latter-day pamphlets-第2章

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。　　And　everywhere　the　people；　or　the　populace；　take　their　own　government　upon　themselves；　and　open　〃kinglessness；〃　what　we　call　_anarchy_；how　happy　if　it　be　anarchy　_plus_　a　street…constable！is　everywhere　the　order　of　the　day。　　Such　was　the　history；　from　Baltic　to　Mediterranean；　in　Italy；　France；　Prussia；　Austria；　from　end　to　end　of　Europe；　in　those　March　days　of　1848。　Since　the　destruction　of　the　old　Roman　Empire　by　inroad　of　the　Northern　Barbarians；　I　have　known　nothing　similar。

And　so；　then；　there　remained　no　King　in　Europe；　no　King　except　the　Public　Haranguer；　haranguing　on　barrel…head；　in　leading　article；　or　getting　himself　aggregated　into　a　National　Parliament　to　harangue。　　And　for　about　four　months　all　France；　and　to　a　great　degree　all　Europe；　rough…ridden　by　every　species　of　delirium；　except　happily　the　murderous　for　most　part；　was　a　weltering　mob；　presided　over　by　M。　de　Lamartine；　at　the　Hotel…de…Ville；　a　most　eloquent　fair…spoken　literary　gentleman；　whom　thoughtless　persons　took　for　a　prophet；　priest　and　heaven…sent　evangelist；　and　whom　a　wise　Yankee　friend　of　mine　discerned　to　be　properly　〃the　first　stump…orator　in　the　world；　standing　too　on　the　highest　stump；for　the　time。〃　　A　sorrowful　spectacle　to　men　of　reflection；　during　the　time　he　lasted；　that　poor　M。　de　Lamartine；　with　nothing　in　him　but　melodious　wind　and　_soft　sawder_；　which　he　and　others　took　for　something　divine　and　not　diabolic！　　Sad　enough；　the　eloquent　latest　impersonation　of　Chaos…come…again；　able　to　talk　for　itself；　and　declare　persuasively　that　it　is　Cosmos！　　However；　you　have　but　to　wait　a　little；　in　such　cases；　all　balloons　do　and　must　give　up　their　gas　in　the　pressure　of　things；　and　are　collapsed　in　a　sufficiently　wretched　manner　before　long。

And　so　in　City　after　City；　street…barricades　are　piled；　and　truculent；　more　or　less　murderous　insurrection　begins；　populace　after　populace　rises；　King　after　King　capitulates　or　absconds；　and　from　end　to　end　of　Europe　Democracy　has　blazed　up　explosive；　much　higher；　more　irresistible　and　less　resisted　than　ever　before；　testifying　too　sadly　on　what　a　bottomless　volcano；　or　universal　powder…mine　of　most　inflammable　mutinous　chaotic　elements；　separated　from　us　by　a　thin　earth…rind；　Society　with　all　its　arrangements　and　acquirements　everywhere；　in　the　present　epoch；　rests！　　The　kind　of　persons　who　excite　or　give　signal　to　such　revolutionsstudents；　young　men　of　letters；　advocates；　editors；　hot　inexperienced　enthusiasts；　or　fierce　and　justly　bankrupt　desperadoes；　acting　everywhere　on　the　discontent　of　the　millions　and　blowing　it　into　flame；might　give　rise　to　reflections　as　to　the　character　of　our　epoch。　　Never　till　now　did　young　men；　and　almost　children；　take　such　a　command　in　human　affairs。　　A　changed　time　since　the　word　_Senior_　（Seigneur；　or　_Elder_）　was　first　devised　to　signify　〃lord；〃　or　superior；as　in　all　languages　of　men　we　find　it　to　have　been！　　Not　an　honorable　document　this　either；　as　to　the　spiritual　condition　of　our　epoch。　In　times　when　men　love　wisdom；　the　old　man　will　ever　be　venerable；　and　be　venerated；　and　reckoned　noble：　　in　times　that　love　something　else　than　wisdom；　and　indeed　have　little　or　no　wisdom；　and　see　little　or　none　to　love；　the　old　man　will　cease　to　be　venerated；　and　looking　more　closely；　also；　you　will　find　that　in　fact　he　has　ceased　to　be　venerable；　and　has　begun　to　be　contemptible；　a　foolish　boy　still；　a　boy　without　the　graces；　generosities　and　opulent　strength　of　young　boys。　　In　these　days；　what　of　_lordship_　or　leadership　is　still　to　be　done；　the　youth　must　do　it；　not　the　mature　or　aged　man；　the　mature　man；　hardened　into　sceptical　egoism；　knows　no　monition　but　that　of　his　own　frigid　cautious；　avarices；　mean　timidities；　and　can　lead　no…whither　towards　an　object　that　even　seems　noble。　　But　to　return。

