latter-day pamphlets-第21章

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ing　water　in　upon　the　place；　and　say　as　with　a　fiat；　〃Here　shall　be　truth；　and　real　work；　and　talent　to　do　it　henceforth；　I　will　seek　for　able　men　to　work　here；　as　for　the　elixir　of　life　to　this　poor　place　and　me：〃what　might　not　one　such　man　effect　there！

Nay　one　such　is　not　to　be　dispensed　with　anywhere。　　in　the　affairs　of　men。　In　every　ship；　I　say；　there　must　be　a　_seeing_　pilot；　not　a　mere　hearing　one！　　It　is　evident　you　can　never　get　your　ship　steered　through　the　difficult　straits　by　persons　standing　ashore；　on　this　bank　and　that；　and　shouting　_their_　confused　directions　to　you：　　〃'Ware　that　Colonial　Sandbank！Starboard　now；　the　Nigger　Question！Larboard；　_larboard_；　the　Suffrage　Movement！　　Financial　Reform；　your　Clothing…Colonels　overboard！　The　Qualification　Movement；　'Ware…re…re！Helm…a…lee！　　Bear　a　hand　there；　will　you！　　Hr…r…r；　lubbers；　imbeciles；　fitter　for　a　tailor's　shopboard　than　a　helm　of　Government；　Hr…r…r！〃And　so　the　ship　wriggles　and　tumbles；　and；　on　the　whole；　goes　as　wind　and　current　drive。　　No　ship　was　ever　steered　except　to　destruction　in　that　manner。　　I　deliberately　say　so：　　no　ship　of　a　State　either。　　If　you　cannot　get　a　real　pilot　on　board；　and　put　the　helm　into　his　hands；　your　ship　is　as　good　as　a　wreck。　　One　real　pilot　on　board　may　save　you；　all　the　bellowing　from　the　banks　that　ever　was；　will　not；　and　by　the　nature　of　things　cannot。　　Nay　your　pilot　will　have　to　succeed；　if　he　do　succeed；　very　much　in　spite　of　said　bellowing；　he　will　hear　all　that；　and　regard　very　little　of　it；in　a　patient　mild…spoken　wise　manner；　will　regard　all　of　it　as　what　it　is。　　And　I　never　doubt　but　there　is　in　Parliament　itself；　in　spite　of　its　vague　palaverings　which　fill　us　with　despair　in　these　times；　a　dumb　instinct　of　inarticulate　sense　and　stubborn　practical　English　insight　and　veracity；　that　would　manfully　support　a　Statesman　who　could　take　command　with　really　manful　notions　of　Reform；　and　as　one　deserving　to　be　obeyed。　　Oh　for　one　such；　even　one！　　More　precious　to　us　than　all　the　bullion　in　the　Bank；　or　perhaps　that　ever　was　in　it；　just　now！

For　it　is　Wisdom　alone　that　can　recognize　wisdom：　　Folly　or　Imbecility　never　can；　and　that　is　the　fatalest　ban　it　labors　under；　dooming　it　to　perpetual　failure　in　all　things。　　Failure　which；　in　Downing　Street　and　places　of　_command_　is　especially　accursed；　cursing　not　one　but　hundreds　of　millions！　　Who　is　there　that　can　recognize　real　intellect；　and　do　reverence　to　it；　and　discriminate　it　well　from　sham　intellect；　which　is　so　much　more　abundant；　and　deserves　the　reverse　of　reverence？　　He　that　himself　has　it！One　really　human　Intellect；　invested　with　command；　and　charged　to　reform　Downing　Street　for　us；　would　continually　attract　real　intellect　to　those　regions；　and　with　a　divine　magnetism　search　it　out　from　the　modest　corners　where　it　lies　hid。　　And　every　new　accession　of　intellect　to　Downing　Street　would　bring　to　it　benefit　only；　and　would　increase　such　divine　attraction　in　it；　the　parent　of　all　benefit　there　and　elsewhere！


