foreword-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　IRON　HEEL


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Jack　London





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOREWORD。



　　IT　CANNOT　BE　SAID　THAT　THE　Everhard　Manuscript　is　an　important

historical　document。　To　the　historian　it　bristles　with　errors…　not

errors　of　fact；　but　errors　of　interpretation。　Looking　back　across

the　seven　centuries　that　have　lapsed　since　Avis　Everhard　completed　her

manuscript；　events；　and　the　bearings　of　events；　that　were　confused　and

veiled　to　her；　are　clear　to　us。　She　lacked　perspective。　She　was　too

close　to　the　events　she　writes　about。　Nay；　she　was　merged　in　the

events　she　has　described。

　　Nevertheless；　as　a　personal　document；　the　Everhard　Manuscript　is

of　inestimable　value。　But　here　again　enter　error　of　perspective；　and

vitiation　due　to　the　bias　of　love。　Yet　we　smile；　indeed；　and　forgive

Avis　Everhard　for　the　heroic　lines　upon　which　she　modelled　her

husband。　We　know　to…day　that　he　was　not　so　colossal；　and　that　he

loomed　among　the　events　of　his　times　less　largely　than　the

Manuscript　would　lead　us　to　believe。

　　We　know　that　Ernest　Everhard　was　an　exceptionally　strong　man；　but

not　so　exceptional　as　his　wife　thought　him　to　be。　He　was；　after　all；

but　one　of　a　large　number　of　heroes　who；　throughout　the　world；　devoted

their　lives　to　the　Revolution；　though　it　must　be　conceded　that　he

did　unusual　work；　especially　in　his　elaboration　and　interpretation

of　working…class　philosophy。　'Proletarian　science'　and　'proletarian

philosophy'　were　his　phrases　for　it；　and　therein　he　shows　the

provincialism　of　his　mind…　a　defect；　however；　that　was　due　to　the

times　and　that　none　in　that　day　could　escape。

　　But　to　return　to　the　Manuscript。　Especially　valuable　is　it　in

communicating　to　us　the　feel　of　those　terrible　times。　Nowhere　do　we

find　more　vividly　portrayed　the　psychology　of　the　persons　that　lived

in　that　turbulent　period　embraced　between　the　years　1912　and　1932…

their　mistakes　and　ignorance；　their　doubts　and　fears　and

misapprehensions；　their　ethical　delusions；　their　violent　passions；

their　inconceivable　sordidness　and　selfishness。　These　are　the　things

that　are　so　hard　for　us　of　this　enlightened　age　to　understand。　History

tells　us　that　these　things　were；　and　biology　and　psychology　tell　us

why　they　were；　but　history　and　biology　and　psychology　do　not　make

these　things　alive。　We　accept　them　as　facts；　but　we　are　left　without

sympathetic　comprehension　of　them。

　　This　sympathy　comes　to　us；　however；　as　we　peruse　the　Everhard

Manuscript。　We　enter　into　the　minds　of　the　actors　in　that　long…ago

world…drama；　and　for　the　time　being　their　mental　processes　are　our

mental　processes。　Not　alone　do　we　understand　Avis　Everhard's　love

for　her　hero…husband；　but　we　feel；　as　he　felt；　in　those　first　days；

the　vague　and　terrible　loom　of　the　Oligarchy。　The　Iron　Heel　（well

named）　we　feel　descending　upon　and　crushing　mankind。

　　And　in　passing　we　note　that　that　historic　phrase；　the　Iron　Heel；

originated　in　Ernest　Everhard's　mind。　This；　we　may　say；　is　the　one

moot　question　that　this　new…found　document　clears　up。　Previous　to

this；　the　earliest…known　use　of　the　phrase　occurred　in　the　pamphlet；

'Ye　Slaves；'　written　by　George　Milford　and　published　in　December；

1912。　This　George　Milford　was　an　obscure　agitator　about　whom　nothing

is　known；　save　the　one　additional　bit　of　information　gained　from　the

Manuscript；　which　mentions　that　he　was　shot　in　the　Chicago　Commune。

Evidently　he　had　heard　Ernest　Everhard　make　use　of　the　phrase　in

some　public　speech；　most　probably　when　he　was　running　for　Congress

in　the　fall　of　1912。　From　the　Manuscript　we　learn　that　Everhard　used

the　phrase　at　a　private　dinner　in　the　spring　of　1912。　This　is；　without

discussion；　the　earliest…known　occasion　on　which　the　Oligarchy　was

so　designated。

　　The　rise　of　the　Oligarchy　will　always　remain　a　cause　of　secret

wonder　to　the　historian　and　the　philosopher。　Other　great　historical

