the origins of contemporary france-4-第21节

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and　the　command　without　any　right　to　do　so；　and；　in　violation　of　all

right；　they　have　misused　mankind；　having　enjoyed　their　rank；　it　is　but

just　that　they　should　pay　for　it。　　Privileged　in　reverse；　they　must　be

treated　the　same　as　vagabonds　were　treated　under　their　reign；



*　stopped　by　the　police　and　sent　off　with　their　families　into　the

interior；

*

*　crowded　into　prisons；

*

*　executed　in　a　mass；　or；　at　least；

*

*　expelled　from　Paris；　the　seaports　and　fortified　towns；　put　on　the

limits；

*

*　compelled　to　present　themselves　daily　at　the　municipality；

*

*　deprived　of　their　political　rights；

*

*　excluded　from　public　offices；　〃popular　clubs；　committees　of

supervision　and　from　communal　and　section　assemblages。〃＇41＇

*

Even　this　is　indulgence；　branded　with　infamy；　we　ought　to　class　them

with　galley…slaves；　and　set　them　to　work　on　the　public　highways。＇42＇



　〃Justice　condemns　the　people's　enemies　and　the　partisans　of　tyranny

to　eternal　slavery。〃＇43＇



But　that　is　not　enough；　because；　apart　from　the　aristocracy　of　rank；

there　are　other　aristocracies　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　has　left

untouched；＇44＇　especially　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。　　Of　all　the

