the crowd-第32章

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ity；　their　ferocity；　and　their　morality。


Owing　to　the　fact　that　crowds；　after　a　period　of　excitement；　enter　upon　a　purely　automatic　and　unconscious　state；　in　which　they　are　guided　by　suggestion；　it　seems　difficult　to　qualify　them　in　any　case　as　criminal。　　I　only　retain　this　erroneous　qualification　because　it　has　been　definitely　brought　into　vogue　by　recent　psychological　investigations。　　Certain　acts　of　crowds　are　assuredly　criminal；　if　considered　merely　in　themselves；　but　criminal　in　that　case　in　the　same　way　as　the　act　of　a　tiger　devouring　a　Hindoo；　after　allowing　its　young　to　maul　him　for　their　amusement。

The　usual　motive　of　the　crimes　of　crowds　is　a　powerful　suggestion；　and　the　individuals　who　take　part　in　such　crimes　are　afterwards　convinced　that　they　have　acted　in　obedience　to　duty；　which　is　far　from　being　the　case　with　the　ordinary　criminal。

The　history　of　the　crimes　committed　by　crowds　illustrates　what　precedes。

The　murder　of　M。　de　Launay；　the　governor　of　the　Bastille；　may　be　cited　as　a　typical　example。　　After　the　taking　of　the　fortress　the　governor；　surrounded　by　a　very　excited　crowd；　was　dealt　blows　from　every　direction。　　It　was　proposed　to　hang　him；　to　cut　off　his　head；　to　tie　him　to　a　horse's　tail。　　While　struggling；　he　accidently　kicked　one　of　those　present。　　Some　one　proposed；　and　his　suggestion　was　at　once　received　with　acclamation　by　the　crowd；　that　the　individual　who　had　been　kicked　should　cut　the　governor's　throat。

〃The　individual　in　question；　a　cook　out　of　work；　whose　chief　reason　for　being　at　the　Bastille　was　idle　curiosity　as　to　what　was　going　on；　esteems；　that　since　such　is　the　general　opinion；　the　action　is　patriotic　and　even　believes　he　deserves　a　medal　for　having　destroyed　a　monster。　　With　a　sword　that　is　lent　him　he　strikes　the　bared　neck；　but　the　weapon　being　somewhat　blunt　and　not　cutting；　he　takes　from　his　pocket　a　small　black…handled　knife　and　（in　his　capacity　of　cook　he　would　be　experienced　in　cutting　up　meat）　successfully　effects　the　operation。〃

The　working　of　the　process　indicated　above　is　clearly　seen　in　this　example。　　We　have　obedience　to　a　suggestion；　which　is　all　the　stronger　because　of　its　collective　origin；　and　the　murderer's　conviction　that　he　has　committed　a　very　meritorious　act；　a　conviction　the　more　natural　seeing　that　he　enjoys　the　unanimous　approval　of　his　fellow…citizens。　　An　act　of　this　kind　may　be　considered　crime　legally　but　not　psychologically。

The　general　characteristics　of　criminal　crowds　are　precisely　the　same　as　those　we　have　met　with　in　all　crowds：　openness　to　suggestion；　credulity；　mobility；　the　exaggeration　of　the　sentiments　good　or　bad；　the　manifestation　of　certain　forms　of　morality；　&c。

We　shall　find　all　these　characteristics　present　in　a　crowd　which　has　left　behind　it　in　French　history　the　most　sinister　memoriesthe　crowd　which　perpetrated　the　September　massacres。　In　point　of　fact　it　offers　much　similarity　with　the　crowd　that　committed　the　Saint　Bartholomew　massacres。　　I　borrow　the　details　from　the　narration　of　M。　Taine；　who　took　them　from　contemporary　sources。

It　is　not　known　exactly　who　gave　the　order　or　made　the　suggestion　to　empty　the　prisons　by　massacring　the　prisoners。　　Whether　it　was　Danton；　as　is　probable；　or　another　does　not　matter；　the　one　interesting　fact　for　us　is　the　powerful　suggestion　received　by　the　crowd　charged　with　the　massacre。

The　crowd　of　murderers　numbered　some　three　hundred　persons；　and　was　a　perfectly　typical　heterogeneous　crowd。　　With　the　exception　of　a　very　small　number　of　professional　scoundrels；　it　was　composed　in　the　main　of　shopkeepers　and　artisans　of　every　trade：　bootmakers；　locksmiths；　hairdressers；　masons；　clerks；　messengers；　&c。　　Under　the　influence　of　the　suggestion　received　they　are　perfectly　convinced；　as　was　the　cook　referred　to　above；　that　they　are　accomplishing　a　patriotic　duty。　　They　fill　a　double　office；　being　at　once　judge　and　executioner；　but　they　do　not　for　a　moment　regard　themselves　as　criminals。

