latter-day pamphlets-第25章

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fence：　　flung　into　that　bad　element；　there　they　swim　for　decades　long；　throttling　and　wrestling　one　another　according　to　their　strength；and　the　toughest　or　luckiest　gets　to　land；　and　becomes　Premier。　　A　more　entirely　unbeautiful　class　of　Premiers　was　never　raked　out　of　the　ooze；　and　set　on　high　places；　by　any　ingenuity　of　man。　　Dame　Dubarry's　petticoat　was　a　better　seine…net　for　fishing　out　Premiers　than　that。　　Let　all　Nations　whom　necessity　is　driving　towards　that　method；　take　warning　in　time！

Alas；　there　is；　in　a　manner；　but　one　Nation　that　can　still　take　warning！　In　England　alone　of　European　Countries　the　State　yet　survives；　and　might　help　itself　by　better　methods。　　In　England　heroic　wisdom　is　not　yet　dead；　and　quite　replaced　by　attorneyism：　　the　honest　beaver　faculty　yet　abounds　with　us；　the　heroic　manful　faculty　shows　itself　also　to　the　observant　eye；　not　dead　but　dangerously　sleeping。　　I　said　there　were　many　_kings_　in　England：　　if　these　can　yet　be　rallied　into　strenuous　activity；　and　set　to　govern　England　in　Downing　Street　and　elsewhere；　which　their　function　always　is；then　England　can　be　saved　from　anarchies　and　universal　suffrages；　and　that　Apotheosis　of　Attorneyism；　blackest　of　terrestrial　curses；　may　be　spared　us。　　If　these　cannot；　the　other　issue；　in　such　forms　as　may　be　appropriate　to　us；　is　inevitable。　　What　escape　is　there？　　England　must　conform　to　the　eternal　laws　of　life；　or　England　too　must　die！

England　with　the　largest　mass　of　real　living　interests　ever　intrusted　to　a　Nation；　and　with　a　mass　of　extinct　imaginary　and　quite　dead　interests　piled　upon　it　to　the　very　Heavens；　and　encumbering　it　from　shore　to　shore；does　reel　and　stagger　ominously　in　these　years；　urged　by　the　Divine　Silences　and　the　Eternal　Laws　to　take　practical　hold　of　its　living　interests　and　manage　them：　　and　clutching　blindly　into　its　venerable　extinct　and　imaginary　interests；　as　if　that　were　still　the　way　to　do　it。　　England　must　contrive　to　manage　its　living　interests；　and　quit　its　dead　ones　and　their　methods；　or　else　depart　from　its　place　in　this　world。　　Surely　England　is　called　as　no　Nation　ever　was；　to　summon　out　its　_kings_；　and　set　them　to　that　high　work！Huge　inorganic　England；　nigh　choked　under　the　exuviae　of　a　thousand　years；　and　blindly　sprawling　amid　chartisms；　ballot…boxes；　prevenient　graces；　and　bishops'　nightmares；　must；　as　the　preliminary　and　commencement　of　organization；　learn　to　_breathe_　again；get　〃lungs〃　for　herself　again；　as　we　defined　it。　　That　is　imperative　upon　her：　　she　too　will　die；　otherwise；　and　cough　her　last　upon　the　streets　some　day；how　can　she　continue　living？　　To　enfranchise　whatsoever　of　Wisdom　is　born　in　England；　and　set　that　to　the　sacred　task　of　coercing　and　amending　what　of　Folly　is　born　in　England：　　Heaven's　blessing　is　purchasable　by　that；　by　not　that；　only　Heaven's　curse　is　purchasable。　　The　reform　contemplated；　my　liberal　friends　perceive；　is　a　truly　radical　one；　no　ballot…box　ever　went　so　deep　into　the　roots：　　a　radical；　most　painful；　slow　and　difficult；　but　most　indispensable　reform　of　reforms！

How　short　and　feeble　an　approximation　to　these　high　ulterior　results；　the　best　Reform　of　Downing　Street；　presided　over　by　the　fittest　Statesman　one　can　imagine　to　exist　at　present；　would　be；　is　too　apparent　to　me。　　A　long　time　yet　till　we　get　our　living　interests　put　under　due　administration；　till　we　get　our　dead　interests　handsomely　dismissed。　　A　long　time　yet　till；　by　extensive　change　of　habit　and　ways　of　thinking　and　acting；　_we_　get　living　〃lungs〃　for　ourselves！　　Nevertheless；　by　Reform　of　Downing　Street；　we　do　begin　to　breathe：　　we　do　start　in　the　way　towards　that　and　all　high　results。　　Nor　is　there　visible　to　me　any　other　way。　　Blessed　enough　were　the　way　once　entered　on；　could　we；　in　our　evil　days；　but　see　the　noble　enterprise　begun；　and　fairly　in　progress！


