reformers-第3章

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questions　of　social　reform。　　But　the　revolt　against　the　spirit　of

commerce；　the　spirit　of　aristocracy；　and　the　inveterate　abuses　of

cities；　did　not　appear　possible　to　individuals；　and　to　do　battle

against　numbers；　they　armed　themselves　with　numbers；　and　against

concert；　they　relied　on　new　concert。　　Following；　or　advancing　beyond

the　ideas　of　St。　　Simon；　of　Fourier；　and　of　Owen；　three　communities

have　already　been　formed　in　Massachusetts　on　kindred　plans；　and　many

more　in　the　country　at　large。　　They　aim　to　give　every　member　a　share

in　the　manual　labor；　to　give　an　equal　reward　to　labor　and　to　talent；

and　to　unite　a　liberal　culture　with　an　education　to　labor。　　The

scheme　offers；　by　the　economies　of　associated　labor　and　expense；　to

make　every　member　rich；　on　the　same　amount　of　property；　that；　in

separate　families；　would　leave　every　member　poor。　　These　new

associations　are　composed　of　men　and　women　of　superior　talents　and

sentiments：　yet　it　may　easily　be　questioned；　whether　such　a　community

will　draw；　except　in　its　beginnings；　the　able　and　the　good；　whether

those　who　have　energy；　will　not　prefer　their　chance　of　superiority

and　power　in　the　world；　to　the　humble　certainties　of　the　association；

whether　such　a　retreat　does　not　promise　to　become　an　assylum　to　those

who　have　tried　and　failed；　rather　than　a　field　to　the　strong；　and

whether　the　members　will　not　necessarily　be　fractions　of　men；　because

each　finds　that　he　cannot　enter　it；　without　some　compromise。

Friendship　and　association　are　very　fine　things；　and　a　grand　phalanx

of　the　best　of　the　human　race；　banded　for　some　catholic　object：　yes；

excellent；　but　remember　that　no　society　can　ever　be　so　large　as　one

man。　　He　in　his　friendship；　in　his　natural　and　momentary

associations；　doubles　or　multiplies　himself；　but　in　the　hour　in　which

he　mortgages　himself　to　two　or　ten　or　twenty；　he　dwarfs　himself　below

the　stature　of　one。　　But　the　men　of　less　faith　could　not　thus

believe；　and　to　such；　concert　appears　the　sole　specific　of　strength。

I　have　failed；　and　you　have　failed；　but　perhaps　together　we　shall　not

fail。　　Our　housekeeping　is　not　satisfactory　to　us；　but　perhaps　a

phalanx；　a　community；　might　be。　　Many　of　us　have　differed　in　opinion；

and　we　could　find　no　man　who　could　make　the　truth　plain；　but　possibly

a　college；　or　an　ecclesiastical　council　might。　　I　have　not　been　able

either　to　persuade　my　brother　or　to　prevail　on　myself；　to　disuse　the

traffic　or　the　potation　of　brandy；　but　perhaps　a　pledge　of　total

abstinence　might　effectually　restrain　us。　　The　candidate　my　party

votes　for　is　not　to　be　trusted　with　a　dollar；　but　he　will　be　honest

in　the　Senate；　for　we　can　bring　public　opinion　to　bear　on　him。　　Thus

concert　was　the　specific　in　all　cases。　　But　concert　is　neither　better

nor　worse；　neither　more　nor　less　potent　than　individual　force。　　All

the　men　in　the　world　cannot　make　a　statue　walk　and　speak；　cannot　make

a　drop　of　blood；　or　a　blade　of　grass；　any　more　than　one　man　can。　　But

let　there　be　one　man；　let　there　be　truth　in　two　men；　in　ten　men；　then

is　concert　for　the　first　time　possible；　because　the　force　which　moves

the　world　is　a　new　quality；　and　can　never　be　furnished　by　adding

whatever　quantities　of　a　different　kind。　　What　is　the　use　of　the

concert　of　the　false　and　the　disunited？　　There　can　be　no　concert　in

two；　where　there　is　no　concert　in　one。　　When　the　individual　is　not

_individual；_　but　is　dual；　when　his　thoughts　look　one　way；　and　his

actions　another；　when　his　faith　is　traversed　by　his　habits；　when　his

will；　enlightened　by　reason；　is　warped　by　his　sense；　when　with　one

hand　he　rows；　and　with　the　other　backs　water；　what　concert　can　be？　　I

do　not　wonder　at　the　interest　these　projects　inspire。　　The　world　is

awaking　to　the　idea　of　union；　and　these　experiments　show　what　it　is

thinking　of。　　It　is　and　will　be　magic。　　Men　will　live　and

communicate；　and　plough；　and　reap；　and　govern；　as　by　added　ethereal

power；　when　once　they　are　united；　as　in　a　celebrated　experiment；　by

