the psychology of revolution-第53节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

struggle　is　sometimes　terminated　in　a　day　or　less；　but　many

minute　efforts；　slowly　accumulated；　are　essential　to　victory。　　We

had　a　painful　experience　of　this　in　1870；　and　the　Russians　have

learned　it　more　recently。　　Barely　half　an　hour　did　Admiral　Togo

need　to　annihilate　the　Russian　fleet；　at　the　battle　of　Tsushima；

which　finally　decided　the　fate　of　Japan；　but　thousands　of　little

factors；　small　and　remote；　determined　that　success。　　Causes　not

less　numerous　engendered　the　defeat　of　the　Russiansa

bureaucracy　as　complicated　as　ours；　and　as　irresponsible；

lamentable　material；　although　paid　for　by　its　weight　in　gold；　a

system　of　graft　at　every　degree　of　the　social　hierarchy；　and

general　indifference　to　the　interests　of　the　country。



Unhappily　the　progress　in　little　things　which　by　their　total　make

up　the　greatness　of　a　nation　is　rarely　apparent；　produces　no

impression　on　the　public；　and　cannot　serve　the　interests　of

politicians　at　elections。　　These　latter　care　nothing　for　such

matters；　and　permit　the　accumulation；　in　the　countries　subject　to

their　influence；　of　the　little　successive　disorganisations　which

finally　result　in　great　downfalls。





5。　　Social　Distinctions　in　Democracies　and　Democratic　Ideas　in

Various　Countries。





When　men　were　divided　into　castes　and　differentiated　chiefly　by

birth；　social　distinctions　were　generally　accepted　as　the

consequences　of　an　unavoidable　natural　law。



As　soon　as　the　old　social　divisions　were　destroyed　the

distinctions　of　the　classes　appeared　artificial；　and　for　that

reason　ceased　to　be　tolerated。



The　necessity　of　equality　being　theoretical；　we　have　seen　among

democratic　peoples　the　rapid　development　of　artificial

inequalities；　permitting　their　possessors　to　make　for　themselves

a　plainly　visible　supremacy。　　Never　was　the　thirst　for　titles　and

decorations　so　general　as　to…day。



In　really　democratic　countries；　such　as　the　United　States；　titles

and　decorations　do　not　exert　much　influence；　and　fortune　alone

creates　distinctions。　　It　is　only　by　exception　that　we　see

wealthy　young　American　girls　allying　themselves　to　the　old　names

of　the　European　aristocracy。　　They　are　then　instinctively

employing　the　only　means　which　will　permit　a　young　race　to

acquire　a　past　that　will　establish　its　moral　framework。



But　in　a　general　fashion　the　aristocracy　that　we　see　springing　up

in　America　is　by　no　means　founded　on　titles　and　decorations。　

Purely　financial；　it　does　not　provoke　much　jealousy；　because

every　one　hopes　one　day　to　form　part　of　it。



When；　in　his　book　on　democracy　in　America；　Toqueville　spoke　of

the　general　aspiration　towards　equality　he　did　not　realise　that

the　prophesied　equality　would　end　in　the　classification　of　men

founded　exclusively　on　the　number　of　dollars　possessed　by　them。　

No　other　exists　in　the　United　States；　and　it　will　doubtless　one

day　be　the　same　in　Europe。



At　present　we　cannot　possibly　regard　France　as　a　democratic

country　save　on　paper；　and　here　we　feel　the　necessity；　already

referred　to；　of　examining　the　various　ideas　which　in　different

countries　are　expressed　by　the　word　‘‘democracy。''



