the psychology of revolution-第36节

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contradiction　between　doctrine　and　action。　　In　practice　no

liberty　was　tolerated；　and　fraternity　was　quickly　replaced　by

frenzied　massacres。



This　opposition　between　principles　and　conduct　results　from　the

intolerance　which　accompanies　all　beliefs。　　A　religion　may　be

steeped　in　humanitarianism　and　forbearance；　but　its　sectaries

will　always　want　to　impose　it　on　others　by　force；　so　that

violence　is　the　inevitable　result。



The　cruelties　of　the　Revolution　were　thus　the　inherent　results　of

the　propagation　of　the　new　dogmas。　　The　Inquisition；　the

religious　wars　of　France；　St。　Bartholomew's　Day；　the　revocation

of　the　Edict　of　Nantes；　the　‘‘Dragonnades；''　the　persecution　of

the　Jansenists；　&c。；　belonged　to　the　same　family　as　the　Terror

and　derived　from　the　same　psychological　sources。



Louis　XIV。　was　not　a　cruel　king；　yet　under　the　impulse　of

his　faith　he　drove　hundreds　of　thousands　of　Protestants　out　of

France；　after　first　shooting　down　a　considerable　number　and

sending　others　to　the　galleys。



The　methods　of　persuasion　adopted　by　all　believers　are　by　no

means　a　consequence　of　their　fear　of　the　dissentient　opposition。　

Protestants　and　Jansenists　were　anything　but　dangerous　under

Louis　XIV。　　Intolerance　arises　above　all　from　the　indignation

experienced　by　a　mind　which　is　convinced　that　it　possesses　the

most　dazzling　verities　against　the　men　who　deny　those　truths；　and

who　are　surely　not　acting　in　good　faith。　　How　can　one　support

error　when　one　has　the　necessary　strength　to　wipe　it　out？



Thus　have　reasoned　the　believers　of　all　ages。　　Thus　reasoned

Louis　XIV。　and　the　men　of　the　Terror。　　These　latter　also　were

convinced　that　they　were　in　possession　of　absolute　truths；　which

they　believed　to　be　obvious；　and　whose　triumph　was　certain　to

regenerate　humanity。　　Could　they　be　more　tolerant　toward　their

adversaries　than　the　Church　and　the　kings　of　France　had　been

toward　heretics？



We　are　forced　to　believe　that　terror　is　a　method　which　all

believers　regard　as　a　necessity；　since　from　the　beginning　of　the

ages　religious　codes　have　always　been　based　upon　terror。　　To

force　men　to　observe　their　prescriptions；　believers　have　sought

to　terrify　them　with　threats　of　an　eternal　hell　of　torments。



The　apostles　of　the　Jacobin　belief　behaved　as　their　fathers　had

done；　and　employed　the　same　methods。　　If　similar　events　occurred

again　we　should　see　identical　actions　repeated。　　If　a　new

beliefSocialism；　for　examplewere　to　triumph　to…morrow；　it

would　be　led　to　employ　methods　of　propaganda　like　those　of

the　Inquisition　and　the　Terror。



But　were　we　to　regard　the　Jacobin　Terror　solely　as　the　result　of

a　religious　movement；　we　should　not　completely　apprehend　it。　

Around　a　triumphant　religious　belief；　as　we　saw　in　the　case　of

the　Reformation；　gather　a　host　of　individual　interests　which　are

dependent　on　that　belief。　　The　Terror　was　directed　by　a　few

fanatical　apostles；　but　beside　this　small　number　of　ardent

proselytes；　whose　narrow　minds　dreamed　of　regenerating　the　world；

were　great　numbers　of　men　who　lived　only　to　enrich　themselves。　

They　rallied　readily　around　the　first　victorious　leader　who

promised　to　enable　them　to　enjoy　the　results　of　their　pillage。



‘‘The　Terrorists　of　the　Revolution；''　writes　Albert　Sorel；

‘‘resorted　to　the　Terror　because　they　wished　to　remain　in　power；

and　were　incapable　of　doing　so　by　other　means。　　They　employed　it

for　their　own　salvation；　and　after　the　event　they　stated　that

their　motive　was　the　salvation　of　the　State。　　Before　it　became　a

system　it　was　a　means　of　government；　and　the　system　was　only

invented　to　justify　the　means。''



We　may　thus　fully　agree　with　the　following　verdict　on　the　Terror；

written　by　Emile　Ollivier　in　his　work　on　the　Revolution：　　‘‘The

Terror　was　above　all　a　Jacquerie；　a　regularised　pillage；　the

vastest　enterprise　of　theft　that　any　association　of　criminals　has

ever　organised。''





