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！
birth； &c。 Despite the conservative spirit of the Latins； these
things would have been won； as they were by the majority
of the peoples。 We might in this manner have been saved twenty
years of warfare and devastation； but we must have had a
different mental constitution； and； above all； different
statesmen。
The profound hostility of the bourgeoisie against the classes
maintained above it by tradition was one of the great factors of
the Revolution； and perfectly explains why； after its triumph；
the first class despoiled the vanquished of their wealth。 They
behaved as conquerorslike William the Conqueror； who； after the
conquest of England； distributed the soil among his soldiers。
But although the bourgeoisie detested the nobility they had no
hatred for royalty； and did not regard it as revocable。 The
maladdress of the king and his appeals to foreign powers only
very gradually made him unpopular。
The first Assembly never dreamed of founding a republic。
Extremely royalist； in fact； it thought simply to substitute a
constitutional for an absolute monarchy。 Only the consciousness
of its increasing power exasperated it against the resistance of
the king； but it dared not overthrow him。
3。 Life under the Ancien Regime。
It is difficult to form a very clear idea of life under the
ancien regime； and； above all； of the real situation of the
peasants。
The writers who defend the Revolution as theologians defend
religious dogmas draw such gloomy pictures of the existence of
the peasants under the ancien regime that we ask ourselves
how it was that all these unhappy creatures had not died
of hunger long before。 A good example of this style of writing
may be found in a book by M。 A。 Rambaud； formerly professor at
the Sorbonne； published under the title History of the French
Revolution。 One notices especially an engraving bearing the
legend； Poverty of Peasants under Louis XIV。 In the foreground
a man is fighting some dogs for some bones； which for that matter
are already quite fleshless。 Beside him a wretched fellow is
twisting himself and compressing his stomach。 Farther back a
woman lying on the ground is eating grass。 At the back of the
landscape figures of which one cannot say whether they are
corpses or persons starving are also stretched on the soil。 As
an example of the administration of the ancien regime the
same author assures us that ‘‘a place in the police cost 300
livres and brought in 400；000。'' Such figures surely indicate a
great disinterestedness on the part of those who sold such
productive employment！ He also informs us ‘‘that it cost only
120 livres to get people arrested；'' and that ‘‘under Louis XV。
more than 150；000 lettres de cachet were distributed。''
The majority of books dealing with the Revolution are conceived
with as little impartiality and critical spirit； which is one
reason why this period is really so little known to us。
Certainly there is no lack of documents； but they are absolutely
contradictory。 To the celebrated description of La Bruyere we
may oppose the enthusiastic picture drawn by the English
traveller Young of the prosperous condition of the peasants of
some of the French provinces。
Were they really crushed by taxation； and did they； as has been
stated； pay four…fifths of their revenue instead of a fifth as
to…day？ Impossible to say with certainty。 One capital fact；
however； seems to prove that under the ancien regime the
situation of the inhabitants of the rural districts could not
have been so very wretched； since it seems established that more
than a third of the soil had been bought by peasants。
We are better informed as to the financial system。 It was very
oppressive and extremely complicated。 The budgets usually showed
deficits； and the imposts of all kinds were raised by tyrannical
farmers…general。 At the very moment of the Revolution this
condition of the finances became the cause of universal
discontent； which is expressed in the cahiers of the States
General。 Let us remark that these cahiers did not represent a
previous state of affairs； but an actual condition due to a
crisis of poverty produced by the bad harvest of 1788 and the
hard winter of 1789。 What would these cahiers have told us had
they been written ten years earlier？
Despite these unfavourable circumstances the cahiers contained
no revolutionary ideas。 The most advanced merely asked that
taxes should be imposed only with the consent of the States
General and paid by all alike。 The same cahiers sometimes
expressed a wish that the power of the king should be limited by
a Constitution defining his rights and those of the nation。 If
these wishes had been granted a constitutional monarchy could
very easily have been substituted for the absolute monarchy； and
the Revolution would probably have been avoided。
Unhappily； the nobility and the clergy were too strong and Louis
XVI。 too weak for such a solution to be possible。
Moreover； it would have been rendered extremely difficult by the
demands of the bourgeoisie； who claimed to substitute themselves
for the nobles； and were the real authors of the Revolution。 The
movement started by the middle classes rapidly exceeded their
hopes； needs； and aspirations。 They had claimed equality for
their own profit； but the people also demanded equality。 The
Revolution thus finally became the popular government which it
was not and had no intention of becoming at the outset。
4。 Evolution of Monarchical Feeling during the Revolution。
Despite the slow evolution of the affective elements； it is
certain that during the Revolution the sentiments； not of the
people only； but also of the revolutionary Assemblies with regard
to the monarchy； underwent a very rapid change。 Between the
moment when the legislators of the first Assembly surrounded
Louis XVI。 with respect and the moment when his head was cut off
a very few years had elapsed。
These changes； superficial rather than profound； were in reality
a mere transposition of sentiments of the same order。 The love
which the men of this period professed for the king was
transferred to the new Government which had inherited his power。
The mechanism of such a transfer may easily be demonstrated。
Under the ancien regime； the sovereign； holding his power by
Divine right； was for this reason invested with a kind of
supernatural power。 His people looked up to him from every
corner of the country。
This mystic belief in the absolute power of royalty was shattered
only when repeated experience proved that the power attributed to
the adored being was fictitious。 He then lost his prestige。
Now； when prestige is lost the crowd will not forgive the fallen
idol for deluding them； and seek anew the idol without which they
cannot exist。
From the outset of the Revolution numerous facts； which were
daily repeated；