193 Year Old Man Who Lives In My Woods: More Relevant Than Ever

Henry, who lives in a simple yet handsome shack, resides a short distance from me. If I paddle over the Fairhaven Bay and walk through the woods, I can always find him by his "small lake", as he likes to call it. Henry is a gentle lover of nature, historian, a philosophical man, a school teacher, a Harvard graduate, a writer. The king of all his castles.

My grandfather's father introduced him to Henry and his books when he was a boy. Grandfather introduced my father, and my father introduced me. Henry is a very old man. 193 years old. He started writing in 1840.

Now that I'm all grown up(kinda), I find myself seeking his input on certain subjects on occasion. I've recently come to the realization that Henry was not only speaking to his contemporary Americans then, but more-so for us, right now:

All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. I think that it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. How should a man behave toward this American government today? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I quarrel not with far-off foes, but with those who, near at home, co-operate with, and do the bidding of those far away, and without whom the latter would be harmless.

If a thousand honest men were not to pay their tax this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the only definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever. But even suppose blood should flow. Is there not a sort of blood shed when the conscience is wounded? Through this wound a man's real manhood and immortality flow out, and he bleeds to an everlasting death. I see this blood flowing now.

When I converse with the freest of my neighbors, I perceive that, whatever they may say about the magnitude and seriousness of the question, and their regard for the public tranquillity, the long and the short of the matter is, that they cannot spare the protection of the existing government, and they dread the consequences to their property and families of disobedience to it. I, on the other hand, can afford to refuse allegiance to the government, and its right to my property and life. It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience than it would to obey. When I meet a government which says to me, "Your money or your life, " why should I be in haste to give it my money? The state is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest. But we love better to talk about it: that we say is our mission. Thus men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up.

As for adopting the ways of the State has provided for remedying the evil, I know not of such ways. They take too much time, and a man's life will be gone. Statesmen and legislators, standing so completely within the institution, never distinctly and nakedly behold it. They speak of moving society, but have no resting-place without it. Is this form, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man? Are we meant to acquire a little worldly wealth, or fame, or liberty, and make a false show with it, as if we were all husk and shell, with no tender and living kernel to us? If a plant cannot live according to nature, it dies; and so a man.

The authority of government, even such as I am willing to submit to—must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it. There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly. A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious State, which I have also imagined, but not yet anywhere seen. I heartily accept the motto,—"That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe—"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.

The man in my woods, if you hadn’t already guessed, is the "spirit" of Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) and at 193 years old, he is as relevant as ever.* Most of this text is from a slightly revised version of “civil disobedience” 1849.

[edit on 12-7-2010 by METACOMET]

Nice story.

Have to admit when I saw the title I thought for sure you were talking about Ron Paul.

that was one of the best posts i have read on this site, if not the best.

thank you so very very much.

Wx

oh cheers for this post!

I was thinking of that mouse in The Green Mile and thinking how awesome you know an immortal guy !

But this is just as good S&F

reply to post by METACOMET

Wow, it must be something in the air these days... Just this morning I wrote about this same man, in this thread.

Truly, an inspirational man, with great ideas which are not only still relevant, but much needed in this day and age.

Hard to believe the USA once had enlightened individuals who so eloquently documented the plight of the common man. And what does the country have as the equivalent today? Rap music. Oh my.

reply to post by METACOMET


From HDT:

But we love better to talk about it: that we say is our mission. Thus men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up.

That sums it up succinctly...unfortunately.

Thanks for the spot on generalization - seriously, thanks.

reply to post by blood0fheroes


Couldn't agree with you more my friend.

Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society which I have not joined... This I gave to the town clerk; and he has it. If I had known how to name them, I should then have signed off in detail from all the societies which I never signed on to; but I did not know where to find a complete list.

[edit on 13-7-2010 by METACOMET]

Click here for more information.

reply to post by blood0fheroes

Almost typed the same thing! Great posts both.

“Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.”

More about "civilization" :
www.scribd.com...
www.primitivism.com...
fendersen.com...
www.insurgentdesire.org.uk...

