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all to the human species。
III。
Psychology of the Jacobin。 His intellectual method。 Tyranny of
formulae and suppression of facts。 Mental balance disturbed。
Signs of this in the revolutionary language。 Scope and expression
of the Jacobin intellect。 In what respect his method is
mischievous。 How it is successful。 Illusions produced by it。
Such are our Jacobins； born out of social decomposition like mushrooms
out of compost。 Let us consider their inner organization； for they
have one as formerly the Puritans； we have only to follow their dogma
down to its depths； as with a sounding…line； to reach the
psychological stratum in which the normal balance of faculty and
sentiment is overthrown。
When a statesman； who is not wholly unworthy of that great name； finds
an abstract principle in his way； as； for instance； that of popular
sovereignty； he accepts it； if he accepts it at all； according to his
conception of its practical bearings。 He begins； accordingly； by
imagining it applied and in operation。 From personal recollections and
such information as he can obtain； he forms an idea of some village or
town； some community of moderate size in the north； in the south； or
in the center of the country； for which he has to make laws。 He then
imagines its inhabitants acting according to his principle； that is to
say； voting； mounting guard； levying taxes； and administering their
own affairs。 Familiar with ten or a dozen groups of this sort； which
he regards as examples； he concludes by analogy as to others and the
rest on the territory。 Evidently it is a difficult and uncertain
process； to be exact； or nearly so； requires rare powers of
observation and； at each step； a great deal of tact； for a nice
calculation has to be made on given quantities imperfectly ascertained
and imperfectly noted！＇15＇ Any political leader who does this
successfully； does it through the ripest experience associated with
genius。 And even then he keeps his hand on the check…rein in pushing
his innovation or reform； he is almost always tentative； he applies
his law only in part； gradually and provisionally； he wishes to
ascertain its effect； he is always ready to stay its operation； amend
it； or modify it； according to the good or ill results of experiment；
the state of the human material he has to deal with is never clear to
his mind； even when superior； until after many and repeated gropings。
Now the Jacobin pursues just the opposite course。 His principle is
an axiom of political geometry； which always carries its own proof
along with it； for； like the axioms of common geometry； it is formed
out of the combination of a few simple ideas； and its evidence imposes
itself at once on all minds capable of embracing in one conception the
two terms of which it is the aggregate expression。 Man in general； the
rights of Man； the social contract； liberty； equality； reason； nature；
the people； tyrants； are examples of these basic concepts： whether
precise or not； they fill the brain of the new sectarian。 Often these
terms are merely vague and grandiose words； but that makes no
difference； as soon as they meet in his brain an axiom springs out of
them that can be instantly and absolutely applied on every occasion
and to excess。 Mankind as it is does not concern him。 He does not
observe them； he does not require to observe them； with closed eyes he
imposes a pattern of his own on the human substance manipulated by
him； the idea never enters his head of forming any previous conception
of this complex； multiform； swaying material … contemporary peasants；
artisans； townspeople； curés and nobles； behind their plows； in their
homes； in their shops； in their parsonages； in their mansions； with
their inveterate beliefs； persistent inclinations； and powerful wills。
Nothing of this enters into or lodges in his mind； all its avenues are
stopped by the abstract principle which flourishes there and fills it
completely。 Should actual experience through the eye or ear plant some
unwelcome truth forcibly in his mind； it cannot subsist there； however
noisy and relentless it may be； the abstract principle drives it
out；＇16＇ if need be it will distort and strangle it； considering it a
slanderer since it refutes a principle which is true and undeniable in
itself。 Obviously； a mind of this kind is not sound； of the two
faculties which should pull together harmoniously； one is degenerated
and the other overgrown； facts cannot turn the scale against the
theory。 Charged on one side and empty on the other； the Jacobin mind
turns violently over on that side to which it leans； and such is its
incurable infirmity。
Consider； indeed； the authentic monuments of Jacobin thought； the
〃Journal des Amis de la Constitution；〃 the gazettes of Loustalot；
Desmoulins； Brissot； Condorcet； Fréron and Marat； Robespierre's； and
St。 Just's pamphlets and speeches； the debates in the Legislative
Assembly and in the Convention； the harangues； addresses and reports
of the Girondins and Montagnards； in brief； the forty volumes of
extracts compiled by Buchez and Roux。 Never has so much been said to
so little purpose； all the truth that is uttered is drowned in the
monotony and inflation of empty verbiage and vociferous bombast。 One
experience in this direction is sufficient。＇17＇ The historian who
resorts this mass of rubbish for accurate information finds none of
any account； in vain will he read kilometers of it： hardly will he
there meet one fact； one instructive detail； one document which brings
before his eyes a distinct personality； which shows him the real
sentiments of a villager or of a gentleman； which vividly portrays the
interior of a h？tel…de…ville； of a soldier's barracks； of a municipal
chamber； or the character of an insurrection。 To define fifteen or
twenty types and situations which sum up the history of the period； we
have been and shall be obliged to seek them elsewhere … in the
correspondence of local administrators； in affidavits on criminal
records； in confidential reports of the police；＇18＇ and in the
narratives of foreigners；＇19＇ who； prepared for it by a different
education； look behind words for things； and see France beyond the
〃Contrat Social。〃 This teeming France； this grand tragedy which
twenty…six millions of players are performing on a stage of 26 000
square leagues； is lost to the Jacobin。 His literature； as well as his
brain； contain only insubstantial generalizations like those above
cited； rolling out in a mere play of ideas； sometimes in concise terms
when the writer happens to be a professional reasoner like Condorcet；
but most frequently in a tangled； knotty style full of loose and
disconnected meshes when the spokesman happens to be an improvised
politician or a philosophic tyro like the ordinary deputies of the
Assembly and the speakers of the clubs。 It is a pedantic scholasticism
set forth with fanatical rant。 Its entire vocabulary consists of about
a hundred words； while all ideas are reduced to one； that of man in
himself： human units； all alike equal and independent； contracting
together for the first time。 This is their concept of society。 None
could be briefer； for； to arrive at it； man had to be reduced to a
minimum。 Never were political brains so willfully dried up。 For it is
the attempt to systematize and to simplify which causes their
impoverishment。 In that respect they go by the methods of their time
and in the track of Jean…Jacques Rousseau： their outlook on life is
the classic view； which； already narrow in the late philosophers； has
now become even more narrow and hardened。 The best representatives of
the type are Condorcet；＇20＇ among the Girondins； and Robespierre；
among the Montagnards； both mere dogmatists and pure logicians； the
latter the most remarkable and with a perfection of intellectual
sterility never surpassed。 Unquestionably； as far as the
formulation of durable laws is con