Civil Disobedience.docx
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Civil Disobedience.docx
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CivilDisobedience
OntheDutyofCivilDisobedience
byHenryDavidThoreau
[1849,originaltitle:
ResistancetoCivilGovernment]
Iheartilyacceptthemotto,"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast";andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyandsystematically.Carriedout,itfinallyamountstothis,whichalsoIbelieve--"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall";andwhenmenarepreparedforit,thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichthewillhave.Governmentisatbestbutanexpedient;butmostgovernmentsareusually,andallgovernmentsaresometimes,inexpedient.Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy,andtheyaremanyandweighty,anddeservetoprevail,mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment.Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment.Thegovernmentitself,whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill,isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.WitnessthepresentMexicanwar,theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool;forintheoutset,thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure.
ThisAmericangovernment--whatisitbutatradition,thougharecentone,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?
Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman;forasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselves.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis;forthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedupon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownadvantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallow.Yetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Itdoesnotkeepthecountryfree.ItdoesnotsettletheWest.Itdoesnoteducate.ThecharacterinherentintheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplished;anditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedient,bywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheralone;and,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Tradeandcommerce,iftheywerenotmadeofindia-rubber,wouldnevermanagetobounceoverobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyputtingintheirway;andifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractionsandnotpartlybytheirintentions,theywoulddeservetobeclassedandpunishedwiththosemischieviouspersonswhoputobstructionsontherailroads.
But,tospeakpracticallyandasacitizen,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,Iaskfor,notatonenogovernment,butatonceabettergovernment.Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisrespect,andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit.
Afterall,thepracticalreasonwhy,whenthepowerisonceinthehandsofthepeople,amajorityarepermitted,andforalongperiodcontinue,toruleisnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright,norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority,butbecausetheyarephysicallythestrongest.Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbebasedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.Cantherenotbeagovernmentinwhichthemajoritiesdonotvirtuallydeciderightandwrong,butconscience?
--inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable?
Mustthecitizeneverforamoment,orintheleastdegree,resignhisconsciencetothelegislator?
Whyhaseverymanaconsciencethen?
Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.Itisnotdesirabletocultivatearespectforthelaw,somuchasfortheright.TheonlyobligationwhichIhavearighttoassumeistodoatanytimewhatIthinkright.Itistrulyenoughsaidthatacorporationhasnoconscience;butacorporationonconscientiousmenisacorporationwithaconscience.Lawnevermademenawhitmorejust;and,bymeansoftheirrespectforit,eventhewell-disposedaredailymadetheagentsoninjustice.Acommonandnaturalresultofanunduerespectforthelawis,thatyoumayseeafileofsoldiers,colonel,captain,corporal,privates,powder-monkeys,andall,marchinginadmirableorderoverhillanddaletothewars,againsttheirwills,ay,againsttheircommonsenseandconsciences,whichmakesitverysteepmarchingindeed,andproducesapalpitationoftheheart.Theyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyareconcerned;theyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?
Menatall?
orsmallmovablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsomeunscrupulousmaninpower?
VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmakeamanwithitsblackarts--amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniment,thoughitmaybe,
"Notadrumwasheard,notafuneralnote,
Ashiscorsetotherampartwehurried;
Notasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshot
O'erthegravewhereoutherowasburied."
Themassofmenservethestatethus,notasmenmainly,butasmachines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,jailers,constables,possecomitatus,etc.Inmostcasesthereisnofreeexercisewhateverofthejudgementorofthemoralsense;buttheyputthemselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstones;andwoodenmencanperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Suchcommandnomorerespectthanmenofstraworalumpofdirt.Theyhavethesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs.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,
Orusefulserving-manandinstrument
Toanysovereignstatethroughouttheworld."
Hewhogiveshimselfentirelytohisfellowmenappearstothemuselessandselfish;buthewhogiveshimselfpartiallytotheminpronouncedabenefactorandphilanthropist.
HowdoesitbecomeamantobehavetowardtheAmericangovernmenttoday?
Ianswer,thathecannotwithoutdisgracebeassociatedwithit.Icannotforaninstantrecognizethatpoliticalorganizationasmygovernmentwhichistheslave'sgovernmentalso.
Allmenrecognizetherightofrevolution;thatis,therighttorefuseallegianceto,andtoresist,thegovernment,whenitstyrannyoritsinefficiencyaregreatandunendurable.Butalmostallsaythatsuchisnotthecasenow.Butsuchwasthecase,theythink,intheRevolutionof'75.Ifoneweretotellmethatthiswasabadgovernmentbecauseittaxedcertainforeigncommoditiesbroughttoitsports,itismostprobablethatIshouldnotmakeanadoaboutit,forIcandowithoutthem.Allmachineshavetheirfriction;andpossiblythisdoesenoughgoodtocounter-balancetheevil.Atanyrate,itisagreateviltomakeastiraboutit.Butwhenthefrictioncomestohaveitsmachine,andoppressionandrobberyareorganized,Isay,letusnothavesuchamachineanylonger.Inotherwords,whenasixthofthepopulationofanationwhichhasundertakentobetherefugeoflibertyareslaves,andawholecountryisunjustlyoverrunandconqueredbyaforeignarmy,andsubjectedtomilitarylaw,Ithinkthatitisnottoosoonforhonestmentorebelandrevolutionize.Whatmakesthisdutythemoreurgentisthatfactthatthecountrysooverrunisnotourown,butoursistheinvadingarmy.
Paley,acommonauthoritywithmanyonmoralquestions,inhischapteronthe"DutyofSubmissiontoCivilGovernment,"resolvesallcivilobligationintoexpediency;andheproceedstosaythat"solongastheinterestofthewholesocietyrequiresit,thatit,solongastheestablishedgovernmentcannotberesistedorchangedwithoutpublicinconveniencey,itisthewillofGod...thattheestablishedgovernmentbeobeyed--andnolonger.Thisprinciplebeingadmitted,thejusticeofeveryparticularcaseofresistanceisreducedtoacomputationofthequantityofthedangerandgrievanceontheoneside,andoftheprobabilityandexpenseofredressingitontheother."Ofthis,hesays,everymanshalljudgeforhimself.ButPaleyappearsnevertohavecontemplatedthosecasestowhichtheruleofexpediencydoesnotapply,inwhichapeople,aswellandanindividual,mustdojustice,costwhatitmay.IfIhaveunjustlywrestedaplankfromadrowningman,ImustrestoreittohimthoughIdrownmyself.This,accordingtoPaley,wouldbeinconvenient.Buthethatwouldsavehislife,insuchacase,shallloseit.Thispeoplemustceasetoholdslaves,andtomakewaronMexico,thoughitcostthemtheirexistenceasapeople.
Intheirpractice,nationsagreewithPaley;butdoesanyonethinkthatMassachusettsdoesexactlywhatisrightatthepresentcrisis?
"Adrabofstat,
acloth-o'-silverslut,
Tohavehertrain
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