ThisAmericangovernment,—whatisitbutatradition,thougharecentone,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingmanforasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselvesand,ifevertheyshoulduseitinearnestasarealoneagainsteachother,itwillsurelysplit.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthisforthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownadvantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallowyetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Itdoesnotkeepthecountryfree.ItdoesnotsettletheWest.Itdoesnoteducate.ThecharacterinherentintheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplishedanditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedient,bywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheraloneand,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Tradeandcommerce,iftheywerenotmadeofIndiarubber,wouldnevermanagetobounceoverobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyputtingintheirwayand,ifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractions,andnotpartlybytheirintentions,theywoulddeservetobeclassedandpunishedwiththosemischievouspersonswhoputobstructionsontherailroads. But,tospeakpracticallyandasacitizen,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,Iaskfor,notatoncenogovernment,butatonceabettergovernment.Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisrespect,andthatwillbeonesteptowardobtainingit. Afterall,thepracticalreasonwhy,whenthepowerisonceinthehandsofthepeople,amajorityarepermitted,andforalongperiodcontinue,torule,isnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright,norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority,butbecausetheyarephysicallythestrongest.Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbebasedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.Cantherenotbeagovernmentinwhichthemajoritiesdonotvirtuallydeciderightandwrong,butconscience?—inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexpediencyisapplicable?Mustthecitizeneverforamoment,orintheleastdegree,resignhisconsciencetothelegislator?Whyhaseverymanaconscience,then?Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.Itisnotdesirabletocultivatearespectforthelaw,somuchasfortheright.TheonlyobligationwhichIhavearighttoassume,istodoatanytimewhatIthinkright.Itistrulyenoughsaidthatacorporationhasnoconsciencebutacorporationofconscientiousmenisacorporationwithaconscience.Lawnevermademenawhitmorejustand,bymeansoftheirrespectforit,eventhewell-disposedaredailymadetheagentsofinjustice.Acommonandnaturalresultofanunduerespectforthelawis,thatyoumayseeafileofsoldiers,colonel,captain,corporal,privates,powder-monkeysandall,marchinginadmirableorderoverhillanddaletothewars,againsttheirwills,aye,againsttheircommonsenseandconsciences,whichmakesitverysteepmarchingindeed,andproducesapalpitationoftheheart.Theyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyareconcernedtheyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?Menatall?orsmallmovablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsomeunscrupulousmaninpower?VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmakeamanwithitsblackarts,amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniment,thoughitmaybe “Notadrumwasheard,notafuneralnote, Ashiscorpsetotherampartswehurried Notasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshot O’erthegravewhereourheroweburied.” ThemassofmenservetheStatethus,notasmenmainly,butasmachines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,jailers,constables,possecomitatus,&c.Inmostcasesthereisnofreeexercisewhateverofthejudgmentorofthemoralsensebuttheyputthemselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstonesandwoodenmencanperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Suchcommandnomorerespectthanmenofstraw,oralumpofdirt.Theyhavethesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs.Yetsuchastheseevenarecommonlyesteemedgoodcitizens.Others,asmostlegislators,politicians,lawyers,ministers,andoffice-holders,servethestatechieflywiththeirheadsand,astheyrarelymakeanymoraldistinctions,theyareaslikelytoservethedevil,withoutintendingit,asGod.Averyfew,asheroes,patriots,martyrs,reformersinthegreatsense,andmen,servetheStatewiththeirconsciencesalso,andsonecessarilyresistitforthemostpartandtheyarecommonlytreatedbyitasenemies.Awisemanwillonlybeusefulasaman,andwillnotsubmittobe“clay,”and“stopaholetokeepthewindaway,”butleavethatofficetohisdustatleast: “Iamtoohigh-borntobepropertied, Tobeasecondaryatcontrol,