the country doctor-第31部分

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its　natural　effectthe　people　will　triumph　in　turn　over　the　middle　classes。　If　this　trouble　comes　to　pass；　the　indiscriminate　right　of　suffrage　bestowed　upon　the　masses　will　be　a　dangerous　weapon　in　their　hands。　The　man　who　votes；　criticises。　An　authority　that　is　called　in　question　is　no　longer　an　authority。　Can　you　imagine　a　society　without　a　governing　authority？　No；　you　cannot。　Therefore；　authority　means　force；　and　a　basis　of　just　judgement　should　underlie　force。　Such　are　the　reasons　which　have　led　me　to　think　that　the　principle　of　popular　election　is　a　most　fatal　one　for　modern　governments。　I　think　that　my　attachment　to　the　poor　and　suffering　classes　has　been　sufficiently　proved；　and　that　no　one　will　accuse　me　of　bearing　any　ill…will　towards　them；　but　though　I　admire　the　sublime　patience　and　resignation　with　which　they　tread　the　path　of　toil；　I　must　pronounce　them　to　be　unfit　to　take　part　in　the　government。　The　proletariat　seem　to　me　to　be　the　minors　of　a　nation；　and　ought　to　remain　in　a　condition　of　tutelage。　Therefore；　gentlemen；　the　word　ELECTION；　to　my　thinking；　is　in　a　fair　way　to　cause　as　much　mischief　as　the　words　CONSCIENCE　and　LIBERTY；　which　ill…defined　and　ill…understood；　were　flung　broadcast　among　the　people；　to　serve　as　watchwords　of　revolt　and　incitements　to　destruction。　It　seems　to　me　to　be　a　right　and　necessary　thing　that　the　masses　should　be　kept　in　tutelage　for　the　good　of　society。〃

〃This　system　of　yours　runs　so　clean　contrary　to　everybody's　notions　nowadays；　that　we　have　some　right　to　ask　your　reasons　for　it；〃　said　Genestas；　interrupting　the　doctor。

〃By　all　means；　captain。〃

〃What　is　this　the　master　is　saying？〃　cried　Jacquotte；　as　she　went　back　to　her　kitchen。　〃There　he　is；　the　poor　dear　man；　and　what　is　he　doing　but　advising　them　to　crush　the　people！　And　they　are　listening　to　him〃

〃I　would　never　have　believed　it　of　M。　Benassis；〃　answered　Nicolle。

〃If　I　require　that　the　ignorant　masses　should　be　governed　by　a　strong　hand；〃　the　doctor　resumed；　after　a　brief　pause；　〃I　should　desire　at　the　same　time　that　the　framework　of　the　social　system　should　be　sufficiently　yielding　and　elastic　to　allow　those　who　have　the　will　and　are　conscious　of　their　ability　to　emerge　from　the　crowd；　to　rise　and　take　their　place　among　the　privileged　classes。　The　aim　of　power　of　every　kind　is　its　own　preservation。　In　order　to　live；　a　government；　to…day　as　in　the　past；　must　press　the　strong　men　of　the　nation　into　its　service；　taking　them　from　every　quarter；　so　as　to　make　them　its　defenders；　and　to　remove　from　among　the　people　the　men　of　energy　who　incite　the　masses　to　insurrection。　By　opening　out　in　this　way　to　the　public　ambition　paths　that　are　at　once　difficult　and　easy；　easy　for　strong　wills；　difficult　for　weak　or　imperfect　ones；　a　State　averts　the　perils　of　the　revolutions　caused　by　the　struggles　of　men　of　superior　powers　to　rise　to　their　proper　level。　Our　long　agony　of　forty　years　should　have　made　it　clear　to　any　man　who　has　brains　that　social　superiorities　are　a　natural　outcome　of　the　order　of　things。　They　are　of　three　kinds　that　cannot　be　questionedthe　superiority　of　the　thinker；　the　superiority　of　the　politician；　the　superiority　of　wealth。　Is　not　that　as　much　as　to　say；　genius；　power；　and　money；　or；　in　yet　other　wordsthe　cause；　the　means；　and　the　effect？　But　suppose　a　kind　of　social　tabula　rasa；　every　social　unit　perfectly　equal；　an　increase　of　population　everywhere　in　the　same　ratio；　and　give　the　same　amount　of　land　to　each　family；　it　would　not　be　long　before　you　would　again　have　all　the　existing　inequalities　of　fortune；　it　is　glaringly　evident；　therefore；　that　there　are　such　things　as　superiority　of　fortune；　of　thinking　capacity；　and　of　power；　and　we　must　make　up　our　minds　to　this　fact；　but　the　masses　will　always　regard　rights　that　have　been　most　honestly　acquired　as　privileges；　and　as　a　wrong　done　to　themselves。

