the psychology of revolution-第33章

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universal；　it　is　the　basis　of　the　hunting　instinct；　for　it　must

be　admitted　that　at　present；　in　civilised　countries；　the　need　to

live　no　longer　counts　for　anything　in　its　propagation。　　In

reality　we　are　continuing　an　action　which　was　imperiously　imposed

upon　our　savage　ancestors　by　the　harsh　necessities　of　existence；

during　which　they　had　either　to　kill　or　die　of　hunger；　while　to…

day　there　is　no　longer　any　legitimate　excuse　for　it。　　But　so　it

is；　and　we　can　do　nothing；　probably　we　shall　never　break　the

chains　of　a　slavery　which　has　bound　us　for　so　long。　　We　cannot

prevent　ourselves　from　feeling　an　intense；　often　passionate；

pleasure　in　shedding　the　blood　of　animals　towards　whom；　when　the

love　of　the　chase　possesses　us；　we　lose　all　feeling　of　pity。　　The

gentlest　and　prettiest　creatures；　the　song…birds；　the　charm　of

our　springtime；　fall　to　our　guns　or　are　choked　in　our　snares；　and

not　a　shudder　of　pity　troubles　our　pleasure　at　seeing　them

terrified；　bleeding；　writhing　in　the　horrible　suffering　we

inflict　on　them；　seeking　to　flee　on　their　poor　broken　paws　or

desperately　beating　their　wings；　which　can　no　longer　support

them。　。　。　。　　The　excuse　is　the　impulse　of　that　imperious

atavism　which　the　best　of　us　have　not　the　strength　to　resist。''



At　ordinary　times　this　singular　atavism；　restrained　by　fear　of

the　laws；　can　only　be　exercised　on　animals。　　When　codes　are　no

longer　operative　it　immediately　applies　itself　to　man；　which　is

why　so　many　terrorists　took　an　intense　pleasure　in　killing。　

Carrier's　remark　concerning　the　joy　he　felt　in　contemplating　the

faces　of　his　victims　during　their　torment　is　very　typical。　　In

many　civilised　men　ferocity　is　a　restrained　instinct；　but　it　is

by　no　means　eliminated。





3。　　Danton　and　Robespierre。





Danton　and　Robespierre　represented　the　two　principal　personages

of　the　Revolution。　　I　shall　say　little　of　the　former：　his

psychology；　besides　being　simple；　is　familiar。　　A　club　orator

firstly；　impulsive　and　violent；　he　showed　himself　always　ready　to

excite　the　people。　　Cruel　only　in　his　speeches；　he　often

regretted　their　effects。　　From　the　outset　he　shone　in　the　first

rank；　while　his　future　rival；　Robespierre；　was　vegetating　almost

in　the　lowest。



At　one　given　moment　Danton　became　the　soul　of　the　Revolution；　but

he　was　deficient　in　tenacity　and　fixity　of　conduct。　　Moreover；　he

was　needy；　while　Robespierre　was　not。　　The　continuous　fanaticism

of　the　latter　defeated　the　intermittent　efforts　of　the　former。　

Nevertheless；　it　was　an　amazing　spectacle　to　see　so　powerful　a

tribune　sent　to　the　scaffold　by　his　pale；　venemous　enemy　and

mediocre　rival。



Robespierre；　the　most　influential　man　of　the　Revolution　and　the

most　frequently　studied；　is　yet　the　least　explicable。　　It　is

difficult　to　understand　the　prodigious　influence　which

gave　him　the　power　of　life　and　death；　not　only　over　the　enemies

of　the　Revolution　but　also　over　colleagues　who　could　not　have

been　considered　as　enemies　of　the　existing　Government。



We　certainly　cannot　explain　the　matter　by　saying　with　Taine　that

Robespierre　was　a　pedant　lost　in　abstractions；　nor　by　asserting

with　the　Michelet　that　he　succeeded　on　account　of　his　principles；

nor　by　repeating　with　his　contemporary　Williams　that　‘‘one　of　the

secrets　of　his　government　was　to　take　men　marked　by　opprobrium　or

soiled　with　crime　as　stepping…stones　to　his　ambition。''