sovereignties；　that　of　the　rich　man　over　the　poor　one　is　the　most

burdensome。　　In　effect；　not　only；　in　contempt　of　equality；　does　he

consume　more　than　his　share　of　the　common　products　of　labor；　and

without　producing　anything　himself；　but　again；　in　contempt　of　liberty；

he　may　fix　wages　as　he　pleases；　and；　in　contempt　of　humanity；　he

always　fixes　them　at　the　lowest　point。　　Between　himself　and　the　needy

he　never　makes　other　than　the　most　unjust　contracts。　　Sole　possessor

of　land；　capital　and　the　necessities　of　life；　he　imposes　conditions

which　others；　deprived　of　means；　are　forced　to　accept　at　the　risk　of

starvation；　he　speculates　at　his　discretion　on　wants　which　cannot　be

put　off；　and　makes　the　most　of　his　monopoly　by　maintaining　the　poor　in

their　destitute　situations。　　That　is　why；　writes　Saint　Just：＇45＇



　〃Opulence　is　a　disgrace；　for　every　thousand　livres　expenditure　of

this　kind　a　smaller　number　of　natural　or　adopted　children　can　be

looked　after。〃　…



〃The　richest　Frenchman；〃　says　Robespierre；　〃ought　not　to　have　now　more

three　thousand　livres　rental。〃　…



Beyond　what　is　strictly　necessary；　no　property　is　legitimate；　we　have

the　right　to　take　the　superfluous　wherever　we　find　it。　　Not　only　to…

day；　because　we　now　require　it　for　the　State　and　for　the　poor；　but　at

all　times；　because　the　superfluous；　in　all　times；　confers　on　its　owner

an　advantage　in　contracts；　a　control　of　wages；　an　arbitrary　power　over

the　means　of　living；　in　short；　a　supremacy　of　condition　worse　than

preeminence　in　rank。　　Consequently；　our　hand　is　not　only　against　the

nobles；　but　also　against　the　rich　and　well…to…do　bourgeois＇46＇　the

large　land…owners　and　capitalists；　we　are　going　to　demolish　their

crafty　feudalism　from　top　to　bottom。＇47＇　　…　In　the　first　place；　and

merely　through　the　effect　of　the　new　institutions；　we　prevent　any

capitalist　from　deducting；　as　he　is　used　to　do；　the　best　portion　of

the　fruits　of　another's　labor；　the　hornets　shall　no　longer；　year　after

year；　consume　the　honey　of　the　bees。　　To　bring　this　about；　we　have

only　to　let　the　assignats　（paper　money）　and　their　forced　rate　（of

exchange）　work　things　out。　　Through　the　depreciation　of　paper…money；

the　indolent　land…owner　or　capitalist　sees　his　income　melting　away　in

his　hands；　his　receipts　consist　only　of　nominal　values。　　On　the　1st　of

January；　his　tenant　pays　him　really　for　a　half　term　instead　of　a　full

term；　on　the　1st　of　March；　his　farmer　settles　his　account　with　a　bag

of　grain。＇48＇　　The　effect　is　just　the　same　as　if　we　had　made　fresh

contracts；　and　reduced　by　one…half；　three…quarters；　or；　even　more；　the

rate　of　interest　on　loans；　the　rent　of　houses　and　the　leases　of　farm

lands。　　…　Whilst　the　revenue　of　the　landlord　evaporates；　his　capital

melts　away；　and　we　do　the　best　we　can　to　help　this　along。　　If　he　has

claims　on　ancient　corporations　or　civil　and　religious　establishments

of　any　description；　whether　provincial　governments；　congregations；

associations；　endowments　or　hospitals；　we　withdraw　his　special

guarantee；　we　convert　his　title…deeds　into　a　state　annuity；　we　combine

his　private　fortune　with　the　public　fortune　whether　he　will　or　not；　we

drag　him　into　the　universal　bankruptcy；　toward　which　we　are　conducting

all　the　creditors　of　the　Republic。＇49＇　　…　Besides；　to　ruin　him；　we

have　more　direct　and　prompt　means。　　If　an　émigré；　and　there　are

hundreds　of　thousands　of　émigrés；　we　confiscate　his　possessions。　　If

he　has　been　guillotined　or　deported；　and　there　are　tens　of　thousands

of　these；　we　confiscate　his　possessions。　　If　he　is　〃recognized　as　an

enemy　of　the　Revolution；〃＇50＇　and　〃all　the　rich　pray　for　the　counter…

revolution；〃＇51＇　we　sequestrate　his　property；　enjoying　the　usufruct　of

it　until　peace　is　declared；　and　we　shall　have　the　property　after　the

war　is　over。　　Usufruct　or　property；　the　State；　in　either　case；

inherits；　at　the　most　we　might　grant　temporary　aid　to　the　family；

which　is　not　even　entitled　to　maintenance。



It　is　impossible　to　uproot　fortunes　more　thoroughly。　　As　to　those

which　are　not　at　once　eradicated　we　get　rid　of　them　piecemeal；　and

against　these　we　employ　two　axes：



On　the　one　hand；　we　decree　the　principle　of　progressive　taxation；　and

on　this　basis　we　establish　the　forced　loan：＇52＇　in　incomes；　we

distinguish　between　the　essential　and　the　surplus；　we　fix　according　as

the　excess　is　greater　or　less　we　take　a　quarter；　a　third　or　the　half

of　it；　and；　when　above　nine　thousand　francs；　the　whole；　beyond　its

small　alimentary　reserve；　the　most　opulent　family　will　keep　only　four

thousand　five　hundred　francs　income。



On　the　other　hand；　we　cut　deep　into　capital　through　revolutionary

taxes；　our　committees　and　provincial　proconsuls　levy　arbitrarily　what

suits　them；　three　hundred；　five　hundred；　up　to　one　million　two　hundred

thousand　francs；＇53＇　on　this　or　that　banker；　trader；　bourgeois　or

widow；　payable　within　a　week；　all　the　worse　for　the　person　taxed　if　he

or　she　has　no　money　on　hand　and　is　unable　to　borrow　it；　we　declare

them　〃suspects；〃　we　imprison　them；　we　sequestrate　their　property　and

the　State　enjoys　it　in　their　place。



In　any　event；　even　when　the　amount　is　paid；　we　force　him　or　her　to

deposit　their　silver　and　gold　coin　in　our　hands；　sometimes　with

assignats　as　security；　and　often　nothing；　henceforth；　money　must

circulate　and　the　precious　metals　are　in　requisition；＇54＇　everybody

will　deliver　up　what　plate　he　possesses。　　And　let　nobody　presume　to

conceal　his　hoard；　all　treasure；　whether　silver…plate；　diamonds；

ingots；　gold　or　silver；　coined　or　un…coined；　〃discovered；　or　that　may

be　discovered；　buried　in　the　ground　or　concealed　in　cellars；　inside　of

walls　or　in　garrets；　under　floors；　pavements；　or　hearthstones；　or　in

chimneys　and　other　hiding　places；〃＇55＇　becomes　the　property　of　the

Republic；　with　a　premium　of　twenty　per　cent。　　in　assignats　to　the

informer。　　　As；　furthermore；　we　make　requisitions　for　bed…linen；

beds；　clothes；　provisions；　wines　and　the　rests；　along　with　specie　and

precious　metals；　the　condition　of　the　mansion　may　be　imagined；

especially　after　we　have　lodged　in　it；　it　is　the　same　as　if　the　house

had　been　on　fire；　all　movable　property　and　all　real　estate　have

perished。　　…　Now　that　both　are　destroyed　they　must　not　be　allowed　to

accumulate　again。　　To　ensure　this；



1。　　we　abolish；　according　to　rule；　the　freedom　of　bequest；＇56＇

2。　　we　prescribe　equal　and　obligatory　divisions　of　all

inheritances；＇57＇

3。　　we　include　bastards　in　this　under　the　same　title　as　legitimate

children；

4。　　we　admit　representation　à　l'infini；＇58＇　〃in　order　to　multiply

heirs　and　parcel　out　inheritances；〃＇59＇

5。　　we　reduce　the　disposable　portion　to　one…tenth；　in　the　direct　line；

and　one…sixth　in　a　collateral　line；

6。　　we　forbid　any　gift　to　persons　whose　income　exceeds　one　thousand

quintals　of　grain；

7。　　we　inaugurate　adoption；　〃an　admirable　institution；〃　and

essentially　republican；　〃since　it　brings　about　a　division　of　large

properties　without　a　crisis。〃

Already；　in　the　Legislative　Assembly　a　deputy　had　stated　that　〃equal

rights　could　be　maintained　only　by　a　persistent　tendency　to　uniformity

of　fortunes。〃＇60＇



We　have　provided　for　this　for　the　present　day　and　we　likewise　provide

for　it　in　the　future。　　…　None　of　the　vast　tumors　which　have　sucked　the

sap　of　the　human　plant　are　to　remain；　we　have　cut　them　away　with　a　few

telling　blows；　while　the　steady…moving　machine；　permanently　erected　by

us；　will　shear　off　their　last　tendrils　should　they　change　to　sprout

again。



VI。



Conditions　requisite　for　making　a　citizen。　　…　Plans　for　suppressing

poverty。　　　Measures　in　favor　of　the　poor。



In　returning　Man　to　his　natural　condition　we　have　prepared　for　the

advent　of　the　Social　Man。　　The　object　now　is　to　fo