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Deeply　conscious　of　the　importance　of　their　duty；　they　begin　by　forming　a　sort　of　tribunal；　and　in　connection　with　this　act　the　ingenuousness　of　crowds　and　their　rudimentary　conception　of　justice　are　seen　immediately。　　In　consideration　of　the　large　number　of　the　accused；　it　is　decided　that；　to　begin　with；　the　nobles；　priests；　officers；　and　members　of　the　king's　householdin　a　word；　all　the　individuals　whose　mere　profession　is　proof　of　their　guilt　in　the　eyes　of　a　good　patriotshall　be　slaughtered　in　a　body；　there　being　no　need　for　a　special　decision　in　their　case。　　The　remainder　shall　be　judged　on　their　personal　appearance　and　their　reputation。　　In　this　way　the　rudimentary　conscience　of　the　crowd　is　satisfied。　　It　will　now　be　able　to　proceed　legally　with　the　massacre；　and　to　give　free　scope　to　those　instincts　of　ferocity　whose　genesis　I　have　set　forth　elsewhere；　they　being　instincts　which　collectivities　always　have　it　in　them　to　develop　to　a　high　degree。　　These　instincts；　howeveras　is　regularly　the　case　in　crowdswill　not　prevent　the　manifestation　of　other　and　contrary　sentiments；　such　as　a　tenderheartedness　often　as　extreme　as　the　ferocity。

〃They　have　the　expansive　sympathy　and　prompt　sensibility　of　the　Parisian　working　man。　　At　the　Abbaye；　one　of　the　federates；　learning　that　the　prisoners　had　been　left　without　water　for　twenty…six　hours；　was　bent　on　putting　the　gaoler　to　death；　and　would　have　done　so　but　for　the　prayers　of　the　prisoners　themselves。　　When　a　prisoner　is　acquitted　（by　the　improvised　tribunal）　every　one；　guards　and　slaughterers　included；　embraces　him　with　transports　of　joy　and　applauds　frantically；〃　after　which　the　wholesale　massacre　is　recommenced。　　During　its　progress　a　pleasant　gaiety　never　ceases　to　reign。　　There　is　dancing　and　singing　around　the　corpses；　and　benches　are　arranged　〃for　the　ladies；〃　delighted　to　witness　the　killing　of　aristocrats。　　The　exhibition　continues；　moreover；　of　a　special　description　of　justice。

A　slaughterer　at　the　Abbaye　having　complained　that　the　ladies　placed　at　a　little　distance　saw　badly；　and　that　only　a　few　of　those　present　had　the　pleasure　of　striking　the　aristocrats；　the　justice　of　the　observation　is　admitted；　and　it　is　decided　that　the　victims　shall　be　made　to　pass　slowly　between　two　rows　of　slaughterers；　who　shall　be　under　the　obligation　to　strike　with　the　back　of　the　sword　only　so　as　to　prolong　the　agony。　　At　the　prison　de　la　Force　the　victims　are　stripped　stark　naked　and　literally　〃carved〃　for　half　an　hour；　after　which；　when　every　one　has　had　a　good　view；　they　are　finished　off　by　a　blow　that　lays　bare　their　entrails。

The　slaughterers；　too；　have　their　scruples　and　exhibit　that　moral　sense　whose　existence　in　crowds　we　have　already　pointed　out。　They　refuse　to　appropriate　the　money　and　jewels　of　the　victims；　taking　them　to　the　table　of　the　committees。

Those　rudimentary　forms　of　reasoning；　characteristic　of　the　mind　of　crowds；　are　always　to　be　traced　in　all　their　acts。　　Thus；　after　the　slaughter　of　the　1；200　or　1；500　enemies　of　the　nation；　some　one　makes　the　remark；　and　his　suggestion　is　at　once　adopted；　that　the　other　prisons；　those　containing　aged　beggars；　vagabonds；　and　young　prisoners；　hold　in　reality　useless　mouths；　of　which　it　would　be　well　on　that　account　to　get　rid。　　Besides；　among　them　there　should　certainly　be　enemies　of　the　people；　a　woman　of　the　name　of　Delarue；　for　instance；　the　widow　of　a　poisoner：　　〃She　must　be　furious　at　being　in　prison；　if　she　could　she　would　set　fire　to　Paris：　she　must　have　said　so；　she　has　said　so。　　Another　good　riddance。〃　　The　demonstration　appears　convincing；　and　the　prisoners　are　massacred　without　exception；　included　in　the　number　being　some　fifty　children　of　from　twelve　to　seventeen　years　of　age；　who；　of　course；　might　themselves　have　become　enemies　of　the　nation；　and　of　whom　in　consequence　it　was　clearly　well　to　be　rid。

At　the　end　of　a　week's　work；　all　these　operations　being　brought　to　an　end；　the　slaughterers　can　think　of　reposing　themselves。　Profoundly　convinced　that　they　have　deserved　well　of　their　country；　they　went　to　the　authorities　and　demanded　a　recompense。　The　most　zealous　went　so　far　as　to　claim　a　medal。

The　history　of　the　Commune　of　1871　affords　several　facts　analogous　to　those　which　precede。　　Given　the　growing　influence　of　crowds　and　the　successive　capitulations　before　them　of　those　in　authority；　we　are　destined　to　witness　many　others　of　a　like　nature。