What　the　〃_New_　Downing　Street〃　can　grow　to；　and　will　and　must　if　England　is　to　have　a　Downing　Street　beyond　a　few　years　longer；　it　is　far　from　me；　in　my　remote　watch…tower；　to　say　with　precision。　　A　Downing　Street　inhabited　by　the　gifted　of　the　intellects　of　England；　directing　all　its　energies　upon　the　real　and　living　interests　of　England；　and　silently　but　incessantly；　in　the　alembics　of　the　place；　burning　up　the　extinct　imaginary　interests　of　England；　that　we　may　see　God's　sky　a　little　plainer　overhead；　and　have　all　of　us　a　great　accession　of　〃heroic　wisdom〃　to　dispose　of：　such　a　Downing　Streetto　draw　the　plan　of　it；　will　require　architects；　many　successive　architects　and　builders　will　be　needed　there。　　Let　not　editors；　and　remote　unprofessional　persons；　interfere　too　much！Change　in　the　present　edifice；　however；　radical　change；　all　men　can　discern　to　be　inevitable；　and　even；　if　there　shall　not　worse　swiftly　follow；　to　be　imminent。　　Outlines　of　the　future　edifice　paint　themselves　against　the　sky　（to　men　that　still　have　a　sky；　and　are　above　the　miserable　London　fogs　of　the　hour）；　noble　elements　of　new　State　Architecture；　foreshadows　of　a　new　Downing　Street　for　the　New　Era　that　is　come。　　These　with　pious　hope　all　men　can　see；　and　it　is　good　that　all　men；　with　whatever　faculty　they　have；　were　earnestly　looking　thitherward；trying　to　get　above　the　fogs；　that　they　might　look　thitherward！


Among　practical　men　the　idea　prevails　that　Government　can　do　nothing　but　〃keep　the　peace。〃　　They　say　all　higher　tasks　are　unsafe　for　it；　impossible　for　it；and　in　fine　not　necessary　for　it　or　for　us。　　On　this　footing　a　very　feeble　Downing　Street　might　serve　the　turn！I　am　well　aware　that　Government；　for　a　long　time　past；　has　taken　in　hand　no　other　public　task；　and　has　professed　to　have　no　other；　but　that　of　keeping　the　peace。　　This　public　task；　and　the　private　one　of　ascertaining　whether　Dick　or　Jack　was　to　do　it；　have　amply　filled　the　capabilities　of　Government　for　several　generations　now。　　Hard　tasks　both；　it　would　appear。　　In　accomplishing　the　first；　for　example；　have　not　heaven…born　Chancellors　of　the　Exchequer　had　to　shear　us　very　bare；　and　to　leave　an　overplus　of　Debt；　or　of　fleeces　shorn　_before_　they　are　grown；　justly　esteemed　among　the　wonders　of　the　world？　　Not　a　first…rate　keeping　of　the　peace；　this；　we　begin　to　surmise！　At　least　it　seems　strange　to　us。

For　we；　and　the　overwhelming　majority　of　all　our　acquaintances；　in　this　Parish　and　Nation　and　the　adjacent　Parishes　and　Nations；　are　profoundly　conscious　to　ourselves　of　being　by　nature　peaceable　persons；　following　our　necessary　industries；　without　wish；　interest　or　faintest　intention　to　cut　the　skin　of　any　mortal；　to　break　feloniously　into　his　industrial　premises；　or　do　any　injustice　to　him　at　all。　　Because　indeed；　independent　of　Government；　there　is　a　thing　called　conscience；　and　we　dare　not。　　So　that　it　cannot　but　appear　to　us；　〃the　peace；〃　under　dexterous　management；　might　be　very　much　more　easily　kept；　your　Lordship；　nay；　we　almost　think；　if　well　let　alone；　it　would　in　a　measure　keep　_itself_　among　such　a　set　of　persons！　And　how　it　happens　that　when　a　poor　hardworking　creature　of　us　has　laboriously　earned　sixpence；　the　Government　comes　in；　and　（as　some　compute）　says；　〃I　will　thank　you　for　threepence　of　that；　as　per　account；　for　getting　you　peace　to　spend　the　other　threepence；〃　our　amazement　begins　to　be　considerable；and　I　think　results　will　follow　from　it　by　and　by。　　Not　the　most　dexterous　keeping　of　the　peace；　your　Lordship；　unless　it　be　more　difficult　to　do　than　appears！

