Practically speaking, the opponents to a reform in Massachusetts are not a hundred thousand politicians at the South, but a hundred thousand merchants and farmers here, who are more interested in commerce and agriculture than they are in humanity, and are not prepared to do justice to the slave and to Mexico, cost what it may The Department of English And Comparative Literature Philosophy Hall, MC Amsterdam Ave · New York, NY Jul 29, · The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors,
Transcendentalism - HISTORY
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, romanticism essay. Carried out, romanticism essay, 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 romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay, 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 romanticism essay tradition, though a recent one, romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay.
It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves, romanticism essay. 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, romanticism essay.
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 romanticism essay is an expedient by which men would fain succeed in romanticism essay one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is most expedient, romanticism essay, 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 romanticism essay are continually putting in their way; and, if one romanticism essay 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 romanticism essay which romanticism essay do not romanticism essay decide right and wrong, but conscience? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to romanticism essay legislation?
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, romanticism essay. 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, romanticism essay, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay, a man laid out romanticism essay and standing, and already, romanticism essay, as one may say, buried under arms with funeral accompaniments, though it may be, "Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note.
The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies, romanticism essay. 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 romanticism essay 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, romanticism essay, 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 romanticism essay 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:. 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 today?
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 romanticism essay 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 romanticism essay 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 ' 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 romanticism essay does romanticism essay 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, romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay, 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, romanticism essay, but ours is the invading army, romanticism essay.
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, romanticism essay, that is, so long as the established government cannot be resisted or changed without public inconveniency, it is the will of God that the established government be obeyed- and no longer.
This principle being admitted, the justice of every particular case of resistance is reduced to a computation of the quantity of the danger and grievance on the one side, romanticism essay, and of the probability and expense of redressing it on the other. But Paley appears never to have contemplated romanticism essay cases to which the romanticism essay of expediency does not apply, romanticism essay, in which a people, as well as an individual, must do justice, cost what it may.
If I have unjustly wrested a plank from a drowning man, I must restore it to him though I drown myself. This, according to Paley, would be inconvenient, romanticism essay. But he that would romanticism essay his life, in such a case, shall lose it. This people must cease to hold slaves, and to make war on Mexico, though it cost them their existence as a people. In their practice, nations agree with Paley; but does any one think that Massachusetts does exactly what is right at the present crisis?
Practically speaking, the opponents to a reform in Massachusetts are not a hundred thousand politicians at the South, but a hundred thousand merchants and farmers here, who are more interested in commerce and agriculture than they are in humanity, and are not prepared to do justice to the slave and to Mexico, cost romanticism essay it may.
I quarrel not with far-off foes, but with those who, near at home, cooperate with, and do the bidding of those far away, and without whom the latter would be harmless. We are accustomed to say, that the mass of men are unprepared; but improvement is slow, romanticism essay, because the few are not materially wiser or better than the many. It is not so important that many should be as good as you, as that there be some absolute goodness somewhere; for that will leaven the whole lump.
There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing; who even postpone the question of freedom to the question of free trade, and quietly read the prices-current along with the latest advices from Mexico, after dinner, and, romanticism essay, it may be, fall asleep over them both.
What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot today? They hesitate, and they regret, romanticism essay, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret.
At most, they give only a cheap vote, and a feeble countenance and God-speed, to the right, as it goes by them. There are nine hundred and ninety-nine patrons of virtue to one virtuous man. But it is easier to romanticism essay with the real possessor of a thing than with the temporary guardian of it. All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it.
The character of the voters is not staked, romanticism essay. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think romanticism essay but I am not vitally concerned that that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency.
Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail.
A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men. When the majority shall at length vote for the abolition of slavery, it will be because they are indifferent to slavery, or because there is but little slavery left to be abolished by their vote.
They will then be the only slaves. Only his vote can hasten the abolition of slavery who asserts his own freedom by his vote. I hear of a convention to be held at Baltimore, or elsewhere, for the selection of a candidate for the Presidency, made up chiefly of editors, and men who are politicians by profession; but I think, what is it to any independent, intelligent, romanticism essay, and respectable man what decision they may come to?
Shall we not have the advantage of his wisdom and honesty, nevertheless? Can we not count upon some independent votes? Are there romanticism essay many individuals in the country who do romanticism essay attend conventions? But no: I find that the respectable man, romanticism essay, so called, has romanticism essay drifted from his position, and despairs of his country, when his country has more reason to despair of him.
He forthwith adopts one of the candidates thus selected as the only available one, thus proving that he is himself available for any purposes of the demagogue, romanticism essay. His vote is of no more worth than that of any unprincipled foreigner or hireling native, who may have been bought.
Romanticism
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Nov 15, · Essay on importance of friendship in hindi language essay on my inspiration apj abdul kalam - fake essay introduction? essay:: American carol christmas writer essay romanticism questions essay on man vs machine essay outline website grendel first person point of view essay, essay review on a movie. Essay on wildlife of sri lanka A formal definition essay defines a term or concept. Definition essays are a form of expository writing in which the writer provides information about the term to their audience. They typically follow a standard essay format and include both a definition and an analysis of the term English literature - English literature - The Romantic period: As a term to cover the most distinctive writers who flourished in the last years of the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th, “Romantic” is indispensable but also a little misleading: there was no self-styled “Romantic movement” at the time, and the great writers of the period did not call themselves Romantics
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