reformers-第1章

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　　　　　　　　_New　England　Reformers_

　

　　　　　　　　_A　Lecture　read　before　the　Society　in　Amory　Hall；_

　　　　　　　　_on　Sunday；　3　March；　1844_



　　　　　　　　Whoever　has　had　opportunity　of　acquaintance　with　society　in　New

England；　during　the　last　twenty…five　years；　with　those　middle　and

with　those　leading　sections　that　may　constitute　any　just

representation　of　the　character　and　aim　of　the　community；　will　have

been　struck　with　the　great　activity　of　thought　and　experimenting。

His　attention　must　be　commanded　by　the　signs　that　the　Church；　or

religious　party；　is　falling　from　the　church　nominal；　and　is　appearing

in　temperance　and　non…resistance　societies；　in　movements　of

abolitionists　and　of　socialists；　and　in　very　significant　assemblies；

called　Sabbath　and　Bible　Conventions；　　composed　of　ultraists；　of

seekers；　of　all　the　soul　of　the　soldiery　of　dissent；　and　meeting　to

call　in　question　the　authority　of　the　Sabbath；　of　the　priesthood；　and

of　the　church。　　In　these　movements；　nothing　was　more　remarkable　than

the　discontent　they　begot　in　the　movers。　　The　spirit　of　protest　and

of　detachment；　drove　the　members　of　these　Conventions　to　bear

testimony　against　the　church；　and　immediately　afterward；　to　declare

their　discontent　with　these　Conventions；　their　independence　of　their

colleagues；　and　their　impatience　of　the　methods　whereby　they　were

working。　　They　defied　each　other；　like　a　congress　of　kings；　each　of

whom　had　a　realm　to　rule；　and　a　way　of　his　own　that　made　concert

unprofitable。　　What　a　fertility　of　projects　for　the　salvation　of　the

world！　One　apostle　thought　all　men　should　go　to　farming；　and　another；

that　no　man　should　buy　or　sell：　that　the　use　of　money　was　the

cardinal　evil；　another；　that　the　mischief　was　in　our　diet；　that　we

eat　and　drink　damnation。　　These　made　unleavened　bread；　and　were　foes

to　the　death　to　fermentation。　　It　was　in　vain　urged　by　the　housewife；

that　God　made　yeast；　as　well　as　dough；　and　loves　fermentation　just　as

dearly　as　he　loves　vegetation；　that　fermentation　develops　the

saccharine　element　in　the　grain；　and　makes　it　more　palatable　and　more

digestible。　　No；　they　wish　the　pure　wheat；　and　will　die　but　it　shall

not　ferment。　　Stop；　dear　nature；　these　incessant　advances　of　thine；

let　us　scotch　these　ever…rolling　wheels！　Others　attacked　the　system

of　agriculture；　the　use　of　animal　manures　in　farming；　and　the　tyranny

of　man　over　brute　nature；　these　abuses　polluted　his　food。　　The　ox

must　be　taken　from　the　plough；　and　the　horse　from　the　cart；　the

hundred　acres　of　the　farm　must　be　spaded；　and　the　man　must　walk

wherever　boats　and　locomotives　will　not　carry　him。　　Even　the　insect

world　was　to　be　defended；　　that　had　been　too　long　neglected；　and　a

society　for　the　protection　of　ground…worms；　slugs；　and　mosquitos　was

to　be　incorporated　without　delay。　　With　these　appeared　the　adepts　of

homoeopathy；　of　hydropathy；　of　mesmerism；　of　phrenology；　and　their

wonderful　theories　of　the　Christian　miracles！　Others　assailed

particular　vocations；　as　that　of　the　lawyer；　that　of　the　merchant；　of

the　manufacturer；　of　the　clergyman；　of　the　scholar。　　Others　attacked

the　institution　of　marriage；　as　the　fountain　of　social　evils。　　Others

devoted　themselves　to　the　worrying　of　churches　and　meetings　for

public　worship；　and　the　fertile　forms　of　antinomianism　among　the

elder　puritans；　seemed　to　have　their　match　in　the　plenty　of　the　new

harvest　of　reform。　　With　this　din　of　opinion　and　debate；　there　was　a

keener　scrutiny　of　institutions　and　domestic　life　than　any　we　had

known；　there　was　sincere　protesting　against　existing　evils；　and　there

were　changes　of　employment　dictated　by　conscience。　　No　doubt；　there

was　plentiful　vaporing；　and　cases　of　backsliding　might　occur。　　But　in

each　of　these　movements　emerged　a　good　result；　a　tendency　to　the

adoption　of　simpler　methods；　and　an　assertion　of　the　sufficiency　of

the　private　man。　　Thus　it　was　directly　in　the　spirit　and　genius　of

the　age；　what　happened　in　one　instance；　when　a　church　censured　and

threatened　to　excommunicate　one　of　its　members；　on　account　of　the

somewhat　hostile　part　to　the　church；　which　his　conscience　led　him　to

take　in　the　anti…slavery　business；　the　threatened　individual

immediately　excommunicated　the　church　in　a　public　and　formal　process。

This　has　been　several　times　repeated：　it　was　excellent　when　it　was

done　the　first　time；　but；　of　course；　loses　all　value　when　it　is

copied。　　Every　project　in　the　history　of　reform；　no　matter　how

violent　and　surprising；　is　good；　when　it　is　the　dictate　of　a　man's

genius　and　constitution；　but　very　dull　and　suspicious　when　adopted

from　another。　　It　is　right　and　beautiful　in　any　man　to　say；　‘I　will

take　this　coat；　or　this　book；　or　this　measure　of　corn　of　yours；'　

