New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-25

not for talked ike one who was not aware Of any
deficiency in that respect. Probably there was not
one of all the Yankees who went TO Canada this time
who was not asplendidy dressed than i. 1t
would have been poor story If had not enjoyed
some distinction" Everywhere the poverty OF
mechanical assistance and the drudgery Of men stared
him in the face, the explanation being that labor was
30 cheap, and the thought struck him with some pain
how cheap men must be! Warburton, an English
traveller, had observed that in Canada, everything
was cheap except men, THAT must be the difference
between going thither from New and from Old En-
gland"
Walking down the St. Lawrence, from Quebec, past
the Falls Of Montmorenci and La Puce. TO the Fails
Of St. Anne, this wandering Yankee sees all things
physical development scenery. men and women Gus
toms as with microscope, and shows them as IN
photograph. Yet without crudeness or hardness ior
as he truly says, the Canada which he saw was not
merely place for railroads TO terminate in and fug
tive slaves TO run to, but appeared dreamy and DID,
seeming like Normandy, and recalling memories OF
Europe and the Middle Ages. The chapter entitled
the "Was of Quebec deserves 70 be printed entire,
in place of this article, so wise is it, so WITTY 80 pn
osOphic, SO fresh. OF course quotation Is not cnt-
cism, nor extract essay nor explanation, but It IS
such selfshness to read ThOreau alone, that the
temptation TO quote indefinitely Is overmasterlng
Chapter Fifth, and last, If less epgrammauc and
terse is hardly less charming. And 1t Is heartfelt
sigh you breathe when this bright companion jumps
down from the platform at bis own door IN concord,
and leaves you 70 make the rest Of your journey alone
be it to New.York or New-Zealand, or Leayen-
worth. For whoever reads the book Will have made
the Canada Journey, and in the rarest of company.
In figures accurate as ledger, in details minute as
guide book in description graphic as @ photograph,
these pages yet free, breezy, original iul OF NE
and color If Thoreau lacks the finish and precision
of Emerson, he has more than Emerson's grace, ana
to none other can he be compared. ..
The other papers in this volume are addresses IN
spired by special occasions and magazine papers pub
lished for the most part some years ago. , Reading
1hem one does not wonder that he was called that
terrible Thoreau." No shield except the whole amor
Of righteousness, syas against his thrusts. His
sword Of truth is more appalling than fu armoy Oh
baser weapons. lie is sublime lnquisltol VINO
makes us march through fiery furnace ana no' one
of US comes forth unsiDged He is the Judge patent
and solemu.eyed, who asks each trembling eulprlt,
Guilty or not gutyf" and all ave dumb in con-
soous tuIpitude. His high belief IS the LEGENDARY
mantle Of King Arthurs Court when was the Terrible
test of virtue and he folds II around each OF us,
il shrinks and shrinks and will not cover our naked
ness Yet this cOntemner Of customs, whose de-
mands we cannot meet, is high, and solemn and I'M
peous only because the truth Of which he is the clear
medium is SO. In sympathy with nature he is faun
"a faun with soul-on whose head the birds sing,
to whose shoulders the squirrels climb and chatter,
from whose hand the fishes eat. Not through
any mean Pharisaism but through his clear sense OF
the divine possibilities Of man, he is impatient
Of the poverty and limitations of men, Living much in
solitude and weighing only the verties OF life, he 10
amazed that people pass their years in weighing bub-
bles and proclams them fools, forgetting that gnor-
ance often plays with the same toys as folly bus upon
counsel throws them away forever. "Gnaw your own
bone" he says somewhere in bis letters, and nobody
ever did it more peTsistently thanhe He follows the
logic Of customs of institutions, of law 10 its last re-
suit, which he finds on absurdity, while we stop
short contented with the present proposition. and
find 1t worthy and venerable. No rebellion against
law was ever earnest and consistent than HE.
No LOYALTY TO justice was ever more entire. Rather
than suffer any human being to be oppressed IN the
name of Government and Constitution, =" need not
say what match would touch, what system endeayor
to blow up; but as / love my life would side with
the light and let the dark earth roll from under me,
calling my mother and brother to follow. / would
remind my countrymeD, that they are 10 be men hrst,
and Americans only at late and convenient hour.
No matter how valuable law may be TO protect your
property to keep soul and body together, If II
do not keep you, and humanity together" There
is no such thing as. accomplishing righteous
reform by the use Of "expediency.' There
is no such thing es sliding up hill.
''In morals the only siders are backsLders." The
fate Of the country does not depend on how you vote
the posthe worst man is as strong as the best at
that games 1t does not depend on what KIND oil paper
you drop into the ballotbox year, but on what
kind Of man you drop from your chamber into the
street every morning" " 1t is not so important that
many should be as good you that there be some
absolute goodness for that will leayen the whole
lump" There are 999 patrons Of virtue for one
virtuous man" "If ] devote myself 10 other (than
socaed philanthropy pursuits and contemplsuons,
must first see, at least, that do not pursue them
sitting upon another mans shoulders must get oil
him iirs that be may pursue his contempatons too.
Action from principle is essentially
revolutionary and does not consist wholly with any
thing which IL not only divides States and
churches il divides families; aye II divides the md
riduaL separating the diaboical in him from the
divine" ..
This statesman and philosopher refuses TO pay his
taxes thereby peacefully declaring with the State
because he believes the State uses the money thus
gathered for unjust ends indirectly supporting war;
slavery and other organized crimes He goes to Jail
therefor whence some friend rescues him. by paying
the tax under protest Of this protestant This
Of expostulation and loyal disobedience was the
simplest necessity 10 him, who incapable Of an
aGectation. Yet be himself TO be his guard
lest bis action be BIASED by obstnaey, undue
regard for the opinions OF men, and TO take heed that
he does only what belongs TO himself and the hour
His enthusiasm for courage for truthfulness, for
fidelity, becomes eItaoy; his contempt for their
shadows for men who be says "haveut life enough
in them TO die, but deliquesce like fungi, and keep
hundred eulcgsts meppiSs The sret where they ie!t
Of" Is white heat Of Indignant scorn.
Every succeeding book Of Thsreau makes him more
truly loved and leaned upon. For be, who in life |
professsed himself too busy, too preoccupied fos
friendship, comes chieesi counselor confessor
friend, TO every seeking and thoughtful spirit His
brusqueness no longer repes, his large sympathy and
rare wisdom attract. America is Just learning what
marvellous child was bonn unto her. and when she
fully knows she will him in her heart OF hearts
" He is " " He says write and say Of him never
"He was" "He said" For there is such vitality
in this strong nature that death cannot quench |
it, nor decay consume. What he said Of John Brown
is true in different degree Of himself: He is more
alive than ever he was. He has earned immortality"