latter-day pamphlets-第5节

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gs_；　or　men　born　to　rule　others；　when　the　voters　were　real　〃aristocrats〃　and　manageable　dependents　of　such；then　doubtless　voting；　and　confused　jumbling　of　talk　and　intrigue；　might；　without　immediate　destruction；　or　the　need　of　a　Cavaignac　to　intervene　with　cannon　and　sweep　the　streets　clear　of　it；　go　on；　and　beautiful　developments　of　manhood　might　be　possible　beside　it；　for　a　season。　　Beside　it；　or　even；　if　you　will；　by　means　of　it；　and　in　virtue　of　it；　though　that　is　by　no　means　so　certain　as　is　often　supposed。　　Alas；　no：　　the　reflective　constitutional　mind　has　misgivings　as　to　the　origin　of　old　Greek　and　Roman　nobleness；　and　indeed　knows　not　how　this　or　any　other　human　nobleness　could　well　be　〃originated；〃　or　brought　to　pass；　by　voting　or　without　voting；　in　this　world；　except　by　the　grace　of　God　very　mainly；and　remembers；　with　a　sigh；　that　of　the　Seven　Sages　themselves　no　fewer　than　three　were　bits　of　Despotic　Kings；　＇Gr。＇　_Turannoi_；　〃Tyrants〃　so　called　（such　being　greatly　wanted　there）；　and　that　the　other　four　were　very　far　from　Red　Republicans；　if　of　any　political　faith　whatever！　　We　may　quit　the　Ancient　Classical　concern；　and　leave　it　to　College…clubs　and　speculative　debating…societies；　in　these　late　days。

Of　the　various　French　Republics　that　have　been　tried；　or　that　are　still　on　trial；of　these　also　it　is　not　needful　to　say　any　word。　　But　there　is　one　modern　instance　of　Democracy　nearly　perfect；　the　Republic　of　the　United　States；　which　has　actually　subsisted　for　threescore　years　or　more；　with　immense　success　as　is　affirmed；　to　which　many　still　appeal；　as　to　a　sign　of　hope　for　all　nations；　and　a　〃Model　Republic。〃　　Is　not　America　an　instance　in　point？　　Why　should　not　all　Nations　subsist　and　flourish　on　Democracy；　as　America　does？

Of　America　it　would　ill　beseem　any　Englishman；　and　me　perhaps　as　little　as　another；　to　speak　unkindly；　to　speak　unpatriotically；　if　any　of　us　even　felt　so。　　Sure　enough；　America　is　a　great；　and　in　many　respects　a　blessed　and　hopeful　phenomenon。　　Sure　enough；　these　hardy　millions　of　Anglo…Saxon　men　prove　themselves　worthy　of　their　genealogy；　and；　with　the　axe　and　plough　and　hammer；　if　not　yet　with　any　much　finer　kind　of　implements；　are　triumphantly　clearing　out　wide　spaces；　seedfields　for　the　sustenance　and　refuge　of　mankind；　arenas　for　the　future　history　of　the　world；　doing；　in　their　day　and　generation；　a　creditable　and　cheering　feat　under　the　sun。　But　as　to　a　Model　Republic；　or　a　model　anything；　the　wise　among　themselves　know　too　well　that　there　is　nothing　to　be　said。　　Nay　the　title　hitherto　to　be　a　Commonwealth　or　Nation　at　all；　among　the　＇Gr。＇　_ethne_　of　the　world；　is；　strictly　considered；　still　a　thing　they　are　but　striving　for；　and　indeed　have　not　yet　done　much　towards　attaining。　　Their　Constitution；　such　as　it　may　be；　was　made　here；　not　there；　went　over　with　them　from　the　Old…Puritan　English　workshop　ready…made。　　Deduct　what　they　carried　with　them　from　England　ready…made；their　common　English　Language；　and　that　same　Constitution；　or　rather　elixir　of　constitutions；　their　inveterate　and　now；　as　it　were；　inborn　reverence　for　the　Constable's　Staff；　two　quite　immense　attainments；　which　England　had　to　spend　much　blood；　and　valiant　sweat　of　brow　and　brain；　for　centuries　long；　in　achieving；and　what　new　elements　of　polity　or　nationhood；　what　noble　new　phasis　of　human　arrangement；　or　social　device　worthy　of　Prometheus　or　of　Epimetheus；　yet　comes　to　light　in　America？　　Cotton　crops　and　Indian　corn　and　dollars　come　to　light；　and　half　a　world　of　untilled　land；　where　populations　that　respect　the　constable　can　live；　for　the　present　_without_　Government：　　this　comes　to　light；　and　the　profound　sorrow　of　all　nobler　hearts；　here　uttering　itself　as　silent　patient　unspeakable　ennui；　there　coming　out　as　vague　elegiac　wailings；　that　there　is　still　next　to　nothing　more。　　〃Anarchy　_plus_　a　street…constable：〃　that　also　is　anarchic　to　me；　and　other　than　quite　lovely！

