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you play this part against me？〃 （This last phrase； omitted in
Metternich's narrative； is a characteristic trait； Napoleon at this
decisive moment； remains insulting and aggressive； gratuitously and
even to his own destruction。）
＇142＇ 〃Souvenirs du feu duc de Broglie；〃 I。； 235。
＇143＇ Ibid。； I。； 230。 Some days before Napoleon had said to M。 de
Narbonne； who told me that very evening： 〃After all； what has this
（the Russian campaign） cost me？ 300；000 men； among whom； again； were
a good many Germans。〃 … 〃Souvenirs〃； by PASQUIER （Etienne…Dennis； duc；
Librarie Plon； Paris 1893。 II。 110。 （Apropos of the Frankfurt basis；
and accepted by Napoleon when too late。） 〃What characterizes this
mistake is that it was committed much more against the interests of
France than against his own。 。 。 。 He sacrificed her to the
perplexities of his personal situation； to the mauvaise honte of his
own ambition； to the difficulty he finds in standing alone to a
certain extent before a nation which had done everything for him and
which could justly reproach him with having sacrificed so much
treasure and spilled so much blood on enterprises proved to have been
foolish and impracticable。〃
＇144＇ Leonce de Lavergne； 〃Economie rurale de la France；〃 P。40。
（According to the former director of the conscription under the
Empire。）
BOOK SECOND。 FORMATION AND CHARACTER OF THE NEW STATE。
CHAPTER I。
I。 The Institution of Government。
Conditions on which the public power can act。 … Two points forgotten
by the authors of the preceding constitutions。 … Difficulty of the
undertaking and poor quality of the available materials。
Every human society requires government； that is to say an authority。
No other machinery is more useful。 But a machinery is useful only if
it is adapted to its purpose； if not it will not work； or may even
work contrary to its purpose。 Hence； during its construction； one must
first of all consider the magnitude of the work it has to do as well
as the quality of the materials one has at one's disposal。 It is very
important to know beforehand whether it will lift 100 or of 100；000
kilograms； whether the pieces fitted together will be of iron or of
steel； of sound or of unsound timber。 … But the legislators had not
taken that into consideration during the last ten years。 They had set
themselves up as theoreticians； and likewise as optimists； without
looking at the things； or else imagining the them as they wished to
have them。 In the national assemblies； as well as with the public； the
task was deemed easy and simple； whereas it was extraordinary and
immense； for the matter in hand consisted in effecting a social
revolution and in carrying on an European war。 The materials were
supposed to be excellent； as manageable as they were substantial；
while； in fact； they were very poor； being both refractory and
brittle； for these human materials consisted of the Frenchmen of 1789
and of the following years； that is to say； of exceedingly sensitive
men doing each other all possible harm； inexperienced in political
business； Utopians； impatient； intractable； and overexcited。
Calculations had been made on these prodigiously false data；
consequently； although the calculations were very exact； the results
obtained were found absurd。 Relying on these data； the machine had
been planned； and all its parts been adjusted； assembled； and
balanced。 That is why the machine； irreproachable in theory； remained
unsuccessful in practice： the better it appeared on paper the quicker
it broke down when set up on the ground。
II。 Default of previous government。
The consequences of the years 1789 to 1799。 … Insubordination of the
local powers； conflict of the central powers； suppression of liberal
institutions； and the establishment of an unstable despotism。 … Evil…
doing of the government thus formed。
A capital defect at once declared itself in the two principal
compositions； in the working gear of the superposed powers and in the
balance of the motor powers。 … In the first place； the hold given to
the central government on its local subordinates was evidently too
feeble； with no right to appoint these； it could not select them as it
pleased； according to the requirements of the service。 Department；
district； canton； and commune administrators； civil and criminal
judges； assessors； appraisers； and collectors of taxes； officers of
the national…guard and even of the gendarmerie； police…commissioners；
and other agents who had to enforce laws on the spot； were nearly all
recruited elsewhere： either in popular assemblies or provided ready…
made by elected bodies。＇1＇ They were for it merely borrowed
instruments； thus originating； they escaped its control； it could not
make them work as it wanted them to work。 On most occasions they would
shirk their duties； at other times； on receiving orders； they would
stand inert； or； again； they would act outside of or beyond their
special function； either going too far or acting in a contrary sense；
never did they act with moderation and precision； with coherence and
consequence。 For this reason any desire of the government to do its
job proved unsuccessful。 Its legal subordinates … incapable； timid；
lukewarm； unmanageable； or even hostile … obeyed badly； did not obey
at all； or willfully disobeyed。 The blade of the executive instrument；
loose in the handle； glanced or broke off when the thrust had to be
made。
In the second place； never could the two or three motor forces
thrusting the handle act in harmony； owing to the clashing of so many
of them； one always ended in breaking down the other。 The Constituent
Assembly had set aside the King； the Legislative Assembly had deposed
him； the Convention had decapitated him。 Afterward each fraction of
the sovereign body in the Convention had proscribed the other； the
Montagnards had guillotined the Girondists； and the Thermidorians had
guillotined the Montagnards。 Later； under the Constitution of the year
III； the Fructidorians had banished the Constitutionalists； the
Directory had purged the Councils； and the Councils had purged the
Directory。 … Not only did the democratic and parliamentary institution
fail in its work and break down on trial； but； again； through its own
action； it became transformed into its opposite。 In a year or two a
coup d'état in Paris took place； a faction seized the central power
and converted it into an absolute power in the hands of five or six
ringleaders。 The new government at once re…forged the executive
instrument for its own advantage and refastened the blade firmly on
the handle； in the provinces it dismissed those elected by the people
and deprived the governed of the right to choose their own rulers；
henceforth； through its proconsuls on mission； or through its resident
commissioners； it alone appointed； superintended； and regulated on the
spot all local authorities。＇2＇
Thus the liberal constitution； at its close； gave birth to a
centralized despotism； and this was the worst of its species； at once
formless and monstrous； for it was born out of a civil crime； while
the government which used it had no support but a band of bigoted
fanatics or political adventurers； without any legal authority over
the nation； or any moral hold on the army； detested； threatened；
discordant； exposed to the resistance of its own upholders； to the
treachery of its own members； and living only from day to day； it
could maintain itself only through a brutal absolutism and permanent
terror； while the public power of which the first care is the
protection of property； consciences； and lives； became in its hands
the worst of persecutors； robbers； and murderers。
III。
In 1799； the undertaking is more difficult and the materials worse。
Twice in succession had the experiment been tried； the monarchical
constitution of 1791； and the republican constitution of 1795； twice
in succession had the same events followed the same course to attain
the same end； twice in succession had the theoretical； cunningly…
devised machine for universal protection changed into an efficient and
brutal machine for universal oppression。 It is evident that if the
same machine were started the third time under analogous conditions；
one might expect to see it work in the same manner； that is to say；
contrary to its purpose。
Now； in 1799； the conditions were analogous； and even worse； for the
work which the machine had to do was not less； while the human
materials available for its construction were not so good。 …
Externally； the country was constantly at war with Europe； peace could
not be secured except by great military effort； and peace was as
difficult to preserve as to win。 The European equilibrium had been too
greatly disturbed； neighboring or rival States had suffered too much；
the rancor and distrust provoked by the invading revolutionary