representative government-第9章

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ldom　uses　it：　a　parental　despotism　or　aristocracy；　resembling　the　St。　Simonian　form　of　Socialism；　maintaining　a　general　superintendence　over　all　the　operations　of　society；　so　as　to　keep　before　each　the　sense　of　a　present　force　sufficient　to　compel　his　obedience　to　the　rule　laid　down；　but　which；　owing　to　the　impossibility　of　descending　to　regulate　all　the　minutae　of　industry　and　life；　necessarily　leaves　and　induces　individuals　to　do　much　of　themselves。　This；　which　may　be　termed　the　government　of　leading…strings；　seems　to　be　the　one　required　to　carry　such　a　people　the　most　rapidly　through　the　next　necessary　step　in　social　progress。　Such　appears　to　have　been　the　idea　of　the　government　of　the　Incas　of　Peru；　and　such　was　that　of　the　Jesuits　of　Paraguay。　I　need　scarcely　remark　that　leading…strings　are　only　admissible　as　a　means　of　gradually　training　the　people　to　walk　alone。　　　It　would　be　out　of　place　to　carry　the　illustration　further。　To　attempt　to　investigate　what　kind　of　government　is　suited　to　every　known　state　of　society　would　be　to　compose　a　treatise；　not　on　representative　government；　but　on　political　science　at　large。　For　our　more　limited　purpose　we　borrow　from　political　philosophy　only　its　general　principles。　To　determine　the　form　of　government　most　suited　to　any　particular　people；　we　must　be　able；　among　the　defects　and　shortcomings　which　belong　to　that　people；　to　distinguish　those　that　are　the　immediate　impediment　to　progress；　to　discover　what　it　is　which　（as　it　were）　stops　the　way。　The　best　government　for　them　is　the　one　which　tends　most　to　give　them　that　for　want　of　which　they　cannot　advance；　or　advance　only　in　a　lame　and　lopsided　manner。　We　must　not；　however；　forget　the　reservation　necessary　in　all　things　which　have　for　their　object　improvement；　or　Progress；　namely；　that　in　seeking　the　good　which　is　needed；　no　damage；　or　as　little　as　possible；　be　done　to　that　already　possessed。　A　people　of　savages　should　be　taught　obedience　but　not　in　such　a　manner　as　to　convert　them　into　a　people　of　slaves。　And　（to　give　the　observation　a　higher　generality）　the　form　of　government　which　is　most　effectual　for　carrying　a　people　through　the　next　stage　of　progress　will　still　be　very　improper　for　them　if　it　does　this　in　such　a　manner　as　to　obstruct；　or　positively　unfit　them　for；　the　step　next　beyond。　Such　cases　are　frequent；　and　are　among　the　most　melancholy　facts　in　history。　The　Egyptian　hierarchy；　the　paternal　despotism　of　China；　were　very　fit　instruments　for　carrying　those　nations　up　to　the　point　of　civilisation　which　they　attained。　But　having　reached　that　point；　they　were　brought　to　a　permanent　halt　for　want　of　mental　liberty　and　individuality；　requisites　of　improvement　which　the　institutions　that　had　carried　them　thus　far　entirely　incapacitated　them　from　acquiring；　and　as　the　institutions　did　not　break　down　and　give　place　to　others；　further　improvement　stopped。　　　In　contrast　with　these　nations；　let　us　consider　the　example　of　an　opposite　character　afforded　by　another　and　a　comparatively　insignificant　Oriental　people…　the　Jews。　They；　too；　had　an　absolute　monarchy　and　a　hierarchy；　their　organised　institutions　were　as　obviously　of　sacerdotal　origin　as　those　of　the　Hindoos。　These　did　for　them　what　was　done　for　other　Oriental　races　by　their　institutions…　subdued　them　to　industry　and　order；　and　gave　them　a　national　life。　But　neither　their　kings　nor　their　priests　ever　obtained；　as　in　those　other　countries；　the　exclusive　moulding　of　their　character。　Their　religion；　which　enabled　persons　of　genius　and　a　high　religious　tone　to　be　regarded　and　to　regard　themselves　as　inspired　from　heaven；　gave　existence　to　an　inestimably　precious　unorganised　institution…　the　Order　（if　it　may　be　so　termed）　of　Prophets。　Under　the　protection；　generally　though　not　always　effectual；　of　their　sacred　character；　the　Prophets　were　a　power　in　the　nation；　often　more　than　a　match　for　kings　and　priests；　and　kept　up；　in　that　little　corner　of　the　earth；　the　antagonism　of　influences　which　is　the　only　real　security　for　continued　progress。　