the vested interests and the common man-第3章

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and　large；　this　eighteenth…century　stabilised　modern　point　of　
view　has　governed　men's　dealings　within　this　era；　and　its　
constituent　principles　of　right　and　honest　living　must　therefore；　
presumptively；　be　held　answerable　for　the　disastrous　event　of　it　
all；　　at　least　to　the　extent　that　they　have　permissively　
countenanced　the　growth　of　those　sinister　conditions　which　have　
now　ripened　into　a　state　of　world…wide　shame　and　confusion。　
　　　　How　and　how　far　is　this　modern　point　of　view；　this　body　of　
legal　and　moral　principles　established　in　the　eighteenth　century；　
to　be　accounted　an　accessory　to　this　crime？　And　if　it　be　argued　
that　this　complication　of　atrocities　has　come　on；　not　because　of　
these　principles　of　conduct　which　are　so　dear　to　civilised　men　
and　so　blameless　in　their　sight；　but　only　in　spite　of　them；　then；　
what　is　the　particular　weakness　or　shortcoming　inherent　in　this　
body　of　principles　which　has　allowed　such　a　growth　of　malignant　
conditions　to　go　on　and　gather　head？　If　the　modern　point　of　view；　
these　settled　principles　of　conduct　by　which　modern　men　
collectively　are　actuated　in　what　they　will　do　and　in　what　they　
will　permit；　　if　these　canons　and　standards　of　clean　and　honest　
living　have　proved　to　be　a　fatal　snare；　then　it　becomes　an　urgent　
question：　Is　it　safe；　or　sane　to　go　into　the　future　by　the　light　
of　these　same　established　canons　of　right；　equity；　and　propriety　
that　so　have　been　tried　and　found　wanting？　
　　　　Perhaps　the　question　should　rather　take　the　less　didactic　
form：　Will　the　present　experience　of　calamities　induce　men　to　
revise　these　established　principles　of　conduct；　and　the　
specifications　of　the　code　based　on　them；　so　effectually　as　to　
guard　against　any　chance　of　return　to　the　same　desperate　
situation　in　the　calculable　future？　Can　the　discipline　of　recent　
experience　and　the　insight　bred　by　the　new　order　of　knowledge　and　
belief；　re…enforced　by　the　shock　of　the　present　miscarriage；　be　
counted　on　to　bring　such　a　revision　of　these　principles　of　law　
and　custom　as　will　preclude　a　return　to　that　status　quo　ante　from　
which　this　miscarriage　of　civilisation　has　resulted？　The　latter　
question　is　more　to　the　point。　History　teaches　that　men；　taken　
collectively；　learn　by　habituation　rather　than　by　precept　and　
reflection；　particularly　as　touches　those　underlying　principles　
of　truth　and　validity　on　which　the　effectual　scheme　of　law　and　
custom　finally　rests。　
　　　　In　the　last　analysis　it　resolves　itself　into　a　question　as　to　
how　and　how　far　the　habituation　of　the　recent　past；　mobilised　by　
the　shock　of　the　present　conjuncture；　will　have　affected　the　
frame　of　mind　of　the　common　man　in　these　civilised　countries；　for　
in　the　last　analysis　and　with　due　allowance　for　a　margin　of　
tolerance　it　is　the　frame　of　mind　of　the　common　man　that　makes　
the　foundation　of　society　in　the　modern　world；　even　though　the　
elder　statesmen　continue　to　direct　its　motions　from　day　to　day　by　
the　light　of　those　principles　that　were　found　good　some　time　
before　yesterday。　And　the　fortunes　of　the　civilised　world；　for　
good　or　ill；　have　come　to　turn　on　the　deeds　of　commission　and　of　
omission　of　these　advanced　peoples　among　whom　the　frame　of　mind　
of　the　common　man　is　the　finally　conditioning　circumstance　in　
what　may　safely　be　done　or　left　undone。　The　advice　and　consent　of　
the　common　run　has　latterly　come　to　be　indispensable　to　the　
conduct　of　affairs　among　civilised　men；　somewhat　in　the　same　
degree　in　which　the　community　is　to　be　accounted　a　civilised　
people。　It　is　indispensable　at　least　in　a　permissive　way；　at　
least　to　the　extent　that　no　line　of　policy　can　long　be　pursued　
successfully　without　the　permissive　tolerance　of　the　common　run；　