〃What　method；　then；　by　what　method？〃　ask　many。　　Method；　alas！　　To　secure　an　increased　supply　of　Human　Intellect　to　Downing　Street；　there　will　evidently　be　no　quite　effectual　〃method〃　but　that　of　increasing　the　supply　of　Human　Intellect；　otherwise　definable　as　Human　Worth；　in　Society　generally；　increasing　the　supply　of　sacred　reverence　for　it；　of　loyalty　to　it；　and　of　life…and…death　desire　and　pursuit　of　it；　among　all　classes；if　we　but　knew　such　a　〃method〃！　　Alas；　that　were　simply　the　method　of　making　all　classes　Servants　of　Heaven；　and　except　it　be　devout　prayer　to　Heaven；　I　have　never　heard　of　any　method！　　To　increase　the　reverence　for　Human　Intellect　or　God's　Light；　and　the　detestation　of　Human　Stupidity　or　the　Devil's　Darkness；　what　method　is　there？　　No　method；except　even　this；　that　we　should　each　of　us　〃pray〃　for　it；　instead　of　praying　for　mere　scrip　and　the　like；　that　Heaven　would　please　to　vouchsafe　us　each　a　little　of　it；　one　by　one！　　As　perhaps　Heaven；　in　its　infinite　bounty；　by　stern　methods；　gradually　will？　　Perhaps　Heaven　has　mercy　too　in　these　sore　plagues　that　are　oppressing　us；　and　means　to　teach　us　reverence　for　Heroism　and　Human　Intellect；　by　such　baleful　experience　of　what　issue　Imbecility　and　Parliamentary　Eloquence　lead　to？　　Such　reverence；　I　do　hope；　and　even　discover　and　observe；　is　silently　yet　extensively　going　on　among　us　even　in　these　sad　years。　　In　which　small　salutary　fact　there　burns　for　us；　in　this　black　coil　of　universal　baseness　fast　becoming　universal　wretchedness；　an　inextinguishable　hope；　far…off　but　sure；　a　divine　〃pillar　of　fire　by　night。〃　　Courage；　courage！

Meanwhile；　that　our　one　reforming　Statesman　may　have　free　command　of　what　Intellect　there　is　among　us；　and　room　to　try　all　means　for　awakening　and　inviting　ever　more　of　it；　there　has　one　small　Project　of　Improvement　been　suggested；　which　finds　a　certain　degree　of　favor　wherever　I　hear　it　talked　of；　and　which　seems　to　merit　much　more　consideration　than　it　has　yet　received。　　Practical　men　themselves　approve　of　it　hitherto；　so　far　as　it　goes；　the　one　objection　being　that　the　world　is　not　yet　prepared　to　insist　on　it；which　of　course　the　world　can　never　be；　till　once　the　world　consider　it；　and　in　the　first　place　hear　tell　of　it！　　I　have；　for　my　own　part；　a　good　opinion　of　this　project。　　The　old　unreformed　Parliament　of　rotten　boroughs　_had_　one　advantage；　but　that　is　hereby；　in　a　far　more　fruitful　and　effectual　manner；　secured　to　the　new。

The　Proposal　is；　That　Secretaries　under　and　upper；　that　all　manner　of　changeable　or　permanent　servants　in　the　Government　Offices　shall　be　selected　without　reference　to　their　power　of　getting　into　Parliament；that；　in　short；　the　Queen　shall　have　power　of　nominating　the　half…dozen　or　half…score　Officers　of　the　Administration；　whose　presence　is　thought　necessary　in　Parliament；　to　official　seats　there；　without　reference　to　any　constituency　but　her　own　only；　which　of　course　will　mean　her　Prime　Minister's。　　A　very　small　encroachment　on　the　present　constitution　of　Parliament；　offering　the　minimum　of　change　in　present　methods；　and　I　almost　think　a　maximum　in　results　to　be　derived　therefrom。The　Queen　nominates　John　Thomas　（the　fittest　man　she；　much　inquiring；　can　hear　tell　of　in　her　three　kingdoms）　President　of　the　Poor…Law　Board；　Under　Secretary　of　the　Colonies；　Under；　or　perhaps　even　Upper　Secretary　of　what　she　and　her　Premier　find　suitablest　for　a　working　head　so　eminent；　a　talent　so　precious；　and　grants　him；　by　her　direct　authority；　seat　and　vote　in　Parliament　so　long　as　he　holds　that　office。　　Upper　Secretaries；　having　more　to　do　in　Parliament；　and　being　so　bound　to　be　in　favor　there；　would；　I　suppose；　at　least　till　new　times　and　habits　come；　be　expected　to　be　chosen　from　among　the　_People's_　Members　as　at　present。　　But　whether　the　Prime　Minister　himself　is；　in　all　times；　bound　to　be　first　a　People's　Member；　and　which；　or　how　many；　of　his　Secretaries　and　subordinates　he　might　be　allowed　to　take　as　_Queen's_　Members；　my　authority　does　not　say；perhaps　has　not　himself　settled；　the　project　being　yet　in　mere　outline　or　foreshadow；　the　practical　embodiment　in　all　details　to　be　fixed　by　authorities　much　more　competent　than　he。　　The　soul　of　his　project　is；　That　the　Crown　also　have　power　to　elect　a　few　members　to　Parliament。

