civil disobedience.docx

civil disobedience.docx

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civildisobedience

OntheDutyofCivil

Disobedience

byHenryDavidThoreau

Iheartilyacceptthemotto,"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgoverns

least";andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyand

systematically.Carriedout,itfinallyamountstothis,whichalsoI

believe--"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall";andwhen

menarepreparedforit,thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichthewillhave.Governmentisatbestbutanexpedient;butmostgovernmentsareusually,andallgovernmentsaresometimes,inexpedient.Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy,andtheyaremanyandweighty,anddeservetoprevail,mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment.Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment.Thegovernmentitself,whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill,isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.WitnessthepresentMexicanwar,theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool;forintheoutset,thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure.

ThisAmericangovernment--whatisitbutatradition,thougharecent

one,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?

Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman;forasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselves.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis;forthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedupon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownadvantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallow.

Yetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythe

alacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Itdoesnotkeepthecountryfree.

ItdoesnotsettletheWest.Itdoesnoteducate.Thecharacterinherent

intheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplished;andit

wouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimes

gotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedient,bywhichmenwouldfain

succeedinlettingoneanotheralone;and,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Tradeandcommerce,iftheywerenotmadeofindia-rubber,wouldnevermanagetobounceoverobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyputtingintheirway;andifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractionsandnotpartlybytheirintentions,theywoulddeservetobeclassedandpunishedwiththosemischieviouspersonswhoputobstructionsontherailroads.But,tospeakpracticallyandasacitizen,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,Iaskfor,notatonenogovernment,butatonceabettergovernment.Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisrespect,andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit.

Afterall,thepracticalreasonwhy,whenthepowerisonceinthe

handsofthepeople,amajorityarepermitted,andforalongperiod

continue,toruleisnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright,nor

becausethisseemsfairesttotheminority,butbecausetheyarephysically

thestrongest.Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcases

cannotbebasedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.Canthere

notbeagovernmentinwhichthemajoritiesdonotvirtuallydecideright

andwrong,butconscience?

--inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythose

questionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable?

Mustthecitizen

everforamoment,orintheleastdegree,resignhisconsciencetothe

legislator?

WHyhaseverymanaconsciencethen?

Ithinkthatwe

shouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.Itisnotdesirableto

cultivatearespectforthelaw,somuchasfortheright.Theonly

obligationwhichIhavearighttoassumeistodoatanytimewhatIthink

right.Itistrulyenoughsaidthatacorporationhasnoconscience;buta

corporationonconscientiousmenisacorporationwithaconscience.

Lawnevermademenawhitmorejust;and,bymeansoftheirrespectfor

it,eventhewell-disposedaredailymadetheagentsoninjustice.A

commonandnaturalresultofanunduerespectforthelawis,thatyoumayseeafileofsoldiers,colonel,captain,corporal,privates,powder-monkeys,andall,marchinginadmirableorderoverhillanddaletothewars,againsttheirwills,ay,againsttheircommonsenseandconsciences,whichmakesitverysteepmarchingindeed,andproducesapalpitationoftheheart.

Theyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyare

concerned;theyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?

Menat

all?

orsmallmovablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsome

unscrupulousmaninpower?

VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,

suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmake

amanwithitsblackarts--amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniment,thoughitmaybe,

"Notadrumwasheard,notafuneralnote,Ashiscorsetothe

rampartwehurried;NotasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshotO'erthe

gravewhereoutherowasburied."