expiration　and　respiration　exactly　together；　four　persons　lift　a

heavy　man　from　the　ground　by　the　little　finger　only；　and　without

sense　of　weight。　　But　this　union　must　be　inward；　and　not　one　of

covenants；　and　is　to　be　reached　by　a　reverse　of　the　methods　they　use。

The　union　is　only　perfect；　when　all　the　uniters　are　isolated。　　It　is

the　union　of　friends　who　live　in　different　streets　or　towns。　　Each

man；　if　he　attempts　to　join　himself　to　others；　is　on　all　sides

cramped　and　diminished　of　his　proportion；　and　the　stricter　the　union；

the　smaller　and　the　more　pitiful　he　is。　　But　leave　him　alone；　to

recognize　in　every　hour　and　place　the　secret　soul；　he　will　go　up　and

down　doing　the　works　of　a　true　member；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of

all；　the　work　will　be　done　with　concert；　though　no　man　spoke。

Government　will　be　adamantine　without　any　governor。　　The　union　must

be　ideal　in　actual　individualism。　　I　pass　to　the　indication　in　some

particulars　of　that　faith　in　man；　which　the　heart　is　preaching　to　us

in　these　days；　and　which　engages　the　more　regard；　from　the

consideration；　that　the　speculations　of　one　generation　are　the

history　of　the　next　following。　　In　alluding　just　now　to　our　system　of

education；　I　spoke　of　the　deadness　of　its　details。　　But　it　is　open　to

graver　criticism　than　the　palsy　of　its　members：　it　is　a　system　of

despair。　　The　disease　with　which　the　human　mind　now　labors；　is　want

of　faith。　　Men　do　not　believe　in　a　power　of　education。　　We　do　not

think　we　can　speak　to　divine　sentiments　in　man；　and　we　do　not　try。

We　renounce　all　high　aims。　　We　believe　that　the　defects　of　so　many

perverse　and　so　many　frivolous　people；　who　make　up　society；　are

organic；　and　society　is　a　hospital　of　incurables。　　A　man　of　good

sense　but　of　little　faith；　whose　compassion　seemed　to　lead　him　to

church　as　often　as　he　went　there；　said　to　me；　〃that　he　liked　to　have

concerts；　and　fairs；　and　churches；　and　other　public　amusements　go

on。〃　I　am　afraid　the　remark　is　too　honest；　and　comes　from　the　same

origin　as　the　maxim　of　the　tyrant；　〃If　you　would　rule　the　world

quietly；　you　must　keep　it　amused。〃　I　notice　too；　that　the　ground　on

which　eminent　public　servants　urge　the　claims　of　popular　education　is

fear：　‘This　country　is　filling　up　with　thousands　and　millions　of

voters；　and　you　must　educate　them　to　keep　them　from　our　throats。'　We

do　not　believe　that　any　education；　any　system　of　philosophy；　any

influence　of　genius；　will　ever　give　depth　of　insight　to　a　superficial

mind。　　Having　settled　ourselves　into　this　infidelity；　our　skill　is

expended　to　procure　alleviations；　diversion；　opiates。　　We　adorn　the

victim　with　manual　skill；　his　tongue　with　languages；　his　body　with

inoffensive　and　comely　manners。　　So　have　we　cunningly　hid　the　tragedy

of　limitation　and　inner　death　we　cannot　avert。　　Is　it　strange　that

society　should　be　devoured　by　a　secret　melancholy；　which　breaks

through　all　its　smiles；　and　all　its　gayety　and　games？　　But　even　one

step　farther　our　infidelity　has　gone。　　It　appears　that　some　doubt　is

felt　by　good　and　wise　men；　whether　really　the　happiness　and　probity

of　men　is　increased　by　the　culture　of　the　mind　in　those　disciplines

to　which　we　give　the　name　of　education。　　Unhappily；　too；　the　doubt

comes　from　scholars；　from　persons　who　have　tried　these　methods。　　In

their　experience；　the　scholar　was　not　raised　by　the　sacred　thoughts

amongst　which　he　dwelt；　but　used　them　to　selfish　ends。　　He　was　a

profane　person；　and　became　a　showman；　turning　his　gifts　to　a

marketable　use；　and　not　to　his　own　sustenance　and　growth。　　It　was

found　that　the　intellect　could　be　independently　developed；　that　is；

in　separation　from　the　man；　as　any　single　organ　can　be　invigorated；

and　the　result　was　monstrous。　　A　canine　appetite　for　knowledge　was

generated；　which　must　still　be　fed；　but　was　never　satisfied；　and　this

knowledge　not　being　directed　on　action；　never　took　the　character　of

substantial；　humane　truth；　blessing　those　whom　it　entered。　　It　gave

the　scholar　certa