I　foresee；　too；　that；　long　before　the　waste　lands　are　full；　the　very　street…constable；　on　these　poor　terms；　will　have　become　impossible：　without　the　waste　lands；　as　here　in　our　Europe；　I　do　not　see　how　he　could　continue　possible　many　weeks。　　Cease　to　brag　to　me　of　America；　and　its　model　institutions　and　constitutions。　　To　men　in　their　sleep　there　is　nothing　granted　in　this　world：　　nothing；　or　as　good　as　nothing；　to　men　that　sit　idly　caucusing　and　ballot…boxing　on　the　graves　of　their　heroic　ancestors；　saying；　〃It　is　well；　it　is　well！〃　　Corn　and　bacon　are　granted：　not　a　very　sublime　boon；　on　such　conditions；　a　boon　moreover　which；　on　such　conditions；　cannot　last！No：　　America　too　will　have　to　strain　its　energies；　in　quite　other　fashion　than　this；　to　crack　its　sinews；　and　all　but　break　its　heart；　as　the　rest　of　us　have　had　to　do；　in　thousand…fold　wrestle　with　the　Pythons　and　mud…demons；　before　it　can　become　a　habitation　for　the　gods。　　America's　battle　is　yet　to　fight；　and　we；　sorrowful　though　nothing　doubting；　will　wish　her　strength　for　it。　　New　Spiritual　Pythons；　plenty　of　them；　enormous　Megatherions；　as　ugly　as　were　ever　born　of　mud；　loom　huge　and　hideous　out　of　the　twilight　Future　on　America；　and　she　will　have　her　own　agony；　and　her　own　victory；　but　on　other　terms　than　she　is　yet　quite　aware　of。　　Hitherto　she　but　ploughs　and　hammers；　in　a　very　successful　manner；　hitherto；　in　spite　of　her　〃roast…goose　with　apple…sauce；〃　she　is　not　much。　　〃Roast…goose　with　apple…sauce　for　the　poorest　workingman：〃　well；　surely　that　is　something；　thanks　to　your　respect　for　the　street…constable；　and　to　your　continents　of　fertile　waste　land；but　that；　even　if　it　could　continue；　is　by　no　means　enough；　that　is　not　even　an　instalment　towards　what　will　be　required　of　you。　　My　friend；　brag　not　yet　of　our　American　cousins！　　Their　quantity　of　cotton；　dollars；　industry　and　resources；　I　believe　to　be　almost　unspeakable；　but　I　can　by　no　means　worship　the　like　of　these。　　What　great　human　soul；　what　great　thought；　what　great　noble　thing　that　one　could　worship；　or　loyally　admire；　has　yet　been　produced　there？　　None：　　the　American　cousins　have　yet　done　none　of　these　things。　　〃What　they　have　done？〃　growls　Smelfungus；　tired　of　the　subject：　〃They　have　doubled　their　population　every　twenty　years。　　They　have　begotten；　with　a　rapidity　beyond　recorded　example；　Eighteen　Millions　of　the　greatest　_bores_　ever　seen　in　this　world　before；that　hitherto　is　their　feat　in　History！〃And　so　we　leave　them；　for　the　present；　and　cannot　predict　the　success　of　Democracy；　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；　from　their　example。

