CONDORCET Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis of (1741–1794).

A fine political letter, written the day after his appointment as administrator of the National Treasury. He states that he is ‘one of the six commissioners. I hope there are ways to at least partially repair the damage caused by leaving the appointment of these posts to the executive branch. I am not happy with this 43822

which is decided upon by the ministry, nor by the Patriots, nor by those who call themselves such. Why not choose a method of appointment and dismissal which leaves public opinion to arbitrate the choices, giving it time to form and enlighten itself? Why introduce into a Constitution said to be founded on reason something as insignificant as this declaration of the day before yesterday? It seems that since God has decreed that ministers should be appointed or dismissed only by a King, we are reduced to mitigating the drawbacks of this law of nature, just as one might use a ladder to reach twelve feet because nature has given us only six. Why, instead of creating a good government, should we establish a bad one merely to give ourselves the pleasure of hindering it? […] It is through well-considered philosophical concepts, and not through outbursts of zeal, that legislators must serve liberty and earn the public’s trust. I had taken the liberty of saying that the treasury administrators and ministers should not be appointed by a hereditary ruler. Instead of responding to the reasons I gave, it was merely claimed that they should not be appointed by the National Assembly, […] it is true that a legislature should not elect. […] One must assume that the bulk of men will be broadly honest, or give up all hope”…