From　which　project；　however　wisely　it　were　embodied；　there　could　probably；　at　first　or　all　at　once；　no　great　〃accession　of　intellect〃　to　the　Government　Offices　ensue；　though　a　little　might；　even　at　first；　and　a　little　is　always　precious：　　but　in　its　ulterior　operation；　were　that　faithfully　developed；　and　wisely　presided　over；　I　fancy　an　immense　accession　of　intellect　might　ensue；nay　a　natural　ingress　might　thereby　be　opened　to　all　manner　of　accessions；　and　the　actual　flower　of　whatever　intellect　the　British　Nation　had　might　be　attracted　towards　Downing　Street；　and　continue　flowing　steadily　thither！　　For；　let　us　see　a　little　what　effects　this　simple　change　carries　in　it　the　possibilities　of。　　Here　are　beneficent　germs；　which　the　presence　of　one　truly　wise　man　as　Chief　Minister；　steadily　fostering　them　for　even　a　few　years；　with　the　sacred　fidelity　and　vigilance　that　would　beseem　him；　might　ripen　into　living　practices　and　habitual　facts；　invaluable　to　us　all。

What　it　is　that　Secretaries　of　State；　Managers　of　Colonial　Establishments；　of　Home　and　Foreign　Government　interests；　have　really　and　truly　to　do　in　Parliament；　might　admit　of　various　estimate　in　these　times。　　An　apt　debater　in　Parliament　is　by　no　means　certain　to　be　an　able　administrator　of　Colonies；　of　Home　or　Foreign　Affairs；　nay；　rather　quite　the　contrary　is　to　be　presumed　of　him；　for　in　order　to　become　a　〃brilliant　speaker；〃　if　that　is　his　character；　considerable　portions　of　his　natural　internal　endowment　must　have　gone　to　the　surface；　in　order　to　make　a　shining　figure　there；　and　precisely　so　much　the　less　（few　men　in　these　days　know　how　much　less！）　must　remain　available　in　the　internal　silent　state；　or　as　faculty　for　thinking；　for　devising　and　acting；　which　latter　and　which　alone　is　the　function　essential　for　him　in　his　Secretaryship。　　Not　to　tell　a　good　story　for　himself　〃in　Parliament　and　to　the　twenty…seven　millions；　many　of　them　fools；〃　not　that；　but　to　do　good　administration；　to　know　with　sure　eye；　and　decide　with　just　and　resolute　heart；　what　is　what　in　the　_things_　committed　to　his　charge：　　this　and　not　that　is　the　service　which　poor　England；　whatever　it　may　think　and　maunder；　does　require　and　want　of　the　Official　Man　in　Downing　Street。　　Given　a　good　Official　Man　or　Secretary；　he　really　ought；　as　far　as　it　is　possible；　to　be　left　working　in　the　silent　state。　No　mortal　can　both　work；　and　do　good　talking　in　Parliament；　or　out　of　it：　the　feat　is　impossible　as　that　of　serving　two　hostile　masters。

Nor　would　I；　if　it　could　be　helped；　much　trouble　my　good　Secretary　with　addressing　Parliament：　　needful　explanations；　yes；　in　a　free　country；　surely；but　not　to　every　frivolous　and　vexatious　person；　in　or　out　of　Parliament；　who　chooses　to　apply　for　them。　　There　should　be　demands　for　explanation　too　which　were　reckoned　frivolous　and　vexatious；　and　censured　as　such。　　These；　I　should　say；　are　the　not　needful　explanations：　　and　if　my　poor　Secretary　is　to　be　called　out　from　his　workshop　to　answer　every　one　of　these；his　workshop　will　become　（what　we　at　present　see　it；　deservedly　or　not）　little　other　than　a　pillory；　the　poor　Secretary　a　kind　of　talking…machine；　exposed　to　dead　cats　and　rotten　eggs；　and　the　〃work〃　got　out　of　him　or　of　it　will；　as　heretofore；　be　very　inconsiderable　indeed！Alas；　on　this　side　also；　important　improvements　are　conceivable；　and　will　even；　I　imagine；　get　them　whence　we　may；　be　found　indispensable　one　day。　　The　honorable　gentleman　whom　you　interrupt　here；　he；　in　his　official　capacity；　is　not　an　individual　now；　but　the　embodiment　of　a　Nation；　he　is　the　〃People　of　England〃　engaged　in　the　work　of　Secretaryship；　this　one；　and　cannot　forever　afford　to　let　the　three　Tailors　of　Tooley　Street　break　in　upon　him　at　all　hours！

But　leaving　this；　let　us　remark　one　thing　which　is　very　plain：　　That　whatever　be　the　uses　and　duties；　real　or　supposed；　of　a　Secretary　in　Parliament；　his　faculty　to　accomplish　these　is　a　point　entirely　unconnected　with　his　ability　to　get　elected　into　P