the origins of contemporary france-5-第30部分

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of　preceding　assemblies；　probably　Constitutionalists　of　the　year　IV

and　the　year　V；　Conventionalists　of　the　Plain　and　of　the　Feuillants　of

1792；　from　Lafayette　and　Dumolard　to　Daunou；　Thibaudeau　and　Grégoire；

among　them　Girondists　and　a　few　Montagnards；　Barère；＇16＇　with　others；

all　of　them　wedded　to　the　theory　the　same　as　their　adversaries　to

traditions。　To　one　who　is　familiar　with　the　two　groups；　behold　two

inimical　doctrines　confronting　each　other；　two　irreconcilable　systems

of　opinions　and　passions；　two　contradictory　modes　of　conceiving

sovereignty；　law；　society；　the　State；　property；　religion；　the　Church；

the　ancient　régime；　the　Revolution；　the　present　and　the　past；　it　is

civil　war　transferred　from　the　nation　to　the　parliament。　Certainly　the

Right　would　like　to　see　the　First　Consul　a　Monck；　which　would　lead　to

his　becoming　a　Cromwell；　for　his　power　depends　entirely　on　his　credit

with　the　army；　then　the　sovereign　force；　at　this　date　the　army　is

still　republican；　at　least　in　feeling　if　not　intelligently；　imbued

with　Jacobin　prejudices；　attached　to　revolutionary　interests；　and

hence　blindly　hostile　to　aristocrats；　kings；　and　priests。＇17＇　　At　the

first　threat　of　a　monarchical　and　Catholic　restoration　it　will　demand

of　him　an　eighteenth　Fructidor＇18＇；　otherwise；　some　Jacobin　general；

Jourdan；　Bernadotte；　or　Augereau；　will　make　one　without　him；　against

him；　and　they　fall　back　into　the　rut　from　which　they　wished　to　escape；

into　the　fatal　circle　of　revolutions　and　coups　d'état。





VII。　Establishment　of　a　new　Dictatorship。



The　electoral　and　legislative　combinations　of　Sieyès。　…　Bonaparte's

use　of　them。　…　Paralysis　and　submission　of　the　three　legislative

bodies。　…　The　Senate　as　the　ruler's　tool。　…Senatus…consultes　and

Plebiscites。　…　Final　establishment　of　the　Dictatorship。　…　Its　dangers

and　necessity。　…　Public　power　now　able　to　do　its　work。



Sieyès　comprehended　this：　he　detects　on　the　horizon　the　two　specters

which；　for　ten　years；　have　haunted　all　the　governments　of　France；

legal　anarchy　and　unstable　despotism；　he　has　found　a　magic　formula

with　which　to　exorcise　these　two　phantoms；　henceforth　〃power　is　to

come　from　above　and　confidence　from　below。〃＇19＇　…　Consequently；　the

new　constitutional　act　withdraws　from　the　nation　the　right　to　elect

its　deputies；　it　will　simply　elect　candidates　to　the　deputation　and

through　three　degrees　of　election；　one　above　the　other；　thus；　it　is　to

take　part　in　the　choice　of　its　candidates　only　through　〃an　illusory

and　metaphysical　participation。〃＇20＇　The　right　of　the　electors　of　the

first　degree　is　wholly　reduced　to　designating　one…tenth　among

themselves；　the　right　of　those　of　the　second　degree　is　also　reduced　to

designating　one…tenth　among　themselves；　the　right　of　those　of　the

third　degree　is　finally　reduced　to　designating　one…tenth　of　their

number；　about　six　thousand　candidates。　On　this　list；　the　government

itself；　by　right　and　by　way　of　increasing　the　number；　inscribes　its

own　high　functionaries；　evidently；　on　such　a　long　list；　it　will　have

no　difficulty　in　finding　men　who；　as　simple　tools；　will　be　devoted　to

it。　Through　another　excess　of　precaution；　the　government；　on　its　sole

authority；　in　the　absence　of　any　list；　alone　names　the　first

