representative government-第25章

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e　community；　nor　is　it　rational　to　expect；　as　a　consequence　of　such　a　position；　any　other　conduct。　　　These　things　are　superabundantly　evident　in　the　case　of　a　monarchy　or　an　aristocracy；　but　it　is　sometimes　rather　gratuitously　assumed　that　the　same　kind　of　injurious　influences　do　not　operate　in　a　democracy。　Looking　at　democracy　in　the　way　in　which　it　is　commonly　conceived；　as　the　rule　of　the　numerical　majority；　it　is　surely　possible　that　the　ruling　power　may　be　under　the　dominion　of　sectional　or　class　interests；　pointing　to　conduct　different　from　that　which　would　be　dictated　by　impartial　regard　for　the　interest　of　all。　Suppose　the　majority　to　be　whites；　the　minority　negroes；　or　vice　versa：　is　it　likely　that　the　majority　would　allow　equal　justice　to　the　minority？　Suppose　the　majority　Catholics；　the　minority　Protestants；　or　the　reverse；　will　there　not　be　the　same　danger？　Or　let　the　majority　be　English；　the　minority　Irish；　or　the　contrary：　is　there　not　a　great　probability　of　similar　evil？　In　all　countries　there　is　a　majority　of　poor；　a　minority　who；　in　contradistinction；　may　be　called　rich。　Between　these　two　classes；　on　many　questions；　there　is　complete　opposition　of　apparent　interest。　We　will　suppose　the　majority　sufficiently　intelligent　to　be　aware　that　it　is　not　for　their　advantage　to　weaken　the　security　of　property；　and　that　it　would　be　weakened　by　any　act　of　arbitrary　spoliation。　But　is　there　not　a　considerable　danger　lest　they　should　throw　upon　the　possessors　of　what　is　called　realised　property；　and　upon　the　larger　incomes；　an　unfair　share；　or　even　the　whole；　of　the　burden　of　taxation；　and　having　done　so；　add　to　the　amount　without　scruple；　expending　the　proceeds　in　modes　supposed　to　conduce　to　the　profit　and　advantage　of　the　labouring　class？　Suppose；　again；　a　minority　of　skilled　labourers；　a　majority　of　unskilled：　the　experience　of　many　trade　unions；　unless　they　are　greatly　calumniated；　justifies　the　apprehension　that　equality　of　earnings　might　be　imposed　as　an　obligation；　and　that　piecework；　payment　by　the　hour；　and　all　practices　which　enable　superior　industry　or　abilities　to　gain　a　superior　reward　might　be　put　down。　Legislative　attempts　to　raise　wages；　limitation　of　competition　in　the　labour　market；　taxes　or　restrictions　on　machinery；　and　on　improvements　of　all　kinds　tending　to　dispense　with　any　of　the　existing　labour…　even；　perhaps；　protection　of　the　home　producer　against　foreign　industry　are　very　natural　（I　do　not　venture　to　say　whether　probable）　results　of　a　feeling　of　class　interest　in　a　governing　majority　of　manual　labourers。　　　It　will　be　said　that　none　of　these　things　are　for　the　real　interest　of　the　most　numerous　class：　to　which　I　answer；　that　if　the　conduct　of　human　beings　was　determined　by　no　other　interested　considerations　than　those　which　constitute　their　〃real〃　interest；　neither　monarchy　nor　oligarchy　would　be　such　bad　governments　as　they　are；　for　assuredly　very　strong　arguments　may　be；　and　often　have　been；　adduced　to　show　that　either　a　king　or　a　governing　senate　are　in　much　the　most　enviable　position；　when　ruling　justly　and　vigilantly　over　an　active；　wealthy；　enlightened；　and　high…minded　people。　But　a　king　only　now　and　then；　and　an　oligarchy　in　no　known　instance；　have　taken　this　exalted　view　of　their　self…interest：　and　why　should　we　expect　a　loftier　mode　of　thinking　from　the　labouring　classes？　It　is　not　what　their　interest　is；　but　what　they　suppose　it　to　be；　that　is　the　important　consideration　with　respect　to　their　conduct：　and　it　is　quite　conclusive　against　any　theory　of　government　that　it　assumes　the　numerical　majority　to　do　habitually　what　is　never　done；　nor　expected　to　be　done；　save　in　very　exceptional　cases；　by　any　other　depositaries　of　power…　namely；　to　direct　their　conduct　by　their　real　ultimate　interest；　in　opposition　to　their　immediate　and　apparent　interest。　No　one；　surely；　can　doubt　that　many　of　the　pernicious　measures　above　enumerated；　and　many　others　as　bad；　would　be　for　the　immediate　interest　of　the　general　body　of　unskilled　labourers。　It　is　quite　possible　that　they　would　be　for　the　selfish　interest　of　the　whole　existing　generation　of　the　class。　