the crowd-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


de。

〃How　is　it　silence　is　not　kept？　　Why　this　general　inattention？　What　are　those　Deputies　thinking　about　who　are　engaged　in　conversation？　　What　urgent　motive　has　induced　this　or　that　Deputy　to　quit　his　seat？

〃An　expression　of　uneasiness　crosses　his　face；　he　frowns　and　stops。　　Encouraged　by　the　President；　he　begins　again；　raising　his　voice。　　He　is　only　listened　to　all　the　less。　　He　lends　emphasis　to　his　words；　and　gesticulates：　the　noise　around　him　increases。　He　can　no　longer　hear　himself；　and　again　stops；　finally；　afraid　that　his　silence　may　provoke　the　dreaded　cry；　‘The　Closure！'　he　starts　off　again。　　The　clamour　becomes　unbearable。〃


When　parliamentary　assemblies　reach　a　certain　pitch　of　excitement　they　become　identical　with　ordinary　heterogeneous　crowds；　and　their　sentiments　in　consequence　present　the　peculiarity　of　being　always　extreme。　　They　will　be　seen　to　commit　acts　of　the　greatest　heroism　or　the　worst　excesses。　　The　individual　is　no　longer　himself；　and　so　entirely　is　this　the　case　that　he　will　vote　measures　most　adverse　to　his　personal　interests。

The　history　of　the　French　Revolution　shows　to　what　an　extent　assemblies　are　capable　of　losing　their　self…consciousness；　and　of　obeying　suggestions　most　contrary　to　their　interests。　　It　was　an　enormous　sacrifice　for　the　nobility　to　renounce　its　privileges；　yet　it　did　so　without　hesitation　on　a　famous　night　during　the　sittings　of　the　Constituant　Assembly。　　By　renouncing　their　inviolability　the　men　of　the　Convention　placed　themselves　under　a　perpetual　menace　of　death　and　yet　they　took　this　step；　and　were　not　afraid　to　decimate　their　own　ranks；　though　perfectly　aware　that　the　scaffold　to　which　they　were　sending　their　colleagues　to…day　might　be　their　own　fate　to…morrow。　　The　truth　is　they　had　attained　to　that　completely　automatic　state　which　I　have　described　elsewhere；　and　no　consideration　would　hinder　them　from　yielding　to　the　suggestions　by　which　they　were　hypnotised。　　The　following　passage　from　the　memoirs　of　one　of　them；　Billaud…Varennes；　is　absolutely　typical　on　this　score：　　〃The　decisions　with　which　we　have　been　so　reproached；〃　he　says；　〃WERE　NOT　DESIRED　BY　US　TWO　DAYS；　A　SINGLE　DAY　BEFORE　THEY　WERE　TAKEN：　IT　WAS　THE　CRISIS　AND　NOTHING　ELSE　THAT　GAVE　RISE　TO　THEM。〃　Nothing　can　be　more　accurate。

The　same　phenomena　of　unconsciousness　were　to　be　witnessed　during　all　the　stormy　sittings　of　the　Convention。


〃They　approved　and　decreed　measures；〃　says　Taine；　〃which　they　held　in　horrormeasures　which　were　not　only　stupid　and　foolish；　but　measures　that　were　crimesthe　murder　of　innocent　men；　the　murder　of　their　friends。　　The　Left；　supported　by　the　Right；　unanimously　and　amid　loud　applause；　sent　to　the　scaffold　Danton；　its　natural　chief；　and　the　great　promoter　and　leader　of　the　Revolution。　　Unanimously　and　amid　the　greatest　applause　the　Right；　supported　by　the　Left；　votes　the　worst　decrees　of　the　revolutionary　government。　　Unanimously　and　amid　cries　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm；　amid　demonstrations　of　passionate　sympathy　for　Collot　d'Herbois；　Couthon；　and　Robespierre；　the　Convention　by　spontaneous　and　repeated　re…elections　keeps　in　office　the　homicidal　government　which　the　Plain　detests　because　it　is　homicidal；　and　the　Mountain　detests　because　it　is　decimated　by　it。　　The　Plain　and　the　Mountain；　the　majority　and　the　minority；　finish　by　consenting　to　help　on　their　own　suicide。　　The　22　Prairial　the　entire　Convention　offered　itself　to　the　executioner；　the　8　Thermidor；　during　the　first　quarter　of　an　hour　that　followed　Robespierre's　speech；　it　did　the　same　thing　again。〃

This　picture　may　appear　sombre。　　Yet　it　is　accurate。　Parliamentary　assemblies；　sufficiently　excited　and　hypnotised；　offer　the　same　characteristics。　　They　become　an　unstable　flock；　obedient　to　every　impulsion。　　The　following　description　of　the　Assembly　of　1848　is　due　to　M。　Spuller；　a　parliamentarian　whose　faith　in　democracy　is　above　suspicion。　　I　reproduce　it　from　the　Revue　litteraire；　and　it　is　thoroughly　typical。　　It　offers　an　example　of　all　the　exaggerated　sentiments　which　I　have　described　as　characteristic　of　crowds；　and　of　that　excessive　changeableness　which　permits　of　assemblies　passing；　from　moment　to　moment；　from　one　set　of　sentiments　to　another　entirely　opposite。


