But our best self inspires faith, and is capable of affording a serious principle of authority.  For example.  We are on our way to what the late Duke of Wellington, with his strong sagacity, foresaw and admirably described as “a revolution by due course of law.”  This is undoubtedly,—­if we are still to live and grow, and this famous nation is not to stagnate and dwindle away on the one hand, or, on the other, to perish miserably in mere anarchy and confusion,—­what we are on the way to.  Great changes there must be, for a revolution cannot accomplish itself without great changes; yet order there must be, for without order a revolution cannot accomplish itself by due course of law.  So whatever brings risk of tumult and disorder, multitudinous processions in the streets of our crowded towns, multitudinous meetings in their public places and parks,—­ demonstrations perfectly unnecessary in the present course of our affairs,—­our best self, or right reason, plainly enjoins us to set our faces against.  It enjoins us to encourage and uphold the occupants of the executive power, whoever they [92] may be, in firmly prohibiting them.  But it does this clearly and resolutely, and is thus a real principle of authority, because it does it with a free conscience; because in thus provisionally strengthening the executive power, it knows that it is not doing this merely to enable Sir Thomas Bateson to affirm himself as against Mr. Bradlaugh, or the Rev. W. Cattle to affirm himself as against both.  It knows that it is stablishing the State, or organ of our collective best self, of our national right reason; and it has the testimony of conscience that it is stablishing the State on behalf of whatever great changes are needed, just as much as on behalf of order; stablishing it to deal just as stringently, when the time comes, with Sir Thomas Bateson’s Protestant ascendency, or with the Rev. W. Cattle’s sorry education of his children, as it deals with Mr. Bradlaugh’s street-processions.

NOTES

56. +posse comitatus.  Arnold’s phrase refers to the medieval institution of the “power of the county.”  It originally consisted of a county’s able-bodied males over fifteen, and the local authorities might call upon it to preserve order.  Later, the posse became an instrument of the church parish.

64. +London’s Hyde Park riots occurred in 1866.  Reform Leaguers bent on assembling to promote universal suffrage broke through the iron rails encompassing the Park.

CHAPTER III