ON　THE　DUTY　OF　CIVIL　DISOBEDIENCE
  I　heartily　accept　the　motto；　　〃That　government　is　best　which
  governs　least〃；　and　I　should　like　to　see　it　acted　up　to　more　rapidly
  and　systematically。　　Carried　out；　it　finally　amounts　to　this；　which
  also　I　believe；　　〃That　government　is　best　which　governs　not　at
  all〃；　and　when　men　are　prepared　for　it；　that　will　be　the　kind　of
  government　which　they　will　have。　　Government　is　at　best　but　an
  expedient；　but　most　governments　are　usually；　and　all　governments　are
  sometimes；　inexpedient。　　The　objections　which　have　been　brought
  against　a　standing　army；　and　they　are　many　and　weighty；　and　deserve
  to　prevail；　may　also　at　last　be　brought　against　a　standing
  government。　　The　standing　army　is　only　an　arm　of　the　standing
  government。　　The　government　itself；　which　is　only　the　mode　which　the
  people　have　chosen　to　execute　their　will；　is　equally　liable　to　be
  abused　and　perverted　before　the　people　can　act　through　it。　　Witness
  the　present　Mexican　war；　the　work　of　comparatively　a　few　individuals
  using　the　standing　government　as　their　tool；　for；　in　the　outset；　the
  people　would　not　have　consented　to　this　measure。
  This　American　government　　what　is　it　but　a　tradition；　though　a
  recent　one；　endeavoring　to　transmit　itself　unimpaired　to　posterity；
  but　each　instant　losing　some　of　its　integrity？　　It　has　not　the
  vitality　and　force　of　a　single　living　man；　for　a　single　man　can　bend
  it　to　his　will。　　It　is　a　sort　of　wooden　gun　to　the　people
  themselves。　　But　it　is　not　the　less　necessary　for　this；　for　the
  people　must　have　some　complicated　machinery　or　other；　and　hear　its
  din；　to　satisfy　that　idea　of　government　which　they　have。
  Governments　show　thus　how　successfully　men　can　be　imposed　on；　even
  impose　on　themselves；　for　their　own　advantage。　　It　is　excellent；　we
  must　all　allow。　　Yet　this　government　never　of　itself　furthered　any
  enterprise；　but　by　the　alacrity　with　which　it　got　out　of　its　way。
  It　does　not　keep　the　country　free。　　It　does　not　settle　the　West。　　It
  does　not　educate。　　The　character　inherent　in　the　American　people　has
  done　all　that　has　been　accomplished；　and　it　would　have　done　somewhat
  more；　if　the　government　had　not　sometimes　got　in　its　way。　　For
  government　is　an　expedient　by　which　men　would　fain　succeed　in
  letting　one　another　alone；　and；　as　has　been　said；　when　it　is　most
  expedient；　the　governed　are　most　let　alone　by　it。　　Trade　and
  commerce；　if　they　were　not　made　of　India　rubber；　would　never　manage
  to　bounce　over　the　obstacles　which　legislators　are　continually
  putting　in　their　way；　and；　if　one　were　to　judge　these　men　wholly　by
  the　effects　of　their　actions；　and　not　partly　by　their　intentions；
  they　would　deserve　to　be　classed　and　punished　with　those　mischievous
  persons　who　put　obstructions　on　the　railroads。
  But；　to　speak　practically　and　as　a　citizen；　unlike　those　who
  call　themselves　no…government　men；　I　ask　for；　not　at　once　no
  government；　but　at　once　a　better　government。　　Let　every　man　make
  known　what　kind　of　government　would　command　his　respect；　and　that
  will　be　one　step　toward　obtaining　it。
  After　all；　the　practical　reason　why；　when　the　power　is　once　in
  the　hands　of　the　people；　a　majority　are　permitted；　and　for　a　long
  period　continue；　to　rule；　is　not　because　they　are　most　likely　to　be
  in　the　right；　nor　because　this　seems　fairest　to　the　minority；　but
  because　they　are　physically　the　strongest。　　But　a　government　in
  which　the　majority　rule　in　all　cases　cannot　be　based　on　justice；
  even　as　far　as　men　understand　it。　　Can　there　not　be　a　government　in
  which　majorities　do　not　virtually　decide　right　and　wrong；　but
  conscience？　　in　which　majorities　decide　only　those　questions　to
  which　the　rule　of　expediency　is　applicable？　　Must　the　citizen　ever
  for　a　moment；　or　in　the　least　degree；　resign　his　conscience　to　the
  legislator？　　Why　has　every　man　a　conscience；　then？　　I　think　that　we
  should　be　men　first；　and　subjects　afterward。　　It　is　not　desirable　to
  cultivate　a　respect　for　the　law；　so　much　as　for　the　right。　　The　only
  obligation　which　I　have　a　right　to　assume　is　to　do　at　any　time　what
  I　think　right。　　It　is　truly　enough　said　that　a　corporation　has　no
  conscience；　but　a　corporation　of　conscientious　men　is　a　corporation
  with　a　conscience。　　Law　never　made　men　a　whit　more　just；　and；　by
  means　of　their　respect　for　it；　even　the　well…disposed　are　daily　made
  the　agents　of　injustice。　　A　common　and　natural　result　of　an　undue
