19-on the duty of civil disobedience-第2章

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important　that　many　should　be　as　good　as　you；　as　that　there　be　some

absolute　goodness　somewhere；　for　that　will　leaven　the　whole　lump。

There　are　thousands　who　are　in　opinion　opposed　to　slavery　and　to　the

war；　who　yet　in　effect　do　nothing　to　put　an　end　to　them；　who；

esteeming　themselves　children　of　Washington　and　Franklin；　sit　down

with　their　hands　in　their　pockets；　and　say　that　they　know　not　what

to　do；　and　do　nothing；　who　even　postpone　the　question　of　freedom　to

the　question　of　free…trade；　and　quietly　read　the　prices…current

along　with　the　latest　advices　from　Mexico；　after　dinner；　and；　it　may

be；　fall　asleep　over　them　both。　　What　is　the　price…current　of　an

honest　man　and　patriot　to…day？　　They　hesitate；　and　they　regret；　and

sometimes　they　petition；　but　they　do　nothing　in　earnest　and　with

effect。　　They　will　wait；　well　disposed；　for　others　to　remedy　the

evil；　that　they　may　no　longer　have　it　to　regret。　　At　most；　they　give

only　a　cheap　vote；　and　a　feeble　countenance　and　Godspeed；　to　the

right；　as　it　goes　by　them。　　There　are　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine

patrons　of　virtue　to　one　virtuous　man；　but　it　is　easier　to　deal

with　the　real　possessor　of　a　thing　than　with　the　temporary　guardian

of　it。

　　　　All　voting　is　a　sort　of　gaming；　like　checkers　or　backgammon；

with　a　slight　moral　tinge　to　it；　a　playing　with　right　and　wrong；

with　moral　questions；　and　betting　naturally　accompanies　it。　　The

character　of　the　voters　is　not　staked。　　I　cast　my　vote；　perchance；

as　I　think　right；　but　I　am　not　vitally　concerned　that　that　right

should　prevail。　　I　am　willing　to　leave　it　to　the　majority。　　Its

obligation；　therefore；　never　exceeds　that　of　expediency。　　Even

voting　for　the　right　is　doing　nothing　for　it。　　It　is　only　expressing

to　men　feebly　your　desire　that　it　should　prevail。　　A　wise　man　will

not　leave　the　right　to　the　mercy　of　chance；　nor　wish　it　to　prevail

through　the　power　of　the　majority。　　There　is　but　little　virtue　in

the　action　of　masses　of　men。　　When　the　majority　shall　at　length　vote

for　the　abolition　of　slavery；　it　will　be　because　they　are

indifferent　to　slavery；　or　because　there　is　but　little　slavery　left

to　be　abolished　by　their　vote。　　They　will　then　be　the　only　slaves。

Only　his　vote　can　hasten　the　abolition　of　slavery　who　asserts　his

own　freedom　by　his　vote。

　　　　I　hear　of　a　convention　to　be　held　at　Baltimore；　or　elsewhere；

for　the　selection　of　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency；　made　up　chiefly

