the psychology of revolution-第25章

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He；　and　especially　the　queen；　entertained　the　strangest　illusions

as　to　the　possible　assistance　of　Austria；　for　centuries　the　rival

of　France。　　If　Austria　indolently　consented　to　come　to　his　aid；

it　was　only　in　the　hope　of　receiving　a　great　reward。　　Mercy　gave

him　to　understand　that　the　payment　expected　consisted　of　Alsace；

the　Alps；　and　Navarre。



The　leaders　of　the　clubs；　finding　the　Assembly　too　royalist；　sent

the　people　against　it。　　A　petition　was　signed；　inviting　the

Assembly　to　convoke　a　new　constituent　power　to　proceed　to　the

trial　of　Louis　XVI。



Monarchical　in　spite　of　all；　and　finding　that　the　Revolution　was

assuming　a　character　far　too　demagogic；　the　Assembly　resolved　to

defend　itself　against　the　actions　of　the　people。　　A　battalion　of

the　National　Guard；　commanded　by　La　Fayette；　was　sent　to　the

Champ…de…Mars；　where　the　crowd　was　assembled；　to　disperse　it。　

Fifty　of　those　present　were　killed。



The　Assembly　did　not　long　persist　in　its　feeble　resistance。　

Extremely　fearful　of　the　people；　it　increased　its　arrogance

towards　the　king；　depriving　him　every　day　of　some　part　of　his

prerogatives　and　authority。　　He　was　now　scarcely　more　than　a　mere

official　obliged　to　execute　the　wishes　of　others。



The　Assembly　had　imagined　that　it　would　be　able　to　exercise　the

authority　of　which　it　had　deprived　the　king；　but　such　a　task　was

infinitely　above　its　resources。　　A　power　so　divided　is　always

weak。　　‘‘I　know　nothing　more　terrible；''　said　Mirabeau；　‘‘than

the　sovereign　authority　of　six　hundred　persons。''



Having　flattered　itself　that　it　could　combine　in　itself　all　the

powers　of　the　State；　and　exercise　them　as　Louis　XVI。　had　done；

the　Assembly　very　soon　exercised　none　whatever。



As　its　authority　failed　anarchy　increased。　　The　popular　leaders

continually　stirred　up　the　people。　　Riot　and　insurrection　became

the　sole　power。　　Every　day　the　Assembly　was　invaded　by　rowdy　and

imperious　delegations　which　operated　by　means　of　threats　and

demands。



All　these　popular　movements；　which　the　Assembly；　under　the　stress

of　fear；　invariably　obeyed；　had　nothing　spontaneous　about　them。　

They　simply　represented　the　manifestations　of　new　powersthe

clubs　and　the　Communewhich　had　been　set　up　beside　the

Assembly。



The　most　powerful　of　these　clubs　was　the　Jacobin；　which　had

quickly　created　more　than　five　hundred　branches　in　the　country；

all　of　which　were　under　the　orders　of　the　central　body。　　Its

influence　remained　preponderant　during　the　whole　duration　of　the

Revolution。　　It　was　the　master　of　the　Assembly；　and　then　of

France；　its　only　rival　the　insurrectionary　Commune；　whose　power

was　exercised　only　in　Paris。



The　weakness　of　the　national　Assembly　and　all　its　failures　had

made　it　extremely　unpopular。　　It　became　conscious　of　this；　and；

feeling　that　it　was　every　day　more　powerless；　decided　to　hasten

the　creation　of　the　new　Constitution　in　order　that　it　might

dissolve。　　Its　last　action；　which　was　tactless　enough；　was　to

decree　that　no　member　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　should　be

