世界名著REFORMERS.docx
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世界名著REFORMERS
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_NewEnglandReformers_
_ALecturereadbeforetheSocietyinAmoryHall,_
_onSunday,3March,1844_
WhoeverhashadopportunityofacquaintancewithsocietyinNew
England,duringthelasttwenty-fiveyears,withthosemiddleand
withthoseleadingsectionsthatmayconstituteanyjust
representationofthecharacterandaimofthecommunity,willhave
beenstruckwiththegreatactivityofthoughtandexperimenting.
HisattentionmustbecommandedbythesignsthattheChurch,or
religiousparty,isfallingfromthechurchnominal,andisappearing
intemperanceandnon-resistancesocieties,inmovementsof
abolitionistsandofsocialists,andinverysignificantassemblies,
calledSabbathandBibleConventions,--composedofultraists,of
seekers,ofallthesoulofthesoldieryofdissent,andmeetingto
callinquestiontheauthorityoftheSabbath,ofthepriesthood,and
ofthechurch.Inthesemovements,nothingwasmoreremarkablethan
thediscontenttheybegotinthemovers.Thespiritofprotestand
ofdetachment,drovethemembersoftheseConventionstobear
testimonyagainstthechurch,andimmediatelyafterward,todeclare
theirdiscontentwiththeseConventions,theirindependenceoftheir
colleagues,andtheirimpatienceofthemethodswherebytheywere
working.Theydefiedeachother,likeacongressofkings,eachof
whomhadarealmtorule,andawayofhisownthatmadeconcert
unprofitable.Whatafertilityofprojectsforthesalvationofthe
world!
Oneapostlethoughtallmenshouldgotofarming;andanother,
thatnomanshouldbuyorsell:
thattheuseofmoneywasthe
cardinalevil;another,thatthemischiefwasinourdiet,thatwe
eatanddrinkdamnation.Thesemadeunleavenedbread,andwerefoes
tothedeathtofermentation.Itwasinvainurgedbythehousewife,
thatGodmadeyeast,aswellasdough,andlovesfermentationjustas
dearlyashelovesvegetation;thatfermentationdevelopsthe
saccharineelementinthegrain,andmakesitmorepalatableandmore
digestible.No;theywishthepurewheat,andwilldiebutitshall
notferment.Stop,dearnature,theseincessantadvancesofthine;
letusscotchtheseever-rollingwheels!
Othersattackedthesystem
ofagriculture,theuseofanimalmanuresinfarming;andthetyranny
ofmanoverbrutenature;theseabusespollutedhisfood.Theox
mustbetakenfromtheplough,andthehorsefromthecart,the
hundredacresofthefarmmustbespaded,andthemanmustwalk
whereverboatsandlocomotiveswillnotcarryhim.Eventheinsect
worldwastobedefended,--thathadbeentoolongneglected,anda
societyfortheprotectionofground-worms,slugs,andmosquitoswas
tobeincorporatedwithoutdelay.Withtheseappearedtheadeptsof
homoeopathy,ofhydropathy,ofmesmerism,ofphrenology,andtheir
wonderfultheoriesoftheChristianmiracles!
Othersassailed
particularvocations,asthatofthelawyer,thatofthemerchant,of
themanufacturer,oftheclergyman,ofthescholar.Othersattacked
theinstitutionofmarriage,asthefountainofsocialevils.Others
devotedthemselvestotheworryingofchurchesandmeetingsfor
publicworship;andthefertileformsofantinomianismamongthe
elderpuritans,seemedtohavetheirmatchintheplentyofthenew
harvestofreform.Withthisdinofopinionanddebate,therewasa
keenerscrutinyofinstitutionsanddomesticlifethananywehad
known,therewassincereprotestingagainstexistingevils,andthere
werechangesofemploymentdictatedbyconscience.Nodoubt,there
wasplentifulvaporing,andcasesofbackslidingmightoccur.Butin
eachofthesemovementsemergedagoodresult,atendencytothe
adoptionofsimplermethods,andanassertionofthesufficiencyof
theprivateman.Thusitwasdirectlyinthespiritandgeniusof
theage,whathappenedinoneinstance,whenachurchcensuredand
threatenedtoexcommunicateoneofitsmembers,onaccountofthe
somewhathostileparttothechurch,whichhisconscienceledhimto
takeintheanti-slaverybusiness;thethreatenedindividual
immediatelyexcommunicatedthechurchinapublicandformalprocess.