This　mad　state　of　matters　will　of　course　before　long　allay　itself；　as　it　has　everywhere　begun　to　do；　the　ordinary　necessities　of　men's　daily　existence　cannot　comport　with　it；　and　these；　whatever　else　is　cast　aside；　will　have　their　way。　　Some　remountingvery　temporary　remountingof　the　old　machine；　under　new　colors　and　altered　forms；　will　probably　ensue　soon　in　most　countries：　　the　old　histrionic　Kings　will　be　admitted　back　under　conditions；　under　〃Constitutions；〃　with　national　Parliaments；　or　the　like　fashionable　adjuncts；　and　everywhere　the　old　daily　life　will　try　to　begin　again。　　But　there　is　now　no　hope　that　such　arrangements　can　be　permanent；　that　they　can　be　other　than　poor　temporary　makeshifts；　which；　if　they　try　to　fancy　and　make　themselves　permanent；　will　be　displaced　by　new　explosions　recurring　more　speedily　than　last　time。　　In　such　baleful　oscillation；　afloat　as　amid　raging　bottomless　eddies　and　conflicting　sea…currents；　not　steadfast　as　on　fixed　foundations；　must　European　Society　continue　swaying；　now　disastrously　tumbling；　then　painfully　readjusting　itself；　at　ever　shorter　intervals；till　once　the　_new_　rock…basis　does　come　to　light；　and　the　weltering　deluges　of　mutiny；　and　of　need　to　mutiny；　abate　again！

For　universal　_Democracy_；　whatever　we　may　think　of　it；　has　declared　itself　as　an　inevitable　fact　of　the　days　in　which　we　live；　and　he　who　has　any　chance　to　instruct；　or　lead；　in　his　days；　must　begin　by　admitting　that：　new　street…barricades；　and　new　anarchies；　still　more　scandalous　if　still　less　sanguinary；　must　return　and　again　return；　till　governing　persons　everywhere　know　and　admit　that。　　Democracy；　it　may　be　said　everywhere；　is　here：for　sixty　years　now；　ever　since　the　grand　or　_First_　French　Revolution；　that　fact　has　been　terribly　announced　to　all　the　world；　in　message　after　message；　some　of　them　very　terrible　indeed；　and　now　at　last　all　the　world　ought　really　to　believe　it。　　That　the　world　does　believe　it；　that　even　Kings　now　as　good　as　believe　it；　and　know；　or　with　just　terror　surmise；　that　they　are　but　temporary　phantasm　Play…actors；　and　that　Democracy　is　the　grand；　alarming；　imminent　and　indisputable　Reality：　　this；　among　the　scandalous　phases　we　witnessed　in　the　last　two　years；　is　a　phasis　full　of　hope：　　a　sign　that　we　are　advancing　closer　and　closer　to　the　very　Problem　itself；　which　it　will　behoove　us　to　solve　or　die；　that　all　fighting　and　campaigning　and　coalitioning　in　regard　to　the　_existence_　of　the　Problem；　is　hopeless　and　superfluous　henceforth。　　The　gods　have　appointed　it　so；　no　Pitt；　nor　body　of　Pitts　or　mortal　creatures　can　appoint　it　otherwise。　　Democracy；　sure　enough；　is　here；　one　knows　not　how　long　it　will　keep　hidden　underground　even　in　Russia；and　here　in　England；　though　we　object　to　it　resolutely　in　the　form　of　street…barricades　and　insurrectionary　pikes；　and　decidedly　will　not　open　doors　to　it　on　those　terms；　the　tramp　of　its　million　feet　is　on　all　streets　and　thoroughfares；　the　sound　of　its　bewildered　thousand…fold　voice　is　in　all　writings　and　speakings；　in　all　thinkings　and　modes　and　activities　of　men：　　the　soul　that　does　not　now；　with　hope　or　terror；　discern　it；　is　not　the　one　we　address　on　this　occasion。

What　is　Democracy；　this　huge　inevitable　Product　of　the　Destinies；　which　is　everywhere　the　portion　of　our　Europe　in　these　latter　days？　　There　lies　the　question　for　us。　　Whence　comes　it；　this　universal　big　black　Democracy；　whither　tends　it；　what　is　the　meaning　of　it？　　A　meaning　it　must　have；　or　it　would　not　be　here。　　If　we　can　find　the　right　meaning　of　it；　we　may；　wisely　submitting　or　wisely　resisting　and　controlling；　still　hope　to　live　in　the　midst　of　it；　if　we　cannot　find　the　right　meaning；　if　we　find　only　the　wrong　or　no　meaning　in　it；　to　live　will　not　be　possible！The　whole　social　wisdom　of　the　Present　Time　is　summoned；　in　the　name　of　the　Giver　of　Wisdom；　to　make　clear　to　itself；　and　lay　deeply　to　heart　with　an　eye　to　strenuous　valiant　practice　and　effort；　what　the　meaning　of　this　universal　revolt　of　the　European　Populations；　which　calls　itself　Democracy；　and　decides　to　continue　permanent；　may　be。

