Let but the spring come to him, let the
morning rise over his couch, and he will forsake his generous companions,
without apology or explanation!
The Reformer who comes recommending any institution or system to the adoption
of men, must not rely solely on logic and argument, or on eloquence and
oratory for his success, but see that he represents one pretty perfect
institution in himself, the center and circumference of all others, an erect
man.
I ask of all Reformers, of all who are recommending Temperance, Justice,
Charity, Peace, the Family, Community or Associative life, not to give us
their theory and wisdom only, for these are no proof, but to carry around
with them each a small specimen of his own manufactures, and to despair of
ever recommending anything of which a small sample at least cannot be
exhibited: — that the Temperance man let me know the savor of
Temperance, if it be good, the Just man permit to enjoy the blessings of
liberty while with him, the Community man allow me to taste the sweets of the
Community life in his society.
I cannot bear to be told to wait for good results, I pine as much for good
beginnings. We never come to final results, and it is too late to start from
perennial beginnings.
But alas, when we ask the schemer to show us the material of which his
structure is to be built. He exhibits only fair looking words, resolute and
solid words for the underpinning, convenient and homely words for the body of
the edifice, poems and flights of the imagination for the dome and cupola.
Men know very well how to distinguish barren words from those which are cousin
to a deed, and the promising or threatening speaker is only rated at his
faculty and resolution to do what he says. The phlegmatic audience which
sits near the doors know that the speaker does not mean to abolish property or
dissolve the family die, or do without human governments all over the world
tonight, but that simply, he has agreed to be the speaker and — they
have agreed to be the audience. They may chance to know that the lecturer
against the use of money is paid for his lecture, and that is the precept
which they hear and believe, and they have a great deal of sympathy with him.
After all the peace lectures and non-resistance meetings it was never yet
learned from them how any of the speakers would conduct in an emergency,
because a very important disputant, one Mr.
Resistance was not present to offer his arguments.
There are not only books, but lectures and sermons of fiction, whether
written or extemporaneous. The modern Reformers are a class of
improvvisánti more wonderful and amusing than the
Italians.
What the prophets even have said is forgotten, and the oracles are decayed,
but what heroes and saints have done is still remembered, and posterity will
tell it again and again.
We rarely see the Reformer who is fairly launched in his enterprise, bringing
about the right state of things with hearty and effective tugs, and not
rather preparing and grading the way through the minds of the people. What
if the community were to pull altogether says he! — Aye, what if two
— what if one even were to work harmoniously and with all his energies!
say I. No wonder you plead for my cooperation — I could exert myself
considerably. It would be worth the whole methinks to have my traces hitched
to some good institution.
There certainly can be no greater folly than for men to set about to prove a
truth at their leisure who have no other business with it. As if one were to
proclaim that he was going a long journey, and because one of his neighbors
was inattentive or did not believe it, should put it off. To the man of
industry and work it is not quite essential that I should think with
him.
