the psychology of revolution- 第29部分

witnesses　of　any　period　and　even　their　immediate　successors　are

to　form　an　exact　idea　of　the　events　which　they　have　witnessed；

and　the　men　who　have　surrounded　them。



More　than　a　century　has　elapsed　since　the　Revolution；　and　men　are

only　just　beginning　to　form　judgments　concerning　this　period

which；　if　still　often　doubtful　enough；　are　slightly　more　accurate

than　of　old。



This　happens；　not　only　because　new　documents　are　being　drawn　from

the　archives；　but　because　the　legends　which　enveloped　that

sanguinary　period　in　a　magical　cloud　are　gradually　vanishing　with

the　passage　of　time。



Perhaps　the　most　tenacious　legend　of　all　was　that　which　until

formerly　used　to　surround　the　personages　to　whom　our　fathers

applied　the　glorious　epithet；　‘‘the　Giants　of　the　Convention。''



The　struggles　of　the　Convention　against　France　in　insurrection

and　Europe　in　arms　produced　such　an　impression　that　the　heroes　of

this　formidable　struggle　seemed　to　belong　to　a　race　of　supermen

or　Titans。



The　epithet　‘‘giant''　seemed　justified　so　long　as　the　events　of

the　period　were　confused　and　massed　together。　　Regarded　as

connected　when　it　was　simply　simultaneous；　the　work　of　the　armies

was　confounded　with　that　of　the　Convention。　　The　glory　of　the

first　recoiled　upon　the　second；　and　served　as　an　excuse　for　the

hecatombs　of　the　Terror；　the　ferocity　of　the　civil　war；　and　the

devastation　of　France。



Under　the　penetrating　scrutiny　of　modern　criticism；　the

heterogeneous　mass　of　events　has　been　slowly　disentangled。　　The

armies　of　the　Republic　have　retained　their　old　prestige；　but　we

have　been　forced　to　recognise　that　the　men　of　the　Convention；

absorbed　entirely　by　their　intestine　conflicts；　had　very　little

to　do　with　their　victories。　　At　the　most　two　or　three　members　of

the　committees　of　the　Assembly　were　concerned　with　the　armies；

and　the　fact　that　they　were　victorious　was　due；　apart　from　their

numbers　and　the　talents　of　their　young　generals；　to　the

enthusiasm　with　which　a　new　faith　had　inspired　them。



In　a　later　chapter；　devoted　to　the　revolutionary　armies；　we　shall

see　how　they　conquered　Europe　in　arms。　　They　set　out　inspired　by

the　ideas　of　liberty　and　equality　which　constituted　the　new

gospel；　and　once　on　the　frontiers；　which　were　to　keep　them　so

long；　they　retained　a　special　mentality；　very　different　from　that

of　the　Government；　which　they　first　knew　nothing　of　and

afterwards　despised。



Having　no　part　whatever　in　their　victories；　the　men　of　the

Convention　contented　themselves　with　legislating　at　hazard

according　to　the　injunctions　of　the　leaders　who　directed　them；

and　who　claimed　to　be　regenerating　France　by　means　of　the

guillotine。



But　it　was　thanks　to　these　valiant　armies　that　the　history　of　the

Convention　was　transformed　into　an　apotheosis　which　affected

several　generations　with　a　religious　respect　which　even　to…day　is

hardly　extinct。



Studying　in　detail　the　psychology　of　the　‘‘Giants''　of　the

Convention；　we　find　their　magnitude　shrink　very　rapidly。　　They

were　in　general　extremely　mediocre。　　Their　most　fervent

defenders；　such　as　M。　Aulard；　are　obliged　to　admit　as　much。



This　is　how　M。　Aulard　puts　it　in　his　History　of　the　French

Revolution：



‘‘It　has　been　said　that　the　generation　which　from　1789　to　1799

did　such　great　and　terrible　things　was　a　generation　of　giants；

or；　to　put　it　more　plainly；　that　it　was　a　generation　more

distinguished　than　that　which　preceded　it　or　that　which　followed。



This　is　a　retrospective　illusion。　　The　citizens　who　formed　the

municipal　and　Jacobin　or　nationalist　groups　by　which　the

Revolution　was　effected　do　not　seem　to　have　been　superior；　either

in　enlightenment　or　in　talents；　to　the　Frenchmen　of　the　time　of

Louis　XV。　or　of　Louis　Philippe。　　Were　those　exceptionally　gifted

whose　names　history　has　retained　because　they　appeared　on　the

stage　of　Paris；　or　because　they　were　the　most　brilliant　orators

of　the　various　revolutionary　Assemblies？　　Mirabeau；　up　to　a

certain　point；　deserved　the　title　of　genius；　but　as　to　the　rest

Robespierre；　Danton；　Vergniaudhad　they　truly　more　talent；　for

example；　than　our　modern　orators？　　In　1793；　in　the　time　of　the

supposed　‘giants；'　Mme。　Roland　wrote　in　her　memoirs：　　‘France　was

as　though　drained　of　men；　their　dearth　during　this　revolution　is

truly　surprising；　there　have　scarcely　been　any　but　pigmies。'　''



