the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第33部分

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ater　from　oppression　and　exaction。　　The　king　will　desire　an　useless　war　for　his　glory；　or　a　parc…aux…cerfs　for　his　pleasure。　The　nobles　will　demand　monopolies　and　lettres…de…cachet。　　In　proportion　as　the　number　of　governors　is　increased　the　evil　is　diminished。　　There　are　fewer　to　contribute；　and　more　to　receive。　The　dividend　which　each　can　obtain　of　the　public　plunder　becomes　less　and　less　tempting。　　But　the　interests　of　the　subjects　and　the　rulers　never　absolutely　coincide　till　the　subjects　themselves　become　the　rulers；　that　is；　till　the　government　be　either　immediately　or　mediately　democratical。

But　this　is　not　enough。　　〃Will　without　power；〃　said　the　sagacious　Casimir　to　Milor　Beefington；　〃is　like　children　playing　at　soldiers。〃　　The　people　will　always　be　desirous　to　promote　their　own　interests；　but　it　may　be　doubted；　whether；　in　any　community；　they　were　ever　sufficiently　educated　to　understand　them。　　Even　in　this　island；　where　the　multitude　have　long　been　better　informed　than　in　any　other　part　of　Europe；　the　rights　of　the　many　have　generally　been　asserted　against　themselves　by　the　patriotism　of　the　few。　　Free　trade；　one　of　the　greatest　blessings　which　a　government　can　confer　on　a　people；　is　in　almost　every　country　unpopular。　　It　may　be　well　doubted；　whether　a　liberal　policy　with　regard　to　our　commercial　relations　would　find　any　support　from　a　parliament　elected　by　universal　suffrage。　　The　republicans　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic　have　recently　adopted　regulations　of　which　the　consequences　will；　before　long；　show　us；

〃How　nations　sink；　by　darling　schemes　oppressed；　When　vengeance　listens　to　the　fool's　request。〃

The　people　are　to　be　governed　for　their　own　good；　and；　that　they　may　be　governed　for　their　own　good；　they　must　not　be　governed　by　their　own　ignorance。　　There　are　countries　in　which　it　would　be　as　absurd　to　establish　popular　government　as　to　abolish　all　the　restraints　in　a　school；　or　to　untie　all　the　strait…waistcoats　in　a　madhouse。

Hence　it　may　be　concluded　that　the　happiest　state　of　society　is　that　in　which　supreme　power　resides　in　the　whole　body　of　a　well…　informed　people。　　This　is　an　imaginary；　perhaps　an　unattainable；　state　of　things。　　Yet；　in　some　measure；　we　may　approximate　to　it；　and　he　alone　deserves　the　name　of　a　great　statesman；　whose　principle　it　is　to　extend　the　power　of　the　people　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　their　knowledge；　and　to　give　them　every　facility　for　obtaining　such　a　degree　of　knowledge　as　may　render　it　safe　to　trust　them　with　absolute　power。　　In　the　mean　time；　it　is　dangerous　to　praise　or　condemn　constitutions　in　the　abstract；　since；　from　the　despotism　of　St　Petersburg　to　the　democracy　of　Washington；　there　is　scarcely　a　form　of　government　which　might　not；　at　least　in　some　hypothetical　case；　be　the　best　possible。

If；　however；　there　be　any　form　of　government　which　in　all　ages　and　all　nations　has　always　been；　and　must　always　be；　pernicious；　it　is　certainly　that　which　Mr　Mitford；　on　his　usual　principle　of　being　wiser　than　all　the　rest　of　the　world；　has　taken　under　his　especial　patronagepure　oligarchy。　　This　is　closely；　and　indeed　inseparably；　connected　with　another　of　his　eccentric　tastes；　a　marked　partiality　for　Lacedaemon；　and　a　dislike　of　Athens。　　Mr　Mitford's　book　has；　I　suspect；　rendered　these　sentiments　in　some　degree　popular；　and　I　shall；　therefore；　examine　them　at　some　length。

The　shades　in　the　Athenian　character　strike　the　eye　more　rapidly　than　those　in　the　Lacedaemonian：　　not　because　they　are　darker；　but　because　they　are　on　a　brighter　ground。　　The　law　of　ostracism　is　an　instance　of　this。　　Nothing　can　be　conceived　more　odious　than　the　practice　of　punishing　a　citizen；　simply　and　professedly；　for　his　eminence；and　nothing　in　the　institutions　of　Athens　is　more　frequently　or　more　justly　censured。　　Lacedaemon　was　free　from　this。　　And　why？　Lacedaemon　did　not　need　it。　　Oligarchy　is　an　ostracism　of　itself；an　ostracism　not　occasional；　but　permanent；　not　dubious；　but　certain。　　Her　laws　prevented　the　development　of　merit　instead　of　attacking　its　maturity。　　They　did　not　cut　down　the　plant　in　its　high　and　palmy　state；　but　cursed　the　soil　with　eternal　sterility。　　In　spite　of　the　law　of　ostracism；　Athens　produced；　within　a　hundred　and　fifty　years；　the　greatest　public　men　that　ever　existed。　　Whom　had　Sparta　to　ostracise？　　She　produced；　at　most；　four　eminent　men；　Brasidas；　Gylippus；　Lysander；　and　Agesilaus。　　Of　these；　not　one　rose　to　distinction　within　her　jurisdiction。　　It　was　only　when　they　escaped　from　the　region　within　which　the　influence　of　aristocracy　withered　everything　good　and　noble；　it　was　only　when　they　ceased　to　be　Lacedaemonians；　that　they　became　great　men。　　Brasidas；　among　the　cities　of　Thrace；　was　strictly　a　democratical　leader；　the　favourite　minister　and　general　of　the　people。　　The　same　may　be　said　of　Gylippus；　at　Syracuse。　　Lysander；　in　the　Hellespont；　and　Agesilaus；　in　Asia；　were　liberated　for　a　time　from　the　hateful　restraints　imposed　by　the　constitution　of　Lycurgus。　　Both　acquired　fame　abroad；　and　both　returned　to　be　watched　and　depressed　at　home。　　This　is　not　peculiar　to　Sparta。　　Oligarchy；　wherever　it　has　existed；　has　always　stunted　the　growth　of　genius。　Thus　it　was　at　Rome；　till　about　a　century　before　the　Christian　era：　　we　read　of　abundance　of　consuls　and　dictators　who　won　battles；　and　enjoyed　triumphs；　but　we　look　in　vain　for　a　single　man　of　the　first　order　of　intellect；for　a　Pericles；　a　Demosthenes；　or　a　Hannibal。　　The　Gracchi　formed　a　strong　democratical　party；　Marius　revived　it；　the　foundations　of　the　old　aristocracy　were　shaken；　and　two　generations　fertile　in　really　great　men　appeared。

