the origins of contemporary france-1-第118节

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dissolution　of　the　nation　which；　in　their　turn；　will　dissolve　the

army。



Of　the　90　millions　of　pay＇1＇　which　the　army　annually　costs　the

treasury；　46　millions　are　for　officers　and　only　44　millions　for

soldiers；　and　we　are　already　aware　that　a　new　ordinance　reserves　ranks

of　all　kinds　for　verified　nobles。　　In　no　direction　is　this　inequality；

against　which　public　opinion　rebels　so　vigorously；　more　apparent。　　On

the　one　hand；　authority；　honors；　money；　leisure；　good…living；　social

enjoyments；　and　plays　in　private；　for　the　minority。　　On　the　other　hand；

for　the　majority；　subjection；　dejection；　fatigue；　a　forced　or　betrayed

enlistment；　no　hope　of　promotion；　pay　at　six　sous　a　day；＇2＇　a　narrow

cot　for　two；　bread　fit　for　dogs；　and；　for　several　years；　kicks　like

those　bestowed　on　a　dog。＇3＇　On　the　one　hand；　a　nobility　of　high

estate；　and；　on　the　other；　the　lowest　of　the　populace。　　One　might　say

that　this　was　specially　designed　for　contrast　and　to　intensify

irritation。　　〃The　insignificant　pay　of　the　soldier；〃　says　an　economist；

〃the　way　in　which　he　is　dressed；　lodged　and　fed；　his　utter　dependence；

would　render　it　cruelty　to　take　any　other　than　a　man　of　the　lower

class。〃＇4＇　Indeed；　he　is　sought　for　only　in　the　lowest　layers　of

society。　　Not　only　are　nobles　and　the　bourgeoisie　exempt　from

conscription；　but　again　the　employees　of　the　administration；　of　the

fermes　and　of　public　works；　〃all　gamekeepers　and　forest…rangers；　the

hired　domestics　and　valets　of　ecclesiastics；　of　communities；　of

religious　establishments；　of　the　gentry　and　of　nobles；〃＇5＇　and　even　of

the　bourgeoisie　living　in　grand　style；　and　still　better；　the　sons　of

cultivators　in　easy　circumstances；　and；　in　general；　all　possessing

influence　or　any　species　of　protector。　　There　remains；　accordingly；　for

the　militia　none　but　the　poorest　class；　and　they　do　not　willingly

enter　it。　　On　the　contrary；　the　service　is　hateful　to　them；　they

conceal　themselves　in　the　forests　where　they　have　to　be　pursued　by

armed　men：　in　a　certain　canton　which；　three　years　later；　furnishes　in

one　day　from　fifty　to　one　hundred　volunteers；　the　young　men　cut　off

their　thumbs　to　escape　the　draft。＇6＇　To　this　scum　of　society　is　added

the　sweepings　of　the　depots　and　of　the　jails。　　Among　the　vagabonds　that

fill　these；　after　winnowing　out　those　able　to　make　their　families

known　or　to　obtain　sponsors；　〃there　are　none　left；〃　says　an　intendant；

〃but　those　who　are　entirely　unknown　or　dangerous；　out　of　which　those

regarded　as　the　least　vicious　are　selected　and　efforts　are　made　to

place　these　in　the　army。〃＇7＇　　…　　　The　last　of　its　affluents　is　the

half…forced；　half…voluntary　enlistment　by　which　the　ranks　are　for　the

most　part　filled；　the　human　waste　of　large　towns；　like　adventurers；

discharged　apprentices；　young　reprobates　turned　out　of　doors；　and

people　without　homes　or　steady　occupation。　　The　recruiting　agent　who　is

paid　so　much　a　head　for　his　recruits　and　so　much　an　inch　on　their

stature　above　five　feet；　〃holds　his　court　in　a　tavern；　treating

everyone〃　promoting　his　merchandise：



〃Come；　boys；　soup；　fish；　meat　and　salad　is　what　you　get　to　eat　in

the　regiment；〃　nothing　else；　〃I　don't　deceive　you　　…　　pie　and　Arbois

wine　are　the　extras。〃＇8＇



He　pours　the　wine；　pays　the　bill　and；　if　need　be；　yields　his

mistress。　　〃After　a　few　days　debauchery；　the　young　libertine；　with　no

money　to　pay　his　debts；　is　obliged　to　sell　himself；　while　the　laborer；

transformed　into　soldier；　begins　to　drill　under　the　lash。〃　　…　　Strange

recruits　these；　for　the　protection　of　society；　all　selected　from　the

class　which　will　attack　it；　down…trodden　peasants；　imprisoned

vagabonds；　social　outcasts；　poor　fellows　in　debt；　disheartened；

excited　and　easily　tempted；　who；　according　to　circumstances；　become　at

one　time　rioters；　and　at　another　soldiers。　　…　Which　lot　is　preferable？

The　bread　the　soldier　eats　is　not　more　abundant　than　that　of　the

prisoner；　while　poorer　in　quality；　for　the　bran　is　taken　out　of　the

bread　which　the　locked…up　vagabond　eats；　and　left　in　the　bread　which

is　eaten　by　the　soldier　who　locks　him　up＇9＇。　　In　this　state　of　things

the　soldier　ought　not　to　mediate　on　his　lot；　and　yet　this　is　just　what

his　officers　incite　him　to　do。　　They　also　have　become　politicians　and

fault…finders。　　Some　years　before　the　Revolution＇10＇　〃disputes

occurred〃　in　the　army；　〃discussions　and　complaints；　and；　the　new　ideas

fermenting　in　their　heads；　a　correspondence　was　established　between

