reformers-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

the　lawyer；　the　divine；　never　use　it　to　come　at　their　ends；　I　need

never　learn　it　to　come　at　mine。　　Conjuring　is　gone　out　of　fashion；

and　I　will　omit　this　conjugating；　and　go　straight　to　affairs。'　So

they　jumped　the　Greek　and　Latin；　and　read　law；　medicine；　or　sermons；

without　it。　　To　the　astonishment　of　all；　the　self…made　men　took　even

ground　at　once　with　the　oldest　of　the　regular　graduates；　and　in　a　few

months　the　most　conservative　circles　of　Boston　and　New　York　had　quite

forgotten　who　of　their　gownsmen　was　college…bred；　and　who　was　not。

One　tendency　appears　alike　in　the　philosophical　speculation；　and　in

the　rudest　democratical　movements；　through　all　the　petulance　and　all

the　puerility；　the　wish；　namely；　to　cast　aside　the　superfluous；　and

arrive　at　short　methods；　urged；　as　I　suppose；　by　an　intuition　that

the　human　spirit　is　equal　to　all　emergencies；　alone；　and　that　man　is

more　often　injured　than　helped　by　the　means　he　uses。　　I　conceive　this

gradual　casting　off　of　material　aids；　and　the　indication　of　growing

trust　in　the　private；　self…supplied　powers　of　the　individual；　to　be

the　affirmative　principle　of　the　recent　philosophy：　and　that　it　is

feeling　its　own　profound　truth；　and　is　reaching　forward　at　this　very

hour　to　the　happiest　conclusions。　　I　readily　concede　that　in　this；　as

in　every　period　of　intellectual　activity；　there　has　been　a　noise　of

denial　and　protest；　much　was　to　be　resisted；　much　was　to　be　got　rid

of　by　those　who　were　reared　in　the　old；　before　they　could　begin　to

affirm　and　to　construct。　　Many　a　reformer　perishes　in　his　removal　of

rubbish；　　and　that　makes　the　offensiveness　of　the　class。　　They　are

partial；　they　are　not　equal　to　the　work　they　pretend。　　They　lose

their　way；　in　the　assault　on　the　kingdom　of　darkness；　they　expend　all

their　energy　on　some　accidental　evil；　and　lose　their　sanity　and　power

of　benefit。　　It　is　of　little　moment　that　one　or　two；　or　twenty　errors

of　our　social　system　be　corrected；　but　of　much　that　the　man　be　in　his

senses。　　The　criticism　and　attack　on　institutions　which　we　have

witnessed；　has　made　one　thing　plain；　that　society　gains　nothing

whilst　a　man；　not　himself　renovated；　attempts　to　renovate　things

around　him：　he　has　become　tediously　good　in　some　particular；　but

negligent　or　narrow　in　the　rest；　and　hypocrisy　and　vanity　are　often

the　disgusting　result。　　It　is　handsomer　to　remain　in　the

establishment　better　than　the　establishment；　and　conduct　that　in　the

best　manner；　than　to　make　a　sally　against　evil　by　some　single

improvement；　without　supporting　it　by　a　total　regeneration。　　Do　not

be　so　vain　of　your　one　objection。　　Do　you　think　there　is　only　one？

Alas！　my　good　friend；　there　is　no　part　of　society　or　of　life　better

than　any　other　part。　　All　our　things　are　right　and　wrong　together。

The　wave　of　evil　washes　all　our　institutions　alike。　　Do　you　complain

of　our　Marriage？　　Our　marriage　is　no　worse　than　our　education；　our

diet；　our　trade；　our　social　customs。　　Do　you　complain　of　the　laws　of

Property？　　It　is　a　pedantry　to　give　such　importance　to　them。　　Can　we

not　play　the　game　of　life　with　these　counters；　as　well　as　with　those；

in　the　institution　of　property；　as　well　as　out　of　it。　　Let　into　it

the　new　and　renewing　principle　of　love；　and　property　will　be

universality。　　No　one　gives　the　impression　of　superiority　to　the

institution；　which　he　must　give　who　will　reform　it。　　It　makes　no

difference　what　you　say：　you　must　make　me　feel　that　you　are　aloof

from　it；　by　your　natural　and　super…natural　advantages；　do　easily　see

to　the　end　of　it；　　do　see　how　man　can　do　without　it。　　Now　all　men