legislature。　Last　of　all；　it　is　careful　to　attach　handsome　salaries　to

these　legislative　offices；　10；000　f。；　15；000　f。；　and　30；000　f。　a　year；

parties　canvass　with　it　for　these　places　the　very　first　day；　the

future　depositaries　of　legislative　power　being；　to　begin　with；

solicitors　of　the　antechamber。　…　To　render　their　docility　complete；

there　is　a　dismemberment　of　this　legislative　power　in　advance；　it　is

divided　among　three　bodies；　born　feeble　and　passive　by　institution。

Neither　of　these　has　any　initiative；　their　deliberations　are　confined

to　laws　proposed　by　the　government。　Each　possesses　only　a　fragment　of

function；　the　〃Tribunat〃　discusses　without　passing　laws；　the　〃Corps

Législatif〃　decrees　without　discussion；　the　conservative〃　Sénat〃　is　to

maintain　this　general　paralysis。　〃What　do　you　want？〃　said　Bonaparte　to

Lafayette。＇21＇　〃Sieyès　everywhere　put　nothing　but　ghosts；　the　ghost　of

a　legislative　power；　the　ghost　of　a　judiciary；　the　ghost　of　a

government。　Something　substantial　had　to　be　put　in　their　place。　Ma

foi；　I　put　it　there；〃　in　the　executive　power。



There　it　is；　completely　in　his　hands；　other　authorities　to　him　are

merely　for　show　or　as　instruments。＇22＇　The　mutes　of　the　Corps

Législatif　come　annually　to　Paris　to　keep　silent　for　four　months；　one

day　he　will　forget　to　convoke　them；　and　nobody　will　remark　their

absence。　…　As　to　the　Tribunat；　which　talks　too　much；　he　will　at　first

reduce　its　words　to　a　minimum　〃by　putting　it　on　the　diet　of　laws；〃

afterward；　through　the　interposition　of　the　senate；　which　designates

retiring　members；　he　gets　rid　of　troublesome　babblers；　finally；　and

always　through　the　interposition　of　the　senate；　titular　interpreter；

guardian；　and　reformer　of　the　constitution；　he　ventilates　and　then

suppresses　the　Tribunat　itself。　…　The　senate　is　the　grand　instrument

by　which　he　reigns；　he　commands　it　to　furnish　the　senatus…consultes　of

which　he　has　need。　Through　this　comedy　played　by　him　above；　and

through　another　complementary　comedy　which　he　plays　below；　the

plebiscite；　he　transforms　his　ten…year　consulate　into　a　consulate　for

life；　and　then　into　an　empire；　that　is　to　say；　into　a　permanent；

legal；　full；　and　perfect　dictatorship。　In　this　way　the　nation　is

handed　over　to　the　absolutism　of　a　man　who；　being　a　man；　cannot　fail

to　think　of　his　own　interest　before　all　others。　It　remains　to　be　seen

how　far　and　for　how　long　a　time　this　interest；　as　he　comprehends　it；

or　imagines　it；　will　accord　with　the　interest　of　the　public。　All　the

better　for　France　should　this　accord　prove　complete　and　permanent；　all

the　worse　for　France　should　it　prove　partial　and　temporary。　It　is　a

terrible　risk；　but　inevitable。　There　is　no　escape　from　anarchy　except

through　despotism；　with　the　chance　of　encountering　in　one　man；　at

first　a　savior　and　then　a　destroyer；　with　the　certainty　of　henceforth

belonging　to　an　unknown　will　fashioned　by　genius　and　good　sense；　or　by

imagination　and　egoism；　in　a　soul　fiery　and　disturbed　by　the

temptations　of　absolute　power；　by　success　and　universal　adulation；　in

a　despot　responsible　to　no　one　but　himself；　in　a　conqueror　condemned

by　the　impulses　of　conquest　to　regard　himself　and　the　world　under　a

light　growing　falser　and　falser。



Such　are　the　bitter　fruits　of　social　dissolution：　the　authority　of　the