and　the　margin　of　tolerance　in　the　case　appears　to　be　narrower　
the　more　alert　and　the　more　matter…of…fact　the　frame　of　mind　of　
the　common　man。　
　
Chapter　2　
　
The　Stability　of　Law　and　Custom　
　
　　　　In　so　far　as　concerns　the　present　question；　that　is　to　say　as　
regards　those　standards　and　principles　which　underlie　the　
established　system　of　law　and　custom；　the　modern　point　of　view　
was　stabilised　and　given　a　definitive　formulation　in　the　
eighteenth　century；　and　in　so　far　as　concerns　the　subsequent　
conduct　of　practical　affairs；　its　constituent　principles　have　
stood　over　without　material　change　or　revision　since　that　time。　
So　that　for　practical　purposes　it　is　fair　to　say　that　the　modern　
point　of　view　is　now　some　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　old。　
　　　　It　will　not　do　to　say　that　it　is　that　much　behind　the　times；　
because　its　time…worn　standards　of　truth　and　validity　are　a　very　
material　factor　in　the　makeup　of　〃our　time。〃　That　such　is　the　
case　is　due　in　great　part　to　the　fact　that　this　body　of　
principles　was　stabilised　at　that　time　and　that　they　have　
therefore　stood　over　intact；　in　spite　of　other　changes　that　have　
taken　place。　It　is　only　that　the　principles　which　had　been　tested　
and　found　good　under　the　conditions　of　life　in　the　modern　era　up　
to　that　time　were　at　that　time　held　fast；　canvassed；　defined；　
approved；　and　stabilised　by　being　reduced　to　documentary　form。　In　
some　sense　they　were　then　written　into　the　constitution　of　
civilised　society；　and　they　have　continued　to　make　up　the　nucleus　
of　the　document　from　that　time　forth；　and　so　they　have　become　
inflexible；　after　the　fashion　of　written　constitutions。　
　　　　In　the　sight　of　those　generations　who　so　achieved　the　
definite　acceptance　of　these　enlightened　modern　principles；　and　
who　finally　made　good　their　formal　installation　in　law　and　usage　
as　self…balanced　canons　of　human　conduct；　the　principles　which　
they　so　arrived　at　had　all　the　sanction　of　Natural　Law；　　
impersonal；　dispassionate；　indefeasible　and　immutable；　
fundamentally　and　eternally　right　and　good。　That　generation　of　
men　held　〃these　truths　to　be　self…evident〃；　and　they　have　
continued　so　to　be　held　since　that　epoch　by　all　those　peoples　who　
make　up　the　effectual　body　of　modern　civilisation。　And　the　
backward　peoples；　those　others　who　have　since　then　been　coming　
into　line　and　making　their　claim　to　a　place　in　the　scheme　of　
modern　civilised　life；　have　also　successively　been　accepting　and　
（passably）　assimilating　the　same　enlightened　principles　of　clean　
and　honest　living。　Christendom；　as　a　going　concern　of　civilised　
peoples；　has　continued　to　regulate　its　affairs　by　the　help　of　
these　principles；　which　are　still　held　to　be　a　competent　
formulation　of　the　aspirations　of　civilised　mankind。　So　that　
these　modern　principles　of　the　eighteenth　century；　stabilised　in　
documentary　form　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　have　stood　over　
in　immutable　perfection　until　our　time；a　monument　more　enduring　
than　brass。　
　　　　These　principles　are　of　the　nature　of　habits　of　thought；　of　
course；　and　it　is　the　nature　of　habits　of　thought　forever　to　
shift　and　change　in　response　to　the　changing　impact　of　
experience；　since　they　are　creatures　of　habituation。　But　inasmuch　
as　they　have　once　been　stabilised　in　a　thoroughly　competent　
fashion　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　have　been　drafted　into　
finished　documentary　form；　they　have　been　enabled　to　stand　over　
unimpaired　into　the　present　with　all　that　weight　and　stability　
that　a　well…devised　documentary　formulation　will　give。　It　is　
true；　so　far　as　regards　the　conditions　of　civilised　life　during　
the　interval　that　has　passed　since　these　modern　principles　of　law　
