IDEMOCRACY IS SELF-GOVERNMENT

UHarold W. Percival

INGXENYE I

I-AMERICA YEDEMOKRASI

Owesilisa nowesifazane abahlali ngokwehlukana; isidingo sibasondeza ndawonye, futhi banomkhaya. Imindeni ayihlali ngokwehlukana; isidingo sibenza bahlangane ndawonye ukuze bathole izithakazelo ezifanayo, futhi kukhona umphakathi.

Umuntu wenziwe waba amandla okucabanga nokucabanga namandla okudala emzimbeni wesilwane. Ngokwesidingo lokhu kucabanga nokucabanga namandla okudala kubangelwa ukunakekela umzimba, ukwakha amathuluzi okukhiqiza ukudla, nokusungula izindlela zokuthola impahla nokunethezeka kanye nokunye ukwaneliseka komqondo ekuphileni; futhi, ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlinzeka ngezindlela nezindlela zemisebenzi yobuhlakani. Futhi kanjalo isingeniso impucuko.

Ngaphambi kokuthuthuka kwempucuko inkinga yomuntu iwukuba nokudla, izingubo zokugqoka, indawo yokuhlala, nezimo ezidingekayo ekuphileni. Kuyo yonke impucuko inkinga yomuntu ithi: Ingabe ingqondo izobusa umzimba, noma ingabe umzimba uzolawula ukucabanga?

Ingqondo yomuntu ayikwazi ukuphika iqiniso lomzimba, futhi umzimba awukwazi ukuphika iqiniso lesizathu. Ingqondo yomuntu ayikwazi ukwenza izinto ngaphandle komzimba; futhi umzimba awukwazi ukwanelisa izinkanuko zawo zomzimba nokulangazelela kanye nezidingo ngaphandle kwesizathu. Uma ingqondo yomuntu ibusa umzimba ngezindleko zomzimba, umphumela uba ukuwohloka komzimba kanye nokwehluleka kwesizathu. Uma umzimba ubusa isizathu kuba khona ukuphazamiseka kwengqondo futhi umzimba uba yisilo esinonya.

Njengomuntu, kanjalo nentando yeningi nempucuko. Lapho umzimba uyinhloko futhi isizathu senziwa ngokufanele ukukhonza ukuhaha kanye nemibono eyisisekelo kanye nezifiso zomzimba, khona-ke abantu baba yizilwane ezinonya. Abantu balwa bodwa, futhi abantu balwa nabanye abantu ezweni lempi. Ukuziphatha nemithetho akunakwa futhi kuyalibaleka. Bese kuqala ukuwa kwempucuko. Ukwesaba nokuhlanya nokubulala kuyaqhubeka kuze kube yilapho izinsalela zalabo ababengabantu abaphucuzekile seba yizixhwanguxhwangu ezifuna ukubusa noma ukubhubhisana. Ekugcineni amandla emvelo ayaphela: iziphepho ziyabhubhisa; umhlaba uyazamazama; amanzi agelezayo amboza amazwekazi azikayo; amazwe anobulungiswa navundile ayekade ewukuzigqaja kwezizwe eziphumelelayo ngokuzumayo noma kancane kancane ashabalala futhi abe ulwandle; futhi kuma-caclysms afanayo eminye imibhede yolwandle iphakanyiswa ngaphezu kwamanzi ukuze ilungiselelwe ukuqala kwempucuko elandelayo. Esikhathini esidlule, izitezi zolwandle zaziphakama ngaphezu kwamanzi futhi zixhumane nezindawo ezihlukene. Kwaba khona ukucwila nokukhuphuka nokugingqika kwaze kwaba yilapho izwe lizinza libe yizwekazi elibizwa ngokuthi iMelika.

Abantu baseYurophu nase-Asia baye badatshulwa futhi baphazanyiswa futhi bahlukunyezwa ukuhaha nobutha nezimpi. Umkhathi ukhokhiswa amasiko. Onkulunkulu basendulo nezipoki bagcinwa bephila ngemicabango yezizwe. Onkulunkulu nezipoki ziyashunqa futhi ziyaphithizela, futhi zihlupha umkhathi lapho abantu bephefumula khona. Izipoki ngeke zivumele abantu bakhohlwe ukuxabana kwabo okungatheni, abangeke bakuxazulule. Izipoki zamakhosi kanye nezinhlanga zikhuthaza abantu ukuthi balwe, ngokuphindaphindiwe futhi, izimpi zabo ngokuhahela amandla. Emazweni anjalo umbuso wentando yeningi wawungaqulwa ngendlela efanele.

Kubo bonke ubuso bomhlaba izwe elisha laseMelika linikeze ithuba elihle kakhulu lekhaya elisha lemindeni emisha, nokuzalwa kwabantu abasha endaweni yenkululeko, nangaphansi kukahulumeni omusha.

Ngokuhlupheka okude nobunzima obuningi; ngemva kwezenzo ezingcolile, amaphutha aphindaphindiwe, ngokubulala nosizi, kwazalwa abantu abasha, ngaphansi kohlobo olusha lukahulumeni—intando yeningi entsha, i-United States of America.

