19-on the duty of civil disobedience-第5章

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I　ought　to　be；　then；　like　a　good　Mussulman　and　fatalist；　I　should

endeavor　to　be　satisfied　with　things　as　they　are；　and　say　it　is　the

will　of　God。　　And；　above　all；　there　is　this　difference　between

resisting　this　and　a　purely　brute　or　natural　force；　that　I　can

resist　this　with　some　effect；　but　I　cannot　expect；　like　Orpheus；　to

change　the　nature　of　the　rocks　and　trees　and　beasts。

　　　　I　do　not　wish　to　quarrel　with　any　man　or　nation。　　I　do　not　wish

to　split　hairs；　to　make　fine　distinctions；　or　set　myself　up　as

better　than　my　neighbors。　　I　seek　rather；　I　may　say；　even　an　excuse

for　conforming　to　the　laws　of　the　land。　　I　am　but　too　ready　to

conform　to　them。　　Indeed；　I　have　reason　to　suspect　myself　on　this

head；　and　each　year；　as　the　tax…gatherer　comes　round；　I　find　myself

disposed　to　review　the　acts　and　position　of　the　general　and　State

governments；　and　the　spirit　of　the　people；　to　discover　a　pretext　for

conformity。

　　　　　　　　　　　　〃We　must　affect　our　country　as　our　parents；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　if　at　any　time　we　alienate

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Our　love　or　industry　from　doing　it　honor；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　We　must　respect　effects　and　teach　the　soul

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Matter　of　conscience　and　religion；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　not　desire　of　rule　or　benefit。〃



