the psychology of revolution-第24部分

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condition　of　the　finances　became　the　cause　of　universal

discontent；　which　is　expressed　in　the　cahiers　of　the　States

General。　　Let　us　remark　that　these　cahiers　did　not　represent　a

previous　state　of　affairs；　but　an　actual　condition　due　to　a

crisis　of　poverty　produced　by　the　bad　harvest　of　1788　and　the

hard　winter　of　1789。　　What　would　these　cahiers　have　told　us　had

they　been　written　ten　years　earlier？



Despite　these　unfavourable　circumstances　the　cahiers　contained

no　revolutionary　ideas。　　The　most　advanced　merely　asked　that

taxes　should　be　imposed　only　with　the　consent　of　the　States

General　and　paid　by　all　alike。　　The　same　cahiers　sometimes

expressed　a　wish　that　the　power　of　the　king　should　be　limited　by

a　Constitution　defining　his　rights　and　those　of　the　nation。　　If

these　wishes　had　been　granted　a　constitutional　monarchy　could

very　easily　have　been　substituted　for　the　absolute　monarchy；　and

the　Revolution　would　probably　have　been　avoided。



Unhappily；　the　nobility　and　the　clergy　were　too　strong　and　Louis

XVI。　too　weak　for　such　a　solution　to　be　possible。



Moreover；　it　would　have　been　rendered　extremely　difficult　by　the

demands　of　the　bourgeoisie；　who　claimed　to　substitute　themselves

for　the　nobles；　and　were　the　real　authors　of　the　Revolution。　　The

movement　started　by　the　middle　classes　rapidly　exceeded　their

hopes；　needs；　and　aspirations。　　They　had　claimed　equality　for

their　own　profit；　but　the　people　also　demanded　equality。　　The

Revolution　thus　finally　became　the　popular　government　which　it

was　not　and　had　no　intention　of　becoming　at　the　outset。





4。　　Evolution　of　Monarchical　Feeling　during　the　Revolution。





Despite　the　slow　evolution　of　the　affective　elements；　it　is

certain　that　during　the　Revolution　the　sentiments；　not　of　the

people　only；　but　also　of　the　revolutionary　Assemblies　with　regard

to　the　monarchy；　underwent　a　very　rapid　change。　　Between　the

moment　when　the　legislators　of　the　first　Assembly　surrounded

Louis　XVI。　with　respect　and　the　moment　when　his　head　was　cut　off

a　very　few　years　had　elapsed。



These　changes；　superficial　rather　than　profound；　were　in　reality

a　mere　transposition　of　sentiments　of　the　same　order。　　The　love

which　the　men　of　this　period　professed　for　the　king　was

transferred　to　the　new　Government　which　had　inherited　his　power。　

The　mechanism　of　such　a　transfer　may　easily　be　demonstrated。



Under　the　ancien　regime；　the　sovereign；　holding　his　power　by

Divine　right；　was　for　this　reason　invested　with　a　kind　of

supernatural　power。　　His　people　looked　up　to　him　from　every

corner　of　the　country。



This　mystic　belief　in　the　absolute　power　of　royalty　was　shattered

only　when　repeated　experience　proved　that　the　power　attributed　to

the　adored　being　was　fictitious。　　He　then　lost　his　prestige。　

Now；　when　prestige　is　lost　the　crowd　will　not　forgive　the　fallen

idol　for　deluding　them；　and　seek　anew　the　idol　without　which　they

cannot　exist。



From　the　outset　of　the　Revolution　numerous　facts；　which　were

daily　repeated；　revealed　to　the　most　fervent　believers　the　fact

that　royalty　no　longer　possessed　any　power；　and　that　there　were

other　powers　capable；　not　only　of　contending　with　royalty；　but

possessed　of　superior　force。



What；　for　instance；　was　thought　of　the　royal　power　by　the

multitudes　who　saw　the　king　held　in　check　by　the　Assembly；　and

incapable；　in　the　heart　of　Paris；　of　defending　his　strongest

fortress　against　the　attacks　of　armed　bands？



The　royal　weakness　thus　being　obvious；　the　power　of　the　Assembly

was　increasing。　　Now；　in　the　eyes　of　the　crowd　weakness　has　no

prestige；　it　turns　always　to　force。



In　the　Assemblies　feeling　was　very　fluid；　but　did　not　evolve　very

rapidly；　for　which　reason　the　monarchical　faith　survived　the

taking　of　the　Bastille　the　flight　of　the　king；　and　his

understanding　with　foreign　sovereigns。



The　royalist　faith　was　still　so　powerful　that　the　Parisian　riots

and　the　events　which　led　to　the　execution　of　Louis　XVI。　were　not

enough　finally　to　destroy；　in　the　provinces；　the　species

of　secular　piety　which　enveloped　the　old　monarchy。＇8＇







＇8＇　As　an　instance　of　the　depth　of　this　hereditary　love　of　the

people　for　its　kings；　Michelet　relates　the　following　fact；　which

occurred　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。：　　‘‘When　it　was　known　in　Paris

that　Louis　XV。；　who　had　left　for　the　army；　was　detained　ill　at

Metz；　it　was　night。　　People　got　up　and　ran　tumultuously　hither

and　thither　without　knowing　where　they　were　going；　the　churches

were　opened　in　the　middle　of　the　night　。　。　。　people　assembled　at

every　cross…road；　jostling　and　questioning　one　another　without

knowing　what　they　were　after。　　In　several　churches　the　priest　who

was　reciting　the　prayer　for　the　king's　health　was　stopped　by　his

tears；　and　the　people　replied　by　sobs　and　cries。　。　。　。　　The

courier　who　brought　the　news　of　his　convalescence　was　embraced

and　almost　stifled；　people　kissed　his　horse；　and　led　him　in

triumph。　。　。　。　　Every　street　resounded　with　a　cry　of　joy：　　‘The

king　is　healed。'　''









