the origins of contemporary france-4-第127部分

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Finances　that　〃there　was　nothing　in　common〃　between　the　two　groups　of

outlaws；　that　the　fermiers　were　holders　of　leases　on　probable　profits

while　the　receveurs　were　paid　functionaries　at　a　fixed　salary；　and　the

crimes　of　the　former；　proved　or　not　proved；　were　not　imputable　to　the

latter。　　Great　astonishment　on　the　part　of　these　improvised

financiers！　〃They　make　an　outcry；〃　says　Gaudin；　〃and　assert　that　I　am

mistaken。　　I　insist；　and　repeat　what　I　have　told　the　President；

Cambon；　I　affirm　on　says　to　one　of　the　members；　'Since　that　is　so；　go

to　the　bureau　of　procès…verbaux　and　scratch　out　the　term　receveurs…

généraux　from　the　decree　passed　this　morning。'　my　honor　and　offer　to

furnish　them　the　proof　of　it；　finally；　they　are　satisfied　and　the

President　〃　…　Such　are　the　gross　blunders　committed　by　interlopers；

and　even　carried　out；　when　not　warned　and　restrained　by　veterans　in

the　service。　　Cambon；　accordingly；　in　spite　of　the　Jacobins；　retains

in　his　bureaux　all　whom　he　can　among　veteran　officials。　　If　Carnot

manages　the　war　well；　it　is　owing　to　his　being　himself　an　educated

officer　and　to　maintaining　in　their　positions　d'Arcon；　d'Obenheim；　de

Grimoard；　de　Montalembert　and　Marescot；　all　eminent　men　bequeathed　to

him　by　the　ancient　régime。＇60｝　Reduced；　before　the　9th　of　Thermidor；

to　perfect　nullity；　the　Ministry　of　Foreign　Affairs　is　not　again　to

become　useful　and　active　until　the　professional　diplomats；　Miot；

Colchen；　Otto　and　Reinhart；＇61＇　resume　their　ascendancy　and　influence。

It　is　a　professional　diplomat；　Barthélemy；　who；　after　the　9th　of

Thermidor；　really　directs　the　foreign　policy　of　the　Convention；　and

brings　about　the　peace　of　Basle。



III。　　　The　three　classes　of　Notables。



The　Nobility。　　…　Its　physical　and　moral　preparation　through　feats　of

arms。　　…　The　military　spirit。　　…　High　character。　　…　Conduct　of

officers　in　1789…1792。　　…　Service　for　which　these　nobles　were　adapted。



Three　classes；　the　nobles；　the　clergy　and　the　bourgeoisie；　provided

this　superior　élite；　and；　compared　with　the　rest　of　the　nation；　they

themselves　formed　an　élite。　　…　Thirty　thousand　gentlemen；　scattered

through　the　provinces；　had　been　brought　up　from　infancy　to　the

profession　of　arms；　generally　poor；　they　lived　on　their　rural　estates

without　luxuries；　comforts　or　curiosity；　in　the　society　of　wood…

rangers　and　game…keepers；　frugally　and　with　rustic　habits；　in　the　open

air；　in　such　a　way　as　to　ensure　robust　constitutions。　　A　child；　at　six

years　of　age；　mounted　a　horse；　he　followed　the　hounds；　and　hardened

himself　against　inclemencies；＇62＇　afterwards；　in　the　academies；　he

rendered　his　limbs　supple　by　exercise　and　obtained　that　rugged　health

which　is　necessary　for　living　under　a　tent　and　following　a　campaign。

From　early　childhood；　he　was　imbued　with　a　military　spirit；　his　father

and　uncles　at　table　talked　of　nothing　but　their　perils　in　war　and

feats　of　arms；　his　imagination　took　fire；　he　got　accustomed　to　looking

upon　their　pursuits　as　the　only　ones　worthy　of　a　man　of　rank　and

feeling；　and　he　plunged　ahead　with　a　precocity　which　we　no　longer

comprehend。　　I　have　read　many　records　of　the　service　of　gentlemen　who

were　assassinated；　guillotined　or　emigrés；　they　nearly　always　began

their　careers　before　the　age　of　sixteen；　often　at　fourteen；　thirteen

and　eleven。＇63＇　M。　des　Echerolles；＇64＇　captain　in　the　Poitou

regiment；　had　brought　along　with　him　into　the　army　his　only　son；　aged

