latter-day pamphlets-第7章

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y　through　the　streets；　〃Ou'　clo！　　Ou'　clo！〃A　certain　People；　once　upon　a　time；　clamorously　voted　by　overwhelming　majority；　〃Not　_he_；　Barabbas；　not　he！　_Him_；　and　what　he　is；　and　what　be　deserves；　we　know　well　enough：　　a　reviler　of　the　Chief　Priests　and　sacred　Chancery　wigs；　a　seditious　Heretic；　physical…force　Chartist；　and　enemy　of　his　country　and　mankind：　　To　the　gallows　and　the　cross　with　him！　　Barabbas　is　our　man；　Barabbas；　we　are　for　Barabbas！〃　　They　got　Barabbas：have　you　well　considered　what　a　fund　of　purblind　obduracy；　of　opaque　_flunkyism_　grown　truculent　and　transcendent；　what　an　eye　for　the　phylacteries；　and　want　of　eye　for　the　eternal　noblenesses；　sordid　loyalty　to　the　prosperous　Semblances；　and　high…treason　against　the　Supreme　Fact；　such　a　vote　betokens　in　these　natures？　　For　it　was　the　consummation　of　a　long　series　of　such；　they　and　their　fathers　had　long　kept　voting　so。　　A　singular　People；　who　could　both　produce　such　divine　men；　and　then　could　so　stone　and　crucify　them；　a　People　terrible　from　the　beginning！Well；　they　got　Barabbas；　and　they　got；　of　course；　such　guidance　as　Barabbas　and　the　like　of　him　could　give　them；　and；　of　course；　they　stumbled　ever　downwards　and　devilwards；　in　their　truculent　stiffnecked　way；　andand；　at　this　hour；　after　eighteen　centuries　of　sad　fortune；　they　prophetically　sing　〃Ou'　clo！〃　　in　all　the　cities　of　the　world。　　Might　the　world；　at　this　late　hour；　but　take　note　of　them；　and　understand　their　song　a　little！

Yes；　there　are　some　things　the　universal　suffrage　can　decide；and　about　these　it　will　be　exceedingly　useful　to　consult　the　universal　suffrage：　　but　in　regard　to　most　things　of　importance；　and　in　regard　to　the　choice　of　men　especially；　there　is　（astonishing　as　it　may　seem）　next　to　no　capability　on　the　part　of　universal　suffrage。I　request　all　candid　persons；　who　have　never　so　little　originality　of　mind；　and　every　man　has　a　little；　to　consider　this。　　If　true；　it　involves　such　a　change　in　our　now　fashionable　modes　of　procedure　as　fills　me　with　astonishment　and　alarm。　　_If_　popular　suffrage　is　not　the　way　of　ascertaining　what　the　Laws　of　the　Universe　are；　and　who　it　is　that　will　best　guide　us　in　the　way　of　these；then　woe　is　to　us　if　we　do　not　take　another　method。　　Delolme　on　the　British　Constitution　will　not　save　us；　deaf　will　the　Parcae　be　to　votes　of　the　House；　to　leading　articles；　constitutional　philosophies。　　The　other　methodalas；　it　involves　a　stopping　short；　or　vital　change　of　direction；　in　the　glorious　career　which　all　Europe；　with　shouts　heaven…high；　is　now　galloping　along：　　and　that；　happen　when　it　may；　will；　to　many　of　us；　be　probably　a　rather　surprising　business！

One　thing　I　do　know；　and　can　again　assert　with　great　confidence；　supported　by　the　whole　Universe；　and　by　some　two　hundred　generations　of　men；　who　have　left　us　some　record　of　themselves　there；　That　the　few　Wise　will　have；　by　one　method　or　another；　to　take　command　of　the　innumerable　Foolish；　that　they　must　be　got　to　take　it；and　that；　in　fact；　since　Wisdom；　which　means　also　Valor　and　heroic　Nobleness；　is　alone　strong　in　this　world；　and　one　wise　man　is　stronger　than　all　men　unwise；　they　can　be　got。　　That　they　must　take　it；　and　having　taken；　must　keep　it；　and　do　their　God's　Message　in　it；　and　defend　the　same；　at　their　life's　peril；　against　all　men　and　devils。　This　I　do　clearly　believe　to　be　the　backbone　of　all　Future　Society；　as　it　has　been　of　all　Past；　and　that　without　it；　there　is　no　Society　possible　in　the　world。　　And　what　a　business　_this_　will　be；　before　it　end　in　some　degree　of　victory　again；　and　whether　the　time　for　shouts　of　triumph　and　tremendous　cheers　upon　it　is　yet　come；　or　not　yet　by　a　great　way；　I　perceive　too　well！　　A　business　to　make　us　all　very　serious　indeed。　　A　business　not　to　be　accomplished　but　by　noble　manhood；　and　devout　all…daring；　all…enduring　loyalty　to　Heaven；　such　as　fatally　_sleeps_　at　present；such　as　is　not　_dead_　at　present　either；　unless　the　gods　have　doomed　this　world　of　theirs　to　die！　　A　business　which　long　centuries　of　faithful　travail　and　heroic　agony；　on　the　part　of　all　the　noble　that　are　born　to　us；　will　not　end；　and　which　to　us；　of　this　〃tremendous　cheering〃　century；　it　were　blessedness　very　great　to　see　successfully　begun。　　Begun；　tried　by　all　manner　of　methods；　if　there　is　one　wise　Statesman　or　man　left　among　us；　it　verily　must　be；begun；　successfully　or　unsuccessfully；　we　do　hope　to　see　it！


