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the rancor and distrust provoked by the invading revolutionary
republic were too active； these would have lasted a long time against
pacified France even after she had concluded reasonable treaties。 Even
should she abandon a policy of propaganda and interference； return
brilliant acquisitions； cease the domination of protectorates； and
abandon the disguised annexation of Italy； Holland； and Switzerland；
the nation was still bound to keep watch under arms。 A government able
to concentrate all its forces … that is to say； placed above and
beyond all dispute and promptly obeyed…was indispensable； if only to
remain intact and complete； to keep Belgium and the frontier of the
Rhine。 … Likewise internally； and for no other purpose than to restore
civil order； for here； too； the outrages of the Revolution had been
too great。 There had been too much spoliation； too many imprisonments；
exiles； and murders； too many violations of every kind； too many
invasions of the rights of property and of persons； public and
private。 It was so much more difficult
* To insure respect for persons and all private and public
possessions；
* to restrain at once both Royalists and Jacobins；
* to restore 140；000 émigrés to their country and yet satisfy
1；200；000 possessors of national property；
* to give back to 25；000；000 of orthodox Catholics the right； faculty；
and means for worshipping； and yet not allow the schismatic clergy to
be maltreated；
* to bring face to face in the same commune the dispossessed seigneur
and the peasant holders of his domain；
* to compel the delegates of the Committee of Public Safety and their
victims； the shooters and the shot of Vendémiaire； the Fructidorians
and the Fructidorized； the Whites and the Blues of La Vendée and
Brittany； to live in peace side by side；
because the future laborers in this immense work； from the village
mayor to the state…senator and state…councilor； had borne a part in
the Revolution； either in effecting it or under subjection to it …
Monarchists； Feuillantists； Girondists； Montagnards； Thermidorians；
moderate Jacobins or desperate Jacobins； all oppressed in turn and
disappointed in their calculations。 Their passions； under this régime；
had become embittered； each brought personal bias and resentment into
the performance of his duties； to prevent him from being unjust and
mischievous demanded a tightened curb。＇3＇ All sense of conviction；
under this régime； had died out； no body would serve gratis as in
1789；＇4＇ nobody would work without pay； disinterestedness had lost all
charm； ostentatious zeal seemed hypocrisy； genuine zeal seemed self…
dupery； each looked out for himself and not for the community； public
spirit had yielded to indifference； to egotism； and to the need of
security； of enjoyment； and of self…advancement。 Human materials；
deteriorated by the Revolution； were less than ever suited to
providing citizens … they simply furnished functionaries。 With such
wheels combined together according to formula current between 1791 and
1795； the requisite work could not possibly be done。 As a consequence；
definitely and for a long time； any use of the two great liberal
mechanisms were doomed。 So long as the wheels remained of such poor
quality and the task so hard； both the election of local powers and
the division of the central power had to be abandoned。
IV。
Motives for suppressing the election of local powers。 … The Electors。
… Their egoism and partiality。 … The Elected。 … Their inertia；
corruption； and disobedience。
All were agreed on the first point。 If any still doubted； they had
only to open their eyes； fix them on the local authorities； watch them
as soon as born； and follow them throughout the exercise of their
functions。 … Naturally； in filling each office； the electors had
chosen a man of their own species and caliber； their fixed and
dominant disposition was accordingly well known； they were indifferent
to public matters and therefore their candidate was as indifferent as
themselves。 Had they shown too great a concern for the nation this
would have prevented their election； the State to them was a
troublesome moralist and remote creditor。 Their candidate must choose
between them and this intruder； side with them against it； and not act
as a pedagogue in its name or as bailiff on its behalf。 When power is
born on the spot and conferred to…day by constituents who are to
submit to it to…morrow as subordinates； they do not put the whip in
the hands of one who will flog them； they demand sentiments of him in
conformity with their inclinations； in any event they will not
tolerate in him the opposite ones。 From the beginning； this
resemblance between them and him is great； and it goes on increasing
from day to day because the creature is always in the hands of his
creators； subject to their daily pressure； he at last becomes as they
are； after a certain period they have shaped him in their image。 …
Thus the candidate…elect； from the start or very soon after； became a
confederate with his electors。 At one time； and this occurred
frequently； especially in the towns； he had been elected by a violent
sectarian minority； he then subordinated general interests to the
interests of a clique。 At another； and especially in the rural
districts； he had been elected by an ignorant and brutal majority；
when he accordingly subordinated general interests to those of a
village。 … If he chanced to be conscientious and somewhat intelligent
and was anxious to do his duty； he could not； he felt himself weak and
was felt to be weak；＇5＇ both authority and the means for exercising it
were wanting in him。 He had not the force which a power above
communicates to its delegates below； nobody saw behind him the
government and the army； his only resource was a national…guard； which
either shirked or refused to do its duty； and which often did not
exist at all。 … On the contrary； he could prevaricate； pillage； and
persecute for his own advantage and that of his clique with impunity；
for there was no restraint on him from above； the Paris Jacobins would
not be disposed to alienate the Jacobins of the province； they were
partisans and allies； and the government had few others； it was bound
to retain them； to let them intrigue and embezzle at will。
Suppose an extensive domain of which the steward is appointed； not by
the absent owner； but by his tenants； debtors； farmers； and
dependents： the reader may imagine whether rents will be paid and
debts collected； whether road…taxes will be worked out； what care will
be taken of the property； what its annual income will be to the owner；
how abuses of commission and omission will be multiplied indefinitely；
how great the disorder will be； the neglect； the waste； the fraud； the
injustice； and the license。 … The same in France；＇6＇ and for the same
reason：
* every public service disorganized； destroyed； or perverted；
* no justice； no police；
* authorities abstaining from prosecution； magistrates not daring to
condemn； a gendarmerie which receives no orders or which stands still；
* rural marauding become a habit；
* roving bands of brigands in forty…five departments；
* mail wagons and coaches stopped and pillaged even up to the environs
of Paris；
* highways broken up and rendered impassable；
* open smuggling； customs yielding nothing； national forests
devastated； the public treasury empty；＇7＇ its revenues intercepted
and expended before being deposited； taxes decreed and not collected；
* everywhere arbitrary assessments of real and personal estate； no
less wicked exemptions than overcharges；
* in many places no list prepared for tax assessments；
* communes which here and there； under pretext of defending the
republic against neighboring consumers； exempt themselves from both
tax and conscription；
* conscripts to whom their mayor gives false certificates of infirmity
and marriage； who do not turn out when ordered out； who desert by
hundreds on the way to headquarters； who form mobs and use guns in
defending themselves against the troops；…
such were the fruits of the system。
The government could not constrain rural majorities with the officials
chosen by the selfish and inept rural majorities。 Neither could it
repress the urban minorities with agents elected by the same partial
and corrupt urban minorities。 Hands are necessary； and hands as firm
as tenacious； to seize conscripts by the collar； to rummage the
pockets of taxpayers； and the State did not have such hands。 They were
required right away； if only to prepare and provide for urgent needs。
If the western departments had to be subdued and tranquilized； relief
furnished to Massena besieged in Genoa； Mélas prevented from invading
Provence； Moreau's army transported over the Rhine； the first thing
was to restore to the central government the appointment of