the psychology of revolution-第34章

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None　of　the　Montagnards　who　had　worked　for　the　downfall　of

Robespierre　had　for　a　moment　dreamed　that　it　would　mark　the　end

of　the　Terror。



Tallien；　Barras；　Fouche；　&c。；　overthrew　Robespierre　as　he　had

overthrown　Hebert；　Danton；　the　Girondists；　and　many　others。　

But　when　the　acclamations　of　the　crowd　told　them　that　the　death

of　Robespierre　was　regarded　as　having　put　an　end　to　the　Terror

they　acted　as　though　such　had　been　their　intention。　　They　were

the　more　obliged　to　do　so　in　that　the　Plainthat　is；　the　great

majority　of　the　Assemblywhich　had　allowed　itself　to　be

decimated　by　Robespierre；　now　rebelled　furiously　against　the

system　it　had　so　long　acclaimed　even　while　it　abhorred　it。　

Nothing　is　more　terrible　than　a　body　of　men　who　have　been　afraid

and　are　afraid　no　longer。　　The　Plain　revenged　itself　for　being

terrorised　by　the　Mountain；　and　terrorised　that　body　in　turn。



The　servility　of　the　colleagues　of　Robespierre　in　the　Convention

was　by　no　means　based　upon　any　feeling　of　sympathy　for　him。　　The

dictator　filled　them　with　an　unspeakable　alarm；　but　beneath　the

marks　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm　which　they　lavished　on　him　out

of　fear　was　concealed　an　intense　hatred。　　We　can　gather　as　much

by　reading　the　reports　of　various　deputies　inserted　in　the

Moniteur　of　August　11；　15；　and　29；　1794；　and　notably　that　on

‘‘the　conspiracy　of　the　triumvirs；　Robespierre；　Couthon；　and

Saint…Just。''　　Never　did　slaves　heap　such　invectives　on　a　fallen

master。



We　learn　that　‘‘these　monsters　had　for　some　time　been　renewing

the　most　horrible　prescriptions　of　Marius　and　Sulla。''　

Robespierre　is　represented　as　a　most　frightful　scoundrel；　we　are

assured　that　‘‘like　Caligula；　he　would　soon　have　asked　the　French

people　to　worship　his　horse　。　。　。　　He　sought　security　in

the　execution　of　all　who　aroused　his　slightest　suspicion。''



These　reports　forget　to　add　that　the　power　of　Robespierre

obtained　no　support；　as　did　that　of　the　Marius　and　Sulla　to　whom

they　allude；　from　a　powerful　army；　but　merely　from　the　repeated

adhesion　of　the　members　of　the　Convention。　　Without　their　

extreme　timidity　the　power　of　the　dictator　could　not　have　lasted

a　single　day。



Robespierre　was　one　of　the　most　odious　tyrants　of　history；　but　he

is　distinguished　from　all　others　in　that　he　made　himself　a　tyrant

without　soldiers。



We　may　sum　up　his　doctrines　by　saying　that　he　was　the　most

perfect　incarnation；　save　perhaps　Saint…Just；　of　the　Jacobin

faith；　in　all　its　narrow　logic；　its　intense　mysticism；　and　its

inflexible　rigidity。　　He　has　admirers　even　to…day。　　M。　Hamel

describes　him　as　‘‘the　martyr　of　Thermidor。''　　There　has　been

some　talk　of　erecting　a　monument　to　him。　　I　would　willingly

subscribe　to　such　a　purpose；　feeling　that　it　is　useful　to

preserve　proofs　of　the　blindness　of　the　crowd；　and　of　the

extraordinary　docility　of　which　an　assembly　is　capable　when　the

leader　knows　how　to　handle　it。　　His　statue　would　recall　the

passionate　cries　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm　with　which　the

