the psychology of revolution-第9节

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it。



The　victorious　government　understood　moreover　the　necessity　of

satisfying　the　legitimate　claims　of　the　enlightened　portion　of

the　nation。　　It　created　a　parliament　instructed　to　prepare　laws

and　control　expenditure。



The　history　of　the　Russian　Revolution　shows　us　how　a　government；

all　of　whose　natural　supports　have　crumbled　in　succession；　can；

with　wisdom　and　firmness；　triumph　over　the　most　formidable

obstacles。　　It　has　been　very　justly　said　that　governments　are　not

overthrown；　but　that　they　commit　suicide。





3。　　Revolutions　effected　by　Governments。Examples：　　

China；　Turkey；　&c。





Governments　almost　invariably　fight　revolutions；　they　hardly　ever

create　them。　　Representing　the　needs　of　the　moment　and　general

opinion；　they　follow　the　reformers　timidly；　they　do　not　precede

them。　　Sometimes；　however；　certain　governments　have　attempted

those　sudden　reforms　which　we　know　as　revolutions。　　The　stability

or　instability　of　the　national　mind　decrees　the　success　or

failure　of　such　attempts。



They　succeed　when　the　people　on　whom　the　government　seeks　to

impose　new　institutions　is　composed　of　semi…barbarous　tribes；

without　fixed　laws；　without　solid　traditions；　that　is　to　say；

without　a　settled　national　mind。　　Such　was　the　condition　of

Russia　in　the　days　of　Peter　the　Great。　　We　know　how　he　sought　to

Europeanise　the　semi…Asiatic　populations　by　means　of　force。



Japan　is　another　example　of　a　revolution　effected　by　a

government；　but　it　was　her　machinery；　not　her　mind　that　was

reformed。



It　needs　a　very　powerful　autocrat；　seconded　by　a　man　of　genius；

to　succeed；　even　partially；　in　such　a　task。　　More　often　than　not

the　reformer　finds　that　the　whole　people　rises　up　against　him。　

Then；　to　the　contrary　of　what　befalls　in　an　ordinary　revolution；

the　autocrat　is　revolutionary　and　the　people　is　conservative。　

But　an　attentive　study　will　soon　show　you　that　the　peoples　are

always　extremely　conservative。



Failure　is　the　rule　with　these　attempts。　　Whether　effected　by　the

upper　classes　or　the　lower；　revolutions　do　not　change　the　souls

of　peoples　that　have　been　a　long　time　established。　　They　only

change　those　things　that　are　worn　by　time　and　ready　to　fall。



China　is　at　the　present　time　making　a　very　interesting　but

impossible　experiment；　in　seeking；　by　means　of　the　government；

suddenly　to　renew　the　institutions　of　the　country。　　The

revolution　which　overturned　the　dynasty　of　her　ancient　sovereigns

was　the　indirect　consequence　of　the　discontent　provoked　by

reforms　which　the　government　had　sought　to　impose　with　a　view　to

ameliorating　the　condition　of　China。　　The　suppression　of　opium

and　gaming；　the　reform　of　the　army；　and　the　creation　of　schools；

involved　an　increase　of　taxation　which；　as　well　as　the　reforms

themselves；　greatly　indisposed　the　general　opinion。



A　few　cultured　Chinese　educated　in　the　schools　of　Europe　profited

by　this　discontent　to　raise　the　people　and　proclaim　a　republic；

an　institution　of　which　the　Chinese　could　have　had　no　conception。



It　surely　cannot　long　survive；　for　the　impulse　which　has　given

birth　to　it　is　not　a　movement　of　progress；　but　of　reaction。　　The

word　republic；　to　the　Chinaman　intellectualised　by　his　European

education；　is　simply　synonymous　with　the　rejection　of　the　yoke　of

laws；　rules；　and　long…established　restraints。　　Cutting　off　his

pigtail；　covering　his　head　with　a　cap；　and　calling　himself　a

Republican；　the　young　Chinaman　thinks　to　give　the　rein　to　all　his

instincts。　　This　is　more　or　less　the　idea　of　a　republic　that　a

large　part　of　the　French　people　entertained　at　the　time　of　the

great　Revolution。



China　will　soon　discover　the　fate　that　awaits　a　society　deprived

of　the　armour　slowly　wrought　by　the　past。　　After　a　few　years　of

bloody　anarchy　it　will　be　necessary　to　establish　a　power　whose

tyranny　will　inevitably　be　far　severer　than　that　which　was

overthrown。　　Science　has　not　yet　discovered　the　magic　ring

capable　of　saving　a　society　without　discipline。　　There　is　no　need

to　impose　discipline　when　it　has　become　hereditary；　but　when　the

primitive　instincts　have　been　allowed　to　destroy　the　barriers

painfully　erected　by　slow　ancestral　labours；　they　cannot　be

reconstituted　save　by　an　energetic　tyranny。



As　a　proof　of　these　assertions　we　may　instance　an　experiment

analogous　to　that　undertaken　by　China；　that　recently　attempted　by

Turkey。　　A　few　years　ago　young　men　instructed　in　European　schools

