第28章

Butsocietyduringthesedarkdayshadevenworseenemiesthantigersandelephants。Thebarbaroushighlanders，ofalowertypeofmankind，nourishingforfortycenturiesahatredoftheirHindusupplanters，likethatwhichtheApachebearsagainstthewhitefrontiersman，seizedtheoccasiontorenewtheirinroadsuponthelowlandcountry。Yearbyyeartheydescendedfromtheirmountainfastnesses，plunderingandburning。ManynobleHindufamilies，oustedbythetax-collectorsfromtheirestates，begantoseeksubsistencefromrobbery。Others，consultingtheirselfishinterestsamidthegeneraldistress，“founditmoreprofitabletoshelterbandittiontheirestates，levyingblackmailfromthesurroundingvillagesasthepriceofimmunityfromdepredation，andsharingintheplunderofsuchaswouldnotcometoterms。Theircountryhouseswererobberstrongholds，andtheearlyEnglishadministratorsofBengalhaveleftitonrecordthatagang-robberyneveroccurredwithoutalandedproprietorbeingatthebottomofit。“Thepeasantswerenotslowtofollowsuit，andthosewhowererobbedoftheirwinter’sstorehadnoalternativeleftbuttobecomerobbersthemselves。ThethieveriesoftheFakeers，orreligiousmendicants，andthebold，thoughstealthyattacksofThugsandDacoits——membersofMasonicbrotherhoods，whichatalltimeshavelivedbyrobberyandassassination——addedtothegeneralturmoil。Inthecoldweatherof1772theprovincewasravagedfarandwidebybandsofarmedfreebooters，fiftythousandstrong；andtosuchapassdidthingsarrivethattheregularforcessentbyWarrenHastingstopreserveorderweretwicedisastrouslyrouted；while，inMr。 Hunter’sgraphiclanguage，“villageshighuptheGangeslivedbyhousebreakinginCalcutta。“InEnglishmansions“itwastheinvariablepracticefortheportertoshuttheouterdooratthecommencementofeachmeal，andnottoopenittillthebutlerbroughthimwordthattheplatewassafelylockedup。“Andforalongtimenearlyalltrafficceasedupontheimperialroads。 Thisstateofthings，whichamountedtochroniccivilwar，inducedLordCornwallisin1788toplacetheprovinceunderthedirectmilitarycontrolofanEnglishofficer。TheadministrationofMr。Keating——thefirsthardygentlemantowhomthisarduousofficewasassigned——isminutelydescribedbyourauthor。Forourpresentpurposeitisenoughtonotethattwoyearsofseverecampaigning，attendedandfollowedbyrelentlesspunishmentofalltransgressors，wasrequiredtoputanendtothedisorders。 Suchwastheappallingmisery，throughoutacommunityofthirtymillionpersons，occasionedbythefailureofthewinterrice-cropin1769。InabridgingMr。Hunter’saccountwehaveadheredascloselytoouroriginalaspossible，buthewhowouldobtainadequateknowledgeofthistaleofwoemustseekitintheevermemorabledescriptionofthehistorianhimself。Thefirstquestionwhichnaturallyoccurstothereader——though，asMr。 Hunterobserves，itwouldhavebeenoneofthelasttooccurtotheOrientalmind——is，Whowastoblame？Towhatculpablenegligencewasitduethatsuchadirecalamitywasnotforeseen，andatleastpartiallywardedoff？Weshallfindreasontobelievethatitcouldnothavebeenadequatelyforeseen，andthatnolegislativemeasurescouldinthatstateofsocietyhaveentirelypreventedit。Yetitwillappearthatthegovernment，withthebestofintentions，didallinitspowertomakemattersworse；andthattoitsblunderingignorancethedistresswhichfollowedislargelydue。 Thefirstdutyincumbentuponthegovernmentinacaselikethatofthefailureofthewinterrice-cropof1769，wastodoawaywithallhindrancetotheimportationoffoodintotheprovince。 Onechiefcauseofthefar-reachingdistresswroughtbygreatAsiaticfamineshasbeenthealmostcompletecommercialisolationofAsiaticcommunities。IntheMiddleAgestheEuropeancommunitieswerealso，thoughtoafarlessextent，isolatedfromeachother，andinthosedaysperiodsoffaminewerecomparativelyfrequentandsevere。Andoneofthechiefcauseswhichnowrendertheoccurrenceofafamineonagreatscalealmostimpossibleinanypartofthecivilizedworldistheincreasedcommercialsolidarityofcivilizednations。