Government, he observes, has been a fossil--it should be a plant;
statute law should express, not impede, the mind of mankind. In tracing
the course of human political institutions, he finds feudalism
succeeding monarchy, and this again followed by trade, the good and
evil of which is that it would put everything in the market, talent,
beauty, virtue, and man himself. By this means it has done its work; it
has faults and will end as the others. Its aristocracy need not be
feared, for it can have no permanence, it is not entailed. In the time
to come, he hopes to see us less anxious to be governed, in the
technical sense; each man shall govern himself in the interests of all;
government without any governor will be, for the first time,
adamantine. Is not every man sometimes a radical in politics? Men are
conservatives when they are least vigorous, or when they are most
luxurious; conservatism stands on man's limitations, reform on his
infinitude. The age of the quadruped is to go out; the age of the brain
and the heart is to come in. We are too pettifogging and imitative in
our legislative conceptions; the Legislature of this country should
become more catholic and cosmopolitan than any other. Let us be brave
and strong enough to trust in humanity; strong natures are inevitable
patriots. The time, the age, what is that, but a few prominent persons
and a few active persons who epitomize the times? There is a bribe
possible for any finite will; but the pure sympathy with universal ends
is an infinite force, and cannot be bribed or bent. The world wants
saviors and religions; society is servile from want of will; but there
is a Destiny by which the human race is guided, the race never dying,
the individual never spared; its law is, you shall have everything as a
member, nothing to yourself. Referring to the communities of various
kinds, which were so much in vogue some years ago, he holds such to be
valuable, not for what they have done, but for the indication they give
of the revolution that is on the way. They place great faith in mutual
support, but it is only as a man puts off from himself all external
support and stands alone, that he is strong and will prevail. He is
weaker by every recruit to his banner. A man ought to compare
advantageously with a river, an oak, or a mountain. He must not shun
whatever comes to him in the way of duty; the only path of escape
is--performance. He must rely on Providence, but not in a timid or
ecclesiastical spirit; it is no use to dress up that terrific
benefactor in a clean shirt and white neckcloth of a student of
divinity. We shall come out well, whatever personal or political
disasters may intervene. For here in America is the home of man. After
deducting our pitiful politics--shall John or Jonathan sit in the chair
and hold the purse?--and making due allowance for our frivolities and
insanities, there still remains an organic simplicity and liberty,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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