. . Everybody was charmed with his grace and presence of mind." -Faber， "Notices sur l'intérieur de France，" p.25. "I know of a tolerably large town which could not light its lamps in 1804， on account of having sent its mayor to Paris at the expense of the commune to see Bonaparte crowned."[63] Taine here explains the method which was to be copied by all the totalitarian leaders of the 20th century， especially by the ever present communist-socialist-revolutionary organizations and their more or less hidden leaders. (SR.)[64] Lenin， Stalin and their successors must all have found this idea interesting and did also proceed to put much of the media in the world under their control. (SR.)[65] Faber， ibid.， p. 32 (1807). "I saw one day a physician， an honest man， unexpectedly denounced for having stated in a social gathering in the town some observations on the medical system under the existing government. The denunciator， a French employee， was the physician's friend and denounced him because he was afraid of being denounced himself." - Count Chaptal， "Notes." Enumeration of the police forces which control and complete each other. "Besides the minister and the prefect of police Napoleon had three directors-general residing at Paris and also in superintendence of the departments； . . besides， commissioners-general of police in all the large towns and special commissioners in all others； moreover， the gendarmerie， which daily transmitted a bulletin of the situation all over France to the inspector-general； again， reports of his aids and generals， of his guard on supplementary police， the most dangerous of all to persons about the court and to the principal agents of the administration；finally， several special police-bodies to render to him an account of what passed among savants， tradesmen and soldiers. All this correspondence reached him at Moscow as at the Tuileries."[66] Faber， ibid. (1807)， p.35. "Lying， systematically organized， forming the basis of government and consecrated in public acts，.. .
the abjuring of all truth， of all personal conviction， is the characteristic of the administrators as presenting to view the acts， sentiments and ideas of the government， which makes use of them for scenic effect in the pieces it gives on the theatre of the world. . .
. The administrators do not believe a word they say， nor those administered."[67] The following two confidential police reports show， among many others， the sentiments of the public and the usefulness of repressive measures. (Archives nationales， F.7， 3016， Report of the commissioner-general of Marseilles for the second quarter of 1808.) "Events in Spain have largely fixed， and essentially fixed， attention. In vain would the attentive observer like to conceal the truth on this point；the fact is that the Spanish revolution is unfavorably looked upon. It was at first thought that the legitimate heir would succeed to Charles IV. The way in which people have been undeceived has given the public a direction quite opposite to the devoted ideas of His Majesty the Emperor. . . No generous soul. . . rises to the level of the great continental cause." - Ibid. (Report for the second quarter of 1809.)"I have posted observers in the public grounds. . . . As a result of these measures， of this constant vigilance， of the care I have taken to summon before me the heads of public establishments when I have ascertained that the slightest word has been spoken， I attain the end proposed. But I am assured that if the fear of the upper police did not restrain the disturbers， the brawlers， they would publicly express an opinion contrary to the principles of the government. . . . Public opinion is daily going down. There is great misery and consternation.
Murmurs are not openly heard， but discontent exists among citizens generally. . . . The continental war. the naval warfare， events in Rome， Spain and Germany， the absolute cessation of trade， the conscription， the droits unis. . . are all so many motives of corruption of the public mind. Priests and devotees， merchants and proprietors， artisans， workmen， the people in fine， everybody is discontented. . . . In general， they are insensible to the continental victories. All classes of citizens are much more sensitive to the levies of the conscription than to the successes which come from them."[68] There is here， 100 years later， a message for us about the enormous force which， under the name of politically correct， is haunting our media， our universities and our political life. (SR.)