elected　to　the　Legislative　Assembly。　　The　members　of　the　latter

were　thus　deprived　of　the　experience　acquired　by　their

predecessors。



The　Constitution　was　completed　on　the　3rd　of　September；　1791；　and

accepted　on　the　13th　by　the　king；　to　whom　the　Assembly　had

restored　his　powers。



This　Constitution　organised　a　representative　Government；

delegating　the　legislative　power　to　deputies　elected　by　the

people；　and　the　executive　power　to　the　king；　whose　right　of　veto

over　the　decrees　of　the　Assembly　was　recognised。　　New

departmental　divisions　were　substituted　for　the　old　provinces。　

The　imposts　were　abolished；　and　replaced　by　direct　and　indirect

taxes；　which　are　still　in　force。



The　Assembly；　which　had　just　altered　the　territorial　divisions

and　overthrown　all　the　old　social　organisation；　thought

itself　powerful　enough　to　transform　the　religious　organisation　of

the　country　also。　　It　claimed　notably　that　the　members　of　the

clergy　should　be　elected　by　the　people；　and　should　be　thus

withdrawn　from　the　influence　of　their　supreme　head；　the　Pope。



This　civil　constitution　of　the　clergy　was　the　origin　of　religious

struggles　and　persecutions　which　lasted　until　the　days　of　the

Consulate。　　Two…thirds　of　the　priests　refused　the　oath　demanded

of　them。



During　the　three　years　which　represented　the　life　of　the

Constituent　Assembly　the　Revolution　had　produced　considerable

results。　　The　principal　result　was　perhaps　the　beginning　of　the

transference　to　the　Third　Estate　of　the　riches　of　the　privileged

classes。　　In　this　way　while　interests　were　created　to　be　defended

fervent　adherents　were　raised　up　to　the　new　regime。　　A

Revolution　supported　by　the　gratification　of　acquired　appetites

is　bound　to　be　powerful。　　The　Third　Estate；　which　had　supplanted

the　nobles；　and　the　peasants；　who　had　bought　the　national

domains；　would　readily　understand　that　the　restoration　of　the

ancien　regime　would　despoil　them　of　all　their　advantages。　

The　energetic　defence　of　the　Revolution　was　merely　the　defence　of

their　own　fortunes。



This　is　why　we　see；　during　part　of　the　Revolution；　nearly　half

the　departments　vainly　rising　against　the　despotism　that　crushed

them。　　The　Republicans　triumphed　over　all　opposition。　　They　were

extremely　powerful　in　that　they　had　to　defend；　not　only　a　new

ideal；　but　new　material　interests。　　We　shall　see　that　the

influence　of　these　two　factors　lasted　during　the　whole　of　the

Revolution；　and　contributed　powerfully　to　the　establishment　of

the　Empire。







CHAPTER　II



THE　PSYCHOLOGY　OF　THE　LEGISLATIVE　ASSEMBLY



1。　　Political　Events　during　the　Life　of　the　Legislative　Assembly。



Before　examining　the　mental　characteristics　of　the　Legislative

Assembly　let　us　briefly　sum　up　the　considerable　political　events

which　marked　its　short　year's　life。　　They　naturally　played　an

important　part　in　respect　of　its　psychological　manifestations。



Extremely　monarchical；　the　Legislative　Assembly　had　no　more　idea

than　its　predecessor　of　destroying　the　monarchy。　　The　king

appeared　to　it　to　be　slightly　suspect；　but　it　still　hoped　to　be

able　to　retain　him　on　the　throne。



Unhappily　for　him；　Louis　was　incessantly　begging　for　intervention

from　abroad。　　Shut　up　in　the　Tuileries；　defended　only　by　his

Swiss　Guards；　the　timid　sovereign　was　drifting　among　contrary

influences。　　He　subsidised　journals　intended　to　modify　public

opinion；　but　the　obscure　‘‘penny…a…liners''　who　edited　them　knew

nothing　of　acting　on　the　mind　of　the　crowd。　　Their　only　means　of

persuasion　was　to　menace　with　the　gallows　all　the　partisans　of

the　Revolution；　and　to　predict　the　invasion　of　France　by　an　army

which　would　rescue　the　king。



Royalty　no　longer　counted　on　anything　but　the　foreign

Courts。　　The　nobles　were　emigrating。　　Prussia；　Austria；　and

Russia　were　threatening　France　with　a　war　of　invasion。　　The　Court

favoured　their　lead。　　To　the　coalition　of　the　three　kings　against