〃The　Republican　party　was　brought　to　its　perdition　by　its　divisions；　its　jealousies；　its　suspicions；　and；　in　turn；　its　blind　confidence　and　its　limitless　hopes。　　Its　ingenuousness　and　candour　were　only　equalled　by　its　universal　mistrust。　　An　absence　of　all　sense　of　legality；　of　all　comprehension　of　discipline；　together　with　boundless　terrors　and　illusions；　the　peasant　and　the　child　are　on　a　level　in　these　respects。　　Their　calm　is　as　great　as　their　impatience；　their　ferocity　is　equal　to　their　docility。　　This　condition　is　the　natural　consequence　of　a　temperament　that　is　not　formed　and　of　the　lack　of　education。　Nothing　astonishes　such　persons；　and　everything　disconcerts　them。　Trembling　with　fear　or　brave　to　the　point　of　heroism；　they　would　go　through　fire　and　water　or　fly　from　a　shadow。

〃They　are　ignorant　of　cause　and　effect　and　of　the　connecting　links　between　events。　　They　are　as　promptly　discouraged　as　they　are　exalted；　they　are　subject　to　every　description　of　panic；　they　are　always　either　too　highly　strung　or　too　downcast；　but　never　in　the　mood　or　the　measure　the　situation　would　require。　　More　fluid　than　water　they　reflect　every　line　and　assume　every　shape。　　What　sort　of　a　foundation　for　a　government　can　they　be　expected　to　supply？〃


Fortunately　all　the　characteristics　just　described　as　to　be　met　with　in　parliamentary　assemblies　are　in　no　wise　constantly　displayed。　　Such　assemblies　only　constitute　crowds　at　certain　moments。　　The　individuals　composing　them　retain　their　individuality　in　a　great　number　of　cases；　which　explains　how　it　is　that　an　assembly　is　able　to　turn　out　excellent　technical　laws。　It　is　true　that　the　author　of　these　laws　is　a　specialist　who　has　prepared　them　in　the　quiet　of　his　study；　and　that　in　reality　the　law　voted　is　the　work　of　an　individual　and　not　of　an　assembly。　These　laws　are　naturally　the　best。　　They　are　only　liable　to　have　disastrous　results　when　a　series　of　amendments　has　converted　them　into　the　outcome　of　a　collective　effort。　　The　work　of　a　crowd　is　always　inferior；　whatever　its　nature；　to　that　of　an　isolated　individual。　　It　is　specialists　who　safeguard　assemblies　from　passing　ill…advised　or　unworkable　measures。　　The　specialist　in　this　case　is　a　temporary　leader　of　crowds。　　The　Assembly　is　without　influence　on　him；　but　he　has　influence　over　the　Assembly。

In　spite　of　all　the　difficulties　attending　their　working；　parliamentary　assemblies　are　the　best　form　of　government　mankind　has　discovered　as　yet；　and　more　especially　the　best　means　it　has　found　to　escape　the　yoke　of　personal　tyrannies。　　They　constitute　assuredly　the　ideal　government　at　any　rate　for　philosophers；　thinkers；　writers；　artists；　and　learned　menin　a　word；　for　all　those　who　form　the　cream　of　a　civilisation。

Moreover；　in　reality　they　only　present　two　serious　dangers；　one　being　inevitable　financial　waste；　and　the　other　the　progressive　restriction　of　the　liberty　of　the　individual。

The　first　of　these　dangers　is　the　necessary　consequence　of　the　exigencies　and　want　of　foresight　of　electoral　crowds。　　Should　a　member　of　an　assembly　propose　a　measure　giving　apparent　satisfaction　to　democratic　ideas；　should　he　bring　in　a　Bill；　for　instance；　to　assure　old…age　pensions　to　all　workers；　and　to　increase　the　wages　of　any　class　of　State　employes；　the　other　Deputies；　victims　of　suggestion　in　their　dread　of　their　electors；　will　not　venture　to　seem　to　disregard　the　interests　of　the　latter　by　rejecting　the　proposed　measure；　although　well　aware　they　are　imposing　a　fresh　strain　on　the　Budget　and　necessitating　the　creation　of　new　taxes。　　It　is　impossible　for　them　to　hesitate　to　give　their　votes。　　The　consequences　of　the　increase　of　expenditure　are　remote　and　will　not　entail　disagreeable　consequences　for　them　personally；　while　the　consequences　of　a　negative　vote　might　clearly　come　to　light　when　they　next　present　themselves　for　re…election。

In　addition　to　this　first　cause　of　an　exaggerated　expenditure　there　is　another　not　less　imperativethe　necessity　of　voting　all　grants　for　local　purposes。　　A　Deputy　is　unable　to　oppose　grants　of　this　kind　because　they　represent　once　more　the　exigencies　of　the　electors；　and　because　each　individual　Deputy　can　only　obtain　what　he　requires　for　his　own　constituency　on　the　condition　of　acceding　to　similar　demands　on　the　part　of　his　colleagues。＇29＇


＇29＇　In　its　issue　of　April　6；　1895；　the　Economiste　published　a　curious　review　of　the　figures　that　may　be　reached　by　expenditure　caused　solely　by　electoral　considerations；　and　notably　of　the　outlay　on　railways。　　To　put　Langayes　（a　town　of　3；000　inhabitants；　situated　on　a　mountain）　in　communication　with　Puy；　a　railway　is　voted　that　will　cost　15　millions　of　francs。　　Seven　millions　are　to　be　spent　to　put　Beaumont　（3；500　inhabitants）　in　communication　with　Castel…Sarrazin；　7　millions　to　put　Oust　（a　village　of　523　inhabitants）　in　communication　with　Seix　（1；200　inhabitants）；　6　millions　to　put　Prade　in　communication　with　the　hamlet　of　Olette　（747　inhabitants）；　&c。　　In　1895　alone　90　millions　of　fr