If　after　considering　the　men　of　the　Convention　individually　we

consider　them　in　a　body；　we　may　say　that　they　did　not　shine

either　by　intelligence　or　by　virtue　or　by　courage。　　Never　did　a

body　of　men　manifest　such　pusillanimity。　　They　had　no　courage

save　in　their　speeches　or　in　respect　of　remote　dangers。　　This

Assembly；　so　proud　and　threatening　in　its　speech　when　addressing

royalty；　was　perhaps　the　most　timid　and　docile　political

collectivity　that　the　world　has　ever　known。　　We　see　it　slavishly

obedient　to　the　orders　of　the　clubs　and　the　Commune；　trembling

before　the　popular　delegations　which　invaded　it　daily；　and

obeying　the　injunctions　of　the　rioters　to　the　point　of　handing

over　to　them　its　most　brilliant　members。　　The　Convention　affords

the　world　a　melancholy　spectacle；　voting；　at　the　popular　behest；

laws　so　absurd　that　it　is　obliged　to　annul　them　as　soon　as　the

rioters　have　quitted　the　hall。



Few　Assemblies　have　given　proof　of　such　weakness。　　When　we　wish

to　show　how　low　a　popular　Government　can　fall　we　have　only　to

point　to　the　Convention。





2。　　Results　of　the　Triumph　of　the　Jacobin　Religion





Among　the　causes　that　gave　the　Convention　its　special

physiognomy；　one　of　the　most　important　was　the　definite

establishment　of　a　revolutionary　religion。　　A　dogma　which　was　at

first　in　process　of　formation　was　at　last　finally　erected。



This　dogma　was　composed　of　an　aggregate　of　somewhat　inconsistent

elements。　　Nature；　the　rights　of　man；　liberty；　equality；　the

social　contract；　hatred　of　tyrants；　and　popular　sovereignty

formed　the　articles　of　a　gospel　which；　to　its　disciples；　was

above　discussion。　　The　new　truths　had　found　apostles　who　were

certain　of　their　power；　and　who　finally；　like　believers　all　the

world　over；　sought　to　impose　them　by　force。　　No　heed　should　be

taken　of　the　opinion　of　unbelievers；　they　all　deserved　to　be

exterminated。



The　hatred　of　heretics　having　been　always；　as　we　have　seen；　in

respect　of　the　Reformation；　an　irreducible　characteristic　of

great　beliefs；　we　can　readily　comprehend　the　intolerance　of　the

Jacobin　religion。



The　history　of　the　Reformation　proves　also　that　the　conflict

between　two　allied　beliefs　is　very　bitter。　　We　must　not；

therefore；　be　astonished　that　in　the　Convention　the　Jacobins

fought　furiously　against　the　other　republicans；　whose　faith

hardly　differed　from　their　own。



The　propaganda　of　the　new　apostles　was　very　energetic。　　To

convert　the　provinces　they　sent　thither　zealous　disciples

escorted　by　guillotines。　　The　inquisitors　of　the　new　faith　would

have　no　paltering　with　error。　　As　Robespierre　said；　‘‘The

republic　is　the　destruction　of　everything　that　is　opposed　to

it。''　　What　matter　that　the　country　refused　to　be　regenerated？　

It　should　be　regenerated　despite　itself。　　‘‘We　will　make　a

cemetery　of　France；''　said　Carrier；　‘‘rather　than　fail　to

regenerate　it　in　our　own　way。''



The　Jacobin　policy　derived　from　the　new　faith　was　very　simple。　

It　consisted　in　a　sort　of　equalitarian　Socialism；　directed　by　a

dictatorship　which　would　brook　no　opposition。



Of　practical　ideas　consistent　with　the　economic　necessities　and

the　true　nature　of　man；　the　theorists　who　ruled　France　would　have

nothing　to　say。　　Speech　and　the　guillotine　sufficed　them。　　Their

speeches　were　childish。　　‘‘Never　a　fact；''　says　Taine；　‘‘nothing

but　abstractions；　strings　of　sentences　about　Nature；　reason；　the

people；　tyrants；　liberty：　like　so　many　puffed…out　balloons

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