In　all　European　countries；　especially　in　England；　one　class　of　Captains　and　commanders　of　men；　recognizable　as　the　beginning　of　a　new　real　and　not　imaginary　〃Aristocracy；〃　has　already　in　some　measure　developed　itself：　　the　Captains　of　Industry；happily　the　class　who　above　all；　or　at　least　first　of　all；　are　wanted　in　this　time。　　In　the　doing　of　material　work；　we　have　already　men　among　us　that　can　command　bodies　of　men。　　And　surely；　on　the　other　hand；　there　is　no　lack　of　men　needing　to　be　commanded：　　the　sad　class　of　brother…men　whom　we　had　to　describe　as　〃Hodge's　emancipated　horses；〃　reduced　to　roving　famine；this　too　has　in　all　countries　developed　itself；　and；　in　fatal　geometrical　progression；　is　ever　more　developing　itself；　with　a　rapidity　which　alarms　every　one。　　On　this　ground；　if　not　on　all　manner　of　other　grounds；　it　may　be　truly　said；　the　〃Organization　of　Labor〃　（_not_　organizable　by　the　mad　methods　tried　hitherto）　is　the　universal　vital　Problem　of　the　world。

To　bring　these　hordes　of　outcast　captainless　soldiers　under　due　captaincy？　This　is　really　the　question　of　questions；　on　the　answer　to　which　turns；　among　other　things；　the　fate　of　all　Governments；　constitutional　and　other；the　possibility　of　their　continuing　to　exist；　or　the　impossibility。　Captainless；　uncommanded；　these　wretched　outcast　〃soldiers；〃　since　they　cannot　starve；　must　needs　become　banditti；　street…barricaders；destroyers　of　every　Government　that　_cannot_　put　them　under　captains；　and　send　them　upon　enterprises；　and　in　short　render　life　human　to　them。　　Our　English　plan　of　Poor　Laws；　which　we　once　piqued　ourselves　upon　as　sovereign；　is　evidently　fast　breaking　down。　　Ireland；　now　admitted　into　the　Idle　Workhouse；　is　rapidly　bursting　it　in　pieces。　　That　never　was　a　〃human〃　destiny　for　any　honest　son　of　Adam；　nowhere　but　in　England　could　it　have　lasted　at　all；　and　now；　with　Ireland　sharer　in　it；　and　the　fulness　of　time　come；　it　is　as　good　as　ended。　　Alas；　yes。　　Here　in　Connemara；　your　crazy　Ship　of　the　State；　otherwise　dreadfully　rotten　in　many　of　its　timbers　I　believe；　has　sprung　a　leak：　　spite　of　all　hands　at　the　pump；　the　water　is　rising；　the　Ship；　I　perceive；　will　founder；　if　you　cannot　stop　this　leak！

To　bring　these　Captainless　under　due　captaincy？　　The　anxious　thoughts　of　all　men　that　do　think　are　turned　upon　that　question；　and　their　efforts；　though　as　yet　blindly　and　to　no　purpose；　under　the　multifarious　impediments　and　obscurations；　all　point　thitherward。　　Isolated　men；　and　their　vague　efforts；　cannot　do　it。　　Government　everywhere　is　called　upon；in　England　as　loudly　as　elsewhere；to　give　the　initiative。　　A　new　strange　task　of　these　new　epochs；　which　no　Government；　never　so　〃constitutional；〃　can　escape　from　undertaking。　　For　it　is　vitally　necessary　to　the　existence　of　Society　itself；　it　must　be　undertaken；　and　succeeded　in　too；　or　worse　will　follow；and；　as　we　already　see　in　Irish　Connaught　and　some　other　places；　will　follow　soon。　　To　whatever　thing　still　calls　itself　by　the　name　of　Government；　were　it　never　so　constitutional　and　impeded　by　official　impossibilities；　all　men　will　naturally　look　for　help；　and　direction　what　to　do；　in　this　extremity。　　If　help　or　direction　is　not　given；　if　the　thing　called　Government　merely　drift　and　tumble　to　and　fro；　no…whither；　on　the　popular　vortexes；　like　some　carcass　of　a　drowned　ass；　constitutionally　put　〃at　the　top　of　affairs；〃　popular　indignation　will　infallibly　accumulate　upon　it；　one　day；　the　popular　lightning；　descending　forked　and　horrible　from　the　black　air；　will　annihilate　said　supreme　carcass；　and　smite　it　home　to　its　native　ooze　again！Your　Lordship；　this　is　too　true；　though　irreverently　spoken：　　indeed　one　knows　not　how　to　speak　of　it；　and　to　me　it　is　infinitely　sad　and　miserable；　spoken　or　not！Unless　perhaps　the　Voluntary　Principle　will　still　help　us　through？　　Perhaps　this　Irish　leak；　in　such　a　rotten　distressed　condition　of　the　Ship；　with　all　the　crew　so　anxious　about　it；　will　be　kind　enough　to　stop　of　itself？

