large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_22
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
Times of change, disruption, and revolution are naturally times of hope also, and not seldom the hopes of something better to come are the first tokens that tell people that revolution is at hand, though commonly such tokens are no more believed than Cassandra's prophecies, or are even taken in a contrary sense by those who have anything to lose; since they look upon them as signs of the prosperity of the times, and the long endurance of that state of things which is so kind to them. TIMES OF CHANGE DISRUPTION AND REVOLUTION ARE NATURALLY TIMES OF HOPE ALSO AND NOT SELDOM THE HOPES OF SOMETHING BETTER TO COME ARE THE FIRST TOKENS THAT TELL PEOPLE THAT REVOLUTION IS AT HAND THOUGH COMMONLY SUCH TOKENS ARE NO MORE BELIEVED THAN CASSANDRA'S PROPHECIES OR ARE EVEN TAKEN IN A CONTRARY SENSE BY THOSE WHO HAVE ANYTHING TO LOSE SINCE THEY LOOK UPON THEM AS SIGNS OF THE PROSPERITY OF THE TIMES AND THE LONG ENDURANCE OF THAT STATE OF THINGS WHICH IS SO KIND TO THEM
o the future; and, strange to say, I believe that those hopes have been stronger not in the heyday of the epoch which has given them birth, but rather in its decadence and times of corruption: in sober truth it may well be that these hopes are but a reflection in those that live happily and comfortably of the vain longings of those others who suffer with little power of expressing their sufferings in an audible voice: when all goes well the happy world forgets these people and their desires, sure as it is that their woes are not dangerous to them the wealthy: whereas when the woes and grief of the poor begin to rise to a point beyond the endurance of men, fear conscious or unconscious falls upon the rich, and they begin to look about them to see what there may be among the elements of their society which may be used as palliatives for the misery which, long existing and ever growing greater among the slaves of that society, is now at last forcing itself on the attention of the masters. O PIERCE INTO THE FUTURE AND STRANGE TO SAY I BELIEVE THAT THOSE HOPES HAVE BEEN STRONGER NOT IN THE HEYDAY OF THE EPOCH WHICH HAS GIVEN THEM BIRTH BUT RATHER IN ITS DECADENCE AND TIMES OF CORRUPTION IN SOBER TRUTH IT MAY WELL BE THAT THESE HOPES ARE BUT A REFLECTION IN THOSE THAT LIVE HAPPILY AND COMFORTABLY OF THE VAIN LONGINGS OF THOSE OTHERS WHO SUFFER WITH LITTLE POWER OF EXPRESSING THEIR SUFFERINGS IN AN AUDIBLE VOICE WHEN ALL GOES WELL THE HAPPY WORLD FORGETS THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR DESIRES SURE AS IT IS THAT THEIR WOES ARE NOT DANGEROUS TO THEM THE WEALTHY WHEREAS WHEN THE WOES AND GRIEF OF THE POOR BEGIN TO RISE TO A POINT BEYONDD THE ENDURANCE OF MEN FEAR CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS FALLS UPON THE RICH AND THEY BEGIN TO LOOK ABOUT THEM TO SEE WHAT THERE MAY BE AMONG THE ELEMENTS OF THEIR SOCIETY WHICH MAY BE USED AS PALLIATIVES FOR THE MISERY WHICH LONG EXISTING ENDEAVOR GROWING GREATER AMONG THE SLAVES OF THAT SOCIETY IS NOW AT LAST FORCING ITSELF ON THE ATTENTION OF THE MASTERS
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