the psychology of revolution-第30节

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Directory　and　the　Convention；　which　issued　45；000；000；000　francs

in　this　form　（L1；800；000；000　sterling）；　that　an　assignat　of

100　livres　was　finally　worth　only　a　few　halfpence。



Stimulated　by　his　advisers；　the　feeble　Louis　attempted　in

vain　to　struggle　against　the　decrees　of　the　Assembly　by　refusing

to　sanction　them。



Under　the　influence　of　the　daily　suggestions　of　the　leaders　and

the　power　of　mental　contagion　the　revolutionary　movement　was

spreading　everywhere　independently　of　the　Assembly　and　often　even

against　it。



In　the　towns　and　villages　revolutionary　municipalities　were

instituted；　protected　by　the　local　National　Guards。　　Those　of

neighbouring　towns　commenced　to　make　mutual　arrangements　to

defend　themselves　should　need　arise。　　Thus　federations　were

formed；　which　were　soon　rolled　into　one；　this　sent　14；000

National　Guards　to　Paris；　who　assembled　on　the　Champ…de…Mars　on

the　14th　of　July；　1790。　　There　the　king　swore　to　maintain　the

Constitution　decreed　by　the　National　Assembly。



Despite　this　vain　oath　it　became　more　evident　every　day　that　no

agreement　was　possible　between　the　hereditary　principles　of　the

monarchy　and　those　proclaimed　by　the　Assembly。



Feeling　himself　completely　powerless；　the　king　thought　only　of

flight。　　Arrested　at　Varennes　and　brought　back　a　prisoner　to

Paris；　he　was　shut　up　in　the　Tuileries。　　The　Assembly；　although

still　extremely　royalist；　suspended　him　from　power；　and　decided

to　assume　the　sole　charge　of　the　government。



Never　did　sovereign　find　himself　in　a　position　so　difficult　as

that　of　Louis　at　the　time　of　his　flight。　　The　genius　of　a

Richelieu　would　hardly　have　extricated　him。　　The　only　element　of

defence　on　which　he　could　have　relied　had　from　the　beginning

absolutely　failed　him。



During　the　whole　duration　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　the　

immense　majority　of　Frenchmen　and　of　the　Assembly　remained

royalist；　so　that　had　the　sovereign　accepted　a　liberal　monarchy

he　could　perhaps　have　remained　in　power。　　It　would　seem　that

Louis　had　little　to　promise　in　order　to　come　to　an　agreement　with

the　Assembly。



Little；　perhaps；　but　with　his　structure　of　mind　that　little　was

strictly　impossible。　　All　the　shades　of　his　forbears　would　have

risen　up　in　front　of　him　had　he　consented　to　modify　the　mechanism

of　the　monarchy　inherited　from　so　many　ancestors。　　And　even　had

he　attempted　to　do　so；　the　opposition　of　his　family；　the　clergy；

the　nobles；　and　the　Court　could　never　have　been　surmounted。　　The

ancient　castes　on　which　the　monarchy　rested；　the　nobility　and　the

clergy；　were　then　almost　as　powerful　as　the　monarch　himself。　

Every　time　it　seemed　as　though　he　might　yield　to　the　injunctions

of　the　Assembly　it　was　because　he　was　constrained　to　do　so　by

force；　and　to　attempt　to　gain　time。　　His　appeals　to　alien　Powers

represented　the　resolution　of　a　desperate　man　who　had　seen　all

his　natural　defences　fail　him。



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