the psychology of revolution-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



thinkers　like　Kant　imagined　that　they　saw　in　it　the　triumph　of

reason。　　Foreigners　like　Humboldt　came　to　France　‘‘to　breathe　the

air　of　liberty　and　to　assist　at　the　obsequies　of　despotism。''



These　intellectual　illusions　did　not　last　long。　　The　evolution　of

the　drama　soon　revealed　the　true　foundations　of　the　dream。





2。　　Dissolution　of　the　Ancien　Regime。　　The　assembling　of　the

States　General。





Before　they　are　realised　in　action；　revolutions　are　sketched　out

in　men's　thoughts。　　Prepared　by　the　causes　already　studied；　the

French　Revolution　commenced　in　reality　with　the　reign　of　Louis

XVI。　　More　discontented　and　censorious　every　day；　the　middle

classes　added　claim　to　claim。　　Everybody　was　calling　for　reform。



Louis　XVI。　thoroughly　understood　the　utility　of　reform；　but　he

was　too　weak　to　impose　it　on　the　clergy　and　the　nobility。　　He

could　not　even　retain　his　reforming　ministers；　Malesherbes　and

Turgot。　　What　with　famines　and　increased　taxation；　the　poverty　of

all　classes　increased；　and　the　huge　pensions　drawn　by　the　Court

formed　a　shocking　contrast　to　the　general　distress。



The　notables　convoked　to　attempt　to　remedy　the　financial

situation　refused　a　system　of　equal　taxation；　and　granted　only

insignificant　reforms　which　the　Parliament　did　not　even　consent

to　register。　　It　had　to　be　dissolved。　　The　provincial　Parliaments

made　common　cause　with　that　of　Paris；　and　were　also　dissolved。　

But　they　led　opinion；　and　in　all　parts　of　France　promoted

the　demand　for　a　meeting　of　the　States　General；　which　had　not

been　convoked　for　nearly　two　hundred　years。



The　decision　was　taken：　　5；000；000　Frenchmen；　of　whom　100；000

were　ecclesiastics　and　150；000　nobles；　sent　their

representatives。　　There　were　in　all　1；200　deputies；　of　whom　578

were　of　the　Third　Estate；　consisting　chiefly　of　magistrates；

advocates；　and　physicians。　　Of　the　300　deputies　of　the　clergy；

200；　of　plebeian　origin；　threw　in　their　lot　with　the　Third　Estate

against　the　nobility　and　clergy。



From　the　first　sessions　a　psychological　conflict　broke　out

between　the　deputies　of　different　social　conditions　and

（therefore）　different　mentalities。　　The　magnificent　costumes　of

the　privileged　deputies　contrasted　in　a　humiliating　fashion　with

the　sombre　fashions　of　the　Third　Estate。



At　the　first　session　the　members　of　the　nobility　and　the　clergy

　were　covered；　according　to　the　prerogatives　of　their　class；

before　the　king。　　Those　of　the　Third　Estate　wished　to　imitate

them；　but　the　privileged　members　protested。　　On　the　following　day

more　protests　of　wounded　self…love　were　heard。　　The　deputies　of

the　Third　Estate　invited　those　of　the　nobility　and　the　clergy　who

were　sitting　in　separate　halls　to　join　them　for　the　verification

of　their　powers。　　The　nobles　refused。　　The　negotiations　lasted

more　than　a　month。　　Finally；　the　deputies　of　the　Third　Estate；　on

the　proposition　of　the　Abbe　Sieyes；　considering　that

they　represented　95　per　cent。　of　the　nation；　declared　themselves

constituted　as　a　National　Assembly。　　From　that　moment　the

Revolution　pursued　its　course。





3。　　The　Constituent　Assembly。





The　power　of　a　political　assembly　resides；　above　all；　in　the

weakness　of　its　adversaries。　　Astonished　by　the　slight　resistance

encountered；　and　carried　away　by　the　ascendancy　of　a　handful　of

orators；　the　Constituent　Assembly；　from　its　earliest　sessions；

spoke　and　acted　as　a　sovereign　body。　　Notably　it　arrogated　to

itself　the　power　of　decreeing　imposts；　a　serious　encroachment

upon　the　prerogatives　of　the　royal　power。



The　resistance　of　Louis　XVI。　was　feeble　enough。　　He　simply　had

the　hall　in　which　the　States　assembled　closed。　　The　deputies　then

met　in　the　hall　of　the　tennis…court；　and　took　the　oath　that　they

would　not　separate　until　the　Constitution　of　the　kingdom　was　an

established　fact。



The　majority　of　the　deputies　of　the　clergy　went　with　them。　　The

king　revoked　the　decision　of　the　Assembly；　and　ordered　the