Dismiss　that　hope；　your　Lordship！　　Let　all　real　and　imaginary　Governors　of　England；　at　the　pass　we　have　arrived　at；　dismiss　forever　that　fallacious　fatal　solace　to　their　do…nothingism：　　of　itself；　too　clearly；　the　leak　will　never　stop；　by　human　skill　and　energy　it　must　be　stopped；　or　there　is　nothing　but　the　sea…bottom　for　us　all！　　A　Chief　Governor　of　England　really　ought　to　recognize　his　situation；　to　discern　that；　doing　nothing；　and　merely　drifting　to　and　fro；　in　however　constitutional　a　manner；　he　is　a　squanderer　of　precious　moments；　moments　that　perhaps　are　priceless；　a　truly　alarming　Chief　Governor。　　Surely；　to　a　Chief　Governor　of　England；　worthy　of　that　high　name；surely　to　him；　as　to　every　living　man；　in　every　conceivable　situation　short　of　the　Kingdom　of　the　Deadthere　is　_something_　possible；　some　plan　of　action　other　than　that　of　standing　mildly；　with　crossed　arms；　till　he　and　wesink？　　Complex　as　his　situation　is；　he；　of　all　Governors　now　extant　among　these　distracted　Nations；　has；　as　I　compute；　by　far　the　greatest　possibilities。　　The　Captains；　actual　or　potential；　are　there；　and　the　million　Captainless：　　and　such　resources　for　bringing　them　together　as　no　other　has。　　To　these　outcast　soldiers　of　his；　unregimented　roving　banditti　for　the　present；　or　unworking　workhouse　prisoners　who　are　almost　uglier　than　banditti；　to　these　floods　of　Irish　Beggars；　Able…bodied　Paupers；　and　nomadic　Lackalls；　now　stagnating　or　roaming　everywhere；　drowning　the　face　of　the　world　（too　truly）　into　an　untenantable　swamp　and　Stygian　quagmire；　has　the　Chief　Governor　of　this　country　no　word　whatever　to　say？　　Nothing　but　〃Rate　in　aid；〃　〃Time　will　mend　it；〃　〃Necessary　business　of　the　Session；〃　and　〃After　me　the　Deluge〃？　A　Chief　Governor　that　can　front　his　Irish　difficulty；　and　steadily　contemplate　the　horoscope　of　Irish　and　British　Pauperism；　and　whitherward　it　is　leading　him　and　us；　in　this　humor；　must　be　aWhat　shall　we　call　such　a　Chief　Governor？　　Alas；　in　spite　of　old　use　and　wont；little　other　than　a　tolerated　Solecism；　growing　daily　more　intolerable！　　He　decidedly　ought　to　have　some　word　to　say　on　this　matter；to　be　incessantly　occupied　in　getting　something　which　he　could　practically　say！Perhaps　to　the　following；　or　a　much　finer　effect？


_Speech　of　the　British　Prime…Minister　to　the　floods　of　Irish　and　other　Beggars；　the　able…bodied　Lackalls；　nomadic　or　stationary；　and　the　general　assembly；　outdoor　and　indoor；　of　the　Pauper　Populations　of　these　Realms_。

〃Vagrant　Lackalls；　foolish　most　of　you；　criminal　many　of　you；　miserable　all；　the　sight　of　you　fills　me　with　astonishment　and　despair。　　What　to　do　with　you　I　know　not；　long　have　I　been　meditating；　and　it　is　hard　to　tell。　Here　are　some　three　millions　of　you；　as　I　count：　　so　many　of　you　fallen　sheer　over　into　the　abysses　of　open　Beggary；　and；　fearful　to　think；　every　new　unit　that　falls　is　_loading_　so　much　more　the　chain　that　drags　the　others