two　regiments。　　Written　information　was　obtained　from　Paris；　authorized

by　the　Minister　of　War；　which　cost；　I　believe；　twelve　louis　per　annum。

It　soon　took　a　philosophic　turn；　embracing　dissertations；　criticisms

of　the　ministry；　and　of　the　government；　desirable　changes　and；

therefore；　the　more　diffused。〃　Sergeants　like　Hoche；　and　fencing…

masters　like　Augereau；　certainly　often　read　this　news；　carelessly　left

lying　on　the　tables；　and　commented　on　it　during　the　evening　in　their

soldier　quarters。　　Discontent　is　of　ancient　date；　and　already；　at　the

end　of　the　late　reign；　grievous　words　are　heard。　　At　a　banquet　given　by

a　prince　of　the　blood；＇11＇　with　a　table　set　for　a　hundred　guests　under

an　immense　tent　and　served　by　grenadiers；　the　odor　these　diffused

upset　the　prince's　delicate　nose。　　〃These　worthy　fellows；〃　said　he；　a

little　too　loud；　〃smell　strong　of　the　stocking。〃　One　of　the　grenadiers

bluntly　responded；　〃Because　we　haven't　got　any；〃　which　〃was　followed

by　profound　silence。〃　During　the　ensuring　years　irritation　smolders

and　augments；　the　soldiers　of　Rochambeau　have　fought　side　by　side　with

the　free　militia　of　America；　and　they　keep　this　in　mind。　　In　1788；＇12＇

Marshal　de　Vaux；　previous　to　the　insurrection　in　Dauphiny；　writes　to

minister　that　〃it　is　impossible　to　rely　on　the　troops；〃　while　four

months　after　the　opening　of　the　States…General　16；000　deserters

roaming　around　Paris　leads　the　revolts　instead　of　suppressing

them。＇13＇









II。



The　social　organization　is　dissolved。　　…　　No　central　rallying

point。　　…　　Inertia　of　the　provinces。　　…　　Ascendancy　of　Paris。



　　Once　this　barrier　has　disappeared；　no　other　embankment　remains

and　the　inundation　spreads　all　over　France　like　over　an　immense　plain。

With　other　nations　in　like　circumstances；　some　obstacles　have　been

encountered；　elevations　have　existed；　centers　of　refuge；　old

constructions　in　which；　in　the　universal　fright；　a　portion　of　the

population　could　find　shelter。　　Here；　the　first　crisis　sweeps　away　all

that　remains；　each　individual　of　the　twenty…six　scattered　millions

standing　alone　by　himself。　　The　administrations　of　Richelieu　and　Louis

XIV。　　had　been　a　long　time　at　work　insensibly　destroying　the　natural

groupings　which；　when　suddenly　dissolved；　unite　and　form　over　again　of

their　own　accord。　　Except　in　Vendée；　I　find　no　place；　nor　any　class；　in

which　a　good　many　men；　having　confidence　in　a　few　men；　are　able；　in

the　hour　of　danger；　to　rally　around　these　and　form　a　compact　body。

Neither　provincial　nor　municipal　patriotism　any　longer　exists。　　The

inferior　clergy　are　hostile　to　the　prelates；　the　gentry　of　the

province　to　the　nobility　of　the　court；　the　vassal　to　the　seignior；　the

peasant　to　the　townsman；　the　urban　population　to　the　municipal

oligarchy；　corporation　to　corporation；　parish　to　parish；　neighbor　to

neighbor。　　All　are　separated　by　their　privileges　and　their　jealousies；

by　the　consciousness　of　having　been　imposed　on；　or　frustrated；　for　the

advantage　of　another。　　The　journeyman　tailor　is　embittered　against　his

foreman　for　preventing　him　from　doing　a　day's　work　in　private　houses；

hairdressers　against　their　employers　for　the　like　reason；　the　pastry…

cook　against　the　baker　who　prevents　him　from　baking　the　pies　of

housekeepers；　the　village　spinner　against　the　town　spinners　who　wish

to　break　him　up；　the　rural　wine…growers　against　the　bourgeois　who；　in

the　circle　of　seven　leagues；　strives　to　have　their　vines　pulled

up；＇14＇　the　village　against　the　neighboring　village　whose　reduction　of

taxation　has　ruined　it；　the　overtaxed　peasant　against　the　under　taxed

peasant；　one…half　of　a　parish　against　its　collectors；　who；　to　its

detriment；　have　favored　the　other　half。



〃The　nation；〃　says　Turgot；　mournfully；＇15＇　〃is　a　society　composed

of　different　orders　badly　united　and　of　a　people　whose　members　have

few　mutual　liens；　nobody；　consequently；　caring　for　any　interest　but

his　own。　　Nowhere　is　there　any　sign　of　an　interest　in　common。　　Towns　and

villages　maintain　no　more　relation　with　each　other　than　the　districts

to　which　they　are　attached；　they　are　even　unable　to　agree　together

with　a　view　to　carry　out　public　improvements　of　great　importance　to

them。〃



The　central　power　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　rules　through　its

division　of　power。　　Men　have　been　kept　separate；　prevented　from　acting

in　concert；　the　work　being　so　successful　that　they　no　longer

understand　each　other；　each　class　ignoring　the　other　class；　each

forming　of　the　other　a　chime