evolution and ethics and other essays-第36部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


as　a　condition　of　their　appointment。　Thus；　to　all　appearance；　the
army；　as　a　legal　person；　is　identical　with　Mr。　Booth。　And；　in　that
case；　any　〃trust〃　ostensibly　for　the　benefit　of　the　army　iswhat
shall　we　say　that　is　at　once　accurate　and　polite？

I　conclude　with　these　plain　questionsWill　Mr。　Booth　take　counsel's
opinion　as　to　whether　there　is　anything　in　such　legal　arrangements　as
he　has　at　present　made　which　prevents　him　from　disposing　of　the　wealth
he　has　accumulated　at　his　own　will　and　pleasure？　Will　anybody　be　in　a
position　to　set　either　the　civil　or　the　criminal　law　in　motion　against
him　or　his　successors　if　he　or　they　choose　to　spend　every　farthing　in
ways　very　different　from　those　contemplated　by　the　donors？

＇276＇　I　may　add　that　a　careful　study　of　the　terms　of　a　〃Declaration　of
Trust　by　William　Booth　in　favour　of　the　Christian　Mission；〃　made　in
1878；　has　not　enabled　persons　of　much　greater　competence　than　myself
to　answer　these　questions　satisfactorily。*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

　　　　*　See　Preface　to　this　volume；　pp。　ix…xiii。

On　December　24th　a　letter　appeared　in　the　〃Times〃　signed　〃J。　S。
Trotter；〃　in　which　the　following　passages　appear：

〃It　seems　a　pity　to　put　a　damper　on　the　spirits　of　those　who　agree
with　Professor　Huxley　in　his　denunciation　of　General　Booth　and　all　his
works。　May　I　give　a　few　particulars　as　to　the　'book'　which　was
published　in　Canada？　I　had　the　pleasure　of　an　interview　with　the
author　of　a　book　written　in　Canada。　The　book　was　printed　at　Toronto；
and　two　copies　only　struck　off　by　the　printers；　one　of　these　copies
was　stolen　from　the　printer；　and　the　quotation　sent　to　you　by
Professor　Huxley　was　inserted　in　the　book；　and　is　consequently　a
forgery。　The　book　was　published　without　the　consent　and　against　the
will　of　the　author。

＇277＇　〃So　the　quotation　is　not　only　'a　bitter；　overcharged　anonymous
libel；'　as　Professor　Huxley　intimates；　but　a　forgery　as　well。　As　to
Mr。　Hodges；　it　seems　to　me　to　be　simply　trifling　with　your　readers　to
bring　him　in　as　an　authority。　He　was　turned　out　of　the　army；　out　of
kindness　taken　on　again；　and　again　dismissed。　If　this　had　happened　to
one　of　your　staff；　would　his　opinion　of　the　'Times'　as　a　newspaper　be
taken　for　gospel？〃

But　in　the　〃Times〃　of　December　29th　Mr。　J。　S。　Trotter　writes：

〃I　find　I　was　mistaken　in　saying；　in　my　letter　of　Wednesday；　to　the
'Times'　that　Mr。　Hodges　was　dismissed　from　the　service　of　General
Booth；　and　regret　any　inconvenience　the　statement　may　have　caused　to
Mr。　Hodges。〃

And　on　December　30th　the　〃Times〃　published　a　letter　from　Mr。　Hodges　in
which　he　says　that　Mr。　Trotter's　statements　as　they　regard　himself
〃are　the　very　reverse　of　truth。I　was　never　turned　out　of　the
Salvation　Army。　Nor；　so　far　as　I　was　made　acquainted　with　General
Booth's　motives；　was　I　taken　on　again　out　of　kindness。　In　order　to
rejoin　the　Salvation　Army；　I　resigned　the　position　of　manager　in　a
mill　where　I　was　in　＇278＇　receipt　of　a　salary　of　＇Pounds＇　250　per
annum；　with　house…rent　and　one　third　of　the　profits。　Instead　of　this
Mr。　Booth　allowed　me　＇Pounds＇　2　per　week　and　house…rent。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI

The　〃Times；〃　December　26th；　1890

Sir；I　am　much　obliged　to　Mr。　J。　S。　Trotter　for　the　letter　which　you
published　this　morning。　It　furnishes　evidence；　which　I　much　desired　to
possess　on　the　following　points：

