第3章

HadthegoverningclassesinFranceduringthelastcenturypaidasmuchheedtotheirproperbusinessastotheirpleasuresormanners，theguillotineneedneverhaveseveredthatspinalmarrowoforderlyandseculartraditionthroughwhichinanormallyconstitutedstatethebrainsympathizeswiththeextremitiesandsendswillandimpulsionthither。Itisonlywhenthereasonableandpracticablearedeniedthatmendemandtheunreasonableandimpracticable；

onlywhenthepossibleismadedifficultthattheyfancytheimpossibletobeeasy。Fairytalesaremadeoutofthedreamsofthepoor。No；thesentimentwhichliesattherootofdemocracyisnothingnew。Iamspeakingalwaysofasentiment，aspirit，andnotofaformofgovernment；forthiswasbuttheoutgrowthoftheotherandnotitscause。Thissentimentismerelyanexpressionofthenaturalwishofpeopletohaveahand，ifneedbeacontrollinghand，inthemanagementoftheirwonaffairs。Whatisnewisthattheyaremoreandmoregainingthatcontrol，andlearningmoreandmorehowtobeworthyofit。Whatweusedtocallthetendencyordrift-whatwearebeingtaughttocallmorewiselytheevolutionofthings-hasforsometimebeensettingsteadilyinthisdirection。Thereisnogoodinarguingwiththeinevitable。Theonlyargumentavailablewithaneastwindistoputonyourovercoat。Andinthiscase，also，theprudentwillpreparethemselvestoencounterwhattheycannotprevent。Somepeopleadviseustoputonthebrakes，asifthemovementofwhichweareconsciouswerethatofarailwaytrainrunningdownanincline。Butametaphorisnoargument，thoughitbesometimesthegunpowdertodriveonehomeandimbeditinthememory。

Ourdisquietcomesofwhatnursesandotherexperiencedpersonscallgrowingpains，andneednotseriouslyalarmus。Theyarewhateverygenerationbeforeus-certainlyeverygenerationsincetheinventionofprinting-hasgonethroughwithmoreorlessgoodfortune。Tothedoorofeverygenerationtherecomesaknocking，andunlessthehousehold，liketheThaneofCawdorandhiswife，havebeendoingsomedeedwithoutaname，theyneednotshudder。Itturnsoutatworsttobeapoorrelationwhowishestocomeinoutofthecold。Theporteralwaysgrumblesandisslowtoopen。

"Who"sthere，inthenameofBeelzebub？"hemutters。Notachangeforthebetterinourhumanhousekeepinghasevertakenplacethatwiseandgoodmenhavenotopposedit，-havenotprophesiedwiththealdermanthattheworldwouldwakeuptofinditsthroatcutinconsequenceofit。Theworld，onthecontrary，wakesup，rubsitseyes，yawns，stretchesitself，andgoesaboutitsbusinessasifnothinghadhappened。Suppressionoftheslavetrade，abolitionofslavery，tradeunions，atalloftheseexcellentpeopleshooktheirheadsdespondingly，andmurmured"Ichabod。"Butthetradeunionsarenowdebatinginsteadofconspiring，andweallreadtheirdiscussionswithcomfortandhope，surethattheyarelearningthebusinessofcitizenshipandthedifficultiesofpracticallegislation。

OneofthemostcuriousofthesefrenziesofexclusionwasthatagainsttheemancipationoftheJews。Allshareinthegovernmentoftheworldwasdeniedforcenturiestoperhapstheablest，certainlythemosttenacious，racethathadeverlivedinit-theracetowhomweowedourreligionandthepurestspiritualstimulusandconsolationtobefoundinallliterature-araceinwhichabilityseemsasnaturalandhereditaryasthecurveoftheirnoses，andwhoseblood，furtivelyminglingwiththebluestbloodsinEurope，hasquickenedthemwithitsownindomitableimpulsion。Wedrovethemintoacorner，buttheyhadtheirrevenge，asthewrongedarealwayssuretohaveitsoonerorlater。Theymadetheircornerthecounterandbanking-houseoftheworld，andthencetheyruleitanduswiththeignoblersceptreoffinance。

