the crowd-第16章

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ed；　upon　names　and　outward　forms。

This　circumstance　is　not　to　be　regretted。　　Neither　a　national　genius　nor　civilisation　would　be　possible　without　traditions。　　In　consequence　man's　two　great　concerns　since　he　has　existed　have　been　to　create　a　network　of　traditions　which　he　afterwards　endeavours　to　destroy　when　their　beneficial　effects　have　worn　themselves　out。　　Civilisation　is　impossible　without　traditions；　and　progress　impossible　without　the　destruction　of　those　traditions。　　The　difficulty；　and　it　is　an　immense　difficulty；　is　to　find　a　proper　equilibrium　between　stability　and　variability。　Should　a　people　allow　its　customs　to　become　too　firmly　rooted；　it　can　no　longer　change；　and　becomes；　like　China；　incapable　of　improvement。　　Violent　revolutions　are　in　this　case　of　no　avail；　for　what　happens　is　that　either　the　broken　fragments　of　the　chain　are　pieced　together　again　and　the　past　resumes　its　empire　without　change；　or　the　fragments　remain　apart　and　decadence　soon　succeeds　anarchy。

The　ideal　for　a　people　is　in　consequence　to　preserve　the　institutions　of　the　past；　merely　changing　them　insensibly　and　little　by　little。　　This　ideal　is　difficult　to　realise。　　The　Romans　in　ancient　and　the　English　in　modern　times　are　almost　alone　in　having　realised　it。

It　is　precisely　crowds　that　cling　the　most　tenaciously　to　traditional　ideas　and　oppose　their　being　changed　with　the　most　obstinacy。　　This　is　notably　the　case　with　the　category　of　crowds　constituting　castes。　　I　have　already　insisted　upon　the　conservative　spirit　of　crowds；　and　shown　that　the　most　violent　rebellions　merely　end　in　a　changing　of　words　and　terms。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century；　in　the　presence　of　destroyed　churches；　of　priests　expelled　the　country　or　guillotined；　it　might　have　been　thought　that　the　old　religious　ideas　had　lost　all　their　strength；　and　yet　a　few　years　had　barely　lapsed　before　the　abolished　system　of　public　worship　had　to　be　re…established　in　deference　to　universal　demands。＇8＇


＇8＇　The　report　of　the　ex…Conventionist；　Fourcroy；　quoted　by　Taine；　is　very　clear　on　this　point。

〃What　is　everywhere　seen　with　respect　to　the　keeping　of　Sunday　and　attendance　at　the　churches　proves　that　the　majority　of　Frenchmen　desire　to　return　to　their　old　usages　and　that　it　is　no　longer　opportune　to　resist　this　natural　tendency。　。　。　。　　The　great　majority　of　men　stand　in　need　of　religion；　public　worship；　and　priests。　　IT　IS　AN　ERROR　OF　SOME　MODERN　PHILOSOPHERS；　BY　WHICH　I　MYSELF　HAVE　BEEN　LED　AWAY；　to　believe　in　the　possibility　of　instruction　being　so　general　as　to　destroy　religious　prejudices；　which　for　a　great　number　of　unfortunate　persons　are　a　source　of　consolation。　。　。　。　　The　mass　of　the　people；　then；　must　be　allowed　its　priests；　its　altars；　and　its　public　worship。〃



Blotted　out　for　a　moment；　the　old　traditions　had　resumed　their　sway。

No　example　could　better　display　the　power　of　tradition　on　the　mind　of　crowds。　　The　most　redoubtable　idols　do　not　dwell　in　temples；　nor　the　most　despotic　tyrants　in　palaces；　both　the　one　and　the　other　can　be　broken　in　an　instant。　　But　the　invisible　masters　that　reign　in　our　innermost　selves　are　safe　from　every　effort　at　revolt；　and　only　yield　to　the　slow　wearing　away　of　centuries。


3。　TIME


In　social　as　in　biological　problems　time　is　one　of　the　most　energetic　factors。　　It　is　the　sole　real　creator　and　the　sole　great　destroyer。　　It　is　time　that　has　made　mountains　with　grains　of　sand　and　raised　the　obscure　cell　of　geological　eras　to　human　dignity。　　The　action　of　centuries　is　sufficient　to　transform　any　given　phenomenon。　　It　has　been　justly　observed　that　an　ant　with　enough　time　at　its　disposal　could　level　Mount　Blanc。　　A　being　possessed　of　the　magical　force　of　varying　time　at　his　will　would　have　the　power　attributed　by　believers　to　God。

In　this　place；　however；　we　have　only　to　concern　ourselves　with　the　influence　of　time　on　the　genesis　of　the　opinions　of　crowds。　Its　action　from　this　point　of　view　is　still　immense。　　Dependent　upon　it　are　the　great　forces　such　as　race；　which　cannot　form　themselves　without　it。　　It　causes　the　birth；　the　growth；　and　the　death　of　all　beliefs。　　It　is　by　the　aid　of　time　that　they　acquire　their　strength　and　also　by　its　aid　that　they　lose　it。

