ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

town-clerkandhehasit.TheState,havingthuslearnedthatIdidnotwishtoberegardedasamemberofthatchurch,hasnevermadealikedemandonmesincethoughitsaidthatitmustadheretoitsoriginalpresumptionthattime.IfIhadknownhowtonamethem,IshouldthenhavesignedoffindetailfromallthesocietieswhichIneversignedontobutIdidnotknowwheretofindsuchacompletelist. Ihavepaidnopoll-taxforsixyears.Iwasputintoajailonceonthisaccount,foronenightand,asIstoodconsideringthewallsofsolidstone,twoorthreefeetthick,thedoorofwoodandiron,afootthick,andtheirongratingwhichstrainedthelight,IcouldnothelpbeingstruckwiththefoolishnessofthatinstitutionwhichtreatedmeasifIweremerefleshandbloodandbones,tobelockedup.Iwonderedthatitshouldhaveconcludedatlengththatthiswasthebestuseitcouldputmeto,andhadneverthoughttoavailitselfofmyservicesinsomeway.Isawthat,iftherewasawallofstonebetweenmeandmytownsmen,therewasastillmoredifficultonetoclimborbreakthrough,beforetheycouldgettobeasfreeasIwas.Ididnorforamomentfeelconfined,andthewallsseemedagreatwasteofstoneandmortar.IfeltasifIaloneofallmytownsmenhadpaidmytax.Theyplainlydidnotknowhowtotreatme,butbehavedlikepersonswhoareunderbred.Ineverythreatandineverycomplimenttherewasablunderfortheythoughtthatmychiefdesirewastostandtheothersideofthatstonewall.Icouldnotbutsmiletoseehowindustriouslytheylockedthedooronmymeditations,whichfollowedthemoutagainwithoutletorhindrance,andtheywerereallyallthatwasdangerous.Astheycouldnotreachme,theyhadresolvedtopunishmybodyjustasboys,iftheycannotcomeatsomepersonagainstwhomtheyhaveaspite,willabusehisdog.IsawthattheStatewashalf-witted,thatitwastimidasalonewomanwithhersilverspoons,andthatitdidnotknowitsfriendsfromitsfoes,andIlostallmyremainingrespectforit,andpitiedit. Thusthestateneverintentionallyconfrontsaman’ssense,intellectualormoral,butonlyhisbody,hissenses.Itisnotarmedwithsuperiorwitorhonesty,butwithsuperiorphysicalstrength.Iwasnotborntobeforced.Iwillbreatheaftermyownfashion.Letusseewhoisthestrongest.Whatforcehasamultitude?TheyonlycanforcemewhoobeyahigherlawthanI.Theyforcemetobecomelikethemselves.Idonothearofmenbeingforcedtolivethiswayorthatbymassesofmen.Whatsortoflifewerethattolive?WhenImeetagovernmentwhichsaystome,“Yourmoneyoryourlife,”whyshouldIbeinhastetogiveitmymoney?Itmaybeinagreatstrait,andnotknowwhattodo:Icannothelpthat.ItmusthelpitselfdoasIdo.Itisnotworththewhiletosnivelaboutit.Iamnotresponsibleforthesuccessfulworkingofthemachineryofsociety.Iamnotthesonoftheengineer.Iperceivethat,whenanacornandachestnutfallsidebyside,theonedoesnotremaininerttomakewayfortheother,butbothobeytheirownlaws,andspringandgrowandflourishasbesttheycan,tillone,perchance,overshadowsanddestroystheother.Ifaplantcannotliveaccordingtoitsnature,itdiesandsoaman. Thenightinprisonwasnovelandinterestingenough.Theprisonersintheirshirt-sleeveswereenjoyingachatandtheeveningairinthedoor-way,whenIentered.Butthejailersaid,“Come,boys,itistimetolockup”andsotheydispersed,andIheardthesoundoftheirstepsreturningintothehollowapartments.Myroom-matewasintroducedtomebythejaileras“afirst-ratefellowandacleverman.”Whenthedoorwaslocked,heshowedmewheretohangmyhat,andhowhemanagedmattersthere.Theroomswerewhitewashedonceamonthandthisone,atleast,wasthewhitest,mostsimplyfurnished,andprobablytheneatestapartmentintown.HenaturallywantedtoknowwhereIcamefrom,andwhatbroughtmethereand,whenIhadtoldhim,Iaskedhiminmyturnhowhecamethere,presuminghimtobeanhonestman,ofcourseand,astheworldgoes,Ibelievehewas.“Why,”saidhe,“theyaccusemeofburningabarnbutIneverdidit.”AsnearasIcoulddiscover,hehadprobablygonetobedinabarnwhendrunk,andsmokedhispipethereandsoabarnwasburnt.Hehadthereputationofbeingacleverman,hadbeentheresomethreemonthswaitingforhistrialtocomeon,andwouldhavetowaitasmuchlongerbuthewasquitedomesticatedandcontented,sincehegothisboardfornothing,andthoughtthathewaswelltreated. Heoccupiedonewindow,andItheotherandIsaw,that,ifonestayedtherelong,hisprincipalbusinesswouldbetolookoutthewindow.Ihadsoonreadallthetractsthatwereleftthere,andexaminedwhereformerprisonershadbrokenout,andwhereagratehadbeensawedoff,andheardthehistoryofthevariousoccupantsofthatroomforIfoundthatevenheretherewasahistoryandagossipwhichnevercirculatedbeyondthewallsofthejail.