the origins of contemporary france-4-第35节

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！



other　side；　are　poverty；　ruin；　social　degradation；　dependence；

bankruptcy　and　the　alms…house。　　In　the　presence　of　this　alternative　he

keeps　close　watch　and　becomes　industrious；　he　thinks　of　his　business

even　when　abed　or　at　his　meals；　he　studies　it；　not　from　a　distance；

speculatively；　in　a　general　way；　but　on　the　spot；　practically；　in

detail；　in　all　its　bearings　and　relationships；　constantly　calculating

difficulties　and　resources；　with　such　sharp　insight　and　special

information　that　for　any　other　person　to　try　to　solve　the　daily

problem　which　he　solves；　would　be　impossible；　because　nobody　could

possess　or　estimate　as　he　can　the　precise　elements　which　constitute

it。　　…　Compare　with　this　unique　devotion　and　these　peculiar

qualifications　the　ordinary　capacity　and　listless　regularity　of　a

senior　public　official；　even　when　expert　and　honest。　　He　is　sure　of

his　salary；　provided　he　does　his　duty　tolerably　well；　and　this　he　does

when　he　is　occupied　during　official　hours。　　Let　his　papers　be　correct；

in　conformity　with　regulations　and　custom；　and　nothing　more　is　asked

of　him；　he　need　not　tax　his　brain　beyond　that。　　If　he　conceives　any

economical　measure；　or　any　improvement　of　his　branch　of　the　service；

not　he；　but　the　public；　an　anonymous　and　vague　impersonality；　reaps

all　the　benefit　of　it。　　Moreover；　why　should　he　care　about　it；　since

his　project　or　reform　might　end　up　in　the　archives。　　The　machine　is

too　vast　and　complicated；　too　unwieldy；　too　clumsy；　with　its　rusty

wheels；　its　〃　old　customs　and　acquired　rights；〃　to　be　renewed　and

rebuilt　as　one　might　a　farm；　a　warehouse　or　a　foundry。　　Accordingly；

he　has　no　idea　of　troubling　himself　further　in　the　matter；　on　leaving

his　office　he　dismisses　it　from　his　mind；　he　lets　things　go　on

automatically；　just　as　it　happens；　in　a　costly　way　and　with

indifferent　results。　　Even　in　a　country　of　as　much　probity　as　France；

it　is　calculated　that　every　enterprise　managed　by　the　State　costs　one

quarter　more；　and　brings　in　one　quarter　less；　than　when　entrusted　to

private　hands。　　Consequently　if　work　were　withheld　from　individuals　in

order　that　the　State　might　undertake　it　the　community；　when　the

accounts　came　to　be　balanced；　would　suffer　a　loss　of　one…half。＇16＇



Now；　this　is　true　of　all　work；　whether　spiritual　or　material　not　only

of　agricultural；　industrial　and　commercial　products；　but；　again；　of

works　of　science　and　of　art；　of　literature　and　philosophy；　of　charity；

of　education　and　propaganda。　　Not　only　when　driven　by　egoism；　such　as

personal　interest　and　vulgar　vanity；　but　also　when　a　disinterested

sentiment　is　involved；　such　the　discovery　of　truth；　the　creation　of

beauty；　the　propagation　of　a　faith；　the　diffusion　of　convictions；

religious　enthusiasm　or　natural　generosity；　love　in　a　broad　or　a

narrow　sense；　spanning　from　one　who　embraces　all　humanity　to　one　who

devotes　himself　wholly　to　his　friends　and　kindred。　　The　effect　is　the

same　in　both　cases；　because　the　cause　is　the　same。　　Always；　in　the

shop　directed　by　the　free　workman；　the　motivating　force　is　enormous；

almost　infinite；　because　it　is　a　living　spring　which　flows　at　all

hours　and　is　inexhaustible。　　The　mother　thinks　constantly　of　her

child；　the　savant　of　his　science；　the　artist　of　his　art；　the　inventor

of　his　inventions；　the　philanthropist　of　his　endowments；　Faraday　of

electricity；　Stephenson　of　his　locomotive；　Pasteur　of　his　microbes；　De

Lesseps　of　his　isthmus；　sisters　of　charity　of　their　poor。　　Through

this　peculiar　concentration　of　thought；　man　derives　every　possible

advantage　from　human　faculties　and　surroundings；　he　himself　gets　to　be

a　more　and　more　perfect　instrument；　and；　moreover；　he　fashions　others：

with　this　he　daily　reduces　the　friction　of　the　powerful　machine　which

he　controls　and　of　which　he　is　the　main　wheel；　he　increases　its　yield

；　he　economizes；　maintains；　repairs　and　improves　it　with　a　capability

and　success　that　nobody　questions；　in　short；　he　fabricates　in　a

superior　way。　　…　But　this　living　source；　to　which　the　superiority　of

the　works　is　due；　cannot　be　separated　from　the　owner　and　chief；　for　it

issues　from　his　own　affections　and　deepest　sentiments。　　It　is　useless

without　him；　out　of　his　hands；　in　the　hands　of　strangers；　the　fountain

ceases　to　flow　and　production　stops。　　…　If；　consequently；　a　good　and

large　yield　is　required；　he　alone　must　have　charge　of　the　mill；　he　is

the　resident　owner　of　it；　the　one　who　sets　it　in　motion；　the　born

