reformers-第2章

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taxed　with　a　want　of　truth　and　nature。　　It　was　complained　that　an

education　to　things　was　not　given。　　We　are　students　of　words：　we　are

shut　up　in　schools；　and　colleges；　and　recitation…rooms；　for　ten　or

fifteen　years；　and　come　out　at　last　with　a　bag　of　wind；　a　memory　of

words；　and　do　not　know　a　thing。　　We　cannot　use　our　hands；　or　our

legs；　or　our　eyes；　or　our　arms。　　We　do　not　know　an　edible　root　in　the

woods；　we　cannot　tell　our　course　by　the　stars；　nor　the　hour　of　the

day　by　the　sun。　　It　is　well　if　we　can　swim　and　skate。　　We　are　afraid

of　a　horse；　of　a　cow；　of　a　dog；　of　a　snake；　of　a　spider。　　The　Roman

rule　was；　to　teach　a　boy　nothing　that　he　could　not　learn　standing。

The　old　English　rule　was；　‘All　summer　in　the　field；　and　all　winter　in

the　study。'　And　it　seems　as　if　a　man　should　learn　to　plant；　or　to

fish；　or　to　hunt；　that　he　might　secure　his　subsistence　at　all　events；

and　not　be　painful　to　his　friends　and　fellow　men。　　The　lessons　of

science　should　be　experimental　also。　　The　sight　of　the　planet　through

a　telescope；　is　worth　all　the　course　on　astronomy：　the　shock　of　the

electric　spark　in　the　elbow；　out…values　all　the　theories；　the　taste

of　the　nitrous　oxide；　the　firing　of　an　artificial　volcano；　are　better

than　volumes　of　chemistry。　　One　of　the　traits　of　the　new　spirit；　is

the　inquisition　it　fixed　on　our　scholastic　devotion　to　the　dead

languages。　　The　ancient　languages；　with　great　beauty　of　structure；

contain　wonderful　remains　of　genius；　which　draw；　and　always　will

draw；　certain　likeminded　men；　　Greek　men；　and　Roman　men；　in　all

countries；　to　their　study；　but　by　a　wonderful　drowsiness　of　usage；

they　had　exacted　the　study　of　_all_　men。　　Once　（say　two　centuries

ago）；　Latin　and　Greek　had　a　strict　relation　to　all　the　science　and

culture　there　was　in　Europe；　and　the　Mathematics　had　a　momentary

importance　at　some　era　of　activity　in　physical　science。　　These　things

became　stereotyped　as　_education；_　as　the　manner　of　men　is。　　But　the

Good　Spirit　never　cared　for　the　colleges；　and　though　all　men　and　boys

were　now　drilled　in　Latin；　Greek；　and　Mathematics；　it　had　quite　left

these　shells　high　and　dry　on　the　beach；　and　was　now　creating　and

feeding　other　matters　at　other　ends　of　the　world。　　But　in　a　hundred

high　schools　and　colleges；　this　warfare　against　common　sense　still

goes　on。　　Four；　or　six；　or　ten　years；　the　pupil　is　parsing　Greek　and

Latin；　and　as　soon　as　he　leaves　the　University；　as　it　is　ludicrously

called；　he　shuts　those　books　for　the　last　time。　　Some　thousands　of

young　men　are　graduated　at　our　colleges　in　this　country　every　year；

and　the　persons　who；　at　forty　years；　still　read　Greek；　can　all　be

counted　on　your　hand。　　I　never　met　with　ten。　　Four　or　five　persons　I

have　seen　who　read　Plato。　　But　is　not　this　absurd；　that　the　whole

liberal　talent　of　this　country　should　be　directed　in　its　best　years

on　studies　which　lead　to　nothing？　　What　was　the　consequence？　　Some

intelligent　persons　said　or　thought；　‘Is　that　Greek　and　Latin　some

spell　to　conjure　with；　and　not　words　of　reason？　　If　the　physician；

the　lawyer；　the　divine；　never　use　it　to　come　at　their　ends；　I　need

never　learn　it　to　come　at　mine。　　Conjuring　is　gone　out　of　fashion；

and　I　will　omit　this　conjugating；　and　go　straight　to　affairs。'　So

they　jumped　the　Greek　and　Latin；　and　read　law；　medicine；　or　sermons；

without　it。　　To　the　astonishment　of　all；　the　self…made　men　took　even

ground　at　once　with　the　oldest　of　the　regular　graduates；　and　in　a　few

months　the　most　conservative　circles　of　Boston　and　New　York　had　quite

forgotten　who　of　their　gownsmen　was　college…bred；　and　who　was　not。

One　tendency　appears　alike　in　the　philosophical　speculation；　and　in

the　rudest　democratical　movements；　through　all　the　petulance　and　all

the　puerility；　the　wish；　namely；　to　cast　aside　the　superfluous；　and

arrive　at　short　methods；　urged；　as　I　suppose；　by　an　intuition　that

the　human　spirit　is　equal　to　all　emergencies；　alone；　and　that　man　is

