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the malay archipelago-2-第68部分

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has ever existed before。 They create and maintain in life…long labour an ever… increasing army; whose lot is the more hard to bear; by contrast with the pleasures; the comforts; and the luxury which they see everywhere around them; but which they can never hope to enjoy; and who; in this respect; are worse off than the savage in the midst of his tribe。

This is not a result to boast of; or to be satisfied with; and; until there is a more general recognition of this failure of our civilizationresulting mainly from our neglect to train and develop more thoroughly the sympathetic feelings and moral faculties of our nature; and to allow them a larger share of influence in our legislation; our commerce; and our whole social organizationwe shall never; as regards the whole community; attain to any real or important superiority over the better class of savages。

This is the lesson I have been taught by my observations of uncivilized man。 I now bid my readersFarewell!


NOTE。

THOSE who believe that our social condition approaches perfection; will think the above word harsh and exaggerated; but it seems to me the only word that can be truly applied to us。 We are the richest country in the world; and yet cue…twentieth of our population are parish paupers; and one…thirtieth known criminals。 Add to these; the criminals who escape detection; and the poor who live mainly on private charity; (which; according to Dr。 Hawkesley; expends seven millions sterling annually is London alone;) and we may be sure that more than ONE…TENTH of our population are actually Paupers and Criminals。 Both these classes we keep idle or at unproductive labour; and each criminal costs us annually in our prisons more than the wages of an honest agricultural labourer。 We allow over a hundred thousand persons known to have no means of subsistence but by crime; to remain at large and prey upon the community; and many thousand children to grow up before our eyes in ignorance and vice; to supply trained criminals for the next generation。 This; in a country which boasts of its rapid increase in wealth; of its enormous commerce and gigantic manufactures; of its mechanical skill and scientific knowledge; of its high civilization and its pure Christianity;I can but term a state of social barbarism。 We also boast of our love of justice; and that the law protects rich and。 poor alike; yet we retain money fines as a punishment; and male the very first steps to obtain justice a。 matter of expense…in both cases a barbarous injustice; or denial of justice to the poor。 Again; our laws render it possible; that; by mere neglect of a legal form; and contrary to his own wish and intention; a man's property may all go to a stranger; and his own children be left destitute。 Such cases have happened through the operation of the laws of inheritance of landed property; and that such unnatural injustice is possible among us; shows that we are in a state of social barbarism。 Ono more example to justify my use of the term; and I have done。 We permit absolute possession of the soil of our country; with no legal rights of existence on the soil; to the vast majority who do not possess it。 A great landholder may legally convert his whole property into a forest or a hunting… ground; and expel every human being who has hitherto lived upon it。 In a thickly…populated country like England; where every acre has its owner and its occupier; this is a power of legally destroying his fellow…creatures; and that such a power should exist; and be exercised by individuals; in however small a degree; indicates that; as regards true social science; we are still in a state of barbarism。





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