latter-day pamphlets-第16章

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at　the　call　of　this；　human　pity　shall　fall　silent；　and　man　be　stern　as　his　Master　and　Mandatory　is！Understand　too　that　except　upon　a　basis　of　even　such　rigor；　sorrowful；　silent；　inexorable　as　that　of　Destiny　and　Doom；　there　is　no　true　pity　possible。　　The　pity　that　proves　so　possible　and　plentiful　without　that　basis；　is　mere　_ignavia_　and　cowardly　effeminacy；　maudlin　laxity　of　heart；　grounded　on　blinkard　dimness　of　headcontemptible　as　a　drunkard's　tears。

To　see　our　Supreme　Scoundrel　hung　upon　the　gallows；　alas；　that　is　far　from　us　just　now！　　There　is　a　worst　man　in　England；　too；curious　to　think　of；whom　it　would　be　inexpressibly　advantageous　to　lay　hold　of；　and　hang；　the　first　of　all。　　But　we　do　not　know　him　with　the　least　certainty；　the　least　approach　even　to　a　guess；such　buzzards　and　dullards　and　poor　children　of　the　Dusk　are　we；　in　spite　of　our　Statistics；　Unshackled　Presses；　and　Torches　of　Knowledge；not　eagles　soaring　sunward；　not　brothers　of　the　lightnings　and　the　radiances　we；　a　dim　horn…eyed；　owl…population；　intent　mainly　on　the　catching　of　mice！　　Alas；　the　supreme　scoundrel；　alike　with　the　supreme　hero；　is　very　far　from　being　known。　　Nor　have　we　the　smallest　apparatus　for　dealing　with　either　of　them；　if　he　were　known。　　Our　supreme　scoundrel　sits；　I　conjecture；　well…cushioned；　in　high　places；　at　this　time；　rolls　softly　through　the　world；　and　lives　a　prosperous　gentleman；　instead　of　sinking　him　in　peat…bogs；　we　mount　the　brazen　image　of　him　on　high　columns：　　such　is　the　world's　temporary　judgment　about　its　supreme　scoundrels；　a　mad　world；　my　masters。　　To　get　the　supreme　scoundrel　always　accurately　the　first　hanged；　this；　which　presupposes　that　the　supreme　hero　were　always　the　first　promoted；　this　were　precisely　the　millennium　itself；　clear　evidence　that　the　millennium　had　come：　　alas；　we　must　forbear　hope　of　this。　　Much　water　will　run　by　before　we　see　this。

And　yet　to　quit　all　aim　towards　it；　to　go　blindly　floundering　along；　wrapt　up　in　clouds　of　horsehair；　bombazine；　and　sheepskin　officiality；　oblivious　that　there　exists　such　an　aim；　this　is　indeed　fatal。　　In　every　human　law　there　must　either　exist　such　an　aim；　or　else　the　law　is　not　a　human　but　a　diabolic　one。　　Diabolic；　I　say：　　no　quantity　of　bombazine；　or　lawyers'　wigs；　three…readings；　and　solemn　trumpeting　and　bow…wowing　in　high　places　or　in　low；　can　hide　from　me　its　frightful　infernal　tendency；bound；　and　sinking　at　all　moments　gradually　to　Gehenna；　this　〃law；〃　and　dragging　down　much　with　it！　　〃To　decree　_injustice_　by　a　_law_：〃　　inspired　Prophets　have　long　since　seen；　what　every　clear　soul　may　still　see；　that　of　all　Anarchies　and　Devil…worships　there　is　none　like　this；　that　this　is　the　　〃Throne　of　Iniquity〃　set　up　in　the　name　of　the　Highest；　the　human　Apotheosis　of　Anarchy　itself。　　〃_Quiet_　Anarchy；〃　you　exultingly　say？　　Yes；　quiet　Anarchy；　which　the　longer　it　sits　〃quiet〃　will　have　the　frightfuler　account　to　settle　at　last。　　For　every　doit　of　the　account；　as　I　often　say；　will　have　to　be　settled　one　day；　as　sure　as　God　lives。　　Principal；　and　compound　interest　rigorously　computed；　and　the　interest　is　at　a　terrible　rate　per　cent　in　these　cases！　　Alas；　the　aspect　of　certain　beatified　Anarchies；　sitting　〃quiet；〃　and　of　others　in　a　state　of　infernal　explosion　for　sixty　years　back：　　this；　the　one　view　our　Europe　offers　at　present；　makes　these　days　very　sad。