more　often　injured　than　helped　by　the　means　he　uses。　　I　conceive　this

gradual　casting　off　of　material　aids；　and　the　indication　of　growing

trust　in　the　private；　self…supplied　powers　of　the　individual；　to　be

the　affirmative　principle　of　the　recent　philosophy：　and　that　it　is

feeling　its　own　profound　truth；　and　is　reaching　forward　at　this　very

hour　to　the　happiest　conclusions。　　I　readily　concede　that　in　this；　as

in　every　period　of　intellectual　activity；　there　has　been　a　noise　of

denial　and　protest；　much　was　to　be　resisted；　much　was　to　be　got　rid

of　by　those　who　were　reared　in　the　old；　before　they　could　begin　to

affirm　and　to　construct。　　Many　a　reformer　perishes　in　his　removal　of

rubbish；　　and　that　makes　the　offensiveness　of　the　class。　　They　are

partial；　they　are　not　equal　to　the　work　they　pretend。　　They　lose

their　way；　in　the　assault　on　the　kingdom　of　darkness；　they　expend　all

their　energy　on　some　accidental　evil；　and　lose　their　sanity　and　power

of　benefit。　　It　is　of　little　moment　that　one　or　two；　or　twenty　errors

of　our　social　system　be　corrected；　but　of　much　that　the　man　be　in　his

senses。　　The　criticism　and　attack　on　institutions　which　we　have

witnessed；　has　made　one　thing　plain；　that　society　gains　nothing

whilst　a　man；　not　himself　renovated；　attempts　to　renovate　things

around　him：　he　has　become　tediously　good　in　some　particular；　but

negligent　or　narrow　in　the　rest；　and　hypocrisy　and　vanity　are　often

the　disgusting　result。　　It　is　handsomer　to　remain　in　the

establishment　better　than　the　establishment；　and　conduct　that　in　the

best　manner；　than　to　make　a　sally　against　evil　by　some　single

improvement；　without　supporting　it　by　a　total　regeneration。　　Do　not

be　so　vain　of　your　one　objection。　　Do　you　think　there　is　only　one？

Alas！　my　good　friend；　there　is　no　part　of　society　or　of　life　better

than　any　other　part。　　All　our　things　are　right　and　wrong　together。

The　wave　of　evil　washes　all　our　institutions　alike。　　Do　you　complain

of　our　Marriage？　　Our　marriage　is　no　worse　than　our　education；　our

diet；　our　trade；　our　social　customs。　　Do　you　complain　of　the　laws　of

Property？　　It　is　a　pedantry　to　give　such　importance　to　them。　　Can　we

not　play　the　game　of　life　with　these　counters；　as　well　as　with　those；

in　the　institution　of　property；　as　well　as　out　of　it。　　Let　into　it

the　new　and　renewing　principle　of　love；　and　property　will　be

universality。　　No　one　gives　the　impression　of　superiority　to　the

institution；　which　he　must　give　who　will　reform　it。　　It　makes　no

difference　what　you　say：　you　must　make　me　feel　that　you　are　aloof

from　it；　by　your　natural　and　super…natural　advantages；　do　easily　see

to　the　end　of　it；　　do　see　how　man　can　do　without　it。　　Now　all　men

are　on　one　side。　　No　man　deserves　to　be　heard　against　property。　　Only

Love；　only　an　Idea；　is　against　property；　as　we　hold　it。　　I　cannot

afford　to　be　irritable　and　captious；　nor　to　waste　all　my　time　in

attacks。　　If　I　should　go　out　of　church　whenever　I　hear　a　false

sentiment；　I　could　never　stay　there　five　minutes。　　But　why　come　out？

the　street　is　as　false　as　the　church；　and　when　I　get　to　my　house；　or

to　my　manners；　or　to　my　speech；　I　have　not　got　away　from　the　lie。

When　we　see　an　eager　assailant　of　one　of　these　wrongs；　a　special

reformer；　we　feel　like　asking　him；　What　right　have　you；　sir；　to　your

one　virtue？　　Is　virtue　piecemeal？　　This　is　a　jewel　amidst　the　rags　of

a　beggar。　　In　another　way　the　right　will　be　vindicated。　　In　the　midst

of　abuses；　in　the　heart　of　cities；　in　the　aisles　of　false　churches；

alike　in　one　place　and　in　another；　　wherever；　namely；　a　just　and

heroic　soul　finds　itself；　there　it　will　do　what　is　next　at　hand；　and

by　the　new　quality　of　character　it　shall　put　forth；　it　shall　abrogate

that　old　condition；　law　or　school　in　which　it　stands；　before　the　law

of　its　own　mind。　　If　partiality　was　one　fault　of　the　movement　party；

the　other　defect　was　their　reliance　on　Association。　　Doubts　such　as

those　I　have　intimated；　drove　many　good　persons　to　agitate　the

questions　of　social　reform。　　But　the　revolt　again