the psychology of revolution-第38章

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Dantonists。　　Like　all　weak　people；　they　followed　the　strong。　　The

gentle　philanthropists　who　composed　the　Plain；　and　constituted

the　majority　of　the　Assembly；　contributed；　by　their

pusillanimity；　to　bring　about　the　frightful　excesses　of　the

Convention。



The　psychological　note　always　prevailing　in　the　Convention　was　a

horrible　fear。　　It　was　more　especially　through　fear　that　men　cut

off　one　another's　heads；　in　the　doubtful　hope　of　keeping　their

own　on　their　shoulders。



Such　a　fear　was；　of　course；　very　comprehensible。　　The　unhappy

deputies　deliberated　amid　the　hootings　and　vociferations　of　the

tribunes。　　At　every　moment　veritable　savages；　armed　with　pikes；

invaded　the　Assembly；　and　the　majority　of　the　members　no　longer

dared　to　attend　the　sessions。　　When　by　chance　they　did　go　it　was

only　to　vote　in　silence　according　to　the　orders　of　the　Mountain；

which　was　only　a　third　as　numerous。



The　fear　which　dominated　the　latter；　although　less　visible；　was

just　as　profound。　　Men　destroyed　their　enemies；　not　only　because

they　were　shallow　fanatics；　but　because　they　were　convinced　that

their　own　existence　was　threatened。　　The　judges　of　the

revolutionary　Tribunals　trembled　no　less。　　They　would　have

willingly　acquitted　Danton；　and　the　widow　of　Camille

Desmoulins；　and　many　others。　　They　dared　not。



But　it　was　above　all　when　Robespierre　became　the　sole　master　that

the　phantom　of　fear　oppressed　the　Assembly。　　It　has　truly　been

said　that　a　glance　from　the　master　made　his　colleagues　shrink

with　fear。　　On　their　faces　one　read　‘‘the　pallor　of　fear　and　the

abandon　of　despair。''



All　feared　Robespierre　and　Robespierre　feared　all。　　It　was

because　he　feared　conspiracies　against　him　that　he　cut　off　men's

heads；　and　it　was　also　through　fear　that　others　allowed　him　to　do

so。



The　memoirs　of　members　of　the　Convention　show　plainly　what　a

horrible　memory　they　retained　of　this　gloomy　period。　　Questioned

twenty　years　later；　says　Taine；　on　the　true　aim　and　the　intimate

thoughts　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　Barrere　replied：



‘‘We　had　only　one　feeling；　that　of　self…preservation；　only　one

desire；　that　of　preserving　our　lives；　which　each　of　us　believed

to　be　threatened。　　You　had　your　neighbour's　head　cut　off　so　that

your　neighbour　should　not　have　you　yourself　guillotined。''



The　history　of　the　Convention　constitutes　one　of　the　most

striking　examples　that　could　be　given　of　the　influence　of　leaders

and　of　fear　upon　an　assembly。







CHAPTER　IV



THE　GOVERNMENT　OF　THE　CONVENTION



1。　　The　activity　of　the　Clubs　and　the　Commune　during　the

Convention。



During　the　whole　of　its　existence　the　Convention　was　governed　by

the　leaders　of　the　clubs　and　of　the　Commune。



We　have　already　seen　what　was　their　influence　on　the　preceding

Assemblies。　　It　became　overwhelming　during　the　Convention。　　The

history　of　this　latter　is　in　reality　that　of　the　clubs　and　the

Commune　which　dominated　it。　　They　enslaved；　not　only　the

Convention；　but　also　all　France。　　Numerous　little　provincial

clubs；　directed　by　that　of　the　capital；　supervised　magistrates；

denounced　suspects；　and　undertook　the　execution　of　all　the

revolutionary　orders。



When　the　clubs　or　the　Commune　had　decided　upon　certain　measures

they　had　them　voted　by　the　Assembly　then　and　there。　　If　the

Assembly　resisted；　they　sent　their　armed　delegations　thither

that　is；　armed　bands　recruited　from　the　scum　of　the　populace。　

They　conveyed　injunctions　which　were　always　slavishly　obeyed。　

The　Commune　was　so　sure　of　its　strength　that　it　even　demanded　of

the　Convention　the　immediate　expulsion　of　deputies　who　displeased

it。



While　the　Convention　was　composed　generally　of　educated

men；　the　members　of　the　Commune　and　the　clubs　comprised　a

majority　of　small　shopkeepers；　labourers；　and　artisans；　incapable

of　personal　opinions；　and　always　guided　by　their　leadersDanton；

Camille　Desmoulins；　Robespierre；　&c。



Of　the　two　powers；　clubs　and　insurrectionary　Commune；　the　latter

exercised　the　greater　influence　in　Paris；　because　it　had　made　for

itself　a　revolutionary　army。　　It　held　under　its　orders　forty…

eight　committees　of　National　Guards；　who　asked　nothing　more　than

to　kill；　sack；　and；　above　all；　plunder。



The　tyranny　with　which　the　Commune　crushed　Paris　was　frightful。　

For　example；　it　delegated　to　a　certain　cobbler；　Chalandon　by

name；　the　right　of　surveillance　over　a　portion　of　the　capitala

right　implying　the　power　to　send　to　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；

