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We　have　proved　that　crowds；　unable　to　reason；　obey　simply　their

impulses；　which　are　always　changing；　but　we　have　also　seen　that

they　are　readily　capable　of　heroism；　that　their　altruism　is　often

highly　developed；　and　that　it　is　easy　to　find　thousands　of

men　ready　to　give　their　lives　for　a　belief。



Psychological　characteristics　so　diverse　must　naturally；

according　to　the　circumstances；　lead　to　dissimilar　and　even

absolutely　contradictory　actions。　　The　history　of　the　Convention

and　its　armies　proves　as　much。　　It　shows　us　crowds　composed　of

similar　elements　acting　so　differently　in　Paris　and　on　the

frontiers　that　one　can　hardly　believe　the　same　people　can　be　in

question。



In　Paris　the　crowds　were　disorderly；　violent；　murderous；　and　so

changeable　in　their　demands　as　to　make　all　government　impossible。



In　the　armies　the　picture　was　entirely　different。　　The　same

multitudes　of　unaccustomed　men；　restrained　by　the　orderly

elements　of　a　laborious　peasant　population；　standardised　by

military　discipline；　and　inspired　by　contagious　enthusiasm；

heroically　supported　privations；　disdained　perils；　and

contributed　to　form　that　fabulous　strain　which　triumphed　over　the

most　redoubtable　troops　in　Europe。



These　facts　are　among　those　which　should　always　be　invoked　to

show　the　force　of　discipline。　　It　transforms　men。　　Liberated　from

its　influence；　peoples　and　armies　become　barbarian　hordes。



This　truth　is　daily　and　increasingly　forgotten。　　Ignoring　the

fundamental　laws　of　collective　logic；　we　give　way　more　and　more

to　shifting　popular　impulses；　instead　of　learning　to　direct　them。



The　multitude　must　be　shown　the　road　to　follow；　it　is　not　for

them　to　choose　it。







CHAPTER　VII



PSYCHOLOGY　OF　THE　LEADERS　OF　THE　REVOLUTION





1。　　Mentality　of　the　Men　of　the　Revolution。　　The　respective

Influence　of　Violent　and　Feeble　Characters。



Men　judge　with　their　intelligence；　and　are　guided　by　their

characters。　　To　understand　a　man　fully　one　must　separate　these

two　elements。



During　the　great　periods　of　activityand　the　revolutionary

movements　naturally　belong　to　such　periodscharacter　always

takes　the　first　rank。



Having　in　several　chapters　described　the　various　mentalities

which　predominate　in　times　of　disturbance；　we　need　not　return　to

the　subject　now。　　They　constitute　general　types　which　are

naturally　modified　by　each　man's　inherited　and　acquired

personality。



We　have　seen　what　an　important　part　was　played　by　the　mystic

element　in　the　Jacobin　mentality；　and　the　ferocious　fanaticism　to

which　it　led　the　sectaries　of　the　new　faith。



We　have　also　seen　that　all　the　members　of　the　Assemblies　were　not

fanatics。　　These　latter　were　even　in　the　minority；　since　in　the

most　sanguinary　of　the　revolutionary　assemblies　the　great

majority　was　composed　of　timid　and　moderate　men　of　neutral

character。　　Before　Thermidor　the　members　of　this　group

voted　from　fear　with　the　violent　and　after　Thermidor　with　the

moderate　deputies。



In　time　of　revolution；　as　at　other　times；　these　neutral

characters；　obeying　the　most　contrary　impulses；　are　always　the

most　numerous。　　They　are　also　as　dangerous　in　reality　as　the

violent　characters。　　The　force　of　the　latter　is　supported　by　the

weakness　of　the　former。



In　all　revolutions；　and　in　particularly　in　the　French　Revolution；

we　observe　a　small　minority　of　narrow　but　decided　minds　which

imperiously　dominate　an　immense　majority　of　men　who　are　often

very　intelligent　but　are　lacking　in　character



Besides　the　fanatical　apostles　and　the　feeble　characters；　a

revolution　always　produces　individuals　who　merely　think　how　to

profit　thereby。　　These　were　numerous　during　the　French

Revolution。　　Their　aim　was　simply　to　utilise　circumstances　so　as

to　enrich　themselves。　　Such　were　Barras；　Tallien；　Fouche；

Barrere；　and　many　more。　　Their　politics　consisted　simply　in

serving　the　strong　against　the　weak。



From　the　outset　of　the　Revolution　these　‘‘arrivists；''　as　one

would　call　them　to…day；　were　numerous。　　Camille　Desmoulins　wrote

in　1792：　　‘‘Our　Revolution　has　its　roots　only　in　the　egotism　and

self…love　of　each　individual；　of　the　combination　of　which　the

general　interest　is　composed。''



If　we　add　to　these　indications　the　observations　contained　in

another　chapter　concerning　the　various　forms　of　mentality　to　be

observed　in　times　of　political　upheaval；　we　shall　obtain　a

general　idea　of　the　character　of　the　men　of　the　Revolution。　　We

shall　now　apply　the　principles　already　expounded　to　the

most　remarkable　personages　of　the　revolutionary　period。





2。　　Psychology　of　the　Commissaries　or　Representatives　‘‘on

Mission。''





