the origins of contemporary france-4-第98章

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calculating　attention；　that　determined　perseverance　which　leads　the

individual　to　undergo　privation；　to　contrive　and　to　exert　himself；　to

turn　to　profitable　account　the　labor　of　his　hands；　brain　and　capital；

and　to　produce；　save　and　create　for　himself　and　for　others　various

resources　and　comforts。



（It　is　probable　that　disinterested　motives；　pure　love　for　one's

neighbor；　for　humanity；　for　country；　do　not　form　a　hundredth　part　of

the　total　energy　that　produces　human　activity。　　It　must　not　be

forgotten　that　the　actions　of　men　are　alloyed　with　motives　of　a　lower

order；　such　as　love　of　fame；　the　desire　of　self…admiration　and　of

self…approval；　fear　of　punishment　and　hope　of　reward　beyond　the　grave；

all　of　these　being　interested　motives；　and　without　which　disinterested

motives　would　be　inoperative　excepting　in　two　or　three　souls　among　ten

thousand。＇29＇）



Thus　far；　in　society　as　a　whole；　this　sentiment　has　been　only

partially　touched；　and　the　injury　has　mainly　been　to　the　well…to…do　or

rich　classes。　　At　first　only　one…half　of　its　useful　energy　has　been

destroyed　since　only　those　services　rendered　by　the　rich　and　wealthy

classes　have　been　dispensed　with。　　Little　else　than　the　labor　of　the

capitalist；　proprietor　or　contractor　has　been　suppressed；　whose　far…

reaching；　combined；　comprehensive　labor；　the　rewards　of　which　consist

of　objects　of　luxury　and　convenience；　ensure　for　society　that　abundant

supplies　are　always　on　hand；　through　ready　and　spontaneous

distribution　of　indispensable　commodities。　　There　remains　（for　the

Jacobins）　to　crush　out　what　is　left　of　this　laborious　and　nutritive

fiber；　the　remnant　of　useful　energy　has　to　be　destroyed　down　to　its

extirpation　among　the　people。　　Here　there　must　be　a　suppression；　as

far　as　possible；　of　all　manual；　rude　labor　even　on　a　small　scale；　and

of　its　rudimentary　fruits；　the　discouragement　of　the　insignificant

shopkeeper；　mechanic　and　ploughman　must　be　effected；　the　corner…grocer

must　be　prevented　from　selling　his　sugar　and　candles；　and　the　cobbler

from　mending　shoes：　the　miller　must　think　of　giving　up　his　mill　and

the　wagoner　of　abandoning　his　cart；　the　farmer　must　be　convinced　that

the　best　thing　he　can　do　is　to　get　rid　of　his　horses；　eat　his　pork

himself；＇30＇　let　his　oxen　famish　and　leave　his　crops　to　rot　on　the

ground。　　…　The　Jacobins　are　to　do　all　this；　for　it　is　the　inevitable

result　of　the　theory　that　they　have　proclaimed　and　which　they　apply。

According　to　this　theory　the　stern；　strong；　deep…seated　instinct

through　which　the　individual　stubbornly　holds　on　to　what　he　has；　to

what　he　makes　for　himself　and　for　those　that　belong　to　him；　is　just

the　unwholesome　fiber　that　must　be　rooted　out　or　paralyzed　at　any

cost；　its　true　name　is　〃egoism；　incivism；〃　and　its　operations　consist

of　outrages　on　the　community；　which　is　the　sole　legitimate　proprietor

of　property　and　products；　and；　yet　more；　of　all　persons　and　services。

Body　and　soul；　all　belongs　to　the　State；　nothing　to　individuals；　and；

if　need　be；　the　State　has　the　right　to　take　not　only　lands　and

capital；　but；　again；　to　claim　and　tax　at　whatever　rate　it　pleases　all

corn　and　cattle；　all　vehicles　and　the　animals　that　draw　them；　all

candles　and　sugar；　it　has　the　right　to　appropriate　to　itself　and　tax

at　whatever　rate　it　pleases；　the　labor　of　shoemaker；　tailor；　miller；

wagoner；　ploughman；　reaper　and　thrasher。　　The　seizure　of　men　and

things　is　universal；　and　the　new　sovereigns　do　their　best　at　it；　for；

in　practice；　necessity　urges　them　on；　insurrection　thunders　at　their

door；　their　supporters；　all　crackbrains　with　empty　stomachs；　the　poor

