the psychology of revolution-第47节

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His　reign　was　one　of　those　rare　periods　of　French　history　during

which　the　mental　unity　of　France　was　complete。



This　unity　could　not　outlive　him。　　On　the　morrow　of　his　fall　all

the　old　parties　reappeared；　and　have　survived　until　the　present

day。　　Some　attach　themselves　to　traditional　influences；　others

violently　reject　them。



If　this　long　conflict　had　been　between　believers　and　the

indifferent；　it　could　not　have　lasted；　for　indifference　is

always　tolerant；　but　the　struggle　was　really　between　two

different　beliefs。　　The　lay　Church　very　soon　assumed　a　religious

aspect；　and　its　pretended　rationalism　has　become；　especially　in

recent　years；　a　barely　attenuated　form　of　the　narrowest　clerical

spirit。　　Now；　we　have　shown　that　no　conciliation　is　possible

between　dissimilar　religious　beliefs。　　The　clericals　when　in

power　could　not　therefore　show　themselves　more　tolerant　towards

freethinkers　than　these　latter　are　to…day　toward　the　clericals。



These　divisions；　determined　by　differences　of　belief；　were

complicated　by　the　addition　of　the　political　conceptions　derived

from　those　beliefs。



Many　simple　souls　have　for　long　believed　that　the　real　history　of

France　began　with　the　year　I。　of　the　Republic。　　This　rudimentary

conception　is　at　last　dying　out。　　Even　the　most　rigid

revolutionaries　renounce　it；＇10＇　and　are　quite　willing　to

recognise　that　the　past　was　something　better　than　an　epoch　of

black　barbarism　dominated　by　low　superstitions。







＇10＇　We　may　judge　of　the　recent　evolution　of　ideas　upon　this

point　by　the　following　passage　from　a　speech　by　M。　Jaures；

delivered　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies：　　‘‘The　greatness　of　to…day

is　built　of　the　efforts　of　past　centuries。　　France　is　not

contained　in　a　day　nor　in　an　epoch；　but　in　the　succession　of　all

days；　all　periods；　all　her　twilights　and　all　her　dawns。''









The　religious　origin　of　most　of　the　political　beliefs　held　in

France　inspires　their　adepts　with　an　inextinguishable　hatred

which　always　strikes　foreigners　with　amazement。



‘‘Nothing　is　more　obvious；　nothing　is　more　certain；''　writes　Mr。

Barret…Wendell；　in　his　book　on　France；　‘‘than　this　fact：　that　not

only　have　the　royalists；　revolutionaries；　and　Bonapartists

always　been　mortally　opposed　to　one　another；　but　that；　owing　to

the　passionate　ardour　of　the　French　character；　they　have　always

entertained　a　profound　intellectual　horror　for　one　another。　　Men

who　believe　themselves　in　possession　of　the　truth　cannot　refrain

from　affirming　that　those　who　do　not　think　with　them　are

instruments　of　error。



‘‘Each　party　will　gravely　inform　you　that　the　advocates　of　the

adverse　cause　are　afflicted　by　a　dense　stupidity　or　are

consciously　dishonest。　　Yet　when　you　meet　these　latter；　who　will

say　exactly　the　same　things　as　their　detractors；　you　cannot　but

recognise；　in　all　good　faith；　that　they　are　neither　stupid　nor

dishonest。''



This　reciprocal　execration　of　the　believers　of　each　party　has

always　facilitated　the　overthrow　of　Governments　and　ministers　in

France。　　The　parties　in　the　minority　will　never　refuse　to　ally

themselves　against　the　triumphant　party。　　We　know　that　a　great

number　of　revolutionary　Socialists　have　been　elected　to　the

present　Chamber　only　by　the　aid　of　the　monarchists；　who　are　still

as　unintelligent　as　they　were　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution。



Our　religious　and　political　differences　do　not　constitute　the

only　cause　of　dissension　in　France。　　They　are　held　by　men

possessing　that　particular　mentality　which　I　have　already

described　under　the　name　of　the　revolutionary　mentality。　　We　have

seen　that　each　period　always　presents　a　certain　number　of

individuals　ready　to　revolt　against　the　established　order　of

things；　whatever　that　may　be；　even　though　it　may　realise　all

their　desires。



The　intolerance　of　the　parties　in　France；　and　their　desire　to

seize　upon　power；　are　further　favoured　by　the　conviction；　so

prevalent　under　the　Revolution；　that　societies　can　be　remade　by

means　of　laws。　　The　modern　State；　whatever　its　leader；　has

inherited　in　the　eyes　of　the　multitudes　and　their　leaders　the

mystic　power　attributed　to　the　ancient　kings；　when　these　latter

were　regarded　as　an　incarnation　of　the　Divine　will。　　Not　only　the

people　is　inspired　by　this　confidence　in　the　power　of　Government；

all　our　legislators　entertain　it　also。＇11＇







＇11＇　After　the　publication　of　an　article　of　mine　concerning

legislative　illusions；　I　received　from　one　of　our　most　eminent

politicians；　M。　Boudenot　the　senator；　a　letter　from　which　I

extract　the　following　passage：　　‘‘Twenty　years　passed　in　the

Chamber　and　the　Senate　have　shown　me　how　right　you　are。　　How　many

times　I　have　heard　my　colleagues　say：　　‘The　Government　ought　to

prevent　this；　order　that；'　&c。　　What　would　you　have？　there　are

fourteen　centuries　of　monarchical　atavism　in　our　blood。''









