anotherman’sshoulders.Imustgetoffhimfirst,thathemaypursuehiscontemplationstoo.Seewhatgrossinconsistencyistolerated.Ihaveheardsomeofmytownsmensay,“Ishouldliketohavethemordermeouttohelpputdownaninsurrectionoftheslaves,ortomarchtoMexico,—seeifIwouldgo”andyettheseverymenhaveeach,directlybytheirallegiance,andsoindirectly,atleast,bytheirmoney,furnishedasubstitute.ThesoldierisapplaudedwhorefusestoserveinanunjustwarbythosewhodonotrefusetosustaintheunjustgovernmentwhichmakesthewarisapplaudedbythosewhoseownactandauthorityhedisregardsandsetsatnaughtasiftheStatewerepenitenttothatdegreethatithiredonetoscourgeitwhileitsinned,butnottothatdegreethatitleftoffsinningforamoment.Thus,underthenameofOrderandCivilGovernment,weareallmadeatlasttopayhomagetoandsupportourownmeanness.Afterthefirstblushofsin,comesitsindifferenceandfromimmoralitbecomes,asitwere,unmoral,andnotquiteunnecessarytothatlifewhichwehavemade.
Thebroadestandmostprevalenterrorrequiresthemostdisinterestedvirtuetosustainit.Theslightreproachtowhichthevirtueofpatriotismiscommonlyliable,thenoblearemostlikelytoincur.Thosewho,whiletheydisapproveofthecharacterandmeasuresofagovernment,yieldtoittheirallegianceandsupport,areundoubtedlyitsmostconscientioussupporters,andsofrequentlythemostseriousobstaclestoreform.SomearepetitioningtheStatetodissolvetheUnion,todisregardtherequisitionsofthePresident.Whydotheynotdissolveitthemselves,—theunionbetweenthemselvesandtheState,—andrefusetopaytheirquotaintoitstreasury?DonottheystandinsamerelationtotheState,thattheStatedoestotheUnion?AndhavenotthesamereasonspreventedtheStatefromresistingtheUnion,whichhavepreventedthemfromresistingtheState?
Howcanamanbesatisfiedtoentertainanopinionmerely,andenjoyit?Isthereanyenjoymentinit,ifhisopinionisthatheisaggrieved?Ifyouarecheatedoutofasingledollarbyyourneighbor,youdonotrestsatisfiedwithknowingyouarecheated,orwithsayingthatyouarecheated,orevenwithpetitioninghimtopayyouyourduebutyoutakeeffectualstepsatoncetoobtainthefullamount,andseethatyouarenevercheatedagain.Actionfromprinciple,—theperceptionandtheperformanceofright,—changesthingsandrelationsitisessentiallyrevolutionary,anddoesnotconsistwhollywithanythingwhichwas.Itnotonlydividedstatesandchurches,itdividesfamiliesaye,itdividestheindividual,separatingthediabolicalinhimfromthedivine.
Unjustlawsexist:shallwebecontenttoobeythem,orshallweendeavortoamendthem,andobeythemuntilwehavesucceeded,orshallwetransgressthematonce?Mengenerally,undersuchagovernmentasthis,thinkthattheyoughttowaituntiltheyhavepersuadedthemajoritytoalterthem.Theythinkthat,iftheyshouldresist,theremedywouldbeworsethantheevil.Butitisthefaultofthegovernmentitselfthattheremedyisworsethantheevil.Itmakesitworse.Whyisitnotmoreapttoanticipateandprovideforreform?Whydoesitnotcherishitswiseminority?Whydoesitcryandresistbeforeitishurt?Whydoesitnotencourageitscitizenstobeonthealerttopointoutitsfaults,anddobetterthanitwouldhavethem?WhydoesitalwayscrucifyChrist,andexcommunicateCopernicusandLuther,andpronounceWashingtonandFranklinrebels?
Onewouldthink,thatadeliberateandpracticaldenialofitsauthoritywastheonlyoffencenevercontemplatedbygovernmentelse,whyhasitnotassigneditsdefinite,itssuitableandproportionatepenalty?IfamanwhohasnopropertyrefusesbutoncetoearnnineshillingsfortheState,heisputinprisonforaperiodunlimitedbyanylawthatIknow,anddeterminedonlybythediscretionofthosewhoplacedhimtherebutifheshouldstealninetytimesnineshillingsfromtheState,heissoonpermittedtogoatlargeagain.
Iftheinjusticeispartofthenecessaryfrictionofthemachineofgovernment,letitgo,letitgo:perchanceitwillwearsmooth,—certainlythemachinewillwearout.Iftheinjusticehasaspring,orapulley,orarope,oracrank,exclusivelyforitself,thenperhapsyoumayconsiderwhethertheremedywillnotbeworsethantheevilbutifitisofsuchanaturethatitrequiresyoutobetheagentofinjusticetoanother,then,Isay,breakthelaw.Letyourlifebeacounterfrictiontostopthemachine.WhatIhavetodoistosee,atanyrate,thatIdonotlendmyselftothewrongwhichIcondemn.
AsforadoptingthewayswhichtheStatehasprovidedforremedyingtheevil,Iknownotofsuchways.Theytaketoomuchtime,andaman’slifewillbegone.Ihaveotheraffairstoattendto.Icameintothisworld,notchieflytomakethisagoodplacetolivein,