representative government-第71章

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re　beneficial　to　a　Breton；　or　a　Basque　of　French　Navarre；　to　be　brought　into　the　current　of　the　ideas　and　feelings　of　a　highly　civilised　and　cultivated　people…　to　be　a　member　of　the　French　nationality；　admitted　on　equal　terms　to　all　the　privileges　of　French　citizenship；　sharing　the　advantages　of　French　protection；　and　the　dignity　and　prestige　of　French　power…　than　to　sulk　on　his　own　rocks；　the　half…savage　relic　of　past　times；　revolving　in　his　own　little　mental　orbit；　without　participation　or　interest　in　the　general　movement　of　the　world。　The　same　remark　applies　to　the　Welshman　or　the　Scottish　Highlander　as　members　of　the　British　nation。　　　Whatever　really　tends　to　the　admixture　of　nationalities；　and　the　blending　of　their　attributes　and　peculiarities　in　a　common　union；　is　a　benefit　to　the　human　race。　Not　by　extinguishing　types；　of　which；　in　these　cases；　sufficient　examples　are　sure　to　remain；　but　by　softening　their　extreme　forms；　and　filling　up　the　intervals　between　them。　The　united　people；　like　a　crossed　breed　of　animals　（but　in　a　still　greater　degree；　because　the　influences　in　operation　are　moral　as　well　as　physical）；　inherits　the　special　aptitudes　and　excellences　of　all　its　progenitors；　protected　by　the　admixture　from　being　exaggerated　into　the　neighbouring　vices。　But　to　render　this　admixture　possible；　there　must　be　peculiar　conditions。　The　combinations　of　circumstances　which　occur；　and　which　effect　the　result；　are　various。　　　The　nationalities　brought　together　under　the　same　government　may　be　about　equal　in　numbers　and　strength；　or　they　may　be　very　unequal。　If　unequal；　the　least　numerous　of　the　two　may　either　be　the　superior　in　civilisation；　or　the　inferior。　Supposing　it　to　be　superior；　it　may　either；　through　that　superiority；　be　able　to　acquire　ascendancy　over　the　other；　or　it　may　be　overcome　by　brute　strength　and　reduced　to　subjection。　This　last　is　a　sheer　mischief　to　the　human　race；　and　one　which　civilised　humanity　with　one　accord　should　rise　in　arms　to　prevent。　The　absorption　of　Greece　by　Macedonia　was　one　of　the　greatest　misfortunes　which　ever　happened　to　the　world：　that　of　any　of　the　principal　countries　of　Europe　by　Russia　would　be　a　similar　one。　　　If　the　smaller　nationality；　supposed　to　be　the　more　advanced　in　improvement；　is　able　to　overcome　the　greater；　as　the　Macedonians；　reinforced　by　the　Greeks；　did　Asia；　and　the　English　India；　there　is　often　a　gain　to　civilisation：　but　the　conquerors　and　the　conquered　cannot　in　this　case　live　together　under　the　same　free　institutions。　The　absorption　of　the　conquerors　in　the　less　advanced　people　would　be　an　evil：　these；　must　be　governed　as　subjects；　and　the　state　of　things　is　either　a　benefit　or　a　misfortune；　according　as　the　subjugated　people　have　or　have　not　reached　the　state　in　which　it　is　an　injury　not　to　be　under　a　free　government；　and　according　as　the　conquerors　do　or　do　not　use　their　superiority　in　a　manner　calculated　to　fit　the　conquered　for　a　higher　stage　of　improvement。　This　topic　will　be　particularly　treated　of　in　a　subsequent　chapter。　　　When　the　nationality　which　succeeds　in　overpowering　the　other　is　both　the　most　numerous　and　the　most　improved；　and　especially　if　the　subdued　nationality　is　small；　and　has　no　hope　of　reasserting　its　independence；　then；　if　it　is　governed　with　any　tolerable　justice；　and　if　the　members　of　the　more　powerful　nationality　are　not　made　odious　by　being　invested　with　exclusive　privileges；　the　smaller　nationality　is　gradually　reconciled　to　its　position；　and　becomes　amalgamated　with　the　larger。　No　Bas…Breton；　nor　even　any　Alsatian；　has　the　smallest　wish　at　the　present　day　to　be　separated　from　France。　