latter-day pamphlets-第28章

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d　young　gentlemen　we　will　give　it　up；　and　let　the　attorneys　take　it？

Is　there　no　value；　then；　in　human　things；　but　what　can　write　itself　down　in　the　cash…ledger？　　All　men　know；　and　even　M'Croudy　in　his　inarticulate　heart　knows；　that　to　men　and　Nations　there　are　invaluable　values　which　cannot　be　sold　for　money　at　all。　　George　Robins　is　great；　but　he　is　not　onmipotent。　George　Robins　cannot　quite　sell　Heaven　and　Earth　by　auction；　excellent　though　he　be　at　the　business。　　Nay；　if　M'Croudy　offered　his　own　life　for　_sale_　in　Threadneedle　Street；　would　anybody　buy　it？　　Not　I；　for　one。　〃Nobody　bids：　　pass　on　to　the　next　lot；〃　answers　Robins。　　And　yet　to　M'Croudy　this　unsalable　lot　is　worth　all　the　Universe：nay；　I　believe；　to　us　also　it　is　worth　something；　good　monitions；　as　to　several　things；　do　lie　in　this　Professor　of　the　dismal　science；　and　considerable　sums　even　of　money；　not　to　speak　of　other　benefit；　will　yet　come　out　of　his　life　and　him；　for　which　nobody　bids！　　Robins　has　his　own　field　where　he　reigns　triumphant；　but　to　that　we　will　restrict　him　with　iron　limits；　and　neither　Colonies　nor　the　lives　of　Professors；　nor　other　such　invaluable　objects　shall　come　under　his　hammer。

Bad　state　of　the　ledger　will　demonstrate　that　your　way　of　dealing　with　your　Colonies　is　absurd；　and　urgently　in　want　of　reform；　but　to　demonstrate　that　the　Empire　itself　must　be　dismembered　to　bring　the　ledger　straight？　　Oh　never。　　Something　else　than　the　ledger　must　intervene　to　do　that。　　Why　does　not　England　repudiate　Ireland；　and　insist　on　the　〃Repeal；〃　instead　of　prohibiting　it　under　death…penalties？　　Ireland　has　never　been　a　paying　speculation　yet；　nor　is　it　like　soon　to　be！　　Why　does　not　Middlesex　repudiate　Surrey；　and　Chelsea　Kensington；　and　each　county　and　each　parish；　and　in　the　end　each　individual　set　up　for　himself　and　his　cash…box；　repudiating　the　other　and　his；　because　their　mutual　interests　have　got　into　an　irritating　course？　　They　must　change　the　course；　seek　till　they　discover　a　soothing　one；　that　is　the　remedy；　when　limbs　of　the　same　body　come　to　irritate　one　another。　　Because　the　paltry　tatter　of　a　garment；　reticulated　for　you　out　of　thrums　and　listings　in　Downing　Street；　ties　foot　and　hand　together　in　an　intolerable　manner；　will　you　relieve　yourself　by　cutting　off　the　hand　or　the　foot？　　You　will　cut　off　the　paltry　tatter　of　a　pretended　body…coat；　I　think；　and　fling　that　to　the　nettles；　and　imperatively　require　one　that　fits　your　size　better。

Miserabler　theory　than　that　of　money　on　the　ledger　being　the　primary　rule　for　Empires；　or　for　any　higher　entity　than　City　owls　and　their　mice…catching；　cannot　well　be　propounded。　　And　I　would　by　no　means　advise　Felicissimus；　ill　at　ease　on　his　high…trotting　and　now　justly　impatient　Sleswicker；　to　let　the　poor　horse　in　its　desperation　go　in　that　direction　for　a　momentary　solace。　　If　by　lumber…log　Governors；　by　Godfrey's　cordial　Constitutions　or　otherwise；　be　contrived　to　cut　off　the　Colonies　or　any　real　right　the　big　British　Empire　has　in　her　Colonies；　both　he　and　the　British　Empire　will　bitterly　repent　it　one　day！　　The　Sleswicker；　relieved　in　ledger　for　a　moment；　will　find　that　it　is　wounded　in　heart　and　honor　forever；　and　the　turning　of　its　wild　forehoofs　upon　Felicissimus　as　he　lies　in　the　ditch　combed　off；　is　not　a　thing　I　like　to　think　of！　　Britain；　whether　it　be　known　to　Felicissimus　or　not；　has　other　tasks　appointed　her　in　God's　Universe　than　the　making　of　money；　and　woe　will　betide　her　if　she　forget　those　other　withal。　　Tasks；　colonial　and　domestic；　which　are　of　an　eternally　_divine_　nature；　and　compared　with　which　all　money；　and　all　that　is　procurable　by　money；　are　in　strict　arithmetic　an　imponderable　quantity；　have　been　assigned　this　Nation；　and　they　also　at　last　are　coming　upon　her　again；　clamorous；　abstruse；　inevitable；　much　to　her　bewilderment　just　now！

