amconcernedtotracetheeffectsofmyallegiance。Infact，I
quietlydeclarewarwiththeState，aftermyfashion，thoughIwillstillmakewhatuseandgetwhatadvantageofherIcan，asisusualinsuchcases。
Ifotherspaythetaxwhichisdemandedofme，fromasympathywiththeState，theydobutwhattheyhavealreadydoneintheirowncase，orrathertheyabetinjusticetoagreaterextentthantheStaterequires。Iftheypaythetaxfromamistakeninterestintheindividualtaxed，tosavehisproperty，orpreventhisgoingtojail，itisbecausetheyhavenotconsideredwiselyhowfartheylettheirprivatefeelingsinterferewiththepublicgood。
This，then，ismypositionatpresent。Butonecannotbetoomuchonhisguardinsuchacase，lesthisactionbebiasedbyobstinacyoranundueregardfortheopinionsofmen。Lethimseethathedoesonlywhatbelongstohimselfandtothehour。
Ithinksometimes，Why，thispeoplemeanwell；theyareonlyignorant；theywoulddobetteriftheyknewhow:whygiveyourneighborsthispaintotreatyouastheyarenotinclinedto？ButI
think，again，ThisisnoreasonwhyIshoulddoastheydo，orpermitotherstosuffermuchgreaterpainofadifferentkind。
Again，Isometimessaytomyself，Whenmanymillionsofmen，withoutheat，withoutill-will，withoutpersonalfeelingofanykind，demandofyouafewshillingsonly，withoutthepossibility，suchistheirconstitution，ofretractingoralteringtheirpresentdemand，andwithoutthepossibility，onyourside，ofappealtoanyothermillions，whyexposeyourselftothisoverwhelmingbruteforce？Youdonotresistcoldandhunger，thewindsandthewaves，thusobstinately；youquietlysubmittoathousandsimilarnecessities。
Youdonotputyourheadintothefire。ButjustinproportionasI
regardthisasnotwhollyabruteforce，butpartlyahumanforce，andconsiderthatIhaverelationstothosemillionsastosomanymillionsofmen，andnotofmerebruteorinanimatethings，Iseethatappealispossible，firstandinstantaneously，fromthemtotheMakerofthem，and，secondly，fromthemtothemselves。But，ifI
putmyheaddeliberatelyintothefire，thereisnoappealtofireortotheMakeroffire，andIhaveonlymyselftoblame。IfI
couldconvincemyselfthatIhaveanyrighttobesatisfiedwithmenastheyare，andtotreatthemaccordingly，andnotaccording，insomerespects，tomyrequisitionsandexpectationsofwhattheyandIoughttobe，then，likeagoodMussulmanandfatalist，Ishouldendeavortobesatisfiedwiththingsastheyare，andsayitisthewillofGod。And，aboveall，thereisthisdifferencebetweenresistingthisandapurelybruteornaturalforce，thatIcanresistthiswithsomeeffect；butIcannotexpect，likeOrpheus，tochangethenatureoftherocksandtreesandbeasts。
Idonotwishtoquarrelwithanymanornation。Idonotwishtosplithairs，tomakefinedistinctions，orsetmyselfupasbetterthanmyneighbors。Iseekrather，Imaysay，evenanexcuseforconformingtothelawsoftheland。Iambuttooreadytoconformtothem。Indeed，Ihavereasontosuspectmyselfonthishead；andeachyear，asthetax-gatherercomesround，IfindmyselfdisposedtoreviewtheactsandpositionofthegeneralandStategovernments，andthespiritofthepeople，todiscoverapretextforconformity。
“Wemustaffectourcountryasourparents，AndifatanytimewealienateOurloveorindustryfromdoingithonor，WemustrespecteffectsandteachthesoulMatterofconscienceandreligion，Andnotdesireofruleorbenefit。“
IbelievethattheStatewillsoonbeabletotakeallmyworkofthissortoutofmyhands，andthenIshallbenobetterapatriotthanmyfellow-countrymen。Seenfromalowerpointofview，theConstitution，withallitsfaults，isverygood；thelawandthecourtsareveryrespectable；eventhisStateandthisAmericangovernmentare，inmanyrespects，veryadmirableandrarethings，tobethankfulfor，suchasagreatmanyhavedescribedthem；butseenfromapointofviewalittlehigher，theyarewhatIhavedescribedthem；seenfromahigherstill，andthehighest，whoshallsaywhattheyare，orthattheyareworthlookingatorthinkingofatall？
However，thegovernmentdoesnotconcernmemuch，andIshallbestowthefewestpossiblethoughtsonit。ItisnotmanymomentsthatIliveunderagovernment，eveninthisworld。Ifamanisthought-free，fancy-free，imagination-free，thatwhichisnotneverforalongtimeappearingtobetohim，unwiserulersorreformerscannotfatallyinterrupthim。
Iknowthatmostmenthinkdifferentlyfrommyself；butthosewhoselivesarebyprofessiondevotedtothestudyoftheseorkindredsubjects，contentmeaslittleasany。Statesmenandlegislators，standingsocompletelywithintheinstitution，neverdistinctlyandnakedlybeholdit。Theyspeakofmovingsociety，buthavenoresting-placewithoutit。Theymaybemenofacertainexperienceanddiscrimination，andhavenodoubtinventedingeniousandevenusefulsystems，forwhichwesincerelythankthem；butalltheirwitandusefulnessliewithincertainnotverywidelimits。
