representative government-第2章

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e。　And　again；　if　a　people　have　omitted；　or　from　outward　pressure　have　not　had　it　in　their　power；　to　give　themselves　a　constitution　by　the　tentative　process　of　applying　a　corrective　to　each　evil　as　it　arose；　or　as　the　sufferers　gained　strength　to　resist　it；　this　retardation　of　political　progress　is　no　doubt　a　great　disadvantage　to　them；　but　it　does　not　prove　that　what　has　been　found　good　for　others　would　not　have　been　good　also　for　them；　and　will　not　be　so　still　when　they　think　fit　to　adopt　it。　　　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　also　to　be　borne　in　mind　that　political　machinery　does　not　act　of　itself。　As　it　is　first　made；　so　it　has　to　be　worked；　by　men；　and　even　by　ordinary　men。　It　needs；　not　their　simple　acquiescence；　but　their　active　participation；　and　must　be　adjusted　to　the　capacities　and　qualities　of　such　men　as　are　available。　This　implies　three　conditions。　The　people　for　whom　the　form　of　government　is　intended　must　be　willing　to　accept　it；　or　at　least　not　so　unwilling　as　to　oppose　an　insurmountable　obstacle　to　its　establishment。　They　must　be　willing　and　able　to　do　what　is　necessary　to　keep　it　standing。　And　they　must　be　willing　and　able　to　do　what　it　requires　of　them　to　enable　it　to　fulfil　its　purposes。　The　word　〃do〃　is　to　be　understood　as　including　forbearances　as　well　as　acts。　They　must　be　capable　of　fulfilling　the　conditions　of　action；　and　the　conditions　of　self…restraint；　which　are　necessary　either　for　keeping　the　established　polity　in　existence；　or　for　enabling　it　to　achieve　the　ends；　its　conduciveness　to　which　forms　its　recommendation。　　　The　failure　of　any　of　these　conditions　renders　a　form　of　government；　whatever　favourable　promise　it　may　otherwise　hold　out；　unsuitable　to　the　particular　case。　　　The　first　obstacle；　the　repugnance　of　the　people　to　the　particular　form　of　government；　needs　little　illustration；　because　it　never　can　in　theory　have　been　overlooked。　The　case　is　of　perpetual　occurrence。　Nothing　but　foreign　force　would　induce　a　tribe　of　North　American　Indians　to　submit　to　the　restraints　of　a　regular　and　civilised　government。　The　same　might　have　been　said；　though　somewhat　less　absolutely；　of　the　barbarians　who　overran　the　Roman　Empire。　It　required　centuries　of　time；　and　an　entire　change　of　circumstances；　to　discipline　them　into　regular　obedience　even　to　their　own　leaders；　when　not　actually　serving　under　their　banner。　There　are　nations　who　will　not　voluntarily　submit　to　any　government　but　that　of　certain　families；　which　have　from　time　immemorial　had　the　privilege　of　supplying　them　with　chiefs。　Some　nations　could　not；　except　by　foreign　conquest；　be　made　to　endure　a　monarchy；　others　are　equally　averse　to　a　republic。　The　hindrance　often　amounts；　for　the　time　being；　to　impracticability。　　　But　there　are　also　cases　in　which；　though　not　averse　to　a　form　of　government…　possibly　even　desiring　it…　a　people　may　be　unwilling　or　unable　to　fulfil　its　conditions。　They　may　be　incapable　of　fulfilling　such　of　them　as　are　necessary　to　keep　the　government　even　in　nominal　existence。　Thus　a　people　may　prefer　a　free　government；　but　if；　from　indolence；　or　carelessness；　or　cowardice；　or　want　of　public　spirit；　they　are　unequal　to　the　exertions　necessary　for　preserving　it；　if　they　will　not　fight　for　it　when　it　is　directly　attacked；　if　they　can　be　deluded　by　the　artifices　used　to　cheat　them　out　of　it；　if　by　momentary　discouragement；　or　temporary　panic；　or　a　fit　of　enthusiasm　for　an　individual；　they　can　be　induced　to　lay　their　liberties　at　the　feet　even　of　a　great　man；　or　trust　him　with　powers　which　enable　him　to　subvert　their　institutions；　in　all　these　cases　they　are　more　or　less　unfit　for　liberty：　and　though　it　may　be　for　their　good　to　have　had　it　even　for　a　short　time；　they　are　unlikely　long　to　enjoy　it。　