the origins of contemporary france-5-第37部分

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of　four　cults　which　I　regard　as　useless　or　pernicious。　If　I　am　a

provincial　or　a　peasant；　I　pay　for　maintaining　an　〃Opéra〃　which　I

never　attend　and　for　a　〃Sèvres〃　and　〃Gobelins〃　of　which　I　never　see　a

vase　or　a　piece　of　tapestry。　…　In　times　of　tranquility　the　extortion

is　covered　up；　but　in　troubled　times　it　is　nakedly　apparent。　Under　the

revolutionary　government；　bands　of　collectors　armed　with　pikes　made

raids　on　villages　as　in　conquered　countries；＇4＇　the　farmer；　collared

and　kept　down　by　blows　from　the　butt　end　of　a　musket；　sees　his　grain

taken　from　his　barn　and　his　cattle　from　their　stable；　〃all　scampered

off　on　the　road　to　the　town；〃　while　around　Paris；　within　a　radius　of

forty　leagues；　the　departments　fasted　in　order　that　the　capital　might

be　fed。　With　gentler　formalities；　under　a　regular　government；　a

similar　extortion　occurs　when　the　State；　employing　a　respectable

collector　in　uniform；　takes　from　our　purse　a　crown　too　much　for　an

office　outside　of　its　competency。　If；　as　with　the　Jacobin　State；　it

claims　all　offices；　it　empties　the　purse　entirely；　instituted　for　the

conservation　of　property；　it　confiscates　the　whole　of　it。　…　Thus；　with

property；　as　with　persons；　when　the　state　proposes　to　itself　another

purpose　than　the　preservation　of　these；　not　only　does　it　overstep　its

mandate　but　it　acts　contrary　to　its　mandate。





IV。　Abuse　of　State　powers。



It　badly　fills　the　office　of　the　bodies　it　supplant。　…　Cases　in　which

it　usurps　their　powers　and　refuses　to　be　their　substitute。　…　Cases　in

which　it　violates　or　profits　by　their　mechanism。　…　In　all　cases　it　is

bad　or　mediocre　substitute。　…　Reasons　derived　from　its　structure

compared　with　that　of　other　bodies。



Let　us　consider　the　other　series　of　abuses；　and　the　way　in　which　the

State　performs　the　service　of　the　corporate　bodies　it　supplants。



In　the　first　place　there　is　a　chance　that；　sooner　or　later；　it　will

shirk　this　work；　for　this　new　service　is　more　or　less　costly；　and；

sooner　or　later；　it　seems　too　costly。　…　Undoubtedly　the　State　has

promised　to　defray　expenses；　sometimes　even；　like　the　Constituent　and

Legislative　assemblies；　the　revenues　for　this　having　been　confiscated；

it　has　to　furnish　an　equivalent；　it　is　bound　by　contract　to　make　good

the　local　or　special　sources　of　revenue　which　it　has　appropriated　or

dried　up；　to　furnish　in　exchange　a　supply　of　water　from　the　grand

central　reservoir；　the　public　treasury。　…　But　if　water　becomes　low　in

this　reservoir；　if　the　taxes　in　arrears　stop　the　regular　supply；　if　a

war　happens　to　open　a　large　breach　in　it；　if　the　prodigality　and

incapacity　of　the　rulers；　multiply　its　fissures　and　leaks；　then　there

is　no　money　on　hand　for　accessory　and　secondary　services。　The　State；

which　has　adopted　this　service　drops　it：　we　have　seen　under　the

Convention　and　the　Directory　how；　having　taken　the　property　of　all

corporations；　provinces；　and　communes；　of　institutions　of　education；

art；　and　science；　of　churches；　hospitals；　and　asylums；　it　performed

their　functions；　how；　after　having　been　a　despoiler　and　a　robber；　it

became　insolvent　and　bankrupt；　how　its　usurpation　and　bankruptcy

ruined　and　then　destroyed　all　other　services；　how；　through　the　double

effect　of　its　intervention　and　desertion；　it　annihilated　in　France

education；　worship；　and　charity；　why　the　streets　in　the　towns　were　no

longer　lighted　nor　swept；　why；　in　the　provinces；　roads　went　to　decay；

and　dikes　crumbled；　why　schools　and　churches　stood　empty　or　were

closed　；　why；　in　the　asylum　and　in　the　hospital；　foundlings　died　for

lack　of　milk；　the　infirm　for　lack　of　clothing　and　food；　and　the　sick

for　lack　of　broth；　medicines；　and　beds。＇5＇



In　the　second　place；　even　when　the　State　respects　a　service　or

provides　the　means　for　it；　there　is　a　chance　that　it　will　pervert　this

simply　because　it　comes　under　its　direction。　…　When　rulers　lay　their

hands　on　an　institution　it　is　almost　always　for　the　purpose　of　making

something　out　of　it　for　their　own　advantage　and　to　its　detriment：　they

render　everything　subordinate　to　their　interests　or　theories；　they　put

some　essential　piece　or　wheel　out　of　shape　or　place；　they　derange　its

action　and　put　the　mechanism　out　of　order；　they　make　use　of　it　as　a

fiscal；　electoral；　or　doctrinal　engine；　as　a　reigning　or　sectarian

instrument。　…　Such；　in　the　eighteenth　century；　was　the　ecclesiastical

staff　with　which　we　are　familiar；＇6＇　court　bishops；　drawing…room　abbés