Our　domestic　peace；　we　cannot　but　perceive；　as　good　as　keeps　itself。　　Here　and　there　a　select　Equitable　Person；　appointed　by　the　Public　for　that　end；　clad　in　ermine；　and　backed　by　certain　companies　of　blue　Police；　is　amply　adequate；　without　immoderate　outlay　in　money　or　otherwise；　to　keep　down　the　few　exceptional　individuals　of　the　scoundrel　kind；　who；　we　observe；　by　the　nature　of　them；　are　always　weak　and　inconsiderable。　　And　as　to　foreign　peace；　really　all　Europe；　now　especially　with　so　many　railroads；　public　journals；　printed　books；　penny…post；　bills　of　exchange；　and　continual　intercourse　and　mutual　dependence；　is　more　and　more　becoming　（so　to　speak）　one　Parish；　the　Parishioners　of　which　being；　as　we　ourselves　are；　in　immense　majority　peaceable　hard…working　people；　could；　if　they　were　moderately　well　guided；　have　almost　no　disposition　to　quarrel。　　Their　economic　interests　are　one；　〃To　buy　in　the　cheapest　market；　and　sell　in　the　dearest；〃　their　faith；　any　_religious_　faith　they　have；　is　one；　〃To　annihilate　shamsby　all　methods；　street…barricades　included。〃　　Why　should　they　quarrel？　　The　Czar　of　Russia；　in　the　Eastern　parts　of　the　Parish；　may　have　other　notions；　but　he　knows　too　well　he　must　keep　them　to　himself。　He；　if　he　meddled　with　the　Western　parts；　and　attempted　anywhere　to　crush　or　disturb　that　sacred　Democratic　Faith　of　theirs；　is　aware　there　would　rise　from　a　hundred　and　fifty　million　human　throats　such　a　_Hymn　of　the　Marseillaise_　as　was　never　heard　before；　and　England；　France；　Germany；　Poland；　Hungary；　and　the　Nine　Kingdoms；　hurling　themselves　upon　him　in　never…imagined　fire　of　vengeance；　would　swiftly　reduce　his　Russia　and　him　to　a　strange　situation！　　Wherefore　he　forbears；and　being　a　person　of　some　sense；　will　long　forbear。　　In　spite　of　editorial　prophecy；　the　Czar　of　Russia　does　not　disturb　our　night's　rest。　　And　with　the　other　parts　of　the　Parish　our　dreams　and　our　thoughts　are　of　anything　but　of　fighting；　or　of　the　smallest　need　to　fight。

For　keeping　of　the　peace；　a　thing　highly　desirable　to　us　；　we　strive　to　be　grateful　to　your　Lordship。　　Intelligible　to　us；　also；　your　Lordship's　reluctance　to　get　out　of　the　old　routine。　　But　we　beg　to　say　farther；　that　peace　by　itself　has　no　feet　to　stand　upon；　and　would　not　suit　us　even　if　it　had。　　Keeping　of　the　peace　is　the　function　of　a　policeman；　and　but　a　small　fraction　of　that　of　any　Government；　King　or　Chief　of　men。　　Are　not　all　men　bound；　and　the　Chief　of　men　in　the　name　of　all；　to　do　properly　this：　　To　see；　so　far　as　human　effort　under　pain　of　eternal　reprobation　can；　God's　Kingdom　incessantly　advancing　here　below；　and　His　will　done　on　Earth　as　it　is　in　Heaven？　　On　Sundays　your　Lordship　knows　this　well；　forgot　it　not　on　week…days。　　I　assure　you　it　is　forevermore　a　fact。　　That　is　the　immense　divine　and　never…ending　task　which　is　laid　on　every　man；　and　with　unspeakable　increase　of　emphasis　on　every　Government　or　Commonwealth　of　men。　　Your　Lordship；　that　is　the　basis　upon　which　peace　and　all　else　depends！　　That　basis　once　well　lost；　there　is　no　peace　capable　of　being　kept；the　only　peace　that　could　then　be　kept　is　that　of　the　churchyard。　Your　Lordship　may　depend　on　it；　whatever　thing　takes　upon　it　the　name　of　Sovereign　or　Government　in　an　English　Nation　such　as　this　will　have　to　get　out　of　that　old　routine；　and　set　about　keeping　something　very　different　from　the　peace；　in　these　days！


Truly　it　is　high　time　that　same　beautiful　notion　of　No…Government　should　take　itself　away。　　The　world　is　daily　rushing　towards　wreck；　while　that　lasts。　　If　your　Government　is　to　be　a　Constituted　Anarchy；　what　issue　can　it　have？　　Our　one　interest　in　such　Government　is；　that　it　would　be　kind　enough　to　cease　and　go　its　ways；　_before_　the　inevitable　arrive。　　The　question；　Who　is　to　float　atop　no…whither　upon　the　popular　vertexes；　and　act　that　sorry　character；　〃carcass　of　the　drowned　ass　upon　the　mu