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ascertain　the　cause　of　their　growing　deterioration。　He　found　it　in

those　petty　partial　revolutions；　the　eddies；　as　it　were；　of　the　storm

of　1789；　which　the　historians　of　great　social　movements　neglect　to

inquire　into；　although　as　a　matter　of　fact　it　is　they　which　have　made

our　manners　and　customs　what　they　are　now。



Formerly；　under　the　monarchy；　the　bureaucratic　armies　did　not　exist。

The　clerks；　few　in　number；　were　under　the　orders　of　a　prime　minister

who　communicated　with　the　sovereign；　thus　they　directly　served　the

king。　The　superiors　of　these　zealous　servants　were　simply　called　head…

clerks。　In　those　branches　of　administration　which　the　king　did　not

himself　direct；　such　for　instance　as　the　〃fermes〃　（the　public　domains

throughout　the　country　on　which　a　revenue　was　levied）；　the　clerks　were

to　their　superior　what　the　clerks　of　a　business…house　are　to　their

employer；　they　learned　a　science　which　would　one　day　advance　them　to

prosperity。　Thus；　all　points　of　the　circumference　were　fastened　to　the

centre　and　derived　their　life　from　it。　The　result　was　devotion　and

confidence。　Since　1789　the　State；　call　it　the　Nation　if　you　like；　has

replaced　the　sovereign。　Instead　of　looking　directly　to　the　chief

magistrate　of　this　nation；　the　clerks　have　become；　in　spite　of　our

fine　patriotic　ideas；　the　subsidiaries　of　the　government；　their

superiors　are　blown　about　by　the　winds　of　a　power　called　〃the

administration；〃　and　do　not　know　from　day　to　day　where　they　may　be　on

the　morrow。　As　the　routine　of　public　business　must　go　on；　a　certain

number　of　indispensable　clerks　are　kept　in　their　places；　though　they

hold　these　places　on　sufferance；　anxious　as　they　are　to　retain　them。

Bureaucracy；　a　gigantic　power　set　in　motion　by　dwarfs；　was　generated

in　this　way。　Though　Napoleon；　by　subordinating　all　things　and　all　men

to　his　will；　retarded　for　a　time　the　influence　of　bureaucracy　（that

ponderous　curtain　hung　between　the　service　to　be　done　and　the　man　who

orders　it）；　it　was　permanently　organized　under　the　constitutional

government；　which　was；　inevitably；　the　friend　of　all　mediocrities；　the

lover　of　authentic　documents　and　accounts；　and　as　meddlesome　as　an　old

tradeswoman。　Delighted　to　see　the　various　ministers　constantly

struggling　against　the　four　hundred　petty　minds　of　the　Elected　of　the

Chamber；　with　their　ten　or　a　dozen　ambitious　and　dishonest　leaders；

the　Civil　Service　officials　hastened　to　make　themselves　essential　to

the　warfare　by　adding　their　quota　of　assistance　under　the　form　of

written　action；　they　created　a　power　of　inertia　and　named　it　〃Report。〃

Let　us　explain　the　Report。



When　the　kings　of　France　took　to　themselves　ministers；　which　first

happened　under　Louis　XV。；　they　made　them　render　reports　on　all

important　questions；　instead　of　holding；　as　formerly；　grand　councils

of　state　with　the　nobles。　Under　the　constitutional　government；　the

ministers　of　the　various　departments　were　insensibly　led　by　their

bureaus　to　imitate　this　practice　of　kings。　Their　time　being　taken　up

in　defending　themselves　before　the　two　Chambers　and　the　court；　they

let　themselves　be　guided　by　the　leading…strings　of　the　Report。　Nothing

important　was　ever　brought　before　the　government　that　a　minister　did

not　say；　even　when　the　case　was　urgent；　〃I　have　called　for　a　report。〃

The　Report　thus　became；　both　as　to　the　matter　concerned　and　for　the

minister　himself；　the　same　as　a　report　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　on　a