This　poor　Nation；　painfully　dark　about　said　tasks　and　the　way　of　doing　them；　means　to　keep　its　Colonies　nevertheless；　as　things　which　somehow　or　other　must　have　a　value；　were　it　better　seen　into。　　They　are　portions　of　the　general　Earth；　where　the　children　of　Britain　now　dwell；　where　the　gods　have　so　far　sanctioned　their　endeavor；　as　to　say　that　they　have　a　right　to　dwell。　　England　will　not　readily　admit　that　her　own　children　are　worth　nothing　but　to　be　flung　out　of　doors！　　England　looking　on　her　Colonies　can　say：　〃Here　are　lands　and　seas；　spice…lands；　corn…lands；　timber…lands；　overarched　by　zodiacs　and　stars；　clasped　by　many…sounding　seas；　wide　spaces　of　the　Maker's　building；　fit　for　the　cradle　yet　of　mighty　Nations　and　their　Sciences　and　Heroisms。　　Fertile　continents　still　inhabited　by　wild　beasts　are　mine；　into　which　all　the　distressed　populations　of　Europe　might　pour　themselves；　and　make　at　once　an　Old　World　and　a　New　World　human。　　By　the　eternal　fiat　of　the　gods；　this　must　yet　one　day　be；　this；　by　all　the　Divine　Silences　that　rule　this　Universe；　silent　to　fools；　eloquent　and　awful　to　the　hearts　of　the　wise；　is　incessantly　at　this　moment；　and　at　all　moments；　commanded　to　begin　to　be。　　Unspeakable　deliverance；　and　new　destiny　of　thousand…fold　expanded　manfulness　for　all　men；　dawns　out　of　the　Future　here。　　To　me　has　fallen　the　godlike　task　of　initiating　all　that：　　of　me　and　of　my　Colonies；　the　abstruse　Future　asks；　Are　you　wise　enough　for　so　sublime　a　destiny？　　Are　you　too　foolish？〃


That　you　ask　advice　of　whatever　wisdom　is　to　be　had　in　the　Colony；　and　even　take　note　of　what　_un_wisdom　is　in　it；　and　record　that　too　as　an　existing　fact；　will　certainly　be　very　advantageous。　　But　I　suspect　the　kind　of　Parliament　that　will　suit　a　Colony　is　much　of　a　secret　just　now！　　Mr。　Wakefield；　a　democratic　man　in　all　fibres　of　him；　and　acquainted　with　Colonial　Socialities　as　few　are；　judges　that　the　franchise　for　your　Colonial　Parliament　should　be　decidedly　select；　and　advises　a　high　money…qualification；　as　there　is　in　all　Colonies　a　fluctuating　migratory　mass；　not　destitute　of　money；　but　very　much　so　of　loyalty；　permanency；　or　civic　availability；　whom　it　is　extremely　advantageous　not　to　consult　on　what　you　are　about　attempting　for　the　Colony　or　Mother　Country。　　This　I　can　well　believe；and　also　that　a　〃high　money…qualification；〃　in　the　present　sad　state　of　human　affairs；　might　be　some　help　to　you　in　selecting；　though　whether　even　that　would　quite　certainly　bring　〃wisdom；〃　the　one　thing　indispensable；　is　much　a　question　with　me。　　It　might　help；　it　might　help！　And　if　by　any　means　you　could　（which　you　cannot）　exclude　the　Fourth　Estate；　and　indicate　decisively　that　Wise　Advice　was　the　thing　wanted　here；　and　Parliamentary　Eloquence　was　not　the　thing　wanted　anywhere　just　now；there　might　really　some　light　of　experience　and　human　foresight；　and　a　truly　valuable　benefit；　be　found　for　you　in　such　assemblies。

And　there　is　one　thing；　too　apt　to　be　forgotten；　which　it　much　behooves　us　to　remember：　　In　the　Colonies；　as　everywhere　else　in　this　world；　the　vital　point　is　not　who　decides；　but　what　is　decided　on！　　That　measures　tending　really　to　the　best　advantage　temporal　and　spiritual　of　the　Colony　be　adopted；　and　strenuously　put　in　execution；　there　lies　the　grand　interest　of　every　good　citizen　British　and　Colonial。　　Such　measures；　whosoever　have　originated　and　prescribed　them；　will　gradually　be　sanctioned　by　all　men　and　gods；　and　clamors　of　every　kind　in　reference　to　them　may　safely　to　a　great　extent　be　neglected；　as　clamorous　merely；　and　sure　to　be　transient。　Colonial　Governor；　Colonial　Parliament；　whoever　or　whatever　does　an　injustice；　or　resolves　on　an　_un_wisdom；　he　is　the　pernicious　object；　however　parliamentary　he　be！