France　the　Jacobin　Club　proposed　to　oppose　a　league　of　peoples。　

The　Girondists　were　then；　with　the　Jacobins；　at　the　head　of　the

revolutionary　movement。　　They　incited　the　masses　to　arm

themselves600；000　volunteers　were　equipped。　　The　Court　accepted

a　Girondist　minister。　　Dominated　by　him；　Louis　XVI。　was　obliged

to　propose　to　the　Assembly　a　war　against　Austria。　　It　was

immediately　agreed　to。



In　declaring　war　the　king　was　not　sincere。　　The　queen　revealed

the　French　plans　of　campaign　and　the　secret　deliberations　of　the

Council　to　the　Austrians。



The　beginnings　of　the　struggle　were　disastrous。　　Several　columns

of　troops；　attacked　by　panic；　disbanded。　　Stimulated　by　the

clubs；　and　persuadedjustly；　for　that　matterthat　the　king　was

conspiring　with　the　enemies　of　France；　the　population　of　the

faubourgs　rose　in　insurrection。　　Its　leaders；　the　Jacobins；　and

above　all　Danton；　sent　to　the　Tuileries　on　the　20th　of　June　a

petition　threatening　the　king　with　revocation。　　It　then　invaded

the　Tuileries；　heaping　invectives　on　the　sovereign。



Fatality　impelled　Louis　toward　his　tragic　destiny。　　While　the

threats　of　the　Jacobins　against　royalty　had　roused　many　of　the

departments　to　indignation；　it　was　learned　that　a　Prussian　army

had　arrived　on　the　frontiers　of　Lorraine。



The　hope　of　the　king　and　queen　respecting　the　help　to　be　obtained

from　abroad　was　highly　chimerical。　　Marie…Antoinette

suffered　from　an　absolute　illusion　as　to　the　psychology　of　the

Austrian　and　the　French　peoples。　　Seeing　France　terrorised　by　a

few　energumens；　she　supposed　that　it　would　be　equally　easy　to

terrify　the　Parisians；　and　by　means　of　threats　to　lead　them　back

under　the　king's　authority。　　Inspired　by　her；　Fersen　undertook　to

publish　the　manifesto　of　the　Duke　of　Brunswick；　threatening　Paris

with　‘‘total　subversion　if　the　royal　family　were　molested。''



The　effect　produced　was　diametrically　opposite　to　that　intended。　

The　manifesto　aroused　indignation　against　the　monarch；　who　was

regarded　as　an　accomplice；　and　increased　his　unpopularity。　　From

that　day　he　was　marked　for　the　scaffold。



Carried　away　by　Danton；　the　delegates　of　the　sections　installed

themselves　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville　as　an　insurrectionary

Commune；　which　arrested　the　commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　who

was　devoted　to　the　king；　sounded　the　tocsin；　equipped　the

National　Guard；　and　on　the　10th　of　August　hurled　them；　with　the

populace；　against　the　Tuileries。　　The　regiments　called　in　by

Louis　disbanded　themselves。　　Soon　none　were　left　to　defend　him

but　his　Swiss　and　a　few　gentlemen。　　Nearly　all　were　killed。　　Left

alone；　the　king　took　refuge　with　the　Assembly。　　The　crowds

demanded　his　denouncement。　　The　Legislative　Assembly　decreed　his

suspension　and　left　a　future　Assembly；　the　Convention；　to　decide

upon　his　fate。





2。　　Mental　Characteristics　of　the　Legislative　Assembly。





The　Legislative　Assembly；　formed　of　new　men；　presented　quite　a

special　interest　from　the　psychological　point　of　view。　

Few　assemblies　have　offered　in　such　a　degree　the　characteristics

of　the　political　collectivity。



It　comprised　seven　hundred　and　fifty　deputies；　divided　into　pure

royalists；　constitutional　royalists；　republicans；　Girondists；　and

Montagnards。　　Advocates　and　men　of　letters　formed　the　majority。　

It　also　contained；　but　in　smaller　numbers；　superior　officers；

priests；　and　a　very　few　scientists。



The　philosophical　conceptions　of　the　members　of　this　Assembly

seem　rudimentary　enough。　　Many　were　imbued　with　Rousseau's　idea

of　a　return　to　a　state　of　nature。　　But　all；　like　their

predecessors；　were　dominated　more　especially　by　recollections　of

Greek　and　Latin　antiquity。　　Cato；　Brutus；　Gracchus；　Plutarch；

Marcus　Aurelius；　and　Plato；　continually　evoked；　furnished　the

images　of　their　speech。　　When　the　orator　wished　to　insult　Louis

XVI。　he　called　him　Caligula。



In　hoping　to　destroy　tradition　they