engineer；　installed　and　specially　designed　for　that　position。　　In　vain

may　attempts　be　made　to　turn　the　stream　elsewhere；　there　simply　ensues

a　stoppage　of　the　natural　issue；　a　dam　barring　useful　canals；　a

haphazard　change　of　current　not　only　without　gain；　but　loss；　the

stream　subsiding　in　swamps　or　undermining　the　steep　banks　of　a　ravine。

At　the　utmost；　the　millions　of　buckets　of　water；　forcibly　taken　from

private　reservoirs；　half　fill　with　a　good　deal　of　trouble　the　great

central　artificial　basin　in　which　the　water；　low　and　stagnant；　is

never　sufficient　in　quantity　or　force　to　move　the　huge　public　wheel

that　replaces　the　small　private　wheels；　doing　the　nation's　work。



Thus；　even　when　we　only　consider　men　as　manufactures；　even　if　we　treat

them　simply　as　producers　of　what　is　valuable　and　serviceable；　with　no

other　object　in　view　than　to　furnish　society　with　supplies　and　to

benefit　the　consumers；　even　though　the　private　domain　includes　all

enterprises　undertaken　by　private　individuals；　either　singly　or

associated　together；　through　personal　interests　or　personal　taste；

then　this　is　enough　to　ensure　that　all　is　managed　better　than　the

State　could　have　done；　it　is　by　virtue　of　this　that　they　have　devolved

into　their　hands。　　Consequently；　in　the　vast　field　of　labor；　they

themselves　decide　on　what　they　will　undertake；　they　themselves；　of

their　own　authority；　set　their　own　limits。　　They　may　therefore　enlarge

their　own　domain　to　any　extent　they　please；　and　reduce　indefinitely

the　domain　of　the　State。　　On　the　contrary；　the　State　cannot　pretend　to

more　than　what　they　leave；　as　they　advance　on　their　common　territory

separated　by　vague　frontiers；　it　is　bound　to　recede　and　leave　the

ground　to　them；　whatever　the　task　is；　it　should　not　perform　it　except

in　case　of　their　default；　or　their　prolonged　absence；　or　on　proof　of

their　having　abandoned　it。



All　the　rest；　therefore　falls　to　the　State；　first；　the　offices　which

they　would　never　claim；　and　which　they　will　deliberately　leave　in　its

hands；　because　they　do　not　have　that　indispensable　instrument；　called

armed　force。　　This　force　forces　assures　the　protection　of　the

community　against　foreign　communities；　the　protection　of　individuals

against　one　another；　the　levying　of　soldiers；　the　imposition　of　taxes；

the　execution　of　the　laws；　the　administration　of　justice　and　of　the

police。　　…　Next　to　this；　come　matters　of　which　the　accomplishment

concerns　everybody　without　directly　interesting　any　one　in　particular

…　the　government　of　unoccupied　territory；　the　administration　of

rivers；　coasts；　forests　and　public　highways；　the　task　of　governing

subject　countries；　the　framing　of　laws；　the　coinage　of　money；　the

conferring　of　a　civil　status；　the　negotiating　in　the　name　of　the

community　with　local　and　special　corporations；　departments；　communes；

banks；　institutions；　churches；　and　universities。　　…　Add　to　these；

according　to　circumstances；　sundry　optional　co…operative　services；＇17＇

such　as　subsidies　granted　to　institutions　of　great　public　utility；　for

which　private　contributions　could　not　suffice；　now　in　the　shape　of

concessions　to　corporations　for　which　equivalent　obligations　are

exacted；　and；　again；　in　those　hygienic　precautions　which　individuals

fail　to　take　through　indifference；　so　occasionally；　such　provisional

aid　as　supports　a　man；　or　so　stimulates　him　as　to　enable　him　some　day

or　other　to　support　himself；　and；　in　general；　those　discreet　and

scarcely　perceptible　interpositions　for　the　time　being　which　prove　so

advantageous　in　the　future；　like　a　far…reaching　code　and　other

consistent　regulations　which；　mindful　of　the　liberty　of　the　existing

individual；　provide　for　the　welfare　of　coming　generations。　　Nothing

beyond　that。



Again；　in　this　preparation　for　future　welfare　the　same　principle　still

holds。



VII。



Fabrication　of　social　instruments。　　…　Application　of　this　principle。

…　How　all　kinds　of　useful　laborers　are　formed。　　…　Respect　for

spontaneous　sources；　the　essential　and　adequate　condition。　　…

Obligation　of　the　State　to　respect　these。　　…　They　dry　up　when　it

monopolizes　them。　　…　The　aim　of　patriotism。　　…　The　aim　of　other

liberal　dispositions。　　…　Impoverishment　of　all　the　productive

faculties。　　…　Destructive　effect　of　the　Jacobin　system。



Among　the　precious　products；　the　most　precious　and　important　are；

evidently；　the　animated　instruments；　namely　the　men；　since　they

produce　the　rest。　　The　object　then；　is　to　fashion　men　capable　of

physical；　mental　or　moral　labor；　the　mos