I　have　known　things　done；　in　this　or　the　other　Colony；　in　the　most　parliamentary　way　before　now；　which　carried　written　on　the　brow　of　them　sad　symptoms　of　eternal　reprobation；　not　to　be　mistaken；　had　you　painted　an　inch　thick。　　In　Montreal；　for　example；　at　this　moment；　standing　amid　the　ruins　of　the　〃Elgin　Marbles〃　（as　they　call　the　burnt　walls　of　the　Parliament　House　there）；　what　rational　British　soul　but　is　forced　to　institute　the　mournfulest　constitutional　reflection？　　Some　years　ago　the　Canadas；　probably　not　without　materials　for　discontent；　and　blown　upon　by　skilful　artists；　blazed　up　into　crackling　of　musketry；　open　flame　of　rebellion；　a　thing　smacking　of　the　gallows　in　all　countries　that　pretend　to　have　any　〃Government。〃　　Which　flame　of　rebellion；　had　there　been　no　loyal　population　to　fling　themselves　upon　it　at　peril　of　their　life；　might　have　ended　we　know　not　how。　　It　ended　speedily；　in　the　good　way；　Canada　got　a　Godfrey's…cordial　Constitution；　and　for　the　moment　all　was　varnished　into　some　kind　of　feasibility　again。　　A　most　poor　feasibility；　momentary；　not　lasting；　nor　like　to　be　of　profit　to　Canada！　　For　this　year；　the　Canadian　most　constitutional　Parliament；　such　a　congeries　of　persons　as　one　can　imagine；　decides　that　the　aforesaid　flame　of　rebellion　shall　not　only　be　forgotten　as　per　bargain；　but　thatthe　loyal　population；　who　flung　their　lives　upon　it　and　quenched　it　in　the　nick　of　time；　shall　pay　the　rebels　their　damages！　　Of　this；　I　believe；　on　sadly　conclusive　evidence；　there　is　no　doubt　whatever。　　Such；　when　you　wash　off　the　constitutional　pigments；　is　the　Death's…head　that　discloses　itself。　　I　can　only　say；　if　all　the　Parliaments　in　the　world　were　to　vote　that　such　a　thing　was　just；　I　should　feel　painfully　constrained　to　answer；　at　my　peril；　〃No；　by　the　Eternal；　never！〃　　And　I　would　recommend　any　British　Governor　who　might　come　across　that　Business；　there　or　here；　to　overhaul　it　again。　　What　the　meaning　of　a　Governor；　if　he　is　not　to　overhaul　and　control　such　things；　may　be；　I　cannot　conjecture。　　A　Canadian　Lumber…log　may　as　well　be　made　Governor。　_He_　might　have　some　cast…metal　hand　or　shoulder…crank　（a　thing　easily　contrivable　in　Birmingham）　for　signing　his　name　to　Acts　of　the　Colonial　Parliament；　he　would　be　a　〃native　of　the　country〃　too；　with　popularity　on　that　score　if　on　no　other；he　is　your　man；　if　you　really　want　a　Log　Governor！


I　perceive　therefore　that；　besides　choosing　Parliaments　never　so　well；　the　New　Colonial　Office　will　have　another　thing　to　do：　　Contrive　to　send　out　a　new　kind　of　Governors　to　the　Colonies。　　This　will　be　the　mainspring　of　the　business；　without　this　the　business　will　not　go　at　all。　　An　experienced；　wise　and　valiant　British　man；　to　represent　the　Imperial　Interest；　he；　with　such　a　speaking　or　silent　Collective　Wisdom　as　he　can　gather　round　him　in　the　Colony；　will　evidently　be　the　condition　of　all　good　between　the　Mother　Country　and　it。　　If　you　can　find　such　a　man；　your　point　is　gained；　if　you　cannot；　lost。　　By　him　and　his　Collective　Wisdom　all　manner　of　_true_　relations；　mutual　interests　and　duties　such　as　they　do　exist　in　fact　between　Mother　Country　and　Colony；　can　be　gradually　developed　into　practical　methods　and　results；　and　all　manner　of　true　and　noble　successes；　and　veracities　in　the　way　of　governing；　be　won。　　Choose　well　your　Governor；not　from　this　or　that　poor　section　of　the　Aristocracy；　military；　naval；　or　red…tapist；　wherever　there　are　born　kings　of　men；　you　had　better　seek　them　out；　and　breed　them　to　this　work。　　All　sections　of　the　British　Population　will　be　open　to　you：　　and；　on　the　whole；　you　must　succeed　in　finding　a　man　_fit_。　　And　having　found　him；　I　would　farther　recommend　you　to　keep