representative government-第7章

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d；　believing　that　the　tendency　of　things；　on　the　whole；　is　towards　improvement；　we　ought　not　to　forget　that　there　is　an　incessant　and　ever…flowing　current　of　human　affairs　towards　the　worse；　consisting　of　all　the　follies；　all　the　vices；　all　the　negligences；　indolences；　and　supinenesses　of　mankind；　which　is　only　controlled；　and　kept　from　sweeping　all　before　it；　by　the　exertions　which　some　persons　constantly；　and　others　by　fits；　put　forth　in　the　direction　of　good　and　worthy　objects。　It　gives　a　very　insufficient　idea　of　the　importance　of　the　strivings　which　take　place　to　improve　and　elevate　human　nature　and　life；　to　suppose　that　their　chief　value　consists　in　the　amount　of　actual　improvement　realised　by　their　means；　and　that　the　consequence　of　their　cessation　would　merely　be　that　we　should　remain　as　we　are。　A　very　small　diminution　of　those　exertions　would　not　only　put　a　stop　to　improvement；　but　would　turn　the　general　tendency　of　things　towards　deterioration；　which；　once　begun；　would　proceed　with　increasingly　rapidity；　and　become　more　and　more　difficult　to　check；　until　it　reached　a　state　often　seen　in　history；　and　in　which　many　large　portions　of　mankind　even　now　grovel；　when　hardly　anything　short　of　superhuman　power　seems　sufficient　to　turn　the　tide；　and　give　a　fresh　commencement　to　the　upward　movement。　　　These　reasons　make　the　word　Progress　as　unapt　as　the　terms　Order　and　Permanence　to　become　the　basis　for　a　classification　of　the　requisites　of　a　form　of　government。　The　fundamental　antithesis　which　these　words　express　does　not　lie　in　the　things　themselves；　so　much　as　in　the　types　of　human　character　which　answer　to　them。　There　are；　we　know；　some　minds　in　which　caution；　and　others　in　which　boldness；　predominates：　in　some；　the　desire　to　avoid　imperilling　what　is　already　possessed　is　a　stronger　sentiment　than　that　which　prompts　to　improve　the　old　and　acquire　new　advantages；　while　there　are　others　who　lean　the　contrary　way；　and　are　more　eager　for　future　than　careful　of　present　good。　The　road　to　the　ends　of　both　is　the　same；　but　they　are　liable　to　wander　from　it　in　opposite　directions。　This　consideration　is　of　importance　in　composing　the　personnel　of　any　political　body：　persons　of　both　types　ought　to　be　included　in　it；　that　the　tendencies　of　each　may　be　tempered；　in　so　far　as　they　are　excessive；　by　a　due　proportion　of　the　other。　There　needs　no　express　provision　to　ensure　this　object；　provided　care　is　taken　to　admit　nothing　inconsistent　with　it。　The　natural　and　spontaneous　admixture　of　the　old　and　the　young；　of　those　whose　position　and　reputation　are　made　and　those　who　have　them　still　to　make；　will　in　general　sufficiently　answer　the　purpose；　if　only　this　natural　balance　is　not　disturbed　by　artificial　regulation。

　　Since　the　distinction　most　commonly　adopted　for　the　classification　of　social　exigencies　does　not　possess　the　properties　needful　for　that　use；　we　have　to　seek　for　some　other　leading　distinction　better　adapted　to　the　purpose。　Such　a　distinction　would　seem　to　be　indicated　by　the　considerations　to　which　I　now　proceed。　　　If　we　ask　ourselves　on　what　causes　and　conditions　good　government　in　all　its　senses；　from　the　humblest　to　the　most　exalted；　depends；　we　find　that　the　principal　of　them；　the　one　which　transcends　all　others；　is　the　qualities　of　the　human　beings　composing　the　society　over　which　the　government　is　exercised。　　　We　may　take；　as　a　first　instance；　the　administration　of　justice；　with　the　more　propriety；　since　there　is　no　part　of　public　business　in　which　the　mere　machinery；　the　rules　and　contrivances　for　conducting　the　details　of　the　operation；　are　of　such　vital　consequence。　