the malay archipelago-2-第68节

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has　ever　existed　before。　They　create　and　maintain　in　life…long　labour　an　ever…　increasing　army；　whose　lot　is　the　more　hard　to　bear；　by　contrast　with　the　pleasures；　the　comforts；　and　the　luxury　which　they　see　everywhere　around　them；　but　which　they　can　never　hope　to　enjoy；　and　who；　in　this　respect；　are　worse　off　than　the　savage　in　the　midst　of　his　tribe。

This　is　not　a　result　to　boast　of；　or　to　be　satisfied　with；　and；　until　there　is　a　more　general　recognition　of　this　failure　of　our　civilizationresulting　mainly　from　our　neglect　to　train　and　develop　more　thoroughly　the　sympathetic　feelings　and　moral　faculties　of　our　nature；　and　to　allow　them　a　larger　share　of　influence　in　our　legislation；　our　commerce；　and　our　whole　social　organizationwe　shall　never；　as　regards　the　whole　community；　attain　to　any　real　or　important　superiority　over　the　better　class　of　savages。

This　is　the　lesson　I　have　been　taught　by　my　observations　of　uncivilized　man。　I　now　bid　my　readersFarewell！


NOTE。

THOSE　who　believe　that　our　social　condition　approaches　perfection；　will　think　the　above　word　harsh　and　exaggerated；　but　it　seems　to　me　the　only　word　that　can　be　truly　applied　to　us。　We　are　the　richest　country　in　the　world；　and　yet　cue…twentieth　of　our　population　are　parish　paupers；　and　one…thirtieth　known　criminals。　Add　to　these；　the　criminals　who　escape　detection；　and　the　poor　who　live　mainly　on　private　charity；　（which；　according　to　Dr。　Hawkesley；　expends　seven　millions　sterling　annually　is　London　alone；）　and　we　may　be　sure　that　more　than　ONE…TENTH　of　our　population　are　actually　Paupers　and　Criminals。　Both　these　classes　we　keep　idle　or　at　unproductive　labour；　and　each　criminal　costs　us　annually　in　our　prisons　more　than　the　wages　of　an　honest　agricultural　labourer。　We　allow　over　a　hundred　thousand　persons　known　to　have　no　means　of　subsistence　but　by　crime；　to　remain　at　large　and　prey　upon　the　community；　and　many　thousand　children　to　grow　up　before　our　eyes　in　ignorance　and　vice；　to　supply　trained　criminals　for　the　next　generation。　This；　in　a　country　which　boasts　of　its　rapid　increase　in　wealth；　of　its　enormous　commerce　and　gigantic　manufactures；　of　its　mechanical　skill　and　scientific　knowledge；　of　its　high　civilization　and　its　pure　Christianity；I　can　but　term　a　state　of　social　barbarism。　We　also　boast　of　our　love　of　justice；　and　that　the　law　protects　rich　and。　poor　alike；　yet　we　retain　money　fines　as　a　punishment；　and　male　the　very　first　steps　to　obtain　justice　a。　matter　of　expense…in　both　cases　a　barbarous　injustice；　or　denial　of　justice　to　the　poor。　Again；　our　laws　render　it　possible；　that；　by　mere　neglect　of　a　legal　form；　and　contrary　to　his　own　wish　and　intention；　a　man's　property　may　all　go　to　a　stranger；　and　his　own　children　be　left　destitute。　Such　cases　have　happened　through　the　operation　of　the　laws　of　inheritance　of　landed　property；　and　that　such　unnatural　injustice　is　possible　among　us；　shows　that　we　are　in　a　state　of　social　barbarism。　Ono　more　example　to　justify　my　use　of　the　term；　and　I　have　done。　We　permit　absolute　possession　of　the　soil　of　our　country；　with　no　legal　rights　of　existence　on　the　soil；　to　the　vast　majority　who　do　not　possess　it。　A　great　landholder　may　legally　convert　his　whole　property　into　a　forest　or　a　hunting…　ground；　and　expel　every　human　being　who　has　hitherto　lived　upon　it。　In　a　thickly…populated　country　like　England；　where　every　acre　has　its　owner　and　its　occupier；　this　is　a　power　of　legally　destroying　his　fellow…creatures；　and　that　such　a　power　should　exist；　and　be　exercised　by　individuals；　in　however　small　a　degree；　indicates　that；　as　regards　true　social　science；　we　are　still　in　a　state　of　barbarism。





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