Alas；　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic　and　on　that；　Democracy；　we　apprehend；　is　forever　impossible！　　So　much；　with　certainty　of　loud　astonished　contradiction　from　all　manner　of　men　at　present；　but　with　sure　appeal　to　the　Law　of　Nature　and　the　ever…abiding　Fact；　may　be　suggested　and　asserted　once　more。　　The　Universe　itself　is　a　Monarchy　and　Hierarchy；　large　liberty　of　〃voting〃　there；　all　manner　of　choice；　utmost　free…will；　but　with　conditions　inexorable　and　immeasurable　annexed　to　every　exercise　of　the　same。　　A　most　free　commonwealth　of　〃voters；〃　but　with　Eternal　Justice　to　preside　over　it；　Eternal　Justice　enforced　by　Almighty　Power！　　This　is　the　model　of　〃constitutions；〃　this：　　nor　in　any　Nation　where　there　has　not　yet　（in　some　supportable　and　withal　some　constantly　increasing　degree）　been　confided　to　the　_Noblest_；　with　his　select　series　of　_Nobler_；　the　divine　everlasting　duty　of　directing　and　controlling　the　Ignoble；　has　the　〃Kingdom　of　God；〃　which　we　all　pray　for；　〃come；〃　nor　can　〃His　will〃　even　_tend_　to　be　〃done　on　Earth　as　it　is　in　Heaven〃　till　then。　　My　Christian　friends；　and　indeed　my　Sham…Christian　and　Anti…Christian；　and　all　manner　of　men；　are　invited　to　reflect　on　this。　　They　will　find　it　to　be　the　truth　of　the　case。　The　Noble　in　the　high　place；　the　Ignoble　in　the　low；　that　is；　in　all　times　and　in　all　countries；　the　Almighty　Maker's　Law。

To　raise　the　Sham…Noblest；　and　solemnly　consecrate　him　by　whatever　method；　new…devised；　or　slavishly　adhered　to　from　old　wont；　this；　little　as　we　may　regard　it；　is；　in　all　times　and　countries；　a　practical　blasphemy；　and　Nature　will　in　nowise　forget　it。　　Alas；　there　lies　the　origin；　the　fatal　necessity；　of　modern　Democracy　everywhere。　　It　is　the　Noblest；　not　the　Sham…Noblest；　it　is　God…Almighty's　Noble；　not　the　Court…Tailor's　Noble；　nor　the　Able…Editor's　Noble；　that　must；　in　some　approximate　degree；　be　raised　to　the　supreme　place；　he　and　not　a　counterfeit；under　penalties！　Penalties　deep　as　death；　and　at　length　terrible　as　hell…on…earth；　my　constitutional　friend！Will　the　ballot…box　raise　the　Noblest　to　the　chief　place；　does　any　sane　man　deliberately　believe　such　a　thing？　　That　nevertheless　is　the　indispensable　result；　attain　it　how　we　may：　　if　that　is　attained；　all　is　attained；　if　not　that；　nothing。　　He　that　cannot　believe　the　ballot…box　to　be　attaining　it；　will　be　comparatively　indifferent　to　the　ballot…box。　　Excellent　for　keeping　the　ship's　crew　at　peace　under　their　Phantasm　Captain；　but　unserviceable；　under　such；　for　getting　round　Cape　Horn。　　Alas；　that　there　should　be　human　beings　requiring　to　have　these　things　argued　of；　at　this　late　time　of　day！

I　say；　it　is　the　everlasting　privilege　of　the　foolish　to　be　governed　by　the　wise；　to　be　guided　in　the　right　pa