the crowd-第25章

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e　sentiment　of　justice。〃


These　few　lines　resume　the　entire　mechanism　of　the　art　of　oratory；　and　we　see　why　the　speech　prepared　in　advance　has　so　slight　an　effect；　it　being　necessary　to　be　able　to　modify　the　terms　employed　from　moment　to　moment　in　accordance　with　the　impression　produced。

The　orator　does　not　require　to　convert　to　his　views　all　the　members　of　a　jury；　but　only　the　leading　spirits　among　it　who　will　determine　the　general　opinion。　　As　in　all　crowds；　so　in　juries　there　are　a　small　number　of　individuals　who　serve　as　guides　to　the　rest。　　〃I　have　found　by　experience；〃　says　the　counsel　cited　above；　〃that　one　or　two　energetic　men　suffice　to　carry　the　rest　of　the　jury　with　them。〃　　It　is　those　two　or　three　whom　it　is　necessary　to　convince　by　skilful　suggestions。　　First　of　all；　and　above　all；　it　is　necessary　to　please　them。　　The　man　forming　part　of　a　crowd　whom　one　has　succeeded　in　pleasing　is　on　the　point　of　being　convinced；　and　is　quite　disposed　to　accept　as　excellent　any　arguments　that　may　be　offered　him。　　I　detach　the　following　anecdote　from　an　interesting　account　of　M。　Lachaud；　alluded　to　above：


〃It　is　well　known　that　during　all　the　speeches　he　would　deliver　in　the　course　of　an　assize　sessions；　Lachaud　never　lost　sight　of　the　two　or　three　jurymen　whom　he　knew　or　felt　to　be　influential　but　obstinate。　　As　a　rule　he　was　successful　in　winning　over　these　refractory　jurors。　　On　one　occasion；　however；　in　the　provinces；　he　had　to　deal　with　a　juryman　whom　he　plied　in　vain　for　three…quarters　of　an　hour　with　his　most　cunning　arguments；　the　man　was　the　seventh　juryman；　the　first　on　the　second　bench。　　The　case　was　desperate。　　Suddenly；　in　the　middle　of　a　passionate　demonstration；　Lachaud　stopped　short；　and　addressing　the　President　of　the　court　said：　　‘Would　you　give　instructions　for　the　curtain　there　in　front　to　be　drawn？　　The　seventh　juryman　is　blinded　by　the　sun。'　　The　juryman　in　question　reddened；　smiled；　and　expressed　his　thanks。　　He　was　won　over　for　the　defence。〃


Many　writers；　some　of　them　most　distinguished；　have　started　of　late　a　strong　campaign　against　the　institution　of　the　jury；　although　it　is　the　only　protection　we　have　against　the　errors；　really　very　frequent；　of　a　caste　that　is　under　no　control。＇25＇　　A　portion　of　these　writers　advocate　a　jury　recruited　solely　from　the　ranks　of　the　enlightened　classes；　but　we　have　already　proved　that　even　in　this　case　the　verdicts　would　be　identical　with　those　returned　under　the　present　system。　　Other　writers；　taking　their　stand　on　the　errors　committed　by　juries；　would　abolish　the　jury　and　replace　it　by　judges。　　It　is　difficult　to　see　how　these　would…be　reformers　can　forget　that　the　errors　for　which　the　jury　is　blamed　were　committed　in　the　first　instance　by　judges；　and　that　when　the　accused　person　comes　before　a　jury　he　has　already　been　held　to　be　guilty　by　several　magistrates；　by　the　juge　d'instruction；　the　public　prosecutor；　and　the　Court　of　Arraignment。　　It　should　thus　be　clear　that　were　the　accused　to　be　definitely　judged　by　magistrates　instead　of　by　jurymen；　he　would　lose　his　only　chance　of　being　admitted　innocent。　　The　errors　of　juries　have　always　been　first　of　all　the　errors　of　magistrates。　It　is　solely　the　magistrates；　then；　who　should　be　blamed　when　particularly　monstrous　judicial　errors　crop　up；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　quite　recent　condemnation　of　Dr。　L　who；　prosecuted　by　a　juge　d'instruction；　of　excessive　stupidity；　on　the　strength　of　the　denunciation　of　a　half…idiot　girl；　who　accused　the　doctor　of　having　performed　an　illegal　operation　upon　her　for　thirty　francs；　would　have　been　sent　to　penal　servitude　but　for　an　explosion　of　public　indignation；　which　had　for　result　that　he　was　immediately　set　at　liberty　by　the　Chief　of　the　State。　The　honourable　character　given　the　condemned　man　by　all　his　fellow…citizens　made　the　grossness　of　the　blunder　self…evident。　The　magistrates　themselves　admitted　it；　and　yet　out　of　caste　considerations　they　did　all　they　could　to　prevent　the　pardon　being　signed。　　In　all　similar　affairs　the　jury；　confronted　with　technical　details　it　is　unable　to　understand；　naturally　hearkens　to　the　public　prosecutor；　arguing　that；　after　all；　the　affair　has　been　investigated　by　magistrates　trained　to　unravel　the　most　intricate　situations。　　Who；　then；　are　the　real　authors　of　the　errorthe　jurymen　or　the　magistrates？　　We　should　cling　vigorously　to　the　jury。　　It　constitutes；　perhaps；　the　only　category　of　crowd　that　cannot　be　replaced　by　any　individuality。　It　alone　can　temper　the　severity　of　the　law；　which；　equal　for　all；　ought　in　principle　to　be　blind　and　to　take　no　cognisance　of　particular　cases。　　Inaccessible　to　pity；　and　heeding　nothing　but　the　text　of　the　law；　the　judge　in　his　professional　severity　would　visit　with　the　same　penalty　the　burglar　guilty　of　murder　and　the　wretched　girl　whom　poverty　and　her　abandonment　by　her　seducer　have　driven　to　infanticide。　　The　jury；　on　the　other　hand；　instinctively　feels　that　the　seduced　girl　is　much　less　guilty　than　the　seducer；　who；　however；　is　not　touched　by　the　law；　and　that　she　deserves　every　indulgence。


