latter-day pamphlets-第4节

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h　nevertheless　are　very　inevitable；　and　perhaps　rather　imminent　several　of　them！　　Truly　we　have　a　heavy　task　of　work　before　us；　and　there　is　a　pressing　call　that　we　should　seriously　begin　upon　it；　before　it　tumble　into　an　inextricable　mass；　in　which　there　will　be　no　working；　but　only　suffering　and　hopelessly　perishing！


Or　perhaps　Democracy；　which　we　announce　as　now　come；　will　itself　manage　it？　Democracy；　once　modelled　into　suffrages；　furnished　with　ballot…boxes　and　such　like；　will　itself　accomplish　the　salutary　universal　change　from　Delusive　to　Real；　and　make　a　new　blessed　world　of　us　by　and　by？To　the　great　mass　of　men；　I　am　aware；　the　matter　presents　itself　quite　on　this　hopeful　side。　　Democracy　they　consider　to　_be_　a　kind　of　〃Government。〃　　The　old　model；　formed　long　since；　and　brought　to　perfection　in　England　now　two　hundred　years　ago；　has　proclaimed　itself　to　all　Nations　as　the　new　healing　for　every　woe：　　〃Set　up　a　Parliament；〃　the　Nations　everywhere　say；　when　the　old　King　is　detected　to　be　a　Sham…King；　and　hunted　out　or　not；　〃set　up　a　Parliament；　let　us　have　suffrages；　universal　suffrages；　and　all　either　at　once　or　by　due　degrees　will　be　right；　and　a　real　Millennium　come！〃　Such　is　their　way　of　construing　the　matter。

Such；　alas；　is　by　no　means　my　way　of　construing　the　matter；　if　it　were；　I　should　have　had　the　happiness　of　remaining　silent；　and　been　without　call　to　speak　here。　　It　is　because　the　contrary　of　all　this　is　deeply　manifest　to　me；　and　appears　to　be　forgotten　by　multitudes　of　my　contemporaries；　that　I　have　had　to　undertake　addressing　a　word　to　them。　　The　contrary　of　all　this；and　the　farther　I　look　into　the　roots　of　all　this；　the　more　hateful；　ruinous　and　dismal　does　the　state　of　mind　all　this　could　have　originated　in　appear　to　me。　　To　examine　this　recipe　of　a　Parliament；　how　fit　it　is　for　governing　Nations；　nay　how　fit　it　may　now　be；　in　these　new　times；　for　governing　England　itself　where　we　are　used　to　it　so　long：　　this；　too；　is　an　alarming　inquiry；　to　which　all　thinking　men；　and　good　citizens　of　their　country；　who　have　an　ear　for　the　small　still　voices　and　eternal

intimations；　across　the　temporary　clamors　and　loud　blaring　proclamations；　are　now　solemnly　invited。　　Invited　by　the　rigorous　fact　itself；　which　will　one　day；　and　that　perhaps　soon；　demand　practical　decision　or　redecision　of　it　from　us；with　enormous　penalty　if　we　decide　it　wrong！　　I　think　we　shall　all　have　to　consider　this　question；　one　day；　better　perhaps　now　than　later；　when　the　leisure　may　be　less。　　If　a　Parliament；　with　suffrages　and　universal　or　any　conceivable　kind　of　suffrages；　is　the　method；　then　certainly　let　us　set　about　discovering　the　kind　of　suffrages；　and　rest　no　moment　till　we　have　got　them。　　But　it　is　possible　a　Parliament　may　not　be　the　method！　　Possible　the　inveterate　notions　of　the　English　People　may　have　settled　it　as　the　method；　and　the　Everlasting　Laws　of　Nature　may　have　settled　it　as　not　the　method！　　Not　the　whole　method；　nor　the　method　at　all；　if　taken　as　the　whole？　　If　a　Parliament　with　never　such　suffrages　is　not　the　method　settled　by　this　latter　authority；　then　it　will　urgently　behoove　us　to　become　aware　of　that　fact；　and　to　quit　such　method；we　may　depend　upon　it；　however　unanimous　we　be；　every　step　taken　in　that　direction　will；　by　the　Eternal　Law　of　things；　be　a　step　_from_　improvement；　not　towards　it。

