《latter-day pamphlets》

下载本书

添加书签

latter-day pamphlets- 第7部分


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!
owards it:  poor France swimming these last sixty years in seas of horrid dissolution and confusion; resolute to attain this blessedness of free voting; or to die in chase of it。  Prussia too; solid Germany itself; has all broken out into crackling of musketry; loud pamphleteering and Frankfort parliamenting and palavering; Germany too will scale the sacred mountains; how steep soever; and; by talisman of ballot…box; inhabit a political Elysium henceforth。  All the Nations have that one hope。  Very notable; and rather sad to the humane on…looker。  For it is sadly conjectured; all the Nations labor somewhat under a mistake as to England; and the causes of her freedom and her prosperous cotton…spinning; and have much misread the nature of her Parliament; and the effect of ballot…boxes and universal suffrages there。

What if it were because the English Parliament was from the first; and is only just now ceasing to be; a Council of actual Rulers; real Governing Persons (called Peers; Mitred Abbots; Lords; Knights of the Shire; or howsoever called); actually _ruling_ each his section of the country;and possessing (it must be said) in the lump; or when assembled as a Council; uncommon patience; devoutness; probity; discretion and good fortune;that the said Parliament ever came to be good for much?  In that case it will not be easy to 〃imitate〃 the English Parliament; and the ballot…box and suffrage will be the mere bow of Robin Hood; which it is given to very few to bend; or shoot with to any perfection。  And if the Peers become mere big Capitalists; Railway Directors; gigantic Hucksters; Kings of Scrip; _without_ lordly quality; or other virtue except cash; and the Mitred Abbots change to mere Able…Editors; masters of Parliamentary Eloquence; Doctors of Political Economy; and such like; and all _have_ to be elected by a universal…suffrage ballot…box;I do not see how the English Parliament itself will long continue sea…worthy!  Nay; I find England in her own big dumb heart; wherever you come upon her in a silent meditative hour; begins to have dreadful misgivings about it。

The model of the world; then; is at once unattainable by the world; and not much worth attaining?  England; as I read the omens; is now called a second time to 〃show the Nations how to live;〃 for by her Parliament; as chief governing entity; I fear she is not long for this world!  Poor England must herself again; in these new strange times; the old methods being quite worn out; 〃learn how to live。〃  That now is the terrible problem for England; as for all the Nations; and she alone of all; not _yet_ sunk into open Anarchy; but left with time for repentance and amendment; she; wealthiest of all in material resource; in spiritual energy; in ancient loyalty to law; and in the qualities that yield such loyalty;she perhaps alone of all may be able; with huge travail; and the strain of all her faculties; to accomplish some solution。  She will have to try it; she has now to try it; she must accomplish it; or perish from her place in the world!

England; as I persuade myself; still contains in it many _kings_; possesses; as old Rome did; many men not needing 〃election〃 to command; but eternally elected for it by the Maker Himself。  England's one hope is in these; just now。  They are among the silent; I believe; mostly far away from platforms and public palaverings; not speaking forth the image of their nobleness in transitory words; but imprinting it; each on his own little section of the world; in silent facts; in modest valiant actions; that will endure forevermore。  They must sit silent no longer。  They are summoned to assert themselves; to act forth; and articulately vindicate; in the teeth of howling multitudes; of a world too justly _maddened_ into all manner of delirious clamors; what of wisdom they derive from God。  England; and the Eternal Voices; summon them; poor England never so needed them as now。  Up; be doing everywhere:  the hour of crisis has verily come!  In all sections of English life; the god…made _king_ is needed; is pressingly demanded in most; in some; cannot longer; without peril as of conflagration; be dispensed with。  He; wheresoever he finds himself; can say; 〃Here too am I wanted; here is the kingdom I have to subjugate; and introduce God's Laws into;God's Laws; instead of Mammon's and M'Croudy's and the Old Anarch's!  Here is my work; here or nowhere。〃Are there many such; who will answer to the call; in England?  It turns on that; whether England; rapidly crumbling in these very years and months; shall go down to the Abyss as her neighbors have all done; or survive to new grander destinies _without_ solution of continuity!  Probably the chief question of the world at present。

The true 〃commander〃 and king; he who knows for himself the divine Appointments of this Universe; the Eternal Laws ordained by God the Maker; in conforming to which lies victory and felicity; in departing from which lies; and forever must lie; sorrow and defeat; for each and all of the Posterity of Adam in every time and every place; he who has sworn fealty to these; and dare alone against the world assert these; and dare not with the whole world at his back deflect from these;he; I know too well; is a rare man。  Difficult to discover; not quite discoverable; I apprehend; by manoeuvring of ballot…boxes; and riddling of the popular clamor according to the most approved methods。  He is not sold at any shop I know of;though sometimes; as at the sign of the Ballot…box; he is advertised for sale。  Difficult indeed to discover:  and not very much assisted; or encouraged in late times; to discover _himself_;which; I think; might be a kind of help?  Encouraged rather; and commanded in all ways; if he be wise; to _hide_ himself; and give place to the windy Counterfeit of himself; such as the universal suffrages can recognize; such as loves the most sweet voices of the universal suffrages!O Peter; what becomes of such a People; what can become?

Did you never hear; with the mind's ear as well; that fateful Hebrew Prophecy; I think the fatefulest of all; which sounds daily 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 w
小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架