and　the　idle；　and　the　Parisian　populace；　listen　to　no　reason　and

blindly　insist　on　things　haphazard；　they　are　bound　to　satisfy　their

patrons　at　once；　to　issue　one　on　top　of　the　other　all　the　decrees　they

call　for；　even　when　impracticable　and　mischievous　to　starve　the

provinces　so　as　to　feed　the　city；　to　starve　the　former　to…morrow　so　as

to　feed　the　latter　to…day。　　…　Subject　to　the　clamors　and　menaces　of

the　street　they　dispatch　things　rapidly；　they　cease　to　care　for　the

future；　the　present　being　all　that　concerns　them；　they　take　and　take

forcibly；　they　uphold　violence　by　brutality；　they　support　robbery　with

murder；　they　expropriate　persons　by　categories　and　appropriate　objects

by　categories；　and　after　the　rich　they　despoil　the　poor。　　…　During

fourteen　months　the　revolutionary　government　thus　keeps　both　hands　at

work；　one　hand　completing　the　confiscation　of　property；　large　and

medium；　and　the　other　proceeding　to　the　entire　abolition　of　property

even　on　a　small　scale。



Against　large　or　medium　properties　it　suffices　to　extend　and　aggravate

the　decrees　already　passed。　　…　The　spoliation　of　the　last　of　existing

corporations　must　be　effected：　the　government；　confiscates　the

property　of　hospitals；　communes；　and　all　scientific　or　literary

associations。＇31＇



To　this　we　must　add　the　spoliation　of　State　credits　and　all　other

credits：　it　issues　in　fourteen　months　5　100　millions　of　assignats；　at

one　time　and　with　one　decree　1；400　million　and　another　time　2；000

millions。　　It　thus　condemns　itself　to　complete　future　bankruptcy。　　It

also　calls　in　the　1；500　million　of　assignats　bearing　the　royal　stamp

（à　face　royale）　and　thus　arbitrarily　converts　and　reduces　the　public

debt　on　the　Grand　Ledger；　which　is　already；　in　fact；　a　partial　and

declared　bankruptcy。　　Six　months　imprisonment　for　whoever　refuses　to

accept　assignats　at　par；　twenty　years　in　irons　if　the　offence　is

repeated　and　the　guillotine　if　there　is　an　incivique　intention　or　act；

which　suffices　for　all　other　creditors。＇32＇



The　spoliation　of　individuals；　a　forced　loan　of　a　billion　on　the　rich；

requisitions　for　coin　against　assignats　at　par；　seizures　of　plate　and

jewels　in　private　houses；　revolutionary　taxes　so　numerous　as　not　only

to　exhaust　the　capital；　but　likewise　the　credit；　of　the　person

taxed；＇33＇　and　the　resumption　by　the　State　of　the　public　domain

pledged　to　private　individuals　for　the　past　three　centuries。　　How　many

years　of　labor　are　requisite　to　bring　together　again　so　much　available

capital；　to　reconstruct　in　France　and　to　refill　once　again　those

private　reservoirs　which　are　to　contain　the　accumulated　savings

essential　for　the　out…flow　required　to　drive　the　great　wheel　of　each

general　enterprise？　Take　into　account；　moreover；　the　enterprises　which

are　directly　destroyed；　root　and　branch；　by　revolutionary　executions；

enforced　against　the　manufacturers　and　traders　of　Lyons；　Marseilles

and　Bordeaux；　proscribed　in　a　mass；＇34＇　guillotined；　imprisoned；　or

put　to　flight；　their　factories　stopped；　their　storehouses　put　under

sequestration；　with　their　stocks　of　brandy；　soap；　silk；　muslins；

leather；　paper；　serges；　cloth；　canvas；　cordage　and　the　rest；　the　same

at　Nantes　under　Carrier；　at　Strasbourg　under　Saint…Just；　and

everywhere　else。＇35＇　…　〃Commerce　is　annihilated；〃　writes　a　Swiss

merchant；＇36＇　from　Paris；　and　the　government；　one　would　say；　tries

systematically　to　render　it　impossible。　　On　the　27th　of　June；　1793；

the　Convention　closes　the　Bourse；　on　the　15th　of　April；　1794；　it

suppresses　〃financial　associations〃　and　〃prohibits　all　bankers；

merchants　and　other　persons　from　organizing　any　establishment　of　the

