Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; Social problems
Yes, in what tumultuous huge anarchy soever a Noble human
Principle may dwell and strive, such tumult is in the way of
being calmed into a fruitful sovereignty. It is inevitable. No
Chaos can continue chaotic with a soul in it. Besouled with
earnest human Nobleness, did not slaughter, violence and fire-
eyed fury, grow into a Chivalry; into a blessed Loyalty of
Governor and Governed? And in Work, which is of itself noble,
and the only true fighting, there shall be no such possibility?
Believe it not; it is incredible; the whole Universe
contradicts it. Here too the Chactaw Principle will be
subordinated; the Man Principle will, by degrees, become
superior, become supreme.
I know Mammon too; Banks-of-England, Credit-Systems, worldwide
possibilities of work and traffic; and applaud and admire them.
Mammon is like Fire; the usefulest of all servants, if the
frightfulest of all masters! The Cliffords, Fitzadelms and
Chivalry Fighters 'wished to gain victory,' never doubt it: but
victory, unless gained in a certain spirit, was no victory;
defeat, sustained in a certain spirit, was itself victory. I say
again and again, had they counted the scalps alone, they had
continued Chactaws, and no Chivalry or lasting victory had been.
And in Industrial Fighters and Captains is there no nobleness
discoverable? To them, alone of men, there shall forever be no
blessedness but in swollen coffers? To see beauty, order,
gratitude, loyal human hearts around them, shall be of no moment;
to see fuliginous deformity, mutiny, hatred and despair, with the
addition of half a million guineas, shall be better? Heaven's
blessedness not there; Hell's cursedness, and your half-million
bits of metal, a substitute for that! Is there no profit in
diffusing Heaven's blessedness, but only in gaining gold?--If so,
I apprise the Mill-owner and Millionaire, that he too must
prepare for vanishing; that neither is _he_ born to be of the
sovereigns of this world; that he will have to be trampled and
chained down in whatever terrible ways, and brass-collared safe,
among the born thralls of this worrd! We cannot have _Canailles_
and Doggeries that will not make some Chivalry of themselves:
our noble Planet is impatient of such; in the end, totally
intolerant of such!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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