Certainly　it　is　a　drama　full　of　action；　event　fast　following　event；　in　which　curiosity　finds　endless　scope；　and　there　are　interests　at　stake；　enough　to　rivet　the　attention　of　all　men；　simple　and　wise。　　Whereat　the　idle　multitude　lift　up　their　voices；　gratulating；　celebrating　sky…high；　in　rhyme　and　prose　announcement；　more　than　plentiful；　that　_now_　the　New　Era；　and　long…expected　Year　One　of　Perfect　Human　Felicity　has　come。　　Glorious　and　immortal　people；　sublime　French　citizens；　heroic　barricades；　triumph　of　civil　and　religious　libertyO　Heaven！　one　of　the　inevitablest　private　miseries；　to　an　earnest　man　in　such　circumstances；　is　this　multitudinous　efflux　of　oratory　and　psalmody；　from　the　universal　foolish　human　throat；　drowning　for　the　moment　all　reflection　whatsoever；　except　the　sorrowful　one　that　you　are　fallen　in　an　evil；　heavy…laden；　long…eared　age；　and　must　resignedly　bear　your　part　in　the　same。　　The　front　wall　of　your　wretched　old　crazy　dwelling；　long　denounced　by　you　to　no　purpose；　having　at　last　fairly　folded　itself　over；　and　fallen　prostrate　into　the　street；　the　floors；　as　may　happen；　will　still　hang　on　by　the　mere　beam…ends；　and　coherency　of　old　carpentry；　though　in　a　sloping　direction；　and　depend　there　till　certain　poor　rusty　nails　and　worm…eaten　dovetailings　give　way：but　is　it　cheering；　in　such　circumstances；　that　the　whole　household　burst　forth　into　celebrating　the　new　joys　of　light　and　ventilation；　liberty　and　picturesqueness　of　position；　and　thank　God　that　now　they　have　got　a　house　to　their　mind？　　My　dear　household；　cease　singing　and　psalmodying；　lay　aside　your　fiddles；　take　out　your　work…implements；　if　you　have　any；　for　I　can　say　with　confidence　the　laws　of　gravitation　are　still　active；　and　rusty　nails；　worm…eaten　dovetailings；　and　secret　coherency　of　old　carpentry；　are　not　the　best　basis　for　a　household！In　the　lanes　of　Irish　cities；　I　have　heard　say；　the　wretched　people　are　sometimes　found　living；　and　perilously　boiling　their　potatoes；　on　such　swing…floors　and　inclined　planes　hanging　on　by　the　joist…ends；　but　I　did　not　hear　that　they　sang　very　much　in　celebration　of　such　lodging。　　No；　they　slid　gently　about；　sat　near　the　back　wall；　and　perilously　boiled　their　potatoes；　in　silence　for　most　part！

High　shouts　of　exultation；　in　every　dialect；　by　every　vehicle　of　speech　and　writing；　rise　from　far　and　near　over　this　last　avatar　of　Democracy　in　1848：　and　yet；　to　wise　minds；　the　first　aspect　it　presents　seems　rather　to　be　one　of　boundless　misery　and　sorrow。　　What　can　be　more　miserable　than　this　universal　hunting　out　of　the　high　dignitaries；　solemn　functionaries；　and　potent；　grave　and　reverend　signiors　of　the　world；　this　stormful　rising…up　of　the　inarticulate　dumb　masses　everywhere；　against　those　who　pretended　to　be　speaking　for　them　and　guiding　them？　　These　guides；　then；　were　mere　blind　men　only　pretending　to　see？　　These　rulers　were　not　ruling　at　all；　they　had　merely　got　on　the　attributes　and　clothes　of　rulers；　and　were　surreptitiously　drawing　the　wages；　while　the　work　remained　undone？　　The　Kings　were　Sham…Kings；　play…acting　as　at　Drury　Lane；and　what　were　the　people　withal　that　took　them　for　real？

It　is　probably　the　hugest　disclosure　of　_falsity_　in　human　things　that　was　ever　at　one　time　made。　　These　reverend　Dignitaries　that　sat　amid　their　far…shining　symbols　and　long…sounding　long…admitted　professions；　were　mere　Impostors；　then？　　Not　a　true　t