Of　truly　democratic　nations　we　can　practically　mention　only

England　and　the　United　States。　　There；　democracy　occurs　in

different　forms；　but　the　same　principles　are　observednotably；　a

perfect　toleration　of　all　opinions。　　Religious　persecutions　are

unknown。　　Real　superiority　easily　reveals　itself　in　the　various

professions　which　any　one　can　enter　at　any　age　if　he　possesses

the　necessary　capacity。　　There　is　no　barrier　to　individual

effort。



In　such　countries　men　believe　themselves　equal　because　all　have

the　idea　that　they　are　free　to　attain　the　same　position。　　The

workman　knows　he　can　become　foreman；　and　then　engineer。　　Forced

to　begin　on　the　lower　rungs　of　the　ladder　instead　of　high　up　the

scale；　as　in　France；　the　engineer　does　not　regard　himself　as　made

of　different　stuff　to　the　rest　of　mankind。　　It　is　the　same　in　all

professions。　　This　is　why　the　class　hatred；　so　intense　in　Europe；

is　so　little　developed　in　England　and　America。



In　France　the　democracy　is　practically　non…existent　save　in

speeches。　　A　system　of　competitions　and　examinations；　which　must

be　worked　through　in　youth；　firmly　closes　the　door　upon　the

liberal　professions；　and　creates　inimical　and　separate　classes。



The　Latin　democracies　are　therefore　purely　theoretical。　　The

absolutism　of　the　State　has　replaced　monarchical　absolutism；　but

it　is　no　less　severe。　　The　aristocracy　of　fortune　has　replaced

that　of　birth；　and　its　privileges　are　no　less　considerable。



Monarchies　and　democracies　differ　far　more　in　form　than　in

substance。　　It　is　only　the　variable　mentality　of　men　that　varies

their　effects。　　All　the　discussions　as　to　various　systems　of

government　are　really　of　no　interest；　for　these　have　no　special

virtue　of　themselves。　　Their　value　will　always　depend　on　that　of

the　people　governed。　　A　people　effects　great　and　rapid　progress

when　it　discovers　that　it　is　the　sum　of　the　personal　efforts　of

each　individual　and　not　the　system　of　government　that　determines

the　rank　of　a　nation　in　the　world。







CHAPTER　III



THE　NEW　FORMS　OF　DEMOCRATIC　BELIEF



1。　　The　Conflict　between　Capital　and　Labour。



While　our　legislators　are　reforming　and　legislating　at　hazard；

the　natural　evolution　of　the　world　is　slowly　pursuing　its　course。　

New　interests　arise；　the　economic　competition　between　nation　and

nation　increases　in　severity；　the　working…classes　are　bestirring

themselves；　and　on　all　sides　we　see　the　birth　of　formidable

problems　which　the　harangues　of　the　politicians　will　never

resolve。



Among　these　new　problems　one　of　the　most　complicated　will　be　the

problem　of　the　conflict　between　labour　and　capital。　　It　is

becoming　acute　even　in　such　a　country　of　tradition　as　England。　

Workingmen　are　ceasing　to　respect　the　collective　contracts　which

formerly　constituted　their　charter；　strikes　are　declared　for

insignificant　motives；　and　unemployment　and　pauperism　are

attaining　disquieting　proportions。



In　America　these　strikes　would　finally　have　affected　all

industries　but　that　the　very　excess　of　the　evil　created　a　remedy。　

During　the　last　ten　years　the　industrial　leaders　have　organised

great　employers'　federations；　which　have　become　powerful　enough

to　force　the　workers　to　submit　to　arbitration。



The　labour　question　is　complicated　in　France　by　the

intervention　of　numerous　foreign　workers；　which　the　stagnation　of

our　population　has　rendered　necessary。＇13＇　　This　stagnation　will

also　make　it　difficult　for　France　to　contend　with　her　rivals；

whose　soil　will　soon　no　longer　be　able　to　nourish　its

inhabitants；　who；　following　one　of　the　oldest　laws　of　history；

will　necessarily　invade　the　less　densely　peopled　countries。







＇13＇　Population　of　the　Great　Powers：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1789。　　　　　　　1906。



Russia　　。。。　。。。　　28；000；000　129；000；000

Germany　。。。　。。。　　28；000；000　　57；000；000

Austria　。。。　。。。　　18；000；000　　44；000；000

England　。。。　。。。　　12；000；000　　40；000；000

France　　。。。　。。。　　26；000；000　　39；000；000









These　conflicts　between　the　workers　and　employers　of　the　same

nation　will　be　rendered　still　more　acute　by　the　increasing

economic　struggle　between　the　Asiatics；　whose　needs　are　small；

and　who　can　therefore　produce　manufactured　articles　at　very　low

prices；　and　the　Europeans；　whose　needs　are　many。　　For　twenty…five

years　I　have　laid　stress　upon　this　point。　　General　Hamilton；　ex…

military　attache　to　the　Japanese　army；　who　foresaw　the

Japanese　victories　long　before　the　outbreak　of　hostilities；

writes　as　follows　in　an　essay　translated　by　General　Langlois：



‘‘The　Chinaman；　such　as　I　have　seen　him　in　Manchuria；　is　capable

of　destroying　the　present　type　of　worker　of　the　white　races。　　He

will　drive　him　off　the　face　of　the　earth。　　The　Socialists；　who

preach　equality　to　the　labourer；　are　far　from　thinking　what　would

be　the　practical　result　of　carrying　out　their　theories。　　Is　it；

then；　the　destiny　of　the　white　races　to　disappear　in　the　long

run？　　In　my　humble　opinion　this　destiny　depends　upon　one

single　factor：　　Shall　we　or　shall　we　not　have　the　good　sense　to

close　our　ears　to　speeches　which　present　war　and　preparation　for

war　as　a　useless　evil？



‘‘I　believe　the　workers　must　choose。　　Given　the　present

constitution　of　the　world；　they　must　cultivate　in　their　children

the　military　ideal；　and　accept　gracefully　the　cost　and　trouble

which　militarism　entails；　or　they　will　be　let　in　for　a　cruel

struggle　for　life　with　a　rival　worker　of　whose　success　there　is

not　the　slightest　doubt。　　There　is　only　one　means　of　refusing

Asiatics　the　right　to　emigrate；　to　lower　wages　by　competition；

and　to　live　in　our　midst；　and　that　is　the　sword。　　If　Americans

and　Europeans　forget　that　their　privileged　position　is　held　only

by　for