Not　towards　it；　I　say；　if　so！　　Unanimity　of　voting；that　will　do　nothing　for　us　if　so。　　Your　ship　cannot　double　Cape　Horn　by　its　excellent　plans　of　voting。　　The　ship　may　vote　this　and　that；　above　decks　and　below；　in　the　most　harmonious　exquisitely　constitutional　manner：　　the　ship；　to　get　round　Cape　Horn；　will　find　a　set　of　conditions　already　voted　for；　and　fixed　with　adamantine　rigor　by　the　ancient　Elemental　Powers；　who　are　entirely　careless　how　you　vote。　　If　you　can；　by　voting　or　without　voting；　ascertain　these　conditions；　and　valiantly　conform　to　them；　you　will　get　round　the　Cape：　　if　you　cannot；　the　ruffian　Winds　will　blow　you　ever　back　again；　the　inexorable　Icebergs；　dumb　privy…councillors　from　Chaos；　will　nudge　you　with　most　chaotic　〃admonition；〃　you　will　be　flung　half　frozen　on　the　Patagonian　cliffs；　or　admonished　into　shivers　by　your　iceberg　councillors；　and　sent　sheer　down　to　Davy　Jones；　and　will　never　get　round　Cape　Horn　at　all！　Unanimity　on　board　ship；yes　indeed；　the　ship's　crew　may　be　very　unanimous；　which　doubtless；　for　the　time　being；　will　be　very　comfortable　to　the　ship's　crew；　and　to　their　Phantasm　Captain　if　they　have　one：　　but　if　the　tack　they　unanimously　steer　upon　is　guiding　them　into　the　belly　of　the　Abyss；　it　will　not　profit　them　much！Ships　accordingly　do　not　use　the　ballot…box　at　all；　and　they　reject　the　Phantasm　species　of　Captains：　　one　wishes　much　some　other　Entitiessince　all　entities　lie　under　the　same　rigorous　set　of　lawscould　be　brought　to　show　as　much　wisdom；　and　sense　at　least　of　self…preservation；　the　first　command　of　Nature。　　Phantasm　Captains　with　unanimous　votings：　　this　is　considered　to　be　all　the　law　and　all　the　prophets；　at　present。

If　a　man　could　shake　out　of　his　mind　the　universal　noise　of　political　doctors　in　this　generation　and　in　the　last　generation　or　two；　and　consider　the　matter　face　to　face；　with　his　own　sincere　intelligence　looking　at　it；　I　venture　to　say　he　would　find　this　a　very　extraordinary　method　of　navigating；　whether　in　the　Straits　of　Magellan　or　the　undiscovered　Sea　of　Time。　　To　prosper　in　this　world；　to　gain　felicity；　victory　and　improvement；　either　for　a　man　or　a　nation；　there　is　but　one　thing　requisite；　That　the　man　or　nation　can　discern　what　the　true　regulations　of　the　Universe　are　in　regard　to　him　and　his　pursuit；　and　can　faithfully　and　steadfastly　follow　these。　　These　will　lead　him　to　victory；　whoever　it　may　be　that　sets　him　in　the　way　of　these；were　it　Russian　Autocrat；　Chartist　Parliament；　Grand　Lama；　Force　of　Public　Opinion；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　M'Croudy　the　Seraphic　Doctor　with　his　Last…evangel　of　Political　Economy；sets　him　in　the　sure　way　to　please　the　Author　of　this　Universe；　and　is　his　friend　of　friends。　　And　again；　whoever　does　the　contrary　is；　for　a　like　reason；　his　enemy　of　enemies。　　This　may　be　taken　as　fixed。

