按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
king revoked the decision of the Assembly； and ordered the
deputies to retire。 The Marquis de Dreux…Breze； the Grand
Master of Ceremonies； having invited them to obey the order of
the sovereign； the President of the Assembly declared ‘‘that the
nation assembled cannot receive orders；'' and Mirabeau replied to
the envoy of the sovereign that； being united by the will of the
people； the Assembly would only withdraw at the point of the
bayonet。 Again the king gave way。
On the 9th of June the meeting of deputies took the title of the
Constituent Assembly。 For the first time in centuries the king
was forced to recognise the existence of a new power； formerly
ignoredthat of the people； represented by its elected
representatives。 The absolute monarchy was no more。
Feeling himself more and more seriously threatened； Louis XVI。
summoned to Versailles a number of regiments composed of foreign
mercenaries。 The Assembly demanded the withdrawal of the troops。
The king refused； and dismissed Necker； replacing him by the
Marshal de Broglie； reputed to be an extremely authoritative
person。
But the Assembly had able supporters。 Camille Desmoulins and
others harangued the crowd in all directions； calling it to the
defence of liberty。 They sounded the tocsin； organised a militia
of 12；000 men； took muskets and cannon from the Invalides； and on
the 14th of July the armed bands marched upon the Bastille。 The
fortress； barely defended； capitulated in a few hours。 Seven
prisoners were found within it； of whom one was an idiot and four
were accused of forgery。
The Bastille； the prison of many victims of arbitrary power；
symbolised the royal power to many minds； but the people who
demolished it had not suffered by it。 Scarcely any but members
of the nobility were imprisoned there。
The influence exercised by the taking of this fortress has
continued to our days。 Serious historians like M。 Rambaud assure
us that ‘‘the taking of the Bastille is a culminating fact in the
history； not of France only but of all Europe； and inaugurates a
new epoch in the history of the world。''
Such credulity is a little excessive。 The importance of the
event lay simply in the psychological fact that for the first
time the people received an obvious proof of the weakness of an
authority which had lately been formidable。
When the principle of authority is injured in the public mind it
dissolves very rapidly。 What might not one demand of a king who
could not defend his principal fortress against popular attacks？
The master regarded as all…powerful had ceased to be so。
The taking of the Bastille was the beginning of one of those
phenomena of mental contagion which abound in the history of the
Revolution。 The foreign mercenary troops； although they could
scarcely be interested in the movement； began to show symptoms of
mutiny。 Louis XVI。 was reduced to accepting their disbandment。
He recalled Necker； went to the Hotel de Ville； sanctioned by
his presence the accomplished facts； and accepted from La
Fayette； commandant of the National Guard； the new cockade of
red； white； and blue which allied the colours of Paris to those
of the king。
Although the riot which ended in the taking of the Bastille can
by no means be regarded as ‘‘a culminating fact in history；'' it
does mark the precise moment of the commencement of popular
government。 The armed people thenceforth intervened daily in the
deliberations of the revolutionary Assemblies； and seriously
influenced their conduct。
This intervention of the people in conformity with the dogma of
its sovereignty has provoked the respectful admiration of many
historians of the Revolution。 Even a superficial study of the
psychology of crowds would speedily have shown them that the
mystic entity which they call the people was merely translating
the will of a few leaders。 It is not correct to say that the
people took the Bastille； attacked the Tuileries； invaded the
Convention； &c。； but that certain leadersgenerally by
means of the clubsunited armed bands of the populace； which
they led against the Bastille； the Tuileries； &c。 During the
Revolution the same crowds attacked or defended the most contrary
parties； according to the leaders who happened to be at their
heads。 A crowd never has any opinion but that of its leaders。
Example constituting one of the most potent forms of suggestion；
the taking of the Bastille was inevitably followed by the
destruction of other fortresses。 Many chateaux were regarded as
so many little Bastilles； and in order to imitate the Parisians
who had destroyed theirs the peasants began to burn them。 They
did so with the greater fury because the seigneurial homes
contained the titles of feudal dues。 It was a species of
Jacquerie。
The Constituent Assembly； so proud and haughty towards the king；
was； like all the revolutionary assemblies which followed it；
extremely pusillanimous before the people。
Hoping to put an end to the disorders of the night of August 4th；
it voted； on the proposition of a member of the nobility； the
Comte de Noailles； the abolition of seigneurial rights。 Although
this measure suppressed at one stroke the privileges of the
nobles； it was voted with tears and embracings。 Such accesses of
sentimental enthusiasm are readily explained when we recall how
contagious emotion is in a crowd； above all in an assembly
oppressed by fear。
If the renunciation of their rights had been effected by the
nobility a few years earlier； the Revolution would doubtless have
been avoided； but it was now too late。 To give way only when one
is forced to do so merely increases the demands of those
to whom one yields。 In politics one should always look ahead and
give way long before one is forced to do so。
Louis XVI。 hesitated for two months to ratify the decisions voted
by the Assembly on the night of the 4th of August。 He had
retired to Versailles。 The leaders sent thither a band of 7；000
or 8；000 men and women of the people； assuring them that the
royal residence contained great stores of bread。 The railings of
the palace were forced； some of the bodyguard were killed； and
the king and all his family were led back to Paris in the midst
of a shrieking crowd； many of whom bore on the ends of their
pikes the heads of the soldiers massacred。 The dreadful journey
lasted six hours。 These events constituted what are known as the
‘‘days'' of October。
The popular power increased； and in reality the king； like the
whole assembly； was henceforth in the hands of the peoplethat
is； at the mercy of the clubs and their leaders。 This popular
power was to prevail for nearly ten years； and the Revolution was
to be almost entirely its work。
While proclaiming that the people constituted the only sovereign；
the Assembly was greatly embarrassed by riots which went far
beyond its theoretical expectations。 It had supposed that order
would be restored while it fabricated a Constitution destined to
assure the eternal happiness of mankind。
We know that during the whole duration of the Revolution one of
the chief occupations of the assemblies was to make； unmake； and
remake Constitutions。 The theorists attributed to them then； as
they do to…day； the power of transforming society； the
Assembly； therefore； could not neglect its task。 In the meantime
it published a solemn Declaration of the Rights of Man which
summarised its principles。
The Constitution； proclamations； declarations； and speeches had
not the slightest effect on the popular movements； nor on the
dissentients who daily increased in number in the heart of the
Assembly。 The latter became more and more subjected to the
ascendancy of the advanced party； which was supported by the
clubs。 Danton； Camille Desmoulins； and later Marat and
Hebert； violently excited the populace by their harangues and
their journals。 The Assembly was rapidly going down the slope
that leads to extremes。
During all these disorders the finances of the country were not
improving。 Finally convinced that philanthropic speeches would
not alter their lamentable condition； and seeing that bankruptcy
threatened； the Assembly decreed； on the 2nd of November； 1789；
the confiscation of the goods of the Church。 Their revenues；
consisting of the tithes collected from the faithful； amounted to
some L8；000；000； and their value was estimated at about
L120；000；000。 They were divided among some hundreds of
prelates； Court abbes； &c。； who owned a quarter of all France。
These goods； henceforth entitled is ‘‘national domains；'' formed
the guarantee of the assignats； the first issue of which was
for 400；000；000 francs （L16；000；000 sterling）。 The public
accepted them at the outset； but they multiplied so under the
Directory and the Convention； which issued 45；000；000；000 francs
in this f