speeches-literary & social-第17章

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in　virtue　of　his　orchestra；　consisting　of　a　very　powerful　piper；

whom　we　always　pay。



Sir；　as　this　is　the　first　political　meeting　I　have　ever　attended；

and　as　my　trade　and　calling　is　not　associated　with　politics；

perhaps　it　may　be　useful　for　me　to　show　how　I　came　to　be　here；

because　reasons　similar　to　those　which　have　influenced　me　may　still

be　trembling　in　the　balance　in　the　minds　of　others。　　I　want　at　all

times；　in　full　sincerity；　to　do　my　duty　by　my　countrymen。　　If　I

feel　an　attachment　towards　them；　there　is　nothing　disinterested　or

meritorious　in　that；　for　I　can　never　too　affectionately　remember

the　confidence　and　friendship　that　they　have　long　reposed　in　me。

My　sphere　of　action　…　which　I　shall　never　change　…　I　shall　never

overstep；　further　than　this；　or　for　a　longer　period　than　I　do　to…

night。　　By　literature　I　have　lived；　and　through　literature　I　have

been　content　to　serve　my　country；　and　I　am　perfectly　well　aware

that　I　cannot　serve　two　masters。　　In　my　sphere　of　action　I　have

tried　to　understand　the　heavier　social　grievances；　and　to　help　to

set　them　right。　　When　the　TIMES　newspaper　proved　its　then　almost

incredible　case；　in　reference　to　the　ghastly　absurdity　of　that　vast

labyrinth　of　misplaced　men　and　misdirected　things；　which　had　made

England　unable　to　find　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　an　enemy　one…

twentieth　part　so　potent　to　effect　the　misery　and　ruin　of　her　noble

defenders　as　she　has　been　herself；　I　believe　that　the　gloomy

silence　into　which　the　country　fell　was　by　far　the　darkest　aspect

in　which　a　great　people　had　been　exhibited　for　many　years。　　With

shame　and　indignation　lowering　among　all　classes　of　society；　and

this　new　element　of　discord　piled　on　the　heaving　basis　of

ignorance；　poverty　and　crime；　which　is　always　below　us　…　with

little　adequate　expression　of　the　general　mind；　or　apparent

understanding　of　the　general　mind；　in　Parliament　…　with　the

machinery　of　Government　and　the　legislature　going　round　and　round；

and　the　people　fallen　from　it　and　standing　aloof；　as　if　they　left

it　to　its　last　remaining　function　of　destroying　itself；　when　it　had

achieved　the　destruction　of　so　much　that　was　dear　to　them　…　I　did

and　do　believe　that　the　only　wholesome　turn　affairs　so　menacing

could　possibly　take；　was；　the　awaking　of　the　people；　the

outspeaking　of　the　people；　the　uniting　of　the　people　in　all

patriotism　and　loyalty　to　effect　a　great　peaceful　constitutional

change　in　the　administration　of　their　own　affairs。　　At　such　a

crisis　this　association　arose；　at　such　a　crisis　I　joined　it：

considering　its　further　case　to　be　…　if　further　case　could　possibly

be　needed　…　that　what　is　everybody's　business　is　nobody's　business；

that　men　must　be　gregarious　in　good　citizenship　as　well　as　in　other

things；　and　that　it　is　a　law　in　nature　that　there　must　be　a　centre

of　attraction　for　particles　to　fly　to；　before　any　serviceable　body

with　recognised　functions　can　come　into　existence。　　This

association　has　arisen；　and　we　belong　to　it。　　What　are　the

objections　to　it？　　I　have　heard　in　the　main　but　three；　which　I　will

now　briefly　notice。　　It　is　said　that　it　is　proposed　by　this

association　to　exercise　an　influence；　through　the　constituencies；

on　the　House　of　Commons。　　I　have　not　the　least　hesitation　in　saying

that　I　have　the　smallest　amount　of　faith　in　the　House　of　Commons　at

present　existing　and　that　I　consider　the　exercise　of　such　influence

highly　necessary　to　the　welfare　and　honour　of　this　country。　　I　was

reading　no　later　than　yesterday　the　book　of　Mr。　Pepys；　which　is

rather　a　favourite　of　mine；　in　which　he；　two　hundred　years　ago；

writing　of　the　House　of　Commons；　says：





〃My　cousin　Roger　Pepys　tells　me　that　it　is　matter　of　the　greatest

grief　to　him　in　the　world　that　he　should　be　put　upon　this　trust　of

being　a　Parliament　man；　because　he　says　nothing　is　done；　that　he

can　see；　out　of　any　truth　and　sincerity；　but　mere　envy　and　design。〃





Now；　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　after　two　hundred　years；　and　many