nine；　and　a　dozen　little　cousins　of　the　same　age。　　Those　children

fought　like　old　soldiers；　one　of　them　had　his　leg　fractured　by　a　ball；

young　des　Echerolles　received　a　saber　stroke　which　cut　away　his　cheek

from　the　ear　to　the　upper　lip；　and　he　was　wounded　seven　times；　still

young；　he　received　the　cross　of　St。　　Louis。　　To　serve　the　State；　seek

conflict　and　expose　one's　life；　seemed　an　obligation　of　their　rank；　a

hereditary　debt；　out　of　nine　or　ten　thousand　officers　who　discharged

this　debt　most　of　them　cared　only　for　this　and　looked　for　nothing

beyond。　　Without　fortune　and　without　influence；　they　had　renounced

promotion；　fully　aware　that　the　higher　ranks　were　reserved　for　the

heirs　of　great　families　and　the　courtiers　at　Versailles。　　After

serving　fifteen　or　twenty　years；　they　returned　home　with　a　captain's

commission　and　the　cross　of　St。　　Louis；　sometimes　with　a　small

pension；　contented　with　having　done　their　duty　and　conscious　of　their

own　honor。　　On　the　approach　of　the　Revolution；　this　old　spirit；

illumined　by　the　new　ideas；　became　an　almost　civic　virtue：＇65＇　we　have

seen　how　they　behaved　between　1789　and　1792；　their　moderation；　their

forbearance；　their　sacrifice　of　self…love；　their　abnegation　and　their

stoical　impassability；　their　dislike　to　strike；　the　coolness　with

which　they　persisted　in　receiving　without　returning　blows；　and　in

maintaining；　if　not　public　order；　at　least　the　last　semblance　of　it。

Patriots　as　much　as　soldiers；　through　birth；　education　and　conviction；

they　formed　a　natural；　special　nursery；　eminently　worthy　of

preserving；　inasmuch　as　it　furnished　society　with　ready…made

instruments　for　defense；　internally　against　rascals　and　brutes；　and

externally　against　the　enemy。　　Less　calm　in　disposition　and　more　given

to　pleasure　than　the　rural　nobles　of　Prussia；　under　slacker　discipline

and　in　the　midst　of　greater　worldliness；　but　more　genial；　more

courteous　and　more　liberal…minded；　the　twenty…six　thousand　noble

families　of　France　upheld　in　their　sons　the　traditions　and　prejudices；

the　habits　and　aptitudes；　those　energies　of　body；　heart　and　mind＇66＇

through　which　the　Prussian　〃junkers〃　were　able　to　constitute　the

Prussian　army；　organize　the　German　army　and　make　Germany　the　first

power　of　Europe。



IV。　　　The　Clergy。



Where　recruited。　　…　Professional　inducements。　　…　Independence　of

ecclesiastics。　　…　Their　substantial　merits。　　…　Their　theoretical　and

practical　information。　　…　Their　distribution　over　the　territory。　　…

Utility　of　their　office。　　…　Their　conduct　in　1790…1800。　　…　Their

courage；　their　capacity　for　self…sacrifice。



Likewise　in　the　Church　where　nearly　all　its　staff；　the　whole　of　the

lower　and　middle…class　clergy；　curés；　vicars；　canons　and　collegiate

chaplains；　teachers　or　directors　of　schools；　colleges　and　seminaries；

more　than　sixty…five　thousand　ecclesiastics；　formed　a　healthy；　well

organized　body；　worthily　fulfilling　its　duties。



〃I　do　not　know；〃　says　de　Tocqueville；＇67＇　〃all　in　all；　and

notwithstanding　the　vices　of　some　of　its　members；　if　there　ever　was　in

the　world　a　more　remarkable　clergy　than　the　Catholic　clergy　of　France

when　the　Revolution　took　them　by　surprise；　more　enlightened；　more

national；　less　entrenched　behind　their　private　virtues；　better　endowed

with　public　virtues；　and；　at　the　same　time；　more　strong　in　the　faith。

。　　。　　。　　I　began　the　study　of　the　old　social　system　full　of　prejudices

against　them；　I　finish　it　full　of　respect　for　them。〃



And　first；　which　is　a　great　point；　most　of　the　incumbents　in　the　town

parishes；