It　persisted　in　a　great　part　of　France　during　the　whole　of　the

Revolution；　and　was　the　origin　of　the　royalist　conspiracies　and

insurrections　in　various　departments　which　the　Convention　had

such　trouble　to　suppress。　　The　royalist　faith　had　disappeared　in

Paris；　where　the　weakness　of　the　king　was　too　plainly　visible；

but　in　the　provinces　the　royal　power；　representing　God　on　earth；

still　retained　its　prestige。



The　royalist　sentiments　of　the　people　must　have　been　deeply

rooted　to　survive　the　guillotine。　　The　royalist　movements

persisted；　indeed；　during　the　whole　of　the　Revolution；　and　were

accentuated　under　the　Directory；　when　forty…nine　departments　sent

royalist　deputies　to　Paris；　which　provoked　the　Directory　to　the

coup　d'etat　of　Fructidor。



This　monarchical…feeling；　with　difficulty　repressed　by　the

Revolution；　contributed　to　the　success　of　Bonaparte　when　he　came

to　occupy　the　throne　of　the　ancient　kings；　and　in　great　measure

to　re…establish　the　ancien　regime。







CHAPTER　III



MENTAL　ANARCHY　AT　THE　TIME　OF　THE　REVOLUTION　AND　THE　INFLUENCE

ATTRIBUTED　TO　THE　PHILOSOPHERS



1。　　Origin　and　Propagation　of　Revolutionary　Ideas。



The　outward　life　of　men　in　every　age　is　moulded　upon　an　inward

life　consisting　of　a　framework　of　traditions；　sentiments；　and

moral　influences　which　direct　their　conduct　and　maintain　certain

fundamental　notions　which　they　accept　without　discussion。



Let　the　resistance　of　this　social　framework　weaken；　and　ideas

which　could　have　had　no　force　before　will　germinate　and　develop。　

Certain　theories　whose　success　was　enormous　at　the　time　of　the

Revolution　would　have　encountered　an　impregnable　wall　two

centuries　earlier。



The　aim　of　these　considerations　is　to　recall　to　the　reader　the

fact　that　the　outward　events　of　revolutions　are　always　a

consequence　of　invisible　transformations　which　have　slowly　gone

forward　in　men's　minds。　　Any　profound　study　of　a　revolution

necessitates　a　study　of　the　mental　soil　upon　which　the　ideas　that

direct　its　course　have　to　germinate。



Generally　slow　in　the　extreme；　the　evolution　of　ideas　is　often

invisible　for　a　whole　generation。　　Its　extent　can　only　be　grasped

by　comparing　the　mental　condition　of　the　same　social

classes　at　the　two　extremities　of　the　curve　which　the　mind　has

followed。　　To　realise　the　different　conceptions　of　royalty

entertained　by　educated　men　under　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XVI。；　we

must　compare　the　political　theories　of　Bossuet　and　Turgot。



Bossuet　expressed　the　general　conceptions　of　his　time　concerning

the　absolute　monarchy　when　he　based　the　authority　of　a　Government

upon　the　will　of　God；　‘‘sole　judge　of　the　actions　of　kings；

always　irresponsible　before　men。''　　Religious　faith　was　then　as

strong　as　the　monarchical　faith　from　which　it　seemed　inseparable；

and　no　philosopher　could　have　shaken　it。



The　writings　of　the　reforming　ministers　of　Louis　XVI。；　those　of

Turgot；　for　instance；　are　animated　by　quite　another　spirit。　　Of

the　Divine　right　of　kings　there　is　hardly　a　word；　and　the　rights

of　the　peoples　begin　to　be　clearly　defined。



Many　events　had　contributed　to　prepare　for　such　an　evolution

unfortunate　wars；　famines；　imposts；　general　poverty　at　the　end　of

the　reign　of　Louis　XV。；　&c。　　Slowly　destroyed；　respect　for

monarchical　authority　was　replaced　by　a　mental　revolt　which　was

ready　to　manifest　itself　as　soon　as　occasion　should　arise。



When　once　the　mental　framework　commences　to　crumble　the　end　comes

rapidly。　　This　is　why　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution　ideas　were　so

quickly　propagated　which　were　by　no　means　new；　but　which　until

then　had　exerted　no　influence；　as　they　had　not　fallen　on　fruitful

ground。



Yet　the　ideas　which　were　then　so　attractive　and　effectual　had

often　been　expressed。　　For　a　long　time　they　had　inspired　the

politics　of　England。　　Two　thousand　years　earlier　the　Greek　and

La