the crowd-第33章

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　medal。

The　history　of　the　Commune　of　1871　affords　several　facts　analogous　to　those　which　precede。　　Given　the　growing　influence　of　crowds　and　the　successive　capitulations　before　them　of　those　in　authority；　we　are　destined　to　witness　many　others　of　a　like　nature。


CHAPTER　III

CRIMINAL　JURIES

Criminal　juriesGeneral　characteristics　of　juriesstatistics　show　that　their　decisions　are　independent　of　their　compositionThe　manner　in　which　an　impression　may　be　made　on　juriesThe　style　and　influence　of　argumentThe　methods　of　persuasion　of　celebrated　counselThe　nature　of　those　crimes　for　which　juries　are　respectively　indulgent　or　severeThe　utility　of　the　jury　as　an　institution；　and　the　danger　that　would　result　from　its　place　being　taken　by　magistrates。


Being　unable　to　study　here　every　category　of　jury；　I　shall　only　examine　the　most　importantthat　of　the　juries　of　the　Court　of　Assize。　　These　juries　afford　an　excellent　example　of　the　heterogeneous　crowd　that　is　not　anonymous。　　We　shall　find　them　display　suggestibility　and　but　slight　capacity　for　reasoning；　while　they　are　open　to　the　influence　of　the　leaders　of　crowds；　and　they　are　guided　in　the　main　by　unconscious　sentiments。　　In　the　course　of　this　investigation　we　shall　have　occasion　to　observe　some　interesting　examples　of　the　errors　that　may　be　made　by　persons　not　versed　in　the　psychology　of　crowds。

Juries；　in　the　first　place；　furnish　us　a　good　example　of　the　slight　importance　of　the　mental　level　of　the　different　elements　composing　a　crowd；　so　far　as　the　decisions　it　comes　to　are　concerned。　　We　have　seen　that　when　a　deliberative　assembly　is　called　upon　to　give　its　opinion　on　a　question　of　a　character　not　entirely　technical；　intelligence　stands　for　nothing。　　For　instance；　a　gathering　of　scientific　men　or　of　artists；　owing　to　the　mere　fact　that　they　form　an　assemblage；　will　not　deliver　judgments　on　general　subjects　sensibly　different　from　those　rendered　by　a　gathering　of　masons　or　grocers。　　At　various　periods；　and　in　particular　previous　to　1848；　the　French　administration　instituted　a　careful　choice　among　the　persons　summoned　to　form　a　jury；　picking　the　jurors　from　among　the　enlightened　classes；　choosing　professors；　functionaries；　men　of　letters；　&c。　　At　the　present　day　jurors　are　recruited　for　the　most　part　from　among　small　tradesmen；　petty　capitalists；　and　employes。　　Yet；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　specialist　writers；　whatever　the　composition　of　the　jury　has　been；　its　decisions　have　been　identical。　　Even　the　magistrates；　hostile　as　they　are　to　the　institution　of　the　jury；　have　had　to　recognise　the　exactness　of　the　assertion。　　M。　Berard　des　Glajeux；　a　former　President　of　the　Court　of　Assizes；　expresses　himself　on　the　subject　in　his　〃Memoirs〃　in　the　following　terms：


〃The　selection　of　jurymen　is　to…day　in　reality　in　the　hands　of　the　municipal　councillors；　who　put　people　down　on　the　list　or　eliminate　them　from　it　in　accordance　with　the　political　and　electoral　preoccupations　inherent　in　their　situation。　。　。　。　　The　majority　of　the　jurors　chosen　are　persons　engaged　in　trade；　but　persons　of　less　importance　than　formerly；　and　employes　belonging　to　certain　branches　of　the　administration。　。　。　。　　Both　opinions　and　professions　counting　for　nothing　once　the　role　of　judge　assumed；　many　of　the　jurymen　having　the　ardour　of　neophytes；　and　men　of　the　best　intentions　being　similarly　disposed　in　humble　situations；　the　spirit　of　the　jury　has　not　changed：　ITS　VERDICTS　HAVE　REMAINED　THE　SAME。〃


Of　the　passage　just　cited　the　conclusions；　which　are　just；　are　to　be　borne　in　mind　and　not　the　explanations；　which　are　weak。　　Too　much　astonishment　should　not　be　felt　at　this　weakness；　for；　as　a　rule；　counsel　equally　with　magistrates　seem　to　be　ignorant　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　and；　in　consequence；　of　juries。　　I　find　a　proof　of　this　statement　in　a　fact　related　by　the　author　just　quoted。　　He　remarks　that　Lachaud；　one　of　the　most　illustrious　barristers　practising　in　the　Court　of　Assize；　made　systematic　use　of　his　right　to　object　to　a　juror　in　the　case　of　all　individuals　of　intelligence　on　the　list。　　Yet　experienceand　experience　alonehas　ended　by　acquainting　us　with　the　utter　uselessness　of　these　objections。　　This　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　at　the　present　day　public　prosecutors　and　barristers；　at　any　rate　those　belonging　to　the　Parisian　bar；　have　entirely　renounced　their　right　to　object　to　a　juror；　still；　as　M。　des　Glajeux　remarks；　the　verdicts　have　not　changed；　〃they　are　neither　better　nor　worse。〃

