世界名著REFORMERS.docx

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