My　unfortunate　philanthropic　friends；　it　is　this　long…continued　oblivion　of　the　soul　of　law　that　has　reduced　the　Criminal　Question　to　such　a　pass　among　us。　　Many　other　things　have　come；　and　are　coming；　for　the　same　sad　reason；　to　a　pass！　　Not　the　supreme　scoundrel　have　our　laws　aimed　at；　but；　in　an　uncertain　fitful　manner；　at　the　inferior　or　lowest　scoundrel；　who　robs　shop…tills　and　puts　the　skin　of　mankind　in　danger。　　How　can　Parliament　get　through　the　Criminal　Question？　　Parliament；　oblivious　of　Heavenly　Law；　will　find　itself　in　hopeless　_reductio　ad　absurdum_　in　regard　to　innumerable　other　questions；in　regard　to　all　questions　whatsoever　by　and　by。　　There　will　be　no　existence　possible　for　Parliament　on　these　current　terms。　Parliament；　in　its　law…makings；　must　really　try　to　attain　some　vision　again　of　what　Heaven's　Laws　are。　　A　thing　not　easy　to　do；　a　thing　requiring　sad　sincerity　of　heart；　reverence；　pious　earnestness；　valiant　manful　wisdom；qualities　not　overabundant　in　Parliament　just　now；　nor　out　of　it；　I　fear。

Adieu；　my　friends。　　My　anger　against　you　is　gone；　my　sad　reflections　on　you；　and　on　the　depths　to　which　you　and　I　and　all　of　us　are　sunk　in　these　strange　times；　are　not　to　be　uttered　at　present。　　You　would　have　saved　the　Sarawak　Pirates；　then？　　The　Almighty　Maker　is　wroth　that　the　Sarawak　cut…throats；　with　their　poisoned　spears；　are　away？　　What　must　his　wrath　be　that　the　thirty　thousand　Needlewomen　are　still　here；　and　the　question　of　〃prevenient　grace〃　not　yet　settled！　　O　my　friends；　in　sad　earnest；　sad　and　deadly　earnest；　there　much　needs　that　God　would　mend　all　this；　and　that　we　should　help　him　to　mend　it！And　don't　you　think；　for　one　thing；　〃Farmer　Hodge's　horses〃　in　the　Sugar　Islands　are　pretty　well　〃emancipated〃　now？　　My　clear　opinion　farther　is；　we　had　better　quit　the　Scoundrel…province　of　Reform；　better　close　that　under　hatches；　in　some　rapid　summary　manner；　and　go　elsewhither　with　our　Reform　efforts。　　A　whole　world；　for　want　of　Reform；　is　drowning　and　sinking；　threatening　to　swamp　itself　into　a　Stygian　quagmire；　uninhabitable　by　any　noble…minded　man。　　Let　us　to　the　well…heads；　I　say；　to　the　chief　fountains　of　these　waters　of　bitterness；　and　there　strike　home　and　dig！　　To　puddle　in　the　embouchures　and　drowned　outskirts；　and　ulterior　and　ultimate　issues　and　cloacas　of　the　affair：　　what　profit　can　there　be　in　that？　　Nothing　to　be　saved　there；　nothing　to　be　fished　up　there；　except；　with　endless　peril　and　spread　of　pestilence；　a　miscellany　of　broken　waifs　and　dead　dogs！　　In　the　name　of　Heaven；　quit　that！


＇April　1；　1850。＇　No。　III。　　DOWNING　STREET。

From　all　corners　of　the　wide　British　Dominion　there　rises　one　complaint　against　the　ineffectuality　of　what　are　nicknamed　our　〃red…tape〃　establishments；　our　Government　Offices；　Colonial　Office；　Foreign　Office　and　the　others；　in　Downing　Street　and　the　neighborhood。　　To　me　individually　these　branches　of　human　business　are　little　known；　but　every　British　citizen　and　reflective　passer…by　has　occasion　to　wonder　much；　and　inquire　earnestly；　concerning　them。　　To　all　men　it　is　evident　that　the　social　interests　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　Millions　of　us　depend　on　the　mysterious　industry　there　carried　on；　and　likewise　that　the　dissatisfaction　with　it　is　great；　universal；　and　continually　increasing　in　intensity；in　fact；　mounting；　we　might　say；　to　the　pitch　of　settled　despair。