CHAPTER　III

CRIMINAL　JURIES

Criminal　juriesGeneral　characteristics　of　juriesstatistics　show　that　their　decisions　are　independent　of　their　compositionThe　manner　in　which　an　impression　may　be　made　on　juriesThe　style　and　influence　of　argumentThe　methods　of　persuasion　of　celebrated　counselThe　nature　of　those　crimes　for　which　juries　are　respectively　indulgent　or　severeThe　utility　of　the　jury　as　an　institution；　and　the　danger　that　would　result　from　its　place　being　taken　by　magistrates。


Being　unable　to　study　here　every　category　of　jury；　I　shall　only　examine　the　most　importantthat　of　the　juries　of　the　Court　of　Assize。　　These　juries　afford　an　excellent　example　of　the　heterogeneous　crowd　that　is　not　anonymous。　　We　shall　find　them　display　suggestibility　and　but　slight　capacity　for　reasoning；　while　they　are　open　to　the　influence　of　the　leaders　of　crowds；　and　they　are　guided　in　the　main　by　unconscious　sentiments。　　In　the　course　of　this　investigation　we　shall　have　occasion　to　observe　some　interesting　examples　of　the　errors　that　may　be　made　by　persons　not　versed　in　the　psychology　of　crowds。

Juries；　in　the　first　place；　furnish　us　a　good　example　of　the　slight　importance　of　the　mental　level　of　the　different　elements　composing　a　crowd；　so　far　as　the　decisions　it　comes　to　are　concerned。　　We　have　seen　that　when　a　deliberative　assembly　is　called　upon　to　give　its　opinion　on　a　question　of　a　character　not　entirely　technical；　intelligence　stands　for　nothing。　　For　instance；　a　gathering　of　scientific　men　or　of　artists；　owing　to　the　mere　fact　that　they　form　an　assemblage；　will　not　deliver　judgments　on　general　subjects　sensibly　different　from　those　rendered　by　a　gathering　of　masons　or　grocers。　　At　various　periods；　and　in　particular　previous　to　1848；　the　French　administration　instituted　a　careful　choice　among　the　persons　summoned　to　form　a　jury；　picking　the　jurors　from　among　the　enlightened　classes；　choosing　professors；　functionaries；　men　of　letters；　&c。　　At　the　present　day　jurors　are　recruited　for　the　most　part　from　among　small　tradesmen；　petty　capitalists；　and　employes。　　Yet；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　specialist　writers；　whatever　the　composition　of　the　jury　has　been；　its　decisions　have　been　identical。　　Even　the　magistrates；　hostile　as　they　are　to　the　institution　of　the　jury；　have　had　to　recognise　the　exactness　of　the　assertion。　　M。　Berard　des　Glajeux；　a　former　President　of　the　Court　of　Assizes；　expresses　himself　on　the　subject　in　his　〃Memoirs〃　in　the　following　terms：


〃The　selection　of　jurymen　is　to…day　in　reality　in　the　hands　of　the　municipal　councillors；　who　put　people　down　on　the　list　or　eliminate　them　from　it　in　accordance　with　the　political　and　electoral　preoccupations　inherent　in　their　situation。　。　。　。　　The　majority　of　the　jurors　chosen　are　persons　engaged　in　trade；　but　persons　of　less　importance　than　formerly；　and　employes　belonging　to　certain　branches　of　the　administration。　。　。　。　　Both　opinions　and　professions　counting　for　nothing　once　the　role　of　judge　assumed；　many　of　the　jurymen　having　the　ardour　of　neophytes；　and　men　of　the　best　intentions　being　similarly　disposed　in　humble　situations；　the　spirit　of　the　jury　has　not　changed：　ITS　VERDICTS　HAVE　REMAINED　THE　SAME。〃


Of　the　passage　just　cited　the　conclusions；　which　are　just；　are　to　be　borne　in　mind　and　not　the　explanations；　which　are　weak。　　Too　much　astonishment　should　not　be　felt　at　this　weakness；　for；　as　a　rule；　counsel　equally　with　magistrates　seem　to　be　ignorant　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　and；　in　consequence；　of　juries。　　I　find　a　proof　of　this　statement　in　a　fact　related　by　the　author　just　quoted。　　He　remarks　that　Lachaud；　one　of　the　most　illustrious　barristers　practising　in　the　Court　of　Assize；　made　systematic　use　of　his　right　to　object　to　a　juror　in　the　case　of　all　individuals　of　intelligence　on　the　list。　　Yet　experienceand　experience　alonehas　ended　by　acquainting　us　with　the　utter　uselessness　of　these　objections。　　This　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　at　the　present　day　public　prosecutors　and　barristers；　at　any　rate　those　belonging　to　the　Parisian　bar；　have　entirely　renounced　their　right　to　object　to　a　juror；　still；　as　M。　des　Glajeux　remarks；　the　verdicts　have　not　changed；　〃they　are　neither　better　nor　worse。〃

Like　all　crowds；　juries　are　very　strongly　impressed　by　sentimental　considerations；　and　very　slightly　by　argument。　　〃They　cannot　resist　the　sight；〃　writes　a　barrister；　〃of　a　mother　giving　its　child　the　breast；　or　of　orphans。〃　　〃It　is　sufficient　that　a　woman　should　be　of　agreeable　appearance；〃　says　M。　des　Glajeux；　〃to　win　the　benevolence　of　the　jury。〃

Without　pity　for　crimes　of　which　it　appears　possible　they　might　themselves　be　the　victimssuch　crimes；　moreover；　are　the　most　dangerous　for　societyjuries；　on　the　contrary；　are　very　indulgent　in　the　case　of　breaches　of　the　law　whose　motive　is　passion。　　They　a