the psychology of revolution-第30章

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2。　　The　Revolutionary　Tribunals。





The　Revolutionary　Tribunals　constituted　the　principal　means　of

action　of　the　Terror。　　Besides　that　of　Paris；　created　at　the

instigation　of　Danton；　and　which　a　year　afterwards　sent　

its　founder　to　the　guillotine；　France　was　covered　with　

such　tribunals。



‘‘One　hundred　and　seventy…eight　tribunals；''　says　Taine；　‘‘of

which　40　were　perambulant；　pronounced　death　sentences　in　all

parts　of　the　country；　which　were　carried　out　instantly　on　the

spot。　　Between　the　16th　of　April；　1793；　and　the　9th　of　Thermidor

in　the　year　II。　that　of　Paris　guillotined　2；625　persons；　and　the

provincial　judges　worked　as　hard　as　those　of　Paris。　　In　the

little　town　of　Orange　alone　331　persons　were　guillotined。　　In　the

city　of　Arras　299　men　and　93　women　were　guillotined。　。　。　。　　In

the　city　of　Lyons　alone　the　revolutionary　commissioner　admitted

to　1；684　executions。　。　。　。　　The　total　number　of　these　murders　has

been　put　at　17；000；　among　whom　were　1；200　women；　of　whom　a　number

were　octogenarians。''



Although　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Paris　claimed　only　2；625

victims；　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　all　the　suspects　had

already　been　summarily　massacred　during　the　‘‘days''　of

September。



The　Revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Paris；　a　mere　instrument　of　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety；　limited　itself　in　reality；　as

Fouquier…Tinville　justly　remarked　during　his　trial；　to　executing

its　orders。　　It　surrounded　itself　at　first　with　a　few　legal　forms

which　did　not　long　survive。　　Interrogatory；　defence；　witnesses

all　were　finally　suppressed。　　Moral　proofthat　is；　mere

suspicionsufficed　to　procure　condemnation。　　The　president

usually　contented　himself　with　putting　a　vague　question　to　the

accused。　　To　work　more　rapidly　still；　Fouquier…Tinville　proposed

to　have　the　guillotine　installed　on　the　same　premises　as　the

Tribunal。



This　Tribunal　sent　indiscriminately　to　the　scaffold　all　the

accused　persons　arrested　by　reason　of　party　hatred；　and　very

soon；　in　the　hands　of　Robespierre；　it　constituted　an　instrument

of　the　bloodiest　tyranny。　　When　Danton；　one　of　its　founders；

became　its　victim；　he　justly　asked　pardon　of　God　and　men；　before

mounting　the　scaffold　for　having　assisted　to　create　such　a

Tribunal。



Nothing　found　mercy　before　it：　neither　the　genius　of　Lavoisier；

nor　the　gentleness　of　Lucile　Desmoulins；　nor　the　merit　of

Malesherbes。　　‘‘So　much　talent；''　said　Benjamin　Constant；

‘‘massacred　by　the　most　cowardly　and　brutish　of　men！''



To　find　any　excuse　for　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　we　must　return