state　will　either　perish　or　become　perverted；　each　uses　it　for　his　own

purposes；　and　nobody　is　disposed　to　entrust　it　to　an　external

arbitrator；　and　the　usurpers　who　seize　it　only　remain　trustee　on

condition　that　they　abuse　it；　when　it　works　in　their　hands　it　is　only

to　work　against　its　office。　It　must　be　accepted　when；　for　want　of

better　or　fear　of　worse；　through　a　final　usurpation；　it　falls　into　the

only　hands　able　to　restore　it；　organize　it；　and　apply　it　at　last　to

the　service　of　the　public。

____________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　P。193　and　following　pages；　also　p。224　and

following　pages。　The　provisions　of　the　constitution　of　the　year　III；

somewhat　less　anarchical；　are　analogous；　those　of　the　〃Mountain〃

constitution　（year　II）　are　so　anarchical　that　nobody　thought　of

enforcing　them。



＇2＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　vol。　III。；　pp。446；　450；　476。



＇3＇　Sauzay；　〃Histoire　de　la　persecution　révolutionnaire　dans　le

département　du　Doubs；〃　X。；　472　（Speech　of　Briot　to　the　five…hundred；

Aug。29；　1799）：　〃The　country　seeks　in　vain　for　its　children；　it　finds

the　chouans；　the　Jacobins；　the　moderates；　and　the　constitutionalists

of　'91　and　'93；　clubbists；　the　amnestied；　fanatics；　scissionists　and

antiscissionists；　in　vain　does　it　call　for　republicans。〃



＇4＇　〃The　Revolution；〃　III。；　427；　474。　…　Rocquain；　〃L'état　de　la　France

au　18　Brumaire；〃　360；　362：　〃Inertia　or　absence　of　the　national　agents。

。　　。　It　would　be　painful　to　think　that　a　lack　of　salary　was　one　of　the

causes　of　the　difficulty　in　establishing　municipal　administrations。　In

1790；　1791；　and　1792；　we　found　our　fellow…citizens　emulously　striving

after　these　gratuitous　offices　and　even　proud　of　the　disinterestedness

which　the　law　prescribed。〃　（Report　of　the　Directory；　end　of　1795。）

After　this　date　public　spirit　is　extinguished；　stifled　by　the　Reign　of

Terror。　…　Ibid。；　368；　369：　〃Deplorable　indifference　for　public

offices。　。　。　。　Out　of　seven　town　officials　appointed　in　the　commune　of

Laval；　only　one　accepted；　and　that　one　the　least　capable。　It　is　the

same　in　the　other　communes。〃　…　Ibid。；　380　（Report　of　the　year　VII）：

〃General　decline　of　public　spirit。〃　…　Ibid。；　287　（Report　by　Lacuée；　on

the　1st　military　division；　Aisne；　Eure…et…Loire；　Loiret；　Oise；　Seine；

Seine…et…Marne；　（year　IX）：　〃Public　spirit　is　dying　out　and　is　even

gone。〃



＇5＇　Rocquain；　Ibid。；　p。27　（Report　of　Fran？ois　de　Nantes；　on　the　8th

military　division　；Vaucluse；　Bouches…du…Rh？ne；　Var；　Basses…Alpes；　and

Alpes…Maratimes；　year　IX）：　〃Witnesses；　in　some　communes；　did　not　dare

furnish　testimony；　and；　in　all；　the　justices　of　the　peace　were　afraid

of　making　enemies　and　of　not　being　re…elected。　It　was　the　same　with

the　town　officials　charged　with　prosecutions　and　whom　their　quality　as

elected　and　temporary　officials　always　rendered　timid。〃　…　Ibid。；　48：

〃All　the　customs…directors　complained　of　the　partiality　of　the　courts。

I　have　myself　examined　several　cases　in　which　the　courts　of　Marseilles

and　Toulon　decided　against　the　plain　text　the　law　and　with　criminal

partiality。　…　Archives　nationales；　series　F7；　Reports　〃on　the

situation；　on　the　spirit　of　the　public；〃　in　many　hundreds　of　towns；

cantons；　and　departments；　from　the　year　III　to　the　year　VIII　and

after。



＇6＇　Cf。　〃The　Revolution；〃　III。；　book　IX。；　ch。　I。　…　Rocquain；　passim。　…

Schmidt；　〃