书城公版The Origins of Contemporary France
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第312章

[12] Mercure, July 6, 1790. According to the report of Camus (sitting of July 2nd), the official total of pensions amounted to thirty-two millions; but if we add the gratuities and allowances out of the various treasuries, the actual total was fifty-six millions.

[13] I note that today in 1998, 100 years after Taine's death, Denmark, my country, has had total democracy, that is universal suffrage for women and men of 18 years of age for a considerable time, and a witty author has noted that the first rule of our unwritten constitution is that "thou shalt not think that thou art important". I have noted, however, that when a Dane praises Denmark and the Danes even in the most excessive manner, then he is not considered as a chauvinist but admired as being a man of truth. In spite of the process of 'democratization' even socialist chieftains seem to favor and protect their own children, send them to good private schools and later abroad to study and help them to find favorable employment in the party or with the public services. Anew élite is thus continuously created by the ruling political and administrative upper class. (SR.).

[14] The Ancient Régime," p.388, and the following pages.-" Le Duc de Broglie," by M. Goizot, p. 11. (Last words of Prince Victor de Broglie, and the opinions of M. d'Argenson.)[15] De Ferrières, I. p.2.

[16] Moniteur, sitting of September 7, 1790, I. 431-437. Speeches, of MM. de Sillery, de Lanjuinais, Thouret, de Lameth, and Rabaut-Saint-Etienne. Barnave wrote in 1791: "It was necessary to be content with one single chamber; the instinct of equality required it. A second Chamber would have been the refuge of the aristocrats."[17] Lenin should later create an elite, an aristocracy which, under his leadership was to become the Communist party. Lenin could not have imagined or at least would not have been concerned that the leadership of this party would fall into the hands of tyrants later, under the pressure of age and corruption, to be replaced by the KGBand later the FSB. (SR.)[18] "De Bouillé," p. 50: "All the old noble families, save two or three hundred, were ruined."[19] Cf. Doniol, "La Révolution et la Féodalité."[20] Moniteur, sitting of August 6, !789. Speech of Duport:

"Whatever is unjust cannot last. Similarly, no compensation for these unjust rights can be maintained." Sitting of February 27, 1790. M. Populus: "As slavery could not spring from a legitimate contract, because liberty cannot be alienated, you have abolished without indemnity hereditary property in persons." Instructions and decree of June 15-19, 1791: "The National Assembly has recognized in the most emphatic manner that a man never could become the proprietor of another man, and consequently, that the rights which one had assumed to have over the person of the other, could not become the property of the former." Cf. the diverse reports of Merlin to the Committee of Feudality and the National Assembly.

[21] Duvergier, "Collection des Lois et Décrets." Laws of the 4-11August, 1789; March 15-28, 1790; May 3-9, 1790; June 15-19, 1791.

[22] Agrier percières -- terms denoting taxes paid in the shape of shares of produce. Those which follow: lods, rentes, quint, requint belong to the taxes levied on real property. [Tr.]

[23] Doniol ("Noveaux cahiers de 1790"). Complaints of the copy-holders of Rouergues and of Quercy, pp. 97-105.

[24] See further on, book III. ch. II. § 4 and also ch. III.

[25] Moniteur, sitting of March 2, 1790. Speech by Merlin: "The peasants have been made to believe that the annulation of the banalities (the obligation to use the public mill, wine-press, and oven, which belonged to the noble) carried along with it the loss to the noble of all these; the peasants regarding themselves as proprietors of them."[26] Moniteur; sitting of June 9, !790. Speech of M. Charles de Lameth -- Duvergier (laws of June 19-23 1790; September 27 and October 16, 1791).

[27] Sauzay, V. 400 -410.

[28] Duvergier, laws of June 15-19, 1791; of June 18 -July 6, 1792;of August 25-28, 1792.

[29] "Institution du Droit Fran?ais," par Argou, I.103. (He wrote under the Regency.) "The origin of most of the feoffs is so ancient that, if the seigneurs were obliged to produce the titles of the original concession to obtain their rents, there would scarcely be one able to produce them. This deficiency is made up by common law."[30] Duvergier (laws of April 8-15, 1791; March 7-11; October 26, 1791; January 6-10, 1794). -- Mirabeau had already proposed to reduce the disposable portion to one-tenth.

[31] See farther on, book III, ch. III.

[32] Mercure, September 10, 1791. Article by Mallet du Pan. - Ibid.

October 15, 1791.

[33] Should Hitler or Lenin have read and understood the consequences of these events they would have deduced that given the command from official sources or recognized leaders ordinary people all over the world could easily be tempted to attack any group, being it Jews, Protestants, Hindus or foreigners. (SR.)[34] "Archives Nationales," II. 784. Letters of M. de Langeron, October 16 and 18, 1789. -- Albert Babeau, "Histoire de Troyes,"letters addressed to the Chevalier de Poterats , July, 1790. --"Archives Nationales," papers of the Committee on Reports, bundle 4, letter of M. le Belin-Chatellenot to the to the President of the National Assembly, July 1, 1791. -- Mercure, October 15, 1791.