ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

ionatpresent.Butonecannotbetoomuchonhisguardinsuchacase,lesthisactionsbebiassedbyobstinacy,oranundueregardfortheopinionsofmen.Lethimseethathedoesonlywhatbelongstohimselfandtothehour. Ithinksometimes,Why,thispeoplemeanwelltheyareonlyignoranttheywoulddobetteriftheyknewhow:whygiveyourneighborsthispaintotreatyouastheyarenotinclinedto?ButIthink,again,thisisnoreasonwhyIshoulddoastheydo,orpermitotherstosuffermuchgreaterpainofadifferentkind.Again,Isometimessaytomyself,Whenmanymillionsofmen,withoutheat,withoutill-will,withoutpersonalfeelingofanykind,demandofyouafewshillingsonly,withoutthepossibility,suchistheirconstitution,ofretractingoralteringtheirpresentdemand,andwithoutthepossibility,onyourside,ofappealtoanyothermillions,whyexposeyourselftothisoverwhelmingbruteforce?Youdonotresistcoldandhunger,thewindsandthewaves,thusobstinatelyyouquietlysubmittoathousandsimilarnecessities.Youdonotputyourheadintothefire.ButjustinproportionasIregardthisasnotwhollyabruteforce,butpartlyahumanforce,andconsiderthatIhaverelationstothosemillionsastosomanymillionsofmen,andnotofmerebruteorinanimatethings,Iseethatappealispossible,firstandinstantaneously,fromthemtotheMakerofthem,and,secondly,fromthemtothemselves.But,ifIputmyheaddeliberatelyintothefire,thereisnoappealtofireortotheMakeroffire,andIhaveonlymyselftoblame.IfIcouldconvincemyselfthatIhaveanyrighttobesatisfiedwithmenastheyare,andtotreatthemaccordingly,andnotaccording,insomerespects,tomyrequisitionsandexpectationsofwhattheyandIoughttobe,then,likeagoodMussulmanandfatalist,Ishouldendeavortobesatisfiedwiththingsastheyare,andsayitisthewillofGod.And,aboveall,thereisthisdifferencebetweenresistingthisandapurelybruteornaturalforce,thatIcanresistthiswithsomeeffectbutIcannotexpect,likeOrpheus,tochangethenatureoftherocksandtreesandbeasts. Idonotwishtoquarrelwithanymanornation.Idonotwishtosplithairs,tomakefinedistinctions,orsetmyselfupasbetterthanmyneighbors.Iseekrather,Imaysay,evenanexcuseforconformingtothelawsoftheland.Iambuttooreadytoconformtothem.IndeedIhavereasontosuspectmyselfonthisheadandeachyear,asthetax-gatherercomesround,Ifindmyselfdisposedtoreviewtheactsandpositionofthegeneralandstategovernments,andthespiritofthepeopletodiscoverapretextforconformity. “Wemustaffectourcountryasourparents, Andifatanytimewealienate Outloveofindustryfromdoingithonor, Wemustrespecteffectsandteachthesoul Matterofconscienceandreligion, Andnotdesireofruleorbenefit.” IbelievethattheStatewillsoonbeabletotakeallmyworkofthissortoutofmyhands,andthenIshallbenobetterpatriotthanmyfellow-countrymen.Seenfromalowerpointofview,theConstitution,withallitsfaults,isverygoodthelawandthecourtsareveryrespectableeventhisStateandthisAmericangovernmentare,inmanyrespects,veryadmirable,andrarethings,tobethankfulfor,suchasagreatmanyhavedescribedthemseenfromahigherstill,andthehighest,whoshallsaywhattheyare,orthattheyareworthlookingatorthinkingofatall? However,thegovernmentdoesnotconcernmemuch,andIshallbestowthefewestpossiblethoughtsonit.ItisnotmanymomentsthatIliveunderagovernment,eveninthisworld.Ifamanisthought-free,fancy-free,imagination-free,thatwhichisnotneverforalongtimeappearingtobetohim,unwiserulersorreformerscannotfatallyinterrupthim. Iknowthatmostmenthinkdifferentlyfrommyselfbutthosewhoselivesarebyprofessiondevotedtothestudyoftheseorkindredsubjectscontentmeaslittleasany.Statesmenandlegislators,standingsocompletelywithintheinstitution,neverdistinctlyandnakedlybeholdit.Theyspeakofmovingsociety,buthavenoresting-placewithoutit.Theymaybemenofacertainexperienceanddiscrimination,andhavenodoubtinventedingeniousandevenusefulsystems,forwhichwesincerelythankthembutalltheirwitandusefulnessliewithincertainnotverywidelimits.Theyarewonttoforgetthattheworldisnotgovernedbypolicyandexpediency.Websternevergoesbehindgovernment,andsocannotspeakwithauthorityaboutit.Hiswordsarewisdomtothoselegislatorswhocontemplatenoessentialreformintheexistinggovernmentbutforthinkers,andthosewholegislateforalltime,heneveronceglancesatthesubject.Iknowofthosewhosesereneandwisespeculationsonthisthemewouldsoonrevealthelimitsofhismind’srangeandhospitality.Yet,comparedwiththecheapprofessionsofmostreformers,andthestillcheaperwisdomandeloquenceofpoliticiansingeneral,hisarealmosttheonlysensibleandvaluablewords,andwethankHeavenforhim.Comparatively,heisalwaysstrong,original,and,aboveall,practical.Stillhisqualityisnotwisdom,butprudence.Thelawyer’struthisnotTruth,butconsistencyoraconsistentexpediency.Truthisalwaysinharmonywithherself,andisnotconcernedchieflytorevealthejusticethatmayconsistwithwrong-doing.Hewelldeservestobecalled,ashehasbeencalled,theDefenderoftheConstitution.Therearereallynoblowstobegivenbyhimbutdefensiveones.Heisnotaleader,butafollower.Hisleadersarethemenof’87.