Edmund Burke
INDICTMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS
1788
My lords，I do not mean now to go farther than just to remind your lordships of this—that Mr.。Hastings' government was one whole system of oppression，of robbery of individuals，of spoliation of the public，and of super session of the whole sys-tem of the English government，in order to vest in the worst of the natives all the power that could possibly exist in any government；in order to de-feat the ends which all governments ought，in common，to have in view.In the name of the Commons of England，I charge all this villainy upon Warren Hastings，in this last moment of my application to you.
My lords，what is it that we want here，to a great act of national justice？Do we want a cause，my lords？You have the cause of oppressed princes，of undone women of the first rank，of desolated provinces and of wasted kingdoms.
Do you want a criminal，my lords？When was there so much iniquity ever laid to the charge of any one？No，my lords，you must not look to punish any other such delinquent from India.Warren Hastings has not left substance enough in India to nourish such another delinquent.
My lords，is it a prosecutor you want？You have before you the Commons of Great Britain as prosecutors；and I believe，my lords，that the sun，in his beneficent progress round the world，does not behold a more glorious sight than that of men，separated from a remote people by the material bounds and barriers of nature，united by the bond of a social and moral community—all the Commons of England resenting，as their own，the indignities and cruelties that we offered to all the people of India.
Do we want a tribunal？My lords，no example of antiquity，nothing in the modern world，nothing in the range of human imagination，can supply us with a tribunal like this.We commit safely the interests of India and humanity into your hands.Therefore，it is with confidence that，ordered by the Commons，I impeach Warren Hastings，Esquire，of high crimes and misdemeanors.
I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled，whose parliamentary trust he has betrayed.
I impeach him in the name of all the Commons of Great Britain，whose national character he has dishonored.
I impeach him in the name of the people of India，whose laws，rights and liberties he has subverted；whose properties he has destroyed；whose country he has laid waste and desolate.
I impeach him in the name and by virtue of those eternal laws of justice， which he has violated.
I impeach him in the name of human nature it-self，which he has cruelly outraged，injured and oppressed，in both sexes，in every age，rank，situation，and condition of life.
My lords，at this awful close，in the name of the Commons and surrounded by them，I attest the retiring，I attest the advancing generations，between which，as a link in the great chain of eternal order，we stand.We call this nation，we call the world to witness，that the Commons have shrunk from no labor；that we have been guilty of no prevarication；that we have made no compromise with crime；that we have not feared any odium whatsoever，in the long warfare which we have carried on with the crimes，with the vices，with the exorbitant wealth，with the enormous and overpowering influence of Eastern corruption.
My lords，it has pleased Providence to places in such a state that we appear every moment to abe upon the verge of some great mutations.There is one thing，and one thing only，which defies all mutation：that which existed before the world，and will survive the fabric of the world itself—I mean justice；that justice which，emanating from the Divinity，has a place in the breast of every one of us，given us for our guide with regard to ourselves and with regard to others，and which will stand，after this globe is burned to ashes，our advocate or our accuser，before the great Judge，when He comes to call upon us for the tenor of a well-spent life.
埃德蒙·伯克
控告沃倫·哈斯丁
1788年
