latter-day pamphlets-第29章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ou　must　succeed　in　finding　a　man　_fit_。　　And　having　found　him；　I　would　farther　recommend　you　to　keep　him　some　time！　　It　would　be　a　great　improvement　to　end　this　present　nomadism　of　Colonial　Governors。　　Give　your　Governor　due　power；　and　let　him　know　withal　that　he　is　wedded　to　his　enterprise；　and　having　once　well　learned　it；　shall　continue　with　it；　that　it　is　not　a　Canadian　Lumber…log　you　want　there；　to　tumble　upon　the　vertexes　and　sign　its　name　by　a　Birmingham　shoulder…crank；　but　a　Governor　of　Men；　who；　you　mean；　shall　fairly　gird　himself　to　his　enterprise；　and　fail　with　it　and　conquer　with　it；　and　as　it　were　live　and　die　with　it：　　he　will　have　much　to　learn；　and　having　once　learned　it；　will　stay；　and　turn　his　knowledge　to　account。

From　this　kind　of　Governor；　were　you　once　in　the　way　of　finding　him　with　moderate　certainty；　from　him　and　his　Collective　Wisdom；　all　good　whatsoever　might　be　anticipated。　　And　surely；　were　the　Colonies　once　enfranchised　from　red…tape；　and　the　poor　Mother　Country　once　enfranchised　from　it；　were　our　idle　Seventy…fours　all　busy　carrying　out　streams　of　British　Industrials；　and　those　Scoundrel　Regiments　all　working；　under　divine　drill…sergeants；　at　the　grand　Atlantic　and　Pacific　Junction　Railway；poor　Britain　and　her　poor　Colonies　might　find　that　they　_had_　true　relations　to　each　other：　　that　the　Imperial　_Mother_　and　her　constitutionally　obedient　Daughters　were　not　a　red…tape　fiction；　provoking　bitter　mockery　as　at　present；　but　a　blessed　God's…Fact　destined　to　fill　half　the　world　with　its　fruits　one　day！


But　undoubtedly　our　grand　primary　concern　is　the　Home　Office；　and　its　Irish　Giant　named　of　Despair。　　When　the　Home　Office　begins　dealing　with　this　Irish　Giant；　which　it　is　vitally　urgent　for　us　the　Home　Office　should　straightway　do；　it　will　find　its　duties　enlarged　to　a　most　unexpected　extent；　and；　as　it　were；　altered　from　top　to　bottom。　　A　changed　time　now　when　the　question　is；　What　to　do　with　three　millions　of　paupers　（come　upon　you　for　food；　since　you　have　no　work　for　them）　increasing　at　a　frightful　rate　per　day？　　Home　Office；　Parliament；　King；　Constitution　will　find　that　they　have　now；　if　they　will　continue　in　this　world　long；　got　a　quite　immense　new　question　and　continually　recurring　set　of　questions。　　That　huge　question　of　the　Irish　Giant　with　his　Scotch　and　English　Giant…Progeny　advancing　open…mouthed　upon　us；　will；　as　I　calculate；　change　from　top　to　bottom　not　the　Home　Office　only　but　all　manner　of　Offices　and　Institutions　whatsoever；　and　gradually　the　structure　of　Society　itself。　　I　perceive；　it　will　make　us　a　new　Society；　if　we　are　to　continue　a　Society　at　all。　　For　the　alternative　is　not；　Stay　where　we　are；　or　change？　　But　Change；　with　new　wise　effort　fit　for　the　new　time；　to　true　and　wider　nobler　National　Life；　or　Change；　by　indolent　folding　of　the　arms；　as　we　are　now　doing；　in　horrible　anarchies　and　convulsions　to　Dissolution；　to　National　Death；　or　Suspended…animation？　　Suspended…animation　itself　is　a　frightful　possibility　for　Britain：　　this　Anarchy　whither　all　Europe　has　preceded　us；　where　all　Europe　is　now　weltering；　would　suit　us　as　ill　as　any！　　The　question　for　the　British　Nation　is：　　Can　we　work　our　course　pacifically；　on　firm　land；　into　the　New　Era；　or　must　it　be；　for　us　too；　as　for　all　the　others；　through　black　abysses　of　Anarchy；　hardly　escaping；　if　we　do　with　all　our　struggles　escape；　the　jaws　of　eternal　Death？