　　　　I　believe　that　the　State　will　soon　be　able　to　take　all　my　work

of　this　sort　out　of　my　hands；　and　then　I　shall　be　no　better　a

patriot　than　my　fellow…countrymen。　　Seen　from　a　lower　point　of　view；

the　Constitution；　with　all　its　faults；　is　very　good；　the　law　and　the

courts　are　very　respectable；　even　this　State　and　this　American

government　are；　in　many　respects；　very　admirable　and　rare　things；

to　be　thankful　for；　such　as　a　great　many　have　described　them；　but

seen　from　a　point　of　view　a　little　higher；　they　are　what　I　have

described　them；　seen　from　a　higher　still；　and　the　highest；　who　shall

say　what　they　are；　or　that　they　are　worth　looking　at　or　thinking　of

at　all？

　　　　However；　the　government　does　not　concern　me　much；　and　I　shall

bestow　the　fewest　possible　thoughts　on　it。　　It　is　not　many　moments

that　I　live　under　a　government；　even　in　this　world。　　If　a　man　is

thought…free；　fancy…free；　imagination…free；　that　which　is　not　never

for　a　long　time　appearing　to　be　to　him；　unwise　rulers　or　reformers

cannot　fatally　interrupt　him。

　　　　I　know　that　most　men　think　differently　from　myself；　but　those

whose　lives　are　by　profession　devoted　to　the　study　of　these　or

kindred　subjects；　content　me　as　little　as　any。　　Statesmen　and

legislators；　standing　so　completely　within　the　institution；　never

distinctly　and　nakedly　behold　it。　　They　speak　of　moving　society；　but

have　no　resting…place　without　it。　　They　may　be　men　of　a　certain

experience　and　discrimination；　and　have　no　doubt　invented　ingenious

and　even　useful　systems；　for　which　we　sincerely　thank　them；　but　all

their　wit　and　usefulness　lie　within　certain　not　very　wide　limits。

They　are　wont　to　forget　that　the　world　is　not　governed　by　policy　and

expediency。　　Webster　never　goes　behind　government；　and　so　cannot

speak　with　authority　about　it。　　His　words　are　wisdom　to　those

legislators　who　contemplate　no　essential　reform　in　the　existing

government；　but　for　thinkers；　and　those　who　legislate　for　all　time；

he　never　once　glances　at　the　subject。　　I　know　of　those　whose　serene

and　wise　speculations　on　this　theme　would　soon　reveal　the　limits　of

his　mind's　range　and　hospitality。　　Yet；　compared　with　the　cheap

professions　of　most　reformers；　and　the　still　cheaper　wisdom　and

eloquence　of　politicians　in　general；　his　are　almost　the　only

sensible　and　valuable　words；　and　we　thank　Heaven　for　him。

Comparatively；　he　is　always　strong；　original；　and；　above　all；

practical。　　Still；　his　quality　is　not　wisdom；　but　prudence。　　The

lawyer's　truth　is　not　truth；　but　consistency　or　a　consistent

expediency。　　Truth　is　always　in　harmony　with　herself；　and　is　not

concerned　chiefly　to　reveal　the　justice　that　may　consist　with

wrong…doing。　　He　well　deserves　to　be　called；　as　he　has　been　called；

the　Defender　of　the　Constitution。　　There　are　really　no　blows　to　be

given　by　him　but　defensive　ones。　　He　is　not　a　leader；　but　a

follower。　　His　leaders　are　the　men　of　'87。　　〃I　have　never　made　an

effort；〃　he　says；　〃and　never　propose　to　make　an　effort；　I　have　never

countenanced　an　effort；　and　never　mean　to　countenance　an　effort；　to

disturb　the　arrangement　as　originally　made；　by　which　the　various

States　came　into　the　Union。〃　　Still　thinking　of　the　sanction　which

the　Constitution　gives　to　slavery；　he　says；　〃Because　it　was　a　part

of　the　original　compact　　let　it　stand。〃　　Notwithstanding　his

special　acuteness　and　ability；　he　is　unable　to　take　a　fact　out　of

its　merely　political　relations；　and　behold　it　as　it　lies　absolutely

to　be　disposed　of　by　the　intellect　　what；　for　instance；　it

behooves　a　man　to　do　here　in　America　to…day　with　regard　to　slavery；

but　ventures；　or　is　driven；　to　make　some　such　desperate　answer　as

the　following；　while　professing　to　speak　absolutely；　and　as　a

private　man　　from　which　what　new　and　singular　code　of　social

duties　might　be　inferred？　　〃The　manner；〃　says　he；　〃in　which　the

governments　of　those　States　where　slavery　exists　are　to　regulate　it

is　for　their　own　consideration；　under　their　responsibility　to　their

constituents；　to　the　general　laws　of　propriety；　humanity；　and

justice；　and　to　God。　　Associations　formed　elsewhere；　springing　from

a　feeling　of　humanity；　or　any　other　cause；　have　nothing　whatever　to

do　with　it。　　They　have　never　received　any　encouragement　from　me；　and

they　never　will。〃

　　　　They　who　know　of　no　purer　sources　of　truth；　who　have　traced　up

its　stream　no　higher；　stand；　and　wisely　stand；　by　the　Bible　and　the

Constitution；　and　drink　at　it　there　with　reverence　and　humility；　but

they　who　behold　where　it　comes　trickling　into　this　lake　or　that

pool；　gird　up　their　loins　once　more；　and　continue　their　pilgrimage

toward　its　fountain…head。

　　　　No　man　with　a　genius　for　legislation　has　appeared　in　America。

They　are　rare　in　the　history　of　the　world。　　There　are　orators；

politicians；　and　eloquent　men；　by　the　thousand；　but　the　speaker　has

not　yet　opened　his　mouth　to　speak　who　is　capable　of　settling　the

much…vexed　questions　of　the　day。　　We　love　eloquence　for　its　own

sake；　and　not　for　any　truth　which　it　may　utter；　or　any　heroism　it

may　inspire。　　Our　legislators　have　not　yet　learned　the　comparative

value　of　free…trade　and　of　freedom；　of　union；　and　of　rectitude；　to　a

nation。　　They　have　no　genius　or　talent　for　comparatively　humble

questions　of　taxation　and　finance；　commerce　and　manufacturers　and

agriculture。　　If　we　were　left　solely　to　the　wordy　wit　of　legislators

in　Congress　for　our　guidance；　uncorrected　by　the　seasonable

experience　and　the　effectual　complaints　of　the　people；　America　would

not　long　retain　her　rank　among　the　nations。　　For　eighteen　hundred

years；　though　perchance　I　have　no　right　to　say　it；　the　New　Testament

has　been　written；　yet　where　is　the　legislator　who　has　wisdom　and

practical　talent　enough　to　avail　himself　of　the　light　which　it　sheds

on　the　science　of　legislation？

　　　　The　authority　of　government；　even　such　as　I　am　willing　to　submit

to　　for　I　will　cheerfully　obey　those　who　know　and　can　do　better

than　I；　and　in　many　things　even　those　who　neither　know　nor　can　do　so

well　　is　still　an　impure　one：　to　be　strictly　just；　it　must　have

the　sanction　and　consent　of　the　governed。　　It　can　have　no　pure　right

over　my　person　and　property　but　what　I　concede　to　it。　　The　progress

from　an　absolute　to　a　limited　monarchy；　from　a　limited　monarchy　to　a

democracy；　is　a　progress　toward　a　true　respect　for　the　individual。

Even　the　Chinese　philosopher　was　wise　enough　to　regard　the

individual　as　the　basis　of　the　empire。　　Is　a　democracy；　such　as　we

know　it；　the　last　improvement　possible　in　government？　　Is　it　not

possible　to　take　a　step　further　towards　recognizing　and　organizing

the　rights　of　man？　　There　will　never　be　a　really　free　and

enlightened　State　until　the　State　comes　to　recognize　the　individual

as　a　higher　and　independent　power；　from　which　all　its　own　power　and

authority　are　derived；　and　treats　him　accordingly。　　I　please　myself

with　imagining　a　State　at　least　which　can　afford　to　be　just　to　all

men；　and　to　treat　the　individual　with　respect　as　a　neighbor；　which

even　would　not　think　it　inconsistent　with　its　own　repose　if　a　few

were　to　live　aloof　from　it；　not　meddling　with　it；　nor　embraced　by

it；　who　fulfilled　all　the　duties　of　neighbors　and　fellow…men。　　A

State　which　bore　this　kind　of　fruit；　and　suffered　it　to　drop　off　as

fast　as　it　ripened；　would　prepare　the　way　for　a　still　more　perfect

and　glorious　State；　which　also　I　have　imagined；　but　not　yet　anywhere

seen。







End