〃The　SOCIAL　CONTRACT　founded　upon　this　basis　will　be　a　perpetual　pact　between　those　who　have　and　those　who　have　not。　And　acting　on　these　principles；　those　who　benefit　by　the　laws　will　be　the　lawmakers；　for　they　necessarily　have　the　instinct　of　self…preservation；　and　foresee　their　dangers。　It　is　even　more　to　their　interest　than　to　the　interest　of　the　masses　themselves　that　the　latter　should　be　quiet　and　contented。　The　happiness　of　the　people　should　be　ready　made　for　the　people。　If　you　look　at　society　as　a　whole　from　this　point　of　view；　you　will　soon　see；　as　I　do；　that　the　privilege　of　election　ought　only　to　be　exercised　by　men　who　possess　wealth；　power；　or　intelligence；　and　you　will　likewise　see　that　the　action　of　the　deputies　they　may　choose　to　represent　them　should　be　considerably　restricted。

〃The　maker　of　laws；　gentlemen；　should　be　in　advance　of　his　age。　It　is　his　business　to　ascertain　the　tendency　of　erroneous　notions　popularly　held；　to　see　the　exact　direction　in　which　the　ideas　of　a　nation　are　tending；　he　labors　for　the　future　rather　than　for　the　present；　and　for　the　rising　generation　rather　than　for　the　one　that　is　passing　away。　But　if　you　call　in　the　masses　to　make　the　laws；　can　they　rise　above　their　own　level？　Nay。　The　more　faithfully　an　assembly　represents　the　opinions　held　by　the　crowd；　the　less　it　will　know　about　government；　the　less　lofty　its　ideas　will　be；　and　the　more　vague　and　vacillating　its　policy；　for　the　crowd　is　and　always　will　be　simply　a　crowd；　and　this　especially　with　us　in　France。　Law　involves　submission　to　regulations；　man　is　naturally　opposed　to　rules　and　regulations　of　all　kinds；　especially　if　they　interfere　with　his　interests；　so　is　it　likely　that　the　masses　will　enact　laws　that　are　contrary　to　their　own　inclinations？　No。

〃Very　often　legislation　ought　to　run　counter　to　the　prevailing　tendencies　of　the　time。　If　the　law　is　to　be　shaped　by　the　prevailing　habits　of　thought　and　tendencies　of　a　nation；　would　not　that　mean　that　in　Spain　a　direct　encouragement　would　be　given　to　idleness　and　religious　intolerance；　in　England；　to　the　commercial　spirit；　in　Italy；　to　the　love　of　the　arts　that　may　be　the　expression　of　a　society；　but　by　which　no　society　can　entirely　exist；　in　Germany；　feudal　class　distinctions　would　be　fostered；　and　here；　in　France；　popular　legislation　would　promote　the　spirit　of　frivolity；　the　sudden　craze　for　an　idea；　and　the　readiness　to　split　into　factions　which　has　always　been　our　bane。

〃What　has　happened　in　the　forty　years　since　the　electors　took　it　upon　themselves　to　make　laws　for　France？　We　have　something　like　forty　thousand　laws！　A　people　with　forty　thousand　laws　might　as　well　have　none　at　all。　Is　it　likely　that　five　hundred　mediocrities　（for　there　are　never　more　than　a　hundred　great　minds　to　do　the　work　of　any　one　century）；　is　it　likely　that　five　hundred　mediocrities　will　have　the　wit　to　rise　to　the　level　of　these　considerations？　Not　they！　Here　is　a　constant　stream　of　men　poured　forth　from　five　hundred　different　places；　they　will　interpret　the　spirit　of　the　law　in　divers　manners；　and　there　should　be　a　unity　of　conception　in　the　law。