events　have　their　place　in　social　evolution。　They　were　inevitable。

Their　coming　could　have　been　predicted　with　the　same　certitude　that

astronomers　to…day　predict　the　outcome　of　the　movements　of　stars。

Without　these　other　great　historical　events；　social　evolution　could

not　have　proceeded。　Primitive　communism；　chattel　slavery；　serf

slavery；　and　wage　slavery　were　necessary　stepping…stones　in　the

evolution　of　society。　But　it　were　ridiculous　to　assert　that　the　Iron

Heel　was　a　necessary　stepping…stone。　Rather；　to…day；　is　it　adjudged

a　step　aside；　or　a　step　backward；　to　the　social　tyrannies　that　made

the　early　world　a　hell；　but　that　were　as　necessary　as　the　Iron　Heel

was　unnecessary。

　　Black　as　Feudalism　was；　yet　the　coming　of　it　was　inevitable。　What

else　than　Feudalism　could　have　followed　upon　the　breakdown　of　that

great　centralized　governmental　machine　known　as　the　Roman　Empire？

Not　so；　however；　with　the　Iron　Heel。　In　the　orderly　procedure　of

social　evolution　there　was　no　place　for　it。　It　was　not　necessary；

and　it　was　not　inevitable。　It　must　always　remain　the　great　curiosity

of　history…　a　whim；　a　fantasy；　an　apparition；　a　thing　unexpected　and

undreamed；　and　it　should　serve　as　a　warning　to　those　rash　political

theorists　of　to…day　who　speak　with　certitude　of　social　processes。

　　Capitalism　was　adjudged　by　the　sociologists　of　the　time　to　be　the

culmination　of　bourgeois　rule；　the　ripened　fruit　of　the　bourgeois

revolution。　And　we　of　to…day　can　but　applaud　that　judgment。

Following　upon　Capitalism；　it　was　held；　even　by　such　intellectual

and　antagonistic　giants　as　Herbert　Spencer；　that　Socialism　would　come。

Out　of　the　decay　of　self…seeking　capitalism；　it　was　held；　would

arise　that　flower　of　the　ages；　the　Brotherhood　of　Man。　Instead　of

which；　appalling　alike　to　us　who　look　back　and　to　those　that　lived

at　the　time；　capitalism；　rotten…ripe；　sent　forth　that　monstrous

offshoot；　the　Oligarchy。

　　Too　late　did　the　socialist　movement　of　the　early　twentieth　century

divine　the　coming　of　the　Oligarchy。　Even　as　it　was　divined；　the

Oligarchy　was　there…　a　fact　established　in　blood；　a　stupendous　and

awful　reality。　Nor　even　then；　as　the　Everhard　Manuscript　well　shows；

was　any　permanence　attributed　to　the　Iron　Heel。　Its　overthrow　was　a

matter　of　a　few　short　years；　was　the　judgment　of　the　revolutionists。

It　is　true；　they　realized　that　the　Peasant　Revolt　was　unplanned；　and

that　the　First　Revolt　was　premature；　but　they　little　realized　that　the

Second　Revolt；　planned　and　mature；　was　doomed　to　equal　futility　and

more　terrible　punishment。

　　It　is　apparent　that　Avis　Everhard　completed　the　Manuscript　during

the　last　days　of　preparation　for　the　Second　Revolt；　hence　the　fact

that　there　is　no　mention　of　the　disastrous　outcome　of　the　Second

Revolt。　It　is　quite　clear　that　she　intended　the　Manuscript　for

immediate　publication；　as　soon　as　the　Iron　Heel　was　overthrown；　so

that　her　husband；　so　recently　dead；　should　receive　full　credit　for　all

that　he　had　ventured　and　accomplished。　Then　came　the　frightful

crushing　of　the　Second　Revolt；　and　it　is　probable　that　in　the　moment

of　danger；　ere　she　fled　or　was　captured　by　the　Mercenaries；　she　hid

the　Manuscript　in　the　hollow　oak　at　Wake　Robin　Lodge。

　　Of　Avis　Everhard　there　is　no　further　record。　Undoubtedly　she　was

executed　by　the　Mercenaries；　and；　as　is　well　known；　no　record　of

such　executions　was　kept　by　the　Iron　Heel。　But　little　did　she　realize；

even　then；　as　she　hid　the　Manuscript　and　prepared　to　flee；　how

terrible　had　been　the　breakdown　of　the　Second　Revolt。　Little　did　she

realize　that　the　tortuous　and　distorted　evolution　of　the　next　three

centuries　would　compel　a　Third　Revolt　and　a　Fourth　Revolt；　and　many

Revolts；　all　drowned　in　seas　of　blood；　ere　the　world…movement　of　labor

should　come　into　its　own。　And　little　did　she　dream　that　for　seven　long

centuries　the　tribute　of　her　love　to　Ernest　Everhard　would　repose

undisturbed　in　the　heart　of　the　ancient　oak　of　Wake　Robin　Lodge。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANTHONY　M