ABSTRACT
A great motive invoked by the modern mind has been the love of liberty; but this love, when we examine it, appears to be three fourths hatred. There is the passionate, secret, accumulated hatred towards religion, wealth, and government; and there is the hatred of all the ills that flesh is heir to, easily attributed to the wickedness and folly of other men. Mankind has always been unhappy, more unhappy perhaps when submissive and pious than when rebellious. The rebel is proud of himself and hopeful; these are 237inspiriting sentiments, and in protesting against his misery he has half vanquished it. Misery in other cases may lead to self-depreciation and self-reproach, as if the fault must lie rather in oneself than in the ruling powers. These powers may even be idealised, in contrast to our wretchedness, and conceived as splendid heroes and happy gods. But such pious illusions are hateful to a free spirit. It will not only defy all tyrants, divine and human, but will declare all the ways and works of man in the past to have been false to humanity. Sometimes the love of liberty becomes open hatred of every independent thing limiting one’s own fancy: hatred of tradition, of greatness, of inequality, of truth, and even of matter. “What ignominy,” cries the brave young mind, “to allow myself to be hypnotised by some decrepit charlatan, merely because he speaks in hollow accents, has a white beard, and waves a wand! Haven’t I eyes as good as his, or much better eyes? Haven’t I hands much more skillful and strong? Haven’t I a will far more simple, honest, and clear? To discover the true good I need but look into my own breast. There, written in large capitals I find the whole duty of man, the obvious rule for disseminating a perfect happiness. There nature has deeply engraved the eternal law of liberty: Think As You Like, Say What You Think, Do What You Choose.”
