representative government-第47章

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f　no　less　practical　moment　than　those　relating　to　the　constitution　itself。　The　very　existence　of　some　governments；　and　all　that　renders　others　endurable；　rests　on　the　practical　observance　of　doctrines　of　constitutional　morality；　traditional　notions　in　the　minds　of　the　several　constituted　authorities；　which　modify　the　use　that　might　otherwise　be　made　of　their　powers。　In　unbalanced　governments…　pure　monarchy；　pure　aristocracy；　pure　democracy…　such　maxims　are　the　only　barrier　which　restrains　the　government　from　the　utmost　excesses　in　the　direction　of　its　characteristic　tendency。　In　imperfectly　balanced　governments；　where　some　attempt　is　made　to　set　constitutional　limits　to　the　impulses　of　the　strongest　power；　but　where　that　power　is　strong　enough　to　overstep　them　with　at　least　temporary　impunity；　it　is　only　by　doctrines　of　constitutional　morality；　recognised　and　sustained　by　opinion；　that　any　regard　at　all　is　preserved　for　the　checks　and　limitations　of　the　constitution。　In　well…balanced　governments；　in　which　the　supreme　power　is　divided；　and　each　sharer　is　protected　against　the　usurpations　of　the　others　in　the　only　manner　possible…　namely；　by　being　armed　for　defence　with　weapons　as　strong　as　the　others　can　wield　for　attack…　the　government　can　only　be　carried　on　by　forbearance　on　all　sides　to　exercise　those　extreme　powers；　unless　provoked　by　conduct　equally　extreme　on　the　part　of　some　other　sharer　of　power：　and　in　this　case　we　may　truly　say　that　only　by　the　regard　paid　to　maxims　of　constitutional　morality　is　the　constitution　kept　in　existence。　The　question　of　pledges　is　not　one　of　those　which　vitally　concern　the　existence　of　representative　governments；　but　it　is　very　material　to　their　beneficial　operation。　The　laws　cannot　prescribe　to　the　electors　the　principles　by　which　they　shall　direct　their　choice；　but　it　makes　a　great　practical　difference　by　what　principles　they　think　they　ought　to　direct　it。　And　the　whole　of　that　great　question　is　involved　in　the　inquiry　whether　they　should　make　it　a　condition　that　the　representative　shall　adhere　to　certain　opinions　laid　down　for　him　by　his　constituents。　　　No　reader　of　this　treatise　can　doubt　what　conclusion；　as　to　this　matter；　results　from　the　general　principles　which　it　professes。　We　have　from　the　first　affirmed；　and　unveryingly　kept　in　view；　the　co…equal　importance　of　two　great　requisites　of　government：　responsibility　to　those　for　whose　benefit　political　power　ought　to　be；　and　always　professes　to　be；　employed；　and　jointly　therewith　to　obtain；　in　the　greatest　measure　possible；　for　the　function　of　government　the　benefits　of　superior　intellect；　trained　by　long　meditation　and　practical　discipline　to　that　special　task。　If　this　second　purpose　is　worth　attaining；　it　is　worth　the　necessary　price。　Superior　powers　of　mind　and　profound　study　are　of　no　use　if　they　do　not　sometimes　lead　a　person　to　different　conclusions　from　those　which　are　formed　by　ordinary　powers　of　mind　without　study：　and　if　it　be　an　object　to　possess　representatives　in　any　intellectual　respect　superior　to　average　electors；　it　must　be　counted　upon　that　the　representative　will　sometimes　differ　in　opinion　from　the　majority　of　his　constituents；　and　that　when　he　does；　his　opinion　will　be　the　oftenest　right　of　the　two。　It　follows　that　the　electors　will　not　do　wisely　if　they　insist　on　absolute　conformity　to　their　opinions　as　the　condition　of　his　retaining　his　seat。　　　The　principle　is；　thus　far；　obvious；　but　there　are　real　difficulties　in　its　application：　and　we　will　begin　by　stating　them　in　their　greatest　force。　If　it　is　important　that　the　electors　should　choose　a　representative　more　highly　instructed　than　themselves；　it　is　no　less　necessary　that　this　wiser　man　should　be　responsible　to　them；　in　other　words；　they　are　the　judges　of　the　manner　in　which　he　fulfils　his　trust：　and　how　are　they　to　judge；　except　by　the　standard　of　their　own　opinions？　How　are　they　even　to　select　him　in　the　first　instance　but　by　the　same　standard？　It　will　not　do　to　choose　by　mere　brilliancy…　by　superiority　of　showy　talent。　