question　of　laws；namely；　a　disquisition　in　which　the　reasons　for　and

against　are　stated　with　more　or　less　partiality。　No　real　result　is

attained；　the　minister；　like　the　Chamber；　is　fully　as　well　prepared

before　as　after　the　report　is　rendered。　A　determination；　in　whatever

matter；　is　reached　in　an　instant。　Do　what　we　will；　the　moment　comes

when　the　decision　must　be　made。　The　greater　the　array　of　reasons　for

and　against；　the　less　sound　will　be　the　judgment。　The　finest　things　of

which　France　can　boast　have　been　accomplished　without　reports　and

where　decisions　were　prompt　and　spontaneous。　The　dominant　law　of　a

statesman　is　to　apply　precise　formula　to　all　cases；　after　the　manner

of　judges　and　physicians。



Rabourdin；　who　said　to　himself：　〃A　minister　should　have　decision；

should　know　public　affairs；　and　direct　their　course；〃　saw　〃Report〃

rampant　throughout　France；　from　the　colonel　to　the　marshal；　from　the

commissary　of　police　to　the　king；　from　the　prefects　to　the　ministers

of　state；　from　the　Chamber　to　the　courts。　After　1818　everything　was

discussed；　compared；　and　weighed；　either　in　speech　or　writing；　public

business　took　a　literary　form。　France　went　to　ruin　in　spite　of　this

array　of　documents；　dissertations　stood　in　place　of　action；　a　million

of　reports　were　written　every　year；　bureaucracy　was　enthroned！

Records；　statistics；　documents；　failing　which　France　would　have　been

ruined；　circumlocution；　without　which　there　could　be　no　advance；

increased；　multiplied；　and　grew　majestic。　From　that　day　forth

bureaucracy　used　to　its　own　profit　the　mistrust　that　stands　between

receipts　and　expenditures；　it　degraded　the　administration　for　the

benefit　of　the　administrators；　in　short；　it　spun　those　lilliputian

threads　which　have　chained　France　to　Parisian　centralization；as　if

from　1500　to　1800　France　had　undertaken　nothing　for　want　of　thirty

thousand　government　clerks！　In　fastening　upon　public　offices；　like　a

mistletoe　on　a　pear…tree；　these　officials　indemnified　themselves

amply；　and　in　the　following　manner。



The　ministers；　compelled　to　obey　the　princes　or　the　Chambers　who

impose　upon　them　the　distribution　of　the　public　moneys；　and　forced　to

retain　the　workers　in　office；　proceeded　to　diminish　salaries　and

increase　the　number　of　those　workers；　thinking　that　if　more　persons

were　employed　by　government　the　stronger　the　government　would　be。　And

yet　the　contrary　law　is　an　axiom　written　on　the　universe；　there　is　no

vigor　except　where　there　are　few　active　principles。　Events　proved　in

July；　1830；　the　error　of　the　materialism　of　the　Restoration。　To　plant

a　government　in　the　hearts　of　a　nation　it　is　necessary　to　bind

INTERESTS　to　it；　not　MEN。　The　government…clerks　being　led　to　detest

the　administrations　which　lessened　both　their　salaries　and　their

importance；　treated　them　as　a　courtesan　treats　an　aged　lover；　and　gave

them　mere　work　for　money；　a　state　of　things　which　would　have　seemed　as

intolerable　to　the　administration　as　to　the　clerks；　had　the　two

parties　dared　to　feel　each　other's　pulse；　or　had　the　higher　salaries

not　succeeded　in　stifling　the　voices　of　the　lower。　Thus　wholly　and

solely　occupied　in　retaining　his　place；　drawing　his　pay；　and　securing

his　pension；　the　government　official　thought　everything　permissible

that　conduced　to　these　results。　This　state　of　things　led　to　servility

on　the　part　of　the　clerks　and　to　endless　intrigues　within　the　various

departments；　where　the　humbler　clerks　struggled　vainly　against

degenerate　members　of　the　aristocracy；　who　sought　positions　in　the

government　bureaus　for　their　ruined　sons。



Superior　men　could　scarcely　bring　themselves　to　tread　these　tortuous

ways；　to　stoop；　to　cringe；　and　creep　through　the　mire　of　these

cloacas；　where　the　presence　of　a　fine　mind　only　alarmed　the　other

denizens。　The　ambitious　man　of　genius　grows　old　in　obtaining　his

triple　crown；　he　does　not　follow　in　the　steps　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth

merely　to　become　head　of　a　bureau。　No　one　comes　or　stays　in　the

government　offices　but　idlers；　incapables；　or　fools。　Thus　the

mediocrity　of　French　administration　has　slowly　come　about。

Bureaucracy；　made　up　entirely　of　petty　minds；　stands　as　an　obstacle　to

the　prosperity　of　the　nation；　delays　for　seven　years；　by　its

machinery；　the　project　of　a　canal　which　would　have　stimulated　the

production　of　a　province；　is　afraid　of　everything；　prolongs

procrastination；　and　perpetuates　the　abuses　which　in　turn　perpetuate

and　consolidate　itself。　Bureaucracy　holds　all　things　and　the

administration　itself　in　leading　strings；　it　stifles　men　of　talent　who

are　bold　enough　to　be　independent　of　it　or　to　enlighten　it　on　its　own

follies。　About　the　time　of　which　we　write　the　pension　list　had　just

been　issued；　and　on　it　Rabourdin　saw　the　name　of　an　underling　in

office　rated　for　a　larger　sum　than　the　old　colonels；　maimed　and

wounded　for　their　country。　In　that　fact　lies　the　whole　history　of

bureaucracy。



Another　evil；　brought　about　by　modern　customs；　which　Rabourdin　counted

among　the　causes　of　this　secret　demoralization；　was　the　fact　that

there　is　no　real　subordination　in　the　administration　in　Paris；

complete　equality　reigns　between　the　head　of　an　important　division　and

the　humblest　copying…clerk；　one　is　as　powerful　as　the　other　in　an

arena　outside　of　which　each　lords　it　in　his　own　way。　Education；

equally　distributed　through　the　masses；　brings　the　son　of　a　porter

into　a　government　office　to　decide　the　fate　of　some　man　of　merit　or

some　landed　proprietor　whose　door…bell　his　father　may　have　answered。

The　last　comer　is　therefore　on　equal　terms　with　the　oldest　veteran　in

the　service。　A　wealthy　supernumerary　splashes　his　superior　as　he

drives　his　tilbury　to　Longchamps　and　points　with　his　whip　to　the　poor

father　of　a　family；　remarking　to　the　pretty　woman　at　his　side；　〃That's

my　chief。〃　The　Liberals　call　this　state　of　things　Progress；　Rabourdin

thought　it　Anarchy　at　the　heart　of　power。　He　saw　how　it　resulted　in

restless　intrigues；　like　those　of　a　harem　between　eunuchs　and　women

and　imbecile　sultans；　or　the　petty　troubles　of　nuns　full　of　underhand

vexations；　or　college　tyrannies；　or　diplomatic　manoeuvrings　fit　to

terrify　an　ambassador；　all　put　in　motion　to　obtain　a　fee　or　an

increase　in　salary；　it　was　like　the　hopping　of　fleas　harnessed　to

pasteboard　cars；　the　spitefulness　of　slaves；　often　visited　on　the

minister　himself。　With　all　this　were　the　really　useful　men；　the

workers；　victims　of　such　parasites；　men　sincerely　devoted　to　their

country；　who　stood　vigorous