It　is　impossible　to　regard　his　eloquence　as　the　cause　of　his

success。　　His　eyes　protected　by　goggles；　he　painfully　read　his

speeches；　which　were　composed　of　cold　and　indefinite

abstractions。　　The　Assembly　contained　orators　who　possessed　an

immensely　superior　talent；　such　as　Danton　and　the　Girondists；　yet

it　was　Robespierre　who　destroyed　them。



We　have　really　no　acceptable　explanation　of　the　ascendancy　which

the　dictator　finally　obtained。　　Without　influence　in　the　National

Assembly；　he　gradually　became　the　master　of　the　Convention　and　of

the　Jacobins。　　‘‘When　he　reached　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety

he　was　already；''　said　Billaud…Varennes；　‘‘the　most　important

person　in　France。''



‘‘His　history；''　writes　Michelet；　‘‘is　prodigious；　far　more

marvellous　than　that　of　Bonaparte。　　The　threads；　the　wheels；　the

preparation　of　forces；　are　far　less　visible。　　It　is　an　honest

man；　an　austere　but　pious　figure；　of　middling　talents；　that

shoots　up　one　morning；　borne　upward　by　I　know　not　what　cataclysm。　

There　is　nothing　like　it　in　the　Arabian　Nights。　　And　in　a　moment

he　goes　higher　than　the　throne。　　He　is　set　upon　the　altar。　

Astonishing　story！''



Certainly　circumstances　helped　him　considerably。　　People　turned

to　him　as　to　the　master　of　whom　all　felt　the　need。　　But　then　he

was　already　there；　and　what　we　wish　to　discover　is　the　cause　of

his　rapid　ascent。　　I　would　willingly　suppose　in　him　the　existence

of　a　species　of　personal　fascination　which　escapes　us　to…day。　

His　successes　with　women　might　be　quoted　in　support　of　this

theory。　　On　the　days　when　he　speaks　‘‘the　passages　are　choked

with　women　。　。　。　there　are　seven　or　eight　hundred　in　the

tribunes；　and　with　what　transports　they　applaud！　　At　the

Jacobins；　when　he　speaks　there　are　sobs　and　cries　of　emotion；　and

men　stamp　as　though　they　would　bring　the　hall　down。''　　A　young

widow；　Mme。　de　Chalabre；　possessed　of　sixteen　hundred　pounds　a

year；　sends　him　burning　love…letters　and　is　eager　to　marry　him。



We　cannot　seek　in　his　character　for　the　causes　of　his　popularity。　

A　hypochondriac　by　temperament；　of　mediocre　intelligence；

incapable　of　grasping　realities；　confined　to　abstractions；　crafty

and　dissimulating；　his　prevailing　note　was　an　excessive　pride

which　increased　until　his　last　day。　　High　priest　of　a　new　faith；

he　believed　himself　sent　on　earth　by　God　to　establish　the　

reign　of　virtue。　　He　received　writings　stating　‘‘that　he　

was　the　Messiah　whom　the　Eternal　Being　had　promised　to　reform　

the　world。''



Full　of　literary　pretensions；　he　laboriously　polished　his

speeches。　　His　profound　jealousy　of　other　orators　or　men　of

letters；　such　as　Camille　Desmoulins；　caused　their　death。



‘‘Those　who　were　particularly　the　objects　of　the　tyrant's　rage；''

writes　the　author　already　cited；　‘‘were　the　men　of　letters。　　With

regard　to　them　the　jealousy　of　a　colleague　was　mingled　with　the

fury　of　the　oppressor；　for　the　hatred　with　which　he　persecuted

them　was　caused　less　by　their　resistance　to　his　despotism　than　by

their　talents；　which　eclipsed　his。''



The　contempt　of　the　dictator　for　his　colleagues　was　immense　and

almost　unconcealed。　　Giving　audience　to　Barras　at　the　hour　of　his

toilet；　he　finished　shaving；　spitting　in　the　direction　of　his

colleague　as　though　he　did　not　exist；　and　disdaining　to　reply　to

his　questions。



He　regarded　the　bourgeoisie　and　the　deputies　with　the　same

hateful　disdain。　　Only　the　multitude　found　grace　in　his　eyes。　

‘‘When　the　sovereign　people　exercises　its　power；''　he　said；　‘‘we

can　only　bow　before　it。　　In　all　it　does　all　is　virtue　and　truth；

and　no　excess；　error；　or　crime　is　possible。''



Robespierre　suffered　from　the　persecution　mania。　　That　he　had

others'　heads　cut　off　was　not　only　because　he　had　a　mission　as　an

apostle；　but　because　he　believed　himself　hemmed　in　by　enemies　and

conspirators。　　‘‘Great　as　was　the　cowardice　of　his　colleagues

where　he　was　concerned；''　writes　M。　Sorel；　‘‘the　fear　he　had　of

them　was　still　greater。''