Convention　acclaimed　the　most　threatening　measures　of　the

dictator；　on　the　very　eve　of　the　day　when　it　was　about　to　cast

him　down。





4。　　Fouquier…Tinville；　Marat；　Billaud…Varenne；　&c。





I　shall　devote　a　paragraph　to　certain　revolutionists　who　were

famous　for　the　development　of　their　most　sanguinary　instincts。　

Their　ferocity　was　complicated　by　other　sentiments；　by

fear　and　hatred；　which　could　but　fortify　it。



Fouquier…Tinville；　the　public　prosecutor　of　the　Revolutionary

Tribunal；　was　one　of　those　who　have　left　the　most　sinister

memories。　　This　magistrate；　formerly　reputed　for　his　kindness；

and　who　became　the　bloodthirsty　creature　whose　memory　evokes　such

repulsion；　has　already　served　me　as　an　example　in　other　works；

when　I　have　wished　to　show　the　transformation　of　certain　natures

in　time　of　revolution。



Needy　in　the　extreme　at　the　moment　of　the　fall　of　the　monarchy；

he　had　everything　to　hope　from　a　social　upheaval　and　nothing　to

lose。　　He　was　one　of　those　men　whom　a　period　of　disorder　will

always　find　ready　to　sustain　it。



The　Convention　abandoned　its　powers　to　him。　　He　had　to　pronounce

upon　the　fate　of　nearly　two　thousand　accused；　among　whom　were

Marie…Antoinette；　the　Girondists；　Danton；　Hebert；　&c。　　He　had

all　the　suspects　brought　before　him　executed；　and　did　not　scruple

to　betray　his　former　protectors。　　As　soon　as　one　of　them　fell

into　his　powerCamille　Desmoulins；　Danton；　or　anotherhe　would

plead　against　him。



Fouquier…Tinville　had　a　very　inferior　mind；　which　the　Revolution

brought　to　the　top。　　Under　normal　conditions；　hedged　about　by

professional　rules；　his　destiny　would　have　been　that　of　a

peaceable　and　obscure　magistrate。　　This　was　precisely　the　lot　of

his　deputy；　or　substitute；　at　the　Tribunal；　Gilbert…Liendon。　

‘‘He　should；''　writes　M。　Durel；　‘‘have　inspired　the　same　horror

as　his　colleague；　yet　he　completed　his　career　in　the　upper　ranks

of　the　Imperial　magistracy。''



One　of　the　great　benefits　of　an　organised　society　is　that　it　does

restrain　these　dangerous　characters；　whom　nothing　but　social

restraints　can　hold。



Fouquier…Tinville　died　without　understanding　why　he　was

condemned；　and　from　the　revolutionary　point　of　view　his

condemnation　was　not　justifiable。　　Had　he　not　merely　zealously

executed　the　orders　of　his　superiors？　　It　is　impossible　to　class

him　with　the　representatives　who　were　sent　into　the　provinces；

who　could　not　be　supervised。　　The　delegates　of　the　Convention

examined　all　his　sentences　and　approved　of　them　up　to　the　last。　

If　his　cruelty　and　his　summary　fashion　of　trying　the　prisoners

before　him　had　not　been　encouraged　by　his　chiefs；　he　could　not

have　remained　in　power。　　In　condemning　Fouquier…Tinville；　the

Convention　condemned　its　own　frightful　system　of　government。　　It

understood　this　fact；　and　sent　to　the　scaffold　a　number　of

Terrorists　whom　Fouquier…Tinville　had　merely　served　as　a　faithful

agent。



Beside　Fouquier…Tinville　we　may　set　Dumas；　who　presided　over　the

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　and　who　also　displayed　an　excessive

cruelty；　which　was　whetted　by　an　intense　fear。　　He　never　went　out

without　two　loaded　pistols；　barricaded　himself　in　his　house；　and

only　spoke　to　visitors　through　a　wicket。　　His　distrust　of

everybody；　including　his　own　wife；　was　absolute。　　He　even

imprisoned　the　latter；　and　was　about　to　have　her　executed　when

Thermidor　arrived。



Among　the　men　whom　the　Convention　brought　to　light；　Billaud…

Varenne　was　one　of　the　wildest　and；　most　brutal。　　He　may　be

regarded　as　a　perfect　type　of　bestial　ferocity。



‘‘In　these　hours　of　fruitful　anger　and　heroic　anguish　he

remained　calm；　acquitting　himself　methodically　of　his　taskand

it　was　a　frightful　task：　he　appeared　officially　at　the　massacres

of　the　Abbaye；　congratulated　the　assassins；　and　promised　them

money；　upon　which　he　went　home　as　if　he　had　merely　been　taking　a

walk。　　We　see　him　as　president　of　the　Jacobin　Club；　president　of

the　Convention；　and　member　of　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　he

