第3章

类别:其他 作者:Henry Adams字数:3751更新时间:18/12/17 14:19:27
HadthegoverningclassesinFranceduringthelastcenturypaidasmuchheedtotheirproperbusinessastotheirpleasuresormanners,theguillotineneedneverhaveseveredthatspinalmarrowoforderlyandseculartraditionthroughwhichinanormallyconstitutedstatethebrainsympathizeswiththeextremitiesandsendswillandimpulsionthither。Itisonlywhenthereasonableandpracticablearedeniedthatmendemandtheunreasonableandimpracticable; onlywhenthepossibleismadedifficultthattheyfancytheimpossibletobeeasy。Fairytalesaremadeoutofthedreamsofthepoor。No;thesentimentwhichliesattherootofdemocracyisnothingnew。Iamspeakingalwaysofasentiment,aspirit,andnotofaformofgovernment;forthiswasbuttheoutgrowthoftheotherandnotitscause。Thissentimentismerelyanexpressionofthenaturalwishofpeopletohaveahand,ifneedbeacontrollinghand,inthemanagementoftheirwonaffairs。Whatisnewisthattheyaremoreandmoregainingthatcontrol,andlearningmoreandmorehowtobeworthyofit。Whatweusedtocallthetendencyordrift-whatwearebeingtaughttocallmorewiselytheevolutionofthings-hasforsometimebeensettingsteadilyinthisdirection。Thereisnogoodinarguingwiththeinevitable。Theonlyargumentavailablewithaneastwindistoputonyourovercoat。Andinthiscase,also,theprudentwillpreparethemselvestoencounterwhattheycannotprevent。Somepeopleadviseustoputonthebrakes,asifthemovementofwhichweareconsciouswerethatofarailwaytrainrunningdownanincline。Butametaphorisnoargument,thoughitbesometimesthegunpowdertodriveonehomeandimbeditinthememory。 Ourdisquietcomesofwhatnursesandotherexperiencedpersonscallgrowingpains,andneednotseriouslyalarmus。Theyarewhateverygenerationbeforeus-certainlyeverygenerationsincetheinventionofprinting-hasgonethroughwithmoreorlessgoodfortune。Tothedoorofeverygenerationtherecomesaknocking,andunlessthehousehold,liketheThaneofCawdorandhiswife,havebeendoingsomedeedwithoutaname,theyneednotshudder。Itturnsoutatworsttobeapoorrelationwhowishestocomeinoutofthecold。Theporteralwaysgrumblesandisslowtoopen。 \"Who\'sthere,inthenameofBeelzebub?\"hemutters。Notachangeforthebetterinourhumanhousekeepinghasevertakenplacethatwiseandgoodmenhavenotopposedit,-havenotprophesiedwiththealdermanthattheworldwouldwakeuptofinditsthroatcutinconsequenceofit。Theworld,onthecontrary,wakesup,rubsitseyes,yawns,stretchesitself,andgoesaboutitsbusinessasifnothinghadhappened。Suppressionoftheslavetrade,abolitionofslavery,tradeunions,atalloftheseexcellentpeopleshooktheirheadsdespondingly,andmurmured\"Ichabod。\"Butthetradeunionsarenowdebatinginsteadofconspiring,andweallreadtheirdiscussionswithcomfortandhope,surethattheyarelearningthebusinessofcitizenshipandthedifficultiesofpracticallegislation。 OneofthemostcuriousofthesefrenziesofexclusionwasthatagainsttheemancipationoftheJews。Allshareinthegovernmentoftheworldwasdeniedforcenturiestoperhapstheablest,certainlythemosttenacious,racethathadeverlivedinit-theracetowhomweowedourreligionandthepurestspiritualstimulusandconsolationtobefoundinallliterature-araceinwhichabilityseemsasnaturalandhereditaryasthecurveoftheirnoses,andwhoseblood,furtivelyminglingwiththebluestbloodsinEurope,hasquickenedthemwithitsownindomitableimpulsion。Wedrovethemintoacorner,buttheyhadtheirrevenge,asthewrongedarealwayssuretohaveitsoonerorlater。Theymadetheircornerthecounterandbanking-houseoftheworld,andthencetheyruleitanduswiththeignoblersceptreoffinance。 YourgrandfathersmobbedPriestleyonlythatyoumightsetuphisstatueandmakeBirminghamtheheadquartersofEnglishUnitarianism。Wehearitsaidsometimesthatthisisanageoftransition,asifthatmademattersclearer;butcananyonepointustoanagethatwasnot?Ifhecould,hewouldshowusanageofstagnation。Thequestionforus,asithasbeenforallbeforeus,istomakethetransitiongradualandeasy,toseethatourpointsarerightsothatthetrainmaynotcometogrief。