years　after　a　Reform　Bill；　the　house　of　Commons　is　so　little

changed；　I　will　not　stop　to　inquire。　　I　will　not　ask　how　it　happens

that　bills　which　cramp　and　worry　the　people；　and　restrict　their

scant　enjoyments；　are　so　easily　passed；　and　how　it　happens　that

measures　for　their　real　interests　are　so　very　difficult　to　be　got

through　Parliament。　　I　will　not　analyse　the　confined　air　of　the

lobby；　or　reduce　to　their　primitive　gases　its　deadening　influences

on　the　memory　of　that　Honourable　Member　who　was　once　a　candidate

for　the　honour　of　your　…　and　my　…　independent　vote　and　interest。　　I

will　not　ask　what　is　that　Secretarian　figure；　full　of

blandishments；　standing　on　the　threshold；　with　its　finger　on　its

lips。　　I　will　not　ask　how　it　comes　that　those　personal

altercations；　involving　all　the　removes　and　definitions　of

Shakespeare's　Touchstone　…　the　retort　courteous　…　the　quip　modest　…

the　reply　churlish　…　the　reproof　valiant　…　the　countercheck

quarrelsome　…　the　lie　circumstantial　and　the　lie　direct　…　are　of

immeasurably　greater　interest　in　the　House　of　Commons　than　the

health；　the　taxation；　and　the　education；　of　a　whole　people。　　I　will

not　penetrate　into　the　mysteries　of　that　secret　chamber　in　which

the　Bluebeard　of　Party　keeps　his　strangled　public　questions；　and

with　regard　to　which；　when　he　gives　the　key　to　his　wife；　the　new

comer；　he　strictly　charges　her　on　no　account　to　open　the　door。　　I

will　merely　put　it　to　the　experience　of　everybody　here；　whether　the

House　of　Commons　is　not　occasionally　a　little　hard　of　hearing；　a

little　dim　of　sight；　a　little　slow　of　understanding；　and　whether；

in　short；　it　is　not　in　a　sufficiency　invalided　state　to　require

close　watching；　and　the　occasional　application　of　sharp　stimulants；

and　whether　it　is　not　capable　of　considerable　improvement？　　I

believe　that；　in　order　to　preserve　it　in　a　state　of　real　usefulness

and　independence；　the　people　must　be　very　watchful　and　very　jealous

of　it；　and　it　must　have　its　memory　jogged；　and　be　kept　awake　when

it　happens　to　have　taken　too　much　Ministerial　narcotic；　it　must　be

trotted　about；　and　must　be　bustled　and　pinched　in　a　friendly　way；

as　is　the　usage　in　such　cases。　　I　hold　that　no　power　can　deprive　us

of　the　right　to　administer　our　functions　as　a　body　comprising

electors　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　associated　together　because

their　country　is　dearer　to　them　than　drowsy　twaddle；　unmeaning

routine；　or　worn…out　conventionalities。



This　brings　me　to　objection　number　two。　　It　is　stated　that　this

Association　sets　class　against　class。　　Is　this　so？　　（CRIES　OF

〃No。〃）　　No；　it　finds　class　set　against　class；　and　seeks　to

reconcile　them。　　I　wish　to　avoid　placing　in　opposition　those　two

words　…　Aristocracy　and　People。　　I　am　one　who　can　believe　in　the

virtues　and　uses　of　both；　and　would　not　on　any　account　deprive

either　of　a　single　just　right　belonging　to　it。　　I　will　use；　instead

of　these　words；　the　terms；　the　governors　and　the　governed。　　These

two　bodies　the　Association　finds　with　a　gulf　between　them；　in　which

are　lying；　newly…buried；　thousands　on　thousands　of　the　bravest　and

most　devoted　men　that　even　England　ever　bred。　　It　is　to　prevent　the

recurrence　of　innumerable　smaller　evils；　of　which；　unchecked；　that

great　calamity　was　the　crowning　height　and　the　necessary

consummation；　and　to　bring　together　those　two　fronts　looking　now　so

strangely　at　each　other；　that　this　Association　seeks　to　help　to

bridge　over　that　abyss；　with　a　structure　founded　on　common　justice

and　supported　by　common　sense。　　Setting　class　against　class！　　That

is　the　very　parrot　prattle　that　we　have　so　long　heard。　　Try　its

justice　by　the　following　example：…　A　respectable　gentleman　had　a

large　establishment；　and　a　great　number　of　servants；　who　were　good

for　nothing；　who；　when　he　asked　them　to　give　his　children　bread；

gave　them　stones；　who；　when　they　were　told　to　give　those　children

fish；　gave　them　serpents。　　When　they　were　ordered　to　send　to　the

East；　they　sent　to　the　W