Yet　even　these　yield　in　importance　to　the　qualities　of　the　human　agents　employed。　Of　what　efficacy　are　rules　of　procedure　in　securing　the　ends　of　justice；　if　the　moral　condition　of　the　people　is　such　that　the　witnesses　generally　lie；　and　the　judges　and　their　subordinates　take　bribes？　Again；　how　can　institutions　provide　a　good　municipal　administration　if　there　exists　such　indifference　to　the　subject　that　those　who　would　administer　honestly　and　capably　cannot　be　induced　to　serve；　and　the　duties　are　left　to　those　who　undertake　them　because　they　have　some　private　interest　to　be　promoted？　Of　what　avail　is　the　most　broadly　popular　representative　system　if　the　electors　do　not　care　to　choose　the　best　member　of　parliament；　but　choose　him　who　will　spend　most　money　to　be　elected？　How　can　a　representative　assembly　work　for　good　if　its　members　can　be　bought；　or　if　their　excitability　of　temperament；　uncorrected　by　public　discipline　or　private　self…control；　makes　them　incapable　of　calm　deliberation；　and　they　resort　to　manual　violence　on　the　floor　of　the　House；　or　shoot　at　one　another　with　rifles？　How；　again；　can　government；　or　any　joint　concern；　be　carried　on　in　a　tolerable　manner　by　people　so　envious　that；　if　one　among　them　seems　likely　to　succeed　in　anything；　those　who　ought　to　cooperate　with　him　form　a　tacit　combination　to　make　him　fail？　Whenever　the　general　disposition　of　the　people　is　such　that　each　individual　regards　those　only　of　his　interests　which　are　selfish；　and　does　not　dwell　on；　or　concern　himself　for；　his　share　of　the　general　interest；　in　such　a　state　of　things　good　government　is　impossible。　The　influence　of　defects　of　intelligence　in　obstructing　all　the　elements　of　good　government　requires　no　illustration。　Government　consists　of　acts　done　by　human　beings；　and　if　the　agents；　or　those　who　choose　the　agents；　or　those　to　whom　the　agents　are　responsible；　or　the　lookers…on　whose　opinion　ought　to　influence　and　check　all　these；　are　mere　masses　of　ignorance；　stupidity；　and　baleful　prejudice；　every　operation　of　government　will　go　wrong；　while；　in　proportion　as　the　men　rise　above　this　standard；　so　will　the　government　improve　in　quality；　up　to　the　point　of　excellence；　attainable　but　nowhere　attained；　where　the　officers　of　government；　themselves　persons　of　superior　virtue　and　intellect；　are　surrounded　by　the　atmosphere　of　a　virtuous　and　enlightened　public　opinion。　　　The　first　element　of　good　government；　therefore；　being　the　virtue　and　intelligence　of　the　human　beings　composing　the　community；　the　most　important　point　of　excellence　which　any　form　of　government　can　possess　is　to　promote　the　virtue　and　intelligence　of　the　people　themselves。　The　first　question　in　respect　to　any　political　institutions　is；　how　far　they　tend　to　foster　in　the　members　of　the　community　the　various　desirable　qualities；　moral　and　intellectual；　or　rather　（following　Bentham's　more　complete　classification）　moral；　intellectual；　and　active。　The　government　which　does　this　the　best　has　every　likelihood　of　being　the　best　in　all　other　respects；　since　it　is　on　these　qualities；　so　far　as　they　exist　in　the　people；　that　all　possibility　of　goodness　in　the　practical　operations　of　the　government　depends。　　　We　may　consider；　then；　as　one　criterion　of　the　goodness　of　a　government；　the　degree　in　which　it　tends　to　increase　the　sum　of　good　qualities　in　the　governed；　collectively　and　individually；　since；　besides　that　their　well…being　is　the　sole　object　of　government；　their　good　qualities　supply　the　moving　force　which　works　the　machinery。　This　leaves；　as　the　other　constituent　element　of　the　merit　of　a　government；　the　qualit