unto this last-第7节

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！





entrusted　until　there　comes　a　period　of　extreme　necessity　for



them；　on　one　side　or　other；　and　then　exacts　in　exchange　for　them



all　that　the　distressed　farmer　can　spare　of　other　kinds　of



produce：　it　is　easy　to　see　that　by　ingeniously　watching　his



opportunities；　he　might　possess　himself　regularly　of　the　greater



part　of　the　superfluous　produce　of　the　two　estates；　and　at　last；



in　some　year　of　severest　trial　or　scarcity；　purchase　both　for



himself　and　maintain　the　former　proprietors　thenceforward　as　his



labourers　or　servants。



　　　　This　would　be　a　case　of　commercial　wealth　acquired　on　the



exactest　principles　of　modern　political　economy。　But　more



distinctly　even　than　in　the　former　instance；　it　is　manifest　in



this　that　the　wealth　of　the　State；　or　of　the　three　men　considered



as　a　society；　is　collectively　less　than　it　would　have　been　had



the　merchant　been　content　with　juster　profit。　The　operations　of



the　two　agriculturists　have　been　cramped　to　the　utmost；　and　the



continual　limitations　of　the　supply　of　things　they　wanted　at



critical　times；　together　with　the　failure　of　courage　consequent



on　the　prolongation　of　a　struggle　for　mere　existence；　without　any



sense　of　permanent　gain；　must　have　seriously　diminished　the



effective　results　of　their　labour；　and　the　stores　finally



accumulated　in　the　merchant's　hands　will　not　in　any　wise　be　of



equivalent　value　to　those　which；　had　his　dealings　been　honest；



would　have　filled　at　once　the　granaries　of　the　farmers　and　his



own。



　　　　The　whole　question；　therefore；　respecting　not　only　the



advantage；　but　even　the　quantity；　of　national　wealth；　resolves



itself　finally　into　one　of　abstract　justice。　It　is　impossible　to



conclude；　of　any　given　mass　of　acquired　wealth；　merely　by　the



fact　of　its　existence；　whether　it　signifies　good　or　evil　to　the



nation　in　the　midst　of　which　it　exists。　Its　real　value　depends　on



the　moral　sign　attached　to　it；　just　as　sternly　as　that　of　a



mathematical　quantity　depends　on　the　algebraical　sign　attached　to



it。　Any　given　accumulation　of　commercial　wealth　may　be



indicative；　on　the　one　hand；　of　faithful　industries；　progressive



energies；　and　productive　ingenuities：　or；　on　the　other；　it　may　be



indicative　of　mortal　luxury；　merciless　tyranny；　ruinous　chicane。



Some　treasures　are　heavy　with　human　tears；　as　an　ill…stored



harvest　with　untimely　rain；　and　some　gold　is　brighter　in　sunshine



than　it　is　in　substance。



　　　　And　these　are　not；　observe；　merely　moral　or　pathetic



attributes　of　riches；　which　the　seeker　of　riches　may；　if　he



chooses；　despise；　they　are；　literally　and　sternly；　material



attributes　of　riches；　depreciating　or　exalting；　incalculably；　the



monetary　signification　of　the　sum　in　question。　One　mass　of　money



is　the　outcome　of　action　which　has　created；　another；　of　action



which　has　annihilated；　　ten　times　as　much　in　the　gathering　of



it；　such　and　such　strong　hands　have　been　paralyzed；　as　if　they



had　been　numbed　by　nightshade：　so　many　strong　men's　courage



broken；　so　many　productive　operations　hindered；　this　and　the



other　false　direction　given　to　labour；　and　lying　image　of



prosperity　set　up；　on　Dura　plains　dug　into　seven…times…heated



furnaces。　That　which　seems　to　be　wealth　may　in　verity　be　only　the



gilded　index　of　far…reaching　ruin：　a　wrecker's　handful　of　coin



gleaned　from　the　beach　to　which　he　has　beguiled　an　argosy；　a



camp…follower's　bundle　of　rags　unwrapped　from　the　breasts　of



goodly　soldiers　dead；　the　purchase…pieces　of　potter's　fields；



wherein　shall　be　buried　together　the　citizen　and　the　stranger。



　　　　And　therefore；　the　idea　that　directions　can　be　given　for　the



gaining　of　wealth；　irrespectively　of　the　consideration　of　its



moral　sources；　or　that　any　general　and　technical　law　of　purchase



and　gain　can　be　set　down　for　national　practice；　is　perhaps　the



most　insolently　futile　of　all　that　ever　beguiled　men　through



their　vices。　So　far　as　I　know；　there　is　not　in　history　record　of



anything　so　disgraceful　to　the　human　intellect　as　the　modern　idea



that　the　commercial　text；　〃Buy　in　the　cheapest　market　and　sell　in



the　dearest；〃　represents；　or　under　any　circumstances　could



represent；　an　available　principle　of　national　economy。　Buy　in　the