2。　　The　Revolutionary　Tribunals。





The　Revolutionary　Tribunals　constituted　the　principal　means　of

action　of　the　Terror。　　Besides　that　of　Paris；　created　at　the

instigation　of　Danton；　and　which　a　year　afterwards　sent　

its　founder　to　the　guillotine；　France　was　covered　with　

such　tribunals。



‘‘One　hundred　and　seventy…eight　tribunals；''　says　Taine；　‘‘of

which　40　were　perambulant；　pronounced　death　sentences　in　all

parts　of　the　country；　which　were　carried　out　instantly　on　the

spot。　　Between　the　16th　of　April；　1793；　and　the　9th　of　Thermidor

in　the　year　II。　that　of　Paris　guillotined　2；625　persons；　and　the

provincial　judges　worked　as　hard　as　those　of　Paris。　　In　the

little　town　of　Orange　alone　331　persons　were　guillotined。　　In　the

city　of　Arras　299　men　and　93　women　were　guillotined。　。　。　。　　In

the　city　of　Lyons　alone　the　revolutionary　commissioner　admitted

to　1；684　executions。　。　。　。　　The　total　number　of　these　murders　has

been　put　at　17；000；　among　whom　were　1；200　women；　of　whom　a　number

were　octogenarians。''



Although　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Paris　claimed　only　2；625

victims；　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　all　the　suspects　had

already　been　summarily　massacred　during　the　‘‘days''　of

September。



The　Revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Paris；　a　mere　instrument　of　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　limited　itself　in　reality；　as

Fouquier…Tinville　justly　remarked　during　his　trial；　to　executing

its　orders。　　It　surrounded　itself　at　first　with　a　few　legal　forms

which　did　not　long　survive。　　Interrogatory；　defence；　witnesses

all　were　finally　suppressed。　　Moral　proofthat　is；　mere

suspicionsufficed　to　procure　condemnation。　　The　president

usually　contented　himself　with　putting　a　vague　question　to　the

accused。　　To　work　more　rapidly　still；　Fouquier…Tinville　proposed

to　have　the　guillotine　installed　on　the　same　premises　as　the

Tribunal。



This　Tribunal　sent　indiscriminately　to　the　scaffold　all　the

accused　persons　arrested　by　reason　of　party　hatred；　and　very

soon；　in　the　hands　of　Robespierre；　it　constituted　an　instrument

of　the　bloodiest　tyranny。　　When　Danton；　one　of　its　founders；

became　its　victim；　he　justly　asked　pardon　of　God　and　men；　before

mounting　the　scaffold　for　having　assisted　to　create　such　a

Tribunal。



Nothing　found　mercy　before　it：　neither　the　genius　of　Lavoisier；

nor　the　gentleness　of　Lucile　Desmoulins；　nor　the　merit　of

Malesherbes。　　‘‘So　much　talent；''　said　Benjamin　Constant；

‘‘massacred　by　the　most　cowardly　and　brutish　of　men！''



To　find　any　excuse　for　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　we　must　return

to　our　conception　of　the　religious　mentality　of　the　Jacobins；　who

founded　and　directed　it。　　It　was　a　piece　of　work　comparable　in

its　spirit　and　its　aim　to　the　Inquisition。　　The　men　who　furnished

its　victimsRobespierre；　Saint…Just；　and　Couthonbelieved

themselves　the　benefactors　of　the　human　race　in　suppressing　all

infidels；　the　enemies　of　the　faith　that　was　to　regenerate　the

earth。



The　executions　during　the　Terror　did　not　affect　the　members　of

the　aristocracy　only；　since　4；000　peasants　and　3；000　working…men

were　guillotined。



Given　the　emotion　produced　in　Paris　in　our　days　by　a　capital

execution；　one　might　suppose　that　the　execution　of　so　many

persons　at　one　time　would　produce　a　very　great　emotion。　　But

habit　had　so　dulled　sensibility　that　people　paid　but　little

attention　to　the　matter　at　last。　　Mothers　would　take　their

children　to　see　people　guillotined　as　to…day　they　take　them　to

the　marionette　theatre。



The　daily　spectacle　of　executions　made　the　men　of　the　time

very　indifferent　to　death。　　All　mounted　the　scaffold　with　perfect

tranquillity；　the　Girondists　singing　the　Marseillaise　as　they

climbed　the　steps。



This　resignation　resulted　from　the　law　of　habitude；　which　very

rapidly　dulls　emotion。　　To　judge　by　the　fact　that　royalist

risings　were　taking　place　daily；　the　prospect　of　the　guillotine

no　longer　terrified　men。　　Things　happened　as　though　the　Terror

terrorised　no　one。　　Terror　is　an　efficacious　psychological

process　so　long　as　it　does　not　last。　　The　real　terror　resides　far

more　in　threats　than　in　their　realisation。





3。　　The　Terror　in　the　Provinces。





The　executions　of　the　Revolutionary　Tribunals　in　the　provinces

represented　only　a　portion　of　the　massacres　effected　in　the

departments　during　the　Terror。　　The　revolutionary　army；　composed

of　vagabonds　and　brigands；　marched　through　France　killing　and

pillaging。　　Its　method　of　procedure　is　well　indicated　by　the

following　passage　from　Taine：



‘‘At　Bedouin；　a　town　of　2；000　inhabitants；　where　unknown　hands

had　cut　down　the　tree　of　liberty；　433　houses　were　demolished　or

fired；　16　persons　were　guillotined；　and　47　shot　down；　all　the

other　inhabitants　were　expelled　and　reduced　to　living　as

vagabonds　in　the　mountains；　and　to　taking　shelter　in　caverns

which　they　hollowed　out　of　the　earth。''



The　fate　of　the　wretches　sent　before　the　Revolutionary　Tribunals

was　no　better。　　The　first　mockery　of　trial　was　quickly