議員們，我長話短說只是提醒爵爺們，哈斯丁先生的政府是對個人和公眾強(qiáng)取豪奪、與整個英國政府體制相背的實行壓迫的完整體系，其目的在于把政府所能擁有的一切權(quán)力授予土著中最壞的人，并使一切政府通常應(yīng)考慮的目標(biāo)落空。我謹(jǐn)以英國下院的名義，在向你們提出請求的這個最后時刻對沃倫·哈斯丁的惡行提出指控。
議員們，為在全國大力伸張正義，我們這里需要什么？我們要有個控告的理由嗎，議員們？你們有王公貴族被壓迫，貴婦被毀滅，一些省份田地荒蕪和一些王國財力耗盡作為控告的理由。
你們要罪犯嗎，議員們？什么時候指控過一個人犯有如此嚴(yán)重的罪惡？沒有過，議員們，你們不必指望在印度會懲罰其他與此類似的違法者。在印度，沃倫·哈斯丁沒有留下足夠的錢財來培育此類違法者。
議員們，你們要的是檢察官嗎？你們面前的大不列顛下院議員都是檢察官；議員們，我相信太陽在將其仁慈光輝普照大地的過程中，從來沒有見過如此壯麗的情景：這里的人同遠(yuǎn)方的人民中間雖然隔著具體的界限和自然的障礙，卻結(jié)合在一個社會的、道德的團(tuán)體之中——英國的全體下院議員把我們給印度全體人民帶去的屈辱和殘暴視為他們自身遭受的折磨而忿恨不已。
我們要一個法庭嗎？議員們，古代沒有這樣的例子，現(xiàn)代世界沒有，人們的想象力也不會給我們提供這樣一個法庭。我們放心地把印度和人類的利益托付給你們。因此，滿懷信心地按照下議院的決定：
我控告沃倫·哈斯丁先生犯有重罪和輕罪。
我以大不列顛下議院的名義在議會會議上控告他有負(fù)議會的信任。
我以大不列顛全體下院議員的名義控告他玷污了國家的名聲。
我以印度人民的名義控告他破壞了印度的法律、權(quán)利和自由；他毀掉了印度的財產(chǎn)；他使印度的土地荒蕪。
我以他所違背的永恒的正義的法律的名義，并根據(jù)這些法律控告他。
我以人性的名義控告他，他肆意踐踏人性，不管男女老少、地位高低和境況好壞都遭他中傷與迫害。
議員們，在這即將作出結(jié)論的重要關(guān)頭，我以下議院議員及其周圍人們的名義向即將退休的一代和蒸蒸日上的一代人證明：作為永恒秩序這一偉大系列的一個環(huán)節(jié)，我們正站立在兩代人之間。我們呼喚這個國家，呼喚這個世界注意：下議院未曾回避責(zé)任；我們未曾互相推諉罪名；我們從未與犯罪行為妥協(xié)；在與犯罪、惡行、暴發(fā)戶以及東方式腐敗的不可抗拒的巨大影響的長期斗爭中，我們從未害怕過來自任何方面的憎恨。
議員們，令人高興的是上帝把我們置于時時刻刻接近某些重大變化的情況下。有一個東西，僅僅一個東西經(jīng)受得住一切變化：世界存在以前，世界構(gòu)成以后都存在的東西——那就是正義。正義源自上帝，在我們每個人的心中都有它的地位，指導(dǎo)我們怎樣做人，怎樣待人；在地球毀滅之后，上帝來召喚我們?nèi)ミ^美好生活時，在這位偉大的法官面前，正義將成為我們的辯護(hù)者或控告者。
INDICTMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS
1788
My lords，I do not mean now to go farther than just to remind your lordships of this—that Mr.。Hastings' government was one whole system of oppression，of robbery of individuals，of spoliation of the public，and of super session of the whole sys-tem of the English government，in order to vest in the worst of the natives all the power that could possibly exist in any government；in order to de-feat the ends which all governments ought，in common，to have in view.In the name of the Commons of England，I charge all this villainy upon Warren Hastings，in this last moment of my application to you.
My lords，what is it that we want here，to a great act of national justice？Do we want a cause，my lords？You have the cause of oppressed princes，of undone women of the first rank，of desolated provinces and of wasted kingdoms.
Do you want a criminal，my lords？When was there so much iniquity ever laid to the charge of any one？No，my lords，you must not look to punish any other such delinquent from India.Warren Hastings has not left substance enough in India to nourish such another delinquent.
My lords，is it a prosecutor you want？You have before you the Commons of Great Britain as prosecutors；and I believe，my lords，that the sun，in his beneficent progress round the world，does not behold a more glorious sight than that of men，separated from a remote people by the material bounds and barriers of nature，united by the bond of a social and moral community—all the Commons of England resenting，as their own，the indignities and cruelties that we offered to all the people of India.
Do we want a tribunal？My lords，no example of antiquity，nothing in the modern world，nothing in the range of human imagination，can supply us with a tribunal like this.We commit safely the interests of India and humanity into your hands.Therefore，it is with confidence that，ordered by the Commons，I impeach Warren Hastings，Esquire，of high crimes and misdemeanors.
I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled，whose parliamentary trust he has betrayed.
I impeach him in the name of all the Commons of Great Britain，whose national character he has dishonored.
I impeach him in the name of the people of India，whose laws，rights and liberties he has subverted；whose properties he has destroyed；whose country he has laid waste and desolate.
I impeach him in the name and by virtue of those eternal laws of justice， which he has violated.
I impeach him in the name of human nature it-self，which he has cruelly outraged，injured and oppressed，in both sexes，in every age，rank，situation，and condition of life.