Originally posted by SphinxMontreal
Hard to believe the USA once had enlightened individuals who so eloquently documented the plight of the common man. And what does the country have as the equivalent today? Rap music. Oh my.

There's plenty of enlightened rappers who eloquently document the plight of the common man.

Benjamin Zephaniah, William Shields(Jehst), Dead Prez, Zack De La Rocha, Lowkey, Nas, Tupac etc etc etc

The Capitalist Corporate scum are almost directly responsible for the deterioration of Hip Hop and any other genre of music you can think of. An enlightened individual would see this clearly and refuse to tow the media line. By that I mean not taking pot-shots at rap music, video games or w/e else they're trying to scapegoat.

Really nice thread , it definetely applies , not only in the US but here in the UK too .

would be excellent if we could actually impliment what he speaks of , not paying our taxes to fund the machine

[edit on 13-7-2010 by sapien82]

Superb. thanks for posting.

Certainly an intriguing character, and clearly a man with a firm grasp of the philosophical implications of his beliefs.

...also I believe—"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.

And finally an Anarchist who recognises that (widespread) Autonomy, as a state of mind must, categorically, come before the Anarchical autonomy of a non-governed state.

Viva Henry David Thoreau, and my deepest respect for his timeless words of wisdom.

Peace.

reply to post by sapien82


Really nice thread , it definetely applies , not only in the US but here in the UK too .


I live in neither but still it is relevant. Personally knowledge like this will never become irrelevant as it is immortal. It has been proven over and over during the planet's recent history. People like to call knowledge and sayings like this "cliche" but there is a reason why these bits of insight have stuck through the ages. It still speaks true.


Thank you for sharing with us OP, it has been a very insightful read.



Rabaski

I never realized Thoreau was the first to say "Your money or your life".
I thought it was a Hollywood artifact
Great post Metacomet.
How about a thread on your namesake? (another great American)

Thank you, this is not only a great post but a chance for "re-inspiration" for all of us who are continually getting too caught up in our own "private daily struggles".

This thread seems to fit nicely with the one about some members no longer thinking for themselves. Lately I am continually amazed at how many people are willing to go along with almost anything which their preferred leaders will say or do.

Over the past few years I have often heard and read articles calling for an awakening of the American people and others, either calling for or, warning of a civil uprising here in the U S. In reply to this, I usually tell them the only way such a thing would happen is "IF" the mass media networks were to remove programs such as "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars".

Only after removing this type of mind numbing "entertainment" will the lemmings start to see the real world. It is much like the same thing as the Romans did to control their populations with the gladiators in the collasium.

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


Sphinx,
I thought of him as a flaming liberal, I was wrong. He was a Libertarian!
Wow, I will have to revisit his works and reconsider them.

reply to post by Justoneman


Liberalism of past days was Not the same thing as liberalism of today. He may very well have been called such back then but that would indeed make him more like the libertarians of today then liberals.

It just goes to show that the more things change, the more things remain the same.

Proofs of a Conspiracy was first published in 1798 by John Robison.

What we have in common today with those days of yesterday when Thoreau penned these words is that the perpetrators of this age old crime against the common Man and his freedoms are the same families of individuals whom rule us today.

Wasn't it GW Bush who was a member of a secret organization called Skull and Bones while attending Yale who later became president?

Also wasn't G W Bush the one who claimed that the United States Constitution was nothing more than a GD piece of paper ?

Well, there's and example of the root of the problem right there folks !
So we read these profound words only today in amazement.

It would be very interesting to survey how many Americans even know Thoreau's name and what he had done ?

We are here today because we as Americans have been dumbed down by an inferior educational system by design.

Our lives are occupied by Work, Work and More Work to keep us from perceiving as to what is really going on.

Our spare time is occupied with the Television spewing subliminal social engineering brainwashing programming.

Which is exactly how those who orchestrate the NWO plan that we are all subject to today have designed it to be.

It just goes to show that the more things change, the more things remain the same.