ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Iheartilyacceptthemotto,—“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast”andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyandsystematically.Carriedout,itfinallyamountstothis,whichalsoIbelieve—“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall”andwhenmenarepreparedforit,thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichtheywillhave.Governmentisatbestbutanexpedientbutmostgovernmentsareusually,andallgovernmentsaresometimes,inexpedient.Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy,andtheyaremanyandweighty,anddeservetoprevail,mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment.Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment.Thegovernmentitself,whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill,isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.WitnessthepresentMexicanwar,theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtoolfor,intheoutset,thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure. ThisAmericangovernment,—whatisitbutatradition,thougharecentone,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingmanforasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselvesand,ifevertheyshoulduseitinearnestasarealoneagainsteachother,itwillsurelysplit.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthisforthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownadvantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallowyetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Itdoesnotkeepthecountryfree.ItdoesnotsettletheWest.Itdoesnoteducate.ThecharacterinherentintheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplishedanditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedient,bywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheraloneand,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Tradeandcommerce,iftheywerenotmadeofIndiarubber,wouldnevermanagetobounceoverobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyputtingintheirwayand,ifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractions,andnotpartlybytheirintentions,theywoulddeservetobeclassedandpunishedwiththosemischievouspersonswhoputobstructionsontherailroads. But,tospeakpracticallyandasacitizen,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,Iaskfor,notatoncenogovernment,butatonceabettergovernment.Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisrespect,andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit. Afterall,thepracticalreasonwhy,whenthepowerisonceinthehandsofthepeople,amajorityarepermitted,andforalongperiodcontinue,torule,isnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright,norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority,butbecausetheyarephysicallythestrongest.Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbebasedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.Cantherenotbeagovernmentinwhichthemajoritiesdonotvirtuallydeciderightandwrong,butconscience?—inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable?Mustthecitizeneverforamoment,orintheleastdegree,resignhisconsciencetothelegislator?Whyhaseverymanaconscience,then?Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.Itisnotdesirabletocultivatearespectforthelaw,somuchasfortheright.TheonlyobligationwhichIhavearighttoassume,istodoatanytimewhatIthinkright.Itistrulyenoughsaidthatacorporationhasnoconsciencebutacorporationofconscientiousmenisacorporationwithaconscience.Lawnevermademenawhitmorejustand,bymeansoftheirrespectforit,eventhewell-disposedaredailymadetheagentsofinjustice.Acommonandnaturalresultofanunduerespectforthelawis,thatyoumayseeafileofsoldiers,colonel,captain,corporal,privates,powder-monkeysandall,marchinginadmirableorderoverhillanddaletothewars,againsttheirwills,aye,againsttheircommonsenseandconsciences,whichmakesitverysteepmarchingindeed,andproducesapalpitationoftheheart.Theyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyareconcernedtheyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?Menatall?orsmallmovablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsomeunscrupulousmaninpower?VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmakeamanwithitsblackarts,amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniment,thoughitmaybe “Notadrumwasheard,notafuneralnote, Ashiscorpsetotherampartswehurried Notasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshot O’erthegravewhereourheroweburied.” ThemassofmenservetheStatethus,notasmenmainly,butasmachines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,jailers,constables,possecomitatus,&c.Inmostcasesthereisnofreeexercisewhateverofthejudgmentorofthemoralsensebuttheyputthemselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstonesandwoodenmencanperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Suchcommandnomorerespectthanmenofstraw,oralumpofdirt.Theyhavethesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs.Yetsuchastheseevenarecommonlyesteemedgoodcitizens.Others,asmostlegislators,politicians,lawyers,ministers,andoffice-holders,servethestatechieflywiththeirheadsand,astheyrarelymakeanymoraldistinctions,theyareaslikelytoservethedevil,withoutintendingit,asGod.Averyfew,asheroes,patriots,martyrs,reformersinthegreatsense,andmen,servetheStatewiththeirconsciencesalso,andsonecessarilyresistitforthemostpartandtheyarecommonlytreatedbyitasenemies.Awisemanwillonlybeusefulasaman,andwillnotsubmittobe“clay,”and“stopaholetokeepthewindaway,”butleavethatofficetohisdustatleast: “Iamtoohigh-borntobepropertied, Tobeasecondaryatcontrol, Orusefulserving-manandinstrument Toanysovereignstatethroughouttheworld.” Hewhogiveshimselfentirelytohisfellow-menappearstothemuselessandselfishbuthewhogiveshimselfpartiallytothemispronouncedabenefactorandphilanthropist. HowdoesitbecomeamantobehavetowardtheAmericangovernmenttoday?Ianswerthathecannotwithoutdisgracebeassociatedwithit.Icannotforaninstantrecognizethatpoliticalorganizationasmygovernmentwhichistheslave’sgovernmentalso. Allmenrecognizetherightofrevolutionthatis,therighttorefuseallegiancetoandtoresistthegovernment,whenitstyrannyoritsinefficiencyaregreatandunendurable.Butalmostallsaythatsuchisnotthecasenow.Butsuchwasthecase,theythink,intheRevolutionof’75.Ifoneweretotellmethatthiswasabadgovernmentbecauseittaxedcertainforeigncommoditiesbroughttoitsports,itismostprobablethatIshouldnotmakeanadoaboutit,forIcandowithoutthem:allmachineshavetheirfrictionandpossiblythisdoesenoughgoodtocounter-balancetheevil.Atanyrate,itisagreateviltomakeastiraboutit.Butwhenthefrictioncomestohaveitsmachine,andoppressionandrobberyareorganized,Isay,letusnothavesuchamachineanylonger.Inotherwords,whenasixthofthepopulationofanationwhichhasundertakentobetherefugeoflibertyareslaves,andawholecountryisunjustlyoverrunandconqueredbyaforeignarmy,andsubjectedtomilitarylaw,Ithinkthatitisnottoosoonforhonestmentorebelandrevolutionize.Whatmakesthisdutythemoreurgentisthatfact,thatthecountrysooverrunisnotourown,butoursistheinvadingarmy. Paley,acommonauthoritywithmanyonmoralquestions,inhischapteronthe“DutyofSubmissiontoCivilGovernment,”resolvesallcivilobligationintoexpediencyandheproceedstosay,“thatsolongastheinterestofthewholesocietyrequiresit,thatis,solongastheestablishedgovernmentcannotberesistedorchangedwithoutpublicinconveniency,itisthewillofGodthattheestablishedgovernmentbeobeyed,andnolonger.”—“Thisprinciplebeingadmitted,thejusticeofeveryparticularcaseofresistanceisreducedtoacomputationofthequantityofthedangerandgrievanceontheoneside,andoftheprobabilityandexpenseofredressingitontheother.”Ofthis,hesays,everymanshalljudgeforhimself.ButPaleyappearsnevertohavecontemplatedthosecasestowhichtheruleofexpediencydoesnotapply,inwhichapeople,aswellasanindividual,mustdojustice,costwhatitmay.IfIhaveunjustlywrestedaplankfromadrowningman,ImustrestoreittohimthoughIdrownmyself.This,accordingtoPaley,wouldbeinconvenient.Buthethatwouldsavehislife,insuchacase,shallloseit.Thispeoplemustceasetoholdslaves,andtomakewaronMexico,thoughitcostthemtheirexistenceasapeople. Intheirpractice,nationsagreewithPaleybutdoesanyonethinkthatMassachusettsdoesexactlywhatisrightatthepresentcrisis? “Adrabofstate,acloth-o’-silverslut, Tohavehertrainborneup,andhersoultrailinthedirt.” Practicallyspeaking,theopponentstoareforminMassachusettsarenotahundredthousandpoliticiansatthe