Increasedfacilityofdistributionhasoperatednolesseffectivelythanimprovedmethodsofproduction。 Now，in1770theprovinceofLowerBengalwasinastateofalmostcompletecommercialisolationfromothercommunities。 Importationoffoodonanadequatescalewashardlypossible。“A singlefactspeaksvolumesastotheisolationofeachdistrict。 Anabundantharvest，wearerepeatedlytold，wasasdisastroustotherevenuesasabadone；for，whenalargequantityofgrainhadtobecarriedtomarket，thecostofcarriageswallowedupthepriceobtained。Indeed，evenifthemeansofintercommunicationandtransporthadrenderedimportationpracticable，theprovincehadatthattimenomoneytogiveinexchangeforfood。Notonlyhaditsvariousdivisionsaseparatecurrencywhichwouldpassnowhereelseexceptataruinousexchange，butinthatunfortunateyearBengalseemstohavebeenutterlydrainedofitsspecie……Theabsenceofthemeansofimportationwasthemoretobedeplored，astheneighbouringdistrictscouldeasilyhavesuppliedgrain。Inthesoutheastafairharvesthadbeenreaped，except，incircumscribedspots；andweareassuredthat，duringthefamine，thispartofBengalwasenabledtoexportwithouthavingtocomplainofanydeficiencyinconsequence……INDEED，NOMATTERHOWLOCALAFAMINEMIGHTBEIN THELASTCENTURY，THEEFFECTSWEREEQUALLYDISASTROUS。Sylhet，adistrictinthenortheastofBengal，hadreapedunusuallyplentifulharvestsin1780and1781，butthenextcropwasdestroyedbyalocalinundation，and，notwithstandingthefacilitiesforimportationaffordedbywater-carriage，onethirdofthepeopledied。“ Herewehaveavividrepresentationoftheeconomicconditionofasocietywhich，howeverhighlycivilizedinmanyimportantrespects，stillretained，attheepochtreatedof，itsaboriginaltypeoforganization。Hereweseeeachcommunitybroughtfacetofacewiththeimpossibletaskofsupplying，unaided，thedeficienciesofnature。Weseeonepettydistrictapreytothemostfrightfuldestitution，evenwhileprofuseplentyreignsinthedistrictsroundaboutit。Wefindanalmostcompleteabsenceofthecommercialmachinerywhich，byenablingthestarvingregiontobefedoutofthesurplusofmorefavouredlocalities，hasinthemostadvancedcountriesrenderedagreatfaminepracticallyimpossible。 Nowthisstateofthingsthegovernmentof1770wasindeedpowerlesstoremedy。Legislativepowerandwisdomcouldnotanticipatetheinventionofrailroads；norcoulditintroducethroughoutthelengthandbreadthofBengalasystemofcoaches，canals，andcaravans；norcoulditallatoncedoawaywiththetime-honouredbrigandage，whichincreasedthecostoftransportbydecreasingthesecurityofit；norcoulditinatriceremovethecurseofaheterogeneouscoinage。None，savethoseuninstructedagitatorswhobelievethatgovernmentscanmakewaterrunup-hill，wouldbedisposedtofindfaultwiththeauthoritiesinBengalforfailingtocopewiththesedifficulties。Butwhatwearetoblamethemfor——thoughitwasanerrorofthejudgmentandnotoftheintentions——istheirmischievousinterferencewiththenaturalcourseoftrade，bywhich，insteadofhelpingmatters，theybutaddedanothertothemanypowerfulcauseswhichwereconspiringtobringabouttheeconomicruinofBengal。Werefertotheactwhichin1770 prohibitedunderpenaltiesallspeculationinrice。 Thisdisastrouspieceoflegislationwasduetotheuniversalprevalenceofaprejudicefromwhichso-calledenlightenedcommunitiesarenotyetwhollyfree。Itisevennowcustomarytoheapabuseuponthosepersonswhoinaseasonofscarcity，whenpricesarerapidlyrising，buyupthe“necessariesoflife，“ therebystillincreasingforatimethecostofliving。Suchpersonsarecommonlyassailedwithspeciousgeneralitiestotheeffectthattheyareenemiesofsociety。Peoplewhoseonlyideasare“moralideas“regardthemasheartlesssharperswhofattenuponthemiseryoftheirfellow-creatures。Anditissometimeshintedthatsuch“practices“oughttobestoppedbylegislation。 