the psychology of revolution-第52节

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disorganisation。＇12＇　　Everyone　sees　it；　while　he　is　conscious　of

his　own　impotence　to　change　anything。　　It　results；　in　fact；　from

mental　influences　whose　power　is　greater　than　that　of　our　wills。







＇12＇　This　disorder　is　the　same　in　all　the　Government　departments

Interesting　examples　will　be　found　in　a　report　of　M。　Dausset　to

the　Municipal　Council：



‘‘The　service　of　the　public　highways；　which　ought　above　all　to　be

noted　for　its　rapid　execution；　is；　on　the　contrary；　the　very　type

of　red…tape；　bureaucratic；　and　ink…slinging　administration；

possessing　men　and　money　and　wasting　both　in　tasks　which　are

often　useless；　for　lack　of　order；　initiative；　and　methodin　a

word；　of　organisation。



Speaking　then　of　the　directors　of　departments；　each　of　whom　works

as　he　pleases；　and　after　his　own　fashion；　he　adds：



‘‘These　important　persons　completely　ignore　one　another；　they

prepare　and　execute　their　plans　without　knowing　anything　of　what

their　neighbours　are　doing；　there　is　no　one　above　them　to　group

and　co…ordinate　their　work。''　　This　is　why　a　road　is　often　torn

up；　repaired；　and　then　torn　up　again　a　few　days　later；　because

the　departments　dealing　with　the　supply　of　water；　gas；

electricity；　and　the　sewers　are　mutually　jealous；　and　never

attempt　to　work　together。　　This　anarchy　and　indiscipline

naturally　cost　enormous　sums　of　money；　and　a　private　firm　which

operated　in　this　manner　would　soon　find　itself　bankrupt。







3。　　Universal　Suffrage　and　its　Representatives。





Among　the　dogmas　of　democracy　perhaps　the　most　fundamental　of　all

and　the　most　attractive　is　that　of　universal　suffrage。　　It　gives

the　masses　the　idea　of　equality；　since　for　a　moment　at　least　rich

and　poor；　learned　and　ignorant；　are　equal　before　the　electoral

urn。　　The　minister　elbows　the　least　of　his　servants；　and　during

this　brief　moment　the　power　of　one　is　as　great　as　the　others。



All　Governments；　including　that　of　the　Revolution；　have　feared

universal　suffrage。　　At　a　first　glance；　indeed；　the　objections

which　suggests　themselves　are　numerous。　　The　idea　that　the

multitude　could　usefully　choose　the　men　capable　of　governing；

that　individuals　of　indifferent　morality；　feeble　knowledge；　and

narrow　minds　should　possess；　by　the　sole　fact　of　number；　a

certain　talent　for　judging　the　candidate　proposed　for　its

selection　is　surely　a　shocking　one。



From　a　rational　point　of　view　the　suffrage　of　numbers　is　to　a

certain　extent　justified　if　we　think　with　Pascal。



‘‘Plurality　is　the　best　way；　because　it　is　visible　and　has

strength　to　make　itself　obeyed；　it　is；　however；　the　advice　of　the

less　able。''



As　universal　suffrage　cannot　in　our　times　be　replaced　by　any

other　institution；　we　must　accept　it　and　try　to　adapt　it。　　It　is

accordingly　useless　to　protest　against　it　or　to　repeat　with　the

queen　Marie　Caroline；　at　the　time　of　her　struggle　with　Napoleon：　

‘‘Nothing　is　more　dreadful　than　to　govern　men　in　this　enlightened

century；　when　every　cobbler　reasons　and　criticises　the

Government。''



To　tell　the　truth；　the　objections　are　not　always　as　great　as　they

appear。　　The　laws　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　being　admitted；　it