It　is　time　in　particular　that　prepares　the　opinions　and　beliefs　of　crowds；　or　at　least　the　soil　on　which　they　will　germinate。　This　is　why　certain　ideas　are　realisable　at　one　epoch　and　not　at　another。　　It　is　time　that　accumulates　that　immense　detritus　of　beliefs　and　thoughts　on　which　the　ideas　of　a　given　period　spring　up。　　They　do　not　grow　at　hazard　and　by　chance；　the　roots　of　each　of　them　strike　down　into　a　long　past。　　When　they　blossom　it　is　time　that　has　prepared　their　blooming；　and　to　arrive　at　a　notion　of　their　genesis　it　is　always　back　in　the　past　that　it　is　necessary　to　search。　　They　are　the　daughters　of　the　past　and　the　mothers　of　the　future；　but　throughout　the　slaves　of　time。

Time；　in　consequence；　is　our　veritable　master；　and　it　suffices　to　leave　it　free　to　act　to　see　all　things　transformed。　　At　the　present　day　we　are　very　uneasy　with　regard　to　the　threatening　aspirations　of　the　masses　and　the　destructions　and　upheavals　foreboded　thereby。　　Time；　without　other　aid；　will　see　to　the　restoration　of　equilibrium。　　〃No　form　of　government；〃　M。　Lavisse　very　properly　writes；　〃was　founded　in　a　day。　　Political　and　social　organisations　are　works　that　demand　centuries。　　The　feudal　system　existed　for　centuries　in　a　shapeless；　chaotic　state　before　it　found　its　laws；　absolute　monarchy　also　existed　for　centuries　before　arriving　at　regular　methods　of　government；　and　these　periods　of　expectancy　were　extremely　troubled。〃


4。　POLITICAL　AND　SOCIAL　INSTITUTIONS


The　idea　that　institutions　can　remedy　the　defects　of　societies；　that　national　progress　is　the　consequence　of　the　improvement　of　institutions　and　governments；　and　that　social　changes　can　be　effected　by　decrees　this　idea；　I　say；　is　still　generally　accepted。　　It　was　the　starting…point　of　the　French　Revolution；　and　the　social　theories　of　the　present　day　are　based　upon　it。

The　most　continuous　experience　has　been　unsuccessful　in　shaking　this　grave　delusion。　　Philosophers　and　historians　have　endeavoured　in　vain　to　prove　its　absurdity；　but　yet　they　have　had　no　difficulty　in　demonstrating　that　institutions　are　the　outcome　of　ideas；　sentiments；　and　customs；　and　that　ideas；　sentiments；　and　customs　are　not　to　be　recast　by　recasting　legislative　codes。　A　nation　does　not　choose　its　institutions　at　will　any　more　than　it　chooses　the　colour　of　its　hair　or　its　eyes。　　Institutions　and　governments　are　the　product　of　the　race。　　They　are　not　the　creators　of　an　epoch；　but　are　created　by　it。　　Peoples　are　not　governed　in　accordance　with　their　caprices　of　the　moment；　but　as　their　character　determines　that　they　shall　be　governed。　Centuries　are　required　to　form　a　political　system　and　centuries　needed　to　change　it。　　Institutions　have　no　intrinsic　virtue：　in　themselves　they　are　neither　good　nor　bad。　　Those　which　are　good　at　a　given　moment　for　a　given　people　may　be　harmful　in　the　extreme　for　another　nation。

Moreover；　it　is　in　no　way　in　the　power　of　a　people　to　really　change　its　institutions。　　Undoubtedly；　at　the　cost　of　violent　revolutions；　it　can　change　their　name；　but　in　their　essence　they　remain　unmodified。　　The　names　are　mere　futile　labels　with　which　an　historian　who　goes　to　the　bottom　of　things　need　scarcely　concern　himself。　　It　is　in　this　way；　for　instance；　that　England；＇9＇　the　most　democratic　country　in　the　world；　lives；　nevertheless；　under　a　monarchical　regime；　whereas　the　countries　in　which　the　most　oppressive　despotism　is　rampant　are　the　Spanish…American　Republics；　in　spite　of　their　republican　constitutions。　　The　destinies　of　peoples　are　determined　by　their　character　and　not　by　their　government。　　I　have　endeavoured　to　establish　this　view　in　my　previous　volume　by　setting　forth　categorical　examples。


＇9＇　The　most　advanced　republicans；　even　of　the　United　States；　recognise　this　fact。　　The　American　magazine；　The　Forum；　recently　gave　categorical　expression　to　the　opinion　in　terms　which　I　reproduce　here　from　the　Review　of　Reviews　for　December；　1894：

〃It　should　never　be　forgotten；　even　by　the　most　ardent　enemies　of　an　aristocracy；