Democracy.docx
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Democracy.docx
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Democracy
DemocracyDemocracybyJamesRussellLowell1886
IntroductoryNoteJamesRussellLowell,poet,essayist,diplomatist,andscholar,wasbornatCambridge,Massachusetts,onFebruary22,1819,thesonofaUnitarianminister.EducatedatHarvardCollege,hetriedthelaw,butsoongaveitupforliterature.Hispoemon"ThePresentCrisis,"writtenin1844,washisfirstreallynotableproduction,andonethatmadeadeepimpressiononthepublicmind.Inthetwentyyearsoftroubledpoliticsthatfollowed,onefindsitconstantlyquoted.Theyear1848sawfourvolumesfromLowell'spen-abookof"Poems,"the"FableforCritics,""TheBiglowPapers,"andthe"VisionofSirLaunfal."Thesecondoftheseexhibitedtheauthoraswitandcritic,thethirdaspoliticalreformer,thefourthaspoetandmystic;
andthesevarioussidesofhispersonalitycontinuetoappearwithvaryingprominencethroughouthiscareer.
OntheretirementofLongfellowfromthechairofbelles-lettresatHarvardin1854,Lowellwaselectedtosucceedhim,andbywayofpreparationspentthenexttwoyearsinEuropestudyingmodernlanguagesandliteratures.
In1857hebecamethefirsteditoroftheAtlanticMonthly,andafter1864hecollaboratedwithCharlesEliotNortonintheeditorshipoftheNorthAmericanReview.ThroughouttheperiodofthewarLowellwrotemuchbothinproseandverseonbehalfoftheUnion;hisworkontheNorthAmericanwaslargelyliterarycriticism.
In1877LowellwenttoSpainasAmericanMinister,andin1880toLondon,whereforfiveyearsherepresentedtheUnitedStateswithgreatdistinction,anddidmuchtoimprovetherelationsofthetwocountries.Sixyearsafterhisreturn,onAugust12,1891,hediedinElmwood,thehouseinCambridgewherehewasborn.
Lowell'sliterarygiftsweresovariousthatitisdifficulttosayonwhichofthemhisfinalreputationwillrest.Butitiscertainthathewilllongbeesteemedforthegrace,vivacity,andeloquenceoftheproseinwhichheplacedbeforetheworldhisviewsonsuchgreatAmericanprinciplesandpersonalitiesasaredealtwithinthefollowingessayon"Democracy".
OnDemocracyInauguralAddressonAssumingthePresidencyoftheBirminghamandMidlandInstitute,Birmingham,England,6October,1884
Hemustbeabornleaderormisleaderofmen,ormusthavebeensentintotheworldunfurnishedwiththatmodulatingandrestrainingbalance-wheelwhichwecallasenseofhumor,who,inoldage,hasasstrongaconfidenceinhisopinionsandinthenecessityofbringingtheuniverseintoconformitywiththemashehadinyouth.Inaworldtheveryconditionofwhosebeingisthatitshouldbeinperpetualflux,whereallseemsmirage,andtheoneabidingthingistheefforttodistinguishrealitiesfromappearances,theelderlymanmustbeindeedofasingularlytoughandvalidfibrewhoiscertainthathehasanyclarifiedresiduumofexperience,anyassuredverdictofreflection,thatdeservestobecalledanopinion,orwho,evenifhehad,feelsthatheisjustifiedinholdingmankindbythebuttonwhileheisexpoundingit.
Andinaworldofdaily-nay,almosthourly-journalism,whereeverycleverman,everymanwhothinkshimselfclever,orwhomanybodyelsethinksclever,iscalledupontodeliverhisjudgmentpoint-blankandatthewordofcommandoneveryconceivablesubjectofhumanthought,oronwhatsometimesseemstohimverymuchthesamething,oneveryinconceivabledisplayofhumanwantofthought,thereissuchaspendthriftwasteofallthosecommonplaceswhichfurnishthepermittedstapleofpublicdiscoursethatthereislittlechanceofbeguilinganewtuneoutoftheone-stringedinstrumentonwhichwehavebeenthrummingsolong.Inthisdesperatenecessityoneisoftentemptedtothinkthat,ifallthewordsofthedictionaryweretumbleddowninaheapandthenallthosefortuitousjuxtapositionsandcombinationsthatmadetolerablesensewerepickedoutandpiecedtogether,wemightfindamongthemsomepoignantsuggestionstowardsnoveltyofthoughtorexpression.But,alas!
itisonlythegreatpoetswhoseemtohavethisunsolicitedprofusionofunexpectedandincalculablephrase,thisinfinitevarietyoftopic.
Foreverybodyelseeverythinghasbeensaidbefore,andsaidoveragainafter.HewhohasreadhisAristotlewillbeapttothinkthatobservationhasonmostpointsofgeneralapplicabilitysaiditslastword,andhewhohasmountedthetowerofPlatototookabroadfromitwillneverhopetoclimbanotherwithsoloftyavantageofspeculation.Whereitissosimpleifnotsoeasyathingtoholdone'speace,whyaddtothegeneralconfusionoftongues?