deputies　to　retire。　　The　Marquis　de　Dreux…Breze；　the　Grand

Master　of　Ceremonies；　having　invited　them　to　obey　the　order　of

the　sovereign；　the　President　of　the　Assembly　declared　‘‘that　the

nation　assembled　cannot　receive　orders；''　and　Mirabeau　replied　to

the　envoy　of　the　sovereign　that；　being　united　by　the　will　of　the

people；　the　Assembly　would　only　withdraw　at　the　point　of　the

bayonet。　　Again　the　king　gave　way。



On　the　9th　of　June　the　meeting　of　deputies　took　the　title　of　the

Constituent　Assembly。　　For　the　first　time　in　centuries　the　king

was　forced　to　recognise　the　existence　of　a　new　power；　formerly

ignoredthat　of　the　people；　represented　by　its　elected

representatives。　　The　absolute　monarchy　was　no　more。



Feeling　himself　more　and　more　seriously　threatened；　Louis　XVI。

summoned　to　Versailles　a　number　of　regiments　composed　of　foreign

mercenaries。　　The　Assembly　demanded　the　withdrawal　of　the　troops。



The　king　refused；　and　dismissed　Necker；　replacing　him　by　the

Marshal　de　Broglie；　reputed　to　be　an　extremely　authoritative

person。



But　the　Assembly　had　able　supporters。　　Camille　Desmoulins　and

others　harangued　the　crowd　in　all　directions；　calling　it　to　the

defence　of　liberty。　　They　sounded　the　tocsin；　organised　a　militia

of　12；000　men；　took　muskets　and　cannon　from　the　Invalides；　and　on

the　14th　of　July　the　armed　bands　marched　upon　the　Bastille。　　The

fortress；　barely　defended；　capitulated　in　a　few　hours。　　Seven

prisoners　were　found　within　it；　of　whom　one　was　an　idiot　and　four

were　accused　of　forgery。



The　Bastille；　the　prison　of　many　victims　of　arbitrary　power；

symbolised　the　royal　power　to　many　minds；　but　the　people　who

demolished　it　had　not　suffered　by　it。　　Scarcely　any　but　members

of　the　nobility　were　imprisoned　there。



The　influence　exercised　by　the　taking　of　this　fortress　has

continued　to　our　days。　　Serious　historians　like　M。　Rambaud　assure

us　that　‘‘the　taking　of　the　Bastille　is　a　culminating　fact　in　the

history；　not　of　France　only　but　of　all　Europe；　and　inaugurates　a

new　epoch　in　the　history　of　the　world。''



Such　credulity　is　a　little　excessive。　　The　importance　of　the

event　lay　simply　in　the　psychological　fact　that　for　the　first

time　the　people　received　an　obvious　proof　of　the　weakness　of　an

authority　which　had　lately　been　formidable。



When　the　principle　of　authority　is　injured　in　the　public　mind　it

dissolves　very　rapidly。　　What　might　not　one　demand　of　a　king　who

could　not　defend　his　principal　fortress　against　popular　attacks？　

The　master　regarded　as　all…powerful　had　ceased　to　be　so。



The　taking　of　the　Bastille　was　the　beginning　of　one　of　those

phenomena　of　mental　contagion　which　abound　in　the　history　of　the

Revolution。　　The　foreign　mercenary　troops；　although　they　could

scarcely　be　interested　in　the　movement；　began　to　show　symptoms　of

mutiny。　　Louis　XVI。　was　reduced　to　accepting　their　disbandment。　

He　recalled　Necker；　went　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　sanctioned　by

his　presence　the　accomplished　facts；　and　accepted　from　La

Fayette；　commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　the　new　cockade　of

red；　white；　and　blue　which　allied　the　colours　of　Paris　to　those

of　the　king。



Although　the　riot　which　ended　in　the　taking　of　the　Bastille　can

by　no　means　be　regarded　as　‘‘a　culminating　fact　in　history；''　it

does　mark　the　precise　moment　of　the　commencement　of　popular

government。　　The　armed　people　thenceforth　intervened　daily　in　the

deliberations　of　the　revolutionary　Assemblies；　and　seriously

influenced　their　conduct。



This　intervention　of　the　people　in　conformity　with　the　dogma　of

its　sovereignty　has　provoked　the　respectful　admiration　of　many

historians　of　the　Revolution。　　Even　a　superficial　study　of　the

psychology　of　crowds　would　speedily　have　shown　them　that　the

mystic　entity　which　they　call　the　people　was　merely　translating

the　will　of　a　few　leaders。　　It　is　not　correct　to　say　that　the

people　took　the　Bastille；　attacked　the　Tuileries；　invaded　the

Convention；　&c。；　but　that　certa