France -- Civilization; France -- Politics and government; France -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
[Footnote 3362: Words of Marshal Marmont: "So long as he declared
'Everything for France,' I served him enthusiastically; when he said,
'France and myself' I served him zealously; when he said, 'myself and
France,' I served him with devotion. It is only when he said, 'Myself
without France,' that I left him."]
[Footnote 3363: An expression found by Joseph de Maistre.]
[Footnote 3364: An expression heard by Mickiewicz in his childhood.]
[Footnote 3365: These sums are given, the former by Mérimée and the
latter by Sainte--Beuve.]
[Footnote 3366: M. de Champagny "Souvenirs," III., 183. Napoleon,
passing his marshals in review, said to him (1811): "None of them can
take my place in the command of my armies; some are without the talent,
and others would carry on war for their own benefit. Didn't that burly
Soult want to be king of Portugal?" "Well, sire, war need not be carried
on any longer." "Yes, but how maintain my army? And I must have an
army."]
[Footnote 3367: "Souvenirs", by PASQUIER (Etienne-Dennis, duc),
chancelier de France. in VI volumes, Librarie Plon, Paris 1893. IV.,
112. (According to the papers of Savary, many of Napoleon's letters and
statements by M. de Saint-Aignan.)]
[Footnote 3368: "Mémorial," Aug.26, 1816.]
[Footnote 3369: The driving motor of unlimited capitalism as well, a
driving force only to be tempered by the law and by a desire for social
admiration of different kinds. (SR.)]
[Footnote 3370: "Travels in France during the years 1814 and 1815."
(Edinburgh, 1816, 2 vols.)--The author, a very good observer, thus sums
up the principle of the system: "To give active employment to all men of
talent and enterprise." There is no other condition: "Birth, education,
moral character were completely set aside."--Hence the general defect of
the system. "The French have literally no idea of any duties which they
must voluntarily, without the prospect of reward, undertake for their
country. It never enters their heads that a man may be responsible
for the neglect of those public duties for the performance of which he
receives no regular salary."]
BOOK FOURTH. DEFECT AND EFFECTS OF THE SYSTEM.
CHAPTER I. LOCAL SOCIETY.
I. Human Incentives.
The two Stimuli of human action.--The egoistic instinct and
the social instinct.--Motives for not weakening the social
instinct.--Influence on society of the law it prescribes.
--The clauses of a statute depend on the legislator who adopts
or imposes them.--Conditions of a good statute.--It favors
the social instinct.--Different for different societies.
--Determined by the peculiar and permanent traits of the
society it governs.--Capital defect of the statute under the
new régime.
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