latter-day pamphlets-第7章

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st　at　Red　Republic　and　its　adjuncts；　seem　to　me　travelling　at　full　speed　towards　that　or　a　similar　goal！　　Certainly　the　notion　everywhere　prevails　among　us　too；　and　preaches　itself　abroad　in　every　dialect；　uncontradicted　anywhere　so　far　as　I　can　hear；　That　the　grand　panacea　for　social　woes　is　what　we　call　〃enfranchisement；〃　〃emancipation；〃　or；　translated　into　practical　language；　the　cutting　asunder　of　human　relations；　wherever　they　are　found　grievous；　as　is　like　to　be　pretty　universally　the　case　at　the　rate　we　have　been　going　for　some　generations　past。　　Let　us　all　be　〃free〃　of　one　another；　we　shall　then　be　happy。　　Free；　without　bond　or　connection　except　that　of　cash…payment；　fair　day's　wages　for　the　fair　day's　work；　bargained　for　by　voluntary　contract；　and　law　of　supply…and…demand：　　this　is　thought　to　be　the　true　solution　of　all　difficulties　and　injustices　that　have　occurred　between　man　and　man。

To　rectify　the　relation　that　exists　between　two　men；　is　there　no　method；　then；　but　that　of　ending　it？　　The　old　relation　has　become　unsuitable；　obsolete；　perhaps　unjust；　it　imperatively　requires　to　be　amended；　and　the　remedy　is；　Abolish　it；　let　there　henceforth　be　no　relation　at　all。　　From　the　〃Sacrament　of　Marriage〃　downwards；　human　beings　used　to　be　manifoldly　related；　one　to　another；　and　each　to　all；　and　there　was　no　relation　among　human　beings；　just　or　unjust；　that　had　not　its　grievances　and　difficulties；　its　necessities　on　both　sides　to　bear　and　forbear。　　But　henceforth；　be　it　known；　we　have　changed　all　that；　by　favor　of　Heaven：　　〃the　voluntary　principle〃　has　come　up；　which　will　itself　do　the　business　for　us；　and　now　let　a　new　Sacrament；　that　of　Divorce；　which　we　call　emancipation；　and　spout　of　on　our　platforms；　be　universally　the　order　of　the　day！Have　men　considered　whither　all　this　is　tending；　and　what　it　certainly　enough　betokens？　　Cut　every　human　relation　which　has　anywhere　grown　uneasy　sheer　asunder；　reduce　whatsoever　was　compulsory　to　voluntary；　whatsoever　was　permanent　among　us　to　the　condition　of　nomadic：in　other　words；　loosen　by　assiduous　wedges　in　every　joint；　the　whole　fabric　of　social　existence；　stone　from　stone：　　till　at　last；　all　now　being　loose　enough；　it　can；　as　we　already　see　in　most　countries；　be　overset　by　sudden　outburst　of　revolutionary　rage；　and；　lying　as　mere　mountains　of　anarchic　rubbish；　solicit　you　to　sing　Fraternity；　&c。；　over　it；　and　to　rejoice　in　the　new　remarkable　era　of　human　progress　we　have　arrived　at。

Certainly　Emancipation　proceeds　with　rapid　strides　among　us；　this　good　while；　and　has　got　to　such　a　length　as　might　give　rise　to　reflections　in　men　of　a　serious　turn。　　West…Indian　Blacks　are　emancipated；　and　it　appears　refuse　to　work：　　Irish　Whites　have　long　been　entirely　emancipated；　and　nobody　asks　them　to　work；　or　on　condition　of　finding　them　potatoes　（which；　of　course；　is　indispensable）；　permits　them　to　work。Among　speculative　persons；　a　question　has　sometimes　risen：　　In　the　progress　of　Emancipation；　are　we　to　look　for　a　time　when　all　the　Horses　also　are　to　be　emancipated；　and　brought　to　the　supply…and…demand　principle？　　Horses　too　have　〃motives；〃　are　acted　on　by　hunger；　fear；　hope；　love　of　oats；　terror　of　platted　leather；　nay　they　have　vanity；　ambition；　emulation；　thankfulness；　vindictiveness；　some　rude　outline　of　all　our　human　spiritualities；a　rude　resemblance　to　us　in　mind　and　intelligence；　even　as　they　have　in　bodily　frame。　　The　Horse；　poor　dumb　four…footed　fellow；　he　too　has　his　private　feelings；　his　affections；　gratitudes；　and　deserves　good　usage；　no　human　master；　without　crime；　shall　treat　him　unjustly　either；　or　recklessly　lay　on　the　whip　where　it　is　not　needed：I　am　sure　if　I　could　make　him　〃happy；〃　I　should　be　willing　to　grant　a　small　vote　（in　addition　to　the　late　twenty　millions）　for　that　object！

