ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

buttoliveinit,beitgoodorbad.Amanhasnoteverythingtodo,butsomethingandbecausehecannotdoeverything,itisnotnecessarythatheshoulddosomethingwrong.ItisnotmybusinesstobepetitioningtheGovernorortheLegislatureanymorethanitistheirstopetitionmeand,iftheyshouldnothearmypetition,whatshouldIdothen?ButinthiscasetheStatehasprovidednoway:itsveryConstitutionistheevil.Thismayseemtobeharshandstubbornandunconcilliatorybutitistotreatwiththeutmostkindnessandconsiderationtheonlyspiritthatcanappreciateordeservesit.Soisallchangeforthebetter,likebirthanddeathwhichconvulsethebody. Idonothesitatetosay,thatthosewhocallthemselvesabolitionistsshouldatonceeffectuallywithdrawtheirsupport,bothinpersonandproperty,fromthegovernmentofMassachusetts,andnotwaittilltheyconstituteamajorityofone,beforetheysuffertherighttoprevailthroughthem.IthinkthatitisenoughiftheyhaveGodontheirside,withoutwaitingforthatotherone.Moreover,anymanmorerightthanhisneighborsconstitutesamajorityofonealready. ImeetthisAmericangovernment,oritsrepresentative,theStategovernment,directly,andfacetoface,onceayear,nomore,inthepersonofitstax-gathererthisistheonlymodeinwhichamansituatedasIamnecessarilymeetsitanditthensaysdistinctly,Recognizemeandthesimplest,themosteffectual,and,inthepresentpostureofaffairs,theindispensablestmodeoftreatingwithitonthishead,ofexpressingyourlittlesatisfactionwithandloveforit,istodenyitthen.Mycivilneighbor,thetax-gatherer,istheverymanIhavetodealwith,—foritis,afterall,withmenandnotwithparchmentthatIquarrel,—andhehasvoluntarilychosentobeanagentofthegovernment.Howshallheeverknowwellwhatheisanddoesasanofficerofthegovernment,orasaman,untilheisobligedtoconsiderwhetherheshalltreatme,hisneighbor,forwhomhehasrespect,asaneighborandwell-disposedman,orasamaniacanddisturberofthepeace,andseeifhecangetoverthisobstructiontohisneighborlinesswithoutaruderandmoreimpetuousthoughtorspeechcorrespondingwithhisaction?Iknowthiswell,thatifonethousand,ifonehundred,iftenmenwhomIcouldname,—iftenhonestmenonly,—aye,ifoneHONESTman,inthisStateofMassachusetts,ceasingtoholdslaves,wereactuallytowithdrawfromthiscopartnership,andbelockedupinthecountyjailtherefor,itwouldbetheabolitionofslaveryinAmerica.Foritmattersnothowsmallthebeginningmayseemtobe:whatisoncewelldoneisdoneforever.Butwelovebettertotalkaboutit:thatwesayisourmission.Reformkeepsmanyscoresofnewspapersinitsservice,butnotoneman.Ifmyesteemedneighbor,theState’sambassador,whowilldevotehisdaystothesettlementofthequestionofhumanrightsintheCouncilChamber,insteadofbeingthreatenedwiththeprisonsofCarolina,weretositdowntheprisonerofMassachusetts,thatStatewhichissoanxioustofoistthesinofslaveryuponhersister,—thoughatpresentshecandiscoveronlyanactofinhospitalitytobethegroundofaquarrelwithher,—theLegislaturewouldnotwhollywaivethesubjectofthefollowingwinter. Underagovernmentwhichimprisonsanyunjustly,thetrueplaceforajustmanisalsoaprison.Theproperplacetoday,theonlyplacewhichMassachusettshasprovidedforherfreerandlessdespondingspirits,isinherprisons,tobeputoutandlockedoutoftheStatebyherownact,astheyhavealreadyputthemselvesoutbytheirprinciples.Itistherethatthefugitiveslave,andtheMexicanprisoneronparole,andtheIndiancometopleadthewrongsofhisrace,shouldfindthemonthatseparate,butmorefreeandhonorableground,wheretheStateplacesthosewhoarenotwithherbutagainsther,—theonlyhouseinaslave-stateinwhichafreemancanabidewithhonor.Ifanythinkthattheirinfluencewouldbelostthere,andtheirvoicesnolongerafflicttheearoftheState,thattheywouldnotbeasanenemywithinitswalls,theydonotknowbyhowmuchtruthisstrongerthanerror,norhowmuchmoreeloquentlyandeffectivelyhecancombatinjusticewhohasexperiencedalittleinhisownperson.Castyourwholevote,notastripofpapermerely,butyourwholeinfluence.Aminorityispowerlesswhileitconformstothemajorityitisnotevenaminoritythenbutitisirresistiblewhenitclogsbyitswholeweight.Ifthealternativeistokeepalljustmeninprison,orgiveupwarandslavery,theStatewillnothesitatewhichtochoose.Ifathousandmenwerenottopaytheirtax-billsthisyear,thatwouldnotbeaviolentandbloodymeasure,asitwouldbetopaythem,andenabletheStatetocommitviolenceandshedinnocentblood.Thisis,infact,thedefinitionofapeaceablerevolution,ifanysuchispossible.Ifthetax-gatherer,