Probablythisistheonlyhouseinthetownwhereversesarecomposed,whichareafterwardprintedinacircularform,butnotpublished.Iwasshownquitealonglistofverseswhichwerecomposedbysomeyoungmenwhohadbeendetectedinanattempttoescape,whoavengedthemselvesbysingingthem. Ipumpedmyfellow-prisonerasdryasIcould,forfearIshouldneverseehimagainbutatlengthheshowedmewhichwasmybed,andleftmetoblowoutthelamp. Itwasliketravellingintoafarcountry,suchasIhadneverexpectedtobehold,toliethereforonenight.ItseemedtomethatIneverhadheardthetown-clockstrikebefore,northeeveningsoundsofthevillageforwesleptwiththewindowsopen,whichwereinsidethegrating.ItwastoseemynativevillageinthelightoftheMiddleAges,andourConcordwasturnedintoaRhinestream,andvisionsofknightsandcastlespassedbeforeme.TheywerethevoicesofoldburghersthatIheardinthestreets.Iwasaninvoluntaryspectatorandauditorofwhateverwasdoneandsaidinthekitchenoftheadjacentvillage-inn—awhollynewandrareexperiencetome.Itwasacloserviewofmynativetown.Iwasfairlyinsideofit.Ineverhadseenitsinstitutionsbefore.Thisisoneofitspeculiarinstitutionsforitisashiretown.Ibegantocomprehendwhatitsinhabitantswereabout. Inthemorning,ourbreakfastswereputthroughtheholeinthedoor,insmalloblong-squaretinpans,madetofit,andholdingapintofchocolate,withbrownbread,andanironspoon.Whentheycalledforthevesselsagain,IwasgreenenoughtoreturnwhatbreadIhadleftbutmycomradeseizedit,andsaidthatIshouldlaythatupforlunchordinner.Soonafter,hewasletouttoworkathayinginaneighboringfield,whitherhewenteveryday,andwouldnotbebacktillnoonsohebademegood-day,sayingthathedoubtedifheshouldseemeagain. WhenIcameoutofprison,—forsomeoneinterfered,andpaidthetax,—Ididnotperceivethatgreatchangeshadtakenplaceonthecommon,suchasheobservedwhowentinayouth,andemergedagray-headedmanandyetachangehadtomyeyescomeoverthescene,—thetown,andState,andcountry,—greaterthananythatmeretimecouldeffect.IsawyetmoredistinctlytheStateinwhichIlived.IsawtowhatextentthepeopleamongwhomIlivedcouldbetrustedasgoodneighborsandfriendsthattheirfriendshipwasforsummerweatheronlythattheydidnotgreatlypurposetodorightthattheywereadistinctracefrommebytheirprejudicesandsuperstitions,astheChinamenandMalaysarethat,intheirsacrificestohumanitytheyrannorisks,noteventotheirpropertythat,afterall,theywerenotsonoblebuttheytreatedthethiefashehadtreatedthem,andhoped,byacertainoutwardobservanceandafewprayers,andbywalkinginaparticularstraightthoughuselesspathfromtimetotime,tosavetheirsouls.ThismaybetojudgemyneighborsharshlyforIbelievethatmostofthemarenotawarethattheyhavesuchaninstitutionasthejailintheirvillage. Itwasformerlythecustominourvillage,whenapoordebtorcameoutofjail,forhisacquaintancestosalutehim,lookingthroughtheirfingers,whichwerecrossedtorepresentthegratingofajailwindow,“Howdoyedo?”Myneighborsdidnotthussaluteme,butfirstlookedatme,andthenatoneanother,asifIhadreturnedfromalongjourney.IwasputintojailasIwasgoingtotheshoemaker’stogetashoewhichwasmended.WhenIwasletoutthenextmorning,Iproceededtofinishmyerrand,and,havingputonmymendedshoe,joinedahuckleberryparty,whowereimpatienttoputthemselvesundermyconductandinhalfanhour,—forthehorsewassoontackled,—wasinthemidstofahuckleberryfield,ononeofourhighesthills,twomilesoffandthentheStatewasnowheretobeseen. Thisisthewholehistoryof“MyPrisons.” Ihaveneverdeclinedpayingthehighwaytax,becauseIamasdesirousofbeingagoodneighborasIamofbeingabadsubjectand,asforsupportingschools,Iamdoingmyparttoeducatemyfellow-countrymennow.Itisfornoparticulariteminthetax-billthatIrefusetopayit.IsimplywishtorefuseallegiancetotheState,towithdrawandstandalooffromiteffectually.Idonotcaretotracethecourseofmydollar,ifIcould,tillitbuysaman,oramuskettoshootonewith,—thedollarisinnocent,—butIamconcernedtotracetheeffectsofmyallegiance.Infact,IquietlydeclarewarwiththeState,aftermyfashion,thoughIwillstillmakeuseandgetwhatadvantagesofherIcan,asisusualinsuchcases. Ifotherspaythetaxwhichisdemandedofme,fromasympathywiththeState,theydobutwhattheyhavealreadydoneintheirowncase,orrathertheyabetinjusticetoagreaterextentthantheStaterequires.Iftheypaythetaxfromamistakeninterestintheindividualtaxed,tosavehispropertyorpreventhisgoingtojail,itisbecausetheyhavenotconsideredwiselyhowfartheylettheirprivatefeelingsinterferewiththepublicgood. This,then,ismyposit