- Not that they were
superior politicians: for in those days there were none, scarcely a
few hundred competent men, almost all of them being specialists.
Nevertheless, it was in these few men that nearly the entire political
capacity, information and common sense of France was to be found.
Outside of their heads the other twenty-six millions of brains
contained but little else than dangerous and barren formulas; as they
alone had commanded, negotiated, deliberated and governed, they were
the only ones who understood men and things tolerably well, and,
consequently, the only ones who were not completely disqualified for
their management. In the provincial Assemblies they were seen
originating and conducting the most important reforms; they had
devoted themselves to these effectively and conscientiously, with as
much equity and patriotism as intelligence and thoroughness; most of
the heads and sub-heads of the leading public and private branches of
the service, guided by philosophy and supported by current opinion for
twenty years, had likewise given evidence of active benevolence.[57] -
Nothing is more precious than men of this stamp, for they are the life
and soul of their respective branches of service, and are not to be
replaced in one lot, at a given moment, by persons of equal merit.
Pages:
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683