My lords，at this awful close，in the name of the Commons and surrounded by them，I attest the retiring，I attest the advancing generations，between which，as a link in the great chain of eternal order，we stand.We call this nation，we call the world to witness，that the Commons have shrunk from no labor；that we have been guilty of no prevarication；that we have made no compromise with crime；that we have not feared any odium whatsoever，in the long warfare which we have carried on with the crimes，with the vices，with the exorbitant wealth，with the enormous and overpowering influence of Eastern corruption.
My lords，it has pleased Providence to places in such a state that we appear every moment to abe upon the verge of some great mutations.There is one thing，and one thing only，which defies all mutation：that which existed before the world，and will survive the fabric of the world itself—I mean justice；that justice which，emanating from the Divinity，has a place in the breast of every one of us，given us for our guide with regard to ourselves and with regard to others，and which will stand，after this globe is burned to ashes，our advocate or our accuser，before the great Judge，when He comes to call upon us for the tenor of a well-spent life.
埃德蒙·伯克
控告沃倫·哈斯丁
1788年
議員們，我長話短說只是提醒爵爺們，哈斯丁先生的政府是對個人和公眾強(qiáng)取豪奪、與整個英國政府體制相背的實行壓迫的完整體系，其目的在于把政府所能擁有的一切權(quán)力授予土著中最壞的人，并使一切政府通常應(yīng)考慮的目標(biāo)落空。我謹(jǐn)以英國下院的名義，在向你們提出請求的這個最后時刻對沃倫·哈斯丁的惡行提出指控。
議員們，為在全國大力伸張正義，我們這里需要什么？我們要有個控告的理由嗎，議員們？你們有王公貴族被壓迫，貴婦被毀滅，一些省份田地荒蕪和一些王國財力耗盡作為控告的理由。
你們要罪犯嗎，議員們？什么時候指控過一個人犯有如此嚴(yán)重的罪惡？沒有過，議員們，你們不必指望在印度會懲罰其他與此類似的違法者。在印度，沃倫·哈斯丁沒有留下足夠的錢財來培育此類違法者。
議員們，你們要的是檢察官嗎？你們面前的大不列顛下院議員都是檢察官；議員們，我相信太陽在將其仁慈光輝普照大地的過程中，從來沒有見過如此壯麗的情景：這里的人同遠(yuǎn)方的人民中間雖然隔著具體的界限和自然的障礙，卻結(jié)合在一個社會的、道德的團(tuán)體之中——英國的全體下院議員把我們給印度全體人民帶去的屈辱和殘暴視為他們自身遭受的折磨而忿恨不已。
我們要一個法庭嗎？議員們，古代沒有這樣的例子，現(xiàn)代世界沒有，人們的想象力也不會給我們提供這樣一個法庭。我們放心地把印度和人類的利益托付給你們。因此，滿懷信心地按照下議院的決定：
我控告沃倫·哈斯丁先生犯有重罪和輕罪。
我以大不列顛下議院的名義在議會會議上控告他有負(fù)議會的信任。
我以大不列顛全體下院議員的名義控告他玷污了國家的名聲。
我以印度人民的名義控告他破壞了印度的法律、權(quán)利和自由；他毀掉了印度的財產(chǎn)；他使印度的土地荒蕪。
我以他所違背的永恒的正義的法律的名義，并根據(jù)這些法律控告他。
我以人性的名義控告他，他肆意踐踏人性，不管男女老少、地位高低和境況好壞都遭他中傷與迫害。
議員們，在這即將作出結(jié)論的重要關(guān)頭，我以下議院議員及其周圍人們的名義向即將退休的一代和蒸蒸日上的一代人證明：作為永恒秩序這一偉大系列的一個環(huán)節(jié)，我們正站立在兩代人之間。我們呼喚這個國家，呼喚這個世界注意：下議院未曾回避責(zé)任；我們未曾互相推諉罪名；我們從未與犯罪行為妥協(xié)；在與犯罪、惡行、暴發(fā)戶以及東方式腐敗的不可抗拒的巨大影響的長期斗爭中，我們從未害怕過來自任何方面的憎恨。
議員們，令人高興的是上帝把我們置于時時刻刻接近某些重大變化的情況下。有一個東西，僅僅一個東西經(jīng)受得住一切變化：世界存在以前，世界構(gòu)成以后都存在的東西——那就是正義。正義源自上帝，在我們每個人的心中都有它的地位，指導(dǎo)我們怎樣做人，怎樣待人；在地球毀滅之后，上帝來召喚我們?nèi)ミ^美好生活時，在這位偉大的法官面前，正義將成為我們的辯護(hù)者或控告者。