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approved；　and　stabilised　by　being　reduced　to　documentary　form。　In　
some　sense　they　were　then　written　into　the　constitution　of　
civilised　society；　and　they　have　continued　to　make　up　the　nucleus　
of　the　document　from　that　time　forth；　and　so　they　have　become　
inflexible；　after　the　fashion　of　written　constitutions。　
　　　　In　the　sight　of　those　generations　who　so　achieved　the　
definite　acceptance　of　these　enlightened　modern　principles；　and　
who　finally　made　good　their　formal　installation　in　law　and　usage　
as　self…balanced　canons　of　human　conduct；　the　principles　which　
they　so　arrived　at　had　all　the　sanction　of　Natural　Law；　　
impersonal；　dispassionate；　indefeasible　and　immutable；　
fundamentally　and　eternally　right　and　good。　That　generation　of　
men　held　〃these　truths　to　be　self…evident〃；　and　they　have　
continued　so　to　be　held　since　that　epoch　by　all　those　peoples　who　
make　up　the　effectual　body　of　modern　civilisation。　And　the　
backward　peoples；　those　others　who　have　since　then　been　coming　
into　line　and　making　their　claim　to　a　place　in　the　scheme　of　
modern　civilised　life；　have　also　successively　been　accepting　and　
（passably）　assimilating　the　same　enlightened　principles　of　clean　
and　honest　living。　Christendom；　as　a　going　concern　of　civilised　
peoples；　has　continued　to　regulate　its　affairs　by　the　help　of　
these　principles；　which　are　still　held　to　be　a　competent　
formulation　of　the　aspirations　of　civilised　mankind。　So　that　
these　modern　principles　of　the　eighteenth　century；　stabilised　in　
documentary　form　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　have　stood　over　
in　immutable　perfection　until　our　time；a　monument　more　enduring　
than　brass。　
　　　　These　principles　are　of　the　nature　of　habits　of　thought；　of　
course；　and　it　is　the　nature　of　habits　of　thought　forever　to　
shift　and　change　in　response　to　the　changing　impact　of　
experience；　since　they　are　creatures　of　habituation。　But　inasmuch　
as　they　have　once　been　stabilised　in　a　thoroughly　competent　
fashion　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　have　been　drafted　into　
finished　documentary　form；　they　have　been　enabled　to　stand　over　
unimpaired　into　the　present　with　all　that　weight　and　stability　
that　a　well…devised　documentary　formulation　will　give。　It　is　
true；　so　far　as　regards　the　conditions　of　civilised　life　during　
the　interval　that　has　passed　since　these　modern　principles　of　law　
and　custom　took　on　their　settled　shape　in　the　eighteenth　century；　
it　has　been　a　period　of　unexampled　change；　　swift；　varied；　
profound　and　extensive　beyond　example。　And　it　follows　of　
necessity　that　the　principles　of　conduct　which　were　approved　and　
stabilised　in　the　eighteenth　century；　under　the　driving　
exigencies　of　that　age；　have　not　altogether　escaped　the　
complications　of　changing　circumstances。　They　have　at　least　come　
in　for　some　shrewd　interpretation　in　the　course　of　the　nineteenth　
century。　There　have　been　refinements　of　definition；　extensions　of　
application；　scrutiny　and　exposition　of　implications；　as　new　
exigencies　have　arisen　and　the　established　canons　have　been　
required　to　cover　unforeseen　contingencies；　but　it　has　all　been　
done　with　the　explicit　reservation　that　no　material　innovation　
shall　be　allowed　to　touch　the　legacy　of　modern　principles　handed　
down　from　the　eighteenth　century；　and　that　the　vital　system　of　
Natural　Rights　installed　in　the　eighteenth　century　must　not　be　
deranged　at　any　point　or　at　any　cost。　
　　　　It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　describe　this　modern　system　of　
principles　that　still　continues　to　govern　human　intercourse　among　
the　civilised　peoples；　or　to　attempt　an　exposition　of　its　
constituent　articles。　It　is　all　to　be　had　in　exemplary　form；　ably　
incorporated　in　such　familiar　documents　as　the　American　
Declaration　of　Independence；　the　French　Declaration　of　the　Rights　
of　Man；　and　the　American　Constitution；　and　it　is　all　to　be　found　
set　forth　with　all　the　circumstance　of　philosophical　and　juristic　
scholarship　in　the　best　work　of　such　writers　as　John　Locke。　
Montesquieu。　Adam　Smith；　or　Blackstone。　It　has　all　been　
sufficiently　canvassed；　through　all　its　dips；　spurs　and　angles；　
by　the　most　competent　authorities；　who　have　brought　their　best　
will　and　their　best　abilities　to　bear　on　its　elucidation　at　every　
point；　with　full　documentation。　Besides　which；　there　is　no　need　
of　recondite　exposition　for　the　present　purpose；　since　all　that　
is　required　by　the　present　argument　is　such　a　degree　of　
information　on　these　matters　as　is　familiar　to　English…speaking　
persons　by　common　notoriety。　
　　　　At　the　same　time　it　may　be　to　the　purpose　to　call　to　mind　
