the crowd-第39章

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　idea；　not　a　happy　turn　of　phrase；　or　a　telling　hit：　a　storm　of　declamation　that　leaves　us　bored。　　After　a　dose　of　this　unexhilarating　reading　one　is　attempted　to　exclaim　‘Oh！'　with　the　amiable　Camille　Desmoulins。〃


It　is　terrible　at　times　to　think　of　the　power　that　strong　conviction　combined　with　extreme　narrowness　of　mind　gives　a　man　possessing　prestige。　　It　is　none　the　less　necessary　that　these　conditions　should　be　satisfied　for　a　man　to　ignore　obstacles　and　display　strength　of　will　in　a　high　measure。　　Crowds　instinctively　recognise　in　men　of　energy　and　conviction　the　masters　they　are　always　in　need　of。

In　a　parliamentary　assembly　the　success　of　a　speech　depends　almost　solely　on　the　prestige　possessed　by　the　speaker；　and　not　at　all　on　the　arguments　he　brings　forward。　　The　best　proof　of　this　is　that　when　for　one　cause　or　another　a　speaker　loses　his　prestige；　he　loses　simultaneously　all　his　influence；　that　is；　his　power　of　influencing　votes　at　will。

When　an　unknown　speaker　comes　forward　with　a　speech　containing　good　arguments；　but　only　arguments；　the　chances　are　that　he　will　only　obtain　a　hearing。　　A　Deputy　who　is　a　psychologist　of　insight；　M。　Desaubes；　has　recently　traced　in　the　following　lines　the　portrait　of　the　Deputy　who　lacks　prestige：


〃When　he　takes　his　place　in　the　tribune　he　draws　a　document　from　his　portfolio；　spreads　it　out　methodically　before　him；　and　makes　a　start　with　assurance。

〃He　flatters　himself　that　he　will　implant　in　the　minds　of　his　audience　the　conviction　by　which　he　is　himself　animated。　　He　has　weighed　and　reweighed　his　arguments；　he　is　well　primed　with　figures　and　proofs；　he　is　certain　he　will　convince　his　hearers。　In　the　face　of　the　evidence　he　is　to　adduce　all　resistance　would　be　futile。　　He　begins；　confident　in　the　justice　of　his　cause；　and　relying　upon　the　attention　of　his　colleagues；　whose　only　anxiety；　of　course；　is　to　subscribe　to　the　truth。

〃He　speaks；　and　is　at　once　surprised　at　the　restlessness　of　the　House；　and　a　little　annoyed　by　the　noise　that　is　being　made。

〃How　is　it　silence　is　not　kept？　　Why　this　general　inattention？　What　are　those　Deputies　thinking　about　who　are　engaged　in　conversation？　　What　urgent　motive　has　induced　this　or　that　Deputy　to　quit　his　seat？

〃An　expression　of　uneasiness　crosses　his　face；　he　frowns　and　stops。　　Encouraged　by　the　President；　he　begins　again；　raising　his　voice。　　He　is　only　listened　to　all　the　less。　　He　lends　emphasis　to　his　words；　and　gesticulates：　the　noise　around　him　increases。　He　can　no　longer　hear　himself；　and　again　stops；　finally；　afraid　that　his　silence　may　provoke　the　dreaded　cry；　‘The　Closure！'　he　starts　off　again。　　The　clamour　becomes　unbearable。〃


When　parliamentary　assemblies　reach　a　certain　pitch　of　excitement　they　become　identical　with　ordinary　heterogeneous　crowds；　and　their　sentiments　in　consequence　present　the　peculiarity　of　being　always　extreme。　　They　will　be　seen　to　commit　acts　of　the　greatest　heroism　or　the　worst　excesses。　　The　individual　is　no　longer　himself；　and　so　entirely　is　this　the　case　that　he　will　vote　measures　most　adverse　to　his　personal　interests。

The　history　of　the　French　Revolution　shows　to　what　an　extent　assemblies　are　capable　of　losing　their　self…consciousness；　and　of　obeying　suggestions　most　contrary　to　their　interests。　　It　was　an　enormous　sacrifice　for　the　nobility　to　renounce　its　privileges；　yet　it　did　so　without　hesitation　on　a　famous　night　during　the　sittings　of　the　Constituant　Assembly。　　By　renouncing　their　inviolability　the　men　of　the　Convention　placed　themselves　under　a　perpetual　menace　of　death　and　yet　they　took　this　step；　and　were　not　afraid　to　decimate　their　own　ranks；　though　perfectly　aware　that　the　scaffold　to　which　they　were　sending　their　colleagues　to…day　might　be　their　own　fate　to…morrow。　　The　truth　is　they　had　attained　to　that　completely　automatic　state　which　I　have　described　elsewhere；　and　no　consideration　would　hinder　them　from　yielding　to　the　suggestions　by　which　they　were　hypnotised。　　The　following　passage　from　the　memoirs　of　one　of　them；　Billaud…Varennes；　is　absolutely　typical　on　this　score：　　〃The　decisions　with　which　we　have　been　so　reproached；〃　he　says；　〃WERE　NOT　DESIRED　BY　US　TWO　DAYS；　A　SINGLE　DAY　BEFORE　THEY　WERE　TAKEN：　IT　WAS　THE　CRISIS　AND　NOTHING　ELSE　THAT　GAVE　RISE　TO　THEM。〃　Nothing　can　be　more　accurate。

