Civil Resistance to Government 论人民的不服从.docx
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Civil Resistance to Government 论人民的不服从.docx
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CivilResistancetoGovernment论人民的不服从
Art. X.—RESISTANCETOCIVILGOVERNMENT.
Iheartily acceptthemotto,—"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast;"andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyandsystematically.Carriedout,itfinallyamountstothis,whichalsoIbelieve,—"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall;"andwhenmenarepreparedforit,thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichtheywillhave.Governmentisatbestbutanexpedient;butmostgovernmentsareusually,andallgovernmentsaresometimes,inexpedient.Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy,andtheyaremanyandweighty,anddeservetoprevail,mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment.Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment.Thegovernmentitself,whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill,isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.WitnessthepresentMexicanwar,theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool;for,intheoutset,thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure.
ThisAmericangovernment,—whatisitbutatradition,thougharecentone,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?
Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman;forasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselves;and,ifevertheyshoulduseitinearnestasarealoneagainsteachother,itwillsurelysplit.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis;forthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownadvantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallow;yetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway. It doesnotkeepthecountryfree. It doesnotsettletheWest. It doesnoteducate.The characterinherentintheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplished;anditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedientbywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheralone;and,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Tradeandcommerce,iftheywerenotmadeofIndiarubber,wouldnevermanagetobounceovertheobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyputtingintheirway;and,ifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractions,andnotpartlybytheirintentions,theywoulddeservetobeclassedandpunishedwiththosemischievouspersonswhoputobstructionsontherailroads.
But,tospeakpracticallyandasacitizen,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,Iaskfor,notatoncenogovernment,but atonce abettergoverment.Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisrespect,andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit.
Afterall,thepracticalreasonwhy,whenthepowerisonceinthehandsofthepeople,amajorityarepermitted,andforalongperiodcontinue,torule,isnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright,norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority,butbecausetheyarephysicallythestrongest.Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbebasedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.Cantherenotbeagovernmentinwhichmajoritiesdonotvirtuallydeciderightandwrong,butconscience?
—inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable?
Mustthecitizeneverforamoment,orintheleastdegree,resignhisconsciencetothelegislator?
Whyhaseverymanaconscience,then?
Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.Itisnotdesirabletocultivatearespectforthelaw,somuchasfortheright.TheonlyobligationwhichIhavearighttoassume,istodoatanytimewhatIthinkright.Itistrulyenoughsaid,thatacorporationhasnoconscience;butacorporationofconscientiousmenisacorporation with aconscience.Lawnevermademena whitmorejust;and,bymeansoftheirrespectforit,eventhewell-disposedaredailymadetheagentsofinjustice.Acommonandnaturalresultofanunduerespectforlawis,thatyoumayseeafileofsoldiers,colonel,captain,corporal,privates,powder-monkeysandall,marchinginadmirableorderoverhillanddaletothewars,againsttheirwills,aye,againsttheircommonsenseandconsciences,whichmakesitverysteepmarchingindeed,andproducesapalpitationoftheheart.Theyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyareconcerned;theyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?
Menatall?
orsmallmoveablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsomeunscrupulousmaninpower?
VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmakeamanwithitsblackarts,amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniments,thoughitmaybe
"Notadrumwasheard,norafuneralnote,
Ashiscorsetotherampartswehurried;
Notasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshot
O'erthegravewhereourheroweburied."