is　very　doubtful　whether　a　limited　suffrage　would　give　a　much

better　choice　of　men　than　that　obtained　by　universal　suffrage。



These　same　psychological　laws　also　show　us　that　so…called

universal　suffrage　is　in　reality　a　pure　fiction。　　The　crowd；　save

in　very　rare　cases；　has　no　opinion　but　that　of　its　leaders。　

Universal　suffrage　really　represents　the　most　limited　of

suffrages。



There　justly　resides　its　real　danger。　　Universal　suffrage　is　made

dangerous　by　the　fact　that　the　leaders　who　are　its　masters　are

the　creatures　of　little　local　committees　analogous　to　the　clubs

of　the　Revolution。　　The　leader　who　canvasses　for　a　mandate　is

chosen　by　them。



Once　nominated；　he　exercises　an　absolute　local　power；　on

condition　of　satisfying　the　interests　of　his　committees。　　Before

this　necessity　the　general　interest　of　the　country　disappears

almost　totally　from　the　mind　of　the　elected　representative。



Naturally　the　committees；　having　need　of　docile　servants；　do　not

choose　for　this　task　individuals　gifted　with　a　lofty　intelligence

nor；　above　all；　with　a　very　high　morality。　　They　must　have　men

without　character；　without　social　position；　and　always　docile。



By　reason　of　these　necessities　the　servility　of　the　deputy　in

respect　of　these　little　groups　which　patronise　him；　and　without

which　he　would　be　no　one；　is　absolute。　　He　will　speak　and　vote

just　as　his　committee　tells　him。　　His　political　ideal　may　be

expressed　in　a　few　words：　it　is　to　obey；　that　he　may　retain　his

post。



Sometimes；　rarely　indeed；　and　only　when　by　name　or　position　or

wealth　he　has　a　great　prestige；　a　superior　character　may　impose

himself　upon　the　popular　vote　by　overcoming　the　tyranny　of　the

impudent　minorities　which　constitute　the　local　committees。



Democratic　countries　like　France　are　only　apparently　governed　by

universal　suffrage。　　For　this　reason　is　it　that　so　many　measures

are　passed　which　do　not　interest　the　people　and　which　the　people

never　demanded。　　Such　were　the　purchase　of　the　Western　railways；

the　laws　respecting　congregations；　&c。　　These　absurd

manifestations　merely　translated　the　demands　of　fanatical　local

committees；　and　were　imposed　upon　deputies　whom　they　had　chosen。



We　may　judge　of　the　influence　of　these　committees　when　we　see

moderate　deputies　forced　to　patronise　the　anarchical

destroyers　of　arsenals；　to　ally　themselves　with　anti…militarists；

and；　in　a　word；　to　obey　the　most　atrocious　demands　in　order　to

ensure　re…election。　　The　will　of　the　lowest　elements　of　democracy

has　thus　created　among　the　elected　representatives　manners　and　a

morality　which　we　can　but　recognise　are　of　the　lowest。　　The

politician　is　the　man　in　public　employment；　and　as　Nietzsche

says：



‘‘Where　public　employment　begins　there　begins　also　the　clamour　of

the　great　comedians　and　the　buzzing　of　venomous　flies。　。　。　。　　The

comedian　always　believes　in　that　which　makes　him　obtain　his　best

effects；　in　that　which　impels　the　people　to　believe　in　him。　　To…

morrow　he　will　have　a　new　faith；　and　the　day　after　to…morrow　yet

another。　。　。　。　　All　that　is　great　has　its　being　far　from　public

employment　and　glory。''





4。　　The　Craving　for　Reforms。





The　craze　for　reforms　imposed　suddenly　by　means　of　decrees　is　one

of　the　most　disastrous　conceptions　of　the　Jacobin　spirit；　one　of

the　formidable　legacies　left　by　the　Revolution。　　It　is　among　the

principal　factors　of　all　the　incessant　political　upheavals　of　the

last　century　in　France。



One　of　the　psychological　causes　of　this　intense　thirst　for

reforms　arises　from　the　difficulty　of　determining　the　real　causes

of　the　evils　complained　of。　　The　need　of　explanation　creates

fictitious　causes　of　the　simplest　nature。　　Therefore　the　remedies

also　appear　simple。



For　forty　years　we　have　incessantly　been　passing　reforms；　each　of

which　is　a　little　revolution　in　itself。　　In　spite　of　all　these；

or　rather　because　of　them；　the　French　have　evolved　almost

as　little　as　any　race　in　Europe。



The　slowness　of　our　actual　evolution　may　be　seen　if　we　compare

the　principal　elements　of　our　social　lifecommerce；　industry；

&c。with　those　of　other　nations。　　The　progress　of　other

nationsof　the　Germans　especiallythen　appears　enormous；　while

our　own　has　been　very　slow。



Our　administrative；　industrial；　and　commercial　organisation　is

considerably　out　of　date；　and　is　no　longer　equal　to　our　new

needs。　　Our　industry　is　not　prospering；　our　marine　is　declining。　

Even　in　our　own　colonies　we　cannot　compete　with　foreign

countries；　despite　the　enormous　pecuniary　subventions　accorded　by

the　State。　　M。　Cruppi；　an　ex…Minister　of　Commerce；　has　insisted

on　this　melancholy　decline　in　a　recent　book。　　Falling　into　the

usual　errors；　he　believed　it　easy　to　remedy　this　inferiority　by

new　laws。



All　politicians　share　the　same　opinion；　which　is　why　we　progress

so　slowly。　　Each　party　is　persuaded　that　by　means　of　reforms　all

evils　could　be　remedied。　　This　conviction　results　in　struggles

such　as　have　made　France　the　most　divided　country　in　the　world

and　the　most　subject　to　anarchy。



No　one　yet　seems　to　understand　that　individuals　and　their

methods；　not　regulations；　make　the　value　of　a　people。　　The

efficacious　reforms　are　not　the　revolutionary　reforms　but　the

trifling　ameliorations　of　every　day　accumulated　in　course　of

time。　　The　great　social　changes；　like　the　great　geological

changes；　are　effected　by　the　daily　addition　of　minute　causes。　

The　economic　history　of　Germany　during　the　last　forty

years　proves　in　a　striking　manner　the　truth　of　this　law。



Many　important　events　which　seem　to　depend　more　or　less　on

hazardas　battles；　for　exampleare　themselves　subject　to　this

law　of　the　accumulation　of　small　causes。　　No　doubt　the　decisive

struggle　is　sometimes　te