〃But　I　will　go　yet　further。　Sooner　or　later　an　assembly　of　this　kind　comes　to　be　swayed　by　one　man；　and　instead　of　a　dynasty　of　kings；　you　have　a　constantly　changing　and　costly　succession　of　prime　ministers。　There　comes　a　Mirabeau　or　a　Danton；　a　Robespierre　or　a　Napoleon；　or　proconsuls；　or　an　emperor；　and　there　is　an　end　of　deliberations　and　debates。　In　fact；　it　takes　a　determinate　amount　of　force　to　raise　a　given　weight；　the　force　may　be　distributed；　and　you　may　have　a　less　or　greater　number　of　levers；　but　it　comes　to　the　same　thing　in　the　end：　the　force　must　be　in　proportion　to　the　weight。　The　weight　in　this　case　is　the　ignorant　and　suffering　mass　of　people　who　form　the　lowest　stratum　of　society。　The　attitude　of　authority　is　bound　to　be　repressive；　and　great　concentration　of　the　governing　power　is　needed　to　neutralize　the　force　of　a　popular　movement。　This　is　the　application　of　the　principle　that　I　unfolded　when　I　spoke　just　now　of　the　way　in　which　the　class　privileged　to　govern　should　be　restricted。　If　this　class　is　composed　of　men　of　ability；　they　will　obey　this　natural　law；　and　compel　the　country　to　obey。　If　you　collect　a　crowd　of　mediocrities　together；　sooner　or　later　they　will　fall　under　the　dominion　of　a　stronger　head。　A　deputy　of　talent　understands　the　reasons　for　which　a　government　exists；　the　mediocre　deputy　simply　comes　to　terms　with　force。　An　assembly　either　obeys　an　idea；　like　the　Convention　in　the　time　of　the　Terror；　a　powerful　personality；　like　the　Corps　Legislatif　under　the　rule　of　Napoleon；　or　falls　under　the　domination　of　a　system　or　of　wealth；　as　it　has　done　in　our　own　day。　The　Republican　Assembly；　that　dream　of　some　innocent　souls；　is　an　impossibility。　Those　who　would　fain　bring　it　to　pass　are　either　grossly　deluded　dupes　or　would…　be　tyrants。　Do　you　not　think　that　there　is　something　ludicrous　about　an　Assembly　which　gravely　sits　in　debate　upon　the　perils　of　a　nation　which　ought　to　be　roused　into　immediate　action？　It　is　only　right　of　course　that　the　people　should　elect　a　body　of　representatives　who　will　decide　questions　of　supplies　and　of　taxation；　this　institution　has　always　existed；　under　the　sway　of　the　most　tyrannous　ruler　no　less　than　under　the　sceptre　of　the　mildest　of　princes。　Money　is　not　to　be　taken　by　force；　there　are　natural　limits　to　taxation；　and　if　they　are　overstepped；　a　nation　either　rises　up　in　revolt；　or　lays　itself　down　to　die。　Again；　if　this　elective　body；　changing　from　time　to　time　according　to　the　needs　and　ideas　of　those　whom　it　represents；　should　refuse　obedience　to　a　bad　law　in　the　name　of　the　people；　well　and　good。　But　to　imagine　that　five　hundred　men；　drawn　from　every　corner　of　the　kingdom；　will　make　a　good　law！　Is　it　not　a　dreary　joke；　for　which　the　people　will　sooner　or　later　have　to　pay？　They　have　a　change　of　masters；　that　is　all。

〃Authority　ought　to　be　given　to　one　man；　he　alone　should　have　the　task　of　making　the　laws；　and　he　should　be　a　man　who；　by　force　of　circumstances；　is　continually　obliged　to　submit　his　actions　to　general　approbation。　But　the　only　restraints　that　can　be　brought　to　bear　upon　the　exercise　of　power；　be　it　the　power　of　the　one；　of　the　many；　or　of　the　multitude；　are　to　be　found　in　the　religious　institutions　of　a　country。　Religion　forms　the　only　adequate　safeguard　again