and　therefore　to　the　guillotine；　all　those　whom　he　suspected。　

Certain　streets　were　thus　almost　depopulated　by　him。



The　Convention　struggled　feebly　against　the　Commune　at　the

outset；　but　did　not　prolong　its　resistance。　　The　culminating

point　of　the　conflict　occurred　when　the　Convention　wished　to

arrest　Hebert；　the　friend　of　the　Commune；　and　the　latter　sent

armed　bands　who　threatened　the　Assembly　and　demanded　the

expulsion　of　the　Girondists　who　had　provoked　the　measure。　　Upon

the　Convention　refusing　the　Commune　besieged　it　on　June　2；　1798；

by　means　of　its　revolutionary　army；　which　was　under　the　orders　of

Hanriot。　　Terrified；　the　Assembly　gave　up　twenty…seven　of　its

members。　　The　Commune　immediately　sent　a　delegation　ironically　to

felicitate　it　upon　its　obedience。



After　the　fall　of　the　Girondists　the　Convention　submitted　itself

completely　to　the　injunctions　of　the　omnipotent　Commune。　　The

latter　decreed　the　levy　of　a　revolutionary　army；　to　be

accompanied　by　a　tribunal　and　a　guillotine；　which　was　to　traverse

the　whole　of　France　in　order　to　execute　suspects。



Only　towards　the　end　of　its　existence；　after　the　fall　of

Robespierre；　did　the　Convention　contrive　to　escape　from　the　yoke

of　the　Jacobins　and　the　Commune。　　It　closed　the　Jacobin　club　and

guillotined　its　leading　members。



Despite　such　sanctions　the　leaders　still　continued　to　excite　the

populace　and　hurl　it　against　the　Convention。　　In　Germinal　and

Prairial　it　underwent　regular　sieges。　　Armed　delegations　even

succeeded　in　forcing　the　Convention　to　vote　the　re…establishment

of　the　Commune　and　the　convocation　of　a　new　Assembly；　a　measure

which　the　Convention　hastened　to　annul　the　moment　the　insurgents

had　withdrawn。　　Ashamed　of　its　fear；　it　sent　for　regiments　which

disarmed　the　faubourgs　and　made　nearly　ten　thousand　arrests。　

Twenty…six　leaders　of　the　movement　were　put　to　death；　and　six

deputies　who　were　concerned　in　the　riot　were　guillotined。



But　the　Convention　did　not　resist　to　any　purpose。　　When　it　was　no

longer　led　by　the　clubs　and　the　Commune　it　obeyed　the　Committee

of　Public　Safety　and　voted　its　decrees　without　discussion。



‘‘The　Convention；''　writes　H。　　Williams；　‘‘which　spoke　of　nothing

less　than　having　all　the　princes　and　kings　of　Europe　brought　to

its　feet　loaded　with　chains；　was　made　prisoner　in　its　own

sanctuary　by　a　handful　of　mercenaries。''





2。　　The　Government　of　France　during　the　ConventionThe　Terror。





As　soon　as　it　assembled　in　1792　the　Convention　began　by　decreeing

the　abolition　of　royalty；　and　in　spite　of　the　hesitation　of　a

great　number　of　its　members；　who　knew　that　the　provinces　were

royalist；　it　proclaimed　the　Republic。



Intimately　persuaded　that　such　a　proclamation　would　transform　the

civilised　world；　it　instituted　a　new　era　and　a　new　calendar。　　The

year　I。　of　this　era　marked　the　dawn　of　a　world　in　which　reason

alone　was　to　reign。　　It　was　inaugurated　by　the　trial　of　Louis

XVI。；　a　measure　which　was　ordered　by　the　Commune；　but　which　the

majority　of　the　Convention　did　not　desire。



At　its　outset；　in　fact；　the　Convention　was　governed　by　its

relatively　moderate　elements；　the　Girondists。　　The　president　and

the　secretaries　had　been　chosen　among　the　best　known　of　this

party。　　Robespierre；　who　was　later　to　become　the　absolute　master

of　the　Convention；　possessed　so　little　influence　at　this　time

that　he　obtained　only　six　votes　for　the　presidency；　while

Petion　received　tw