19-on the duty of civil disobedience-第4节

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renders　comparatively　small　service；　and　a　slight　tax　is　wont　to

appear　exorbitant；　particularly　if　they　are　obliged　to　earn　it　by

special　labor　with　their　hands。　　If　there　were　one　who　lived　wholly

without　the　use　of　money；　the　State　itself　would　hesitate　to　demand

it　of　him。　　But　the　rich　man　　not　to　make　any　invidious　comparison

　is　always　sold　to　the　institution　which　makes　him　rich。

Absolutely　speaking；　the　more　money；　the　less　virtue；　for　money

comes　between　a　man　and　his　objects；　and　obtains　them　for　him；　and

it　was　certainly　no　great　virtue　to　obtain　it。　　It　puts　to　rest　many

questions　which　he　would　otherwise　be　taxed　to　answer；　while　the

only　new　question　which　it　puts　is　the　hard　but　superfluous　one；　how

to　spend　it。　　Thus　his　moral　ground　is　taken　from　under　his　feet。

The　opportunities　of　living　are　diminished　in　proportion　as　what　are

called　the　〃means〃　are　increased。　　The　best　thing　a　man　can　do　for

his　culture　when　he　is　rich　is　to　endeavor　to　carry　out　those

schemes　which　he　entertained　when　he　was　poor。　　Christ　answered　the

Herodians　according　to　their　condition。　　〃Show　me　the

tribute…money；〃　said　he；　　and　one　took　a　penny　out　of　his　pocket；

　if　you　use　money　which　has　the　image　of　Caesar　on　it；　and　which

he　has　made　current　and　valuable；　that　is；　if　you　are　men　of　the

State；　and　gladly　enjoy　the　advantages　of　Caesar's　government；　then

pay　him　back　some　of　his　own　when　he　demands　it；　〃Render　therefore

to　Caesar　that　which　is　Caesar's；　and　to　God　those　things　which　are

God's〃　　leaving　them　no　wiser　than　before　as　to　which　was　which；

for　they　did　not　wish　to　know。

　　　　When　I　converse　with　the　freest　of　my　neighbors；　I　perceive

that；　whatever　they　may　say　about　the　magnitude　and　seriousness　of

the　question；　and　their　regard　for　the　public　tranquillity；　the　long

and　the　short　of　the　matter　is；　that　they　cannot　spare　the

protection　of　the　existing　government；　and　they　dread　the

consequences　to　their　property　and　families　of　disobedience　to　it。

For　my　own　part；　I　should　not　like　to　think　that　I　ever　rely　on　the

protection　of　the　State。　　But；　if　I　deny　the　authority　of　the　State

when　it　presents　its　tax…bill；　it　will　soon　take　and　waste　all　my

property；　and　so　harass　me　and　my　children　without　end。　　This　is

hard。　　This　makes　it　impossible　for　a　man　to　live　honestly；　and　at

the　same　time　comfortably　in　outward　respects。　　It　will　not　be　worth

the　while　to　accumulate　property；　that　would　be　sure　to　go　again。

You　must　hire　or　squat　somewhere；　and　raise　but　a　small　crop；　and

eat　that　soon。　　You　must　live　within　yourself；　and　depend　upon

yourself　always　tucked　up　and　ready　for　a　start；　and　not　have　many

affairs。　　A　man　may　grow　rich　in　Turkey　even；　if　he　will　be　in　all

respects　a　good　subject　of　the　Turkish　government。　　Confucius　said；

〃If　a　state　is　governed　by　the　principles　of　reason；　poverty　and

misery　are　subjects　of　shame；　if　a　state　is　not　governed　by　the

principles　of　reason；　riches　and　honors　are　the　subjects　of　shame。〃

No：　until　I　want　the　protection　of　Massachusetts　to　be　extended　to

me　in　some　distant　Southern　port；　where　my　liberty　is　endangered；　or

until　I　am　bent　solely　on　building　up　an　estate　at　home　by　peaceful

enterprise；　I　can　afford　to　refuse　allegiance　to　Massachusetts；　and

her　right　to　my　property　and　life。　　It　costs　me　less　in　every　sense

to　incur　the　penalty　of　disobedience　to　the　State　than　it　would　to

obey。　　I　should　feel　as　if　I　were　worth　less　in　that　case。

　　　　Some　years　ago；　the　State　met　me　in　behalf　of　the　Church；　and

commanded　me　to　pay　a　certain　sum　toward　the　support　of　a　clergyman

whose　preaching　my　father　attended；　but　never　I　myself。　　〃Pay；〃　it

said；　〃or　be　locked　up　in　the　jail。〃　　I　declined　to　pay。　　But；

unfortunately；　another　man　saw　fit　to　pay　it。　　I　did　not　see　why　the

schoolmaster　should　be　taxed　to　support　the　priest；　and　not　the

priest　the　schoolmaster：　for　I　was　not　the　State's　schoolmaster；　but

I　supported　myself　by　voluntary　subscription。　　I　did　not　see　why　the

lyceum　should　not　present　its　tax…bill；　and　have　the　State　to　back

its　demand；　as　well　as　the　Church。　　However；　at　the　request　of　the

selectmen；　I　condescended　to　make　some　such　statement　as　this　in

writing：　〃Know　all　men　by　these　presents；　that　I；　Henry　Thoreau；

do　not　wish　to　be　regarded　as　a　member　of　any　incorporated　society

which　I　have　not　joined。〃　　This　I　gave　to　the　town　clerk；　and　he　has

