All moral injunctions, all millenialisms; are arbitrary infernalisms — the results of crafty hypnotic suggestion. Their secret object is the overthrow of human reason and individual independence; in order to establish a vast bedlamite penitentiary to be called ‘God’s kingdom on earth’ alias ‘pandemonium in full blast.’
The fact is, Humanity is going stark staring mad in consequence of having eaten the fruit that grows on that devilish tree “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Luscious it is to look upon — pleasant it is to the palate, but a deadly atropine — a cunning poison lurks in its core. Cursed are they that eat thereof.
Aye, thrice cursed are the believers in Right and Wrong — for they are — the erring ones.
Attraction and gravitation holds the stars in their courses and (upon exactly the same general operative method) all human swarms and animal herds, are integrated and disintegrated by effective manifestations of derivative solar heat and power.
Strong-Men are magnetized incarnations of primordial energy — dynamos of concentrated electricity. There is a mysterious, almost magical charm about the personality of True Greatness. Lesser men are attracted to their Natural Chiefs as steel shavings are drawn to the loadstone. This peculiar attractive force is hardly ever seen (except spasmodically) in physical weaklings. It seems to develop only in animals of unusual vitality — men with plenty of “devil” in them.
Physical power is the basis of mental power. The nutriment of the brain cells is derived from the blood-corpuscles perpetually being pumped into it by the heart’s action. If the pump valves are weak or out of gear — if the food stream is impure — if the stomach if disordered — if the liver is congested or the lungs decaying and corrupt; then the brain is starved, drugged, poisoned, while all the thoughts that germinate therein are feeble, unnatural, impure. Hence the rolling stream of literary filth that the Zolas and the bible-boomers, the poetlings, and the ‘eminent savants,’ keep pouring out upon generations of men, soaked for ages in similar intellectual sewerage.
Hence also the remarkable fact, that neither Great Men nor Great Heroisms are ever town bred. Cities are impure in thought, word, and deed; and nothing that is noble can ever evolve therein. They are the refuse heaps — the kjokken-moddings of the world. They are matrixes of all that is shameful and base, in religion, politics, sociology, and law. Lupanars of organized abomination are they! — where the infamous prostitute and the still more infamous editor poison the air, side by side; spreading abroad their leprous contagion with every wind that blows. Would that I were a Nero and could play the fiddle! But after all perhaps, it would be a waste of matches and good cat-gut.
Great men can only evolve from out an environment of comparative personal independence. They come from the mountains and the forest clearings. They grow to maturity with the storm beating upon, and the rains dripping adown them. First, warring against the rivalry of the elements, they develop the tremendous motor-power necessary in after life, for the mastership of man-herds. Entering into the centres of semi-moribund civilizations, they straightaway take the lead as a matter of natural right. They become rulers, chancellors, kings, conquerors, electric batteries, dynamos. Slave-bred swarms toil at their bidding, with zealous contentment and rivals are cast down, as it were, by a “turn of the wrist.”
Their smile is wealth and honor to lesser men — their frown is poverty, outlawry, or the bow-string. Second-class animals gather around them, and are used up as satraps, governors, lieutenants. If a nation under process of exploitation, revolts, the revolt is suppressed by force. If established rulers are incapable of that task, then are they overthrown; and leaders of Revolt rule in their stead — as a matter of course. Rulers’ control depends absolutely upon their Might. When unable any longer to wield the “death penalty,” their power is departed. The French aristocracy originated in the savage deeds of fierce, long-haired, battle-bred Franks; and their effeminate descendents — were overwhelmed and guillotined by Grim Provincials who came to Paris, hungry for money, power and renown.
In the regions of stellar Space similar phenomena may be noted. That sun-star with the strongest attractive power, whirls other and lesser stars around it until finally it comes in contact with a rival rolling mass of greater magnitude and attractiveness, whereupon it is absorbed and loses its individuality. What the law of gravitation is to matter and motion, the law of Might is in the province of sociology. In this analogy there is illimitable significance embedded.
Star life is known to be an emanation of primeval plutonic energy. Our planetary system is like unto one whirling mote (among countless myriads) in a vitalized sunbeam. Our earth is a by-product of secondary cyclonic rage. The sun itself (the power-house of our world) is materialized heat-force in active operation; manifesting itself as warmth, light, motion, electricity, and animal life.
Man’s body and sustenance is derived, directly or indirectly from the Sun. By it he lives, dies, and has his being. Let heliocentric force be withdrawn for an instant, and all life straightway disappears. Thus everywhere, throughout “Eternity,” under all circumstances and at all times; this world, all worlds, and all that creeps thereon are driven, inspired, vitalized, and guided by active operating Force. Everywhere it is Might that governs, feebleness that is governed, attracted, repelled, controlled.
Force propels iron-ribbed reindeers of the sea and hurls them plunging though the grey-green surges. Force whirls the loaded freight cars over prairie, range, and river. Force hauls-up from the deep sunk mines, vast treasures of gold, iron, silver, and coal. Force rolls the red-glowing metal ingots into titanic shapes. Force sows the seed, ploughs the field, reaps the grain, threshes the corn, hews the stone, shapes the girders, bridges rivers, mows down forests, builds cities, writes the book — inspires it, prints it, defends it.
Even “the music of the spheres” is the vibrant roar of warring elementals, chanting the Gloria of Power.
If Force is the “all in all” of the planetary systems and of the animal world, may it not also be the open-sesame of sociology — the primeval principle that governs, (and must continue to govern) the relations of tribe to tribe and man to man? Is it not the gospel of antiquity, as well as the logical reducto of To-day?
Whether in mortgaged republics, pawned monarchies, or hypothecated despotisms, the Sword Power — (that is to say, the military power — the clubbing power) is the ultimate ipse dixit in the measuring-out of right and wrong. As it was in the days of the fierce Sesostris; the devastating Genghis; the venturesome Charlemagne; so is it even now. In all industrial relations Might is ‘monarch of all it surveys.’ Authority is Authority, though it may take on a thousand diverse forms. What is the elemental difference between a Roman mandumus, a Turkish firman, a Russian ukase, a ‘Supreme’ Court injunction, or an Order in Chancery? They are exact synonyms. Whatever their salient phraseology may be; in operation they are visible manifestations of Imperial Power — of Sceptred Majesty. No sacredotal sophistry can permanently disguise this fact; and what is more important, no emotional demagoguery can remove it.
Authority is not an evil in itself. It is as natural for men of Power to rule Feeble multitudes, as it is for the lion to eat the lamb. When any nation, or class of men possess no real might, it is just and proper that they should be subordinated: and again, if they develop the requisite strength, it is equally justifiable for them to reconquer their former position; and subordinate their subordinators. Evolution works through Authority but there is to it no limitation.