Deeply　conscious　of　the　importance　of　their　duty；　they　begin　by　forming　a　sort　of　tribunal；　and　in　connection　with　this　act　the　ingenuousness　of　crowds　and　their　rudimentary　conception　of　justice　are　seen　immediately。　　In　consideration　of　the　large　number　of　the　accused；　it　is　decided　that；　to　begin　with；　the　nobles；　priests；　officers；　and　members　of　the　king's　householdin　a　word；　all　the　individuals　whose　mere　profession　is　proof　of　their　guilt　in　the　eyes　of　a　good　patriotshall　be　slaughtered　in　a　body；　there　being　no　need　for　a　special　decision　in　their　case。　　The　remainder　shall　be　judged　on　their　personal　appearance　and　their　reputation。　　In　this　way　the　rudimentary　conscience　of　the　crowd　is　satisfied。　　It　will　now　be　able　to　proceed　legally　with　the　massacre；　and　to　give　free　scope　to　those　instincts　of　ferocity　whose　genesis　I　have　set　forth　elsewhere；　they　being　instincts　which　collectivities　always　have　it　in　them　to　develop　to　a　high　degree。　　These　instincts；　howeveras　is　regularly　the　case　in　crowdswill　not　prevent　the　manifestation　of　other　and　contrary　sentiments；　such　as　a　tenderheartedness　often　as　extreme　as　the　ferocity。

〃They　have　the　expansive　sympathy　and　prompt　sensibility　of　the　Parisian　working　man。　　At　the　Abbaye；　one　of　the　federates；　learning　that　the　prisoners　had　been　left　without　water　for　twenty…six　hours；　was　bent　on　putting　the　gaoler　to　death；　and　would　have　done　so　but　for　the　prayers　of　the　prisoners　themselves。　　When　a　prisoner　is　acquitted　（by　the　improvised　tribunal）　every　one；　guards　and　slaughterers　included；　embraces　him　with　transports　of　joy　and　applauds　frantically；〃　after　which　the　wholesale　massacre　is　recommenced。　　During　its　progress　a　pleasant　gaiety　never　ceases　to　reign。　　There　is　dancing　and　singing　around　the　corpses；　and　benches　are　arranged　〃for　the　ladies；〃　delighted　to　witness　the　killing　of　aristocrats。　　The　exhibition　continues；　moreover；　of　a　special　description　of　justice。

A　slaughterer　at　the　Abbaye　having　complained　that　the　ladies　placed　at　a　little　distance　saw　badly；　and　that　only　a　few　of　those　present　had　the　pleasure　of　striking　the　aristocrats；　the　justice　of　the　observation　is　admitted；　and　it　is　decided　that　the　victims　shall　be　made　to　pass　slowly　between　two　rows　of　slaughterers；　who　shall　be　under　the　obligation　to　strike　with　the　back　of　the　sword　only　so　as　to　prolong　the　agony。　　At　the　prison　de　la　Force　the　victims　are　stripped　stark　naked　and　literally　〃carved〃　for　half　an　hour；　after　which；　when　every　one　has　had　a　good　view；　they　are　finished　off　by　a　blow　that　lays　bare　their　entrails。

The　slaughterers；　too；　have　their　scruples　and　exhibit　that　moral　sense　whose　existence　in　crowds　we　have　already　pointed　out。　They　refuse　to　appropriate　the　money　and　jewels　of　the　victims；　taking　them　to　the　table　of　the　committees。

Those　rudimentary　forms　of　reasoning；　characteristic　of　the　mind　of　crowds；　are　always　to　be　traced　in　all　their　acts。　　Thus；　after　the　slaughter　of　the　1；200　or　1；500　enemies　of　the　nation；　some　one　makes　the　remark；　and　his　suggestion　is　at　once　adopted；　that　the　other　prisons；　those　containing　aged　beggars；　vagabonds；　and　young　prisoners；　hold　in　reality　useless　mouths；　of　which　it　would　be　well　on　that　account　to　get　rid。　　Besides；　among　them　there　should　certainly　be　enemies　of　the　people；　a　woman　of　the　name　of　Delarue；　for　instance；　the　widow　of　a　poisoner：　　〃She　must　be　furious　at　being　in　prison；　if　she　could　she　would　set　fire　to　Paris：　she　must　have　said　so；　she　has　said　so。　　Another　good　riddance。〃　　The　demonstration　appears　convincing；　and　the　prisoners　are　massacred　without　exception；　included　in　the　number　being　some　fifty　children　of　from　twelve　to　seventeen　years　of　age；　who；　of　course；　might　themselves　have　become　enemies　of　the　nation；　and　of　whom　in　consequence　it　was　clearly　well　to　be　rid。

At　the　end　of　a　week's　work；　all　these　operations　being　brought　to　an　end；　the　slaughterers　can　think　of　reposing　themselves。　Profoundly　convinced　that　they　have　deserved　well　of　their　country；　they　went　to　the　authorities　and　demanded　a　recompense。　The　most　zealous　went　so　far　as　to　claim　a　medal。

The　history　of　the　Commune　of　1871　affords　several　facts　analogous　to　those　which　precede