heretics-第17节
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their idea of being bold and bright is to attack the War Office。
They might as well start a campaign against the weather； or form
a secret society in order to make jokes about mothers…in…law。 Nor is it
only from the point of view of particular amateurs of the sensational
such as myself； that it is permissible to say； in the words of
Cowper's Alexander Selkirk； that 〃their tameness is shocking to me。〃
The whole modern world is pining for a genuinely sensational journalism。
This has been discovered by that very able and honest journalist；
Mr。 Blatchford； who started his campaign against Christianity；
warned on all sides； I believe； that it would ruin his paper； but who
continued from an honourable sense of intellectual responsibility。
He discovered； however； that while he had undoubtedly shocked
his readers； he had also greatly advanced his newspaper。
It was boughtfirst； by all the people who agreed with him and wanted
to read it； and secondly； by all the people who disagreed with him；
and wanted to write him letters。 Those letters were voluminous （I helped；
I am glad to say； to swell their volume）； and they were generally
inserted with a generous fulness。 Thus was accidentally discovered
（like the steam…engine） the great journalistic maximthat if an
editor can only make people angry enough； they will write half
his newspaper for him for nothing。
Some hold that such papers as these are scarcely the proper
objects of so serious a consideration； but that can scarcely
be maintained from a political or ethical point of view。
In this problem of the mildness and tameness of the Harmsworth mind
there is mirrored the outlines of a much larger problem which is
akin to it。
The Harmsworthian journalist begins with a worship of success
and violence； and ends in sheer timidity and mediocrity。
But he is not alone in this； nor does he come by this fate merely
because he happens personally to be stupid。 Every man； however brave；
who begins by worshipping violence； must end in mere timidity。
Every man； however wise； who begins by worshipping success； must end
in mere mediocrity。 This strange and paradoxical fate is involved；
not in the individual； but in the philosophy； in the point of view。
It is not the folly of the man which brings about this
necessary fall； it is his wisdom。 The worship of success is
the only one out of all possible worships of which this is true；
that its followers are foredoomed to become slaves and cowards。
A man may be a hero for the sake of Mrs。 Gallup's ciphers or for
the sake of human sacrifice； but not for the sake of success。
For obviously a man may choose to fail because he loves
Mrs。 Gallup or human sacrifice； but he cannot choose to fail
because he loves success。 When the test of triumph is men's test
of everything； they never endure long enough to triumph at all。
As long as matters are really hopeful； hope is a mere flattery
or platitude； it is only when everything is hopeless that hope
begins to be a strength at all。 Like all the Christian virtues；
it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable。
It was through this fatal paradox in the nature of things that all these
modern adventurers come at last to a sort of tedium and acquiescence。
They desired strength； and to them to desire strength was to
admire strength； to admire strength was simply to admire the statu quo。
They thought that he who wished to be strong ought to respect the strong。
They did not realize the obvious verity that he who wishes to be
strong must despise the strong。 They sought to be everything；
to have the whole force of the cosmos behind them； to have an energy
that would drive the stars。 But they did not realize the two
great factsfirst； that in the attempt to be everything the first
and most difficult step is to be something； second； that the moment
a man is something； he is essentially defying everything。
The lower animals； say the men of science； fought their way up
with a blind selfishness。 If this be so； the only real moral of it
is that our unselfishness； if it is to triumph； must be equally blind。
The mammoth did not put his head on one side and wonder whether
mammoths were a little out of date。 Mammoths were at least
as much up to date as that individual mammoth could make them。
The great elk did not say； 〃Cloven hoofs are very much worn now。〃
He polished his own weapons for his own use。 But in the reasoning
animal there has arisen a more horrible danger； that he may fail
through perceiving his own failure。 When modern sociologists talk
of the necessity of accommodating one's self to the trend of the time；
they forget that the trend of the time at its best consists entirely
of people who will not accommodate themselves to anything。
At its worst it consists of many millions of frightened creatures
all accommodating themselves to a trend that is not there。
And that is becoming more and more the situation of modern England。
Every man speaks of public opinion； and means by public opinion；
public opinion minus his opinion。 Every man makes his
contribution negative under the erroneous impression that
the next man's contribution is positive。 Every man surrenders
his fancy to a general tone which is itself a surrender。
And over all the heartless and fatuous unity spreads this new
and wearisome and platitudinous press； incapable of invention；
incapable of audacity； capable only of a servility all the more
contemptible because it is not even a servility to the strong。
But all who begin with force and conquest will end in this。
The chief characteristic of the 〃New journalism〃 is simply that it
is bad journalism。 It is beyond all comparison the most shapeless；
careless； and colourless work done in our day。
I read yesterday a sentence which should be written in letters of gold
and adamant； it is the very motto of the new philosophy of Empire。
I found it （as the reader has already eagerly guessed） in Pearson's
Magazine； while I was communing （soul to soul） with Mr。 C。 Arthur Pearson；
whose first and suppressed name I am afraid is Chilperic。
It occurred in an article on the American Presidential Election。
This is the sentence； and every one should read it carefully；
and roll it on the tongue； till all the honey be tasted。
〃A little sound common sense often goes further with an audience
of American working…men than much high…flown argument。 A speaker who；
as he brought forward his points； hammered nails into a board；
won hundreds of votes for his side at the last Presidential Election。〃
I do not wish to soil this perfect thing with comment；
the words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo。
But just think for a moment of the mind； the strange inscrutable mind；
of the man who wrote that； of the editor who approved it；
of the people who are probably impressed by it； of the incredible
American working…man； of whom； for all I know； it may be true。
Think what their notion of 〃common sense〃 must be！ It is delightful
to realize that you and I are now able to win thousands of votes
should we ever be engaged in a Presidential Election； by doing something
of this kind。 For I suppose the nails and the board are not essential
to the exhibition of 〃common sense；〃 there may be variations。
We may read
〃A little common sense impresses American working…men more than
high…flown argument。 A speaker who； as he made his points；
pulled buttons off his waistcoat； won thousands of votes for his side。〃
Or； 〃Sound common sense tells better in America than high…flown argument。
Thus Senator Budge； who threw his false teeth in the air every time
he made an epigram； won the solid approval of American working…men。〃
Or again； 〃The sound common sense of a gentleman from Earlswood；
who stuck straws in his hair during the progress of his speech；
assured the victory of Mr。 Roosevelt。〃
There are many other elements in this article on which I should
love to linger。 But the matter which I wish to point out is that
in that sentence is perfectly revealed the whole truth of what
our Chamberlainites； hustlers； bustlers； Empire…builders； and strong；
silent men； really mean by 〃commonsense。〃 They mean knocking；
with deafening noise and dramatic effect； meaningless bits
of iron into a useless bit of wood。 A man goes on to an American
platform and behaves like a mountebank fool with a board and
a hammer