and　full　of　good　intentions　succeeded；　with　the　aid　of　a

number　of　officers；　in　overthrowing　a　Sultan　whose　tyranny　seemed

insupportable。　　Having　acquired　our　robust　Latin　faith　in　the

magic　power　of　formulae；　they　thought　they　could　establish　the

representative　system　in　a　country　half…civilised；　profoundly

divided　by　religious　hatred；　and　peopled　by　divers　races。



The　attempt　has　not　prospered　hitherto。　　The　authors　of　the

reformation　had　to　learn　that　despite　their　liberalism　they　were

forced　to　govern　by　methods　very　like　those　employed　by　the

government　overthrown。　　They　could　neither　prevent　summary

executions　nor　wholesale　massacres　of　Christians；　nor　could　they

remedy　a　single　abuse。



It　would　be　unjust　to　reproach　them。　　What　in　truth　could　they

have　done　to　change　a　people　whose　traditions　have　been　fixed　so

long；　whose　religious　passions　are　so　intense；　and　whose

Mohammedans；　although　in　the　minority；　legitimately　claim　to

govern　the　sacred　city　of　their　faith　according　to　their　code？　

How　prevent　Islam　from　remaining　the　State　religion　in　a　country

where　civil　law　and　religious　law　are　not　yet　plainly　separated；

and　where　faith　in　the　Koran　is　the　only　tie　by　which　the　idea　of

nationality　can　be　maintained？



It　was　difficult　to　destroy　such　a　state　of　affairs；　so　that　we

were　bound　to　see　the　re…establishment　of　an　autocratic

organisation　with　an　appearance　of　constitutionalismthat　is　to

say；　practically　the　old　system　once　again。　　Such　attempts　afford

a　good　example　of　the　fact　that　a　people　cannot　choose　its

institutions　until　it　has　transformed　its　mind。





4。　　Social　elements　which　survive　the　changes　of　Government　after

Revolution。





What　we　shall　say　later　on　as　to　the　stable　foundation　of　the

national　soul　will　enable　us　to　appreciate　the　force　of　systems

of　government　that　have　been　long　established；　such　as　ancient

monarchies。　　A　monarch　may　easily　be　overthrown　by　conspirators；

but　these　latter　are　powerless　against　the　principles　which　the

monarch　represents。　　Napoleon　at　his　fall　was　replaced　not　by　his

natural　heir；　but　by　the　heir　of　kings。　　The　latter　incarnated　an

ancient　principle；　while　the　son　of　the　Emperor　personified　ideas

that　were　as　yet　imperfectly　established　in　men's　minds。



For　the　same　reason　a　minister；　however　able；　however　great　the

services　he　has　rendered　to　his　country；　can　very　rarely

overthrow　his　Sovereign。　　Bismarck　himself　could　not　have　done

so。　　This　great　minister　had　single…handed　created　the　unity　of

Germany；　yet　his　master　had　only　to　touch　him　with　his　finger　and

he　vanished。　　A　man　is　as　nothing　before　a　principle　supported　by

opinion。



But　even　when；　for　various　reasons；　the　principle　incarnated　by　a

government　is　annihilated　with　that　government；　as　happened　at

the　time　of　the　French　Revolution；　all　the　elements　of　social

organisation　do　not　perish　at　the　same　time。



If　we　knew　nothing　of　France　but　the　disturbances　of　the　last

hundred　years　and　more　we　might　suppose　the　country　to　live　in　a

state　of　profound　anarchy。　　Now　her　economic；　industrial；　and

even　her　political　life　manifests；　on　the　contrary；　a　continuity

that　seems　to　be　independent　of　all　revolutions　and　governments。



The　fact　is　that　beside　the　great　events　of　which　history　treats

are　the　little　facts　of　daily　life　which　the　books　neglect　to

tell。　　They　are　ruled　by　imperious　necessities　which　halt　for　no

man。　　Their　total　mass　forms　the　real　framework　of　the　life　of

the　people。



While　the　study　of　great　events　shows　us　that　the　nominal

government　of　France　has　been　frequently　changed　in　the　space　of

a　century；　an　examination　of　the　little　daily　events　will　prove；

on　the　contrary；　that　her　real　government　has　been　little

altered。



Who　in　truth　are　the　real　rulers　of　a　people？　　Kings　and

ministers；　no　doubt；　in　the　great　crises　of　national　life；　but

they　play　no　part　whatever　in　the　little　realities　which　make　up

the　life　of　every　day。　　The　real　directing　forces　of　a　country

are　the　administrations；　composed　of　impersonal　elements　which

are　never　affected　by　the　changes　of　government。　　Conservative　of

traditions；　they　are　anonymous　and　lasting；　and　constitute　an

occult　power　before　which　all　others　must　eventually　bow。　　Their

action　has　even　increased　to　such　a　degree　that；　as　we　shall

presently　show；　there　is　a　danger　that　they　may　form　an　anonymous

State　more　powerful　than　the　official　State。　　France　has　thu