Cambourg〃。)
'10' In China; the moral principle is just the opposite。 The Chinese;
amidst obstacles and embarrassments; always enjoin siao…sin; which
means; 〃abate thy affections。〃 (Huc; 〃L'Empire Chinoise;〃 I。; 204。)
'11' In the United states the moral order of things reposes chiefly on
puritan ideas; nevertheless deep traces of feudal conceptions are
found there; for instance; the general deference for women which is
quite chivalric there; and even excessive。
'12' Observe; from this point of view; in the woman of modern times
the defenses of female virtue。 The (male) sentiment of duty is the
first safeguard of modesty; but this has a much more powerful
auxiliary in the sentiment of honor; or deep innate pride。
'13' The moral standard varies; but according to a fixed law; the same
as a mathematical function。 Each community has its own moral
elements; organization; history and surroundings; and necessarily its
peculiar conditions of vitality。 When the queen been in a hive is
chosen and impregnated this condition involves the massacre of useless
male and female rivals (Darwin)。 In China; it consists of paternal
authority; literary education and ritual observances。 In the antique
city; it consisted of the omnipotence of the State; gymnastic
education; and slavery。 In each century; and in each country; these
vital conditions are expressed by more or less hereditary passwords
which set forth or interdict this or that class of actions。 When the
individual feels the inward challenge he is conscious of obligation;
the moral conflict consists in the struggle within himself between the
universal password and personal desire。 In our European society the
vital condition; and thus the general countersign; is self…respect
coupled with respect for others (including women and children)。 This
countersign; new in history; has a singular advantage over all
preceding ones: each individual being respected; each can develop
himself according to his nature; he can accordingly invent in every
sense; bring forth every sort of production and be useful to himself
and others in every way; thus enabling society to develop
indefinitely。
'14' Taine is probably speaking of the colonial wars in China and the
conquest of Madagascar。 (SR)。
'15' Here Taine is seeing mankind as being male; strong and hardy;
however I feel that liberty is more desirable for the strong and
confident while the child; the lost; the sick; the ignorant or feeble
person is looking for protection; reassurance and guidance。 When
society consisted of strong independent farmers; hunters; warriors;
nomads or artisans backed by family and clan; liberty was an important
idea。 Today few if any can rise above the horde and gain the
insights; the wisdom and the competence which once was such a common
thing。 Today the strong seek promotion inside the hierarchy of the
welfare state rest…house。 (S。R。)
'16' This is just what Lenin could not believe when he read this
around 1906。 Even Taine did not see how much a French government
organization depended upon staff recruited from a hardworking; modest
and honest French population。 We have now lived to see how the
nationalization of private property in Egypt; Argentina; Algeria not
to speak of Ethiopia and India proved disastrous and how 40 years of
government ownership should degrade and corrupt the populations of
Russia; China; Yugoslavia; Albania etc。 (SR)。
'17' When the function to be performed is of an uncertain or mixed
character the following rule may be applied in deciding whether the
State or individuals shall be entrusted with it; also in determining;
in the case of cooperation; what portion of it shall be assigned to
individuals and what portion to the State。 As a general rule; when
individuals; either singly or associated together; have a direct
interest in; or are drawn toward; a special function; and the
community has no direct interest therein; the matter belongs to
individuals and not to the State。 On the other hand; if the interest
of the community in any function is direct; and indirect for
individuals singly or associated together; it is proper for the State
and not for individuals to take hold of it。 … According to this rule
the limits of the public and private domain can be defined; which
limits; as they change backward and forward; may be verified according
to the changes which take place in interests and preferences; direct
or indirect。
'18' Carlyle: 〃Cromwell's Speeches and Letters;〃 III。; 418。
(Cromwell's address to the Parliament; September 17; 1656。)
'19' Seeley; 〃Life and Times of Stein;〃 II。; 143。 … Macaulay;
〃Biographical essays;〃 Frederick the Great。 33; 35; 87; 92。
'20' Eugene Schuyler; 〃Peter the Great;〃 vol。 2。
'21' Cf。 〃The Revolution〃 vol。 II。; pp。 46 and 323; vol。 III。; ch
I。 Archives des Affaires Etrangèrés。 Vol。 332。 (Letter by
Thiberge; Marseilles; Brumaire 14; year II。) 〃I have been to