Now，sofaristhisprejudice，whichisaveryoldone，frombeingjustifiedbyfacts，that，insteadofbeinganevil，speculationinbreadstuffsandothernecessariesisoneofthechiefagenciesbywhichinmoderntimesandcivilizedcountriesarealfamineisrenderedalmostimpossible。Thisnaturalmonopolyoperatesintwoways。Inthefirstplace，byraisingprices，itchecksconsumption，puttingeveryoneonshorterallowanceuntiltheseasonofscarcityisover，andthuspreventsthescarcityfromgrowingintofamine。Inthesecondplace，byraisingprices，itstimulatesimportationfromthoselocalitieswhereabundancereignsandpricesarelow。Itthusinthelongrundoesmuchtoequalizethepressureofatimeofdearthanddiminishthoseextremeoscillationsofpriceswhichinterferewiththeeven，healthycourseoftrade。Agovernmentwhich，inaseasonofhighprices，doesanythingtochecksuchspeculation，actsaboutassagelyastheskipperofawreckedvesselwhoshouldrefusetoputhiscrewuponhalfrations。 Theturning-pointofthegreatDutchRevolution，sofarasitconcernedtheprovinceswhichnowconstituteBelgium，wasthefamoussiegeandcaptureofAntwerpbyAlexanderFarnese，DukeofParma。Thesiegewasalongone，andtheresistanceobstinate，andthecitywouldprobablynothavebeencapturediffaminehadnotcometotheassistanceofthebesiegers。Itisinteresting，therefore，toinquirewhatstepsthecivicauthoritieshadtakentopreventsuchacalamity。Theyknewthatthestrugglebeforethemwaslikelytobethelife-and-deathstruggleoftheSouthernNetherlands；theyknewthattherewasriskoftheirbeingsurroundedsothatrelieffromwithoutwouldbeimpossible；theyknewthattheirassailantwasoneofthemostastuteandunconquerableofmen，byfarthegreatestgeneralofthesixteenthcentury。ThereforetheyproceededtodojustwhatourRepublicanCongress，undersuchcircumstances，wouldprobablyhavedone，andjustwhattheNewYorkTribune，ifithadexistedinthosedays，wouldhaveadvisedthemtodo。Findingthatsundryspeculatorswereaccumulatingandhoardingupprovisionsinanticipationofaseasonofhighprices，theyhastilydecided，firstofalltoputastoptosuch“selfishiniquity。“Intheireyesthegreatthingtobedonewastomakethingscheap。Theythereforeaffixedaverylowmaximumpricetoeverythingwhichcouldbeeaten，andprescribedseverepenaltiesforallwhoshouldattempttotakemorethanthesumbylawdecreed。Ifabakerrefusedtosellhisbreadforapricewhichwouldhavebeenadequateonlyinatimeofgreatplenty，hisshopwastobebrokenopen，andhisloavesdistributedamongthepopulace。Theconsequencesofthisidioticpolicyweretwofold。 Inthefirstplace，theenforcedlownessofpricespreventedanybreadstuffsorotherprovisionsfrombeingbroughtintothecity。 ItwasalongtimebeforeFarnesesucceededinsoblockadingtheScheldtastopreventshipsladenwitheatablesfromcominginbelow。Cornandpreservedmeatsmighthavebeenhurriedbythousandsoftonsintothebeleagueredcity。FriendlyDutchvessels，freightedwithabundance，werewaitingatthemouthoftheriver。Butalltonopurpose。Nomerchantwouldexposehisvaluableship，withitscargo，totheriskofbeingsunkbyFarnese’sbatteries，merelyforthesakeoffindingamarketnobetterthanahundredotherswhichcouldbeenteredwithoutincurringdanger。NodoubtifthemerchantsofHollandhadfollowedoutthemaximVivrepourautrui，theywouldhavebravedruinanddestructionratherthanbeholdtheirneighboursofAntwerpenslaved。NodoubtiftheycouldhaverisentoabroadphilosophicviewofthefutureinterestsoftheNetherlands，theywouldhaveseenthatAntwerpmustbesaved，nomatterifsomeofthemweretolosemoneybyit。Butmendonotyetsacrificethemselvesfortheirfellows，nordotheyasarulelookfarbeyondthepresentmomentanditsemergencies。Andthebusinessofgovernmentistolegislateformenastheyare，notasitissupposedtheyoughttobe。IfprovisionshadbroughtahighpriceinAntwerp，theywouldhavebeencarriedthither。Asitwas，thecity，byitsownstupidity，blockadeditselffarmoreeffectuallythanFarnesecouldhavedoneit。