representative government-第29章

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　interest　of　the　whole　existing　generation　of　the　class。　The　relaxation　of　industry　and　activity；　and　diminished　encouragement　to　saving　which　would　be　their　ultimate　consequence；　might　perhaps　be　little　felt　by　the　class　of　unskilled　labourers　in　the　space　of　a　single　lifetime。　　　Some　of　the　most　fatal　changes　in　human　affairs　have　been；　as　to　their　more　manifest　immediate　effects；　beneficial。　The　establishment　of　the　despotism　of　the　Caesars　was　a　great　benefit　to　the　entire　generation　in　which　it　took　place。　It　put　a　stop　to　civil　war；　abated　a　vast　amount　of　malversation　and　tyranny　by　praetors　and　proconsuls；　it　fostered　many　of　the　graces　of　life；　and　intellectual　cultivation　in　all　departments　not　political；　it　produced　monuments　of　literary　genius　dazzling　to　the　imaginations　of　shallow　readers　of　history；　who　do　not　reflect　that　the　men　to　whom　the　despotism　of　Augustus　（as　well　as　of　Lorenzo　de'　Medici　and　of　Louis　XIV。）　owes　its　brilliancy；　were　all　formed　in　the　generation　preceding。　The　accumulated　riches；　and　the　mental　energy　and　activity；　produced　by　centuries　of　freedom；　remained　for　the　benefit　of　the　first　generation　of　slaves。　Yet　this　was　the　commencement　of　a　regime　by　whose　gradual　operation　all　the　civilisation　which　had　been　gained　insensibly　faded　away；　until　the　Empire；　which　had　conquered　and　embraced　the　world　in　its　grasp；　so　completely　lost　even　its　military　efficiency；　that　invaders　whom　three　or　four　legions　had　always　sufficed　to　coerce　were　able　to　overrun　and　occupy　nearly　the　whole　of　its　vast　territory。　The　fresh　impulse　given　by　Christianity　came　but　just　in　time　to　save　arts　and　letters　from　perishing；　and　the　human　race　from　sinking　back　into　perhaps　endless　night。　　　When　we　talk　of　the　interest　of　a　body　of　men；　or　even　of　an　individual　man；　as　a　principle　determining　their　actions；　the　question　what　would　be　considered　their　interest　by　an　unprejudiced　observer　is　one　of　the　least　important　parts　of　the　whole　matter。　As　Coleridge　observes；　the　man　makes　the　motive；　not　the　motive　the　man。　What　it　is　the　man's　interest　to　do　or　refrain　from　depends　less　on　any　outward　circumstances　than　upon　what　sort　of　man　he　is。　If　you　wish　to　know　what　is　practically　a　man's　interest；　you　must　know　the　cast　of　his　habitual　feelings　and　thoughts。　Everybody　has　two　kinds　of　interests；　interests　which　he　cares　for；　and　interests　which　he　does　not　care　for。　Everybody　has　selfish　and　unselfish　interests；　and　a　selfish　man　has　cultivated　the　habit　of　caring　for　the　former；　and　not　caring　for　the　latter。　Every　one　has　present　and　distant　interests；　and　the　improvident　man　is　he　who　cares　for　the　present　interests　and　does　not　care　for　the　distant。　It　matters　little　that　on　any　correct　calculation　the　latter　may　be　the　more　considerable；　if　the　habits　of　his　mind　lead　him　to　fix　his　thoughts　and　wishes　solely　on　the　former。　It　would　be　vain　to　attempt　to　persuade　a　man　who　beats　his　wife　and　ill…treats　his　children　that　he　would　be　happier　if　he　lived　in　love　and　kindness　with　them。　He　would　be　happier　if　he　were　the　kind　of　person　who　could　so　live；　but　he　is　not；　and　it　is　probably　too　late　for　him　to　become；　that　kind　of　person。　Being　what　he　is；　the　gratification　of　his　love　of　domineering；　and　the　indulgence　of　his　ferocious　temper；　are　to　his　perceptions　a　greater　good　to　himself　than　he　would　be　capable　of　deriving　from　the　pleasure　and　affection　of　those　dependent　on　him。　He　has　no　pleasure　in　their　pleasure；　and　does　not　care　for　their　affection。　