The French Revolution swept away venal offices and the Ancien Régime system of co-option: it defined civil employment as every citizen’s right and duty. This article aims to delineate how a new type of public servant saw themselves, from 1792 to Year IV, whether they were (elected) locals officials or (appointed) office clerks Thanks to letters of acceptance or refusal from the former, and applications for posts from the latter, we can grasp the rapid development of their relationship with the State and how they regarded themselves. Dominated in Year II by themes of disinterestedness and civic commitment, the discourse of officials and clerks evolved in Year II in the direction of an ideology which recognised the value of personal commitments, while the State was seen as a fatherly and charitable entity.