the psychology of revolution-第41节

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deputies：　Desmoulins；　Hebert；　Danton；　and　many　another。　　The

brilliant　Girondists　melted　away　before　him。　　He　attacked　even

the　terrible　Commune；　guillotined　its　leaders；　and　replaced　it　by

a　new　Commune　obedient　to　his　orders。



In　order　to　rid　himself　more　quickly　of　the　men　who　displeased

him　he　induced　the　Convention　to　enact　the　law　of　Prairial；　which

permitted　the　execution　of　mere　suspects；　and　by　means　of　which

he　had　1；373　heads　cut　off　in　Paris　in　forty…nine　days。　　His

colleagues；　the　victims　of　an　insane　terror；　no　longer　slept　at

home；　scarcely　a　hundred　deputies　were　present　at　sessions。　

David　said：　　‘‘I　do　not　believe　twenty　of　us　members　of　the

Mountain　will　be　left。''



It　was　his　very　excess　of　confidence　in　his　own　powers　and　in　the

cowardice　of　the　Convention　that　lost　Robespierre　his　life。　

Having　attempted　to　make　them　vote　a　measure　which　would　permit

deputies　to　be　sent　before　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　which

meant　the　scaffold；　without　the　authorisation　of　the　Assembly；　on

an　order　from　the　governing　Committee；　several　Montagnards

conspired　with　some　members　of　the　Plain　to　overthrow　him。　

Tallien；　knowing　himself　marked　down　for　early　execution；　and

having　therefore　nothing　to　lose；　accused　him　loudly　of　tyranny。　

Robespierre　wished　to　defend　himself　by　reading　a　speech　which　he

had　long　had　in　hand；　but　he　learned　to　his　cost　that　although　it

is　possible　to　destroy　men　in　the　name　of　logic　it　is　not

possible　to　lead　an　assembly　by　means　of　logic。　　The

shouts　of　the　conspirators　drowned　his　voice；　the　cry　‘‘Down　with

the　tyrant！''　quickly　repeated；　thanks　to　mental　contagion；　by

many　of　the　members　present；　was　enough　to　complete　his　downfall。　

Without　losing　a　moment　the　Assembly　decreed　his　accusation。



The　Commune　having　wished　to　save　him；　the　Assembly　outlawed　him。　

Struck　by　this　magic　formula；　he　was　definitely　lost。



‘‘This　cry　of　outlawry；''　writes　Williams；　‘‘at　this　period

produced　the　same　effect　on　a　Frenchman　as　the　cry　of　pestilence；

the　outlaw　became　civilly　excommunicated；　and　it　was　as　though

men　believed　that　they　would　be　contaminated　passing　through　the

air　which　he　had　breathed。　　Such　was　the　effect　it　produced　upon

the　gunners　who　had　trained　their　cannon　against　the　Convention。　

Without　receiving　further　orders；　merely　on　hearing　that　the

Commune　was　‘outside　the　law；'　they　immediately　turned　their

batteries　about。''



Robespierre　and　all　his　bandSaint…Just；　the　president　of　the

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　the　mayor　of　the　Commune；　&c。；were

guillotined　on　the　10th　of　Thermidor　to　the　number　of　twenty…one。



Their　execution　was　followed　on　the　morrow　by　a　fresh　batch　of

seventy　Jacobins；　and　on　the　next　day　by　thirteen。　　The　Terror；

which　had　lasted　ten　months；　was　at　an　end。



The　downfall　of　the　Jacobin　edifice　in　Thermidor　is　one　of　the

most　curious　psychological　events　of　the　revolutionary　period。　

None　of　the　Montagnards　who　had　worked　for　the　downfall　of

Robespierre　had　for　a　moment　dreamed　that　it　would　mark　the　end

of　the　Terror。



Tallien；　Barras；　Fouche；　&c。；　overthrew　Robespierre　as　he　had

overthrown　Hebert；　Danton；　the　Girondists；　and　many　others。　

But　when　the　acclamations　of　the　crowd　told　them　that　the　death

of　Robespierre　was　regarded　as　having　put　an　end　to　the　Terror

they　acted　as　though　such　had　been　their　intention。　　They　were

the　more　obliged　to　do　so　in　that　the　Plainthat　is；　the　great

majority　of　the　Assemblywhich　had　allowed　itself　to　be

decimated　by　Robespierre；　now　rebelled　furiously　against　the

system　it　had　so　long　acclaimed　even　while　it　abhorred　it。　

Nothing　is　more　terrible　than　a　body　of　men　who　have　been　afraid

and　are　afraid　no　longer。　　The　Plain　revenged　itself　for　being

terrorised　by　the　Mountain；　and　terrorised　that　body　in　turn。



The　servility　of　the　colleagues　of　Robespierre　in　the　Convention

was　by　no　means　based　upon　any　feeling　of　sympathy　for　him。　　The

dictator　filled　them　with　an　unspeakable　alarm；　but　beneath　the

marks　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm　which　they　lavished　on　him　out

of　fear　was　concealed　an　intense　hatred。　　We　can　gather　as　much

by　reading　the　reports　of　various　deputies　inserted　in　the

Moniteur　of　August　11；　15；　and　29；　1794；　and　notably　that　on

‘‘the　conspiracy　of　the　triumvirs；　Robespierre；　Couthon；　and

Saint…Just。''　　Never　did　slaves　heap　such　invectives　on　a　fallen

master。



We　learn　that　‘‘these　monsters　had　for　some　time　been　renewing

the　most　horrible　prescriptions　of　Marius　and　Sulla。''　

