友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
读书室 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the psychology of revolution-第48部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


recognised as their head Louis…Napoleon; the Emperor's nephew;

and finally against the republicans。



By means of their secret societies; analogous to the clubs of the

Revolution; the latter provoked numerous riots at various

intervals between 1830 and 1840; but these were easily repressed。



The clericals and legitimists; on their side; did not cease their

intrigues。  The Duchess de Berry; the mother of Henry V。; tried

in vain to raise the Vendee。  As to the clergy; their demands

finally made them so intolerable that an insurrection broke out;

in the course of which the palace of the archbishop of Paris was

sacked。



The republicans as a party were not very dangerous; as the

Chamber sided with the king in the struggle against them。  The

minister Guizot; who advocated a strong central power; declared

that two things were indispensable to government‘‘reason and

cannon。''  The famous statesman was surely somewhat deluded as to

the necessity or efficacy of reason。



Despite this strong central power; which in reality was not

strong; the republicans; and above all the Socialists; continued

to agitate。  One of the most influential; Louis Blanc; claimed

that it was the duty of the Government to procure work for every

citizen。  The Catholic party; led by Lacordaire and Montalembert;

united with the Socialistsas to…day in Belgiumto oppose the

Government。



A campaign in favour of electoral reform ended in 1848 in a fresh

riot; which unexpectedly overthrew Louis…Philippe。



His fall was far less justifiable than that of Charles X。  There

was little with which he could be reproached。  Doubtless he was

suspicious of universal suffrage; but the French Revolution had

more than once been quite suspicious of it。  Louis…Philippe not

being; like the Directory; an absolute ruler; could not; as the

latter had done; annul unfavourable elections。



A provisional Government was installed in the Hotel de Ville;

to replace the fallen monarchy。  It proclaimed the Republic;

established universal suffrage; and decreed that the people

should proceed to the election of a National Assembly of nine

hundred members。



From the first days of its existence the new Government found

itself the victim of socialistic manoeuvres and riots。



The psychological phenomena observed during the first Revolution

were now to be witnessed again。  Clubs were formed; whose leaders

sent the people from time to time against the Assembly; for

reasons which were generally quite devoid of common sensefor

example; to force the Government to support an insurrection in

Poland; &c。



In the hope of satisfying the Socialists; every day more noisy

and exigent; the Assembly organised national workshops; in which

the workers were occupied in various forms of labour。  In these

100;000 men cost the State more than L40;000 weekly。  Their

claim to receive pay without working for it forced the Assembly

to close the workshops。



This measure was the origin of a formidable insurrection; 50;000

workers revolting。  The Assembly; terrified; confided all

the executive powers to General Cavaignac。  There was a four…days

battle with the insurgents; during which three generals and the

Archbishop of Paris were killed; 3;000 prisoners were deported by

the Assembly to Algeria; and revolutionary Socialism was

annihilated for a space of fifty years。



These events brought Government stock down from 116 to 50 francs。 

Business was at a standstill。  The peasants; who thought

themselves threatened by the Socialists; and the bourgeois;

whose taxes the Assembly had increased by half; turned against

the Republic; and when Louis…Napoleon promised to re…establish

order he found himself welcomed with enthusiasm。  A candidate for

the position of President of the Republic; who according to the

new Constitution must be elected by the whole body of citizens;

he was chosen by 5;500;000 votes。



Very soon at odds with the Chamber; the prince decided on a coup

d'etat。  The Assembly was dissolved; 30;000 persons were

arrested; 10;000 deported; and a hundred deputies were exiled。



This coup d'etat; although summary; was very favourably

received; for when submitted to a plebiscite it received

7;500;000 votes out of 8;000;000。



On the 2nd of November; 1852; Napoleon had himself named Emperor

by an even greater majority:  The horror which the generality of

Frenchmen felt for demagogues and Socialists had restored the

Empire。



In the first part of its existence it constituted an absolute

Government; and during the latter half a liberal Government。 

After eighteen years of rule the Emperor was overthrown by the

revolution of the 4th of September; 1870; after the capitulation

of Sedan。



Since that time revolutionary movements have been rare; the only

one of importance was the revolution of March; 1871; which

resulted in the burning of many of the monuments of Paris and the

execution of about 20;000 insurgents。



After the war of 1870 the electors; who; amid so many disasters;

did not know which way to turn; sent a great number of Orleanist

and legitimist deputies to the Constituent Assembly。  Unable to

agree upon the establishment of a monarchy; they appointed M。

Thiers President of the Republic; later replacing him by Marshal

MacMahon。  In 1876 the new elections; like all those that have

followed; sent a majority of republicans to the Chamber。



The various assemblies which have succeeded to this have always

been divided into numerous parties; which have provoked

innumerable changes of ministry。



However; thanks to the equilibrium resulting from this division

of parties; we have for forty years enjoyed comparative quiet。 

Four Presidents of the Republic have been overthrown without

revolution; and the riots that have occurred; such as those of

Champagne and the Midi; have not had serious consequences。



A great popular movement; in 1888; did nearly overthrow the

Republic for the benefit of General Boulanger; but it has

survived and triumphed over the attacks of all parties。



Various reasons contribute to the maintenance of the present

Republic。  In the first place; of the conflicting factions

none is strong enough to crush the rest。  In the second place;

the head of the State being purely decorative; and possessing no

power; it is impossible to attribute to him the evils from which

the country may suffer; and to feel sure that matters would be

different were he overthrown。  Finally; as the supreme power is

distributed among thousands of hands; responsibilities are so

disseminated that it would be difficult to know where to begin。 

A tyrant can be overthrown; but what can be done against a host

of little anonymous tyrannies?



If we wished to sum up in a word the great transformations which

have been effected in France by a century of riots and

revolutions; we might say that individual tyranny; which was weak

and therefore easily overthrown; has been replaced by collective

tyrannies; which are very strong and difficult to destroy。  To a

people avid of equality and habituated to hold its Governments

responsible for every event individual tyranny seemed

insupportable; while a collective tyranny is readily endured;

although generally much more severe。



The extension of the tyranny of the State has therefore been the

final result of all our revolutions; and the common

characteristic of all systems of government which we have known

in France。  This form of tyranny may be regarded as a racial

ideal; since successive upheavals of France have only fortified

it。  Statism is the real political system of the Latin peoples;

and the only system that receives all suffrages。  The other forms

of governmentrepublic; monarchy; empirerepresent empty

labels; powerless shadows。





PART III



THE RECENT EVOLUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLES





CHAPTER I



THE PROGRESS OF DEMOCRATIC BELIEFS SINCE THE REVOLUTION



1。  Gradual Propagation of Democratic Ideas after the Revolution。



Ideas which are firmly established; incrusted; as it were; in

men's minds; continue to act for several generations。  Those

which resulted from the French Revolution were; like others;

subject to this law。



Although the life of the Revolution as a Government was short;

the influence of its principles was; on the contrary; very long…

lived。  Becoming a form of religious belief; they profoundly

modified the orientation of the sentiments and ideas of several

generations。



Despite a few intervals; the French Revolution has continued up

to the present; and still survives。  The role of Napoleon

was not confined to overturning the world; changing the map of

Europe; and remaking the exploits of Alexander。  The new rights

of the people; created by the Revolution and established by its

institutions; have exercised a profound influence。  The military

work of the conqu
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!