the psychology of revolution-第13章

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This　is　what　reality　teaches　us；　though　the　illusions　of　the

Jacobins　do　not　permit　them　to　accept　the　fact。＇3＇







＇3＇　In　the　historical　manuals　which　M。　Aulard　has　prepared　for

the　use　of　classes　in　collaboration　with　M。　Debidour　the

role　attributed　to　the　people　as　an　entity　is　even　more

marked。　　We　see　it　intervening　continually　and　spontaneously；

here　are　a　few　examples：



The　‘‘Day''　of　June　the　20th：　　‘‘The　king　dismissed　the

Girondist　members。　　The　people　of　Paris；　indignant；　rose

spontaneously　and　invaded　the　Tuileries。''



The　‘‘Day''　of　August　10th：　　‘‘The　Legislative　Assembly　dared

not　overthrow　it；　it　was　the　people　of　Paris；　aided　by　the

Federals　of　the　Departments；　who　effected　this　revolution　at　the

price　of　its　blood。''



The　conflict　of　the　Girondists　and　the　Mountain：　　‘‘This

discord　in　the　face　of　the　enemy　was　dangerous。　　The　people　put

an　end　to　it　on　the　days　of　the　31st　of　May　and　the　2nd　of　June；

1793；　when　it　forced　the　Convention　to　expel　the　leaders　of　the

Gironde　from　its　midst　and　to　decree　their　arrest。''







4。　　The　Popular　Entity　and　its　Constituent　Elements。





In　order　to　answer　to　certain　theoretical　conceptions　the　people

was　erected　into　a　mystic　entity；　endowed　with　all　the　powers　and

all　the　virtues；　incessantly　praised　by　the　politicians；　and

overwhelmed　with　flattery。　　We　shall　see　what　we　are　to　make　of

this　conception　of　the　part　played　by　the　people　in　the　French

Revolution。



To　the　Jacobins　of　this　epoch；　as　to　those　of　our　own　days；　this

popular　entity　constitutes　a　superior　personality　possessing　the

attributes；　peculiar　to　divinities；　of　never　having　to　answer　for

its　actions　and　never　making　a　mistake。　　Its　wishes　must　be

humbly　acceded。　　The　people　may　kill；　burn；　ravage；　commit　the

most　frightful　cruelties；　glorify　its　hero　to…day　and　throw　him

into　the　gutter　to…morrow；　it　is　all　one；　the　politicians　will

not　cease　to　vaunt　its　virtues；　its　high　wisdom；　and　to　bow　to

its　every　decision。＇4＇







＇4＇　These　pretensions　do　at　least　seem　to　be　growing　untenable　to

the　more　advanced　republicans。



‘‘The　rage　with　the　socialists''　writes　M。　Clemenceau；　‘‘is　to

endow　with　all　the　virtues；　as　though　by　a　superhuman　reason；　the

crowd　whose　reason　cannot　be　much　to　boast　of。''　　The　famous

statesman　might　say　more　correctly　that　reason　not　only　cannot　be

prominent　in　the　crowd　but　is　practically　nonexistent。









Now　in　what　does　this　entity　really　consist；　this　mysterious

fetich　which　revolutionists　have　revered　for　more　than　a　century？



It　may　be　decomposed　into　two　distinct　categories。　　The　first

includes　the　peasants；　traders；　and　workers　of　all　sorts　who　need

tranquillity　and　order　that　they　may　exercise　their　calling。　

This　people　forms　the　majority；　but　a　majority　which　never　caused

a　revolution。　　Living　in　laborious　silence；　it　is　ignored　by　the

historians。



The　second　category；　which　plays　a　capital　part　in　all　national

disturbances；　consists　of　a　subversive　social　residue　dominated

by　a　criminal　mentality。　　Degenerates　of　alcoholism　and　poverty；

thieves；　beggars；　destitute　‘‘casuals；''　indifferent　workers

without　employmentthese　constitute　the　dangerous　bulk　of　the

armies　of　insurrection。



The　fear　of　punishment　prevents　many　of　them　from　becoming

criminals　at　ordinary　times；　but　they　do　become　criminals　as　soon

as　they　can　exercise　their　evil　instincts　without　danger。



To　this　sinister　substratum　are　due　the　massacres　which　stain　all

revolutions。



It　was　this　class　which；　guided　by　its　leaders；　continually

invaded　the　great　revolutionary　Assemblies。　　These　regiments　of

disorder　had　no　other　ideal　than　that　of　massacre；　pillage；　and

incendiarism。　　Their　indifference　to　theories　and　principles　was

complete。



To　the　elements　recruited　from　the　lowest　dregs　of　the　populace

are　added；　by　way　of　contagion；　a　host　of　idle　and　indifferent

persons　who　are　simply　drawn　into　the　movement。　　They　shout

because　there　are　men　shouting；　and　revolt　because　there　is　a

revolt；　without　having　the　vaguest　idea　of　the　cause　of　shouting

or　revolution。　　The　suggestive　power　of　their　environment

absolutely　hypnotises　them；　and　impels　them　to　action。



These　noisy　and　maleficent　crowds；　the　kernel　of　all

insurrections；　from　antiquity　to　our　own　times；　are　the　only

crowds　known　to　the　orator。　　To　the　orator　they　are　the　sovereign

people。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　this　sovereign　people　is　principally

