the psychology of revolution-第33部分

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uselessly　jostling　in　space。　　If　we　did　not　know　that　it　all

ended　in　practical　and　dreadful　results；　we　should　think　they

were　games　of　logic；　school　exercises；　academical　demonstrations；

ideological　combinations。''



The　theories　of　the　Jacobins　amounted　practically　to　an　absolute

tyranny。　　To　them　it　seemed　evident　that　a　sovereign　State　must

be　obeyed　without　discussion　by　citizens　rendered　equal　as　to

conditions　and　fortune。



The　power　with　which　they　invested　themselves　was　far　greater

than　that　of　the　monarchs　who　had　preceded　them。　　They　fixed　the

prices　of　merchandise　and　arrogated　the　right　to　dispose　of　the

life　and　property　of　citizens。



Their　confidence　in　the　regenerative　virtues　of　the　revolutionary

faith　was　such　that　after　having　declared　war　upon　kings　they

declared　war　upon　the　gods。　　A　calendar　was　established　from

which　the　saints　were　banished。　　They　created　a　new　divinity；

Reason；　whose　worship　was　celebrated　in　Notre…Dame；　with

ceremonies　which　were　in　many　ways　identical　with　those　of　the

Catholic　faith；　upon　the　altar　of　the　‘‘late　Holy　Virgin。''　　This

cult　lasted　until　Robespierre　substituted　a　personal　religion　of

which　he　constituted　himself　the　high　priest。



The　sole　masters　of　France；　the　Jacobins　and　their

disciples　were　able　to　plunder　the　country　with　impunity；

although　they　were　never　in　the　majority　anywhere。



Their　numbers　are　not　easy　to　determine　exactly。　　We　know　only

that　they　were　very　small。　　Taine　valued　them　at　5；000　in　Paris；

among　700；000　inhabitants；　in　Besancon　300　among　300；000；　and

in　all　France　about　300；000。



‘‘A　small　feudality　of　brigands；　set　over　a　conquered　France；''

according　to　the　words　of　the　same　author；　they　were　able；　in

spite　of　their　small　numbers；　to　dominate　the　country；　and　this

for　several　reasons。　　In　the　first　place；　their　faith　gave　them　a

considerable　strength。　　Then；　because　they　represented　the

Government；　and　for　centuries　the　French　had　obeyed　those　who

were　in　command。　　Finally；　because　it　was　believed　that　to

overthrow　them　would　be　to　bring　back　the　ancien　regime；

which　was　greatly　dreaded　by　the　numerous　purchasers　of　the

national　domains。　　Their　tyranny　must　have　grown　frightful　indeed

to　force　so　many　departments　to　rise　against　them。



The　first　factor　of　their　power　was　very　important。　　In　the

conflict　between　powerful　faiths　and　weak　faiths　victory　never

falls　to　the　latter。　　A　powerful　faith　creates　strong　wills；

which　will　always　overpower　weak　wills。　　That　the　Jacobins

themselves　did　finally　perish　was　because　their　accumulated

violence　had　bound　together　thousands　of　weak　wills　whose　united

weight　overbalanced　their　own　strong　wills。



It　is　true　that　the　Girondists；　whom　the　Jacobins　persecuted　with

so　much　hatred；　had　also　well…established　beliefs；　but　in　the

struggle　which　ensued　their　education　told　against　them；

together　with　their　respect　for　certain　traditions　and　the　rights

of　others；　scruples　which　did　not　in　the　least　trouble　their

adversaries。



‘‘The　majority　of　the　sentiments　of　the　Girondists；''　writes

Emile　Ollivier；　‘‘were　delicate　and　generous；　those　of　the

Jacobin　mob　were　low；　gross；　and　brutal。　　The　name　of　Vergniaud；

compared　with　that　of　the　‘divine'　Marat；　measures　a　gulf　which

nothing　could　span。''