to　our　conception　of　the　religious　mentality　of　the　Jacobins；　who

founded　and　directed　it。　　It　was　a　piece　of　work　comparable　in

its　spirit　and　its　aim　to　the　Inquisition。　　The　men　who　furnished

its　victimsRobespierre；　Saint…Just；　and　Couthonbelieved

themselves　the　benefactors　of　the　human　race　in　suppressing　all

infidels；　the　enemies　of　the　faith　that　was　to　regenerate　the

earth。



The　executions　during　the　Terror　did　not　affect　the　members　of

the　aristocracy　only；　since　4；000　peasants　and　3；000　working…men

were　guillotined。



Given　the　emotion　produced　in　Paris　in　our　days　by　a　capital

execution；　one　might　suppose　that　the　execution　of　so　many

persons　at　one　time　would　produce　a　very　great　emotion。　　But

habit　had　so　dulled　sensibility　that　people　paid　but　little

attention　to　the　matter　at　last。　　Mothers　would　take　their

children　to　see　people　guillotined　as　to…day　they　take　them　to

the　marionette　theatre。



The　daily　spectacle　of　executions　made　the　men　of　the　time

very　indifferent　to　death。　　All　mounted　the　scaffold　with　perfect

tranquillity；　the　Girondists　singing　the　Marseillaise　as　they

climbed　the　steps。



This　resignation　resulted　from　the　law　of　habitude；　which　very

rapidly　dulls　emotion。　　To　judge　by　the　fact　that　royalist

risings　were　taking　place　daily；　the　prospect　of　the　guillotine

no　longer　terrified　men。　　Things　happened　as　though　the　Terror

terrorised　no　one。　　Terror　is　an　efficacious　psychological

process　so　long　as　it　does　not　last。　　The　real　terror　resides　far

more　in　threats　than　in　their　realisation。





3。　　The　Terror　in　the　Provinces。





The　executions　of　the　Revolutionary　Tribunals　in　the　provinces

represented　only　a　portion　of　the　massacres　effected　in　the

departments　during　the　Terror。　　The　revolutionary　army；　composed

of　vagabonds　and　brigands；　marched　through　France　killing　and

pillaging。　　Its　method　of　procedure　is　well　indicated　by　the

following　passage　from　Taine：



‘‘At　Bedouin；　a　town　of　2；000　inhabitants；　where　unknown　hands

had　cut　down　the　tree　of　liberty；　433　houses　were　demolished　or

fired；　16　persons　were　guillotined；　and　47　shot　down；　all　the

other　inhabitants　were　expelled　and　reduced　to　living　as

vagabonds　in　the　mountains；　and　to　taking　shelter　in　caverns

which　they　hollowed　out　of　the　earth。''



The　fate　of　the　wretches　sent　before　the　Revolutionary　Tribunals

was　no　better。　　The　first　mockery　of　trial　was　quickly

suppressed。　　At　Nantes；　Carrier　drowned　and　shot　down　according

to　his　fancy　nearly　5；000　personsmen；　women；　and　children。



The　details　of　these　massacres　figured　in　the　Moniteur

after　the　reaction　of　Thermidor。　　I　cite　a　few　lines：



‘‘I　saw；''　says　Thomas；　‘‘after　the　taking　of　Noirmoutier；　men

and　women　and　old　people　burned　alive　。　。　。　women　violated；　girls

of　fourteen　and　fifteen；　and　massacred　afterward；　and　tender

babes　thrown　from　bayonet　to　bayonet；　children　who　were　taken

from　beside　their　mothers　stretched　out　on　the　ground。''



In　the　same　number　we　read　a　deposition　by　one　Julien；　relating

how　Carrier　forced　his　victims　to　dig　their　graves　and　to　allow

themselves　to　be　buried　alive。　　The　issue　of　October　15；　1794；

contained　a　report　by　Merlin　de　Thionville　proving　that　the

captain　of　the　vessel　le　Destin　had　received　orders　to　embark

forty…one　victims　to　be　drowned‘‘among　them　a　blind　man　of　78；

twelve　women；　twelve　girls；　and　fourteen　children；　of　whom　ten

were　from　10　to　6　and　five　at　the　breast。''



In　the　course　of　Carrier's　trial　（Moniteur；　December　30；　1794）

it　was　proved　that　he　‘‘had　given　orders　to　drown　and　shoot　women

and　children；　and　had　ordered　General　Haxo　to　exterminate　all　the

inhabitants　of　La　Vendee　and　to　burn　down　their　dwellings。''



Carrier；　like　all　wholesale　murderers；　took　an　intense　joy　in

seeing　his　victims　suffer。　　‘‘In　the　department　in　which　I　hunted

the　priests；''　he　said；　‘‘I　have　never　laughed　so　much　or

experienced　such　pleasure　as　in　watching　their　dying　grimaces''

（Moniteur；　December　22；　1794）。



Carrier　was　tried　to　satisfy　the　reaction　of　Thermidor。　　But　

the　massacres　of　Nantes　were　repeated　in　many　other　towns。　

Fouche　slew　more　than　2；000　persons　at　Lyons；　and　so　many　were

killed　at　Toulon　that　the　population　fell　from　29；000　to　7；000　in

a　few　months。



We　must　say　in　defence　of　Carrier；　Freron；　Fouche　and　all

these　sinister　persons；　that　they　were　incessantly　stimulated　by

the　Committee　of　Public　Safety。　　Carrier　gave　proof　of　this

during　his　trial。



‘‘I　admit；''　said　he　（Moniteur；　December　24；　1794）；　‘‘that　150

or　200　prisoners　were　shot　every　day；　but　it　was　by　order　of　the

commission。　　I　informed　the　Convention　that　the　brigands　were

being　shot　down　by　hundreds；　and　it　applauded　this　letter；　and

ordered　its　insertion　in　the　Bulletin。　　What　were　these　deputies

doing　then　who　are　so　furious　against　me　now？　　They　were

applauding。　　Why　did　they　still　keep　me　‘on　mission'？　　Because　I

was　then　the　saviour　of　the　country；　and　now　I　am　a　bloodthirsty

man。''