Thereissomethingdisheartening,too,inbeingexpectedtofillupnotlessthanacertainmeasureoftime,asifthemindwereanhour-glass,thatneedonlybeshakenandsetononeendortheother,asthecasemaybe,torunitsallottedsixtyminuteswithdecorousexactitude.Irecollectbeingoncetoldbythelateeminentnaturalist,Agassiz,thatwhenhewastodeliverhisfirstlectureasprofessor(atZurich,Ibelieve)hehadgravedoubtsofhisabilitytooccupytheprescribedthreequartersofanhour.Hewasspeakingwithoutnotes,andglancinganxiouslyfromtimetotimeatthewatchthatlaybeforehimonthedesk."WhenIhadspokenahalfhour,"hesaid,"IhadtoldthemeverythingI
knewintheworld,everything!
ThenIbegantorepeatmyself,"headded,roguishly"andIhavedonenothingelseeversince."BeneaththehumorousexaggerationofthestoryIseemedtoseethefaceofaveryseriousandimprovingmoral.Andyetifoneweretosayonlywhathehadtosayandthenstopped,hisaudiencewouldfeeldefraudedoftheirhonestmeasure.
LetustakecouragebytheexampleoftheFrench,whoseexportationofBordeauxwinesincreasesastheareaoftheirlandinvineyardsisdiminished.
Tome,somewhathopelesslyrevolvingthesethings,theundelayableyearhasrolledround,andIfindmyselfcalledupontosaysomethinginthisplace,wheresomanywisermenhavespokenbeforeme.Precluded,inmyqualityofnationalguest,bymotivesoftasteanddiscretion,fromdealingwithanyquestionofimmediateanddomesticconcern,itseemedtomewisest,oratanyratemostprudent,tochooseatopicofcomparativelyabstractinterest,andtoaskyourindulgenceforafewsomewhatgeneralizedremarksonamatterconcerningwhichIhadsomeexperimentalknowledge,derivedfromtheuseofsucheyesandearsasNaturehadbeenpleasedtoendowmewithal,andsuchreportasIhadbeenabletowinfromthem.Thesubjectwhichmostreadilysuggesteditselfwasthespiritandtheworkingofthoseconceptionsoflifeandpolitywhicharelumpedtogether,whetherforreproachorcommendation,underthenameofDemocracy.Bytemperamentandeducationofaconservativeturn,IsawthelastyearsofthatquaintArcadiawhichFrenchtravellerssawwithdelightedamazementacenturyago,andhavewatchedthechange(tomeasadone)fromanagriculturaltoaproletarypopulation.ThetestimonyofBalaamshouldcarrysomeconviction.
Ihavegrowntomanhoodandamnowgrowingoldwiththegrowthofthissystemofgovernmentinmynativeland,havewatcheditsadvances,orwhatsomewouldcallitsencroachments,gradualandirresistibleasthoseofaglacier,havebeenanear-witnesstotheforebodingsofwiseandgoodandtimidmenandhavelivedtoseethoseforebodingsbeliedbythecourseofevents,whichisapttoshowitselfhumorouslycarelessofthereputationofprophets.Irecollecthearingasagaciousoldgentlemansayin1840
thatthedoingawaywiththepropertyqualificationforsuffragetwentyyearsbeforehadbeentheruinoftheStateofMassachusetts;thatithadputpubliccreditandprivateestatealikeatthemercyofdemagogues.IlivedtoseethatCommonwealthtwentyoddyearslaterpayingtheinterestonherbondsingold,thoughitcosthersometimesnearlythreeforonetokeepherfaith,andthatwhilesufferinganunparalleleddrainofmenandtreasureinhelpingtosustaintheunityandself-respectofthenation.
Ifuniversalsuffragehasworkedillinourlargercities,asitcertainlyhas,thishasbeenmainlybecausethehandsthatwieldeditwereuntrainedtoitsuse.
Theretheelectionofamajorityofthetrusteesofthepublicmoneyiscontrolledbythemostignorantandviciousofapopulationwhichhascometousfromabroad,whollyunpractisedinself-governmentandincapableofassimilationbyAmericanhabitsandmethods.Butthefinancesofourtowns,wherethenativetraditionisstilldominantandwhoseaffairsarediscussedandsettledinapublicassemblyofthepeople,havebeeningeneralhonestlyandprudentlyadministered.Eveninmanufacturingtowns,whereamajorityofthevoterslivebytheirdailywages,itisnotsooftentherecklessnessasthemoderationofpublicexpenditurethatsurprisesanoldfashionedobserver.
"Thebeggarisinthesaddleatlast,"criesProverbialWisdom."Why,inthenameofallformerexperience,doesn'theridetotheDevil?
"Becauseintheveryactofmountingheceasedtobeabeggarandbecamepartownerofthepieceofpropertyhebestrides.Thelastthingweneedbeanxiousaboutisproperty.Italwayshasfriendsorthemeansofmakingthem.Ifricheshavewingstoflyawayfromtheirowner,theyhavewingsalsotoescapedanger.
IhearAmericasometimesplayfullyaccusedofsendingyouallyourstorms,andaminthehabitofparryingthechargebyallegingthatweareenabledtodothisbecause,invirtueofourprotectivesystem,wecanaffordtomakebetterbadweatherthananybodyelse.AndwhatwiserusecouldwemakeofitthantoexportitinreturnforthepauperswhichsomeEuropeancountriesaregoodenoughtosend
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