And　now　by　what　method　ascertain　the　monition　of　the　gods　in　regard　to　our　affairs？　　How　decipher；　with　best　fidelity；　the　eternal　regulation　of　the　Universe；　and　read；　from　amid　such　confused　embroilments　of　human　clamor　and　folly；　what　the　real　Divine　Message　to　us　is？　　A　divine　message；　or　eternal　regulation　of　the　Universe；　there　verily　is；　in　regard　to　every　conceivable　procedure　and　affair　of　man：　　faithfully　following　this；　said　procedure　or　affair　will　prosper；　and　have　the　whole　Universe　to　second　it；　and　carry　it；　across　the　fluctuating　contradictions；　towards　a　victorious　goal；　not　following　this；　mistaking　this；　disregarding　this；　destruction　and　wreck　are　certain　for　every　affair。　　How　find　it？　　All　the　world　answers　me；　〃Count　heads；　ask　Universal　Suffrage；　by　the　ballot…boxes；　and　that　will　tell。〃　　Universal　Suffrage；　ballot…boxes；　count　of　heads？　Well；I　perceive　we　have　got　into　strange　spiritual　latitudes　indeed。　Within　the　last　half…century　or　so；　either　the　Universe　or　else　the　heads　of　men　must　have　altered　very　much。　　Half　a　century　ago；　and　down　from　Father　Adam's　time　till　then；　the　Universe；　wherever　I　could　hear　tell　of　it；　was　wont　to　be　of　somewhat　abstruse　nature；　by　no　means　carrying　its　secret　written　on　its　face；　legible　to　every　passer…by；　on　the　contrary；　obstinately　hiding　its　secret　from　all　foolish；　slavish；　wicked；　insincere　persons；　and　partially　disclosing　it　to　the　wise　and　noble…minded　alone；　whose　number　was　not　the　majority　in　my　time！

Or　perhaps　the　chief　end　of　man　being　now；　in　these　improved　epochs；　to　make　money　and　spend　it；　his　interests　in　the　Universe　have　become　amazingly　simplified　of　late；　capable　of　being　voted　on　with　effect　by　almost　anybody？　　〃To　buy　in　the　cheapest　market；　and　sell　in　the　dearest：〃　truly　if　that　is　the　summary　of　his　social　duties；　and　the　final　divine　message　he　has　to　follow；　we　may　trust　him　extensively　to　vote　upon　that。　But　if　it　is　not；　and　never　was；　or　can　be？　　If　the　Universe　will　not　carry　on　its　divine　bosom　any　commonwealth　of　mortals　that　have　no　higher　aim；being　still　〃a　Temple　and　Hall　of　Doom；〃　not　a　mere　Weaving…shop　and　Cattle…pen？　　If　the　unfathomable　Universe　has　decided　to　_reject_　Human　Beavers　pretending　to　be　Men；　and　will　abolish；　pretty　rapidly　perhaps；　in　hideous　mud…deluges；　their　〃markets〃　and　them；　unless　they　think　of　it？In　that　case　it　were　better　to　think　of　it：　　and　the　Democracies　and　Universal　Suffrages；　I　can　observe；　will　require　to　modify　themselves　a　good　deal！

Historically　speaking；　I　believe　there　was　no　Nation　that　could　subsist　upon　Democracy。　　Of　ancient　Republics；　and　_Demoi_　and　_Populi_；　we　have　heard　much；　but　it　is　now　pretty　well　admitted　to　be　nothing　to　our　purpose；a　universal…suffrage　republic；　or　a　general…suffrage　one；　or　any　but　a　most…limited…suffrage　one；　never　came　to　light；　or　dreamed　of　doing　so；　in　ancient　times。　　When　the　mass　of　the　population　were　slaves；　and　the　voters　intrinsically　a　kind　of　_kings_；　or　men　born　to　rule　others；　when　the　voters　were　real　〃aristocrats〃　and　manageable　dependents　o