ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE5

　　He occupied one window， and I the other； and I saw that if one stayed there long， his principal business would be to look out the window.  I had soon read all the tracts that were left there， and examined where former prisoners had broken out， and where a grate had been sawed off， and heard the history of the various occupants of that room； for I found that even here there was a history and a gossip which never circulated beyond the walls of the jail. Probably this is the only house in the town where verses are composed， which are afterward printed in a circular form， but not published.  I was shown quite a long list of verses which were composed by some young men who had been detected in an attempt to escape， who avenged themselves by singing them.

　　I pumped my fellow-prisoner as dry as I could， for fear I should never see him again； but at length he showed me which was my bed，and left me to blow out the lamp.

　　It was like travelling into a far country， such as I had never expected to behold， to lie there for one night.  It seemed to me that I never had heard the town-clock strike before， nor the evening sounds of the village； for we slept with the windows open， which were inside the grating.  It was to see my native village in the light of the Middle Ages， and our Concord was turned into a Rhine stream， and visions of knights and castles passed before me.  They were the voices of old burghers that I heard in the streets.  I was an involuntary spectator and auditor of whatever was done and said in the kitchen of the adjacent village-inn ―― a wholly new and rare experience to me.  It was a closer view of my native town.  I was fairly inside of it.  I never had seen its institutions before. This is one of its peculiar institutions； for it is a shire town.  I began to comprehend what its inhabitants were about.

　　In the morning， our breakfasts were put through the hole in the door， in small oblong-square tin pans， made to fit， and holding a pint of chocolate， with brown bread， and an iron spoon.  When they called for the vessels again， I was green enough to return what bread I had left； but my comrade seized it， and said that I should lay that up for lunch or dinner.  Soon after he was let out to work at haying in a neighboring field， whither he went every day， and would not be back till noon； so he bade me good-day， saying that he doubted if he should see me again.

　　When I came out of prison ―― for some one interfered， and paid that tax ―― I did not perceive that great changes had taken place on the common， such as he observed who went in a youth and emerged a tottering and gray-headed man； and yet a change had to my eyes come over the scene ―― the town， and State， and country ―― greater than any that mere time could effect.  I saw yet more distinctly the State in which I lived.  I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends； that their friendship was for summer weather only； that they did not greatly propose to do right； that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions， as the Chinamen and Malays are； that in their sacrifices to humanity， they ran no risks， not even to their property； that after all they were not so noble but they treated the thief as he had treated them， and hoped， by a certain outward observance and a few prayers， and by walking in a particular straight though useless path from time to time， to save their souls. This may be to judge my neighbors harshly； for I believe that many of them are not aware that they have such an institution as the jail in their village.

　　It was formerly the custom in our village， when a poor debtor came out of jail， for his acquaintances to salute him， looking through their fingers， which were crossed to represent the grating of a jail window， "How do ye do？"  My neighbors did not thus salute me， but first looked at me， and then at one another， as if I had returned from a long journey.  I was put into jail as I was going to the shoemaker's to get a shoe which was mended.  When I was let out the next morning， I proceeded to finish my errand， and， having put on my mended shoe， joined a huckleberry party， who were impatient to put themselves under my conduct； and in half an hour ―― for the horse was soon tackled ―― was in the midst of a huckleberry field，on one of our highest hills， two miles off， and then the State was nowhere to be seen.

　　This is the whole history of "My Prisons."

　　I have never declined paying the highway tax， because I am as desirous of being a good neighbor as I am of being a bad subject；and as for supporting schools， I am doing my part to educate my fellow-countrymen now.  It is for no particular item in the tax-bill that I refuse to pay it.  I simply wish to refuse allegiance to the State， to withdraw and stand aloof from it effectually.  I do not care to trace the course of my dollar， if I could， till it buys a man or a musket to shoot one with ―― the dollar is innocent ―― but I am concerned to trace the effects of my allegiance.  In fact， I quietly declare war with the State， after my fashion， though I will still make what use and get what advantage of her I can， as is usual in such cases.

　　If others pay the tax which is demanded of me， from a sympathy with the State， they do but what they have already done in their own case， or rather they abet injustice to a greater extent than the State requires.  If they pay the tax from a mistaken interest in the individual taxed， to save his property， or prevent his going to jail， it is because they have not considered wisely how far they let their private feelings interfere with the public good.

　　This， then， is my position at present.  But one cannot be too much on his guard in such a case， lest his action be biased by obstinacy or an undue regard for the opinions of men.  Let him see that he does only what belongs to himself and to the hour.

　　I think sometimes， Why， this people mean well； they are only ignorant； they would do better if they knew how： why give your neighbors this pain to treat you as they are not inclined to？  But I think， again， This is no reason why I should do as they do， or permit others to suffer much greater pain of a different kind. Again， I sometimes say to myself， When many millions of men， without heat， without ill-will， without personal feeling of any kind， demand of you a few shillings only， without the possibility， such is their constitution， of retracting or altering their present demand， and without the possibility， on your side， of appeal to any other millions， why expose yourself to this overwhelming brute force？  You do not resist cold and hunger， the winds and the waves， thus obstinately； you quietly submit to a thousand similar necessities. You do not put your head into the fire.  But just in proportion as I regard this as not wholly a brute force， but partly a human force，and consider that I have relations to those millions as to so many millions of men， and not of mere brute or inanimate things， I see that appeal is possible， first and instantaneously， from them to the Maker of them， and， secondly， from them to themselves.  But， if I put my head deliberately into the fire， there is no appeal to fire or to the Maker of fire， and I have only myself to blame.  If I could convince myself that I have any right to be satisfied with men as they are， and to treat them accordingly， and not according， in some respects， to my requisitions and expectations of what they and I ought to be， then， like a good Mussulman and fatalist， I should endeavor to be satisfied with things as they are， and say it is the will of God.  And， above all， there is this difference between resisting this and a purely brute or natural force， that I can resist this with some effect； but I cannot expect， like Orpheus， to change the nature of the rocks and trees and beasts.

　　I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation.  I do not wish to split hairs， to make fine distinctions， or set myself up as better than my neighbors.  I seek rather， I may say， even an excuse for conforming to the laws of the land.  I am but too ready to conform to them.  Indeed， I have reason to suspect myself on this head； and each year， as the tax-gatherer comes round， I find myself disposed to review the acts and position of the general and State governments， and the spirit of the people， to discover a pretext for conformity. "We must affect our country as our parents，

　　And if at any time we alienate

　　Our love or industry from doing it honor，

　　We must respect effects and teach the soul

　　Matter of conscience and religion，

　　And not desire of rule or benefit."

　　I believe that the State will soon be able to take all my work of this sort out of my hands， and then I shall be no better a patriot than my fellow-countrymen.  Seen from a lower point of view，the Constitution， with all its faults， is very good； the law and the courts are very respectable； even this State and this American government are， in many respects， very admirable and rare things，to be thankful for， such as a great many have described them； but seen from a point of view a little higher， they are what I have described them； seen from a higher still， and the highest， who shall say what they are， or that they are worth looking at or thinking of at all？

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