that　this　secular　profession　of　faith　enters　creatively　into　that　
established　order　of　things　which　has　now　fallen　into　a　state　of　
havoc　because　it　does　not　meet　the　requirements　of　the　new　order。　
This　eighteenth…century　modern　plan　specifically　makes　provision　
for　certain　untoward　rights；　perquisites　and　disabilities　which　
have；　in　the　course　of　time　and　shifting　circumstance；　become　
incompatible　with　continued　peace　on　earth　and　good…will　among　
men。　
　　　　There　are　two　main　counts　included　in　this　modern　　
eighteenth…century　　plan；　which　appear　unremittingly　to　make　
for　discomfort　and　dissension　under　the　conditions　offered　by　the　
New　Order　of　things：　　National　Ambition；　and　the　Vested　Rights　
of　ownership。　Neither　of　the　two　need　be　condemned　as　being　
intrinsically　mischievous。　Indeed；　it　may　be　true；　as　has　often　
been　argued；　that　both　have　served　a　good　purpose　in　their　due　
time　and　place；　at　least　there　is　no　need　of　arguing　the　
contrary。　Both　belong　in　the　settled　order　of　civilised　life；　and　
both　alike　are　countenanced　by　those　principles　of　truth；　equity　
and　validity　that　go　to　make　up　the　modern　point　of　view。　It　is　
only　that　now；　as　things　have　been　turning　during　the　later　one　
hundred　years；　both　of　these　immemorially　modern　rights　of　man　
have　come　to　yield　a　net　return　of　hardship　and　ill…will　for　all　
those　peoples　who　have　bound　up　their　fortunes　with　that　kind　of　
enterprise。　The　case　might　be　stated　to　this　effect；　that　the　
fault　lies　not　in　the　nature　of　these　untoward　institutions　of　
national　sovereignty　and　vested　rights；　nor　in　those　principles　
of　self…help　which　underlie　them；　but　only　in　those　latter…day　
facts　which　stubbornly　refuse　to　fall　into　such　lines　as　these　
forms　of　human　enterprise　require　for　their　perfect　and　
beneficent　working。　The　facts；　particularly　the　facts　of　industry　
and　science；　have　outrun　these　provisions　of　law　and　custom；　and　
so　the　scheme　of　things　has　got　out　of　joint　by　that　much；　
through　no　inherent　weakness　in　the　underlying　principles　of　law　
and　custom。　The　ancient　and　honorable　principles　of　self…help　are　
as　sound　as　ever；　it　is　only　that　the　facts　have　quite　
unwarrantably　not　remained　the　same。　The　fault　lies　in　the　
latter…day　facts；　which　have　not　continued　in　suitable　shape。　
Such；　in　effect；　has　been　the　view　habitually　spoken　for　by　many　
thoughtful　persons　of　a　conservative　turn；　who　take　an　interest　
in　concerting　measures　for　holding　fast　that　which　once　was　good；　
in　the　face　of　distasteful　facts。　
　　　　The　vested　right　of　ownership　in　all　kinds　of　property　has　
the　sanction　of　the　time…honored　principles　of　individual　
self…direction；　equal　opportunity；　free　contract；　security　of　
earnings　and　belongings；　self…help；　in　the　simple　and　honest　
meaning　of　the　word。　It　would　be　quite　bootless　to　find　fault　
with　these　reasonable　principles　of　tolerance　and　security。　Their　
definitive　acceptance　and　stabilisation　in　the　eighteenth　century　
are　among　the　illustrious　achievements　of　Western　civilisation；　
and　their　roots　lie　deep　in　the　native　wisdom　of　mankind。　They　
are　obvious　corollaries　under　the　rule　of　Live　and　let　live；　　
an　Accidental　version　of　the　Golden　Rule。　Yet　in　practical　effect　
those　vested　rights　which　rest　blamelessly　on　these　reasonable　
canons　of　tolerance　and　good　faith　have　today　become　the　focus　of　
vexation　and　misery　in　the　life　of　the　civilised　peoples。　
Circumstances　have　changed　to　such　effect　that　provisions　which　
were　once　framed　to　uphold　a　system　of　neighborly　good…will　have　
now　begun　to　run　counter　to　one　another　and　are　working　mischief　
to　the　common　good。　
　　　　Any　impartial　survey　of　the　past　one…hundred…fifty　years　will　
show　that　the　constituent　principles　of　this　modern　point　of　view　
governing　the　mutual　rights　and　obligations　of　men　within　the　
civilised　nations　have　held　their　ground；　on　the　whole；　without　
material　net　gain　or　net　loss。　It　is　the　ground　of　Natural　
Rights；　of　self…help　and　free　bargaining。　Civil　rights　and　the　
perquisites　and　obligations　of　ownership　have　remained　
substantially　intact　over　this　interval　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　
years；　but　with　some　slight　advance　in　the　way　of　Live　and　let　
live　at　certain　points；　and　some　slight　retrenchment　at　other　
points。　So　far　as　regards　the　formal　stipulations；　in　law　and　
custom；　the　balance　of　class　interests　within　these　countries　
has；　on　the　whole；　not　been　seriously　disturbed。　In　this　system　
of　Natural　Rights；　as　it　has　worked　out　in　practice；　the　rights　
of　ownership　are　paramount；　largely　because　the　other　personal　
r