　　　1。　The　author　of　〃The　New　Papacy〃　is　a　responsible；　trustworthy
person；　otherwise　Mr。　Trotter　would　not　speak　of　having　had　〃the
pleasure　of　an　interview〃　with　him。

　　　2。　After　this　responsible　person　had　taken　the　trouble　to　write　a
pamphlet　of　sixty…four　closely　printed　pages；　some　influence　was
brought　to　bear　upon　him；　the　effect　of　which　was　that　he　refused　his
consent　to　its　publication。　Mr。　Trotter's　excellent　information　will
surely　enable　him　to　tell　us　what　influence　that　was。

　　　3。　How　does　Mr。　Trotter　know　that　any　passage　I　have　quoted　is　an
interpolation？　Does　he　possess　that　other　copy　of　the　〃two〃　which
alone；　as　he　affirms；　were　printed？

＇279＇　4。　If　so；　he　will　be　able　to　say　which　of　the　passages　I　have
cited　is　genuine　and　which　is　not；　and　whether　the　tenor　of　the　whole
uninterpolated　copy　differs　in　any　important　respect　from　that　of　the
copy　I　have　quoted。

It　will　be　interesting　to　hear　what　Mr。　J。　S。　Trotter　has　to　say　upon
these　points。　But　the　really　important　thing　which　he　has　done　is　that
he　has　testified；　of　his　own　knowledge；　that　the　anonymous　author　of
〃The　New　Papacy〃　is　no　mere　irresponsible　libeller；　but　a　person　of
whom　even　an　ardent　Salvationist　has　to　speak　with　respect。

　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

＇I　may　add　that　the　unfortunate　Mr。　Trotter　did　me　the　further　service
of　eliciting　the　letter　from　Mr。　Hodges　referred　to　on　p。　277which
sufficiently　establishes　that　gentleman's　credit；　and　leads　me　to
attach　full　weight　to　his　evidence　about　the　third　barrel。＇

　　　　　January；　1891。

＇280＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII

The　〃Times；〃　December　27th；　1890

SIR；In　making　use　of　the　only　evidence　of　the　actual　working　of　Mr。
Booth's　autocratic　government　accessible　to　me；　I　was　fully　aware　of
the　slippery　nature　of　the　ground　upon　which　I　was　treading。　For；　as　I
pointed　out　in　my　first　letter；　〃no　personal　habit　more　surely
degrades　the　conscience　and　the　intellect　than　blind　and　unhesitating
obedience　to　unlimited　authority。〃　Now　we　have　it；　on　Mr。　Booth's　own
showing　that　every　officer　of　his　has　undertaken　to　〃obey　without
questioning　or　gainsaying　the　orders　from　headquarters。〃　And　the
possible　relations　of　such　orders　to　honour　and　veracity　are
demonstrated　not　only　by　the　judicial　deliverance　on　Mr。　Booth's
affidavit　in　the　〃Eagle〃　case；　which　I　have　already　cited；　not　only　by
Mr。　Bramwell　Booth's　admission　before　Mr。　Justice　Lopes　that　he　had
stated　what　was　〃not　quite　correct〃　because　he　had　〃promised　Mr。　Stead
not　to　divulge〃　the　facts　of　the　case　（the　〃Times；〃　November　4th；
1885）；　but　by　the　following　passage　in　Mr。　Hodges's　account　of　the
reasons　of　his　withdrawal　from　the　Salvation　Army：

〃The　general　and　Chief　did　not　and　could　＇281＇　not　deny　doing　these
things；　the　only　question　was　this；　Was　it　right　to　practise　this
deception？　These　points　of　difference　were　fully　discussed　between
myself　and　the　Chief　of　the　Staff　on　my　withdrawal；　especially　the
Leamington　incident；　which　was　the　one　that　finally　drove　me　to
decision。　I　had　come　to　the　conclusion；　from　the　first；　that　they　had
acted　as　they　supposed　with　a　single　eye　to　the　good　of　God's　cause；
and　had　persuaded　myself　that　the　things　were；　as　against　the　devil；
right　to　be　done；　that　as　in　battle　one　party　captured　and　turned　the
enemy's　own　guns　upon　them；　so；　as　they　were　fighting　against　the
devil；　it　would　be　fair　to　use　against　him　his　weapons。　And　I　wrote　to
this　effect　to　the　〃General〃　（p。　63）。〃

