the psychology of revolution-第37节

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The　fate　of　the　wretches　sent　before　the　Revolutionary　Tribunals

was　no　better。　　The　first　mockery　of　trial　was　quickly

suppressed。　　At　Nantes；　Carrier　drowned　and　shot　down　according

to　his　fancy　nearly　5；000　personsmen；　women；　and　children。



The　details　of　these　massacres　figured　in　the　Moniteur

after　the　reaction　of　Thermidor。　　I　cite　a　few　lines：



‘‘I　saw；''　says　Thomas；　‘‘after　the　taking　of　Noirmoutier；　men

and　women　and　old　people　burned　alive　。　。　。　women　violated；　girls

of　fourteen　and　fifteen；　and　massacred　afterward；　and　tender

babes　thrown　from　bayonet　to　bayonet；　children　who　were　taken

from　beside　their　mothers　stretched　out　on　the　ground。''



In　the　same　number　we　read　a　deposition　by　one　Julien；　relating

how　Carrier　forced　his　victims　to　dig　their　graves　and　to　allow

themselves　to　be　buried　alive。　　The　issue　of　October　15；　1794；

contained　a　report　by　Merlin　de　Thionville　proving　that　the

captain　of　the　vessel　le　Destin　had　received　orders　to　embark

forty…one　victims　to　be　drowned‘‘among　them　a　blind　man　of　78；

twelve　women；　twelve　girls；　and　fourteen　children；　of　whom　ten

were　from　10　to　6　and　five　at　the　breast。''



In　the　course　of　Carrier's　trial　（Moniteur；　December　30；　1794）

it　was　proved　that　he　‘‘had　given　orders　to　drown　and　shoot　women

and　children；　and　had　ordered　General　Haxo　to　exterminate　all　the

inhabitants　of　La　Vendee　and　to　burn　down　their　dwellings。''



Carrier；　like　all　wholesale　murderers；　took　an　intense　joy　in

seeing　his　victims　suffer。　　‘‘In　the　department　in　which　I　hunted

the　priests；''　he　said；　‘‘I　have　never　laughed　so　much　or

experienced　such　pleasure　as　in　watching　their　dying　grimaces''

（Moniteur；　December　22；　1794）。



Carrier　was　tried　to　satisfy　the　reaction　of　Thermidor。　　But　

the　massacres　of　Nantes　were　repeated　in　many　other　towns。　

Fouche　slew　more　than　2；000　persons　at　Lyons；　and　so　many　were

killed　at　Toulon　that　the　population　fell　from　29；000　to　7；000　in

a　few　months。



We　must　say　in　defence　of　Carrier；　Freron；　Fouche　and　all

these　sinister　persons；　that　they　were　incessantly　stimulated　by

the　Committee　of　Public　Safety。　　Carrier　gave　proof　of　this

during　his　trial。



‘‘I　admit；''　said　he　（Moniteur；　December　24；　1794）；　‘‘that　150

or　200　prisoners　were　shot　every　day；　but　it　was　by　order　of　the

commission。　　I　informed　the　Convention　that　the　brigands　were

being　shot　down　by　hundreds；　and　it　applauded　this　letter；　and

ordered　its　insertion　in　the　Bulletin。　　What　were　these　deputies

doing　then　who　are　so　furious　against　me　now？　　They　were

applauding。　　Why　did　they　still　keep　me　‘on　mission'？　　Because　I

was　then　the　saviour　of　the　country；　and　now　I　am　a　bloodthirsty

man。''



Unhappily　for　him；　Carrier　did　not　know；　as　he　remarked　in　the

same　speech；　that　only　seven　or　eight　persons　led　the　Convention。



But　the　terrorised　Assembly　approved　of　all　that　these　seven　or

eight　ordered；　so　that　they　could　say　nothing　in　reply　to

Carrier's　argument。　　He　certainly　deserved　to　be　guillotined；　but

the　whole　Convention　deserved　to　be　guillotined　with　him；　since

it　had　approved　of　the　massacres。



The　defence　of　Carrier；　justified　by　the　letters　of　the

Committee；　by　which　the　representatives　‘‘on　mission''　were

incessantly　stimulated；　shows　that　the　violence　of　the　Terror

resulted　from　a　system；　and　not；　as　has　sometimes　been　claimed；

from　the　initiative　of　a　few　individuals。



The　thirst　for　destruction　during　the　Terror　was　by　no　means

assuaged　by　the　destruction　of　human　beings　only；　there　was　an

even　greater　destruction　of　inanimate　things。　　The　true　believer

is　always　an　iconoclast。　　Once　in　power；　he　destroys　with　equal

zeal　the　enemies　of　his　faith　and　the　images；　temples；　and

symbols　which　recall　the　faith　attacked。



We　know　that　the　first　action　of　the　Emperor　Theodosius　when

converted　to　the　Christian　religion　was　to　break　down　the

majority　of　the　temples　which　for　six　thousand　years　had　been

built　beside　the　Nile。　　We　must　not；　therefore；　be　surprised　to

see　the　leaders　of　the　Revolution　attacking　the　monuments　and

works　of　art　which　for　them　were　the　vestiges　of　an　abhorred

past。



Statues；　manuscripts；　stained　glass　windows；　and　plate　were

frenziedly　broken。　　When　Fouche；　the　future　Duke　of　Otranto

under　Napoleon；　and　minister　under　Louis　XVIII。；　was　sent　as

commissary　of　the　Convention　to　the　Nievre；　he　ordered　the

demolition　of　all　the　towers　of　the　chateaux　and　the

belfries　of　the　churches　‘‘because　they　wounded　equality。''



