the origins of contemporary france-3-第3部分

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principle；　but　is　the　work　of　one　generation　after　another；　according

to　manifold　and　changing　necessities。　It　is　not　a　product　of　logic；

but　of　history；　and　the　new…fledged　thinker　shrugs　his　shoulders　as　he

looks　up　and　sees　what　the　ancient　tenement　is；　the　foundations　of

which　are　arbitrary；　its　architecture　confused；　and　its　many　repairs

plainly　visible。　　In　the　second　place；　whatever　degree　of　perfection

preceding　institutions；　laws；　and　customs　have　reached；　these　have　not

received　his　approval；　others；　his　predecessors；　have　chosen　for　him；

he　is　being　subjected　beforehand　to　moral；　political；　and　social　forms

which　pleased　them。　Whether　they　please　him　or　not　is　of　no

consequence。　Like　a　horse　trotting　along　between　the　poles　of　a　wagon

in　the　harness　that　happens　to　have　been　put　on　his　back；　he　has　to

make　best　of　it。　　Besides；　whatever　its　organization；　as　it　is

essentially　a　hierarchy；　he　is　nearly　always　subaltern　in　it；　and　must

ever　remain　so；　either　soldier；　corporal　or　sergeant。　Even　under　the

most　liberal　system；　that　in　which　the　highest　grades　are　accessible

to　all；　for　every　five　or　six　men　who　take　the　lead　or　command　others；

one　hundred　thousand　must　follow　or　be　commanded。　This　makes　it　vain

to　tell　every　conscript　that　he　carriers　a　marshal's　baton　in　his

sack；　when；　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　times　out　of　a　thousand；　he

