the origins of contemporary france-4-第26部分

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are　not　of　doubtful　quality。　　Such　a　church　is　not　sound；　and　we　have

only　to　give　it　a　push　to　knock　it　down。　　We　will　do　all　we　can　to

discredit　constitutional　priests：　we　will　prohibit　them　from　wearing

the　ecclesiastical　costume；　and　force　them　by　law　to　bestow　the

nuptial　benediction　on　their　apostate　brethren；　we　will　employ　terror

and　imprisonment　to　constrain　them　to　marry；　we　will　given　them　no

respite　until　they　return　to　civil　life；　some　admitting　themselves　to

be　impostors；　many　by　surrendering　their　priestly　credentials；　and

most　of　them　by　resigning　their　places。＇32＇　　Deprived　of　leaders　by

these　voluntary　or　forced　desertions；　the　Catholic　flock　will　allow

itself　to　be　easily　led　out　of　the　fold；　while；　to　remove　all

temptation　to　go　back；　we　will　tear　the　enclosure　down。　　In　the

communes　in　which　we　are　masters　we　will　make　the　Jacobins　of　the

place　demand　the　abolition　of　worship；　while；　in　other　communes；　we

will　get　rid　of　this　authoritatively　through　our　missionary

representatives。　　We　will　close　the　churches；　demolish　the　steeples；

melt　down　the　bells；　send　all　sacred　vessels　to　the　Mint；　smash　the

images　of　the　saints；　desecrate　relics；　prohibit　religious　burials；

impose　the　civil　burial；　prescribe　rest　during　the　décadi＇33＇　and

labor　on　Sundays。　　No　exception　whatever。　　Since　all　positive

religions　deal　in　error；　we　will　outlaw　them　all：　we　will　exact　from

Protestant　clergymen　a　public　abjuration；　we　will　not　let　the　Jews

practice　their　ceremonies；　we　will　have　〃an　'auto…da…fé；'　of　all　the

books　and　symbols　of　the　faith　of　Moses。〃＇34＇　　But；　of　all　these

various　juggling　machines；　the　worst　is　the　Catholic；　the　most　hostile

to　nature　due　to　the　celibacy　of　its　priesthood；　the　most　opposed　to

reason　in　the　absurdity　of　its　dogmas；　the　most　opposed　to　democracy；

since　its　powers　are　delegated　from　above　downwards；　the　best

protected　from　civil　authority　because　its　head　is　outside　of

France。＇35＇　　Accordingly；　we　must　be　most　furious　against　it；　even

after　Thermidor；＇36＇　we　will　keep　up　constant　persecution；　great　and

small；　up　to　the　Consulate；　we　will　deport　and　shoot　the　priests；　we

will　revive　against　fanatics　the　laws　of　the　Reign　of　Terror；　we　will

hamper　their　movements；　we　will　exhaust　their　patience；　we　will　keep

them　anxious　during　the　day　and　restless　at　night；　we　will　not　give

them　a　moment's　repose。＇37＇　We　will　restrict　the　population　to　the

decadal　cult　only；　we　will　change　the　market…days；　so　that　no　believer

shall　be　able　to　buy　fish　on　a　fast…day。＇38＇　…　We　have　nothing　more　at

heart　than　this　war　against　Catholicism；　no　article　on　our　program

will　be　carried　out　with　more　determination　and　perseverance。　　The

question　involved　is　truth。　　We　are　its　guardians；　its　champions；　its

ministers；　and　never　did　the　servants　of　truth　apply　force　with　such

minute　detail　and　such　effect　to　the　extirpation　of　error。



V。　　　Equality　and　Inequality。



Social　inequality。　　…　Malice　of　the　aristocratic　race。　　…　Measures

against　the　King　and　Nobles。　　…　Malice　of　the　aristocracy　of　wealth。

…　Measures　against　landowners；　capitalists　and　people　with　incomes。　　…

Destruction　of　large　fortunes。　　…　Measures　taken　to　prevent　the　large

fortunes　in　reconstituting　themselves。



Next　to　superstition　there　is　another　monster　to　be　destroyed；　and；

also　here　it　was　the　Constituent　Assembly　that　had　begun　the　assault。

But　it　had　also；　through　lack　of　courage　or　of　logic；　it　stopped；

after　two　or　three　feeble　blows：

*　Banning　of　heraldic　insignia；　titles　of　nobility　and　territorial

names；

*　abolition；　without　indemnity；　of　all　the　dues　belonging　to　the

seigneur　by　right　of　his　former　proprietorship　over　persons；

*　abolition　of　the　permission　to　purchase　other　feudal　rights　at　a

price　agreed　upon；

*　limitation　of　royal　power。

This　was　little　enough。　　When　it　concerns　usurpers　and　tyrants　they

must　be　treated　in　another　fashion；　for　their　privilege　is；　of　itself；

an　outrage　on　the　rights　of　man。　　Consequently；



*　we　（the　Jacobins）　have　dethroned　the　King　and　cut　off　his　head；＇39＇

*　we　have　suppressed；　without　indemnity；　the　entire　feudal　debt；

comprising　the　rights　vested　in　the　seigneurs　by　virtue　of　their　being

owners　of　real…estate；　and　merely　lessors；

*　we　have　abandoned　their　persons　and　possessions　to　the　claims　and

rancor　of　local　jacqueries；

*　we　have　reduced　them　to　emigration；

*　we　imprison　them　if　they　stay　at　home；

*　we　guillotine　them　if　they　return。



（As　the　aristocrats　are）Reared　in　habits　of　supremacy；　and　convinced

that　they　are　of　a　different　species　from　other　men；　the　prejudices　of

their　race　are　incorrigible；　they　are　incapable　of　companionship　with

their　social　equals；　we　cannot　too　carefully　crush　them　out；　or；　at

the　very　least；　hold　them　firmly　down。＇40＇　　Besides；　they　are　guilty

from　the　fact　of　having　existed；　for；　they　have　taken　both　the　lead

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