and　custom　took　on　their　settled　shape　in　the　eighteenth　century；　
it　has　been　a　period　of　unexampled　change；　　swift；　varied；　
profound　and　extensive　beyond　example。　And　it　follows　of　
necessity　that　the　principles　of　conduct　which　were　approved　and　
stabilised　in　the　eighteenth　century；　under　the　driving　
exigencies　of　that　age；　have　not　altogether　escaped　the　
complications　of　changing　circumstances。　They　have　at　least　come　
in　for　some　shrewd　interpretation　in　the　course　of　the　nineteenth　
century。　There　have　been　refinements　of　definition；　extensions　of　
application；　scrutiny　and　exposition　of　implications；　as　new　
exigencies　have　arisen　and　the　established　canons　have　been　
required　to　cover　unforeseen　contingencies；　but　it　has　all　been　
done　with　the　explicit　reservation　that　no　material　innovation　
shall　be　allowed　to　touch　the　legacy　of　modern　principles　handed　
down　from　the　eighteenth　century；　and　that　the　vital　system　of　
Natural　Rights　installed　in　the　eighteenth　century　must　not　be　
deranged　at　any　point　or　at　any　cost。　
　　　　It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　describe　this　modern　system　of　
principles　that　still　continues　to　govern　human　intercourse　among　
the　civilised　peoples；　or　to　attempt　an　exposition　of　its　
constituent　articles。　It　is　all　to　be　had　in　exemplary　form；　ably　
incorporated　in　such　familiar　documents　as　the　American　
Declaration　of　Independence；　the　French　Declaration　of　the　Rights　
of　Man；　and　the　American　Constitution；　and　it　is　all　to　be　found　
set　forth　with　all　the　circumstance　of　philosophical　and　juristic　
scholarship　in　the　best　work　of　such　writers　as　John　Locke。　
Montesquieu。　Adam　Smith；　or　Blackstone。　It　has　all　been　
sufficiently　canvassed；　through　all　its　dips；　spurs　and　angles；　
by　the　most　competent　authorities；　who　have　brought　their　best　
will　and　their　best　abilities　to　bear　on　its　elucidation　at　every　
point；　with　full　documentation。　Besides　which；　there　is　no　need　
of　recondite　exposition　for　the　present　purpose；　since　all　that　
is　required　by　the　present　argument　is　such　a　degree　of　
information　on　these　matters　as　is　familiar　to　English…speaking　
persons　by　common　notoriety。　
　　　　At　the　same　time　it　may　be　to　the　purpose　to　call　to　mind　
that　this　secular　profession　of　faith　enters　creatively　into　that　
established　order　of　things　which　has　now　fallen　into　a　state　of　
havoc　because　it　does　not　meet　the　requirements　of　the　new　order。　
This　eighteenth…century　modern　plan　specifically　makes　provision　
for　certain　untoward　rights；　perquisites　and　disabilities　which　
have；　in　the　course　of　time　and　shifting　circumstance；　become　
incompatible　with　continued　peace　on　earth　and　good…will　among　
men。　
　　　　There　are　two　main　counts　included　in　this　modern　　
eighteenth…century　　plan；　which　appear　unremittingly　to　make　
for　discomfort　and　dissension　under　the　conditions　offered　by　the　
New　Order　of　things：　　National　Ambition；　and　the　Vested　Rights　
of　ownership。　Neither　of　the　two　need　be　condemned　as　being　
intrinsically　mischievous。　Indeed；　it　may　be　true；　as　has　often　
been　argued；　that　both　have　served　a　good　purpose　in　their　due　
time　and　place；　at　least　there　is　no　need　of　arguing　the　
contrary。　Both　belong　in　the　settled　order　of　civilised　life；　and　
both　alike　are　countenanced　by　those　principles　of　truth；　equity　
and　validity　that　go　to　make　up　the　modern　point　of　view。　It　is　
only　that　now；　as　things　have　been　turning　during　the　later　one　
hundred　years；　both　of　these　immemorially　modern　rights　of　man　
have　come　to　yield　a　net　return　of　hardship　and　ill…will　for　all　
those　peoples　who　have　bound　up　their　fortunes　with　that　kind　of　
enterprise。　The　case　might　be　stated　to　this　effect；　that　the　
fault　lies　not　in　the　nature　of　these　untoward　institutions　of　
national　sover