The　relaxation　of　industry　and　activity；　and　diminished　encouragement　to　saving　which　would　be　their　ultimate　consequence；　might　perhaps　be　little　felt　by　the　class　of　unskilled　labourers　in　the　space　of　a　single　lifetime。　　　Some　of　the　most　fatal　changes　in　human　affairs　have　been；　as　to　their　more　manifest　immediate　effects；　beneficial。　The　establishment　of　the　despotism　of　the　Caesars　was　a　great　benefit　to　the　entire　generation　in　which　it　took　place。　It　put　a　stop　to　civil　war；　abated　a　vast　amount　of　malversation　and　tyranny　by　praetors　and　proconsuls；　it　fostered　many　of　the　graces　of　life；　and　intellectual　cultivation　in　all　departments　not　political；　it　produced　monuments　of　literary　genius　dazzling　to　the　imaginations　of　shallow　readers　of　history；　who　do　not　reflect　that　the　men　to　whom　the　despotism　of　Augustus　（as　well　as　of　Lorenzo　de'　Medici　and　of　Louis　XIV。）　owes　its　brilliancy；　were　all　formed　in　the　generation　preceding。　The　accumulated　riches；　and　the　mental　energy　and　activity；　produced　by　centuries　of　freedom；　remained　for　the　benefit　of　the　first　generation　of　slaves。　Yet　this　was　the　commencement　of　a　regime　by　whose　gradual　operation　all　the　civilisation　which　had　been　gained　insensibly　faded　away；　until　the　Empire；　which　had　conquered　and　embraced　the　world　in　its　grasp；　so　completely　lost　even　its　military　efficiency；　that　invaders　whom　three　or　four　legions　had　always　sufficed　to　coerce　were　able　to　overrun　and　occupy　nearly　the　whole　of　its　vast　territory。　The　fresh　impulse　given　by　Christianity　came　but　just　in　time　to　save　arts　and　letters　from　perishing；　and　the　human　race　from　sinking　back　into　perhaps　endless　night。　　　When　we　talk　of　the　interest　of　a　body　of　men；　or　even　of　an　individual　man；　as　a　principle　determining　their　actions；　the　question　what　would　be　considered　their　interest　by　an　unprejudiced　observer　is　one　of　the　least　important　parts　of　the　whole　matter。　As　Coleridge　observes；　the　man　makes　the　motive；　not　the　motive　the　man。　What　it　is　the　man's　interest　to　do　or　refrain　from　depends　less　on　any　outward　circumstances　than　upon　what　sort　of　man　he　is。　If　you　wish　to　know　what　is　practically　a　man's　interest；　you　must　know　the　cast　of　his　habitual　feelings　and　thoughts。　Everybody　has　two　kinds　of　interests；　interests　which　he　cares　for；　and　interests　which　he　does　not　care　for。　Everybody　has　selfish　and　unselfish　interests；　and　a　selfish　man　has　cultivated　the　habit　of　caring　for　the　former；　and　not　caring　for　the　latter。　Every　one　has　present　and　distant　interests；　and　the　improvident　man　is　he　who　cares　for　the　present　interests　and　does　not　care　for　the　distant。　It　matters　little　that　on　any　correct　calculation　the　latter　may　be　the　more　considerable；　if　the　habits　of　his　mind　lead　him　to　fix　his　thoughts　and　wishes　solely　on　the　former。　It　would　be　vain　to　attempt　to　persuade　a　man　who　beats　his　wife　and　ill…treats　his　children　that　he　would　be　happier　if　he　lived　in　love　and　kindness　with　them。　He　would　be　happier　if　he　were　the　kind　of　person　who　could　so　live；　but　he　is　not；　and　it　is　probably　too　late　for　him　to　become；　that　kind　of　person。　Being　what　he　is；　the　gratification　of　his　love　of　domineering；　and　the　indulgence　of　his　ferocious　temper；　are　to　his　perceptions　a　greater　good　to　himself　than　he　would　be　capable　of　deriving　from　the　pleasure　and　affection　of　those　dependent　on　him。　He　has　no　pleasure　in　their　pleasure；　and　does　not　care　for　their　affection。　His　neighbour；　who　does；　is　probably　a　happier　man　than　he；　but　could　he　be　persuaded　of　this；　the　persuasion　would；　most　likely；　only　still　further　exasperate　his　malignity　or　his　irritability。　On　the　average；　a　person　who　cares　for　other　people；　for　his　country；　or　for　mankind；　is　a　happier　man　than　one　who　does　not；　but　of　what　use　is　it　to　preach　this　doctrine　to　a　man　who　cares　for　nothing　but　his　own　ease；　or　his　own　pocket？　He　cannot　care　for　other　people　if　he　would。　It　is　like　preaching　to　the　worm　who　crawls　on　the　ground　how　much　better　it　would　be　for　him　if　he　were　an　eagle。　　　Now　it　is　a　universally　observed　fact　that　the　two　evil　di