Marteygne; a small town ten leagues from Marseilles; along with my
colleague Fournet; I found (je trouvée) seventeen patriots in a town
of give thousand population。〃 … Ibid。; (Letter by Regulus Leclerc;
Bergues; Brumaire 15; year II。) At Bergues; he says; 〃the municipality
is composed of traders with empty stores and brewers without beer
since the law of the maximum。〃 Consequently there is universal
lukewarmness; 〃only forty persons being found to form a popular club;
holding sessions as a favor every five days。 。 。 。 Public spirit
at Bergues is dead; fanaticism rules。〃 … Archives Nationales; F7; 7164
(Department of Var; reports of year V。 〃General idea。〃) … 〃At
Draguignan; out of seven thousand souls; forty patriots; exclusifs;
despised or dishonest; at Vidauban; nine or ten exclusifs; favored by
the municipality and who live freely without their means being known;
at Brignolles; frequent robberies on the road by robbers said to have
been very patriotic in the beginning of the Revolution: people are
afraid of them and dare not name them; at Fréjus; nine leading
exclusifs who pass all their time in the cafe。〃 … Berryat…Saint…Prix;
〃La Justice Révolutionnaire;〃 p。 146。 … Brutus Thierry; grocer;
member of the Rev。 Com。 Of Angers; said that 〃in angers; there were
not sixty revolutionaries。〃
'22' Macaulay。 〃History of England;〃 I。; 152。 〃The Royalists
themselves confessed that; in every department of honest industry; the
discarded warriors prospered beyond other men; that none was charged
with any theft or robbery; that none was heard to ask an alms; and
that; if a baker; a mason; or a waggoner attracted notice by his
diligence and sobriety; he was in all probability one of Oliver's old
soldiers。〃
BOOK THIRD。 THE MEN IN POWER。
CHAPTER I。 PSYCHOLOGY OF THE JACOBIN LEADERS。
I。
Marat。 … Disparity between his faculties and pretensions。 … The
Maniac。 … The Ambitious delirium。 … Rage for persecution。 … The
permanent nightmare。 … Homicidal frenzy。
Three men among the Jacobins; Marat; Danton and Robespierre; had
deserved preeminence and held authority: … that is because they; due
to a deformity or warping of their minds and their hearts; met the
required conditions。 …
Of the three; Marat is the most monstrous; he is nearly a madman; of
which he displays the chief characteristics … furious exaltation;
constant over…excitement; feverish restlessness; an inexhaustible
propensity for scribbling; that mental automatism and single…
mindedness of purpose constrained and ruled by a fixed idea。 In
addition to this; he displays the usual physical symptoms; such as
insomnia; a pallid complexion; hot…headed; foulness of dress and
person;'1' with; during the last five months of his life; rashes and
itching all over his body。'2' Issuing from ill…matched stock; born of
a mixed blood and tainted with serious moral agitation;'3' he carries
within him a peculiar germ: physically; he is a freak; morally a
pretender; and one who covet all places of distinction。 His father;
who was a physician; intended; from his early childhood; that he
should be a scholar; his mother; an idealist; had prepared him to
become a philanthropist; while he himself always steered his course
towards both summits。
〃At five years of age;〃 he says; 〃it would have pleased me to be a
school…master; at fifteen a professor; at eighteen an author; and a
creative genius at twenty;〃'4'and; afterwards; up to the last; an
apostle and martyr to humanity。 〃From my earliest infancy I had an
intense love of fame which changed its object at various stages of my
life; but which never left me for a moment。〃 He rambled over Europe or
vegetated in Paris for thirty years; living a nomadic life in
subordinate positions; hissed as an author; distrusted as a man of
science and ignored as a philosopher; a third rate political writer;
aspiring to every sort of celebrity and to every honor; constantly
presenting himself as a candidate and as constantly rejected; … too
great a disproportion between his faculties and ambition! Without
talents;'5' possessing no critical acumen and of mediocre
intelligence; he was fitted only to teach some branch of the sciences;
or to practice some one of the arts; either as professor or doctor
more or less bold and lucky; or to follow; with occasional slips on
one side or the other; some path clearly marked out for him。 〃But;〃
he says; 〃I constantly refused any subject which did not hold out a
promise。 。 。 。 of showing off my originality and providing great
results; for I cannot make up my mind to treat a subject already well
done by others。〃 … Consequently; when he tries to originate he merely
imitates; or commits mistakes。 His treatise on 〃 Man〃 is a jumble of
physiological and moral common…places; made up of ill…digested reading
and words strung together haphazard;'6' of gratuitous and incoh
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