of　editors；　and　men　who　are　politicians　by　profession；　but　I　think；

what　is　it　to　any　independent；　intelligent；　and　respectable　man　what

decision　they　may　come　to？　　Shall　we　not　have　the　advantage　of　his

wisdom　and　honesty；　nevertheless？　　Can　we　not　count　upon　some

independent　votes？　　Are　there　not　many　individuals　in　the　country

who　do　not　attend　conventions？　　But　no：　I　find　that　the　respectable

man；　so　called；　has　immediately　drifted　from　his　position；　and

despairs　of　his　country；　when　his　country　has　more　reason　to　despair

of　him。　　He　forthwith　adopts　one　of　the　candidates　thus　selected　as

the　only　available　one；　thus　proving　that　he　is　himself　available

for　any　purposes　of　the　demagogue。　　His　vote　is　of　no　more　worth

than　that　of　any　unprincipled　foreigner　or　hireling　native；　who　may

have　been　bought。　　Oh　for　a　man　who　is　a　man；　and；　as　my　neighbor

says；　has　a　bone　in　his　back　which　you　cannot　pass　your　hand

through！　　Our　statistics　are　at　fault：　the　population　has　been

returned　too　large。　　How　many　men　are　there　to　a　square　thousand

miles　in　this　country？　　Hardly　one。　　Does　not　America　offer　any

inducement　for　men　to　settle　here？　　The　American　has　dwindled　into

an　Odd　Fellow　　one　who　may　be　known　by　the　development　of　his

organ　of　gregariousness；　and　a　manifest　lack　of　intellect　and

cheerful　self…reliance；　whose　first　and　chief　concern；　on　coming

into　the　world；　is　to　see　that　the　almshouses　are　in　good　repair；

and；　before　yet　he　has　lawfully　donned　the　virile　garb；　to　collect　a

fund　for　the　support　of　the　widows　and　orphans　that　may　be；　who；　in

short　ventures　to　live　only　by　the　aid　of　the　Mutual　Insurance

company；　which　has　promised　to　bury　him　decently。

　　　　It　is　not　a　man's　duty；　as　a　matter　of　course；　to　devote　himself

to　the　eradication　of　any；　even　the　most　enormous　wrong；　he　may

still　properly　have　other　concerns　to　engage　him；　but　it　is　his

duty；　at　least；　to　wash　his　hands　of　it；　and；　if　he　gives　it　no

thought　longer；　not　to　give　it　practically　his　support。　　If　I　devote

myself　to　other　pursuits　and　contemplations；　I　must　first　see；　at

least；　that　I　do　not　pursue　them　sitting　upon　another　man's

shoulders。　　I　must　get　off　him　first；　that　he　may　pursue　his

contemplations　too。　　See　what　gross　inconsistency　is　tolerated。　　I

have　heard　some　of　my　townsmen　say；　〃I　should　like　to　have　them

order　me　out　to　help　put　down　an　insurrection　of　the　slaves；　or　to

march　to　Mexico；　　see　if　I　would　go〃；　and　yet　these　very　men　have

each；　directly　by　their　allegiance；　and　so　indirectly；　at　least；　by

their　money；　furnished　a　substitute。　　The　soldier　is　applauded　who

refuses　to　serve　in　an　unjust　war　by　those　who　do　not　refuse　to

sustain　the　unjust　government　which　makes　the　war；　is　applauded　by

those　whose　own　act　and　authority　he　disregards　and　sets　at　naught；

as　if　the　state　were　penitent　to　that　degree　that　it　hired　one　to

scourge　it　while　it　sinned；　but　not　to　that　degree　that　it　left　off

sinning　for　a　moment。　　Thus；　under　the　name　of　Order　and　Civil

Government；　we　are　all　made　at　last　to　pay　homage　to　and　support　our

own　meanness。　　After　the　first　blush　of　sin　comes　its　indifference；

and　from　immoral　it　becomes；　as　it　were；　unmoral；　and　not　quite

unnecessary　to　that　life　which　we　have　made。

　　　　The　broadest　and　most　prevalent　error　requires　the　most

disinterested　virtue　to　sustain　it。　　The　slight　reproach　to　which

the　virtue　of　patriotism　is　commonly　liable；　the　noble　are　most

likely　to　incur。　　Those　who；　while　they　disapprove　of　the　character

and　measures　of　a　government；　yield　to　it　their　allegiance　and

support　are　undoubtedly　its　most　conscientious　supporters；　and　so

frequently　the　most　serious　obstacles　to　reform。　　Some　are

petitioning　the　State　to　dissolve　the　Union；　to　disregard　the

requisitions　of　the　President。　　Why　do　they　not　dissolve　it

themselves　　the　union　between　themselves　and　the　State　　and

refuse　to　pay　their　quota　into　its　treasury？　　Do　not　they　stand　in

the　same　relation　to　the　State；　that　the　State　does　to　the　Union？

And　have　not　the　same　reasons　prevented　the　State　from　resisting　the

Union；　which　have　prevented　them　from　resisting　the　State？

　　　　How　can　a　man　be　satisfied　to　entertain　an　opinion　merely；　and