Every　colony；　every　agent　for　a　matter　colonial；　has　his　tragic　tale　to　tell　you　of　his　sad　experiences　in　the　Colonial　Office；　what　blind　obstructions；　fatal　indolences；　pedantries；　stupidities；　on　the　right　and　on　the　left；　he　had　to　do　battle　with；　what　a　world…wide　jungle　of　red…tape；　inhabited　by　doleful　creatures；　deaf　or　nearly　so　to　human　reason　or　entreaty；　he　had　entered　on；　and　how　he　paused　in　amazement；　almost　in　despair；　passionately　appealed　now　to　this　doleful　creature；　now　to　that；　and　to　the　dead　red…tape　jungle；　and　to　the　living　Universe　itself；　and　to　the　Voices　and　to　the　Silences；and；　on　the　whole；　found　that　it　was　an　adventure；　in　sorrowful　fact；　equal　to　the　fabulous　ones　by　old　knights…errant　against　dragons　and　wizards　in　enchanted　wildernesses　and　waste　howling　solitudes；　not　achievable　except　by　nearly　superhuman　exercise　of　all　the　four　cardinal　virtues；　and　unexpected　favor　of　the　special　blessing　of　Heaven。　　His　adventure　achieved　or　found　unachievable；　he　has　returned　with　experiences　new　to　him　in　the　affairs　of　men。　　What　this　Colonial　Office；　inhabiting　the　head　of　Downing　Street；　really　was；　and　had　to　do；　or　try　doing；　in　God's　practical　Earth；　he　could　not　by　any　means　precisely　get　to　know；　believes　that　it　does　not　itself　in　the　least　precisely　know。　　Believes　that　nobody　knows；that　it　is　a　mystery；　a　kind　of　Heathen　myth；　and　stranger　than　any　piece　of　the　old　mythological　Pantheon；　for　it　practically　presides　over　the　destinies　of　many　millions　of　living　men。

Such　is　his　report　of　the　Colonial　Office：　　and　if　we　oftener　hear　such　a　report　of　that　than　we　do　of　the　Home　Office；　Foreign　Office　or　the　rest；the　reason　probably　is；　that　Colonies　excite　more　attention　at　present　than　any　of　our　other　interests。　　The　Forty　Colonies；　it　appears；　are　all　pretty　like　rebelling　just　now；　and　are　to　be　pacified　with　constitutions；　luckier　Constitutions；　let　us　hope；　than　some　late　ones　have　been。　　Loyal　Canada；　for　instance；　had　to　quench　a　rebellion　the　other　year；　and　this　year；　in　virtue　of　its　constitution；　it　is　called　upon　to　pay　the　rebels　their　damages；　which　surely　is　a　rather　surprising　result；　however　constitutional！Men　have　rents　and　moneys　dependent　in　the　Colonies；　Emigration　schemes；　Black　Emancipations；　New…Zealand　and　other　schemes；　and　feel　and　publish　more　emphatically　what　their　Downing…Street　woes　in　these　respects　have　been。

Were　the　state　of　poor　sallow　English　ploughers　and　weavers；　what　we　may　call　the　Sallow　or　Yellow　Emancipation　interest；　as　much　in　object　with　Exeter…Hall　Philanthropists　as　that　of　the　Black　blockheads　now　all　emancipated；　and　going　at　large　without　work；　or　need　of　working；　in　West…India　clover　（and　fattening　very　much　in　it；　one　delights　to　hear）；　then　perhaps　the　Home　Office；　its　huge　virtual　task　better　understood；　and　its　small　actual　performance　better　seen　into；　might　be　found　still　more　deficient；　and　behind　the　wants　of　the　age；　than　the　Colonial　itself　is。

How　it　stands　with　the　Foreign　Office；　again；　one　still　less　knows。　Seizures　of　Sapienza；　and　the　like　sudden　appearances　of　Britain　in　the　character　of　Hercules…Harlequin；　waving；　with　big　bully…voice；　her　huge　sword…of…sharpness　over　field…mice；　and　in　the　air　making　horrid　circles　（horrid　catherine…wheels　and　death…disks　of　metallic　terror　from　said　huge　sword）；　to　see　how　they　will　like　it；do　from　time　to　time　astonish　the　world；　in　a　not　pleasant　manner。　　Hercules…Harlequin；　the　Attorney　Triumphant；　the　World's　Busybody：　　none　of　these　are　parts　this　Nation　has　a　turn　for；　she；　if　you　consulted　her；　would　rather　not　play　these　parts；　but　another！　　Seizures　of　Sapienza；　correspondences　with　Sotomayor；　remonstrances　to　Otho　King　of　Athens；　fleets　hanging　by　their　anchor　in　behalf　of　the　Majesty　of　Portugal；　and　in　short　the　whole；　or　at　present　very　nearly　the　whole；　of　that　industry　of　protocolling；　diplomatizing；　remonstrating；　admonishing；　and　〃having　the　honor　to　be；〃has　sunk　justly　in　public　estimation　to　a　very　low　figure。

For　in　fact；　it　is　reasonably　asked；　What　vital　interest　has　England　in　any　cause　now　deciding　itself　in　foreign　parts？　　Once　there　was　a　Papistry　and　Protestantism；　important　as　life　eternal　and　death　eternal；　more　lately　there　was　an　interest　of　Civil　Order　and　Horrors　of　the　French　Revolution；　important　at　least　as　rent…roll　and　preservation　of　the　game；　but　now　what　is　there？　　No　cause　in　which　any　god　or　man　of　this　British　Nation　can　be　thought　to　be　concerned。　　Sham…kingship；　now　recognized　and　even　self…recognized　every