For　Pauperism；　though　it　now　absorbs　its　high　figure　of　millions　annually；　is　by　no　means　a　question　of　money　only；　but　of　infinitely　higher　and　greater　than　all　conceivable　money。　　If　our　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　had　a　Fortunatus'　purse；　and　miraculous　sacks　of　Indian　meal　that　would　stand　scooping　from　forever；I　say；　even　on　these　terms　Pauperism　could　not　be　endured；　and　it　would　vitally　concern　all　British　Citizens　to　abate　Pauperism；　and　never　rest　till　they　had　ended　it　again。　　Pauperism　is　the　general　leakage　through　every　joint　of　the　ship　that　it　is　rotten。　　Were　all　men　doing　their　duty；　or　even　seriously　trying　to　do　it；　there　would　be　no　Pauper。　　Were　the　pretended　Captains　of　the　world　at　all　in　the　habit　of　commanding；　were　the　pretended　Teachers　of　the　world　at　all　in　the　habit　of　teaching；of　admonishing　said　Captains　among　others；　and　with　sacred　zeal　apprising　them　to　what　place　such　neglect　was　leading；how　could　Pauperism　exist？　　Pauperism　would　lie　far　over　the　horizon；　we　should　be　lamenting　and　denouncing　quite　inferior　sins　of　men；　which　were　only　tending　afar　off　towards　Pauperism。　　A　true　Captaincy；　a　true　Teachership；　either　making　all　men　and　Captains　know　and　devoutly　recognize　the　eternal　law　of　things；　or　else　breaking　its　own　heart；　and　going　about　with　sackcloth　round　its　loins；　in　testimony　of　continual　sorrow　and　protest；　and　prophecy　of　God's　vengeance　upon　such　a　course　of　things：　　either　of　these　divine　equipments　would　have　saved　us；　and　it　is　because　we　have　neither　of　them　that　we　are　come　to　such　a　pass！

We　may　depend　upon　it；　where　there　is　a　Pauper；　there　is　a　sin；　to　make　one　Pauper　there　go　many　sins。　　Pauperism　is　our　Social　Sin　grown　manifest；　developed　from　the　state　of　a　spiritual　ignobleness；　a　practical　impropriety　and　base　oblivion　of　duty；　to　an　affair　of　the　ledger。　　Here　is　not　now　an　unheeded　sin　against　God；　here　is　a　concrete　ugly　bulk　of　Beggary　demanding　that　you　should　buy　Indian　meal　for　it。　　Men　of　reflection　have　long　looked　with　a　horror　for　which　there　was　no　response　in　the　idle　public；　upon　Pauperism；　but　the　quantity　of　meal　it　demands　has　now　awakened　men　of　no　reflection　to　consider　it。　　Pauperism　is　the　poisonous　dripping　from　all　the　sins；　and　putrid　unveracities　and　god…forgetting　greedinesses　and　devil…serving　cants　and　jesuitisms；　that　exist　among　us。　　Not　one　idle　Sham　lounging　about　Creation　upon　false　pretences；　upon　means　which　he　has　not　earned；　upon　theories　which　he　does　not　practise；　but　yields　his　share　of　Pauperism　somewhere　or　other。　　His　sham…work　oozes　down；　finds　at　last　its　issue　as　human　Pauperism；in　a　human　being　that　by　those　false　pretences　cannot　live。　　The　Idle　Workhouse；　now　about　to　burst　of　overfilling；　what　is　it　but　the　scandalous　poison…tank　of　drainage　from　the　universal　Stygian　quagmire　of　our　affairs？　Workhouse　Paupers；　immortal　sons　of　Adam　rotted　into　that　scandalous　condition；　subter…slavish；　demanding　that　you　would　make　slaves　of　them　as　an　unattainable　blessing！　　My　friends；　I　perceive　the　quagmire　must　be　drained；　or　we　cannot　live。　　And　farther；　I　perceive；　this　of　Pauperism　is　the　corner　where　we　must　_begin_；the　levels　all　pointing　thitherward；　the　possibilities　lying　all　clearly　there。　　On　that　Problem　we　shall　find　that　innumerable　things；　that　all　things　whatsoever　hang。　　By　courageous　steadfast　persistence　in　that；　I　can　foresee　Society　itself　regenerated。　In　the　course　of　long　strenuous　centuries；　I　can　see　the　State　become　what　it　is　actually　bound　to　be；　the　keystone　of　a　most　real　〃Organization　of　Labor；〃and　on　this　Earth　a　world　of　some　veracity；　and　some　heroism；　once　more　worth　living　in！