The　same　phenomena　of　unconsciousness　were　to　be　witnessed　during　all　the　stormy　sittings　of　the　Convention。


〃They　approved　and　decreed　measures；〃　says　Taine；　〃which　they　held　in　horrormeasures　which　were　not　only　stupid　and　foolish；　but　measures　that　were　crimesthe　murder　of　innocent　men；　the　murder　of　their　friends。　　The　Left；　supported　by　the　Right；　unanimously　and　amid　loud　applause；　sent　to　the　scaffold　Danton；　its　natural　chief；　and　the　great　promoter　and　leader　of　the　Revolution。　　Unanimously　and　amid　the　greatest　applause　the　Right；　supported　by　the　Left；　votes　the　worst　decrees　of　the　revolutionary　government。　　Unanimously　and　amid　cries　of　admiration　and　enthusiasm；　amid　demonstrations　of　passionate　sympathy　for　Collot　d'Herbois；　Couthon；　and　Robespierre；　the　Convention　by　spontaneous　and　repeated　re…elections　keeps　in　office　the　homicidal　government　which　the　Plain　detests　because　it　is　homicidal；　and　the　Mountain　detests　because　it　is　decimated　by　it。　　The　Plain　and　the　Mountain；　the　majority　and　the　minority；　finish　by　consenting　to　help　on　their　own　suicide。　　The　22　Prairial　the　entire　Convention　offered　itself　to　the　executioner；　the　8　Thermidor；　during　the　first　quarter　of　an　hour　that　followed　Robespierre's　speech；　it　did　the　same　thing　again。〃

This　picture　may　appear　sombre。　　Yet　it　is　accurate。　Parliamentary　assemblies；　sufficiently　excited　and　hypnotised；　offer　the　same　characteristics。　　They　become　an　unstable　flock；　obedient　to　every　impulsion。　　The　following　description　of　the　Assembly　of　1848　is　due　to　M。　Spuller；　a　parliamentarian　whose　faith　in　democracy　is　above　suspicion。　　I　reproduce　it　from　the　Revue　litteraire；　and　it　is　thoroughly　typical。　　It　offers　an　example　of　all　the　exaggerated　sentiments　which　I　have　described　as　characteristic　of　crowds；　and　of　that　excessive　changeableness　which　permits　of　assemblies　passing；　from　moment　to　moment；　from　one　set　of　sentiments　to　another　entirely　opposite。


〃The　Republican　party　was　brought　to　its　perdition　by　its　divisions；　its　jealousies；　its　suspicions；　and；　in　turn；　its　blind　confidence　and　its　limitless　hopes。　　Its　ingenuousness　and　candour　were　only　equalled　by　its　universal　mistrust。　　An　absence　of　all　sense　of　legality；　of　all　comprehension　of　discipline；　together　with　boundless　terrors　and　illusions；　the　peasant　and　the　child　are　on　a　level　in　these　respects。　　Their　calm　is　as　great　as　their　impatience；　their　ferocity　is　equal　to　their　docility。　　This　condition　is　the　natural　consequence　of　a　temperament　that　is　not　formed　and　of　the　lack　of　education。　Nothing　astonishes　such　persons；　and　everything　disconcerts　them。　Trembling　with　fear　or　brave　to　the　point　of　heroism；　they　would　go　through　fire　and　water　or　fly　from　a　shadow。

〃They　are　ignorant　of　cause　and　effect　and　of　the　connecting　links　between　events。　　They　are　as　promptly　discouraged　as　they　are　exalted；　they　are　subject　to　every　description　of　panic；　they　are　always　either　too　highly　strung　or　too　downcast；　but　never　in　the　mood　or　the　measure　the　situation　would　require。　　More　fluid　than　water　they　reflect　every　line　and　assume　every　shape。　　What　sort　of　a　foundation　for　a　government　can　they　be　expected　to　supply？〃


Fortunately　all　the　characteristics　just　described　as　to　be　met　with　in　parliamentary　assemblies　are　in　no　wise　constantly　displayed。　　Such　assemblies　only　constitute　crowds　at　certain　moments。　　The　individuals　composing　them　retain　their　individuality　in　a　great　number　of　cases；　which　explains　how　it　is　that　an　assembly　is　able　to　turn　out　excellent　technical　laws。　It　is　true　that　the　author　of　these　laws　is　a　specialist　who　has　prepared　them　in　the　quiet　of　his　study；　and　that　in　reality　the　law　voted　is　the　work　of　an　individual　and　not　of　an　assembly。　These　laws　are　naturally　the　best。　　They　are　only　liable　to　have　disastrous　results　when　a　series　of　amendments　has　converted　them　into　the　ou