  respect　for　law　is；　that　you　may　see　a　file　of　soldiers；　colonel；
  captain；　corporal；　privates；　powder…monkeys；　and　all；　marching　in
  admirable　order　over　hill　and　dale　to　the　wars；　against　their　wills；
  ay；　against　their　common　sense　and　consciences；　which　makes　it　very
  steep　marching　indeed；　and　produces　a　palpitation　of　the　heart。
  They　have　no　doubt　that　it　is　a　damnable　business　in　which　they　are
  concerned；　they　are　all　peaceably　inclined。　　Now；　what　are　they？
  Men　at　all？　or　small　movable　forts　and　magazines；　at　the　service　of
  some　unscrupulous　man　in　power？　　Visit　the　Navy　Yard；　and　behold　a
  marine；　such　a　man　as　an　American　government　can　make；　or　such　as　it
  can　make　a　man　with　its　black　arts　　a　mere　shadow　and　reminiscence
  of　humanity；　a　man　laid　out　alive　and　standing；　and　already；　as　one
  may　say；　buried　under　arms　with　funeral　accompaniments；　though　it
  may　be
  〃Not　a　drum　was　heard；　not　a　funeral　note；
  As　his　corse　to　the　rampart　we　hurried；
  Not　a　soldier　discharged　his　farewell　shot
  O'er　the　grave　where　our　hero　we　buried。〃
  The　mass　of　men　serve　the　state　thus；　not　as　men　mainly；　but　as
  machines；　with　their　bodies。　　They　are　the　standing　army；　and　the
  militia；　jailers；　constables；　posse　comitatus；　etc。　　In　most　cases
  there　is　no　free　exercise　whatever　of　the　judgment　or　of　the　moral
  sense；　but　they　put　themselves　on　a　level　with　wood　and　earth　and
  stones；　and　wooden　men　can　perhaps　be　manufactured　that　will　serve
  the　purpose　as　well。　　Such　command　no　more　respect　than　men　of　straw
  or　a　lump　of　dirt。　　They　have　the　same　sort　of　worth　only　as　horses
  and　dogs。　　Yet　such　as　these　even　are　commonly　esteemed　good
  citizens。　　Others；　as　most　legislators；　politicians；　lawyers；
  ministers；　and　office…holders；　serve　the　state　chiefly　with　their
  heads；　and；　as　they　rarely　make　any　moral　distinctions；　they　are　as
  likely　to　serve　the　devil；　without　intending　it；　as　God。　　A　very
  few；　as　heroes；　patriots；　martyrs；　reformers　in　the　great　sense；　and
  men；　serve　the　state　with　their　consciences　also；　and　so　necessarily
  resist　it　for　the　most　part；　and　they　are　commonly　treated　as
  enemies　by　it。　　A　wise　man　will　only　be　useful　as　a　man；　and　will
  not　submit　to　be　〃clay；〃　and　〃stop　a　hole　to　keep　the　wind　away；〃
  but　leave　that　office　to　his　dust　at　least：
  〃I　am　too　high…born　to　be　propertied；
  To　be　a　secondary　at　control；
  Or　useful　serving…man　and　instrument
  To　any　sovereign　state　throughout　the　world。〃
  He　who　gives　himself　entirely　to　his　fellow…men　appears　to　them
  useless　and　selfish；　but　he　who　gives　himself　partially　to　them　is
  pronounced　a　benefactor　and　philanthropist。
  How　does　it　become　a　man　to　behave　toward　this　American
  government　to…day？　　I　answer；　that　he　cannot　without　disgrace　be
  associated　with　it。　　I　cannot　for　an　instant　recognize　that
  political　organization　as　my　government　which　is　the　slave's
  government　also。
  All　men　recognize　the　right　of　revolution；　that　is；　the　right　to
  refuse　allegiance　to；　and　to　resist；　the　government；　when　its
  tyranny　or　its　inefficiency　are　great　and　unendurable。　　But　almost
  all　say　that　such　is　not　the　case　now。　　But　such　was　the　case；　they
  think；　in　the　Revolution　of　'75。　　If　one　were　to　tell　me　that　this
  was　a　bad　government　because　it　taxed　certain　foreign　commodities
  brought　to　its　ports；　it　is　most　probable　that　I　should　not　make　an
  ado　about　it；　for　I　can　do　without　them。　　All　machines　have　their
  friction；　and　possibly　this　does　enough　good　to　counterbalance　the
  evil。　　At　any　rate；　it　is　a　great　evil　to　make　a　stir　about　it。　　But
  when　the　friction　comes　to　have　its　machine；　and　oppression　and
  robbery　are　organized；　I　say；　let　us　not　have　such　a　machine　any
  longer。　　In　other　words；　when　a　sixth　of　the　population　of　a　nation
  which　has　undertaken　to　be　the　refuge　of　liberty　are　slaves；　and　a
  whole　country　is　unjustly　overrun　and　conquered　by　a　foreign　army；
  and　subjected　to　military　law；　I　think　that　it　is　not　too　soon　for
  honest　men　to　rebel　and　revolutionize。　　What　makes　this　duty　the
  more　urgent　is　the　fact　that　the　country　so　overrun　is　not　our　own；
  but　ours　is　the　invading　army。
  Paley；　a　common　authority　with　many　on　moral　questions；　in　his
  chapter　on　the　〃Duty　of　Submission　to　Civil　Government；〃　resolves
  all　civil　obligation　into　expediency；　and　he　proceeds　to　say　that
  〃so　long　as　the　interest　of　the　whole　society　requires　it；　that　is；