The　State　in　all　European　countries；　and　in　England　first　of　all；　as　I　hope；　will　discover　that　its　functions　are　now；　and　have　long　been；　very　wide　of　what　the　State　in　old　pedant　Downing　Streets　has　aimed　at；　that　the　State　is；　for　the　present；　not　a　reality　but　in　great　part　a　dramatic　speciosity；　expending　its　strength　in　practices　and　objects　fallen　many　of　them　quite　obsolete；　that　it　must　come　a　little　nearer　the　true　aim　again；　or　it　cannot　continue　in　this　world。　　The　〃Champion　of　England〃　eased　in　iron　or　tin；　and　〃able　to　mount　his　horse　with　little　assistance；〃this　Champion　and　the　thousand…fold　cousinry　of　Phantasms　he　has；　nearly　all　dead　now　but　still　walking　as　ghosts；　must　positively　take　himself　away：　who　can　endure　him；　and　his　solemn　trumpetings　and　obsolete　gesticulations；　in　a　Time　that　is　full　of　deadly　realities；　coming　open…mouthed　upon　us？　At　Drury　Lane；　let　him　play　his　part；　him　and　his　thousand…fold　cousinry；　and　welcome；　so　long　as　any　public　will　pay　a　shilling　to　see　him：　　but　on　the　solid　earth；　under　the　extremely　earnest　stars；　we　dare　not　palter　with　him；　or　accept　his　tomfooleries　any　more。　　Ridiculous　they　seem　to　some；　horrible　they　seem　to　me：　　all　lies；　if　one　look　whence　they　come　and　whither　they　go；　are　horrible。

Alas；　it　will　be　found；　I　doubt；　that　in　England　more　than　in　any　country；　our　Public　Life　and　our　Private；　our　State　and　our　Religion；　and　all　that　we　do　and　speak　（and　the　most　even　of　what　we　_think_）；　is　a　tissue　of　half…truths　and　whole…lies；　of　hypocrisies；　conventionalisms；　worn…out　traditionary　rags　and　cobwebs；　such　a　life…garment　of　beggarly　incredible　and　uncredited　falsities　as　no　honest　souls　of　Adam's　Posterity　were　ever　enveloped　in　before。　　And　we　walk　about　in　it　with　a　stately　gesture；　as　if　it　were　some　priestly　stole　or　imperial　mantle；　not　the　foulest　beggar's　gabardine　that　ever　was。　　〃No　Englishman　dare　believe　the　truth；〃　says　one：　〃he　stands；　for　these　two　hundred　years；　enveloped　in　lies　of　every　kind；　from　nadir　to　zenith　an　ocean　of　traditionary　cant　surrounds　him　as　his　life…element。　　He　really　thinks　the　truth　dangerous。　　Poor　wretch；　you　see　him　everywhere　endeavoring　to　temper　the　truth　by　taking　the　falsity　along　with　it；　and　welding　them　together；　this　he　calls　'safe　course；'　'moderate　course；'　and　other　fine　names；　there；　balanced　between　God　and　the　Devil；　he　thinks　he　_can_　serve　two　masters；　and　that　things　will　go　well　with　him。〃

In　the　cotton…spinning　and　similar　departments　our　English　friend　knows　well　that　truth　or　God　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　Devil　or　falsehood；　but　will　ravel　all　the　web　to　pieces　if　you　introduce　the　Devil　or　Non…veracity　in　any　form　into　it：　　in　this　department；　therefore；　our　English　friend　avoids　falsehood。　　But　in　the　religious；　political；　social；　moral；　and　all　other　spiritual　departments　he　freely　introduces　falsehood；　nothing　doubting；　and　has　long　done　so；　with　a　profuseness　not　elsewhere　met　with　in　the　world。　　The　unhappy　creature；　does　he　not　know；　then；　that　every　lie　is　accursed；　and　the　parent　of　mere　curses？　　That　he　must　_think_　the　truth；　much　more　speak　it？　　That；　above　all　things；　by　the　oldest　law　of　Heaven　and　Earth　which　no　man　violates　with　impunity；　he　must　not　and　shall　not　wag　the　tongue　of　him　except　to　utter　his　thought？　　That　there　is　not　a　grin　or　beautiful　acceptable　grimace　he　can　execute　upon　his　poor　countenance；　but　is　either　an　express　veracity；　the　image　of　what　passes　within　him；　or　else　is　a　bit　of　Devil…worship　which　he　and　the　rest　of　us　will　have　to　pay　for　yet？　　Alas；　the　grins　he　executes　upon　his　poor　_mind_　（which　is　all　tortured　into　St。　Vitus　dances；　and　ghastly　merry…andrewisms；　by　the　practice）　are　the　most　extraordinary　this　sun　ever　saw。

We　have　Puseyisms；　black…and…white　surplice　controversies：do　not；　officially　and　otherwise；　the　select　of　the　longest　heads　in　England　sit　with　intense　application　and　iron　gravity；　in　open　forum；　judging　of　〃prevenient　grace〃？　　Not　a　head　of　them　suspects　that　it　can　be　improper　so　to　sit；　or　of　the　nature　of　treason　against　the　Power　who　gave　an　Intellect　to　man；that　it　can　be　other　than　the　duty　of　a　good　citizen　to　use　his　god…given　intellect　in　i