“Ihavenevermadeaneffort,”hesays,“andneverproposetomakeaneffortIhavenevercountenancedaneffort,andnevermeantocountenanceaneffort,todisturbthearrangementasoriginallymade,bywhichthevariousStatescameintotheUnion.”StillthinkingofthesanctionwhichtheConstitutiongivestoslavery,hesays,“Becauseitwaspartoftheoriginalcompact,—letitstand.”Notwithstandinghisspecialacutenessandability,heisunabletotakeafactoutofitsmerelypoliticalrelations,andbeholditasitliesabsolutelytobedisposedofbytheintellect,—what,forinstance,itbehovesamantodohereinAmericatodaywithregardtoslavery,butventures,orisdriven,tomakesomesuchdesperateanswerasthefollowing,whileprofessingtospeakabsolutely,andasaprivateman,—fromwhichwhatnewandsingularcodeofsocialdutiesmightbeinferred?—“Themanner,”sayshe,“inwhichthegovernmentsofthoseStateswhereslaveryexistsaretoregulateit,isfortheirownconsideration,undertheresponsibilitytotheirconstituents,tothegenerallawsofpropriety,humanity,andjustice,andtoGod.Associationsformedelsewhere,springingfromafeelingofhumanity,oranyothercause,havenothingwhatevertodowithit.Theyhaveneverreceivedanyencouragementfrommeandtheyneverwill.” Theywhoknowofnopurersourcesoftruth,whohavetracedupitsstreamnohigher,stand,andwiselystand,bytheBibleandtheConstitution,anddrinkatittherewithreverenceandhumanitybuttheywhobeholdwhereitcomestricklingintothislakeorthatpool,girduptheirloinsoncemore,andcontinuetheirpilgrimagetowarditsfountain-head. NomanwithageniusforlegislationhasappearedinAmerica.Theyarerareinthehistoryoftheworld.Thereareorators,politicians,andeloquentmen,bythethousandbutthespeakerhasnotyetopenedhismouthtospeakwhoiscapableofsettlingthemuch-vexedquestionsoftheday.Weloveeloquenceforitsownsake,andnotforanytruthwhichitmayutter,oranyheroismitmayinspire.Ourlegislatorshavenotyetlearnedthecomparativevalueoffree-tradeandoffreedom,ofunion,andofrectitude,toanation.Theyhavenogeniusortalentforcomparativelyhumblequestionsoftaxationandfinance,commerceandmanufacturesandagriculture.IfwewereleftsolelytothewordywitoflegislatorsinCongressforourguidance,uncorrectedbytheseasonableexperienceandtheeffectualcomplaintsofthepeople,Americawouldnotlongretainherrankamongthenations.Foreighteenhundredyears,thoughperchanceIhavenorighttosayit,theNewTestamenthasbeenwrittenyetwhereisthelegislatorwhohaswisdomandpracticaltalentenoughtoavailhimselfofthelightwhichitshedsonthescienceoflegislation. Theauthorityofgovernment,evensuchasIamwillingtosubmitto,—forIwillcheerfullyobeythosewhoknowandcandobetterthanI,andinmanythingseventhosewhoneitherknownorcandosowell,—isstillanimpureone:tobestrictlyjust,itmusthavethesanctionandconsentofthegoverned.ItcanhavenopurerightovermypersonandpropertybutwhatIconcedetoit.Theprogressfromanabsolutetoalimitedmonarchy,fromalimitedmonarchytoademocracy,isaprogresstowardatruerespectfortheindividual.EventheChinesephilosopherwaswiseenoughtoregardtheindividualasthebasisoftheempire.Isademocracy,suchasweknowit,thelastimprovementpossibleingovernment?Isitnotpossibletotakeastepfurthertowardsrecognizingandorganizingtherightsofman?TherewillneverbeareallyfreeandenlightenedState,untiltheStatecomestorecognizetheindividualasahigherandindependentpower,fromwhichallitsownpowerandauthorityarederived,andtreatshimaccordingly.IpleasemyselfwithimaginingaStateatlastwhichcanaffordtobejusttoallmen,andtotreattheindividualwithrespectasaneighborwhichevenwouldnotthinkitinconsistentwithitsownrepose,ifafewweretolivealooffromit,notmeddlingwithit,norembracedbyit,whofulfilledallthedutiesofneighborsandfellow-men.AStatewhichborethiskindoffruit,andsufferedittodropoffasfastasitripened,wouldpreparethewayforastillmoreperfectandgloriousState,whichalsoIhaveimagined,butnotyetanywhereseen.