第26章

Theeconomicpositionwasthusassailedonmanypoints，thoughbyenemiesmutuallyopposedtoeachother。Thegeneraltendencyoftheeconomistswasagainstgovernmentinterference，andtheirmostpopulartriumphonapplicationofthedo-nothingprinciple。Inthefree-tradeagitation，theirmainopponentsweretheinterestedclasses，thelandowners，andthemerelystupidConservatives。Elsewheretheywereopposedbyagenuine，evenifamisguided，philanthropy；byConservativeswhowishedtomeetrevolutionnotbysimpleobstruction，butbyrousingthegovernmenttoasenseofitsduties。Southey’s’paternalgovernment’mightberidiculedbyMacaulayandtheWhigs；

Cobbett’sgoodoldtimesmightbetreatedasthefigmentofanignorantrailer。TheYoungEnglanderswhofoundtheirgospelinDisraeli’sSibylmightbetakentorepresentmerefancifulantiquarianismmasqueradingasseriouspolitics；andCarlyle，withhisfiercedenunciationsofthe’dismalscience’inChartismandtheLatter-DayPamphletssetdownasaneccentricandimpatientfanaticnaturallyatwarwithsoundreason。Theappropriateremedy，asMillthought，wasacalm，scientificexpositionofsoundprinciples。Hisadversaries，ashethought，reproducedinthemaintheoldsentimentalismagainstwhichBenthamandJamesMillhadwagedwar，takinganewcolouringfromasillyromanticismandweakregretsforapicturesquepast。Buttherewasaperplexingfact。ChurchmenandTorieswereactingasleadersoftheveryclassestowhomRadicalslookfortheirownnaturalallies。Shaftesburycomplainedthathecouldnotgettheevangelicalstotakeupthefactorymovement。(32*)Theyhadbeenthemainstayoftheanti-slaverymovement，buttheydidnotseemtobetroubledaboutwhiteslavery。Thereason，nodoubt，wasobvious；theevangelicalsweremainlyofthemiddleclass，andclassprejudicesweretoostrongfortheappealstoreligiousprinciples。Ontheotherhand，theRadicalartisanswouldacceptmenlikeSadlerorShaftesburyforleadersasadrowningmanmayaccepthelpfromanenemy。Thepointofagreementwassimplythatsomethingshouldbedone，andthatwasenoughtoalienatethepoormanfromWhigsandUtilitarians，whowerealwaysprovingthatnothingshouldbedone。

WhilethesecontroversieswereintheforegroundtheremarkablemovementofwhichMrandMrsSidneyWebb(33*)arethefirsthistorians，wasdevelopingitself。Workmenwerelearninghowtoorganiseeffectivetrades-unions，andco-operatorswereturningintoamorepracticablechannelsomeoftheaspirationsofwhichOwenhadbeentheprophet。WhatMillthoughtofsuchmovementswillappearpresently。Meanwhileitisenoughtosaythattheeconomistsgenerallyconfinedthemselvestothrowingcoldwateruponwhattheyheldtobeirrationalschemes。Theworkingclassescouldnotraisetheirpositionbycombination，thoughtheyhadanundeniablerighttotryfruitlessexperiments。

Theyweregoingastrayafterfalseprophets，andblindtothedaylightofatruescience。Theco-operativemovement，indeed，receivedawarmerwelcomewhenitcametobeknown。Buttheremarkablepointisoncemorethewidegapbetweenthe’philosophicalRadicals’andtheclasseswhomtheyaspiredtolead。Theaspirationsofthepoorerclasstookaformcondemnedassimplyabsurdandillogicalbythetheoriesoftheirwould-beleaders。(34*)

III。MALTHUSIANCONTROVERSY

PopularinstinctrecogniseditsnaturalenemyinMalthus。

’Malthusian’wasacompendiousphraseforanti-Christian，hard-hearted，grovelling，materialist，fatalistic。Theformalcontroversywasdyingout。Oneofthelast’confutations’wasbytheenthusiasticSadler，whichprovokedaslashingattackintheEdinburghbytherisinglightMacaulay。(35*)Alisonhadpreparedaponderoustreatise(36*)by1828，which，however，didnotappeartill1840，whenhispopularityasahistorianencourageditspublication。ThomasDoubleday(1790-1870)，anamiablemanandasturdyreformer，publishedhisTrueLawofPopulationin1831。(37*)Sadler，thechurchmanandphilanthropist，Alison，theponderousTory，andDoubleday，theRadical，areagreedupononepoint。Theyarealldefendingthebeneficenceofthedeity，andtakeMalthustobeadevil’sadvocate。Sadler，whowasamathematician，devotesthegreatestpartofhisbooktoadiscussion，helpedbyelaboratetables，ofthefamousgeometricalprogression。Alison，ofcourse，ramblesoverallthearticlesoftheToryfaith，defendingthecorn-laws，protection，andslaveryalongwiththefactoryacts，thepoor-law，andtheallotmentsystem，