are　on　one　side。　　No　man　deserves　to　be　heard　against　property。　　Only

Love；　only　an　Idea；　is　against　property；　as　we　hold　it。　　I　cannot

afford　to　be　irritable　and　captious；　nor　to　waste　all　my　time　in

attacks。　　If　I　should　go　out　of　church　whenever　I　hear　a　false

sentiment；　I　could　never　stay　there　five　minutes。　　But　why　come　out？

the　street　is　as　false　as　the　church；　and　when　I　get　to　my　house；　or

to　my　manners；　or　to　my　speech；　I　have　not　got　away　from　the　lie。

When　we　see　an　eager　assailant　of　one　of　these　wrongs；　a　special

reformer；　we　feel　like　asking　him；　What　right　have　you；　sir；　to　your

one　virtue？　　Is　virtue　piecemeal？　　This　is　a　jewel　amidst　the　rags　of

a　beggar。　　In　another　way　the　right　will　be　vindicated。　　In　the　midst

of　abuses；　in　the　heart　of　cities；　in　the　aisles　of　false　churches；

alike　in　one　place　and　in　another；　　wherever；　namely；　a　just　and

heroic　soul　finds　itself；　there　it　will　do　what　is　next　at　hand；　and

by　the　new　quality　of　character　it　shall　put　forth；　it　shall　abrogate

that　old　condition；　law　or　school　in　which　it　stands；　before　the　law

of　its　own　mind。　　If　partiality　was　one　fault　of　the　movement　party；

the　other　defect　was　their　reliance　on　Association。　　Doubts　such　as

those　I　have　intimated；　drove　many　good　persons　to　agitate　the

questions　of　social　reform。　　But　the　revolt　against　the　spirit　of

commerce；　the　spirit　of　aristocracy；　and　the　inveterate　abuses　of

cities；　did　not　appear　possible　to　individuals；　and　to　do　battle

against　numbers；　they　armed　themselves　with　numbers；　and　against

concert；　they　relied　on　new　concert。　　Following；　or　advancing　beyond

the　ideas　of　St。　　Simon；　of　Fourier；　and　of　Owen；　three　communities

have　already　been　formed　in　Massachusetts　on　kindred　plans；　and　many

more　in　the　country　at　large。　　They　aim　to　give　every　member　a　share

in　the　manual　labor；　to　give　an　equal　reward　to　labor　and　to　talent；

and　to　unite　a　liberal　culture　with　an　education　to　labor。　　The

scheme　offers；　by　the　economies　of　associated　labor　and　expense；　to

make　every　member　rich；　on　the　same　amount　of　property；　that；　in

separate　families；　would　leave　every　member　poor。　　These　new

associations　are　composed　of　men　and　women　of　superior　talents　and

sentiments：　yet　it　may　easily　be　questioned；　whether　such　a　community

will　draw；　except　in　its　beginnings；　the　able　and　the　good；　whether

those　who　have　energy；　will　not　prefer　their　chance　of　superiority

and　power　in　the　world；　to　the　humble　certainties　of　the　association；

whether　such　a　retreat　does　not　promise　to　become　an　assylum　to　those

who　have　tried　and　failed；　rather　than　a　field　to　the　strong；　and

whether　the　members　will　not　necessarily　be　fractions　of　men；　because

each　finds　that　he　cannot　enter　it；　without　some　compromise。

Friendship　and　association　are　very　fine　things；　and　a　grand　phalanx

of　the　best　of　the　human　race；　banded　for　some　catholic　object：　yes；

excellent；　but　remember　that　no　society　can　ever　be　so　large　as　one

man。　　He　in　his　friendship；　in　his　natural　and　momentary

associations；　doubles　or　multiplies　himself；　but　in　the　hour　in　which

he　mortgages　himself　to　two　or　ten　or　twenty；　he　dwarfs　himself　below

the　stature　of　one。　　But　the　men　of　less　faith　could　not　thus

believe；　and　to　such；　concert　appears　the　sole　specific　of　strength。

I　have　failed；　and　you　have　failed；　but　perhaps　together　we　shall　not

fail。　　Our　housekeeping　is　not　satisfactory　to　us；　but　perhaps　a

phalanx；　a　community；　might　be。　　Many　of　us　have　differed　in　opinion；

and　we　could　find　no　man　who　could　make　the　truth　plain；　but　possibly

a　college；　or　an　ecclesiastical　council　might。　　I　have　not　been　able