Dominating　the　Convention　at　the　outset　by　the　superiority　of

their　talents　and　their　eloquence；　the　Girondists　soon　fell　under

the　domination　of　the　Montagnardsworthless　energumens；　who

carried　little　weight；　but　were　always　active；　and　who　knew　how

to　excite　the　passions　of　the　populace。　　It　was　violence　and　not

talent　that　impressed　the　Assemblies。





3。　　Mental　Characteristics　of　the　Convention。





Beside　the　characteristics　common　to　all　assemblies　there　are

some　created　by　influences　of　environment　and　circumstances；

which　give　any　particular　assembly　of　men　a　special　physiognomy。　

Most　of　the　characteristics　observable　in　the　Constituent　and

Legislative　Assemblies　reappeared；　in　an　exaggerated　form；　in　the

Convention。



This　Assembly　comprised　about　seven　hundred　and　fifty　deputies；

of　whom　rather　more　than　a　third　had　sat　in　the　Constituent　or

the　Legislative　Assembly。　　By　terrorising　the　population　the

Jacobins　contrived　to　triumph　at　the　elections。　　The　majority　of

the　electors；　six　millions　out　of　seven；　preferred　to　abstain

from　voting。



As　to　the　professions；　the　Assembly　contained　a　large　number　of

lawyers；　advocates；　notaries；　bailiffs；　ex…magistrates；　and　a　few

literary　men。



The　mentality　of　the　Convention　was　not　homogeneous。　　Now；　an

assembly　composed　of　individuals　of　widely　different　characters

soon　splits　up　into　a　number　of　groups。　　The　Convention　very

early　contained　threethe　Gironde；　the　Mountain；　and　the　Plain。　

The　constitutional　monarchists　had　almost　disappeared。



The　Gironde　and　the　Mountain；　extreme　parties；　consisted　of　about

a　hundred　members　apiece；　who　successively　became　leaders。　　In

the　Mountain　were　the　most　advanced　members：　　Couthon；　Herault

de　Sechelles；　Danton；　Camille　Desmoulins；　Marat；　Collot

d'Herbois；　Billaud…Varennes；　Barras；　Saint…Just；　Fouche；

Tallien；　Carrier；　Robespierre；　&c。　　In　the　Gironde　were　Brissot；

Petion；　Condorcet；　Vergniaud；　&c。



The　five　hundred　other　members　of　the　Assemblythat　is；　the

great　majorityconstituted　what　was　known　as　the　Plain。



This　latter　formed　a　floating　mass；　silent；　undecided；　and　timid；

ready　to　follow　every　impulse　and　to　be　carried　away　by　the

excitement　of　the　moment。　　It　gave　ear　indifferently　to　the

stronger　of　the　two　preceding　groups。　　After　obeying　the　Gironde

for　some　time　it　allowed　itself　to　be　led　away　by　the　Mountain；

when　the　latter　triumphed　over　its　enemy。　　This　was　a　natural

consequence　of　the　law　already　stated；　by　which　the　weak

invariably　fall　under　the　dominion　of　the　stronger　wills。



The　influence　of　great　manipulators　of　men　was　displayed

in　a　high　degree　during　the　Convention。　　It　was　constantly　led　by

a　violent　minority　of　narrow　minds；　whose　intense　convictions

lent　them　great　strength。



A　brutal　and　audacious　minority　will　always　lead　a　fearful　and

irresolute　majority。　　This　explains　the　constant　tendency　toward

extremes　to　be　observed　in　all　revolutionary　assemblies。　　The

history　of　the　Convention　verifies　once　more　the　law　of

acceleration　studied　in　another　chapter。



The　men　of　the　Convention　were　thus　bound　to　pass　from　moderation

to　greater　and　greater　violence。　　Finally　they　decimated

themselves。　　Of　the　180　Girondists　who　at　the　outset　led　the

Convention　140　were　killed　or　fled；　and　finally　the　most

fanatical　of　the　Terrorists；　Robespierre；　reigned　alone　over　a

terrified　crowd　of　servile　representatives。



Yet　it　was　among　the　five　hundred　members　of　the　majority；

uncertain　and　floating　as　it　was；　that　the　intelligence　and

experience　were　to　be　found。　　The　technical　committees　to　whom

the　useful　work　of　the　Convention　was　due　were　recruited　from　the

Plain。



More　or　less　indifferent　to　politics；　the　members　of　the　Plain

were　chiefly　anxious　that　no　one　should　pay　particular　attention

to　them。　　Shut　up　in　their　committees；　they　showed　themselves　as

little　as　possible　in　the　Assembly；　which　explains　why　the

sessions　of　the　Convention　contained　barely　a　third　of　the

deputies。



Unhappily；　as　often　happens；　these　intelligent　and　honest　men

were　completely　devoid　of　character；　and　the　fear　which　always

dominated　them　made　them　vote　for　the　worst　of　the

measures　introduced　by　their　dreaded　masters。



The　men　of　the　Plain　voted　for　everything　they　were　ordered　to

vote　forthe　creation　of　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　the　Terror；

&c。　　It　was　with　their　assistance　that　the　Mountain　crushed　the

Gironde；　and　Robespierre　destroyed　the　Hebertists　and

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　c