Revolutionary　vandalism　expended　itself　even　on　the　tomb。　

Following　a　report　read　by　Barrere　to　the　Convention；　the

magnificent　royal　tombs　at　Saint…Denis；　among　which　was　the

admirable　mausoleum　of　Henri　II。；　by　Germain　Pilon；　were　smashed

to　pieces；　the　coffins　emptied；　and　the　body　of　Turenne　sent　to

the　Museum　as　a　curiosity；　after　one　of　the　keepers　had　extracted

the　teeth　in　order　to　sell　them　as　curiosities。　　The　moustache

and　beard　of　Henri　IV。　were　also　torn　out。



It　is　impossible　to　witness　such　comparatively　enlightened

men　consenting　to　the　destruction　of　the　artistic　patriotism　of

France　without　a　feeling　of　sadness。　　To　excuse　them；　we　must

remember　that　intense　beliefs　give　rise　to　the　worst　excesses；

and　also　that　the　Convention；　almost　daily　invaded　by　rioters；

always　yielded　to　the　popular　will。



This　glowing　record　of　devastation　proves；　not　only　the　power　of

fanaticism：　it　shows　us　what　becomes　of　men　who　are　liberated

from　all　social　restraints；　and　of　the　country　which　falls　into

their　hands。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　REVOLUTION



1。　　The　Revolutionary　Assemblies　and　the　Armies。



If　nothing　were　known　of　the　revolutionary　Assemblies；　and

notably　of　the　Convention；　beyond　their　internal　dissensions；

their　weakness；　and　their　acts　of　violence；　their　memory　would

indeed　be　a　gloomy　one。



But　even　for　its　enemies　this　bloodstained　epoch　must　always

retain　an　undeniable　glory；　thanks　to　the　success　of　its　armies。　

When　the　Convention　dissolved　France　was　already　the　greater　by

Belgium　and　the　territories　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Rhine。



Regarding　the　Convention　as　a　whole；　it　seems　equitable　to　credit

it　with　the　victories　of　the　armies　of　France；　but　if　we　analyse

this　whole　in　order　to　study　each　of　its　elements　separately

their　independence　will　at　once　be　obvious。　　It　is　at　once

apparent　that　the　Convention　had　a　very　small　share　in　the

military　events　of　the　time。　　The　armies　on　the　frontier　and　the

revolutionary　Assemblies　in　Paris　formed　two　separate　worlds；

which　had　very　little　influence　over　one　another；　and　which

regarded　matters　in　a　very　different　light。



We　have　seen　that　the　Convention　was　a　weak　Government；　which

changed　its　ideas　daily；　according　to　popular　impulse；　it　was

really　an　example　of　the　profoundest　anarchy。　　It　directed

nothing；　but　was　itself　continually　directed；　how；　then；　could　it

have　commanded　armies？



Completely　absorbed　in　its　intestine　quarrels；　the　Assembly　had

abandoned　all　military　questions　to　a　special　committee；　which

was　directed　almost　single…handed　by　Carnot；　and　whose　real

function　was　to　furnish　the　troops　with　provisions　and

ammunition。　　The　merit　of　Carnot　consisted　in　the　fact　that

besides　directing　over　752；000　men　at　the　disposal　of　France；

upon　points　which　were　strategically　valuable；　he　also　advised

the　generals　of　the　armies　to　take　the　offensive；　and　to　preserve

a　strict　discipline。



The　sole　share　of　the　Assembly　in　the　defence　of　the　country　was

the　decree　of　the　general　levy。　　In　the　face　of　the　numerous

enemies　then　threatening　France；　no　Government　could　have　avoided

such　a　measure。　　For　some　little　time；　too；　the　Assembly　had　sent

representatives　to　the　armies　instructed　to　decapitate　certain

generals；　but　this　policy　was　soon　abandoned。



As　a　matter　of　fact　the　military　activities　of　the　Assembly　were

always　extremely　slight。　　The　armies；　thanks　to　their　numbers；

their　enthusiasm；　and　the　tactics　devised　by　their　youthful

generals；　achieved　their　victories　unaided。　　They　fought　and

conquered　independently　of　the　Convention。





2。　　The　Struggle　of　Europe　against　the　Revolution。





Before　enumerating　the　various　psychological　factors　which

contributed　to　the　successes　of　the　revolutionary　armies；　it　will

be　useful　briefly　to　recall　the　origin　and　the　development　of　the

war　against　Europe。



At　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution　the　foreign　sovereigns

regarded　with　satisfaction　the　difficulties　of　the　French

monarchy；　which　they　had　long　regarded　as　a　rival　power。　　The

King　of　Prussia；　believing　France　to　be　greatly　enfeebled；

thought　to　enrich　himself　at　her　expense；　so　he　proposed　to　the

Emperor　of　Austria　to　help　Louis　on　condition　of　receiving

Flanders　and　Alsace　as　an　indemnity。　　The　two　sovereigns　signed

an　alliance　against　France　in　Febru