in　whom　we　see　the　act　to　be　original；　and　to　flow　from　the　whole

spirit　and　faith　of　him；　for　then　that　taking　will　have　a　giving　as

free　and　divine：　but　we　are　very　easily　disposed　to　resist　the　same

generosity　of　speech；　when　we　miss　originality　and　truth　to　character

in　it。　　There　was　in　all　the　practical　activities　of　New　England；　for

the　last　quarter　of　a　century；　a　gradual　withdrawal　of　tender

consciences　from　the　social　organizations。　　There　is　observable

throughout；　the　contest　between　mechanical　and　spiritual　methods；　but

with　a　steady　tendency　of　the　thoughtful　and　virtuous　to　a　deeper

belief　and　reliance　on　spiritual　facts。　　In　politics；　for　example；　it

is　easy　to　see　the　progress　of　dissent。　　The　country　is　full　of

rebellion；　the　country　is　full　of　kings。　　Hands　off！　let　there　be　no

control　and　no　interference　in　the　administration　of　the　affairs　of

this　kingdom　of　me。　　Hence　the　growth　of　the　doctrine　and　of　the

party　of　Free　Trade；　and　the　willingness　to　try　that　experiment；　in

the　face　of　what　appear　incontestable　facts。　　I　confess；　the　motto　of

the　Globe　newspaper　is　so　attractive　to　me；　that　I　can　seldom　find

much　appetite　to　read　what　is　below　it　in　its　columns；　〃The　world　is

governed　too　much。〃　So　the　country　is　frequently　affording　solitary

examples　of　resistance　to　the　government；　solitary　nullifiers；　who

throw　themselves　on　their　reserved　rights；　nay；　who　have　reserved　all

their　rights；　who　reply　to　the　assessor；　and　to　the　clerk　of　court；

that　they　do　not　know　the　State；　and　embarrass　the　courts　of　law；　by

non…juring；　and　the　commander…in…chief　of　the　militia；　by

non…resistance。　　The　same　disposition　to　scrutiny　and　dissent

appeared　in　civil；　festive；　neighborly；　and　domestic　society。　　A

restless；　prying；　conscientious　criticism　broke　out　in　unexpected

quarters。　　Who　gave　me　the　money　with　which　I　bought　my　coat？　　Why

should　professional　labor　and　that　of　the　counting…house　be　paid　so

disproportionately　to　the　labor　of　the　porter；　and　woodsawyer？　　This

whole　business　of　Trade　gives　me　to　pause　and　think；　as　it

constitutes　false　relations　between　men；　inasmuch　as　I　am　prone　to

count　myself　relieved　of　any　responsibility　to　behave　well　and　nobly

to　that　person　whom　I　pay　with　money；　whereas　if　I　had　not　that

commodity；　I　should　be　put　on　my　good　behavior　in　all　companies；　and

man　would　be　a　benefactor　to　man；　as　being　himself　his　only

certificate　that　he　had　a　right　to　those　aids　and　services　which　each

asked　of　the　other。　　Am　I　not　too　protected　a　person？　is　there　not　a

wide　disparity　between　the　lot　of　me　and　the　lot　of　thee；　my　poor

brother；　my　poor　sister？　　Am　I　not　defrauded　of　my　best　culture　in

the　loss　of　those　gymnastics　which　manual　labor　and　the　emergencies

of　poverty　constitute？　　I　find　nothing　healthful　or　exalting　in　the

smooth　conventions　of　society；　I　do　not　like　the　close　air　of

saloons。　　I　begin　to　suspect　myself　to　be　a　prisoner；　though　treated

with　all　this　courtesy　and　luxury。　　I　pay　a　destructive　tax　in　my

conformity。　　The　same　insatiable　criticism　may　be　traced　in　the