The　tests　by　which　an　ordinary　man　can　judge　beforehand　of　mere　ability　are　very　imperfect：　such　as　they　are；　they　have　almost　exclusive　reference　to　the　arts　of　expression；　and　little　or　none　to　the　worth　of　what　is　expressed。　The　latter　cannot　be　inferred　from　the　former；　and　if　the　electors　are　to　put　their　own　opinions　in　abeyance；　what　criterion　remains　to　them　of　the　ability　to　govern　well？　Neither；　if　they　could　ascertain；　even　infallibly；　the　ablest　man；　ought　they　to　allow　him　altogether　to　judge　for　them；　without　any　reference　to　their　own　opinions。　The　ablest　candidate　may　be　a　Tory　and　the　electors　Liberals；　or　a　Liberal　and　they　may　be　Tories。　The　political　questions　of　the　day　may　be　Church　questions；　and　he　may　be　a　High　Churchman　or　a　Rationalist；　while　they　may　be　Dissenters　or　Evangelicals；　and　vice　versa。　His　abilities；　in　these　cases；　might　only　enable　him　to　go　greater　lengths；　and　act　with　greater　effect；　in　what　they　may　conscientiously　believe　to　be　a　wrong　course；　and　they　may　be　bound；　by　their　sincere　convictions；　to　think　it　more　important　that　their　representative　should　be　kept；　on　these　points；　to　what　they　deem　the　dictate　of　duty；　than　that　they　should　be　represented　by　a　person　of　more　than　average　abilities。　They　may　also　have　to　consider；　not　solely　how　they　can　be　most　ably　represented；　but　how　their　particular　moral　position　and　mental　point　of　view　shall　be　represented　at　all。　　　The　influence　of　every　mode　of　thinking　which　is　shared　by　numbers　ought　to　be　felt　in　the　legislature：　and　the　constitution　being　supposed　to　have　made　due　provision　that　other　and　conflicting　modes　of　thinking　shall　be　represented　likewise；　to　secure　the　proper　representation　for　their　own　mode　may　be　the　most　important　matter　which　the　electors　on　the　particular　occasion　have　to　attend　to。　In　some　cases；　too；　it　may　be　necessary　that　the　representative　should　have　his　hands　tied；　to　keep　him　true　to　their　interest；　or　rather　to　the　public　interest　as　they　conceive　it。　This　would　not　be　needful　under　a　political　system　which　assured　them　an　indefinite　choice　of　honest　and　unprejudiced　candidates；　but　under　the　existing　system；　in　which　the　electors　are　almost　always　obliged；　by　the　expenses　of　election　and　the　general　circumstances　of　society；　to　select　their　representative　from　persons　of　a　station　in　life　widely　different　from　theirs；　and　having　a　different　class…interest；　who　will　affirm　that　they　ought　to　abandon　themselves　to　his　discretion？　Can　we　blame　an　elector　of　the　poorer　classes；　who　has　only　the　choice　among　two　or　three　rich　men；　for　requiring　from　the　one　he　votes　for　a　pledge　to　those　measures　which　he　considers　as　a　test　of　emancipation　from　the　class…interests　of　the　rich？　It　moreover　always　happens　to　some　members　of　the　electoral　body　to　be　obliged　to　accept　the　representative　selected　by　a　majority　of　their　own　side。　But　though　a　candidate　of　their　own　choosing　would　have　no　chance；　their　votes　may　be　necessary　to　the　success　of　the　one　chosen　for　them；　and　their　only　means　of　exerting　their　share　of　influence　on　his　subsequent　conduct；　may　be　to　make　their　support　of　him　dependent　on　his　pledging　himself　to　certain　conditions。　　　These　considerations　and　counter…considerations　are　so　intimately　interwoven　with　one　another；　it　is　so　important　that　the　electors　should　choose　as　their　representatives　wiser　men　than　themselves；　and　should　consent　to　be　governed　according　to　that　superior　wisdom；　while　it　is　impossible　that　conformity　to　their　own　opinions；　when　they　have　opinions；　should　not　enter　largely　into；　their　judgment　as　to　who　possesses　the　wisdom；　and　how　far　its　presumed　possessor　has　verified　the　presumption　by　his　conduct；　that　it　seems　quite　impracticable　to　lay　down　for　the　elector　any　positive　rule　of　duty：　and　the　result　will　depend；　less　on　any　exact　prescription；　or　authoritative　doctrine　of　political　morality；　than　on　the　general　tone　of　mind　of　the　electoral　body；　in　respect　to　the　important　requisite　of　deference　to　mental　superiority。　Individuals；　and　peoples；　who　are　acutely　sensible　of　the　value　of　superior　wisdom；　are　likely　to　recognise　it；　where　it　exists；　by　other　signs　than　thinking　exactly