Again；　a　people　may　be　unwilling　or　unable　to　fulfil　the　duties　which　a　particular　form　of　government　requires　of　them。　A　rude　people；　though　in　some　degree　alive　to　the　benefits　of　civilised　society；　may　be　unable　to　practise　the　forbearance　which　it　demands：　their　passions　may　be　too　violent；　or　their　personal　pride　too　exacting；　to　forego　private　conflict；　and　leave　to　the　laws　the　avenging　of　their　real　or　supposed　wrongs。　In　such　a　case；　a　civilised　government；　to　be　really　advantageous　to　them；　will　require　to　be　in　a　considerable　degree　despotic：　to　be　one　over　which　they　do　not　themselves　exercise　control；　and　which　imposes　a　great　amount　of　forcible　restraint　upon　their　actions。　　　Again；　a　people　must　be　considered　unfit　for　more　than　a　limited　and　qualified　freedom；　who　will　not　co…operate　actively　with　the　law　and　the　public　authorities　in　the　repression　of　evil…doers。　A　people　who　are　more　disposed　to　shelter　a　criminal　than　to　apprehend　him；　who；　like　the　Hindoos；　will　perjure　themselves　to　screen　the　man　who　has　robbed　them；　rather　than　take　trouble　or　expose　themselves　to　vindictiveness　by　giving　evidence　against　him；　who；　like　some　nations　of　Europe　down　to　a　recent　date；　if　a　man　poniards　another　in　the　public　street；　pass　by　on　the　other　side；　because　it　is　the　business　of　the　police　to　look　to　the　matter；　and　it　is　safer　not　to　interfere　in　what　does　not　concern　them；　a　people　who　are　revolted　by　an　execution；　but　not　shocked　at　an　assassination…　require　that　the　public　authorities　should　be　armed　with　much　sterner　powers　of　repression　than　elsewhere；　since　the　first　indispensable　requisites　of　civilised　life　have　nothing　else　to　rest　on。　These　deplorable　states　of　feeling；　in　any　people　who　have　emerged　from　savage　life；　are；　no　doubt；　usually　the　consequence　of　previous　bad　government；　which　has　taught　them　to　regard　the　law　as　made　for　other　ends　than　their　good；　and　its　administrators　as　worse　enemies　than　those　who　openly　violate　it。　But　however　little　blame　may　be　due　to　those　in　whom　these　mental　habits　have　grown　up；　and　however　the　habits　may　be　ultimately　conquerable　by　better　government；　yet　while　they　exist　a　people　so　disposed　cannot　be　governed　with　as　little　power　exercised　over　them　as　a　people　whose　sympathies　are　on　the　side　of　the　law；　and　who　are　willing　to　give　active　assistance　in　its　enforcement。　Again；　representative　institutions　are　of　little　value；　and　may　be　a　mere　instrument　of　tyranny　or　intrigue；　when　the　generality　of　electors　are　not　sufficiently　interested　in　their　own　government　to　give　their　vote；　or；　if　they　vote　at　all；　do　not　bestow　their　suffrages　on　public　grounds；　but　sell　them　for　money；　or　vote　at　the　beck　of　some　one　who　has　control　over　them；　or　whom　for　private　reasons　they　desire　to　propitiate。　Popular　election　thus　practised；　instead　of　a　security　against　misgovernment；　is　but　an　additional　wheel　in　its　machinery。　　　Besides　these　moral　hindrances；　mechanical　difficulties　are　often　an　insuperable　impediment　to　forms　of　government。　In　the　ancient　world；　though　there　might　be；　and　often　was；　great　individual　or　local　independence；　there　could　be　nothing　like　a　regulated　popular　government　beyond　the　bounds　of　a　single　city…community；　because　there　did　not　exist　the　physical　conditions　for　the　formation　and　propagation　of　a　public　opinion；　except　among　those　who　could　be　brought　together　to　discuss　public　matters　in　the　same　agora。　This　obstacle　is　generally　thought　to　have　ceased　by　th