it。　　The　State；　having　thus　learned　that　I　did　not　wish　to　be

regarded　as　a　member　of　that　church；　has　never　made　a　like　demand　on

me　since；　though　it　said　that　it　must　adhere　to　its　original

presumption　that　time。　　If　I　had　known　how　to　name　them；　I　should

then　have　signed　off　in　detail　from　all　the　societies　which　I　never

signed　on　to；　but　I　did　not　know　where　to　find　a　complete　list。

　　　　I　have　paid　no　poll…tax　for　six　years。　　I　was　put　into　a　jail

once　on　this　account；　for　one　night；　and；　as　I　stood　considering　the

walls　of　solid　stone；　two　or　three　feet　thick；　the　door　of　wood　and

iron；　a　foot　thick；　and　the　iron　grating　which　strained　the　light；　I

could　not　help　being　struck　with　the　foolishness　of　that　institution

which　treated　me　as　if　I　were　mere　flesh　and　blood　and　bones；　to　be

locked　up。　　I　wondered　that　it　should　have　concluded　at　length　that

this　was　the　best　use　it　could　put　me　to；　and　had　never　thought　to

avail　itself　of　my　services　in　some　way。　　I　saw　that；　if　there　was　a

wall　of　stone　between　me　and　my　townsmen；　there　was　a　still　more

difficult　one　to　climb　or　break　through；　before　they　could　get　to　be

as　free　as　I　was。　　I　did　not　for　a　moment　feel　confined；　and　the

walls　seemed　a　great　waste　of　stone　and　mortar。　　I　felt　as　if　I

alone　of　all　my　townsmen　had　paid　my　tax。　　They　plainly　did　not　know

how　to　treat　me；　but　behaved　like　persons　who　are　underbred。　　In

every　threat　and　in　every　compliment　there　was　a　blunder；　for　they

thought　that　my　chief　desire　was　to　stand　the　other　side　of　that

stone　wall。　　I　could　not　but　smile　to　see　how　industriously　they

locked　the　door　on　my　meditations；　which　followed　them　out　again

without　let　or　hindrance；　and　they　were　really　all　that　was

dangerous。　　As　they　could　not　reach　me；　they　had　resolved　to　punish

my　body；　just　as　boys；　if　they　cannot　come　at　some　person　against

whom　they　have　a　spite；　will　abuse　his　dog。　　I　saw　that　the　State

was　half…witted；　that　it　was　timid　as　a　lone　woman　with　her　silver

spoons；　and　that　it　did　not　know　its　friends　from　its　foes；　and　I

lost　all　my　remaining　respect　for　it；　and　pitied　it。

　　　　Thus　the　State　never　intentionally　confronts　a　man's　sense；

intellectual　or　moral；　but　only　his　body；　his　senses。　　It　is　not

armed　with　superior　wit　or　honesty；　but　with　superior　physical

strength。　　I　was　not　born　to　be　forced。　　I　will　breathe　after　my　own

fashion。　　Let　us　see　who　is　the　strongest。　　What　force　has　a

multitude？　　They　only　can　force　me　who　obey　a　higher　law　than　I。

They　force　me　to　become　like　themselves。　　I　do　not　hear　of　men　being

forced　to　have　this　way　or　that　by　masses　of　men。　　What　sort　of　life

were　that　to　live？　　When　I　meet　a　government　which　says　to　me；　〃Your

money　or　your　life；〃　why　should　I　be　in　haste　to　give　it　my　money？

It　may　be　in　a　great　strait；　and　not　know　what　to　do：　I　cannot　help

that。　　It　must　help　itself；　do　as　I　do。　　It　is　not　worth　the　while

to　snivel　about　it。　　I　am　not　responsible　for　the　successful　working

of　the　machinery　of　society。　　I　am　not　the　son　of　the　engineer。　　I

perceive　that；　when　an　acorn　and　a　chestnut　fall　side　by　side；　the

one　does　not　remain　inert　to　make　way　for　the　other；　but　both　obey

their　own　laws；　and　spring　and　grow　and　flourish　as　best　they　can；

till　one；　perchance；　overshadows　and　destroys　the　other。　　If　a　plant

cannot　live　according　to　its　nature；　it　dies；　and　so　a　man。

　　　　The　night　in　prison　was　novel　and　interesting　enough。　　The

prisoners　in　their　shirt…sleeves　were　enjoying　a　chat　and　the

evening　air　in　the　doorway；　when　I　entered。　　But　the　jailer　said；

〃Come；　boys；　it　is　time　to　lock　up〃；　and　so　they　dispersed；　and　I

heard　the　sound　of　their　steps　returning　into　the　hollow　apartments。

My　room…mate　was　introduced　to　me　by　the　jailer　as　〃a　first…rate

fellow　and　a　clever　man。〃　　When　the　door　was　locked；　he　showed　me

where　to　hang　my　hat；　and　how　he　managed　matters　there。　　The　rooms

were　whitewashed　once　a　month；　and　this　one；　at　least；　was　the

whitest；　most　simply　furnished；　and　probably　the　neatest　apartment

in　the　town。　　He　naturally　wanted　to　know　where　I　came　from；　and

what　brought　me　there；　and；　when　I　had　told　him；　I　asked　him　in　my

turn　how　he　came　there；　presuming　him　to　be　an　honest　man；　of

course；　and；　as　the　world　goes；　I　believe　he　was。　　〃Why；〃　said　he；

〃they　accuse　me　of　burning　a　barn；　but　I　never　did　it。〃　　As　near　as

I　could　discover；　he　had　probably　gone　to　bed　in　a　barn　when　drunk；

and　smoked　his　pipe　there；　and　so　a　barn　was　burnt。　　He　had　the

reputation　of　being　a　clever　man；　ha