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to that person whom I pay with money； whereas if I had not that
commodity； I should be put on my good behavior in all companies； and
man would be a benefactor to man； as being himself his only
certificate that he had a right to those aids and services which each
asked of the other。 Am I not too protected a person？ is there not a
wide disparity between the lot of me and the lot of thee； my poor
brother； my poor sister？ Am I not defrauded of my best culture in
the loss of those gymnastics which manual labor and the emergencies
of poverty constitute？ I find nothing healthful or exalting in the
smooth conventions of society； I do not like the close air of
saloons。 I begin to suspect myself to be a prisoner； though treated
with all this courtesy and luxury。 I pay a destructive tax in my
conformity。 The same insatiable criticism may be traced in the
efforts for the reform of Education。 The popular education has been
taxed with a want of truth and nature。 It was complained that an
education to things was not given。 We are students of words： we are
shut up in schools； and colleges； and recitation…rooms； for ten or
fifteen years； and come out at last with a bag of wind； a memory of
words； and do not know a thing。 We cannot use our hands； or our
legs； or our eyes； or our arms。 We do not know an edible root in the
woods； we cannot tell our course by the stars； nor the hour of the
day by the sun。 It is well if we can swim and skate。 We are afraid
of a horse； of a cow； of a dog； of a snake； of a spider。 The Roman
rule was； to teach a boy nothing that he could not learn standing。
The old English rule was； ‘All summer in the field； and all winter in
the study。' And it seems as if a man should learn to plant； or to
fish； or to hunt； that he might secure his subsistence at all events；
and not be painful to his friends and fellow men。 The lessons of
science should be experimental also。 The sight of the planet through
a telescope； is worth all the course on astronomy： the shock of the
electric spark in the elbow； out…values all the theories； the taste
of the nitrous oxide； the firing of an artificial volcano； are better
than volumes of chemistry。 One of the traits of the new spirit； is
the inquisition it fixed on our scholastic devotion to the dead
languages。 The ancient languages； with great beauty of structure；
contain wonderful remains of genius； which draw； and always will
draw； certain likeminded men； Greek men； and Roman men； in all
countries； to their study； but by a wonderful drowsiness of usage；
they had exacted the study of _all_ men。 Once （say two centuries
ago）； Latin and Greek had a strict relation to all the science and
culture there was in Europe； and the Mathematics had a momentary
importance at some era of activity in physical science。 These things
became stereotyped as _education；_ as the manner of men is。 But the
Good Spirit never cared for the colleges； and though all men and boys
were now drilled in Latin； Greek； and Mathematics； it had quite left
these shells high and dry on the beach； and was now creating and
feeding other matters at other ends of the world。 But in a hundred
high schools and colleges； this warfare against common sense still
goes on。 Four； or six； or ten years； the pupil is parsing Greek and
Latin； and as soon as he leaves the University； as it is ludicrously
called； he shuts those books for the last time。 Some thousands of
young men are graduated at our colleges in this country every year；
and the persons who； at forty years； still read Greek； can all be
counted on your hand。 I never met with ten。 Four or five persons I
have seen who read Plato。 But is not this absurd； that the whole
liberal talent of this country should be directed in its best years
on studies which lead to nothing？ What was the consequence？ Some
intelligent persons said or thought； ‘Is that Greek and Latin some
spell to conjure with； and not words of reason？ If the physician；
the lawyer； the divine； never use it to come at their ends； I need
never learn it to come at mine。 Conjuring is gone out of fashion；
and I will omit this conjugating； and go straight to affairs。' So
they jumped the Greek and Latin； and read law； medicine； or sermons；
without it。 To the astonishment of all； the self…made men took even
ground at once with the oldest of the regular graduates； and in a few
months the most conservative circles of Boston and New York had quite
forgotten who of their gownsmen was college…bred； and who was not。
One tendency appears alike in the philosophical speculation； and in
the rudest democratical movements； through all the petulance and all
the puerility； the wish； namely； to cast aside the superfluous； and
arrive at short methods； urged； as I suppose； by an intuition that
the human spirit is equal to all emergencies； alone； and that man is
more often injured than helped by the means he uses。 I conceive this
gradual casting off of material aids； and the indication of growing
trust in the private； self…supplied powers of the individual； to be
the affirmative principle of the recent philosophy： and that it is
feeling its own profound truth； and is reaching forward at this very
hour to the happiest conclusions。 I readily concede that in this； as
in every period of intellectual activity； there has been a noise of
denial and protest； much was to be resisted； much was to be got rid
of by those who were reared in the old； before they could begin to
affirm and to construct。 Many a reformer perishes in his removal of
rubbish； and that makes the offensiveness of the class。 They are
partial； they are not equal to the work they pretend。 They lose
their way； in the assault on the kingdom of darkness； they expend all
their energy on some accidental evil； and lose their sanity and power
of benefit。 It is of little moment that one or two； or twenty errors
of our social system be corrected； but of much that the man be in his
senses。 The criticism and attack on institutions which we have
witnessed； has made one thing plain； that society gains nothing
whilst a man； not himself renovated； attempts to renovate things
around him： he has become tediously good in some particular； but
negligent or narrow in the rest； and hypocrisy and vanity are often
the disgusting result。 It is handsomer to remain in the
establishment better than the establishment； and conduct that in the
best manner； than to make a sally against evil by some single
improvement； without supporting it by a total regeneration。 Do not
be so vain of your one objection。 Do you think there is only one？
Alas！ my good friend； there is no part of society or of life better
than any other part。 All our things are right and wrong together。
The wave of evil washes all our institutions alike。 Do you complain
of our Marriage？ Our marriage is no worse than our education； our
diet； our trade； our social customs。 Do you complain of the laws of
Property？ It is