cheapest　market？　yes；　but　what　made　your　market　cheap？　Charcoal



may　be　cheap　among　your　roof　timbers　after　a　fire；　and　bricks　may



be　cheap　in　your　streets　after　an　earthquake；　but　fire　and



earthquake　may　not　therefore　he　national　benefits。　Sell　in　the



dearest？　　Yes；　truly；　but　what　made　your　market　dear？　You　sold



your　bread　well　to…day：　was　it　to　a　dying　man　who　gave　his　last



coin　for　it；　and　will　never　need　bread　more；　or　to　a　rich　man　who



to…morrow　will　buy　your　farm　over　your　head；　or　to　a　soldier　on



his　way　to　pillage　the　bank　in　which　you　have　put　your　fortune？



　　　　None　of　these　things　you　can　know。　One　thing　only　you　can



know：　namely；　whether　this　dealing　of　yours　is　a　just　and



faithful　one；　which　is　all　you　need　concern　yourself　about



respecting　it；　sure　thus　to　have　done　your　own　part　in　bringing



about　ultimately　in　the　world　a　state　of　things　which　will　not



issue　in　pillage　or　in　death。　And　thus　every　question　concerning



these　things　merges　itself　ultimately　in　the　great　question　of



justice；　which；　the　ground　being　thus　far　cleared　for　it。　I　will



enter　upon　the　next　paper；　leaving　only；　in　this；　three　final



points　for　the　reader's　consideration。



　　　　It　has　been　shown　that　the　chief　value　and　virtue　of　money



consists　in　its　having　power　over　human　beings；　that；　without



this　power；　large　material　possessions　are　useless；　and　to　any



person　possessing　such　power；　comparatively　unnecessary。　But



power　over　human　beings　is　attainable　by　other　means　than　by



money。　As　I　said　a　few　pages　back；　the　money　power　is　always



imperfect　and　doubtful；　there　are　many　things　which　cannot　be



reached　with　it；　others　which　cannot　be　retained　by　it。　Many　joys



may　be　given　to　men　which　cannot　be　bought　for　gold；　and　many



fidelities　found　in　them　which　cannot　be　rewarded　with　it。



　　　　Trite　enough；　　the　reader　thinks。　Yes：　but　it　is　not　so



trite；　　I　wish　it　were；　　that　in　this　moral　power；　quite



inscrutable　and　immeasurable　though　it　be；　there　is　a　monetary



value　just　as　real　as　that　represented　by　more　ponderous



currencies。　A　man's　hand　may　be　full　of　invisible　gold；　and　the



wave　of　it；　or　the　grasp；　shall　do　more　than　another's　with　a



shower　of　bullion。　This　invisible　gold；　also；　does　not



necessarily　diminish　in　spending。　Political　economists　will　do



well　some　day　to　take　heed　of　it；　though　they　cannot　take



measure。



　　　　But　farther。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　its



authority　over　men；　if　the　apparent　or　nominal　wealth　fail　in



this　power；　it　fails　in　essence；　in　fact；　ceases　to　be　wealth　at



all。　It　does　not　appear　lately　in　England；　that　our　authority



over　men　is　absolute。　The　servants　show　some　disposition　to　rush



riotously　upstairs；　under　an　impression　that　their　wages　are　not



regularly　paid。　We　should　augur　ill　of　any　gentleman's　property



to　whom　this　happened　every　other　day　in　his　drawing…room。



　　　　So；　also；　the　power　of　our　wealth　seems　limited　as　respects



the　comfort　of　the　servants；　no　less　than　their　quietude。　The



persons　in　the　kitchen　appear　to　be　ill…dressed；　squalid；



half…starved。　One　cannot　help　imagining　that　the　riches　of　the



establishment　must　be　of　a　very　theoretical　and　documentary



character。



　　　　Finally。　Since　the　essence　of　wealth　consists　in　power　over



men；　will　it　not　follow　that　the　nobler　and　the　more　in　number



the　persons　are　over　whom　it　has　power；　the　greater　the　wealth？



Perhaps　it　may　even　appear；　after　some　consideration；　that　the



persons　themselves　are　the　wealth　that　these　pieces　of　gold　with



which　we　are　in　the　habit　of　guiding　them；　are；　in　fact；　nothing



more　than　a　kind　of　Byzantine　harness　or　trappings；　very



glittering　and　beautiful　in　barbaric　sight；　wherewith　we　bridle



the　creatures；　but　that　if　these　same　living　creatures　could　be



guided　without　the　fretting　and　jingling　of　the　Byzants　in　their



mouths　and　ears；　they　might　themselves　be　more　valuable　than



their　bridles。　In　fact；　it　may　be　discovered　that　the　true　veins



of　wealth　are　purple　　and　not　in　Rock；　but　in　Flesh　　perhaps



even　that　the　final　outcome　and　consummation　of　all　wealth　is　in



the　producing　as　many　as　possible　full…breathed；　bright…eyed；　and



happy…hearted　human　creatures。　Our　modern　wealth；　I　think；　has



rather　a　tendency　the　other　way；　　most　politica