drags　the　Girondists　to　the　scaffold：　he　drags　the　queen　thither；

and　his　former　patron；　Danton；　said　of　him；　‘Billaud　has　a　dagger

under　his　tongue。'　　He　approves　of　the　cannonades　at　Lyons；　the

drownings　at　Nantes；　the　massacres　at　Arras；　he　organises　the

pitiless　commission　of　Orange；　he　is　concerned　in　the　laws　of

Prairial；　he　eggs　on　Fouquier…Tinville；　on　all　decrees　of　death

is　his　name；　often　the　first；　he　signs　before　his　colleagues；　he

is　without　pity；　without　emotion；　without　enthusiasm；　when　others

are　frightened；　hesitate；　and　draw　back；　he　goes　his　way；

speaking　in　turgid　sentences；　‘shaking　his　lion's　mane'for　to

make　his　cold　and　impassive　face　more　in　harmony　with　the

exuberance　that　surrounds　him　he　now　decks　himself　in　a　yellow

wig　which　would　make　one　laugh　were　it　on　any　but　the　sinister

head　of　Billaud…Varenne。　　When　Robespierre；　Saint…Just；　and

Couthon　are　threatened　in　turn；　he　deserts　them　and　goes　over　to

the　enemy；　and　pushes　them　under　the　knife。　。　。　。　　Why？　　What　is

his　aim？　　No　one　knows；　he　is　not　in　any　way　ambitious；　he

desires　neither　power　nor　money。''



I　do　not　think　it　would　be　difficult　to　answer　why。　　The　thirst

for　blood；　of　which　we　have　already　spoken；　and　which　is　very

common　among　certain　criminals；　perfectly　explains　the

conduct　of　Billaud…Varennes。　　Bandits　of　this　type　kill　for　the

sake　of　killing；　as　sportsmen　shoot　gamefor　the　very　pleasure

of　exercising　their　taste　for　destruction。　　In　ordinary　times　men

endowed　with　these　homicidal　tendencies　refrain；　generally　from

fear　of　the　policeman　and　the　scaffold。　　When　they　are　able　to

give　them　free　vent　nothing　can　stop　them。　　Such　was　the　case

with　Billaud…Varenne　and　many　others。



The　psychology　of　Marat　is　rather　more　complicated；　not　only

because　his　craving　for　murder　was　combined　with　other　elements

wounded　self…love；　ambition；　mystic　beliefs；　&c。but　also

because　we　must　regard　him　as　a　semi…lunatic；　affected　by

megalomania；　and　haunted　by　fixed　ideas。



Before　the　Revolution　he　had　advanced　great　scientific

pretensions；　but　no　one　attached　much　importance　to　his

maunderings。　　Dreaming　of　place　and　honour；　he　had　only　obtained

a　very　subordinate　situation　in　the　household　of　a　great　noble。　

The　Revolution　opened　up　an　unhoped…for　future。　　Swollen　with

hatred　of　the　old　social　system　which　had　not　recognised　his

merits；　he　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　most　violent　section　of

the　people。　　Having　publicly　glorified　the　massacres　of

September；　he　founded　a　journal　which　denounced　everybody　and

clamoured　incessantly　for　executions。



Speaking　continually　of　the　interests　of　the　people；　Marat　became

their　idol。　　The　majority　of　his　colleagues　heartily　despised

him。　　Had　he　escaped　the　knife　of　Charlotte　Corday；　he　certainly

would　not　have　escaped　that　of　the　guillotine。





5。　　The　Destiny　of　those　Members　of　the　Convention　who　survived

the　Revolution。





Beside　the　members　of　the　Convention　whose　psychology　presents

particular　characteristics　there　were　othersBarras；　Fouche；

Tallien；　Merlin　de　Thionville；　&c。completely　devoid　of

principles　or　belief；　who　only　sought　to　enrich　themselves。



They　sought　to　build　up　enormous　fortunes　out　of　the　public

misery。　　In　ordinary　times　they　would　have　been　qualified　as

simple　scoundrels；　but　in　periods　of　revolution　all　standards

of　vice　and　virtue　seem　to　disappear。



Although　a　few　Jacobins　remained　fanatics；　the　majority　renounced

their　convictions　as　soon　as　they　had　obtained　riches；　and　became

the　faithful　courtiers　of　Napoleon。　　Cambaceres；　who；　on

addressing　Louis　XVI。　in　prison；　called　him　Louis　Capet；　under

the　Empire　required　his　friends　to　call　him　‘‘Highness''　in

public　and　‘‘Monseigneur''　in　private；　thus　displaying　the

envious　feeling　which　accompanied　the　craving　for　equality　in

many　of　the　Jacobin