Like　all　crowds；　juries　are　very　strongly　impressed　by　sentimental　considerations；　and　very　slightly　by　argument。　　〃They　cannot　resist　the　sight；〃　writes　a　barrister；　〃of　a　mother　giving　its　child　the　breast；　or　of　orphans。〃　　〃It　is　sufficient　that　a　woman　should　be　of　agreeable　appearance；〃　says　M。　des　Glajeux；　〃to　win　the　benevolence　of　the　jury。〃

Without　pity　for　crimes　of　which　it　appears　possible　they　might　themselves　be　the　victimssuch　crimes；　moreover；　are　the　most　dangerous　for　societyjuries；　on　the　contrary；　are　very　indulgent　in　the　case　of　breaches　of　the　law　whose　motive　is　passion。　　They　are　rarely　severe　on　infanticide　by　girl…mothers；　or　hard　on　the　young　woman　who　throws　vitriol　at　the　man　who　has　seduced　and　deserted　her；　for　the　reason　that　they　feel　instinctively　that　society　runs　but　slight　danger　from　such　crimes；＇24＇　and　that　in　a　country　in　which　the　law　does　not　protect　deserted　girls　the　crime　of　the　girl　who　avenges　herself　is　rather　useful　than　harmful；　inasmuch　as　it　frightens　future　seducers　in　advance。


＇24＇　It　is　to　be　remarked；　in　passing；　that　this　division　of　crimes　into　those　dangerous　and　those　not　dangerous　for　society；　which　is　well　and　instinctively　made　by　juries　is　far　from　being　unjust。　　The　object　of　criminal　laws　is　evidently　to　protect　society　against　dangerous　criminals　and　not　to　avenge　it。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　French　code；　and　above　all　the　minds　of　the　French　magistrates；　are　still　deeply　imbued　with　the　spirit　of　vengeance　characteristic　of　the　old　primitive　law；　and　the　term　〃vindicte〃　（prosecution；　from　the　Latin　vindicta；　vengeance）　is　still　in　daily　use。　　A　proof　of　this　tendency　on　the　part　of　the　magistrates　is　found　in　the　refusal　by　many　of　them　to　apply　Berenger's　law；　which　allows　of　a　condemned　person　not　undergoing　his　sentence　unless　he　repeats　his　crime。　　Yet　no　magistrate　can　be　ignorant；　for　the　fact　is　proved　by　statistics；　that　the　application　of　a　punishment　inflicted　for　the　first　time　infallibly　leads　to　further　crime　on　the　part　of　the　person　punished。　　When　judges　set　free　a　sentenced　person　it　always　seems　to　them　that　society　has　not　been　avenged。　　Rather　than　not　avenge　it　they　prefer　to　create　a　dangerous；　confirmed　criminal。



Juries；　like　all　crowds；　are　profoundly　impressed　by　prestige；　and　President　des　Glajeux　very　properly　remarks　that；　very　democratic　as　juries　are　in　their　composition；　they　are　very　aristocratic　in　their　likes　and　dislikes：　　〃Name；　birth；　great　wealth；　celebrity；　the　assistance　of　an　illustrious　counsel；　everything　in　the　nature　of　distinction　or　that　lends　brilliancy　to　the　accused；　stands　him　in　extremely　good　stead。〃

The　chief　concern　of　a　good　counsel　should　be　to　work　upon　the　feelings　of　the　jury；　and；　as　with　all　crowds；　to　argue　but　little；　or　only　to　employ　rudimentary　modes　of　reasoning。　　An　English　barrister；　famous　for　his　successes　in　the　assize　courts；　has　well　set　forth　the　line　of　action　to　be　followed：


〃While　pleading　he　would　attentively　observe　the　jury。　　The　most　favourable　opportunity　has　been　reached。　　By　dint　of　insight　and　experience　the　counsel　reads　the　effect　of　each　phrase　on　the　faces　of　the　jurymen；　and　draws　his　conclusions　in　consequence。　His　first　step　is　to　be　sure　which　members　of　the　jury　are　already　favourable　to　his　cause。　　It　is　short　work　to　definitely　gain　their　adhesion；　and　having　done　so　he　turns　his　attention　to　the　members　who　seem；　on　the　contrary；　ill…disposed；　and　endeavours　to　discover　why　they　are　hostile　to　the　accused。　　This　is　the　delicate　part　of　his　task；　for　there　may　be　an　infinity　of　reasons　for　condemning　a　man；　apart　from　the　sentiment　of　justice。〃


These　few　lines　resume　the　entire　mechanism　of　the　art　of　oratory；　and