Venice　is　a　still　more　remarkable　instance：　　in　her　history　we　see　nothing　but　the　state；　aristocracy　had　destroyed　every　seed　of　genius　and　virtue。　　Her　dominion　was　like　herself；　lofty　and　magnificent；　but　founded　on　filth　and　weeds。　　God　forbid　that　there　should　ever　again　exist　a　powerful　and　civilised　state；　which；　after　existing　through　thirteen　hundred　eventful　years；　should　not　bequeath　to　mankind　the　memory　of　one　great　name　or　one　generous　action。

Many　writers；　and　Mr　Mitford　among　the　number；　have　admired　the　stability　of　the　Spartan　institutions；　in　fact；　there　is　little　to　admire；　and　less　to　approve。　　Oligarchy　is　the　weakest　and　the　most　stable　of　governments；　and　it　is　stable　because　it　is　weak。　It　has　a　sort　of　valetudinarian　longevity；　it　lives　in　the　balance　of　Sanctorius；　it　takes　no　exercise；　it　exposes　itself　to　no　accident；　it　is　seized　with　an　hypochondriac　alarm　at　every　new　sensation；　it　trembles　at　every　breath；　it　lets　blood　for　every　inflammation：　and　thus；　without　ever　enjoying　a　day　of　health　or　pleasure；　drags　on　its　existence　to　a　doting　and　debilitated　old　age。

The　Spartans　purchased　for　their　government　a　prolongation　of　its　existence　by　the　sacrifice　of　happiness　at　home　and　dignity　abroad。　　They　cringed　to　the　powerful；　they　trampled　on　the　weak；　they　massacred　their　helots；　they　betrayed　their　allies；　they　contrived　to　be　a　day　too　late　for　the　battle　of　Marathon；　they　attempted　to　avoid　the　battle　of　Salamis；　they　suffered　the　Athenians；　to　whom　they　owed　their　lives　and　liberties；　to　be　a　second　time　driven　from　their　country　by　the　Persians；　that　they　might　finish　their　own　fortifications　on　the　Isthmus；　they　attempted　to　take　advantage　of　the　distress　to　which　exertions　in　their　cause　had　reduced　their　preservers；　in　order　to　make　them　their　slaves；　they　strove　to　prevent　those　who　had　abandoned　their　walls　to　defend　them；　from　rebuilding　them　to　defend　themselves；　they　commenced　the　Peloponnesian　war　in　violation　of　their　engagements　with　Athens；　they　abandoned　it　in　violation　of　their　engagements　with　their　allies；　they　gave　up　to　the　sword　whole　cities　which　had　placed　themselves　under　their　protection；　they　bartered；　for　advantages　confined　to　themselves；　the　interest；　the　freedom；　and　the　lives　of　those　who　had　served　them　most　faithfully；　they　took　with　equal　complacency；　and　equal　infamy；　the　stripes　of　Elis　and　the　bribes　of　Persia；　they　never　showed　either　resentment　or　gratitude；　they　abstained　from　no　injury；　and　they　revenged　none。　　Above　all；　they　looked　on　a　citizen　who　served　them　well　as　their　deadliest　enemy。　　These　are　the　arts　which　protract　the　existence　of　government。

Nor　were　the　domestic　institutions　of　Lacedaemon　less　hateful　or　less　contemptible　than　her　foreign　policy。　　A　perpetual　interference　with　every　part　of　the　system　of　human　life；　a　constant　struggle　against　nature　and　reason；　characterised　all　her　laws。　　To　violate　even　prejudices　which　have　taken　deep　root　in　the　minds　of　a　people　is　scarcely　expedient；　to　think　of　extirpating　natural　appetites　and　passions　is　frantic：　　the　external　symptoms　may　be　occasionally　repressed；　but　the　feeling　still　exists；　and；　debarred　from　its　natural　objects；　preys　on　the　disordered　mind　and　body　of　its　victim。　　Thus　it　is　in　convents…thus　it　is　among　ascetic　sectsthus　it　was　among　the　Lacedaemonians。　　Hence　arose　that　madness；　or　violence　approaching　to　madness；　which；　in　spite　of　every　external　restraint；　often　appeared　among　the　most　distinguished　citizens　of　Sparta。　　Cleomenes　terminated　his　career　of　raving　cruelty　by　cutting　himself　to　pieces。　　Pausanias　seems