the origins of contemporary france-5-第68部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



cared　for；　that　of　the　people　who　pays　and　of　the　State　which

collects。



Consider；　in　effect；　what　both　have　gained。　…　In　1789；　the　State　had　a

revenue　of　only　475　millions；　afterwards；　during　the　Revolution；　it

scarcely　collected　any　of　its　revenues；　it　lived　on　the　capital　it

stole；　like　a　genuine　brigand；　or　on　the　debts　it　contracted；　like　a

dishonest　and　insolvent　bankrupt。　Under　the　Consulate　and　during　the

first　years　of　the　Empire；　its　revenue　amounts　to　750　to　800　millions；

its　subjects　being　no　longer　robbed　of　their　capital；　while　it　no

longer　runs　in　debt。　…　In　1789；　the　ordinary　taxpayer　paid　a　direct

tax　to　his　three　former　or　late　sovereigns；　namely；　to　the　King；　the

clergy　and　the　seigniors；　more　than　three…quarters　of　his　net　income。

After　1800；　he　pays　to　the　State　less　than　one…quarter；　the　one

sovereign　alone　who　replaces　the　other　three。　We　have　seen　how　relief

came　to　the　old　taxable　subject；　to　the　rural；　to　the　small

proprietor；　to　the　man　without　any　property；　who　lived　on　the　labor　of

his　own　hands；　the　lightening　of　the　direct　tax　restored　to　him　from

14　to　43　free　days；　during　which；　instead　of　working　for　the

exchequer；　he　worked　for　himself。　If　married；　and　the　father　of　two

children　over　7　years　of　age；　the　alleviation　of　one　direct　tax　alone；

that　of　the　salt…tax；　again　restores　to　him　12　days　more；　in　all　from

one　to　two　complete　months　each　year　during　which　he　is　no　longer；　as

formerly；　a　man　doing　statute…work；　but　the　free　proprietor；　the

absolute　master　of　his　time　and　of　his　own　hands。　…　At　the　same　time；

through　the　re…casting　of　other　taxes　and　owing　to　the　increasing

price　of　labor；　his　physical　privations　decrease。　He　is　no　longer

reduced　to　consuming　only　the　refuse　of　his　crop；　the　wheat　of　poor

quality；　the　damaged　rye；　the　badly…bolted　flour　mixed　with　bran；　nor

to　drink　water　poured　over　the　lees　of　his　grapes；　nor　to　sell　his

pigs　before　Christmas　because　the　salt　he　needs　is　too　dear。＇51＇　　He

salts　his　pork　and　eats　it；　and　likewise　butcher's　meat；　he　enjoys　his

boiled　beef　and　broth　on　Sunday；　he　drinks　wine；　his　bread　is　more

nutritious；　not　so　black　and　healthier；　he　no　longer　lacks　it　and　has

no　fear　of　lacking　it。　Formerly；　he　entertained　a　lugubrious　phantom；

the　fatal　image　of　famine　which　haunted　him　day　and　night　for

centuries；　an　almost　periodical　famine　under　the　monarchy；　a　chronic

famine　and　then　severe　and　excruciating　during　the　Revolution；　a

famine　which；　under　the　republic；　had　in　three　years　destroyed　over　a

million　of　lives。＇52＇　The　immemorial　specter　recedes　and　vanishes；

after　two　accidental　and　local　recurrences；　in　1812　and　1817；　it　never

again　appears　in　France。＇53＇



V。　Conscription　or　Professional　soldiers。



Military　service。　…　Under　the　Ancient　Regime。　…　The　militia　and

regular　troops。　…　Number　of　soldiers。　…　Quality　of　the　recruits。　…

Advantages　of　the　institution。…　Results　of　the　new　system。　…　The

obligation　universal。　…　Comparison　between　the　burdens　of　citizens　and

subjects。　…　The　Conscription　under　Napoleon。　…　He　lightens　and　then

increases　its　weight。　…　What　it　became　after　him。　…　The　law　of　1818。



One　tax　remains；　and　the　last；　that　by　which　the　State　takes；　no

longer　money；　but　the　person　himself；　the　entire　man；　soul　and　body；

and　for　the　best　years　of　his　life；　namely　military　service。　It　is　the

Revolution　which　has　rendered　this　so　burdensome；　formerly；　it　was

light；　for；　in　principle；　it　was　voluntary。　The　militia；　alone；　was

raised　by　force；　and；　in　general；　among　the　country　people；　the

peasants　furnished　men　for　it　by　casting　lots。＇54＇　But　it　was　simply　a

supplement　to　the　active　army；　a　territorial　and　provincial　reserve；　a

distinct；　sedentary　body　of　reinforcements　and　of　inferior　rank　which；

except　in　case　of　war；　never　marched；　it　turned　out　but　nine　days　of

the　year；　and；　after　1778；　never　turned　out　again。　In　1789；　it

comprised　in　all　72；260　men；　and　for　eleven　years　their　names；

inscribed　on　the　registers；　alone　constituted　their　presence　in　the

ranks。＇55＇　　There　were　no　other　conscripts　under　the　monarchy；　in　this

matter；　its　exactions　were　not　great；　ten　times　less　than　those　of　the

Republic　and　of　the　Empire；　since　both　the　Republic　and　the　Empire；

using　the　same　constraint；　were　to　levy　more　than　ten　times　the　number

of　drafted　men　or　conscripts。＇56＇



Alongside　of　this　militia　body；　the　entire　army　properly　so　called；