discovers　too　late；　on　rummaging　his　sack；　that　the　baton　is　not

there。　…　…　It　is　not　surprising　that　he　is　tempted　to　kick　against

social　barriers　within　which；　willing　or　not；　he　is　enrolled；　and

which　predestine　him　to　subordination。　It　is　not　surprising　that　on

emerging　from　traditional　influences　he　should　accept　a　theory；　which

subjects　these　arrangements　to　his　judgment　and　gives　him　authority

over　his　superiors。　And　all　the　more　because　there　is　no　doctrine　more

simple　and　better　adapted　to　his　inexperience；　it　is　the　only　one　he

can　comprehend　and　manage　off…hand。　Hence　it　is　that　young　men　on

leaving　college；　especially　those　who　have　their　way　to　make　in　the

world；　are　more　or　less　Jacobin；　…　it　is　a　disorder　of　growing　up。＇9＇

　　In　well　organized　communities　this　ailment　is　beneficial；　and　soon

cured。　The　public　establishment　being　substantial　and　carefully

guarded；　malcontents　soon　discover　that　they　have　not　enough　strength

to　pull　it　down；　and　that　on　contending　with　its　guardians　they　gain

nothing　but　blows。　After　some　grumbling；　they　too　enter　at　one　or　the

other　of　its　doors；　find　a　place　for　themselves；　and　enjoy　its

advantages　or　become　reconciled　to　their　lot。　Finally；　either　through

imitation；　or　habit；　or　calculation；　they　willingly　form　part　of　that

garrison　which；　in　protecting　public　interests；　protects　their　own

private　interests　as　well。　Generally；　after　ten　years　have　gone　by；

the　young　man　has　obtained　his　rank　in　the　file；　where　he　advances

step　by　step　in　his　own　compartment；　which　he　no　longer　thinks　of

tearing　to　pieces；　and　under　the　eye　of　a　policeman　who　he　no　longer

thinks　of　condemning。　He　even　sometimes　thinks　that　policeman　and

compartment　are　useful　to　him。　Should　he　consider　the　millions　of

individuals　who　are　trying　to　mount　the　social　ladder；　each　striving

to　get　ahead　of　the　other；　it　may　dawn　upon　him　that　the　worst　of

calamities　would　be　a　lack　of　barriers　and　of　guardians。



　　　　Here　the　worm…eaten　barriers　have　cracked　all　at　once；　their　easy…

going；　timid；　incapable　guardians　having　allowed　things　to　take　their

course。　Society；　accordingly；　disintegrated　and　a　pell…mell；　is　turned

into　a　turbulent；　shouting　crowd；　each　pushing　and　being　pushed；　all

alike　over…excited　and　congratulating　each　other　on　having　finally

obtained　elbow…room；　and　all　demanding　the　new　barriers　shall　be　as

fragile　and　the　new　guardians　as　feeble；　as　defenseless；　and　as　inert

as　possible。　This　is　what　has　been　done。　As　a　natural　consequence；

those　who　were　foremost　in　the　rank　have　been　relegated　to　the　last；

many　have　been　struck　down　in　the　fray；　while　in　this　permanent　state

of　disorder；　which　goes　under　the　name　of　　lasting　order；　elegant

footwear　continue　to　be　stamped　upon　by　hobnailed　boots　and　wooden

shoes。　…　The　fanatic　and　the　intemperate　egoists　can　now　let

themselves　go。　　They　are　no　longer　subject　to　any　ancient

institutions；　nor　any　armed　might　which　can　restrain　them。　On　the

contrary；　the　new　constitution；　through　its　theoretical　declarations

and　the　practical　application　of　these；　invites　them　to　let　themselves

go。　　For；　on　the　one　hand；　legally；　it　declares　to　be　based　upon

pure　reason；　beginning　with　a　long　string　of　abstract　dogmas　from

which　its　positive　prescriptions　are　assumed　to　be　rigorously　deduced。

As　a　consequence　all　laws　are　submitted　to　the　shallow　comments　of

reasoners　and　quibblers　who　will　both　interpret　and　break　them

according　to　the　principles。＇10＇　　On　the　other　hand；　as　a　matter　of

fact；　it　hands　over　all　government　powers　to　the　elections　and　confers

on　the　clubs　the　control　of　the　authorities：　　which　is　to　offer　a

premium　to　the　presumption　of　the　ambitious　who　put　themselves　forward

because　they　think　themselves　capable；　and　who　defame　their　rulers

purposely　to　displace　them。　　…　Every　government　department；

organization　or　administrative　system　is　like　a　hothouse　which　serves

to　favor　some　species　of　the　human　plant　and　wither　others。　This　one

is　the　best　one　for　the　propagation　and　rapid　increase　of　the　coffee…


house　politician；　club　haranguer；　the　stump…speaker；　the　street…

rioter；　the　committee　dictator　　in　short；　the　revolutionary　and　the

tyrant。　In　this　political　hothouse　wild　dreams　and　conceit　will　assume

monstrous　proportions；　and；　in　a　few　months；　brains　that　are　now　only

ardent　become　hotheads。



　　　　Let　us　trace　the　effect　of　this　excessive；　unhealthy　temperature

on　imaginations　and　ambitions。　The　old　tenement　is　down；　the

foundations　of　the　new　one　are　not　yet　laid；　society　has　to　be　made

over　again　from　top　to　bottom。　All　willing　men　are　asked　to　come　and

help；　and；　as　one　plain　principle　suffices　in　drawing　a　plan；　the

first　comer　may　succeed。　Henceforth　political　fancies　swarm　in　the

district　meetings；　in　the　clubs；　in　the　newspapers；　in　pamphlets；　and

in　every　head…long；　venturesome　brain。



　〃There　is　not　a　merchant's　clerk　educated　by　reading　the　'Nouvelle

Héloise；'＇11＇　　not　a　school　teacher　that　has　translated　ten　pages　of

Livy；　not　an　artist　that　has　leafed　through　Rollin；　not　an　aesthete

converted　into　journalists　by　committing　to　memory　the　riddles　of　the

'Contrat　Social；'　who　does　not　draft　a　constitution。　。　。　As　nothing　is

easier　than　to　perfect　a　daydream；　　all　perturbed　minds　gather；　and

become　excited；　in　this　ideal　realm。　They　start　out　with　curiosity　and

end　up　with　enthusiasm。　The　man　in　the　street　rushes　to　the　enterprise

in　the　same　manner　as　a　miser　to　a　conjurer　promising　treasures；　and；

thus　childishly　attracted；　each　hopes　to　find　at　once；　what　has　never

been　seen　under　even　the　most　liberal　governments：　perpetual

perfection；　universal　brotherhood；　the　power　of　acquiring　what　one

lacks；　and　a　life　composed　wholly　of　enjoyment。〃



　　　One　of　these　pleasures；　and　a　keen　one；　is　to　daydream。　One　soars

in　space。　By　means　of　eight　or　ten　ready…made　sentences；　found　in　the

six…penny　catechisms　circulated　by　thousands　in　the　country　and　in　the

suburbs　of　the　towns　and　cities；＇12＇　a　village　attorney；　a　customs

clerk；　a　theater　attendant；　a　sergeant　of　a　soldier's　mess；　　becomes　a

legislator　and　philosopher。　He　criticizes　Malouet；　Mirabeau；　the

Ministry；　the　King；　the　Assembly；　the　Church；　foreign　Cabinets；

France；　and　all　Europe。　Consequently；　on　these　important　subjects；

which　always　seemed　forever　forbidden　to　him；　he　offers　resolutions；

reads　addresses；　makes　harangues；　obtains　applause；　and　congratulates

himself　on　having　argued　so　well　and　with　such　big　words。　To　hold　fort

on　questions　that　are　not　understood　is　now　an　occupation；　a　matter　of

pride　and　profit。



〃More　is　uttered　in　one　day；〃　says　an　eye…witness；＇13＇　〃in　one　section

of　Paris　than　in　one　year　in　all　the　Swiss　political　assemblies　put

together。　An　Englishman　would　give　six　weeks　of　study　to　what　we

dispose　of　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



Everywhere；　in　the　town　halls；　in　popular　meetings；　in　the　sectional

assemblies；　in　the　wine　shops；　on　the　public　promenades；　on　street

corners　vanity　erects　a　tribune　of　verbosity。



〃Contemplate　the　incalculable　activity　of　such　a　machine　in　a

loquacious　nation　where　the　passion　for　being　something　dominates　all

other　affections；　where　vanity　has　more　phases　than　there　are　starts

in　the　firmament；　where　reputations　already　cost　no　more　than　the

trouble　of　insisting　on　their　being　deserved；　where　society　is　divided

between　mediocrities　and　their　trumpeters　who　laud　them　as　divinities；

where　so　few　people　are　content　with　their　lot；　where　the　corner

grocer　is　prouder　of　his　epaulette　than　the　G