＇25＇　The　magistracy　is；　in　point　of　fact；　the　only　administration　whose　acts　are　under　no　control。　　In　spite　of　all　its　revolutions；　democratic　France　does　not　possess　that　right　of　habeas　corpus　of　which　England　is　so　proud。　　We　have　banished　all　the　tyrants；　but　have　set　up　a　magistrate　in　each　city　who　disposes　at　will　of　the　honour　and　liberty　of　the　citizens。　　An　insignificant　juge　d'instruction　（an　examining　magistrate　who　has　no　exact　counterpart　in　England。Trans。）；　fresh　from　the　university；　possesses　the　revolting　power　of　sending　to　prison　at　will　persons　of　the　most　considerable　standing；　on　a　simple　supposition　on　his　part　of　their　guilt；　and　without　being　obliged　to　justify　his　act　to　any　one。　　Under　the　pretext　of　pursuing　his　investigation　he　can　keep　these　persons　in　prison　for　six　months　or　even　a　year；　and　free　them　at　last　without　owing　them　either　an　indemnity　or　excuses。　　The　warrant　in　France　is　the　exact　equivalent　of　the　lettre　de　cachet；　with　this　difference；　that　the　latter；　with　the　use　of　which　the　monarchy　was　so　justly　reproached；　could　only　be　resorted　to　by　persons　occupying　a　very　high　position；　while　the　warrant　is　an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　a　whole　class　of　citizens　which　is　far　from　passing　for　being　very　enlightened　or　very　independent。



Being　well　acquainted　with　the　psychology　of　castes；　and　also　with　the　psychology　of　other　categories　of　crowds；　I　do　not　perceive　a　single　case　in　which；　wrongly　accused　of　a　crime；　I　should　not　prefer　to　have　to　deal　with　a　jury　rather　than　with　magistrates。　　I　should　have　some　chance　that　my　innocence　would　be　recognised　by　the　former　and　not　the　slightest　chance　that　it　would　be　admitted　by　the　latter。　　The　power　of　crowds　is　to　be　dreaded；　but　the　power　of　certain　castes　is　to　be　dreaded　yet　more。　　Crowds　are　open　to　conviction；　castes　never　are。


CHAPTER　IV

ELECTORAL　CROWDS

General　characteristics　of　electoral　crowdsThe　manner　of　persuading　themThe　qualities　that　should　be　possessed　by　a　candidateNecessity　of　prestigeWhy　working　men　and　peasants　so　rarely　choose　candidates　from　their　own　classThe　influence　of　words　and　formulas　on　the　electorThe　general　aspect　of　election　oratoryHow　the　opinions　of　the　elector　are　formedThe　power　of　political　committeesThey　represent　the　most　redoubtable　form　of　tyrannyThe　committees　of　the　Revolution　Universal　suffrage　cannot　be　replaced　in　spite　of　its　slight　psychological　valueWhy　it　is　that　the　votes　recorded　would　remain　the　same　even　if　the　right　of　voting　were　restricted　to　a　limited　class　of　citizensWhat　universal　suffrage　expresses　in　all　countries。