either　to　persuade　my　brother　or　to　prevail　on　myself；　to　disuse　the

traffic　or　the　potation　of　brandy；　but　perhaps　a　pledge　of　total

abstinence　might　effectually　restrain　us。　　The　candidate　my　party

votes　for　is　not　to　be　trusted　with　a　dollar；　but　he　will　be　honest

in　the　Senate；　for　we　can　bring　public　opinion　to　bear　on　him。　　Thus

concert　was　the　specific　in　all　cases。　　But　concert　is　neither　better

nor　worse；　neither　more　nor　less　potent　than　individual　force。　　All

the　men　in　the　world　cannot　make　a　statue　walk　and　speak；　cannot　make

a　drop　of　blood；　or　a　blade　of　grass；　any　more　than　one　man　can。　　But

let　there　be　one　man；　let　there　be　truth　in　two　men；　in　ten　men；　then

is　concert　for　the　first　time　possible；　because　the　force　which　moves

the　world　is　a　new　quality；　and　can　never　be　furnished　by　adding

whatever　quantities　of　a　different　kind。　　What　is　the　use　of　the

concert　of　the　false　and　the　disunited？　　There　can　be　no　concert　in

two；　where　there　is　no　concert　in　one。　　When　the　individual　is　not

_individual；_　but　is　dual；　when　his　thoughts　look　one　way；　and　his

actions　another；　when　his　faith　is　traversed　by　his　habits；　when　his

will；　enlightened　by　reason；　is　warped　by　his　sense；　when　with　one

hand　he　rows；　and　with　the　other　backs　water；　what　concert　can　be？　　I

do　not　wonder　at　the　interest　these　projects　inspire。　　The　world　is

awaking　to　the　idea　of　union；　and　these　experiments　show　what　it　is

thinking　of。　　It　is　and　will　be　magic。　　Men　will　live　and

communicate；　and　plough；　and　reap；　and　govern；　as　by　added　ethereal

power；　when　once　they　are　united；　as　in　a　celebrated　experiment；　by

expiration　and　respiration　exactly　together；　four　persons　lift　a

heavy　man　from　the　ground　by　the　little　finger　only；　and　without

sense　of　weight。　　But　this　union　must　be　inward；　and　not　one　of

covenants；　and　is　to　be　reached　by　a　reverse　of　the　methods　they　use。

The　union　is　only　perfect；　when　all　the　uniters　are　isolated。　　It　is

the　union　of　friends　who　live　in　different　streets　or　towns。　　Each

man；　if　he　attempts　to　join　himself　to　others；　is　on　all　sides

cramped　and　diminished　of　his　proportion；　and　the　stricter　the　union；

the　smaller　and　the　more　pitiful　he　is。　　But　leave　him　alone；　to

recognize　in　every　hour　and　place　the　secret　soul；　he　will　go　up　and

down　doing　the　works　of　a　true　member；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of

all；　the　work　will　be　done　with　concert；　though　no　man　spoke。

Government　will　be　adamantine　without　any　governor。　　The　union　must

be　ideal　in　actual　individualism。　　I　pass　to　the　indication　in　some

particulars　of　that　faith　in　man；　which　the　heart　is　preaching　to　us

in　these　days；　and　which　engages　the　more　regard；　from　the

consideration；　that　the　speculations　of　one　generation　are　the

history　of　the　next　following。　　In　alluding　just　now　to　our　system　of

education；　I　spoke　of　the　deadness　of　its　details。　　But　it　is　open　to

graver　criticism　than　the　palsy　of　its　members：　it　is　a　system　of

despair。　　The　disease　with　which　the　human　mind　now　labors；　is　want

of　faith。　　Men　do　not　believe　in　a　power　of　education。　　We　do　not

think　we　can　speak　to　divine　sentiments　in　man；　and　we　do　not　try。

We　renounce　all　high　aims。　　We　believe　that　the　defects　of　so　many

perverse　and　so　many　frivolous　people；　who　make　up　society；　are

organic；　and　society　is　a　hospital　of　incurables。　　A　man　of　good

sense　but　of　little　faith；　whose　compassion　seemed　to　lead　him　to

church　as　often　as　he　went　there；　said　to　me；　〃that　he　liked　to　have

concerts；　and　fairs；　and　churches；　and　other　public　amusements　go

on。〃　I　am　afraid　the　remark　is　too　honest；　and　comes　from　t