Unhappily　for　him；　Carrier　did　not　know；　as　he　remarked　in　the

same　speech；　that　only　seven　or　eight　persons　led　the　Convention。



But　the　terrorised　Assembly　approved　of　all　that　these　seven　or

eight　ordered；　so　that　they　could　say　nothing　in　reply　to

Carrier's　argument。　　He　certainly　deserved　to　be　guillotined；　but

the　whole　Convention　deserved　to　be　guillotined　with　him；　since

it　had　approved　of　the　massacres。



The　defence　of　Carrier；　justified　by　the　letters　of　the

Committee；　by　which　the　representatives　‘‘on　mission''　were

incessantly　stimulated；　shows　that　the　violence　of　the　Terror

resulted　from　a　system；　and　not；　as　has　sometimes　been　claimed；

from　the　initiative　of　a　few　individuals。



The　thirst　for　destruction　during　the　Terror　was　by　no　means

assuaged　by　the　destruction　of　human　beings　only；　there　was　an

even　greater　destruction　of　inanimate　things。　　The　true　believer

is　always　an　iconoclast。　　Once　in　power；　he　destroys　with　equal

zeal　the　enemies　of　his　faith　and　the　images；　temples；　and

symbols　which　recall　the　faith　attacked。



We　know　that　the　first　action　of　the　Emperor　Theodosius　when

converted　to　the　Christian　religion　was　to　break　down　the

majority　of　the　temples　which　for　six　thousand　years　had　been

built　beside　the　Nile。　　We　must　not；　therefore；　be　surprised　to

see　the　leaders　of　the　Revolution　attacking　the　monuments　and

works　of　art　which　for　them　were　the　vestiges　of　an　abhorred

past。



Statues；　manuscripts；　stained　glass　windows；　and　plate　were

frenziedly　broken。　　When　Fouche；　the　future　Duke　of　Otranto

under　Napoleon；　and　minister　under　Louis　XVIII。；　was　sent　as

commissary　of　the　Convention　to　the　Nievre；　he　ordered　the

demolition　of　all　the　towers　of　the　chateaux　and　the

belfries　of　the　churches　‘‘because　they　wounded　equality。''



Revolutionary　vandalism　expended　itself　even　on　the　tomb。　

Following　a　report　read　by　Barrere　to　the　Convention；　the

magnificent　royal　tombs　at　Saint…Denis；　among　which　was　the

admirable　mausoleum　of　Henri　II。；　by　Germain　Pilon；　were　smashed

to　pieces；　the　coffins　emptied；　and　the　body　of　Turenne　sent　to

the　Museum　as　a　curiosity；　after　one　of　the　keepers　had　extracted

the　teeth　in　order　to　sell　them　as　curiosities。　　The　moustache

and　beard　of　Henri　IV。　were　also　torn　out。



It　is　impossible　to　witness　such　comparatively　enlightened

men　consenting　to　the　destruction　of　the　artistic　patriotism　of

France　without　a　feeling　of　sadness。　　To　excuse　them；　we　must

remember　that　intense　beliefs　give　rise　to　the　worst　excesses；

and　also　that　the　Convention；　almost　daily　invaded　by　rioters；

always　yielded　to　the　popular　will。



This　glowing　record　of　devastation　proves；　not　only　the　power　of

fanaticism：　it　shows　us　what　becomes　of　men　who　are　liberated

from　all　social　restraints；　and　of　the　country　which　falls　into

their　hands。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　REVOLUTION



1。　　The　Revolutionary　Assemblies　and　the　Armies。



If　nothing　were　known　of　the　revolutionary　Assemblies；　and

notably　of　the　Convention；　beyond　their　internal　dissensions；

their　weakness；　and　their　acts　of　violence；　their　memory　would

indeed　be　a　gloomy　one。



But　even　for　its　enemies　this　bloodstained　epoch　must　always

retain　an　undeniable　glory；