Umoya wezwe uyinkululeko. Inkululeko isemoyeni, futhi abantu baphefumula emkhathini wenkululeko: inkululeko emasikweni aphikisanayo amazwe amadala; inkululeko yokucabanga, inkululeko yokukhuluma, kanye nenkululeko yamathuba okwenza nokuba. Isinyathelo sokuqala sentando yeningi yosana kwaba inkululeko. Kodwa inkululeko yomoya abantu ababeyiphefumula futhi beyizwa kwakuyinkululeko yomoya neyomhlaba; kwaba ukukhululeka emigomeni eyayibekwe phezu kwabo emazweni amadala abavela kuwo. Kodwa inkululeko entsha ababenomuzwa wokuthi yayingeyona inkululeko ebugovu babo kanye nonya. Kunalokho, kwabanikeza amathuba okwenza nokuba abangcono kakhulu noma ababi kakhulu ababekubo. Futhi yilokho kanye abakwenza futhi yilokho ababeyikho.

Kwabe sekufika ukukhula nokwanda, okwalandelwa yiminyaka yomzabalazo wokunquma ukuthi imibuso kufanele yini ihlale ibumbene, noma abantu nezifundazwe bazohlukana phakathi. Impucuko yazamazama esilinganisweni lapho abantu babenquma isiphetho sabo. Iningi lalingafuni ukuhlukana; futhi isinyathelo sesibili ekukhuleni kwentando yeningi sathathwa ngegazi nobuhlungu ngokulondolozwa kwabantu kanye nezifundazwe ngobunye.

Manje siyeza isikhathi, empeleni sesifikile, lapho abantu kufanele banqume ukuthi bazoba nentando yeningi ngegama kuphela, noma bazosithatha isinyathelo sesithathu sokuba intando yeningi yangempela nengokoqobo.

Inani elincane uma kuqhathaniswa liyoma lizimisele futhi likulungele ukuthatha isinyathelo sesithathu sokuba nentando yeningi. Kodwa isinyathelo asinakuthathelwa abantu abambalwa kuphela; kufanele kuthathwe iningi labantu njengabantu. Futhi inani elikhulu labantu alizange libonise ukuthi liyayiqonda noma licabange ukuthi iyini intando yeningi yangempela.

Ubuntu yigama lomndeni owodwa omkhulu owakhiwe ngabaSebenzi abangafi emizimbeni yabantu. Ihlukaniswe yaba amagatsha asakazeke kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba. Kodwa yonke indawo umuntu uqashelwa futhi ahlukaniswe kwezinye izidalwa, ngesimo somuntu, ngamandla okucabanga nokukhuluma, nangezimpawu ezifanayo.

Nakuba bengamalungu omndeni owodwa, abantu baye bazingelana ngonya nonya olungaphezu koluboniswa izilo zehlathi. Izilwane eziyingozi zizingela ezinye izilwane, nakuba ziwukudla kuphela. Kodwa amadoda azingela amanye amadoda ukuze aphuce impahla yawo futhi awenze izigqila. Izigqila azizange zibe yizigqila ngenxa yobuhle, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi zazibuthakathaka kunalabo ababezigqilaza. Uma, nganoma iyiphi indlela, izigqila ziba namandla ngokwanele, zaziyogqilaza amakhosi azo. Labo ababeke bakuthola kunzima ukushaywa, bawusebenzisa kubabusi babo bangaphambili.

Kube njalo. Kwakuyisiko ukuthi abanamandla babheke ababuthakathaka njengezigqila: ama-chattels. Umthetho womuntu wenziwe ngamandla, nomthetho wamandla; futhi umthetho wamandla uye wamukelwe njengelungelo.

Kodwa kancane kancane, kancane kancane, phakathi namakhulu eminyaka, unembeza kumuntu uye waphinyiswa ngabantu ngabanye. Kancane kancane, kancane kancane futhi ngamadigri, kuye kwathuthukiswa ngemiphakathi kanye nabantu unembeza womphakathi. Ubuthakathaka ekuqaleni, kodwa ukuzuza amandla nokuzwakala ngokucace okwandayo, unembeza uyakhuluma.

Ngaphambi kokuba unembeza womphakathi uzwakale kwakunamajele, kodwa zazingekho izibhedlela noma izindawo zokukhosela noma izikole zabantu. Ngokukhula konembeza womphakathi kube nokukhula okuqhubekayo kwezisekelo zocwaningo nezikhungo zazo zonke izinhlobo ezizinikele ekuthuthukisweni kwenhlalakahle yomphakathi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, phakathi kwezingxabano nezingxabano zeqembu nezigaba, kuzwakala unembeza wesizwe onobulungiswa. Futhi nakuba iningi lezizwe zomhlaba manje lisempini futhi lilungiselela impi, lizwakala ngokucacile izwi likanembeza womhlaba wonke onobulungisa. Nakuba izwi likanembeza elinobulungiswa lizwakala likhona ithemba nesithembiso ngomhlaba. Futhi ithemba, ithemba langempela lenkululeko yabantu bomhlaba, likuntando yeningi yeqiniso, Ukuzibusa.