Legislating　always；　politicians　never　realise　that　as

institutions　are　effects；　and　not　causes；　they　have　no　virtue　in

themselves。　　Heirs　to　the　great　revolutionary　illusion；　they　do

not　see　that　man　is　created　by　a　past　whose　foundations　we　are

powerless　to　reshape。



The　conflict　between　the　principles　dividing　France；　which　has

lasted　more　than　a　century；　will　doubtless　continue　for　a　long

time　yet；　and　no　one　can　foresee　what　fresh　upheavals　it　may

engender。　　No　doubt　if　before　our　era　the　Athenians　could　have

divined　that　their　social　dissensions　would　have　led　to　the

enslavement　of　Greece；　they　would　have　renounced　them；　but　how

could　they　have　foreseen　as　much？　　M。　Guiraud　justly　writes：　　‘‘A

generation　of　men　very　rarely　realises　the　task　which　it

is　accomplishing。　　It　is　preparing　for　the　future；　but　this

future　is　often　the　contrary　of　what　it　wishes。''





2。　　Summary　of　a　Century's　Revolutionary　Movement　in　France。





The　psychological　causes　of　the　revolutionary　movements　which

France　has　seen　during　the　past　century　having　been　explained；　it

will　now　suffice　to　present　a　summary　picture　of　these　successive

revolutions。



The　sovereigns　in　coalition　having　defeated　Napoleon；　they

reduced　France　to　her　former　limits；　and　placed　Louis　XVIII。；　the

only　possible　sovereign；　on　the　throne。



By　a　special　charter　the　new　king　accepted　the　position　of　a

constitutional　monarch　under　a　representative　system　of

government。　　He　recognised　all　the　conquests　of　the　Revolution：

the　civil　Code；　equality　before　the　law；　liberty　of　worship；

irrevocability　of　the　sale　of　national　property；　&c。　　The　right

of　suffrage；　however；　was　limited　to　those　paying　a　certain

amount　in　taxes。



This　liberal　Constitution　was　opposed　by　the　ultra…royalists。　

Returned　emigres；　they　wanted　the　restitution　of　the　national

property；　and　the　re…establishment　of　their　ancient　privileges。



Fearing　that　such　a　reaction　might　cause　a　new　revolution；　Louis

XVIII。　was　reduced　to　dissolving　the　Chamber。　　The　election

having　returned　moderate　deputies；　he　was　able　to　continue　to

govern　with　the　same　principles；　understanding　very　well　that　any

attempt　to　govern　the　French　by　the　ancien　regime　would　be

enough　to　provoke　a　general　rebellion。



Unfortunately；　his　death；　in　1824；　placed　Charles　X。；　formerly

Comte　d'Artois；　on　the　throne。　　Extremely　narrow；　incapable　of

understanding　the　new　world　which　surrounded　him；　and　boasting

that　he　had　not　modified　his　ideas　since　1789；　he　prepared　a

series　of　reactionary　lawsa　law　by　which　an　indemnity　of　forty

millions　sterling　was　to　be　paid　to　emigres；　a　law　of　sacrilege；

and　laws　establishing　the　rights　of　primogeniture；　the

preponderance　of　the　clergy；　&c。



The　majority　of　the　deputies　showing　themselves　daily　more

opposed　to　his　projects；　in　1830　he　enacted　Ordinances　dissolving

the　Chamber；　suppressing　the　liberty　of　the　Press；　and　preparing

for　the　restoration　of　the　ancien　regime。



The　effect　was　immediate。　　This　autocratic　action　provoked　a

coalition　of　the　leaders　of　all　parties。　　Republicans；

Bonapartists；　Liberals；　Royalistsall　united　in　order　to　raise

the　Parisian　populace。　　Four　days　after　the　publication　of　the

Ordinances　the　insurgents　were　masters　of　the　capital；　and

Charles　X。　fled　to　England。



The　leaders　of　the　movementThiers；　Casimir…Perier；　La　Fayette；

&c。summoned　to　Paris　Louis…Philippe；　of　whose　existence　the

people　were　scarcely　aware；　and　declared　him　king　of　the　French。



Between　the　indifference　of　the　people　and　the　hostility　of　the

nobles；　who　had　remained　faithful　to　the　legitimate　dynasty；　the

new　king　relied　chiefly　upon　the　bourgeoisie。　　An　electoral　law

having　reduced　the　electors　to　less　than　200；000；　this　class

played　an　exclusive　part　in　the　government。



The　situation　of　the　sovereign　was　not　easy。　　He　had　to　struggle

simultaneously　against　the　legitimist　supporters　of　Henry

V。　the　grandson　of　Charles　X。；　and　the　Bonapartists；　who

recognised　as　their　head　Louis…Napoleon；　the