food　possessed　by　one　individual　to　the

exclusion　of　others；　is　a　dish　abstracted　from　the　common　table　and

held　by　him　to　another's　detriment。　　On　the　strength　of　this；　the

theorists　who　govern　agree　with　the　reigning　ragamuffins。　　Whoever　has

two　good　coats　is　an　aristocrat；　for　there　are　many　who　have　only　one

poor　one。＇92＇　Whoever　has　good　shoes　is　an　aristocrat；　for　many　wear

wooden　ones；　and　others　go　barefoot。　　Whoever　owns　and　rents　lodgings

is　an　aristocrat；　for　others；　his　tenants；　instead　of　receiving　money；

pay　it　out。　　The　tenant　who　furnishes　his　own　rooms　is　an　aristocrat；

for　many　lodge　in　boarding…houses　and　others　sleep　in　the　open　air。

Whoever　possesses　capital　is　an　aristocrat；　even　the　smallest　amount

in　money　or　in　kind；　a　field；　a　roof　over　his　head；　half…a…dozen

silver　spoons　given　to　him　by　his　parents　on　his　wedding…day；　an　old

woollen　stocking　into　which　twenty　or　thirty　crowns　have　been　dropped

one　by　one；　all　one's　savings；　whatever　has　been　laid　by　or

economized；　a　petty　assortment　of　eatables　or　merchandise；　one's　crop

for　the　year　and　stock　of　groceries；　especially　if；　disliking　to　give

them　up　and　letting　his　dissatisfaction　be　seen；　he；　through

revolutionary　taxation　and　requisitions；　through　the　maximum　and　the

confiscation　of　the　precious　metals；　is　constrained　to　surrender　his

small　savings　gratis；　or　at　half　their　value。　　…　Fundamentally；　it　is

only　those　who　have　nothing　of　their　own　that　are　held　to　be　patriots；

those　who　live　from　day　to　day；＇93＇　〃the　wretched；〃　the　poor；

vagabonds；　and　the　famished；　the　humblest　laborer；　the　least

instructed；　the　most　ill　at　his　ease；　is　treated　as　criminal；　as　an

enemy；　as　soon　as　he　is　suspected　of　having　some　resources；　in　vain

does　he　show　his　scarified　or　callous　hands；　he　escapes　neither

spoliation；　the　prison；　nor　the　guillotine。　　At　Troyes；　a　poor　shop…

girl　who　had　set　up　a　small　business　on　borrowed　money；　but　who　is

ruined　by　a　bankruptcy　and　completely　so　by　the　maximum；　infirm；　and

consuming　piecemeal　the　rest　of　her　stock；　is　taxed　five　hundred

livres。＇94＇　In　the　villages　of　Alsace；　an　order　is　issued　to　arrest

the　five；　six　or　seven　richest　persons　in　the　commune；　even　if　there

are　no　rich；　consequently；　they　seize　the　least　poor；　simply　because

they　are　so；　for　instance；　at　Heiligenberg；　six　〃farmers〃　one　of　whom

is　a　day…laborer；　〃or　journey…man；〃　〃suspect；〃　says　the　register　of

the　jail；　〃because　he　is　comfortably　off。〃＇95＇　On　this　account　nowhere

are　there　so　many　〃suspects〃　as　among　the　people；　the　shop；　the　farm

and　the　work…room　harbor　more　aristocrats　than　the　rectory　and　the

chateau。　　In　effect；　according　to　the　Jacobins；＇96＇　〃nearly　all

farmers　are　aristocrats；〃　〃the　merchants　are　all　essentially　anti…

revolutionary；〃＇97＇　and　especially　all　dealers　in　articles　of　prime

necessity；　wine…merchants；　bakers　and　butchers；　the　latter　especially

are　open　〃conspirators；〃　enemies　〃of　the　interior；〃　and　〃　whose

aristocracy　is　insupportable。〃　Such；　already；　among　the　lower　class　of

people；　are　the　many　delinquents　who　are　punished。



But　there　are　still　more　of　them　to　punish；　for；　besides　the　crime　of

not　being　destitute；　of　possessing　some　property；　of　withholding

articles　necessary　for　existence；　there　is　the　crime　of　aristocracy；

necessarily　so　called；　namely；　repugnance　to；　lack　of　zeal；　or　even

indifference　for　the　established　régime；　regret　for　the　old　one；

relationship　or　intercourse　with　a　condemned　or　imprisoned　émigré　of

the　upper　class；　services　rendered　to　some　outlaw；　the　resort　to　some

priest；　now；　numbers　of　poor　farmers；　mechanics；　domestics　and　women

servants；　have　committed　this　crime；＇98＇　and　in　many　provinces　and　in

many　of　the　large　cities　nearly　the　whole　of　the　laboring　population

commits　it　and　persists　in　it；　such　is　the　case；　according　to　Jacobin

reports；　in　Alsace；　Franche…Comté；　Provence；　Vaucluse；　Anjou；　Poitou；

Vendée；　Brittany；　Picardie　and　Flanders；　and　in　Marseilles；　Bordeaux

and　Lyons。　　In　Lyons　alone；　writes　Collo