composed　of　the　lower　populace　of　whom　Thiers　said：



‘‘Since　the　time　when　Tacitus　saw　it　applaud　the　crimes　of　the

emperors　the　vile　populace　has　not　changed。　　These　barbarians　who

swarm　at　the　bottom　of　societies　are　always　ready　to　stain　the

people　with　every　crime；　at　the　beck　of　every　power；　and　to　the

dishonour　of　every　cause。''



At　no　period　of　history　was　the　role　of　the　lowest　elements

of　the　population　exercised　in　such　a　lasting　fashion　as　in　the

French　Revolution。



The　massacres　began　as　soon　as　the　beast　was　unchainedthat　is；

from　1789；　long　before　the　Convention。　　They　were　carried

out　with　all　possible　refinements　of　cruelty。　　During　the　killing

of　September　the　prisoners　were　slowly　chopped　to　bits　by　sabre…

cuts　in　order　to　prolong　their　agonies　and　amuse　the　spectators；

who　experienced　the　greatest　delight　before　the　spectacle　of　the

convulsions　of　the　victims　and　their　shrieks　of　agony。



Similar　scenes　were　observed　all　over　France；　even　in　the　early

days　of　the　Revolution；　although　the　foreign　war　did　not　excuse

them　then；　nor　any　other　pretext。



From　March　to　September　a　whole　series　of　burnings；　killings；　and

pillagings　drenched　all　France　in　blood。　　Taine　cites　one　hundred

and　twenty　such　cases。　　Rouen；　Lyons；　Strasbourg；　&c。；　fell　into

the　power　of　the　populace。



The　Mayor　of　Troyes；　his　eyes　destroyed　by　blows　of　scissors；　was

murdered　after　hours　of　suffering。　　The　Colonel　of　Dragoons

Belzuce　was　cut　to　pieces　while　living。　　In　many　places　the

hearts　of　the　victims　were　torn　out　and　carried　about　the　cities

on　the　point　of　a　pike。



Such　is　the　behaviour　of　the　base　populace　so　soon　as　imprudent

hands　have　broken　the　network　of　constraints　which　binds　its

ancestral　savagery。　　It　meets　with　every　indulgence　because　it　is

in　the　interests　of　the　politicians　to　flatter　it。　　But　let　us

for　a　moment　suppose　the　thousands　of　beings　who　constitute　it

condensed　into　one　single　being。　　The　personality　thus　formed

would　appear　as　a　cruel　and　narrow　and　abominable　monster；　more

horrible　than　the　bloodiest　tyrants　of　history。



This　impulsive　and　ferocious　people　has　always　been　easily

dominated　so　soon　as　a　strong　power　has　opposed　it。　　If　its

violence　is　unlimited；　so　is　its　servility。　　All　the　despotisms

have　had　it　for　their　servant。　　The　Caesars　are　certain　of

being　acclaimed　by　it；　whether　they　are　named　Caligula；　Nero；

Marat；　Robespierre；　or　Boulanger。



Beside　these　destructive　hordes　whose　action　during　revolution　is

capital；　there　exists；　as　we　have　already　remarked；　the　mass　of

the　true　people；　which　asks　only　the　right　to　labour。　　It

sometimes　benefits　by　revolutions；　but　never　causes　them。　　The

revolutionary　theorists　know　little　of　it　and　distrust　it；　aware

of　its　traditional　and　conservative　basis。　　The　resistant　nucleus

of　a　country；　it　makes　the　strength　and　continuity　of　the　latter。



Extremely　docile　through　fear；　easily　influenced　by　its　leaders；

it　will　momentarily　commit　every　excess　while　under　their

influence；　but　the　ancestral　inertia　of　the　race　will　soon　take

charge　again；　which　is　the　reason　why　it　so　quickly　tires　of

revolution。　　Its　traditional　soul　quickly　incites　it　to　oppose

itself　to　anarchy　when　the　latter　goes　too　far。　　At　such　times　it

seeks　the　leader　who　will　restore　order。



This　people；　resigned　and　peaceable；　has　evidently　no　very　lofty

nor　complicated　political　conception