Religion　consequently　was　not　there　what　it　has　been　in　so　many　other　places…　a　consecration　of　all　that　was　once　established；　and　a　barrier　against　further　improvement。　The　remark　of　a　distinguished　Hebrew；　M。　Salvador；　that　the　Prophets　were；　in　Church　and　State；　the　equivalent　of　the　modern　liberty　of　the　press；　gives　a　just　but　not　an　adequate　conception　of　the　part　fulfilled　in　national　and　universal　history　by　this　great　element　of　Jewish　life；　by　means　of　which；　the　canon　of　inspiration　never　being　complete；　the　persons　most　eminent　in　genius　and　moral　feeling　could　not　only　denounce　and　reprobate；　with　the　direct　authority　of　the　Almighty；　whatever　appeared　to　them　deserving　of　such　treatment；　but　could　give　forth　better　and　higher　interpretations　of　the　national　religion；　which　thenceforth　became　part　of　the　religion。　Accordingly；　whoever　can　divest　himself　of　the　habit　of　reading　the　Bible　as　if　it　was　one　book；　which　until　lately　was　equally　inveterate　in　Christians　and　in　unbelievers；　sees　with　admiration　the　vast　interval　between　the　morality　and　religion　of　the　Pentateuch；　or　even　of　the　historical　books　（the　unmistakable　work　of　Hebrew　Conservatives　of　the　sacerdotal　order）；　and　the　morality　and　religion　of　the　Prophecies：　a　distance　as　wide　as　between　these　last　and　the　Gospels。　Conditions　more　favourable　to　Progress　could　not　easily　exist：　accordingly；　the　Jews；　instead　of　being　stationary　like　other　Asiatics；　were；　next　to　the　Greeks；　the　most　progressive　people　of　antiquity；　and；　jointly　with　them；　have　been　the　starting…point　and　main　propelling　agency　of　modern　cultivation。　　　It　is；　then；　impossible　to　understand　the　question　of　the　adaptation　of　forms　of　government　to　states　of　society　without　taking　into　account　not　only　the　next　step；　but　all　the　steps　which　society　has　yet　to　make；　both　those　which　can　be　foreseen；　and　the　far　wider　indefinite　range　which　is　at　present　out　of　sight。　It　follows；　that　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　forms　of　government；　an　ideal　must　be　constructed　of　the　form　of　government　most　eligible　in　itself；　that　is；　which；　if　the　necessary　conditions　existed　for　giving　effect　to　its　beneficial　tendencies；　would；　more　than　all　others；　favour　and　promote　not　some　one　improvement；　but　all　forms　and　degrees　of　it。　This　having　been　done；　we　must　consider　what　are　the　mental　conditions　of　all　sorts；　necessary　to　enable　this　government　to　realise　its　tendencies；　and　what；　therefore；　are　the　various　defects　by　which　a　people　is　made　incapable　of　reaping　its　benefits。　It　would　then　be　possible　to　construct　a　theorem　of　the　circumstances　in　which　that　form　of　government　may　wisely　be　introduced；　and　also　to　judge；　in　cases　in　which　it　had　better　not　be　introduced；　what　inferior　forms　of　polity　will　best　carry　those　communities　through　the　intermediate　stages　which　they　must　traverse　before　they　can　become　fit　for　the　best　form　of　government。　　　Of　these　inquiries；　the　last　does　not　concern　us　here；　but　the　first　is　an　essential　part　of　our　subject：　for　we　may；　without　rashness；　at　once　enunciate　a　proposition；　the　proofs　and　illustrations　of　which　will　present　themselves　in　the　ensuing　pages；　that　this　ideally　best　form　of　government　will　be　found　in　some　one　or　other　variety　of　the　Representative　System。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　3　　　That　the　ideally　best　Form　of　Government　is　Representative　Government。

　IT　HAS　long　（perhaps　throughout　the　entire　duration　of　British　freedom）　been　a　common　saying；　that　if　a　good　despot　could　be　ensured；　despotic　monarchy　would　be　the　best　form　of　government。　I　look　upon　this　as　a　radical　and　most　pernicious　misconception　of　what　good　government　is；　which；　until　it　can　be　got　rid　of；　will　fatally　vitiate　all　our　speculations　on　government。　　　The　supposition　is；　that　absolute　power；　in　the　hands　of　an　eminent　individual；　would　ensure　a　virtuous　and　intelligent　performance　of　all　the　duties　of　government。　Good　laws　would　be　established　and　enforced；　bad　laws　would　be　reformed；　the　best　men　would　be　placed　in　all　situations　of　trust；　justice　would　be　as　well　administered；　the　public　burthens　would　be　as　light　and　as　judiciously　imposed；　every　branch　of　administration　would　be　as　pur