the village rector-第46节

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paix/。　〃Or；　at　any　rate；　the　weaknesses　of　our　national　character
should　have　been　guarded　against　by　the　admirable　restrictions　which
Napoleon's　experience　laid　upon　them。　Our　present　system　may　succeed
in　a　country　whose　action　is　circumscribed　by　the　nature　of　its　soil；
like　England；　but　the　law　of　primogeniture　applied　to　the　transmission
of　land　is　absolutely　necessary；　when　that　law　is　suppressed　the
system　of　legislative　representation　becomes　absurd。　England　owes　her
existence　to　the　quasi…feudal　law　which　entails　landed　property　and
family　mansions　on　the　eldest　son。　Russia　is　based　on　the　feudal　right
of　autocracy。　Consequently　those　two　nations　are　to…day　on　the　high…
road　of　startling　progress。　Austria　could　only　resist　our　invasions
and　renew　the　way　against　Napoleon　by　virtue　of　that　law　of
primogeniture　which　preserves　in　the　family　the　active　forces　of　a
nation；　and　supplies　the　great　productions　necessary　to　the　State。　The
house　of　Bourbon；　feeling　that　it　was　slipping　to　the　third　rank　in
Europe；　by　reason　of　liberalism；　wanted　to　regain　its　rightful　place
and　there　maintain　itself；　and　the　nation　has　thrown　it　over　at　the
very　time　it　was　about　to　save　the　nation。　I　am　sure　I　don't　know　how
low　down　the　present　system　will　drop　us。〃

〃If　we　have　a　war；　France　will　be　without　horses；　as　Napoleon　was　in
1813；　when；　being　reduced　to　those　of　France　only；　he　could　not　profit
by　his　two　victories　of　Lutzen　and　Botzen；　and　so　was　crushed　at
Leipzig；〃　cried　Grossetete。　〃If　peace　continues；　the　evil　will　only
increase。　Twenty…five　years　from　now　the　race　of　cattle　and　horses
will　have　diminished　in　France　by　one　half。〃

〃Monsieur　Grossetete　is　right；〃　remarked　Gerard。　〃So　that　the　work　you
are　undertaking　here；　madame；〃　he　added；　addressing　Veronique；　〃is
really　a　service　done　to　the　country。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　/juge　de　paix/；　〃because　Madame　has　but　one　son；　and
the　inheritance　will　not　be　divided　up；　but　how　long　will　that
condition　last？　For　a　certain　length　of　time　the　magnificent　culture
which　you　are　about　to　introduce　will；　let　us　hope；　belong　to　only　one
proprietor；　who　will　continue　to　breed　horned　beasts　and　horses；　but
sooner　or　later　the　day　must　come　when　these　forests　and　fields　will
be　divided　up　and　sold　in　small　parcels。　Divided　and　redivided；　the
six　thousand　acres　of　that　plain　will　have　a　thousand　or　twelve
hundred　owners；　and　thenceforthno　more　horses　and　cattle！〃

〃Oh！　as　for　those　days〃began　the　mayor。

〃There！　don't　you　hear　the　/What　is　that　to　me？/　Monsieur　Clousier
talked　of？〃　cried　Monsieur　Grossetete。　〃Taken　in　the　act！　But；
monsieur；〃　resumed　the　banker；　gravely　addressing　the　dumfounded
mayor；　〃those　days　have　really　come。　In　a　radius　of　thirty　miles　round
Paris　the　land　is　so　divided　up　into　small　holdings　that　milch　cows
are　no　longer　seen。　The　Commune　of　Argenteuil　contains　thirty…eight
thousand　eight　hundred　and　eighty…five　parcels　of　land；　many　of　which
do　not　return　a　farthing　of　revenue。　If　it　were　not　for　the　rich
refuse　of　Paris；　which　produces　a　fodder　of　strong　quality；　I　don't
know　how　dairymen　would　get　along。　As　it　is；　this　over…stimulating
food　and　confinement　in　close　stables　produce　inflammatory　diseases；
of　which　the　cows　often　die。　They　use　cows　in　the　neighborhood　of
Paris　as　they　do　horses　in　the　street。　Crops　more　profitable　than　hay
vegetables；　fruit；　apple　orchards；　vineyardsare　taking　the　place
of　meadow…lands。　In　a　few　years　we　shall　see　milk　sent　to　Paris　by　the
mail…coaches　as　they　now　send　fish。　What　is　going　on　around　Paris　is
also　going　on　round　all　the　large　cities　of　France；　the　land　will　thus
be　used　up　before　many　years　are　gone。　Chaptel　states　that　in　1800
there　were　barely　two　million　acres　of　vineyard　in　France；　a　careful
estimate　would　give　ten　million　to…day。　Divided　/ad　infinitum/　by　our
present　system　of　inheritance；　Normandy　will　lose　half　her　production
of　horses　and　cattle；　but　she　will　have　a　monopoly　of　milk　in　Paris；
for　her　climate；　happily；　forbids　grape　culture。　We　shall　soon　see　a
curious　phenomenon　in　the　progressive　rise　in　the　cost　of　meat。　In
twenty　years　from　now；　in　1850；　Paris；　which　paid　seven　to　eleven　sous
for　a　pound　of　beef　in　1814；　will　be　paying　twentyunless　there　comes
a　man　of　genius　who　can　carry　out　the　plan　of　Charles　X。〃

