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Article . THE SiaNS OF ENGLAND; ← Page 4 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
. The Sians Of England;
is intent upon only money-getting . We cannot see why we should form the exception , and be pitied or despised for our pains . We do not feel so strongly that we ought to make a sacrifice of ourself , when we are pretty well assured that , for our care for the public interest , we shall only , perhaps , get kicks ; that our serving our
country , if it be not self-conceit that induces it , will never be repaid , nor even acknowledged . And , in fact , profit and advancement lie the other way . One ' s worldly prosperity infinitely more depends upon our conciliating the powers that be , than in foolish resistance , and in ill-humoured dissent on the popular side . The people is a generality to whom you cannot look for payment . A well-defined
personal patron—one able to do you good—is worth all the popular applause in the world , if you are even so fortunate as to obtain this latter . Men , with their eyes open , soon discover the directions of the game to which they sit down . There are some whom it is no use pleasing , with all the virtue in the world . There are othersthose of capacity to beln voi—upon whom riot a word or a look is
thrown away . The universal question is , "What is the use ?"which means , what is the present use ? Let us not be blamed for stating this universal truth so distinctly . It is that which every man acts upon , though he dare not avow it . And it is from this complication of ever principal , ever present , selfish reasons , that we have no public spirit;—we were almost going , bitterly , to say , no public virtue . High time , indeed , is it that a new leaf should be
turned over in our political and in our social book : we hardly know which black page needs the application of the finger first . Now the Journal is so well aware that all these things are truths ; —it so relies upon that general suspicion which we entertain one of another;—that in saying boldly things which it seems to say for all , it imposes belief by the mere effect of reiteration , and in the want of anvbodv to contest its opinions . Most men are too timid , too
lazy , or too busy , to speak anything that they think . Nobody dares speak outright . People are too politic to think aught safe but that general thought which the Journal , with its mouth of brass , is endeavouring to force upon all . Carefully guarding the rivets of its armour , its plausibility , and its apparent candour and common sense , and protected by that oracular " we , " and by our ignorance whether it is a minister of state , a doctor of philosophy , an extraordinary business man with a truly prophetic eye , an
outarid-out politico-economical genius , or , in fact , who it is to whom we owe those "leaders , " and who speaks with all this mighty assurance , like the wise man , over his inkstand : to us , the Journal wins the race in really seeming to follow the runner . But all this is bad ; and , beyond all question , it has grown time to excite some independent
iiiought among people—tune really to see il we cannot improve things ; for the present lead to much evil . Header , take some of this advice , and do not any longer make a sort of good-natured , permissive idolater of yourself . Take the libert y of criticising- —for you are quite equal to it—some of these
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
. The Sians Of England;
is intent upon only money-getting . We cannot see why we should form the exception , and be pitied or despised for our pains . We do not feel so strongly that we ought to make a sacrifice of ourself , when we are pretty well assured that , for our care for the public interest , we shall only , perhaps , get kicks ; that our serving our
country , if it be not self-conceit that induces it , will never be repaid , nor even acknowledged . And , in fact , profit and advancement lie the other way . One ' s worldly prosperity infinitely more depends upon our conciliating the powers that be , than in foolish resistance , and in ill-humoured dissent on the popular side . The people is a generality to whom you cannot look for payment . A well-defined
personal patron—one able to do you good—is worth all the popular applause in the world , if you are even so fortunate as to obtain this latter . Men , with their eyes open , soon discover the directions of the game to which they sit down . There are some whom it is no use pleasing , with all the virtue in the world . There are othersthose of capacity to beln voi—upon whom riot a word or a look is
thrown away . The universal question is , "What is the use ?"which means , what is the present use ? Let us not be blamed for stating this universal truth so distinctly . It is that which every man acts upon , though he dare not avow it . And it is from this complication of ever principal , ever present , selfish reasons , that we have no public spirit;—we were almost going , bitterly , to say , no public virtue . High time , indeed , is it that a new leaf should be
turned over in our political and in our social book : we hardly know which black page needs the application of the finger first . Now the Journal is so well aware that all these things are truths ; —it so relies upon that general suspicion which we entertain one of another;—that in saying boldly things which it seems to say for all , it imposes belief by the mere effect of reiteration , and in the want of anvbodv to contest its opinions . Most men are too timid , too
lazy , or too busy , to speak anything that they think . Nobody dares speak outright . People are too politic to think aught safe but that general thought which the Journal , with its mouth of brass , is endeavouring to force upon all . Carefully guarding the rivets of its armour , its plausibility , and its apparent candour and common sense , and protected by that oracular " we , " and by our ignorance whether it is a minister of state , a doctor of philosophy , an extraordinary business man with a truly prophetic eye , an
outarid-out politico-economical genius , or , in fact , who it is to whom we owe those "leaders , " and who speaks with all this mighty assurance , like the wise man , over his inkstand : to us , the Journal wins the race in really seeming to follow the runner . But all this is bad ; and , beyond all question , it has grown time to excite some independent
iiiought among people—tune really to see il we cannot improve things ; for the present lead to much evil . Header , take some of this advice , and do not any longer make a sort of good-natured , permissive idolater of yourself . Take the libert y of criticising- —for you are quite equal to it—some of these