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Législatif〃 decrees without discussion； the conservative〃 Sénat〃 is to
maintain this general paralysis。 〃What do you want？〃 said Bonaparte to
Lafayette。＇21＇ 〃Sieyès everywhere put nothing but ghosts； the ghost of
a legislative power； the ghost of a judiciary； the ghost of a
government。 Something substantial had to be put in their place。 Ma
foi； I put it there；〃 in the executive power。
There it is； completely in his hands； other authorities to him are
merely for show or as instruments。＇22＇ The mutes of the Corps
Législatif come annually to Paris to keep silent for four months； one
day he will forget to convoke them； and nobody will remark their
absence。 … As to the Tribunat； which talks too much； he will at first
reduce its words to a minimum 〃by putting it on the diet of laws；〃
afterward； through the interposition of the senate； which designates
retiring members； he gets rid of troublesome babblers； finally； and
always through the interposition of the senate； titular interpreter；
guardian； and reformer of the constitution； he ventilates and then
suppresses the Tribunat itself。 … The senate is the grand instrument
by which he reigns； he commands it to furnish the senatus…consultes of
which he has need。 Through this comedy played by him above； and
through another complementary comedy which he plays below； the
plebiscite； he transforms his ten…year consulate into a consulate for
life； and then into an empire； that is to say； into a permanent；
legal； full； and perfect dictatorship。 In this way the nation is
handed over to the absolutism of a man who； being a man； cannot fail
to think of his own interest before all others。 It remains to be seen
how far and for how long a time this interest； as he comprehends it；
or imagines it； will accord with the interest of the public。 All the
better for France should this accord prove complete and permanent； all
the worse for France should it prove partial and temporary。 It is a
terrible risk； but inevitable。 There is no escape from anarchy except
through despotism； with the chance of encountering in one man； at
first a savior and then a destroyer； with the certainty of henceforth
belonging to an unknown will fashioned by genius and good sense； or by
imagination and egoism； in a soul fiery and disturbed by the
temptations of absolute power； by success and universal adulation； in
a despot responsible to no one but himself； in a conqueror condemned
by the impulses of conquest to regard himself and the world under a
light growing falser and falser。
Such are the bitter fruits of social dissolution： the authority of the
state will either perish or become perverted； each uses it for his own
purposes； and nobody is disposed to entrust it to an external
arbitrator； and the usurpers who seize it only remain trustee on
condition that they abuse it； when it works in their hands it is only
to work against its office。 It must be accepted when； for want of
better or fear of worse； through a final usurpation； it falls into the
only hands able to restore it； organize it； and apply it at last to
the service of the public。
____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 P。193 and following pages； also p。224 and
following pages。 The provisions of the constitution of the year III；
somewhat less anarchical； are analogous； those of the 〃Mountain〃
constitution （year II） are so anarchical that nobody thought of
enforcing them。
＇2＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 vol。 III。； pp。446； 450； 476。
＇3＇ Sauzay； 〃Histoire de la persecution révolutionnaire dans le
département du Doubs；〃 X。； 472 （Speech of Briot to the five…hundred；
Aug。29； 1799）： 〃The country seeks in vain for its children； it finds
the chouans； the Jacobins； the moderates； and the constitutionalists
of '91 and '93； clubbists； the amnestied； fanatics； scissionists and
antiscissionists； in vain does it call for republicans。〃
＇4＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 III。； 427； 474。 … Rocquain； 〃L'état de la France
au 18 Brumaire；〃 360； 362： 〃Inertia or absence of the national agents。
。 。 It would be painful to think that a lack of salary was one of the
causes of the difficulty in establishing municipal administrations。 In
1790； 1791； and 1792； we found our fellow…citizens emulously striving
after these gratuitous offices and even proud of the disinterestedness
which the law prescribed。〃 （Report of the Directory； end of 1795。）
After this date public spirit is extinguished； stifled by the Reign of
Terror。 … Ibid。； 368； 369： 〃Deplorable indifference for public
offices。 。 。 。 Out of seven town officials appointed in the commune of
Laval； only one accepted； and that one the least capable。 It is the
same in the other communes。〃 … Ibid。； 380 （Report of the year VII）：
〃General decline of public spirit。〃 … Ibid。； 287 （Report by Lacuée； on
the 1st military division； Aisne； Eure…et…Loire； Loiret； Oise； Seine；
Seine…et…Marne； （year IX）： 〃Public spirit is dying out and is even
gone。〃
＇5＇ Rocquain； Ibid。； p。27 （Report of Fran？ois de Nantes； on the 8th
military division ；Vaucluse； Bouches…du…Rh？ne； Var； Basses…Alpes； and
Alpes…Maratimes； year IX）： 〃Witnesses； in some communes； did not dare
furnish testimony； and； in all； the justices of the peace were afraid
of making enemies and of not being re…elected。 It was the same with
the town officials charged with prosecutions and whom their quality as
elected and temporary officials always rendered timid。〃 … Ibid。； 48：
〃All the customs…directors complained of the partiality of the courts。
I have myself examined several cases in which the courts of Marseilles
and Toulon decided against the plain text the law and with criminal
partiality。 … Archives nationales； series F7； Reports 〃on the
situation； on the spirit of the public；〃 in many hundreds of towns；
cantons； and departments； from the year III to the year VIII and
after。
＇6＇ Cf。 〃The Revolution；〃 III。； book IX。； ch。 I。 … Rocquain； passim。 …
Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de la Révolution fran？aise；〃 III。； parts 9 and 10。
… Archives nationales； F7； 3250 （Letter of the commissioner of the
executive directory； Fructidor 23； year VII）： 〃Armed mobs on the road
between Saint…Omer and Arras have dared fire on the diligences and
rescue from the gendarmerie the drawn conscripts。〃 … Ibid。； F7； 6565。
Only on Seine…inferiure； of which the following are some of the
reports of the gendarmerie for one year。 … Messidor； year VII；
seditious mobs of conscripts and others in the cantons of Motteville
and Doudeville。 〃What shows the perverted spirit of the communes of
Gremonville and of Héronville is that none of the inhabitants will
make any declaration； while it is impossible that they should not have
been in the rebels' secrets。〃 … Similar mobs in the communes of
Guerville； Mi1lebose；and in the forest of Eu： 〃It is stated that they
have leaders； and that drilling goes on under their orders。 …
Vendémiarie 27； year VIII。） 〃Twenty…five armed