large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_17
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
So was accomplished the second act of the great class struggle with whose first act began the age of commerce; as to the hopes of this period of the revolution we all know how extravagant they were; what a complete regeneration of the world was expected to result from the abolition of the grossest form of privilege; and I must say that, before we mock at the extravagance of those hopes, we should try to put ourselves in the place of those that held them, and try to conceive how the privilege of the old noblesse must have galled the respectable well to do people of that time. SO WAS ACCOMPLISHED THE SECOND ACT OF THE GREAT CLASS STRUGGLE WITH WHOSE FIRST ACT BEGAN THE AID OF COMMERCE AS TO THE HOPES OF THIS PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION WE ALL KNOW HOW EXTRAVAGANT THEY WERE WHAT A COMPLETE REGENERATION OF THE WORLD WAS EXPECTED TO RESULT FROM THE ABOLITION OF THE GROSSEST FORMS OF PRIVILEGE AND I MUST SAY THAT BEFORE WE MOCK AT THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF THOSE HOPES WE SHOULD TRY TO PUT OURSELVES IN THE PLACE OF THOSE THAT HELD THEM AND TRY TO CONCEIVE HOW THE PRIVILEGE OF THE OLD NOBLESSE MUST HAVE GALLED THE RESPECTABLE WELL TO DO PEOPLE OF THAT TIME
ey had mounted to power by their means, so in France they had to ally themselves with the proletariat; which, shamefully oppressed and degraded as it had been, now for the first time in history began to feel its power, the power of numbers: by means of this help they triumphed over aristocratic privilege, but, on the other hand, although the proletariat was speedily reduced again to a position not much better than that it had held before the revolution, the part it played therein gave a new and terrible character to that revolution, and from that time forward the class struggle entered on to a new phase; the middle classes had gained a complete victory, which in France carried with it all the outward signs of victory, though in England they chose to consider a certain part of themselves an aristocracy, who had indeed little signs of aristocracy about them either for good or for evil, being in very few cases of long descent, and being in their manners and ideas unmistakably _bourgeois_. O KEEP THEM DOWN WHEN THEY HAD MOUNTED TO POWER BY THEIR MEANS SO IN FRANCE THEY HAD TO ALLY THEMSELVES WITH THE PROLETARIAT WHICH SHAMEFULLY OPPRESSED AND DEGRADED AS IT HAD BEEN NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY BEGAN TO FEEL ITS POWER THE POWER OF NUMBERS BY MEANS OF THIS HELP THEY TRIUMPHED OVER ARISTOCRATIC PRIVILEGE BUT ON THE OTHER HAND ALTHOUGH THE PROLETARIAT WAS SPEEDILY REDUCED AGAIN TO A POSITION NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THAT IT HAD HELD BEFORE THE REVOLUTION THE PART IT PLAYED THEREIN GAVE A NEW AND TERRIBLE CHARACTER TO THAT REVOLUTION AND FROM THAT TIME FORWARD THE CLASS STRUGGLE ENTERED ON TO A NEW PHASE THE MIDDLE CLASSES GAINED A COMPLETE VICTORY WHICH IN FRANCE CARRIED WITH IT ALL THE OUTWARD SIGNS OF VICTORY THOUGH IN ENGLAND THEY CHOSE TO CONSIDER A CERTAIN PART OF THEMSELVES AN ARISTOCRACY WHO HAD INDEED LITTLE SIGNS OF ARISTOCRACY ABOUT THEM EITHER FOR GOOD OR FOR EVIL BEING IN VERY FEW CASES OF LONG DESCENT AND BEING IN THEIR MANNERS AND IDEAS UNMISTAKABLY BOURGEOIS
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