Robespierre　is　represented　as　a　most　frightful　scoundrel；　we　are

assured　that　‘‘like　Caligula；　he　would　soon　have　asked　the　French

people　to　worship　his　horse　。　。　。　　He　sought　security　in

the　execution　of　all　who　aroused　his　slightest　suspicion。''



These　reports　forget　to　add　that　the　power　of　Robespierre

obtained　no　support；　as　did　that　of　the　Marius　and　Sulla　to　whom

they　allude；　from　a　powerful　army；　but　merely　from　the　repeated

adhesion　of　the　members　of　the　Convention。　　Without　their　

extreme　timidity　the　power　of　the　dictator　could　not　have　lasted

a　single　day。



Robespierre　was　one　of　the　most　odious　tyrants　of　history；　but　he

is　distinguished　from　all　others　in　that　he　made　himself　a　tyrant

without　soldiers。



We　may　sum　up　his　doctrines　by　saying　that　he　was　the　most

perfect　incarnation；　save　perhaps　Saint…Just；　of　the　Jacobin

faith；　in　all　its　narrow　logic；　its　intense　mysticism；　and　its

inflexible　rigidity。　　He　has　admirers　even　to…day。　　M。　Hamel

describes　him　as　‘‘the　martyr　of　Thermidor。''　　There　has　been

some　talk　of　erecting　a　monument　to　him。　　I　would　willingly

subscribe　to　such　a　purpose；　feeling　that　it　is　useful　to

preserve　proofs　of　the　blindness　of　the　crowd；　and　of　the

extraordinary　docility　of　which　an　assembly　is　capable　when　the

leader　knows　how　to　handle　it。　　His　statue　would　recall　the

passionate　cries　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm　with　which　the

Convention　acclaimed　the　most　threatening　measures　of　the

dictator；　on　the　very　eve　of　the　day　when　it　was　about　to　cast

him　down。





4。　　Fouquier…Tinville；　Marat；　Billaud…Varenne；　&c。





I　shall　devote　a　paragraph　to　certain　revolutionists　who　were

famous　for　the　development　of　their　most　sanguinary　instincts。　

Their　ferocity　was　complicated　by　other　sentiments；　by

fear　and　hatred；　which　could　but　fortify　it。



Fouquier…Tinville；　the　public　prosecutor　of　the　Revolutionary

Tribunal；　was　one　of　those　who　have　left　the　most　sinister

memories。　　This　magistrate；　formerly　reputed　for　his　kindness；

and　who　became　the　bloodthirsty　creature　whose　memory　evokes　such

repulsion；　has　already　served　me　as　an　example　in　other　works；

when　I　have　wished　to　show　the　transformation　of　certain　natures

in　time　of　revolution。



Needy　in　the　extreme　at　the　moment　of　the　fall　of　the　monarchy；

he　had　everything　to　hope　from　a　social　upheaval　and　nothing　to

lose。　　He　was　one　of　those　men　whom　a　period　of　disorder　will

always　find　ready　to　sustain　it。



The　Convention　abandoned　its　powers　to　him。　　He　had　to　pronounce

upon　the　fate　of　nearly　two　thousand　accused；　among　whom　were

Marie…Antoinette；　the　Girondists；　Danton；　Hebert；　&c。　　He　had

all　the　suspects　brought　before　him　executed；　and　did　not　scruple

to　betray　his　former　protectors。　　As　soon　as　one　of　them　fell

into　his　powerCamille　Desmoulins；　Danton；　or　anotherhe　would

plead　against　him。



Fouquier…Tinville　had　a　very　inferior　mind；　which　the　Revolution

brought　to　the　top。　　Under　normal　conditions；　hedged　about　by

professional　rules；　his　destiny　would　have　been　that　of　a

peaceable　and　obscure　magistrate。　　This　was　precisely　the　lot　of

his　deputy；　or　substitute；　at　the　Tribunal；　Gilbert…Liendon。　

‘‘He　should；''　writes　M。　Durel；　‘‘have　inspired　the　same　horror

as　his　colleague；　yet　he　completed　his　career　in　the　upper　ranks

of　the　Imperial　magistracy。''



One　of　the　great　benefits　of　an　organised　society　is　that　it　does

restrain　these　dangerous　characters；　whom　nothing　but　social

restraints　can　hold。



Fouquier…Tinville　died　without　understanding　why　he　was

condemned；　and　from　the　revolutionary　point　of　view　his

condemnation　was　not　justifiable。　　Had　he　not　merely　zealously

executed　the　orders　of　his　superiors？　　It　is　impossible　to　class

him　with　the　representatives　who　were　sent　into　the　provinces；

who　could　not　be　supervised。　　The　delegates　of　the　Convention

examined　all　his　sentences　and　approved　of　them　up　to　the　last。　

If　his　cruelty　and　his　summary　fashion　of　trying　the　prisoners

before　him　had　not　been　encouraged　by　his　chiefs；　he　could　not

have　remained　in　power。　　In　condemning　Fouquier…Tinville；　the

Convention　condemned　its　own　frightful　system　of　government。　　It

understood　this　fact；　and　sent　to　the　scaffold　a　number　of

Terrorists　whom　Fouquier…Tinville　had　merely　served　as　a　faithful

agent。



Beside　Fouquier…Tinville　we　may　set　Dumas；　who　pres