ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

South,butahundredthousandmerchantsandfarmershere,whoaremoreinterestedincommerceandagriculturethantheyareinhumanity,andarenotpreparedtodojusticetotheslaveandtoMexico,costwhatitmay.Iquarrelnotwithfar-offfoes,butwiththosewho,nearathome,co-operatewith,anddothebiddingofthosefaraway,andwithoutwhomthelatterwouldbeharmless.Weareaccustomedtosay,thatthemassofmenareunpreparedbutimprovementisslow,becausethefewarenotmateriallywiserorbetterthanthemany.Itisnotsoimportantthatmanyshouldbeasgoodasyou,asthattherebesomeabsolutegoodnesssomewhereforthatwillleaventhewholelump.Therearethousandswhoareinopinionopposedtoslaveryandtothewar,whoyetineffectdonothingtoputanendtothemwho,esteemingthemselveschildrenofWashingtonandFranklin,sitdownwiththeirhandsintheirpockets,andsaythattheyknownotwhattodo,anddonothingwhoevenpostponethequestionoffreedomtothequestionoffree-trade,andquietlyreadtheprices-currentalongwiththelatestadvicesfromMexico,afterdinner,and,itmaybe,fallasleepoverthemboth.Whatistheprice-currentofanhonestmanandpatriottoday?Theyhesitate,andtheyregret,andsometimestheypetitionbuttheydonothinginearnestandwitheffect.Theywillwait,welldisposed,forotherstoremedytheevil,thattheymaynolongerhaveittoregret.Atmost,theygiveonlyacheapvote,andafeeblecountenanceandGodspeed,totheright,asitgoesbythem.Thereareninehundredandninety-ninepatronsofvirtuetoonevirtuousmanbutitiseasiertodealwiththerealpossessorofathingthanwiththetemporaryguardianofit. Allvotingisasortofgaming,likechequersorbackgammon,withaslightmoraltingetoit,aplayingwithrightandwrong,withmoralquestionsandbettingnaturallyaccompaniesit.Thecharacterofthevotersisnotstaked.Icastmyvote,perchance,asIthinkrightbutIamnotvitallyconcernedthatthatrightshouldprevail.Iamwillingtoleaveittothemajority.Itsobligation,therefore,neverexceedsthatofexpediency.Evenvotingfortherightisdoingnothingforit.Itisonlyexpressingtomenfeeblyyourdesirethatitshouldprevail.Awisemanwillnotleavetherighttothemercyofchance,norwishittoprevailthroughthepowerofthemajority.Thereisbutlittlevirtueintheactionofmassesofmen.Whenthemajorityshallatlengthvotefortheabolitionofslavery,itwillbebecausetheyareindifferenttoslavery,orbecausethereisbutlittleslaverylefttobeabolishedbytheirvote.Theywillthenbetheonlyslaves.Onlyhisvotecanhastentheabolitionofslaverywhoassertshisownfreedombyhisvote. IhearofaconventiontobeheldatBaltimore,orelsewhere,fortheselectionofacandidateforthePresidency,madeupchieflyofeditors,andmenwhoarepoliticiansbyprofessionbutIthink,whatisittoanyindependent,intelligent,andrespectablemanwhatdecisiontheymaycometo,shallwenothavetheadvantageofhiswisdomandhonesty,nevertheless?Canwenotcountuponsomeindependentvotes?Aretherenotmanyindividualsinthecountrywhodonotattendconventions?Butno:Ifindthattherespectableman,socalled,hasimmediatelydriftedfromhisposition,anddespairsofhiscountry,whenhiscountryhasmorereasonstodespairofhim.Heforthwithadoptsoneofthecandidatesthusselectedastheonlyavailableone,thusprovingthatheishimselfavailableforanypurposesofthedemagogue.Hisvoteisofnomoreworththanthatofanyunprincipledforeignerorhirelingnative,whomayhavebeenbought.Ohforamanwhoisaman,and,asmyneighborsays,hasaboneinhisbackwhichyoucannotpassyourhandthrough!Ourstatisticsareatfault:thepopulationhasbeenreturnedtoolarge.Howmanymenaretheretoasquarethousandmilesinthecountry?Hardlyone.DoesnotAmericaofferanyinducementformentosettlehere?TheAmericanhasdwindledintoanOddFellow,—onewhomaybeknownbythedevelopmentofhisorganofgregariousness,andamanifestlackofintellectandcheerfulself-reliancewhosefirstandchiefconcern,oncomingintotheworld,istoseethatthealms-housesareingoodrepairand,beforeyethehaslawfullydonnedthevirilegarb,tocollectafundforthesupportofthewidowsandorphansthatmaybewho,inshort,venturestoliveonlybytheaidoftheMutualInsurancecompany,whichhaspromisedtoburyhimdecently. Itisnotaman’sduty,asamatterofcourse,todevotehimselftotheeradicationofany,eventhemostenormouswronghemaystillproperlyhaveotherconcernstoengagehimbutitishisduty,atleast,towashhishandsofit,and,ifhegivesitnothoughtlonger,nottogiveitpracticallyhissupport.IfIdevotemyselftootherpursuitsandcontemplations,Imustfirstsee,atleast,thatIdonotpursuethemsittinguponanotherman’sshoulders.Imustgetoffhimfirst,thathemaypursuehiscontemplationstoo.Seewhatgrossinconsistencyistolerated.Ihaveheardsomeofmytownsmensay,“Ishouldliketohavethemordermeouttohelpputdownaninsurrectionoftheslaves,ortomarchtoMexico,—seeifIwouldgo”andyettheseverymenhaveeach,directlybytheirallegiance,andsoindirectly,atleast,bytheirmoney,furnishedasubstitute.ThesoldierisapplaudedwhorefusestoserveinanunjustwarbythosewhodonotrefusetosustaintheunjustgovernmentwhichmakesthewarisapplaudedbythosewhoseownactandauthorityhedisregardsandsetsatnaughtasiftheStatewerepenitenttothatdegreethatithiredonetoscourgeitwhileitsinned,butnottothatdegreethatitleftoffsinningforamoment.Thus,underthenameofOrderandCivilGovernment,weareallmadeatlasttopayhomagetoandsupportourownmeanness.Afterthefirstblushofsin,comesitsindifferenceandfromimmoralitbecomes,asitwere,unmoral,andnotquiteunnecessarytothatlifewhichwehavemade. Thebroadestandmostprevalenterrorrequiresthemostdisinterestedvirtuetosustainit.Theslightreproachtowhichthevirtueofpatriotismiscommonlyliable,thenoblearemostlikelytoincur.Thosewho,whiletheydisapproveofthecharacterandmeasuresofagovernment,yieldtoittheirallegianceandsupport,areundoubtedlyitsmostconscientioussupporters,andsofrequentlythemostseriousobstaclestoreform.SomearepetitioningtheStatetodissolvetheUnion,todisregardtherequisitionsofthePresident.Whydotheynotdissolveitthemselves,—theunionbetweenthemselvesandtheState,—andrefusetopaytheirquotaintoitstreasury?DonottheystandinsamerelationtotheState,thattheStatedoestotheUnion?AndhavenotthesamereasonspreventedtheStatefromresistingtheUnion,whichhavepreventedthemfromresistingtheState? Howcanamanbesatisfiedtoentertainanopinionmerely,andenjoyit?Isthereanyenjoymentinit,ifhisopinionisthatheisaggrieved?Ifyouarecheatedoutofasingledollarbyyourneighbor,youdonotrestsatisfiedwithknowingyouarecheated,orwithsayingthatyouarecheated,orevenwithpetitioninghimtopayyouyourduebutyoutakeeffectualstepsatoncetoobtainthefullamount,andseethatyouarenevercheatedagain.Actionfromprinciple,—theperceptionandtheperformanceofright,—changesthingsandrelationsitisessentiallyrevolutionary,anddoesnotconsistwhollywithanythingwhichwas.Itnotonlydividedstatesandchurches,itdividesfamiliesaye,itdividestheindividual,separatingthediabolicalinhimfromthedivine. Unjustlawsexist:shallwebecontenttoobeythem,orshallweendeavortoamendthem,andobeythemuntilwehavesucceeded,orshallwetransgressthematonce?Mengenerally,undersuchagovernmentasthis,thinkthattheyoughttowaituntiltheyhavepersuadedthemajoritytoalterthem.Theythinkthat,iftheyshouldresist,theremedywouldbeworsethantheevil.Butitisthefaultofthegovernmentitselfthattheremedyisworsethantheevil.Itmakesitworse.Whyisitnotmoreapttoanticipateandprovideforreform?Whydoesitnotcherishitswiseminority?Whydoesitcryandresistbeforeitishurt?Whydoesitnotencourageitscitizenstobeonthealerttopointoutitsfaults,anddobetterthanitwouldhavethem?WhydoesitalwayscrucifyChrist,andexcommunicateCopernicusandLuther,andpronounceWashingtonandFranklinrebels? Onewouldthink,thatadeliberateandpracticaldenialofitsauthoritywastheonlyoffencenevercontemplatedbygovernmentelse,whyhasitnotassigneditsdefinite,itssuitableandproportionatepenalty?IfamanwhohasnopropertyrefusesbutoncetoearnnineshillingsfortheState,heisputinprisonforaperiodunlimitedbyanylawthatIknow,anddeterminedonlybythediscretionofthosewhoplacedhimtherebutifheshouldstealninetytimesnineshillingsfromtheState,heissoonpermittedtogoatlargeagain. Iftheinjusticeispartofthenecessaryfrictionofthemachineofgovernment,letitgo,letitgo:perchanceitwillwearsmooth,—certainlythemachinewillwearout.Iftheinjusticehasaspring,orapulley,orarope,oracrank,exclusivelyforitself,thenperhapsyoumayconsiderwhethertheremedywillnotbeworsethantheevilbutifitisofsuchanaturethatitrequiresyoutobetheagentofinjusticetoanother,then,Isay,breakthelaw.Letyourlifebeacounterfrictiontostopthemachine.WhatIhavetodoistosee,atanyrate,thatIdonotlendmyselftothewrongwhichIcondemn. AsforadoptingthewayswhichtheStatehasprovidedforremedyingtheevil,Iknownotofsuchways.Theytaketoomuchtime,andaman’slifewillbegone.Ihaveotheraffairstoattendto.Icameintothisworld,notchieflytomakethisagoodplacetolivein,