the origins of contemporary france-4-第40章

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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　most　energetic；　the　most

persistent；　the　most　skillful　and　most　productive；　now；　we　already

know　the　conditions　of　their　formation。　　It　is　essential　and

sufficient；　that　the　vivacious　sources；　described　above；　should　flow

there；　on　the　spot；　each　through　its　natural　outlet；　and　under　the

control　of　the　owner。　　On　this　condition　the　jet　becomes　more

vigorous；　for　the　acquired　impetus　increases　the　original　outflow；　the

producer　becomes　more　and　more　skillful；　since　'practice　makes

perfect。'　Those　around　him　likewise　become　better　workmen；　inasmuch　as

they　find　encouragement　in　his　success　and　avail　themselves　of　his

discoveries。　　…　Thus；　simply　because　the　State　respects；　and　enforces

respect；　for　these　individual　sources　in　private　hands；　it　develops　in

individuals；　as　well　as　in　those　around　them；　the　will　and　the　talent

for　producing　much　and　well；　the　faculty　for；　and　desire　to；　keep　on

producing　more　and　better；　in　other　words；　all　sorts　of　energies　and

capacities；　each　of　its　own　kind　and　in　its　own　place；　with　all

compatible　fullness　and　efficiency。　　Such　is　the　office；　and　the　sole

office；　of　the　State；　first　in　relation　to　the　turbid　and　frigid

springs　issuing　from　selfishness　and　self…conceit；　whose　operations

demand　its　oversight；　and　next　for　still　stronger　reasons；　in　relation

to　the　warm　and　pure　springs　whose　beneficence　is　unalloyed；　as　in　the

family　affections　and　private　friendships；　again；　in　relation　to　those

rarer　and　higher　springs；　such　as　the　love　of　beauty；　the　yearning　for

truth；　the　spirit　of　association；　patriotism　and　love　of　mankind；　and；

finally；　for　still　stronger　reasons；　in　relation　to　the　two　most

sacred　and　salutary　of　all　springs；　conscience　which　renders　will

subject　to　duty；　and　honor　which　makes　will　the　support　of　justice。

Let　the　State　prevent；　as　well　as　abstain　from；　any　interference　with

either；　let　this　be　its　object　and　nothing　more；　its　abstention　is　as

necessary　as　its　vigilance。　　Let　it　guard　both；　and　it　will　see

everywhere　growing　spontaneously；　hourly；　each　in　degree　according　to

conditions　of　time　and　place；　the　most　diligent　and　most　competent

workmen；　the　agriculturist；　the　manufacturer；　the　merchant；　the

savant；　the　artist；　the　inventor；　the　propagandist；　the　husband　and

wife；　the　father　and　mother；　the　patriot；　the　philanthropist　and　the

sister　of　charity。



On　the　contrary；　if；　like　our　Jacobins；　the　State　seeks　to　confiscate

every　natural　force　to　its　own　profit；　it　seeks　to　make　affection　for

itself　paramount；　if　it　strives　to　suppress　all　other　passions　and

interests；　if　it　tolerates　no　other　preoccupation　than　that　which

concerns　the　common　weal；　if　it　tries　to　forcibly　convert　every　member

of　society　into　a　Spartan　or　Jesuit；　then；　at　enormous　cost；　will　it

not　only　destroy　private　fountains；　and　spread　devastation　over　the

entire　territory；　but　it　will　destroy　its　own　fountain…head。　　We　honor

the　State　only　for　the　services　it　renders　to　us；　and　proportionately

to　these　services　and　the　security　it　affords　us；　and　to　the　liberty

which　it　ensures　us　under　the　title　of　universal　benefactor；　when　it

deliberately　wounds　us　through　our　dearest　interests　and　most　tender

affections；　when　it　goes　so　far　as　to　attack　our　honor　and　conscience；

when　it　becomes　the　universal　wrong…doer；　our　affection　for　it；　in　the

course　of　time；　turns　into　hatred。　　Let　this　system　be　maintained；　and

patriotism；　exhausted；　dries　up；　and；　one　by　one；　all　other　beneficent

springs；　until；　finally；　nothing　is　visible　over　the　whole　country；

but　stagnant　pools　or　overwhelming　torrents；　inhabited　by　passive

subjects　or　depredators。　　As　in　the　Roman　empire　in　the　fourth

century；　in　Italy　in　the　seventeenth　century；　in　the　Turkish　provinces

in　our　own　day；　naught　remains　but　an　ill…conducted　herd　of　stunted；

torpid　creatures；　limited　to　their　daily　wants　and　animal　instincts；

indifferent　to　the　public　welfare　and　to　their　own　prospective

interests；　so　degenerate　as　to　have　lost　sight　of　their　own

discoveries；　unlearned　their　own　sciences；　arts　and　industries；　and；

in　short；　and　worse　than　all；　base；　false；　corrupted　souls　entirely

wanting　in　honor　and　conscience。　　Nothing　is　more　destructive　than　the

unrestricted　meddling　of　the　State；　even　when　wise　and　paternal；　in

Paraguay；　under　the　discipline　of　Jesuits；　so　minute　in　its　details；

〃Indian　physiognomy　appeared　like　that　of　animals　taken　in　a　trap。〃

They　worked；　ate；　drank　and　gave　birth　by　sound　of　bells；　under　watch

and　ward；　correctly　and　mechanically；　but　showing　no　liking　for

anything；　not　even　for　their　own　existence；　being　transformed　into　so

may　automatons；　at　least　it　may　be　said　is　that　the　means　employed　to

produce　this　result　were　gentle　and　that　they；　before　their

transformation　were　mere　brutes。　　But　those　who　the　revolutionary…

Jesuit　now　undertakes　to　transform　into　robots；　and　by　har