imposed　from　above　on　their　diocese　or　their　abbey；　non…residents；

charged　with　functions　which　they　do　not　fulfill；　largely…paid　idlers；

parasites　of　the　Church；　and；　besides　all　this；　worldly；　gallant；

often　unbelievers；　strange　leaders　of　a　Christian　clergy　and　which；

one　would　say；　were　expressly　selected　to　undermine　Catholic　faith　in

the　minds　of　their　flocks；　or　monastic　discipline　in　their　convents。　…

Such；　in　1791；＇7＇　is　the　new　constitutional　clergy；　schismatic；

excommunicated；　interlopers；　imposed　on　the　orthodox　majority　to　say

masses　which　they　deem　sacrilegious　and　to　administer　sacraments　which

they　refuse　to　accept。



In　the　last　place；　even　when　the　rulers　do　not　subordinate　the

interests　of　the　institution　to　their　passions；　to　their　theories；　or

to　their　own　interests；　even　when　they　avoid　mutilating　it　and

changing　its　nature；　even　when　they　loyally　fulfill；　as　well　as　they

know　how；　the　supererogatory　（distributive）　mandate　which　they　have

adjudged　to　themselves；　they　infallibly　fulfill　it　badly；　at　least

worse　than　the　special　and　spontaneous　bodies　for　which　they

substitute　themselves；　for　the　structure　of　these　bodies　and　the

structure　of　the　state　are　different。　…　Unique　of　its　kind；　alone

wielding　the　sword；　acting　from　above　and　afar　by　authority　and

constraints；　the　State　acts　over　the　entire　territory　through　uniform

laws；　through　imperative　and　minute　regulations；　by　a　hierarchy　of

obedient　functionaries；　which　it　maintains　under　strict　instructions。

Hence；　it　is　not　adapted　to　business　which；　to　be　well　done；　needs

springs　and　processes　of　another　species。　Its　springs；　wholly

exterior；　are　insufficient；　too　weak　to　support　and　push　undertakings

which　require　an　internal　motor　like　private　interest；　local

patriotism；　family　affections；　scientific　curiosity；　charitable

instincts；　and　religious　faith。　Its　wholly　mechanical　processes；　too

rigid　and　too　limited；　cannot　urge　on　enterprises　which　demand　of

whoever　undertakes　them　delicate　and　safe　handling；　supple

manipulation；　appreciation　of　circumstances；　ready　adaptation　of　means

to　ends；　constant　contrivance；　the　initiative；　and　perfect

independence。　On　this　account　the　State　is　a　poor　head　of　a　family；　a

poor　commercial　or　agricultural　leader；　a　bad　distributor　of　labor　and

of　subsistence；　a　bad　regulator　of　production；　exchanges；　and

consumption；　a　mediocre　administrator　of　the　province　and　the　commune；

an　undiscerning　philanthropist；　an　incompetent　director　of　the　fine

arts；　of　science；　of　instruction；　and　of　worship。＇8＇　In　all　these

offices　its　action　is　either　dilatory　or　bungling；　according　to

routine　or　oppressive；　always　expensive；　of　little　effect　and　feeble

in　returns；　and　always　beyond　or　apart　from　the　real　wants　it　pretends

to　satisfy。　The　reason　is　that　it　starts　from　too　high　a　point

therefore　extending　over　too　vast　a　field。　Transmitted　by　hierarchical

procedures；　it　lags　along　in　formalism；　and　loses　itself　in　〃red…

tape。〃　On　attaining　its　end　and　object　it　applies　the　same　program　to

all　territories　alike　a　program　devised　beforehand　in　the　Cabinet；　all

of　a　piece；　without　experimental　groping　and　the　necessary

corrections；



*　a　program　which；　calculated　approximately　according　to　the　average

and　the　customary；　is　not　exactly　suited　to　any　particular　case；

*　a　program　which　imposes　its　fixed　uniformity　on　things　instead　of

adjusting　itself　to　its　diversity　and　change；

*　a　sort　of　model　coat；　obligatory　in　pattern　and　stuff；　which　the

government　dispatches　by　thousands　from　the　center　to　the　provinces；

to　be　worn；　willingly　or　not；　by　figures　of　all　sizes　and　at　all

seasons。



V。　Final　Results　of　Abusive　Government　Intervention



Other　consequences。　…　Suppressed　or　stunted　bodies　cease　to　grow。　…

Individuals　become　socially　and　politically　incapable。　…　The　hands

into　which　public　power　then　falls。　…　Impoverishment　and　degradation

of　the　social　body。



And　much　worse。　Not　only　does　the　State　do　the　work　badly　on　a　domain

not　its　own；　roughly；　at　greater　cost；　and　with　smaller　yield　than

spontaneous　organizations；　but；　again；　through　the　legal　monopoly

which　it　deems　its　prerogative；　or　through　its　unfair　competition；　it

kills　and　paralyzes　these　natural　organizations　or　prevents　their

birth；　and　hence　so　many　precious　organs；　which；　absorbed；　curbed　or

abandoned；　are　lost　to　the　great　social　body。　…　And　still　worse；　if

this　system　lasts；　and　continues　to　crush　them　out；　the　human

community　loses　th