Him　too　you　occasionally　tyrannize　over；　and　with　bad　result　to　yourselves；　among　others；　using　the　leather　in　a　tyrannous　unnecessary　manner；　withholding；　or　scantily　furnishing；　the　oats　and　ventilated　stabling　that　are　due。　　Rugged　horse…subduers；　one　fears　they　are　a　little　tyrannous　at　times。　　〃Am　I　not　a　horse；　and　half…brother？〃To　remedy　which；　so　far　as　remediable；　fancythe　horses　all　〃emancipated；〃　restored　to　their　primeval　right　of　property　in　the　grass　of　this　Globe：　　turned　out　to　graze　in　an　independent　supply…and…demand　manner！　　So　long　as　grass　lasts；　I　dare　say　they　are　very　happy；　or　think　themselves　so。　　And　Farmer　Hodge　sallying　forth；　on　a　dry　spring　morning；　with　a　sieve　of　oats　in　his　hand；　and　agony　of　eager　expectation　in　his　heart；　is　he　happy？　　Help　me　to　plough　this　day；　Black　Dobbin：　　oats　in　full　measure　if　thou　wilt。　　〃Hlunh；　Nothank！〃　snorts　Black　Dobbin；　he　prefers　glorious　liberty　and　the　grass。　　Bay　Darby；　wilt　not　thou　perhaps？　　〃Hlunh！〃Gray　Joan；　then；　my　beautiful　broad…bottomed　mare；O　Heaven；　she　too　answers　Hlunh！　　Not　a　quadruped　of　them　will　plough　a　stroke　for　me。　　Corn…crops　are　_ended_　in　this　world！For　the　sake；　if　not　of　Hodge；　then　of　Hodge's　horses；　one　prays　this　benevolent　practice　might　now　cease；　and　a　new　and　better　one　try　to　begin。　　Small　kindness　to　Hodge's　horses　to　emancipate　them！　　The　fate　of　all　emancipated　horses　is；　sooner　or　later；　inevitable。　　To　have　in　this　habitable　Earth　no　grass　to　eat；in　Black　Jamaica　gradually　none；　as　in　White　Connemara　already　none；to　roam　aimless；　wasting　the　seedfields　of　the　world；　and　be　hunted　home　to　Chaos；　by　the　due　watch…dogs　and　due　hell…dogs；　with　such　horrors　of　forsaken　wretchedness　as　were　never　seen　before！　　These　things　are　not　sport；　they　are　terribly　true；　in　this　country　at　this　hour。

Between　our　Black　West　Indies　and　our　White　Ireland；　between　these　two　extremes　of　lazy　refusal　to　work；　and　of　famishing　inability　to　find　any　work；　what　a　world　have　we　made　of　it；　with　our　fierce　Mammon…worships；　and　our　benevolent　philanderings；　and　idle　godless　nonsenses　of　one　kind　and　another！　　Supply…and…demand；　Leave…it…alone；　Voluntary　Principle；　Time　will　mend　it：till　British　industrial　existence　seems　fast　becoming　one　huge　poison…swamp　of　reeking　pestilence　physical　and　moral；　a　hideous　_living_　Golgotha　of　souls　and　bodies　buried　alive；　such　a　Curtius'　gulf；　communicating　with　the　Nether　Deeps；　as　the　Sun　never　saw　till　now。　　These　scenes；　which　the　_Morning　Chronicle_　is　bringing　home　to　all　minds　of　men；thanks　to　it　for　a　service　such　as　Newspapers　have　seldom　done；ought　to　excite　unspeakable　reflections　in　every　mind。　　Thirty　thousand　outcast　Needlewomen　working　themselves　swiftly　to　death；　three　million　Paupers　rotting　in　forced　idleness；　_helping_　said　Needlewomen　to　die：　　these　are　but　items　in　the　sad　ledger　of　despair。

Thirty　thousand　wretched　women；　sunk　in　that　putrefying　well　of　abominations；　they　have　oozed　in　upon　London；　from　the　universal　Stygian　quagmire　of　British　industrial　life；　are　accumulated　in　the　_well_　of　the　concern；　to　that　extent。　　British　charity　is　smitten　to　the　heart；　at　the　laying　bare　of　such　a　scene；　passionately　undertakes；　by　enormous　subscription　of　money；　or　by　other　enormous　effort；　to　redress　that　individual　horror；　as　I　and　all　men　hope　it　may。　　But；　alas；　what　next？　This　general　well　and　cesspool　once　baled　clean　out　to…day；　will　begin　before　night　to　fill　itself　anew。　　The　universal　Stygian　quagmire　is　still　there；　opulent　in　women　ready　to　be　ruined；　and　in　men　ready。　　Towards　the　same　sad　cesspool　will　these　waste　currents　of　human　ruin　ooze　and　gravitate　as　heretofore；　except　in　draining　the　universal　quagmire　itself　there　is　no　remedy。　　〃And　for　that；　what　is　the　method？〃　cry　many　in　an　angry　manner。　　To　whom；　for　the　present；　I　answer　only；　〃Not　'emancipation；'　it　would　seem；　my　friends；　not　the　cutting　loose　of　human　ties；　something　far　the　reverse　of　that！〃

Many　things　have　been　written　about　shirtmaking；　but　here　perhaps　is　the　saddest　thing　of　all；　not　written　anywhere　till　now；　that　I　know　of。　Shirts　by　the　thirty　thousand　are　made　at　twopence…halfpenny　each；　and　in　the　mean　while　no　needlewoman；　distressed　or　other；　can　be　procured　in　London　by　any　housewife　to　give；　for　fair　wages；　fair　help　in　sewing。　　Ask　any　thrifty　house…mother；　high　or　low；　and　she　will　answer。　　In　high　houses　and　in　low；　there　is　the　same　answer：　　no　_real