Thishasbeenseveraltimesrepeated:
itwasexcellentwhenitwas
donethefirsttime,but,ofcourse,losesallvaluewhenitis
copied.Everyprojectinthehistoryofreform,nomatterhow
violentandsurprising,isgood,whenitisthedictateofaman's
geniusandconstitution,butverydullandsuspiciouswhenadopted
fromanother.Itisrightandbeautifulinanymantosay,`Iwill
takethiscoat,orthisbook,orthismeasureofcornofyours,'--
inwhomweseetheacttobeoriginal,andtoflowfromthewhole
spiritandfaithofhim;forthenthattakingwillhaveagivingas
freeanddivine:
butweareveryeasilydisposedtoresistthesame
generosityofspeech,whenwemissoriginalityandtruthtocharacter
init.TherewasinallthepracticalactivitiesofNewEngland,for
thelastquarterofacentury,agradualwithdrawaloftender
consciencesfromthesocialorganizations.Thereisobservable
throughout,thecontestbetweenmechanicalandspiritualmethods,but
withasteadytendencyofthethoughtfulandvirtuoustoadeeper
beliefandrelianceonspiritualfacts.Inpolitics,forexample,it
iseasytoseetheprogressofdissent.Thecountryisfullof
rebellion;thecountryisfullofkings.Handsoff!
lettherebeno
controlandnointerferenceintheadministrationoftheaffairsof
thiskingdomofme.Hencethegrowthofthedoctrineandofthe
partyofFreeTrade,andthewillingnesstotrythatexperiment,in
thefaceofwhatappearincontestablefacts.Iconfess,themottoof
theGlobenewspaperissoattractivetome,thatIcanseldomfind
muchappetitetoreadwhatisbelowitinitscolumns,"Theworldis
governedtoomuch."Sothecountryisfrequentlyaffordingsolitary
examplesofresistancetothegovernment,solitarynullifiers,who
throwthemselvesontheirreservedrights;nay,whohavereservedall
theirrights;whoreplytotheassessor,andtotheclerkofcourt,
thattheydonotknowtheState;andembarrassthecourtsoflaw,by
non-juring,andthecommander-in-chiefofthemilitia,by
non-resistance.Thesamedispositiontoscrutinyanddissent
appearedincivil,festive,neighborly,anddomesticsociety.A
restless,prying,conscientiouscriticismbrokeoutinunexpected
quarters.WhogavemethemoneywithwhichIboughtmycoat?
Why
shouldprofessionallaborandthatofthecounting-housebepaidso
disproportionatelytothelaboroftheporter,andwoodsawyer?
This
wholebusinessofTradegivesmetopauseandthink,asit
constitutesfalserelationsbetweenmen;inasmuchasIamproneto
countmyselfrelievedofanyresponsibilitytobehavewellandnobly
tothatpersonwhomIpaywithmoney,whereasifIhadnotthat
commodity,Ishouldbeputonmygoodbehaviorinallcompanies,and
manwouldbeabenefactortoman,asbeinghimselfhisonly
certificatethathehadarighttothoseaidsandserviceswhicheach
askedoftheother.AmInottooprotectedaperson?
istherenota
widedisparitybetweenthelotofmeandthelotofthee,mypoor
brother,mypoorsister?
AmInotdefraudedofmybestculturein
thelossofthosegymnasticswhichmanuallaborandtheemergencies
ofpovertyconstitute?
Ifindnothinghealthfulorexaltinginthe
smoothconventionsofsociety;Idonotlikethecloseairof
saloons.Ibegintosuspectmyselftobeaprisoner,thoughtreated
withallthiscourtesyandluxury.Ipayadestructivetaxinmy
conformity.Thesameinsatiablecriticismmaybetracedinthe
effortsforthereformofEducation.Thepopulareducationhasbeen
taxedwithawantoftruthandnature.Itwascomplainedthatan
educationtothingswasnotgiven.Wearestudentsofwords:
weare
shutupinschools,andcolleges,andrecitation-rooms,fortenor
fifteenyears,andcomeoutatlastwithabagofwind,amemoryof
words,anddonotknowathing.Wecannotuseourhands,orour
legs,oroureyes,orourarms.Wedonotknowanediblerootinthe
woods,wecannottellourcoursebythestars,northehourofthe
daybythesun.Itiswellifwecanswimandskate.Weareafraid
ofahorse,ofacow,ofadog,ofasnake,ofaspider.TheRoman
rulewas,toteachaboynothingthathecouldnotlearnstanding.
TheoldEnglishrulewas,`Allsummerinthefield,andallwinterin
thestudy.'Anditseemsasifamanshouldlearntoplant,orto
fish,ortohunt,thathemightsecurehissubsistenceatallevents,
andnotbepainfultohisfriendsandfellowmen.Thelessonsof
scienceshouldbeexperimentalalso.Thesightoftheplanetthrough
atelescope,isworthallthecourseonastronomy:
theshockofthe
electricsparkintheelbow,out-valuesallthetheories;thetaste
ofthenitrousoxide,thefiringofanartificialvolcano,arebetter
thanvolumesofchemistry.Oneofthetraitsofthenewspirit,is
theinquisitionitfixedonourscholasticdevotiontothedead
languages.Theancientlanguages,withgreatbeautyofstructure,
containwonderfulremainsofgenius,whichdraw,andalwayswill
draw,certainlikemindedmen,--Greekmen,andRomanmen,inall
countries,totheirstudy;butbyawonderfuldrowsinessofusage,
theyhadexactedthestudyof_all_men.Once(saytwocenturies
ago),LatinandGreekhadastrictrelationtoallthescienceand
c