the origins of contemporary france-4-第24章

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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　form　the　citizen；　and

this　is　possible　only　through　a　leveling　of　conditions。　　In　a　well

made　society　there　shall　be　〃neither　rich　nor　poor〃＇61＇：　we　have

already　destroyed　the　opulence　which　corrupts；　it　now　remains　for　us

to　suppress　the　poverty　which　degrades。　　Under　the　tyranny　of　material

things；　which　is　as　oppressive　as　the　tyranny　of　men；　Man　falls　below

himself。　　Never　will　a　citizen　be　made　out　of　a　poor　fellow　condemned

to　remain　valet；　hireling　or　beggar；　reduced　to　thinking　only　of

himself　and　his　daily　bread；　asking　in　vain　for　work；　or；　plodding

when　he　gets　it；　twelve　hours　a　day　at　a　monotonous　pursuit；　living

like　a　beast　of　burden　and　dying　in　a　alms…house。＇62＇　He　should　have

his　own　bread；　his　own　roof；　and　all　that　is　indispensable　for　life；

he　must　not　be　overworked；　nor　suffer　anxiety　or　constraint；



〃he　must　live　independently；　respect　himself；　have　a　tidy　wife　and

healthy　and　robust　children。〃＇63＇



The　community　should　guarantee　him　comfort；　security；　the　certainty　of

not　going　hungry　if　he　becomes　infirm；　and；　if　he　dies；　of　not　leaving

his　family　in　want。



　〃It　is　not　enough；〃　says　Barère；＇64＇　〃to　bleed　the　rich；　to　pull　down

colossal　fortunes；　the　slavery　of　poverty　must　be　banished　from　the

soil　of　the　Republic。　　No　more　beggars；　no　more　almsgiving；　no　poor…

houses〃。



　〃The　poor　and　unfortunates；〃　says　Saint　Just；　〃are　the　powerful　of

the　earth；　they　have　a　right　to　speak　as　masters　to　the　governments

which　neglect　them；＇65＇　they　have　a　right　to　national　charity。。。。　　In

a　democracy　under　construction；　every　effort　should　be　made　to　free

people　from　having　to　battle　for　the　bare　minimum　needed　for　survival；

by　labor　if　he　is　fit　for　work；　by　education　if　he　is　a　child；　or　with

public　assistance　if　he　is　an　invalid　or　in　old　age。〃＇66＇



　And　never　had　the　moment　been　so　favorable。　　〃Rich　in　property；　the

Republic　now　expects　to　use　the　many　millions　the　rich　would　have

spent　on　a　counter　revolution　for　the　improvement　of　the　conditions　of

its　less　fortunate　citizens。　　。　　。　　Those　who　would　assassinate

liberty　have　made　it　the　richer。　　The　possessions　of　conspirators

exist　for　the　benefit　of　the　unfortunate。〃＇67＇　　Let　the　poor　take

with　a　clear　conscience：　it　is　not　a　charity　but　〃an　indemnity〃　which

we　provide　for　them；　we　save　their　pride　by　providing　for　their

comfort；　and　we　relieve　them　without　humiliating　them。



〃We　leave　charity　and　benevolent　works　to　the　monarchies；　this

insolent　and　shabby　way　of　furnishing　assistance　is　fit　only　for

slaves　and　masters；　we　substitute　for　it　a　system　of　national　works　；

on　a　grand　scale；　over　the　whole　territory　of　the　Republic。〃＇68＇



On　the　other　hand；　we　cause　a　statement　to　be　drawn　up　in　each

commune；　of　〃the　condition　of　citizens　without　property；〃　and　〃of

national　possessions　not　disposed　of；〃　we　divide　these　possession　in

small　lots；　we　distribute　them　〃in　the　shape　of　national　sales〃　to

poor　folks