The Henson Journals

[276]

Saturday, April 16th, 1921.

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Revolutionists intoxicated with their own arms recoil from no means needed to secure their ascendancy, because they have not learnt, in Cromwell's famous phrase, to believe it possible that they may be mistaken.

Bryce. ii. 647

It is not difficult to understand and even to sympathize with the fear and loathing with which the Restored Churchmen looked upon "enthusiasm", and the contemporaries of Edmund Burke, who followed his leading, regarded "Jacobinism". In both cases "fanaticism", religious and political, was sweeping, or had just swept, men into immense crimes on the plea of great & noble sentiments or principles. In front of this purblind and furious temper, argument was futile, only force could be resorted to. But fanaticism has a great advantage when blows are exchanged, for it removes all the inhibiting factors of reason and morality, and adds the driving vigour of its own insensate energy. In a duel between a dervish and a philosopher, the odds are heavily against the philosopher! "Labour" now carries into political controversy the single–minded enthusiasm of the dervish. Obsessed with the formula of the moment, it listens to no reasoning. How to handle this new & terrific phenomenon is a hard question. With the present electorate, the difficulty is enormously increased, for anything of the nature of political education is outside the range of practical possibilities.

[277] [symbol]

The Railwaymen and Transport Workers definitely refused to "come out" with the miners, and their strike was "called off" yesterday. Thus the miners are left alone, and it remains to be seen how they will carry themselves. They are dour men, & likely to be obstinate: but the strike is not popular with many of them, and their funds are depleted. Lang suggests that I should introduce a resolution on the Strike at the meeting of Convocation next week: but it is difficult to speak wisely on the subject, and to speak unwisely (albeit truly) would not help matters.

The first fruits of the Strike may be recognized in the clearly wanton damage to the bridge over the Gaunless in the Park. A great part of the stone coping has been dislodged, & some of it cast into the stream. Add the embarrassment of companies of young miners playing football, or rather kicking footballs about to the utter destruction of the turf, & the tendency, already observable, to steal timber, & the prospect of a protracted strike is not agreeable. [symbol]

J. G. Wilson arrived about 5 p.m. I took him for a walk in the Park, which looked ravishingly beautiful in the eventing lights. We dined very pleasantly. J. G. W. is excellent company: his stories of the older world of Durham are extremely amusing, & he tells them well. I wish he were not so old. That is the shadow. All whom I love are clearly nearing their end: and the new folk talking their place do not win my heart: I am increasingly a stranger in this strange world.

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