ThemassofmenservetheStatethus,notasmenmainly,butasmachines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,jailers,constables, possecomitatus,&c.Inmostcasesthereisnofreeexercisewhateverofthejudgmentorofthemoralsense;buttheyputthemselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstones;andwoodenmencanperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Suchcommandnomorerespectthanmenofstraw,oralumpofdirt.Theyhavethesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs.Yetsuchastheseevenarecommonlyesteemedgoodcitizens.Others,asmostlegislators,politicians,lawyers,ministers,andoffice-holders,servetheStatechieflywiththeirheads;and,astheyrarelymakeanymoraldistinctions,theyareaslikelytoservethedevil,withoutintendingit,asGod.Averyfew,asheroes,patriots,martyrs,reformersinthegreatsense,and men,servetheStatewiththeirconsciencesalso,andsonecessarilyresistitforthemost part;andtheyarecommonlytreatedbyitasenemies.Awisemanwillonlybeusefulasaman,andwillnotsubmittobe"clay,"and"stopaholetokeepthewindaway,"butleavethatofficetohisdustatleast:
—
"Iamtoohigh-borntobepropertied,
Tobeasecondaryatcontrol,
Orusefulserving-manandinstrument
Toanysovereignstatethroughouttheworld."
Hewhogiveshimselfentirelytohisfellow-menappearstothemuselessandselfish;buthewhogiveshimselfpartiallytothemispronouncedabenefactorandphilanthropist.
HowdoesitbecomeamantobehavetowardthisAmericangovernmentto-day?
Ianswerthathecannotwithoutdisgracebeassociatedwithit.Icannotforaninstantrecognizethatpoliticalorganizationas my governmentwhichisthe slave's governmentalso.
Allmenrecognizetherightofrevolution;thatis,therighttorefuseallegiancetoandtoresistthegovernment,whenitstyrannyoritsinefficiencyaregreatandunendurable.Butalmostallsaythatsuchisnotthecasenow.Butsuchwasthecase,theythink,intheRevolutionof'75.Ifoneweretotellmethatthiswasabadgovernmentbecauseittaxedcertainforeigncommoditiesbroughttoitsports,itismostprobablethatIshouldnotmakeanadoaboutit,forIcandowithoutthem:
allmachineshavetheirfriction;andpossiblythisdoesenoughgoodtocounterbalancetheevil.Atanyrate,itisagreateviltomakeastiraboutit.Butwhenthefrictioncomestohaveitsmachine,andoppressionandrobberyareorganized,Isay,letusnothavesuchamachineanylonger.Inotherwords,whenasixthofthepopulationofanationwhichhasundertakentobetherefugeoflibertyareslaves,andawholecountryisunjustlyoverrunandconqueredbyaforeignarmy,andsubjectedtomilitarylaw,Ithinkthatitisnottoosoonforhonestmentorebelandrevolutionize.Whatmakesthisdutythemoreurgentisthefact,thatthecountrysooverrunisnotourown,butoursistheinvadingarmy.
Paley,acommonauthoritywithmanyonmoralquestions,inhischapteronthe"DutyofSubmissiontoCivil Government,"resolvesallcivilobligationintoexpediency;andheproceedstosay,"thatsolongastheinterestofthewholesocietyrequiresit,thatis,solongastheestablishedgovernmentcannotberesistedorchangedwithoutpublicinconveniency,itisthewillofGodthattheestablishedgovernmentbeobeyed,andnolonger."—"Thisprinciplebeingadmitted,thejusticeofeveryparticularcaseofresistanceisreducedtoacomputationofthequantityofthedangerandgrievanceontheoneside,andoftheprobabilityandexpenseofredressingitontheother."Ofthis,hesays,everymanshalljudgeforhimself.ButPaleyappearsnevertohavecontemplatedthosecasestowhichtheruleofexpediencydoesnotapply,inwhichapeople,aswellasanindividual,mustdojustice,costwhatitmay.IfIhaveunjustlywrestedaplankfromadrowningman,ImustrestoreittohimthoughIdrownmyself.This,accordingtoPaley,wouldbeinconvenient.Buthethatwouldsavehislife,insuchacase,shallloseit.Thispeoplemustceasetoholdslaves,andtomakewaronMexico,thoughitcostthemtheirexistenceasapeople.
Intheirpractice,nationsagreewithPaley;butdoesanyonethinkthatMassachusettsdoesexactlywhatisrightatthepresentcrisis?
"Adrabofstate,aclo
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