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An account of the life of Sieyès, member of the first National Assembly, and of the Convention. Written at Paris, in Messidor, the second year of the Republican Æra, June and July, 1794. Translated from the French. Published in Switzerland, 1795

1795 Subjects: Human rights, Law, Politics and government Forms: Legislative materials Paratext Forms: Appendix, Notes Paratext Functions: Hermeneutical Translation Status: Integral, Retranslation English URL

Authors of source text

Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès

Contributions

Anonymous (155): translator; author

Related resources

is translation of: Préliminaire de la Constitution française, reconnaissance et exposition raisonnée des droits de l'homme & du citoyen has translation
is paratext of: An account of the life of Sieyès, member of the first National Assembly, and of the Convention. Written at Paris, in Messidor, the second year of the Republican Æra, June and July, 1794. Translated from the French. Published in Switzerland, 1795 translation has paratext

Held by

British Library

Notes

A review in the Analytical Review from 1796 (also published by J Johnson) declares "we have no doubt that this sketch of the life of Sieyès is written by himself", while the Preface dedicates this "Summary sketch of a life faithfully and simply developed" to "CALUMNY". The work is mostly a defense of his behaviour up to 1794 against the various accusations of his political opponents, including, most recently, being a tool of Robespierre.

The appendix includes annotated copies of "A preliminary to the constitution. An Acknowledgement and Explanatory display of the rights of Men and Citizens. Read the 20th & 21st July, 1789, in the committee of the constitution", and "Voluntary Declaration proposed to the Patriots of the Eighty-three Departments, June 17, 1791'. The translation terms used to annotate this paratext refer to the translation of "Préliminaire de la Constitution française".

While the bulk of the footnotes are provided by "the French editors", the translator occasionally clarifies, sympathizes (e.g. at Sieyes' attack on the Jacobins and their abuse of the "people"), and intervenes, most distinctly against Sieyes' distinction between active and passive citizens in "A preliminary to the constitution'.

Firstly, he or she states that there is no person who does not contribute to the state since every consumer (who pays taxes) is by default also a contributor. But more importantly, "the strongest objection to this doctrine of true active citizens excluding the poor is that society is not merely an association to defend our goods and chattels, but likewise to secure the infinitely more valuable attributes of intellectual existence". (p.98)