If　all　Irishmen　have　not　yet　arrived　at　the　same　disposition　towards　England；　it　is　partly　because　they　are　sufficiently　numerous　to　be　capable　of　constituting　a　respectable　nationality　by　themselves；　but　principally　because；　until　of　late　years；　they　had　been　so　atrociously　governed；　that　all　their　best　feelings　combined　with　their　bad　ones　in　rousing　bitter　resentment　against　the　Saxon　rule。　This　disgrace　to　England；　and　calamity　to　the　whole　empire；　has；　it　may　be　truly　said；　completely　ceased　for　nearly　a　generation。　No　Irishman　is　now　less　free　than　an　Anglo…Saxon；　nor　has　a　less　share　of　every　benefit　either　to　his　country　or　to　his　individual　fortunes　than　if　he　were　sprung　from　any　other　portion　of　the　British　dominions。　The　only　remaining　real　grievance　of　Ireland；　that　of　the　State　Church；　is　one　which　half；　or　nearly　half；　the　people　of　the　larger　island　have　in　common　with　them。　There　is　now　next　to　nothing；　except　the　memory　of　the　past；　and　the　difference　in　the　predominant　religion；　to　keep　apart　two　races；　perhaps　the　most　fitted　of　any　two　in　the　world　to　be　the　completing　counterpart　of　one　another。　The　consciousness　of　being　at　last　treated　not　only　with　equal　justice　but　with　equal　consideration　is　making　such　rapid　way　in　the　Irish　nation　as　to　be　wearing　off　all　feelings　that　could　make　them　insensible　to　the　benefits　which　the　less　numerous　and　less　wealthy　people　must　necessarily　derive　from　being　fellow…citizens　instead　of　foreigners　to　those　who　are　not　only　their　nearest　neighbours；　but　the　wealthiest；　and　one　of　the　freest；　as　well　as　most　civilised　and　powerful；　nations　of　the　earth。　　　The　cases　in　which　the　greatest　practical　obstacles　exist　to　the　blending　of　nationalities　are　when　the　nationalities　which　have　been　bound　together　are　nearly　equal　in　numbers　and　in　the　other　elements　of　power。　In　such　cases；　each；　confiding　in　its　strength；　and　feeling　itself　capable　of　maintaining　an　equal　struggle　with　any　of　the　others；　is　unwilling　to　be　merged　in　it：　each　cultivates　with　party　obstinacy　its　distinctive　peculiarities；　obsolete　customs；　and　even　declining　languages；　are　revived　to　deepen　the　separation；　each　deems　itself　tyrannised　over　if　any　authority　is　exercised　within　itself　by　functionaries　of　a　rival　race；　and　whatever　is　given　to　one　of　the　conflicting　nationalities　is　considered　to　be　taken　from　all　the　rest。　When　nations；　thus　divided；　are　under　a　despotic　government　which　is　a　stranger　to　all　of　them；　or　which；　though　sprung　from　one；　yet　feeling　greater　interest　in　its　own　power　than　in　any　sympathies　of　nationality；　assigns　no　privilege　to　either　nation；　and　chooses　its　instruments　indifferently　from　all；　in　the　course　of　a　few　generations；　identity　of　situation　often　produces　harmony　of　feeling；　and　the　different　races　come　to　feel　towards　each　other　as　fellow…countrymen；　particularly　if　they　are　dispersed　over　the　same　tract　of　country。　But　if　the　era　of　aspiration　to　free　government　arrives　before　this　fusion　has　been　effected；　the　opportunity　has　gone　by　for　effecting　it。　From　that　time；　if　the　unreconciled　nationalities　are　geographically　separate；　and　especially　if　their　local　position　is　such　that　there　is　no　natural　fitness　or　convenience　in　their　being　under　the　same　government　（as　in　the　case　of　an　Italian　province　under　a　French　or　German　yoke）；　there　is　not　only　an　obvious　propriety；　but；　if　either　freedom　or　concord　is　cared　for；　a　necessity；　for　breaking　the　connection　altogether。　There　may　be　cases　in　which　the　provinces；　after　separation；　might　usefully　remain　united　by　a　federal　tie：　but　it　gene