enjoy　it？　　Is　there　any　enjoyment　in　it；　if　his　opinion　is　that　he

is　aggrieved？　　If　you　are　cheated　out　of　a　single　dollar　by　your

neighbor；　you　do　not　rest　satisfied　with　knowing　that　you　are

cheated；　or　with　saying　that　you　are　cheated；　or　even　with

petitioning　him　to　pay　you　your　due；　but　you　take　effectual　steps　at

once　to　obtain　the　full　amount；　and　see　that　you　are　never　cheated

again。　　Action　from　principle　　the　perception　and　the　performance

of　right　　changes　things　and　relations；　it　is　essentially

revolutionary；　and　does　not　consist　wholly　with　anything　which　was。

It　not　only　divides　states　and　churches；　it　divides　families；　ay；　it

divides　the　individual；　separating　the　diabolical　in　him　from　the

divine。

　　　　Unjust　laws　exist；　shall　we　be　content　to　obey　them；　or　shall　we

endeavor　to　amend　them；　and　obey　them　until　we　have　succeeded；　or

shall　we　transgress　them　at　once？　　Men　generally；　under　such　a

government　as　this；　think　that　they　ought　to　wait　until　they　have

persuaded　the　majority　to　alter　them。　　They　think　that；　if　they

should　resist；　the　remedy　would　be　worse　than　the　evil。　　But　it　is

the　fault　of　the　government　itself　that　the　remedy　is　worse　than　the

evil。　　It　makes　it　worse。　　Why　is　it　not　more　apt　to　anticipate　and

provide　for　reform？　　Why　does　it　not　cherish　its　wise　minority？　　Why

does　it　cry　and　resist　before　it　is　hurt？　　Why　does　it　not　encourage

its　citizens　to　be　on　the　alert　to　point　out　its　faults；　and　do

better　than　it　would　have　them？　　Why　does　it　always　crucify　Christ；

and　excommunicate　Copernicus　and　Luther；　and　pronounce　Washington

and　Franklin　rebels？

　　　　One　would　think；　that　a　deliberate　and　practical　denial　of　its

authority　was　the　only　offence　never　contemplated　by　government；

else；　why　has　it　not　assigned　its　definite；　its　suitable　and

proportionate；　penalty？　　If　a　man　who　has　no　property　refuses　but

once　to　earn　nine　shillings　for　the　State；　he　is　put　in　prison　for　a

period　unlimited　by　any　law　that　I　know；　and　determined　only　by　the

discretion　of　those　who　placed　him　there；　but　if　he　should　steal

ninety　times　nine　shillings　from　the　State；　he　is　soon　permitted　to

go　at　large　again。

　　　　If　the　injustice　is　part　of　the　necessary　friction　of　the

machine　of　government；　let　it　go；　let　it　go；　perchance　it　will　wear

smooth　　certainly　the　machine　will　wear　out。　　If　the　injustice　has

a　spring；　or　a　pulley；　or　a　rope；　or　a　crank；　exclusively　for

itself；　then　perhaps　you　may　consider　whether　the　remedy　will　not　be

worse　than　the　evil；　but　if　it　is　of　such　a　nature　that　it　requires

you　to　be　the　agent　of　injustice　to　another；　then；　I　say；　break　the

law。　　Let　your　life　be　a　counter　friction　to　stop　the　machine。　　What

I　have　to　do　is　to　see；　at　any　rate；　that　I　do　not　lend　myself　to

the　wrong　which　I　condemn。

　　　　As　for　adopting　the　ways　which　the　State　has　provided　for

remedying　the　evil；　I　know　not　of　such　ways。　　They　take　too　much

time；　and　a　man's　life　will　be　gone。　　I　have　other　affairs　to　attend

to。　　I　came　into　this　world；　not　chiefly　to　make　this　a　good　place

to　live　in；　but　to　live　in　it；　be　it　good　or　bad。　　A　man　has　not

everything　to　do；　but　something；　and　because　he　cannot　do

everything；　it　is　not　necessary　that　he　should　do　something　wrong。

It　is　not　my　business　to　be　petitioning　the　Governor　or　the

Legislature　any　more　than　it　is　theirs　to　petition　me；　and　if　they

should　not　hear　my　petition；　what　should　I　do　then？　　But　in　this

case　the　State　has　provided　no　way；　its　very　Constitution　is　the

evil。　　This　may　seem　to　be　harsh　and　stubborn　and　unconciliatory；

but　it　is　to　treat　with　the　utmost　kindness　and　consideration　the

only　spirit　that　can　appreciate　or　deserves　it。　　So　is　an　change　for

the　better；　like　birth　and　death　which　convulse　the　body。

　　　　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say；　that　those　who　call　themselves

Abolitionists　should　at　once　effectually　withdraw　their　support；

both　in　person　and　property；　from　the　government　of　Massachusetts；

and　not　wait　till　they　constitute　a　majority　of　one；　before　they

suffer　the　right　to　prevail　through　them。　　I　think　that　it　is　enough

if　they　have　God　on　their　side；　without　waiting　for　that　other　one。

Moreover；　any　man　more　right　than　his　neighbors　constitutes　a

majority　of　one　alrea