His　neighbour；　who　does；　is　probably　a　happier　man　than　he；　but　could　he　be　persuaded　of　this；　the　persuasion　would；　most　likely；　only　still　further　exasperate　his　malignity　or　his　irritability。　On　the　average；　a　person　who　cares　for　other　people；　for　his　country；　or　for　mankind；　is　a　happier　man　than　one　who　does　not；　but　of　what　use　is　it　to　preach　this　doctrine　to　a　man　who　cares　for　nothing　but　his　own　ease；　or　his　own　pocket？　He　cannot　care　for　other　people　if　he　would。　It　is　like　preaching　to　the　worm　who　crawls　on　the　ground　how　much　better　it　would　be　for　him　if　he　were　an　eagle。　　　Now　it　is　a　universally　observed　fact　that　the　two　evil　dispositions　in　question；　the　disposition　to　prefer　a　man's　selfish　interests　to　those　which　he　shares　with　other　people；　and　his　immediate　and　direct　interests　to　those　which　are　indirect　and　remote；　are　characteristics　most　especially　called　forth　and　fostered　by　the　possession　of　power。　The　moment　a　man；　or　a　class　of　men；　find　themselves　with　power　in　their　hands；　the　man's　individual　interest；　or　the　class's　separate　interest；　acquires　an　entirely　new　degree　of　importance　in　their　eyes。　Finding　themselves　worshipped　by　others；　they　become　worshippers　of　themselves；　and　think　themselves　entitled　to　be　counted　at　a　hundred　times　the　value　of　other　people；　while　the　facility　they　acquire　of　doing　as　they　like　without　regard　to　consequences　insensibly　weakens　the　habits　which　make　men　look　forward　even　to　such　consequences　as　affect　themselves。　This　is　the　meaning　of　the　universal　tradition；　grounded　on　universal　experience；　of　men's　being　corrupted　by　power。　Every　one　knows　how　absurd　it　would　be　to　infer　from　what　a　man　is　or　does　when　in　a　private　station；　that　he　will　be　and　do　exactly　the　like　when　a　despot　on　a　throne；　where　the　bad　parts　of　his　human　nature；　instead　of　being　restrained　and　kept　in　subordination　by　every　circumstance　of　his　life　and　by　every　person　surrounding　him；　are　courted　by　all　persons；　and　ministered　to　by　all　circumstances。　It　would　be　quite　as　absurd　to　entertain　a　similar　expectation　in　regard　to　a　class　of　men；　the　Demos；　or　any　other。　Let　them　be　ever　so　modest　and　amenable　to　reason　while　there　is　a　power　over　them　stronger　than　they；　we　ought　to　expect　a　total　change　in　this　respect　when　they　themselves　become　the　strongest　power。　　　Governments　must　be　made　for　human　beings　as　they　are；　or　as　they　are　capable　of　speedily　becoming：　and　in　any　state　of　cultivation　which　mankind；　or　any　class　among　them；　have　yet　attained；　or　are　likely　soon　to　attain；　the　interests　by　which　they　will　be　led；　when　they　are　thinking　only　of　self…interest；　will　be　almost　exclusively　those　which　are　obvious　at　first　sight；　and　which　operate　on　their　present　condition。　It　is　only　a　disinterested　regard　for　others；　and　especially　for　what　comes　after　them；　for　the　idea　of　posterity；　of　their　country；　or　of　mankind；　whether　grounded　on　sympathy　or　on　a　conscientious　feeling；　which　ever　directs　the　minds　and　purposes　of　classes　or　bodies　of　men　towards　distant　or　unobvious　interests。　And　it　cannot　be　maintained　that　any　form　of　government　would　be　rational　which　required　as　a　condition　that　these　exalted　principles　of　action　should　be　the　guiding　and　master　motives　in　the　conduct　of　average　human　beings。　A　certain　amount　of　conscience；　and；　of　disinterested　public　spirit；　may　fairly　be　calculated　on　in　the　citizens　of　any　community　ripe　for　representative　government。　But　it　would　be　ridiculous　to　expect　such　a　degree　of　it；　combined　with　such　intellectual　discernment；　as　would　be　proof　against　any　plausible　fallacy　tending　to　make　that　which　was　for　their　class　interest　appear　the　dictate　of　justice　and　of　t