YourgrandfathersmobbedPriestleyonlythatyoumightsetuphisstatueandmakeBirminghamtheheadquartersofEnglishUnitarianism。Wehearitsaidsometimesthatthisisanageoftransition，asifthatmademattersclearer；butcananyonepointustoanagethatwasnot？Ifhecould，hewouldshowusanageofstagnation。Thequestionforus，asithasbeenforallbeforeus，istomakethetransitiongradualandeasy，toseethatourpointsarerightsothatthetrainmaynotcometogrief。Forweshouldrememberthatnothingismorenaturalforpeoplewhoseeducationhasbeenneglectedthantospellevolutionwithaninitial"r。"Agreatmanstrugglingwiththestormsoffatehasbeencalledasublimespectacle；butsurelyagreatmanwrestlingwiththesenewforcesthathavecomeintotheworld，masteringthemandcontrollingthemtobeneficentends，wouldbeayetsublimer。Hereisnotadanger，andiftherewereitwouldbeonlyabetterschoolofmanhood，anoblerscopeforambition。Ihavehintedthatwhatpeopleareafraidofindemocracyislessthethingitselfthanwhattheyconceivetobeitsnecessaryadjunctsandconsequences。Itissupposedtoreduceallmankindtoadeadlevelofmediocrityincharacterandculture，tovulgarizemen"sconceptionsoflife，andthereforetheircodeofmorals，manners，andconduct-toendangertherightsofpropertyandpossession。ButIbelievethattherealgravamenofthechargesliesinthehabitithasofmakingitselfgenerallydisagreeablebyaskingthePowersthatBeatthemostinconvenientmomentwhethertheyarethepowersthatoughttobe。Ifthepowersthatbeareinaconditiontogiveasatisfactoryanswertothisinevitablequestion，theyneedfeelinnowaydiscomfitedbyit。

Fewpeopletakethetroubleoftryingtofindoutwhatdemocracyreallyis。

Yetthiswouldbeagreathelp，foritisourlawlessanduncertainthoughts，itistheindefinitenessofourimpressions，thatfilldarkness，whethermentalorphysical，withspectresandhobgoblins。Democracyisnothingmorethananexperimentingovernment，morelikelytosucceedinanewsoil，butlikelytobetriedinallsoils，whichmuststandorfallonitsownmeritsasothershavedonebeforeit。Forthereisnotrickofperpetualmotioninpoliticsanymorethaninmechanics。PresidentLincolndefineddemocracytobe"thegovernmentofthepeoplebythepeopleforthepeople。"Thisisasufficientlycompactstatementofitasapoliticalarrangement。TheodoreParkersaidthat"Democracymeantnot"I"masgoodasyouare，"but"You"reasgoodasI

am。""Andthisistheethicalconceptionofit，necessaryasacomplementoftheother；aconceptionwhich，coulditbemadeactualandpractical，wouldeasilysolvealltheriddlesthattheoldsphinxofpoliticalandsocialeconomywhositsbytheroadsidehasbeenproposingtomankindfromthebeginning，andwhichmankindhaveshownsuchasingulartalentforansweringwrongly。

InthissenseChristwasthefirsttruedemocratthateverbreathed，astheolddramatistDekkersaidhewasthefirsttruegentleman。Thecharactersmaybeeasilydoubled，sostrongisthelikenessbetweenthem。AbeautifulandprofoundparableofthePersianpoetJellaladeentellsusthat"OneknockedattheBeloved"sdoor，andavoiceaskedfromwithin"Whoisthere？"andheanswered"ItisI。"Thenthevoicesaid，"Thishousewillnotholdmeandthee"；

andthedoorwasnotopened。Thenwenttheloverintothedesertandfastedandprayedinsolitude，andafterayearhereturnedandknockedagainatthedoor；andagainthevoiceasked"Whoisthere？"andhesaid"Itisthyself；"andthedoorwasopenedtohim。"Butthatisidealism，youwillsay，andthisisanonlytoopracticalworld。Igrantit；butIamoneofthosewhobelievethattherealwillneverfindanirremovablebasistillitrestsontheideal。

Itusedtobethoughtthatademocracywaspossibleonlyinasmallterritory，andthisisdoubtlesstrueofademocracystrictlydefined，forinsuchallthecitizensdecidedirectlyuponeveryquestionofpublicconcerninageneralassembly。

AnexamplestillsurvivesinthetinySwisscantonofAppenzell。Butthisimmediateinterventionofthepeopleintheirownaffairsisnotoftheessenceofdemocracy；itisnotnecessary，norindeed，inmostcases，practicable。

DemocraciestowhichMr。Lincoln"sdefinitionwouldfairlyenoughapplyhaveexisted，andnowexist，inwhich，thoughthesupremeauthorityresideinthepeople，yettheycanactonlyindirectlyonthenationalpolicy。Thisgenerationhasseenademocracywithanimperialfigurehead，andinallthathaveeverexistedthebodypolitichasneverembracedalltheinhabitantsincludedwithinitsterritory，therighttoshareinthedirectionofaffairshasbeenconfinedtocitizens，andcitizenshiphasbeenfurtherrestrictedbyvariouslimitations，sometimesofproperty，sometimesofnativity，andalwaysofageandsex。