said　character　under　any　pretext　or　title　whatsoever。〃　On　the　8th　of

September；　1793；　the　Commune　places　seals　〃in　all　the　counting…houses

of　bankers；　stockbrokers；　agents　and　silver…dealers；〃＇37＇　and　locks　up

their　owners；　as　a　favor；　considering　that　they　are　obliged　to　pay　the

drafts　drawn　on　them；　they　are　let　out；　but　provisionally；　and　on

condition　that　they　remain　under　arrest　at　home；　〃under　the　guard　of

two　good　citizens；〃　at　their　own　expense。　　Such　is　the　case　in　Paris

and　in　other　cities；　not　alone　with　prominent　merchants；　but　likewise

with　notaries　and　lawyers；　with　whom　funds　are　on　deposit　and　who

manage　estates；　a　sans…culotte　with　his　pike　stands　in　their　cabinet

whilst　they　write；　and　he　accompanies　them　in　the　street　when　they

call　on　their　clients。　　Imagine　the　state　of　a　notary's　office　or　a

counting…room　under　a　system　of　this　sort！　The　master　of　it　winds　up

his　business　as　soon　as　he　can；　no　matter　how；　makes　no　new

engagements　and　does　as　little　as　possible。　　Still　more　inactive　than

he；　his　colleagues；　condemned　to　an　indefinite　listlessness；　under

lock　and　key　in　the　common　prison；　no　longer　attend　to　their　business。

…　There　is　a　general；　total　paralysis　of　those　natural　organs　which；

in　economic　life；　produce；　elaborate；　receive；　store；　preserve；

exchange　and　transmit　in　large　quantities；　and　as　an　after　effect；

embarrass；　saturate；　or　weaken　all　the　lesser　subordinate　organs　to

which　the　superior　ones　no　longer　provide　outlets；　intermediary

agencies　or　aliment。



It　is　now　the　turn　of　the　small　enterprises。　　Whatever　their

sufferings　may　be　they　are　ordered　to　carry　their　work　out　as　in

normal　times；　and　they　will　be　forced　to　do　this。　　The　Convention；

pursuing　its　accustomed　rigid　logical　course　with　its　usual

shortsightedness；　lays　on　them　its　violent　and　inept　hands；　they　are

trodden　down；　trampled　upon　and　mauled　for　the　purpose　of　curing　them。

Farmers　are　forbidden　to　sell　their　produce　except　in　the　markets；　and

obliged　to　bring　to　these　a　quota　of　so　many　sacks　per　week；　military

raids　compelling　them　to　furnish　their　quotas。＇38＇　Shopkeepers　are

ordered　〃to　expose　for　sale；　daily　and　publicly；　all　goods　and

provisions　of　prime　necessity〃　that　they　have　on　hand；　while　a　maximum

price　is　established；　above　which　no　one　shall　sell　〃bread；　flour　and

grain；　vegetables　and　fruits；　wine；　vinegar；　cider；　beer　and　brandy；

fresh　meat；　salt　meat；　pork；　cattle；　dried；　salted；　smoked　or　pickled

fish；　butter；　honey；　sugar；　sweet…oil；　lamp…oil；　candles；　firewood；

charcoal　and　other　coal；　salt；　soap；　soda；　potash；　leather；　iron；

steel；　castings；　lead；　brass；　hemp；　linen；　woolens；　canvas　and　woven

stuffs；　sabots；　shoes　and　tobacco。〃　Whoever　keeps　on　hand　more　than　he

consumes　is　a　monopolist　and　commits　a　capital　crime；　the　penalty；

very　severe；　is　imprisonment　or　the　pillory；　for　whoever　sells　above

the　established　price：＇39＇　such　are　the　simple　and　direct　expedients

of　the　revolutionary　government；　and　such　is　the　character　of　its

inventive　faculty；　like　that　of　the　savage　who　hews　down　a　tree　to　get

at　its　fruit。　　…　Consequently；　after　the　first　application　of　the

〃maximum〃　the　shopkeeper　is　no　longer　able　to　carry　on　business；　his

customers；　attracted　by　the　sudden　depreciation　in　price　of　his　wares；

flock　to　his　shop　and　empty　it　in　a　few　days；＇40＇　having　sold　his

goods　for　half　what　they　cost　him；＇41＇　he　has　got　back　only　one…half

of　his　advances；　therefore；　he　can　only　one…half　renew　his　assortment；

less　than　a　half；　since　he　has　not　paid　his　bills；　and　his　credit　is

declining；　the　（Jacobin）　representatives　on　mission　having　taken　all

his　coin；　plate　and　assignats