Now；　I　do　not　wish　to　say　anything　needlessly　harsh；　but　I　ask　any
prudent　man　these　questions。　Could　I；　under　these　circumstances；　trust
any　uncorroborated　statement　emanating　from　headquarters；　or　made　by
the　General's　order？　Had　I　any　reason　to　doubt　the　truth　of　Mr。
Hodges's　naive　confession　of　the　corrupting　influence　of　Mr。　Booth's
system？　And　did　it　not　behove　me　to　pick　my　way　carefully　through　the
mass　of　statements　before　me；　many　of　them　due　to　people　whose　moral
sense　might；　by　possibility；　have　been　as　much　blunted　by　the　army
discipline　in　the　＇282＇　use　of　the　weapons　of　the　devil　as　Mr。　Hodges
affirms　that　his　was？

Therefore；　in　my　third　letter；　I　commenced　my　illustrations　of　the
practical　working　of　Boothism　with　the　evidence　of　Mr。　Redstone；
fortified　and　supplemented　by　that　of　a　non…Salvationist；　Dr。
Cunningham　Geikie。　That　testimony　has　not　been　challenged；　and；　until
it　is；　I　shall　assume　that　it　cannot　be。　In　my　fourth　letter；　I　cited
a　definite　statement　by　Mr。　Hodges　in　evidence　of　the　Jesuitical
principles　of　headquarters。　What　sort　of　answer　is　it　to　tell　us　that
Mr。　Hodges　was　dismissed　the　army？　A　child　might　expect　that　some　such
red　herring　would　be　drawn　across　the　trail；　and；　in　anticipation　of
the　stale　trick；　I　added　the　strong　prima　facie　evidence　of　the
trustworthiness　of　my　witness；　in　this　particular；　which　is　afforded
by　the　〃Eagle〃　case。　It　was　not　until　I　wrote　my　fourth　letter　to　you；
Siruntil　the　exploitation　of　the　〃captains〃　and　the　Jesuitry　of
headquarters　could　be　proved　up　to　the　hiltthat　I　ventured　to　have
recourse　to　〃The　New　Papacy。〃　So　far　as　the　pamphlet　itself　goes；　this
is　an　anonymous　work；　and；　for　sufficient　reasons；　I　did　not　choose　to
go　beyond　what　was　to　be　found　between　its　covers。　To　any　one
accustomed　to　deal　with　the　facts　of　evolution；　the　Boothism　of　〃The
New　Papacy〃　was　merely　the　natural　and　necessary　development　of　the
Boothism　of　Mr。　Redstone's　case　and　of　the　＇283＇　〃Eagle〃　case。
Therefore；　I　felt　fully　justified　in　using　it；　at　the　same　time
carefully　warning　my　readers　that　it　must　be　taken　with　due　caution。

Mr。　Trotter's　useful　letter　admits　that　such　a　book　was　written　by　a
person　with　whom　he　had　the　〃pleasure　of　an　interview；〃　and　that　a
version　of　it　（interpolated；　according　to　his　assertion）　was　published
against　the　will　of　the　author。　Hence　I　am　justified　in　believing　that
there　is　a　foundation　of　truth　in　certain　statements；　some　of　which
have　long　been　in　my　possession；　but　which　for　lack　of　Mr。　Trotter's
valuable　corroboration　I　have　refrained　from　using。　The　time　is　come
when　I　can　set　forth　some　of　the　heads　of　this　information；　with　the
request　that　Mr。　Trotter；　who　knows　all　about　the　business；　will　be　so
good　as　to　point　out　any　error　that　there　may　be　in　them。　I　am　bound
to　suppose　that　his　sole　object；　like　mine；　is　the　elucidation　of　the
truth；　and　to　assume　his　willingness　to　help　me　therein　to　the　best　of
his　ability。

　　　1。　〃The　author　of　'The　New　Papacy'　is　a　Mr。　Sumner；　a　person　of
perfect　respectability；　and　greatly　esteemed　in　Toronto；　who　held　a
high　position　in　the　Army。　When　he　left；　a　large　public　meeting；
presided　over　by　a　popular　Methodist　minist