oranyotherpublicofficer,asksme,asonehasdone,“ButwhatshallIdo?”myansweris,“Ifyoureallywishtodoanything,resignyouroffice.”Whenthesubjecthasrefusedallegiance,andtheofficerhasresignedhisoffice,thentherevolutionisaccomplished.Butevensupposebloodshouldflow.Istherenotasortofbloodshedwhentheconscienceiswounded?Throughthiswoundaman’srealmanhoodandimmortalityflowout,andhebleedstoaneverlastingdeath.Iseethisbloodflowingnow. Ihavecontemplatedtheimprisonmentoftheoffender,ratherthantheseizureofhisgoods,—thoughbothwillservethesamepurpose,—becausetheywhoassertthepurestright,andconsequentlyaremostdangeroustoacorruptState,commonlyhavenotspentmuchtimeinaccumulatingproperty.TosuchtheStaterenderscomparativelysmallservice,andaslighttaxiswonttoappearexorbitant,particularlyiftheyareobligedtoearnitbyspeciallaborwiththeirhands.Iftherewereonewholivedwhollywithouttheuseofmoney,theStateitselfwouldhesitatetodemanditofhim.Buttherichman—nottomakeanyinvidiouscomparison—isalwayssoldtotheinstitutionwhichmakeshimrich.Absolutelyspeaking,themoremoney,thelessvirtueformoneycomesbetweenamanandhisobjects,andobtainsthemforhimitwascertainlynogreatvirtuetoobtainit.Itputstorestmanyquestionswhichhewouldotherwisebetaxedtoanswerwhiletheonlynewquestionwhichitputsisthehardbutsuperfluousone,howtospendit.Thushismoralgroundistakenfromunderhisfeet.Theopportunitiesoflivingarediminishedinproportionaswhatarecalledthe“means”areincreased.Thebestthingamancandoforhisculturewhenheisrichistoendeavortocarryoutthoseschemeswhichheentertainedwhenhewaspoor.ChristansweredtheHerodiansaccordingtotheircondition.“Showmethetribute-money,”saidhe—andonetookapennyoutofhispocket—ifyouusemoneywhichhastheimageofC?saronit,andwhichhehasmadecurrentandvaluable,thatis,ifyouaremenoftheState,andgladlyenjoytheadvantagesofC?sar’sgovernment,thenpayhimbacksomeofhisownwhenhedemandsit“RenderthereforetoC?sarthatwhichisC?sar’sandtoGodthosethingswhichareGod’s,”—leavingthemnowiserthanbeforeastowhichwaswhichfortheydidnotwishtoknow. WhenIconversewiththefreestofmyneighbors,Iperceivethat,whatevertheymaysayaboutthemagnitudeandseriousnessofthequestion,andtheirregardforthepublictranquillity,thelongandtheshortofthematteris,thattheycannotsparetheprotectionoftheexistinggovernment,andtheydreadtheconsequencesofdisobediencetoittotheirpropertyandfamilies.Formyownpart,IshouldnotliketothinkthatIeverrelyontheprotectionoftheState.But,ifIdenytheauthorityoftheStatewhenitpresentsitstax-bill,itwillsoontakeandwasteallmyproperty,andsoharassmeandmychildrenwithoutend.Thisishard.Thismakesitimpossibleforamantolivehonestlyandatthesametimecomfortablyinoutwardrespects.Itwillnotbeworththewhiletoaccumulatepropertythatwouldbesuretogoagain.Youmusthireorsquatsomewhere,andraisebutasmallcrop,andeatthatsoon.Youmustlivewithinyourself,anddependuponyourself,alwaystuckedupandreadyforastart,andnothavemanyaffairs.AmanmaygrowrichinTurkeyeven,ifhewillbeinallrespectsagoodsubjectoftheTurkishgovernment.Confuciussaid,—“IfaStateisgovernedbytheprinciplesofreason,povertyandmiseryaresubjectsofshameifaStateisnotgovernedbytheprinciplesofreason,richesandhonorsarethesubjectsofshame.”No:untilIwanttheprotectionofMassachusettstobeextendedtomeinsomedistantsouthernport,wheremylibertyisendangered,oruntilIambentsolelyonbuildingupanestateathomebypeacefulenterprise,IcanaffordtorefuseallegiancetoMassachusetts,andherrighttomypropertyandlife.ItcostsmelessineverysensetoincurthepenaltyofdisobediencetotheState,thanitwouldtoobey.IshouldfeelasifIwereworthlessinthatcase. Someyearsago,theStatemetmeinbehalfofthechurch,andcommandedmetopayacertainsumtowardthesupportofaclergymanwhosepreachingmyfatherattended,butneverImyself.“Payit,”itsaid,“orbelockedupinthejail.”Ideclinedtopay.But,unfortunately,anothermansawfittopayit.Ididnotseewhytheschoolmastershouldbetaxedtosupportthepriest,andnotthepriesttheschoolmasterforIwasnottheState’sschoolmaster,butIsupportedmyselfbyvoluntarysubscription.Ididnotseewhythelyceumshouldnotpresentitstax-bill,andhavetheStatetobackitsdemand,aswellasthechurch.However,attherequestoftheselectmen,Icondescendedtomakesomesuchstatementasthisinwriting:—“Knowallmenbythesepresents,thatI,HenryThoreau,donotwishtoberegardedasamemberofanyincorporatedsocietywhichIhavenotjoined.”ThisIgavetothe