Themassofmenservethestatethus,notasmenmainly,butas

machines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,

jailers,constables,possecomitatus,etc.Inmostcasesthereisnofree

exercisewhateverofthejudgementorofthemoralsense;buttheyput

themselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstones;andwoodenmen

canperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Such

commandnomorerespectthanmenofstraworalumpofdirt.Theyhave

thesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs.Yetsuchastheseevenarecommonlyesteemedgoodcitizens.Others--asmostlegislators,politicians,lawyers,ministers,andoffice-holders--servethestatechieflywiththeirheads;and,astherarelymakeanymoraldistinctions,theyareaslikelytoservethedevil,withoutintendingit,asGod.Averyfew--asheroes,patriots,martyrs,reformersinthegreatsense,andmen--servethestatewiththeirconsciencesalso,andsonecessarilyresistitforthemostpart;andtheyarecommonlytreatedasenemiesbyit.Awisemanwillonlybeusefulasaman,andwillnotsubmittobe"clay,"and"stopaholetokeepthewindaway,"butleavethatofficetohisdustatleast:

"Iamtoohighborntobepropertied,Tobeasecondatcontrol,Or

usefulserving-manandinstrumentToanysovereignstatethroughoutthe

world."

Hewhogiveshimselfentirelytohisfellowmenappearstothem

uselessandselfish;buthewhogiveshimselfpartiallytothemin

pronouncedabenefactorandphilanthropist.

HowdoesitbecomeamantobehavetowardtheAmerican

governmenttoday?

Ianswer,thathecannotwithoutdisgracebe

associatedwithit.Icannotforaninstantrecognizethatpolitical

organizationasmygovernmentwhichistheslave'sgovernmentalso.

Allmenrecognizetherightofrevolution;thatis,therighttorefuse

allegianceto,andtoresist,thegovernment,whenitstyrannyorits

inefficiencyaregreatandunendurable.Butalmostallsaythatsuchis

notthecasenow.Butsuchwasthecase,theythink,intheRevolutionof

'75.Ifoneweretotellmethatthiswasabadgovernmentbecauseit

taxedcertainforeigncommoditiesbroughttoitsports,itismostprobable

thatIshouldnotmakeanadoaboutit,forIcandowithoutthem.All

machineshavetheirfriction;andpossiblythisdoesenoughgoodto

counter-balancetheevil.Atanyrate,itisagreateviltomakeastir

aboutit.Butwhenthefrictioncomestohaveitsmachine,and

oppressionandrobberyareorganized,Isay,letusnothavesucha

machineanylonger.Inotherwords,whenasixthofthepopulationofa

nationwhichhasundertakentobetherefugeoflibertyareslaves,anda

wholecountryisunjustlyoverrunandconqueredbyaforeignarmy,and

subjectedtomilitarylaw,Ithinkthatitisnottoosoonforhonestmento

rebelandrevolutionize.Whatmakesthisdutythemoreurgentisthatfact

thatthecountrysooverrunisnotourown,butoursistheinvadingarmy.

Paley,acommonauthoritywithmanyonmoralquestions,inhis

chapteronthe"DutyofSubmissiontoCivilGovernment,"resolvesall

civilobligationintoexpediency;andheproceedstosaythat"solongas

theinterestofthewholesocietyrequiresit,thatit,solongasthe

establishedgovernmentcannotberesistedorchangedwithoutpublic

inconveniencey,itisthewillofGod...thattheestablishedgovernmentbeobeyed--andnolonger.Thisprinciplebeingadmitted,thejusticeof

everyparticularcaseofresistanceisreducedtoacomputationofthe

quantityofthedangerandgrievanceontheoneside,andofthe

probabilityandexpenseofredressingitontheother."Ofthis,hesays,

everymanshalljudgeforhimself.ButPaleyappearsnevertohave

contemplatedthosecasestowhichtheruleofexpediencydoesnotapply,

inwhichapeople,aswellandanindividual,mustdojustice,costwhatit

may.IfIhaveunjustlywrestedaplankfromadrowningman,Imust

restoreittohimthoughIdrownmyself.This,accordingtoPaley,would

beinconvenient.Buthethatwouldsavehislife,insuchacase,shalllose

it.Thispeoplemustceasetoholdslaves,andtomakewaronMexico,

thoughitcostthemtheirexistenceasapeople.

Intheirpractice,nationsagreewithPaley;butdoesanyonethinkthat

Massachusettsdoesexactlywhatisrightatthepresentcrisis?

"Adrabofstat,acloth-o'-silverslut,Tohavehertr