On the Duty of Civil Disobedience(论公民的不服从)

OntheDutyofCivilDisobedience1OntheDutyofCivilDisobediencebyHenryDavidThoreauOntheDutyofCivilDisobedience2Iheartilyacceptthemotto,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,ifOntheDutyofCivilDisobedience3theywerenotmadeofindia-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.TheyhavenodoubtthatitisadamnablebusinessinwhichtheyareOntheDutyofCivilDisobedience4concerned;theyareallpeaceablyinclined.Now,whatarethey?Menatall?orsmallmovablefortsandmagazines,attheserviceofsomeunscrupulousmaninpower?VisittheNavyYard,andbeholdamarine,suchamanasanAmericangovernmentcanmake,orsuchasitcanmakeamanwithitsblackarts--amereshadowandreminiscenceofhumanity,amanlaidoutaliveandstanding,andalready,asonemaysay,buriedunderarmswithfuneralaccompaniment,thoughitmaybe,Notadrumwasheard,notafuneralnote,Ashiscorsetotherampartwehurried;NotasoldierdischargedhisfarewellshotO'erthegravewhereoutherowasburied.Themassofmenservethestatethus,notasmenmainly,butasmachines,withtheirbodies.Theyarethestandingarmy,andthemilitia,jailers,constables,possecomitatus,etc.Inmostcasesthereisnofreeexercisewhateverofthejudgementorofthemoralsense;buttheyputthemselvesonalevelwithwoodandearthandstones;andwoodenmencanperhapsbemanufacturedthatwillservethepurposeaswell.Suchcommandnomorerespectthanmenofstraworalumpofdirt.Theyhavethesamesortofworthonlyashorsesanddogs