〃You　have　laid　your　finger　on　the　mortal　wound　of　France；〃　said　the
/juge　de　paix/。　〃The　root　of　our　evils　lies　in　the　section　relating　to
inheritance　in　the　Civil　Code；　in　which　the　equal　division　of　property
among　heirs　is　ordained。　That's　the　pestle　that　pounds　territory　into
crumbs；　individualizes　fortunes；　and　takes　from　them　their　needful
stability；　decomposing　ever　and　never　recomposing；a　state　of　things
which　must　end　in　the　ruin　of　France。　The　French　Revolution　emitted　a
destructive　virus　to　which　the　July　days　have　given　fresh　activity。
This　vitiating　element　is　the　accession　of　the　peasantry　to　the
ownership　of　land。　In　the　section　'On　Inheritance'　is　the　principle　of
the　evil；　the　peasant　is　the　means　through　which　it　works。　No　sooner
does　that　class　get　a　parcel　of　land　into　its　maw　than　it　begins　to
subdivide　it；　till　there　are　scarcely　three　furrows　left　in　each　lot。
And　even　then　the　peasant　does　not　stop！　He　divides　the　three　furrows
across　their　length；　as　Monsieur　Grossetete　has　just　shown　us　at
Argenteuil。　The　unreasonable　price　which　the　peasant　attaches　to　the
smallest　scrap　of　his　land　makes　it　impossible　to　repurchase　and
restore　a　fine　estate。　Monsieur；〃　he　went　on；　indicating　Grossetete；
〃has　just　mentioned　the　diminution　in　the　raising　of　horses　and
cattle；　well；　the　Code　has　much　to　do　with　that。　The　peasant…
proprietor　owns　cows；　he　looks　to　them　for　his　means　of　living；　he
sells　the　calves；　he　sells　his　butter；　he　never　dreams　of　raising
cattle；　still　less　of　raising　horses；　but　as　he　cannot　raise　enough
fodder　to　support　his　cows　through　a　dry　season；　he　sends　them　to
market　when　he　can　feed　them　no　longer。　If　by　some　fatal　chance　the
hay　were　to　fail　for　two　years　running；　you　would　see　a　startling
change　the　third　year　in　the　price　of　beef；　but　especially　in　that　of
veal。〃

〃That　may　put　a　stop　to　'patriotic　banquets；'〃　said　the　doctor；
laughing。

〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Graslin；　looking　at　Roubaud；　〃can't　politics
get　on　without　the　wit　of　journalism；　even　here？〃

〃In　this　lamentable　business；　the　bourgeoisie　plays　the　same　/role/　as
the　pioneers　of　America；〃　continued　Clousier。　〃It　buys　up　great
estates；　which　the　peasantry　could　not　otherwise　acquire。　It　cuts　them
up　and　then　sells；　either　at　auction　or　in　small　lots　at　private　sale；
to　the　peasants。　Everything　is　judged　by　figures　in　these　days；　and　I
know　none　more　eloquent　than　these。　France　has　ninety…nine　million
acres；　which；　subtracting　highways；　roads；　dunes；　canals；　and　barren；
uncultivated　regions　deserted　by　capital；　may　be　reduced　to　eighty
millions。　Now　out　of　eighty　millions　of　acres　to　thirty…two　millions
of　inhabitants　we　find　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　millions　of　small
lots　registered　on　the　tax…list　（I　don't　give　fractions）。　Thus；　you
will　observe；　we　have　gone　to　the　utmost　limit　of　agrarian　law；　and
yet　we　have　not　seen　the　last　of　poverty　or　dissatisfaction。　Those　who
divide　territory　into　fragments　and　lessen　production　have；　of　course；
plenty　of　organs　to　cry　out　that　true　social　justice　consists　in
giving　every　man　a　life　interest；　and　no　more；　in　a　parcel　of　land；
perpetual　ownership；　they　say；　is　robbery。　The　Saint…Simonians　are
already　proclaiming　that　doctrine。〃

〃The　magistrate　has　spoken；〃　said　Grossetete；　〃and　here's　what　the
banker　adds　to　those　bold　considerations。　The　fact　that　the　peasantry
and　the　lesser　bourgeoisie　can　now　acquire　land　does　France　an　injury
which　the　government　seems　not　even　to　suspect。　We　may　estimate　the
number　of　peasant　families；　omitting　paupers；　at　three　millions。　These
families　subsist　on　wages。　Wages　are　paid　in　money；　and　not　in　kind〃

〃Yes；　that's　another　blunder　of　our　laws！〃　cried　Clousier；
interrupting　the　banker。　〃The　right　to　pay　in　kind　might　have　been
granted　in　1790；　now；　if　we　attempted　to　carry　such　a　law；　we　should
risk　a　revolution。〃

〃Therefore；　as　I　was　about　to　say；　the　proletary　draws　to　himself　the
money　of　the　country；〃　resumed　Grossetete。　〃Now　the　peasant　has　no
other　passion；　desire；　or　will；　than　to　die　a　land…owner。　This　desire；
as　Monsieur　Clousier　has　well　shown；　was　born　of　the　Revolution；　and
is　the　direct　result　of　the　sale　of　the　National　domain。　A　man　must　be
ignorant　indeed　of　what　is　going　on　all　over　France　in　the　country
regions　if　he　is　not　aware　that　these　three　million　families　are
yearly　hoarding　at　least　fifty　francs；　thus　subtracting　a　hundred　and
fifty　millions　from　current　use。　The　science　of　political　economy　has
made　it　an　axiom　that　a　five…franc　piece；　passing　through　a　hundred
hands　in　one　day；　is　equivalent　to　five　hundred　francs。　Now；　it　is
perfectly　plain　to　all　of　us　who　live　in　the　country　and　observe　the
state　of　affairs；　that　every　peasant　has　his　eye　on　the　land　he
covets；　he　is　watching　and　waiting　for　it；　and　he　never　invests　his
savings　elsewhere；　he　buries