the　〃regular〃　troops　were；　under；　the　ancient　Régime；　all　recruited　by

free　enlistment；　not　only　the　twenty…five　foreign　regiments；　Swiss；

Irish；　Germans；　and　Liégeois；　but　again　the　hundred　and　forty…five

French　regiments；　177　000　men。＇57＇　　The　enlistment；　indeed；　was　not

free　enough；　frequently；　through　the　maneuvers　of　the　recruiting…

agent；　it　was　tainted　with　inveigling　and　surprises；　and　sometimes

with　fraud　or　violence；　but；　owing　to　the　remonstrances　due　to　the

prevailing　philanthropic　spirit；　these　abuses　had　diminished；　the　law

of　1788　had　suppressed　the　most　serious　of　them　and；　even　with　its

abuses；　the　institution　had　two　great　advantages。　…　The　army；　in　the

first　place；　served　as　an　issue：　through　it　the　social　body　purged

itself　of　its　bad　humors；　of　its　overheated　or　vitiated　blood。　At　this

date；　although　the　profession　of　soldier　was　one　of　the　lowest　and

least　esteemed；　a　barren　career；　without　promotion　and　almost　without

escape；　a　recruit　was　obtainable　for　about　one　hundred　francs　bounty

and　a　〃tip〃；　add　to　this　two　or　three　days　and　nights　of　revel　in　the

grog…shop；　which　indicates　the　kind　and　quality　of　the　recruits；　in

fact；　very　few　could　be　obtained　except　among　men　more　or　less

disqualified　for　civil　and　domestic　life；　incapable　of　spontaneous

discipline　and　of　steady　labor；　adventurers　and　outcasts；　half…savage

or　half…blackguard；　some　of　them　sons　of　respectable　parents　thrown

into　the　army　in　an　angry　fit；　and　others　again；　regular　vagabonds

picked　up　in　beggars'　haunts；　mostly　stray　workmen　and　loafers；　in

short；　〃the　most　debauched；　the　most　hot…brained；　the　most　turbulent

people　in　an　ardent；　turbulent　and　somewhat　debauched　community。〃＇58＇

In　this　way；　the　anti…social　class　was　utilized　for　the　public　good。

Let　the　reader　imagine　an　ill…kept　domain　overrun　by　a　lot　of　stray

curs　that　might　prove　dangerous：　they　are　enticed　and　caught；　a

collar；　with　a　chain　attached　to　it；　is　put　on　their　necks　and　they

become　good　watch…dogs。　…　In　the　second　place；　this　institution

preserved　to　the　subject　the　first　and　most　precious　of　all　liberties；

the　full　possession　and　the　unrestricted　management　of　one's　own

person；　the　complete　mastery　of　body　and　being。　This　was　assured　to

him；　guaranteed　to　him　against　the　encroachments　of　the　State。　It　was

better　guaranteed　than　by　the　wisest　constitution；　for　the　institution

was　a　recognized　custom　accepted　by　everybody。　In　other　words；　it　was

a　tacit；　immemorial　convention；＇59＇　between　the　subject　and　the　State；

proclaiming　that；　if　the　State　had　a　right　to　draw　on　purses　it　had　no

right　to　draft　persons：　in　reality　and　in　fact；　the　King；　in　his

principal　function；　was　merely　a　contractor　like　any　other；　he

undertook　natural　defense　and　public　security　the　same　as　others

undertook　cleaning　the　streets　or　the　maintenance　of　a　dike。　It　was

his　business　to　hire　military　workmen　as　they　hired　their　civil

workmen；　by　mutual　agreement；　at　an　understood　price　and　at　current

market　rates。　Accordingly；　the　sub…contractors　with　whom　he　treated；

the　colonel　and　captains　of　each　regiment；　were　subject　as　he　was　to

the　law　of　supply　and　demand；　he　allowed　them　so　much　for　each

recruit；＇60＇　to　replace　those　dropped　out；　and　they　agreed　to　keep

their　companies　full。　They　were　obliged　to　procure　men　at　their　own

risk　and　at　their　own　expense；　while　the　recruiting…agent　whom　they

dispatched　with　a　bag　of　money　among　the　taverns；　enlisted

artillerymen；　horsemen　or　foot…soldiers；　after　bargaining　with　them；

the　same　as　one　would　hire　men　to　sweep　or　pave　the　street　and　to

clean　the　sewers。



Against　this　practice　and　this　principle　comes　the　theory　of　the

Contrat…Social。　It　declares　that　the　people　are　sovereign。　Now；　in

this　divided　Europe；　where　a　conflict　between　rival　States　is　always

imminent；　sovereigns　are　military　men；　they　are　such　by　birth；

education；　and　profession；　and　by　necessity；　the　title　carries　along

with　it　and　involves　the　function。　Consequently；　the　subject；　in

assuming　their　rights；　imposes　upon　himself　their　duties；　in　his　quota

（of　responsibility）　he；　in　his　turn；　is　sovereign；　but；　in　his　turn

and　in　his　person；　he　is　a　soldier。＇61＇　　Henceforth；　if　he　is　born　an

elector；　he　is　born　a　conscript；　he　has　contracted　an　obligation　of　a

new　species　and　of　infinite　reach；　the　State；　which　formerly　had　a

claim　only　on　his　possessions；　now　has　one　on　his　entire　body；　never

does　a　creditor　let　his　claims　rest　and　the　State　always　finds　reasons

or　pr