ELECTORAL　crowdsthat　is　to　say；　collectivities　invested　with　the　power　of　electing　the　holders　of　certain　functionsconstitute　heterogeneous　crowds；　but　as　their　action　is　confined　to　a　single　clearly　determined　matter；　namely；　to　choosing　between　different　candidates；　they　present　only　a　few　of　the　characteristics　previously　described。　　Of　the　characteristics　peculiar　to　crowds；　they　display　in　particular　but　slight　aptitude　for　reasoning；　the　absence　of　the　critical　spirit；　irritability；　credulity；　and　simplicity。　　In　their　decision；　moreover；　is　to　be　traced　the　influence　of　the　leaders　of　crowds　and　the　part　played　by　the　factors　we　have　enumerated：　affirmation；　repetition；　prestige；　and　contagion。

Let　us　examine　by　what　methods　electoral　crowds　are　to　be　persuaded。　　It　will　be　easy　to　deduce　their　psychology　from　the　methods　that　are　most　successful。

It　is　of　primary　importance　that　the　candidate　should　possess　prestige。　Personal　prestige　can　only　be　replaced　by　that　resulting　from　wealth。　　Talent　and　even　genius　are　not　elements　of　success　of　serious　importance。

Of　capital　importance；　on　the　other　hand；　is　the　necessity　for　the　candidate　of　possessing　prestige；　of　being　able；　that　is；　to　force　himself　upon　the　electorate　without　discussion。　　The　reason　why　the　electors；　of　whom　a　majority　are　working　men　or　peasants；　so　rarely　choose　a　man　from　their　own　ranks　to　represent　them　is　that　such　a　person　enjoys　no　prestige　among　them。　　When；　by　chance；　they　do　elect　a　man　who　is　their　equal；　it　is　as　a　rule　for　subsidiary　reasonsfor　instance；　to　spite　an　eminent　man；　or　an　influential　employer　of　labour　on　whom　the　elector　is　in　daily　dependence；　and　whose　master　he　has　the　illusion　he　becomes　in　this　way　for　a　moment。

The　possession　of　prestige　does　not　suffice；　however；　to　assure　the　success　of　a　candidate。　　The　elector　stickles　in　particular　for　the　flattery　of　his　greed　and　vanity。　　He　must　be　overwhelmed　with　the　most　extravagant　blandishments；　and　there　must　be　no　hesitation　in　making　him　the　most　fantastic　promises。　　If　he　is　a　working　man　it　is　impossible　to　go　too　far　in　insulting　and　stigmatising　employers　of　labour。　　As　for　the　rival　candidate；　an　effort　must　be　made　to　destroy　his　chance　by　establishing　by　dint　of　affirmation；　repetition；　and　contagion　that　he　is　an　arrant　scoundrel；　and　that　it　is　a　matter　of　common　knowledge　that　he　has　been　guilty　of　several　crimes。　　It　is；　of　course；　useless　to　trouble　about　any　semblance　of　proof。　　Should　the　adversary　be　ill…acquainted　with　the　psychology　of　crowds　he　will　try　to　justify　himself　by　arguments　instead　of　confining　himself　to　replying　to　one　set　of　affirmations　by　another；　and　he　will　have　no　chance　whatever　of　being　successful。

The　candidate's　written　programme　should　not　be　too　categorical；　since　later　on　his　adversaries　might　bring　it　up　against　him；　in　his　verbal　programme；　however；　there　cannot　be　too　much　exaggeration。　　The　most　important　reforms　may　be　fearlessly　promised。　　At　the　moment　they　are　made　these　exaggerations　produce　a　great　effect；　and　they　are　not　binding　for　the　future；　it　being　a　matter　of　constant　observation　that　the　elector　never　troubles　himself　to　know　how　far　the　candidate　he　has　returned　has　followed　out　the　electoral　programme　he　applauded；　and　in　virtue　of　which　the　election　was　supposed　to　have　been　secured。

In　what　precedes；　all　the　factors　of　persuasion　which　we　have　described　are　to　be　recognised。　　We　shall　come　across　them　again　in　the　action　exerted　by　words　and　formulas；　whose　magical　sway　we　have　already　insisted　upon。