His　dictatorship；　absolute　during　five　months；　is　a　striking

example　of　the　power　of　certain　leaders。　　We　can　understand　that

a　tyrant　backed　by　an　army　can　easily　destroy　whom　he　pleases；

but　that　a　single　man　should　succeed　in　sending　to　death　a　large

number　of　his　equals　is　a　thing　that　is　not　easily　explained。



The　power　of　Robespierre　was　so　absolute　that　he　was　able　to　send

to　the　Tribunal；　and　therefore　to　the　scaffold；　the　most　eminent

deputies：　Desmoulins；　Hebert；　Danton；　and　many　another。　　The

brilliant　Girondists　melted　away　before　him。　　He　attacked　even

the　terrible　Commune；　guillotined　its　leaders；　and　replaced　it　by

a　new　Commune　obedient　to　his　orders。



In　order　to　rid　himself　more　quickly　of　the　men　who　displeased

him　he　induced　the　Convention　to　enact　the　law　of　Prairial；　which

permitted　the　execution　of　mere　suspects；　and　by　means　of　which

he　had　1；373　heads　cut　off　in　Paris　in　forty…nine　days。　　His

colleagues；　the　victims　of　an　insane　terror；　no　longer　slept　at

home；　scarcely　a　hundred　deputies　were　present　at　sessions。　

David　said：　　‘‘I　do　not　believe　twenty　of　us　members　of　the

Mountain　will　be　left。''



It　was　his　very　excess　of　confidence　in　his　own　powers　and　in　the

cowardice　of　the　Convention　that　lost　Robespierre　his　life。　

Having　attempted　to　make　them　vote　a　measure　which　would　permit

deputies　to　be　sent　before　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　which

meant　the　scaffold；　without　the　authorisation　of　the　Assembly；　on

an　order　from　the　governing　Committee；　several　Montagnards

conspired　with　some　members　of　the　Plain　to　overthrow　him。　

Tallien；　knowing　himself　marked　down　for　early　execution；　and

having　therefore　nothing　to　lose；　accused　him　loudly　of　tyranny。　

Robespierre　wished　to　defend　himself　by　reading　a　speech　which　he

had　long　had　in　hand；　but　he　learned　to　his　cost　that　although　it

is　possible　to　destroy　men　in　the　name　of　logic　it　is　not

possible　to　lead　an　assembly　by　means　of　logic。　　The

shouts　of　the　conspirators　drowned　his　voice；　the　cry　‘‘Down　with

the　tyrant！''　quickly　repeated；　thanks　to　mental　contagion；　by

many　of　the　members　present；　was　enough　to　complete　his　downfall。　

Without　losing　a　moment　the　Assembly　decreed　his　accusation。



The　Commune　having　wished　to　save　him；　the　Assembly　outlawed　him。　

Struck　by　this　magic　formula；　he　was　definitely　lost。



‘‘This　cry　of　outlawry；''　writes　Williams；　‘‘at　this　period

produced　the　same　effect　on　a　Frenchman　as　the　cry　of　pestilence；

the　outlaw　became　civilly　excommunicated；　and　it　was　as　though

men　believed　that　they　would　be　contaminated　passing　through　the

air　which　he　had　breathed。　　Such　was　the　effect　it　produced　upon

the　gunners　who　had　trained　their　cannon　against　the　Convention。　

Without　receiving　further　orders；　merely　on　hearing　that　the

Commune　was　‘outside　the　law；'　they　immediately　turned　their

batteries　about。''



Robespierre　and　all　his　bandSaint…Just；　the　president　of　the

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　the　mayor　of　the　Commune；　&c。；were

guillotined　on　the　10th　of　Thermidor　to　the　number　of　twenty…one。



Their　execution　was　followed　on　the　morrow　by　a　fresh　batch　of

seventy　Jacobins；　and　on　the　next　day　by　thirteen。　　The　Terror；

which　had　lasted　ten　months；　was　at　an　end。



The　downfall　of　the　Jacobin　edifice　in　Thermidor　is　one　of　the

most　curious　psychological　events　of　the　revolutionary　period。　

None　of　the　Montagnards　who　had　worked　for　the　downfall　of

Robespierre　had　for　a　moment　dreamed　that　it　would　m