Theyarewonttoforgetthattheworldisnotgovernedbypolicyandexpediency。Websternevergoesbehindgovernment，andsocannotspeakwithauthorityaboutit。Hiswordsarewisdomtothoselegislatorswhocontemplatenoessentialreformintheexistinggovernment；butforthinkers，andthosewholegislateforalltime，heneveronceglancesatthesubject。Iknowofthosewhosesereneandwisespeculationsonthisthemewouldsoonrevealthelimitsofhismind’srangeandhospitality。Yet，comparedwiththecheapprofessionsofmostreformers，andthestillcheaperwisdomandeloquenceofpoliticiansingeneral，hisarealmosttheonlysensibleandvaluablewords，andwethankHeavenforhim。
Comparatively，heisalwaysstrong，original，and，aboveall，practical。Still，hisqualityisnotwisdom，butprudence。Thelawyer’struthisnottruth，butconsistencyoraconsistentexpediency。Truthisalwaysinharmonywithherself，andisnotconcernedchieflytorevealthejusticethatmayconsistwithwrong-doing。Hewelldeservestobecalled，ashehasbeencalled，theDefenderoftheConstitution。Therearereallynoblowstobegivenbyhimbutdefensiveones。Heisnotaleader，butafollower。Hisleadersarethemenof’87。“Ihavenevermadeaneffort，“hesays，“andneverproposetomakeaneffort；Ihavenevercountenancedaneffort，andnevermeantocountenanceaneffort，todisturbthearrangementasoriginallymade，bywhichthevariousStatescameintotheUnion。“StillthinkingofthesanctionwhichtheConstitutiongivestoslavery，hesays，“Becauseitwasapartoftheoriginalcompact——letitstand。“Notwithstandinghisspecialacutenessandability，heisunabletotakeafactoutofitsmerelypoliticalrelations，andbeholditasitliesabsolutelytobedisposedofbytheintellect——what，forinstance，itbehoovesamantodohereinAmericato-daywithregardtoslavery，butventures，orisdriven，tomakesomesuchdesperateanswerasthefollowing，whileprofessingtospeakabsolutely，andasaprivateman——fromwhichwhatnewandsingularcodeofsocialdutiesmightbeinferred？“Themanner，“sayshe，“inwhichthegovernmentsofthoseStateswhereslaveryexistsaretoregulateitisfortheirownconsideration，undertheirresponsibilitytotheirconstituents，tothegenerallawsofpropriety，humanity，andjustice，andtoGod。Associationsformedelsewhere，springingfromafeelingofhumanity，oranyothercause，havenothingwhatevertodowithit。Theyhaveneverreceivedanyencouragementfromme，andtheyneverwill。“
Theywhoknowofnopurersourcesoftruth，whohavetracedupitsstreamnohigher，stand，andwiselystand，bytheBibleandtheConstitution，anddrinkatittherewithreverenceandhumility；buttheywhobeholdwhereitcomestricklingintothislakeorthatpool，girduptheirloinsoncemore，andcontinuetheirpilgrimagetowarditsfountain-head。
NomanwithageniusforlegislationhasappearedinAmerica。
Theyarerareinthehistoryoftheworld。Thereareorators，politicians，andeloquentmen，bythethousand；butthespeakerhasnotyetopenedhismouthtospeakwhoiscapableofsettlingthemuch-vexedquestionsoftheday。Weloveeloquenceforitsownsake，andnotforanytruthwhichitmayutter，oranyheroismitmayinspire。Ourlegislatorshavenotyetlearnedthecomparativevalueoffree-tradeandoffreedom，ofunion，andofrectitude，toanation。Theyhavenogeniusortalentforcomparativelyhumblequestionsoftaxationandfinance，commerceandmanufacturersandagriculture。IfwewereleftsolelytothewordywitoflegislatorsinCongressforourguidance，uncorrectedbytheseasonableexperienceandtheeffectualcomplaintsofthepeople，Americawouldnotlongretainherrankamongthenations。Foreighteenhundredyears，thoughperchanceIhavenorighttosayit，theNewTestamenthasbeenwritten；yetwhereisthelegislatorwhohaswisdomandpracticaltalentenoughtoavailhimselfofthelightwhichitshedsonthescienceoflegislation？
Theauthorityofgovernment，evensuchasIamwillingtosubmitto——forIwillcheerfullyobeythosewhoknowandcandobetterthanI，andinmanythingseventhosewhoneitherknownorcandosowell——isstillanimpureone:tobestrictlyjust，itmusthavethesanctionandconsentofthegoverned。ItcanhavenopurerightovermypersonandpropertybutwhatIconcedetoit。Theprogressfromanabsolutetoalimitedmonarchy，fromalimitedmonarchytoademocracy，isaprogresstowardatruerespectfortheindividual。
EventheChinesephilosopherwaswiseenoughtoregardtheindividualasthebasisoftheempire。Isademocracy，suchasweknowit，thelastimprovementpossibleingovernment？Isitnotpossibletotakeastepfurthertowardsrecognizingandorganizingtherightsofman？TherewillneverbeareallyfreeandenlightenedStateuntiltheStatecomestorecognizetheindividualasahigherandindependentpower，fromwhichallitsownpowerandauthorityarederived，andtreatshimaccordingly。IpleasemyselfwithimaginingaStateatleastwhichcanaffordtobejusttoallmen，andtotreattheindividualwithrespectasaneighbor；whichevenwouldnotthinkitinconsistentwithitsownreposeifafewweretolivealooffromit，notmeddlingwithit，norembracedbyit，whofulfilledallthedutiesofneighborsandfellow-men。A
Statewhichborethiskindoffruit，andsufferedittodropoffasfastasitripened，wouldpreparethewayforastillmoreperfectandgloriousState，whichalsoIhaveimagined，butnotyetanywhereseen。
End