In　Paris　the　conduct　of　the　members　of　the　Convention　was　always

directed；　restrained；　or　excited　by　the　action　of　their

colleagues；　and　that　of　their　environment。



To　judge　them　properly　we　should　observe　them　when　left　to

themselves　and　uncontrolled；　when　they　possessed　full　liberty。　

Such　were　the　representatives　who　were　sent　‘‘on　mission''　into

the　departments　by　the　Convention。



The　power　of　these　delegates　was　absolute。　　No　censure

embarrassed　them。　　Functionaries　and　magistrates　had　perforce　to

obey　them。



A　representative　‘‘on　mission''　‘‘requisitions；''　sequestrates；

or　confiscates　as　seems　good　to　him；　taxes；　imprisons；　deports；

or　decapitates　as　he　thinks　fit；　and　in　his　own　district　he　is　a

''pasha。''



Regarding　themselves　as　‘‘pashas；''　they　displayed　themselves

‘‘drawn　in　carriages　with　six　horses；　surrounded　by　guards；

sitting　at　sumptuous　tables　with　thirty　covers；　eating　to　the

sound　of　music；　with　a　following　of　players；　courtezans；　and

mercenaries。　。　。　。''　　At　Lyons　‘‘the　solemn　appearance　of　Collot

d'Herbois　is　like　that　of　the　Grand　Turk。　　No　one　can　come　into

his　presence　without　three　repeated　requests；　a　string　of

apartments　precedes　his　reception…room；　and　no　one　approaches

nearer　than　fifteen　paces。''



One　can　picture　the　immense　vanity　of　these　dictators　as

they　solemnly　entered　the　towns；　surrounded　by　guards；　men　whose

gesture　was　enough　to　cause　heads　to　fall。



Petty　lawyers　without　clients；　doctors　without　patients；

unfrocked　clergymen；　obscure　attorneys；　who　had　formerly　known

the　most　colourless　of　lives；　were　suddenly　made　the　equals　of

the　most　powerful　tyrants　of　history。　　Guillotining；　drowning；

shooting　without　mercy；　at　the　hazard　of　their　fancy；　they　were

raised　from　their　former　humble　condition　to　the　level　of　the

most　celebrated　potentates。



Never　did　Nero　or　Heliogabalus　surpass　in　tyranny　the

representatives　of　the　Convention。　　Laws　and　customs　always

restrained　the　former　to　a　certain　extent。　　Nothing　restrained

the　commissaries。



‘‘Fouche；''　writes　Taine；　‘‘lorgnette　in　hand；　watched　the

butchery　of　210　inhabitants　of　Lyons　from　his　window。　　Collot；

Laporte；　and　Fouche　feasted　on　days　of　execution　（fusillades）；

and　at　the　sound　of　each　discharge　sprang　up　with　cries　of　joy；

waving　their　hats。''



Among　the　representatives　‘‘on　mission''　who　exhibit　this

murderous　mentality　we　may　cite　as　a　type　the　ex…cure　Lebon；

who；　having　become　possessed　of　supreme　power；　ravaged　Arras　and

Cambrai。　　His　example；　with　that　of　Carrier；　contributes　to　show

what　man　can　become　when　he　escapes　from　the　yoke　of　law　and

tradition。　　The　cruelty　of　the　ferocious　commissary　was

complicated　by　Sadism；　the　scaffold　was　raised　under　his　windows；

so　that　he；　his　wife；　and　his　helpers　could　rejoice　in　the

carnage。　　At　the　foot　of　the　guillotine　a　drinking…booth　was

established　where　the　sans…culottes　could　come　to　drink。　

To　amuse　them　the　executioner　would　group　on　the　pavement；　in

ridiculous　attitudes；　the　naked　bodies　of　the　decapitated。



‘‘The　reading　of　the　two　volumes　of　his　trial；　printed　at　Amiens

in　1795；　may　be　counted　as　a　nightmare。　　During　twenty　sessions

the　survivors　of　the　hecatombs　of　Arras　and　Cambrai　passed

through　the　ancient　hall　of　the　bailiwick　at　Amiens；　where　the

ex…member　of　the　Convention　was　tried。　　What　these　phantoms　in

mourning　related　is　unheard　of。　　Entire　streets　dispeopled；

nonagenarians　and　girls　of　sixteen　decapitated　after　a　mockery　of

a　trial；　death　buffeted；　insulted；　adorned；　rejoiced　in；

executions　to　music；　battalions　of　children　recruited　to　guard

the　scaffold；　the　debauchery；　the　cynicism；　the　refinements　of　an

insane　satrap；　a　romance　by　Sade　turned　epic；　it　seems；　as　we

watch　the　unpacking　of　these　horrors；　that　a　whole　country；　long

terrorised；　is　at　last　disgorging　its　terror　and　revenging　itself

for　its　cowardice　by　overwhelming　the　wretch　there；　the　scapegoat

of　an　abhorred　and　vanished　system。''



The　only　defence　of　the　ex…clergyman　was　that　he　had　obeyed

orders。　　The　facts　with　which　he　was　reproached　had　long　been

known；　and　the　Convention　had　in　no　wise　blamed　him　for　them。



I　have　already　spoken　of　the　vanity　of　the　deputies　‘‘on