efforts　for　the　reform　of　Education。　　The　popular　education　has　been

taxed　with　a　want　of　truth　and　nature。　　It　was　complained　that　an

education　to　things　was　not　given。　　We　are　students　of　words：　we　are

shut　up　in　schools；　and　colleges；　and　recitation…rooms；　for　ten　or

fifteen　years；　and　come　out　at　last　with　a　bag　of　wind；　a　memory　of

words；　and　do　not　know　a　thing。　　We　cannot　use　our　hands；　or　our

legs；　or　our　eyes；　or　our　arms。　　We　do　not　know　an　edible　root　in　the

woods；　we　cannot　tell　our　course　by　the　stars；　nor　the　hour　of　the

day　by　the　sun。　　It　is　well　if　we　can　swim　and　skate。　　We　are　afraid

of　a　horse；　of　a　cow；　of　a　dog；　of　a　snake；　of　a　spider。　　The　Roman

rule　was；　to　teach　a　boy　nothing　that　he　could　not　learn　standing。

The　old　English　rule　was；　‘All　summer　in　the　field；　and　all　winter　in

the　study。'　And　it　seems　as　if　a　man　should　learn　to　plant；　or　to

fish；　or　to　hunt；　that　he　might　secure　his　subsistence　at　all　events；

and　not　be　painful　to　his　friends　and　fellow　men。　　The　lessons　of

science　should　be　experimental　also。　　The　sight　of　the　planet　through

a　telescope；　is　worth　all　the　course　on　astronomy：　the　shock　of　the

electric　spark　in　the　elbow；　out…values　all　the　theories；　the　taste

of　the　nitrous　oxide；　the　firing　of　an　artificial　volcano；　are　better

than　volumes　of　chemistry。　　One　of　the　traits　of　the　new　spirit；　is

the　inquisition　it　fixed　on　our　scholastic　devotion　to　the　dead

languages。　　The　ancient　languages；　with　great　beauty　of　structure；

contain　wonderful　remains　of　genius；　which　draw；　and　always　will

draw；　certain　likeminded　men；　　Greek　men；　and　Roman　men；　in　all

countries；　to　their　study；　but　by　a　wonderful　drowsiness　of　usage；

they　had　exacted　the　study　of　_all_　men。　　Once　（say　two　centuries

ago）；　Latin　and　Greek　had　a　strict　relation　to　all　the　science　and

culture　there　was　in　Europe；　and　the　Mathematics　had　a　momentary

importance　at　some　era　of　activity　in　physical　science。　　These　things

became　stereotyped　as　_education；_　as　the　manner　of　men　is。　　But　the

Good　Spirit　never　cared　for　the　colleges；　and　though　all　men　and　boys

were　now　drilled　in　Latin；　Greek；　and　Mathematics；　it　had　quite　left

these　shells　high　and　dry　on　the　beach；　and　was　now　creating　and

feeding　other　matters　at　other　ends　of　the　world。　　But　in　a　hundred

high　schools　and　colleges；　this　warfare　against　common　sense　still

goes　on。　　Four；　or　six；　or　ten　years；　the　pupil　is　parsing　Greek　and

Latin；　and　as　soon　as　he　leaves　the　University；　as　it　is　ludicrously

called；　he　shuts　those　books　for　the　last　time。　　Some　thousands　of

young　men　are　graduated　at　our　colleges　in　this　country　every　year；

and　the　persons　who；　at　forty　years；　still　read　Greek；　can　all　be

counted　on　your　hand。　　I　never　met　with　ten。　　Four　or　five　persons　I

have　seen　who　read　Plato。　　But　is　not　this　absurd；　that　the　whole

liberal　talent　of　this　country　should　be　directed　in　its　best　years

on　studies　which　lead　to　nothing？　　What　was　the　consequence？　　Some

intelligent　persons　said　or　thought；　‘Is　that　Greek　and　Latin　some

spell　to　conjure　with；　and　not　words　of　reason？　　If　the　physician；