own hearts, deliberate upon the
possible modes of the regulation of industry, and advisablest schemes
for helpful discipline of life; and so lay before you the best laws
they can devise, which such of you as were wise might submit to, and
teach their children to obey. And if any of the laws thus determined
appear to be inconsistent with the present circumstances or customs of
trade, do not make a noise about them, nor try to enforce them
suddenly on others, nor embroider them on flags, nor call meetings in
parks about them, in spite of railings and police; but keep them in
your thoughts and sight, as objects of patient purpose and future
achievement by peaceful strength.

13. For you need not think that even if you obtained a majority of
representatives in the existing parliament, you could immediately
compel any system of business, broadly contrary to that now
established by custom. If you could pass laws to-morrow, wholly
favorable to yourselves, as you might think, because unfavorable to
your masters, and to the upper classes of society,--the only result
would be that the riches of the country would at once leave it, and
you would perish in riot and famine. Be assured that no great change
for the better can ever be easily accomplished, or quickly; nor by
impulsive, ill-regulated effort, nor by bad men; nor even by good men,
without much suffering. The suffering must, indeed, come, one way or
another, in all greatly critical periods; the only question, for us,
is whether we will reach our ends (if we ever reach them) through a
chain of involuntary miseries, many of them useless, and all ignoble;
or whether we will know the worst at once, and deal with it by the
wisely sharp methods of Godsped courage.

14. This, I repeat to you, it is wholly in your own power to do, but
it is in your power on one condition only, that of steadfast truth to
yourselves, and to all men. If there is not, in the sum of it, honesty
enough among you to teach you to frame, and strengthen you to obey,
_just_ laws of trade, there is no hope left for you. No political
constitution can ennoble knaves; no privileges can assist them; no
possessions enrich them. Their gains are occult curses; comfortless
loss their truest blessing; failure and pain Nature's only mercy to
them. Look to it, therefore, first that you get some wholesome honesty
for the foundation of all things. Without the resolution in your
hearts to do good work, so long as your rig