Forweshouldrememberthatnothingismorenaturalforpeoplewhoseeducationhasbeenneglectedthantospellevolutionwithaninitial\"r。\"Agreatmanstrugglingwiththestormsoffatehasbeencalledasublimespectacle;butsurelyagreatmanwrestlingwiththesenewforcesthathavecomeintotheworld,masteringthemandcontrollingthemtobeneficentends,wouldbeayetsublimer。Hereisnotadanger,andiftherewereitwouldbeonlyabetterschoolofmanhood,anoblerscopeforambition。Ihavehintedthatwhatpeopleareafraidofindemocracyislessthethingitselfthanwhattheyconceivetobeitsnecessaryadjunctsandconsequences。Itissupposedtoreduceallmankindtoadeadlevelofmediocrityincharacterandculture,tovulgarizemen\'sconceptionsoflife,andthereforetheircodeofmorals,manners,andconduct-toendangertherightsofpropertyandpossession。ButIbelievethattherealgravamenofthechargesliesinthehabitithasofmakingitselfgenerallydisagreeablebyaskingthePowersthatBeatthemostinconvenientmomentwhethertheyarethepowersthatoughttobe。Ifthepowersthatbeareinaconditiontogiveasatisfactoryanswertothisinevitablequestion,theyneedfeelinnowaydiscomfitedbyit。 Fewpeopletakethetroubleoftryingtofindoutwhatdemocracyreallyis。 Yetthiswouldbeagreathelp,foritisourlawlessanduncertainthoughts,itistheindefinitenessofourimpressions,thatfilldarkness,whethermentalorphysical,withspectresandhobgoblins。Democracyisnothingmorethananexperimentingovernment,morelikelytosucceedinanewsoil,butlikelytobetriedinallsoils,whichmuststandorfallonitsownmeritsasothershavedonebeforeit。Forthereisnotrickofperpetualmotioninpoliticsanymorethaninmechanics。PresidentLincolndefineddemocracytobe\"thegovernmentofthepeoplebythepeopleforthepeople。\"Thisisasufficientlycompactstatementofitasapoliticalarrangement。TheodoreParkersaidthat\"Democracymeantnot\'I\'masgoodasyouare,\'but\'You\'reasgoodasI am。\'\"Andthisistheethicalconceptionofit,necessaryasacomplementoftheother;aconceptionwhich,coulditbemadeactualandpractical,wouldeasilysolvealltheriddlesthattheoldsphinxofpoliticalandsocialeconomywhositsbytheroadsidehasbeenproposingtomankindfromthebeginning,andwhichmankindhaveshownsuchasingulartalentforansweringwrongly。 InthissenseChristwasthefirsttruedemocratthateverbreathed,astheolddramatistDekkersaidhewasthefirsttruegentleman。Thecharactersmaybeeasilydoubled,sostrongisthelikenessbetweenthem。AbeautifulandprofoundparableofthePersianpoetJellaladeentellsusthat\"OneknockedattheBeloved\'sdoor,andavoiceaskedfromwithin\'Whoisthere?\'andheanswered\'ItisI。\'Thenthevoicesaid,\'Thishousewillnotholdmeandthee\'; andthedoorwasnotopened。Thenwenttheloverintothedesertandfastedandprayedinsolitude,andafterayearhereturnedandknockedagainatthedoor;andagainthevoiceasked\'Whoisthere?\'andhesaid\'Itisthyself;\'andthedoorwasopenedtohim。\"Butthatisidealism,youwillsay,andthisisanonlytoopracticalworld。Igrantit;butIamoneofthosewhobelievethattherealwillneverfindanirremovablebasistillitrestsontheideal。 Itusedtobethoughtthatademocracywaspossibleonlyinasmallterritory,andthisisdoubtlesstrueofademocracystrictlydefined,forinsuchallthecitizensdecidedirectlyuponeveryquestionofpublicconcerninageneralassembly。 AnexamplestillsurvivesinthetinySwisscantonofAppenzell。Butthisimmediateinterventionofthepeopleintheirownaffairsisnotoftheessenceofdemocracy;itisnotnecessary,norindeed,inmostcases,practicable。 DemocraciestowhichMr。Lincoln\'sdefinitionwouldfairlyenoughapplyhaveexisted,andnowexist,inwhich,thoughthesupremeauthorityresideinthepeople,yettheycanactonlyindirectlyonthenationalpolicy。Thisgenerationhasseenademocracywithanimperialfigurehead,andinallthathaveeverexistedthebodypolitichasneverembracedalltheinhabitantsincludedwithinitsterritory,therighttoshareinthedirectionofaffairshasbeenconfinedtocitizens,andcitizenshiphasbeenfurtherrestrictedbyvariouslimitations,sometimesofproperty,sometimesofnativity,andalwaysofageandsex。