Thelifeinusislikethewaterintheriver。Itmayrisethisyearhigherthanmanhaseverknownit，andfloodtheparcheduplands；eventhismaybetheeventfulyear，whichwilldrownoutallourmuskrats。Itwasnotalwaysdrylandwherewedwell。Iseefarinlandthebankswhichthestreamancientlywashed，beforesciencebegantorecorditsfreshets。EveryonehasheardthestorywhichhasgonetheroundsofNewEngland，ofastrongandbeautifulbugwhichcameoutofthedryleafofanoldtableofapple-treewood，whichhadstoodinafarmer’skitchenforsixtyyears，firstinConnecticut，andafterwardinMassachusetts——fromaneggdepositedinthelivingtreemanyyearsearlierstill，asappearedbycountingtheannuallayersbeyondit；whichwasheardgnawingoutforseveralweeks，hatchedperchancebytheheatofanurn。Whodoesnotfeelhisfaithinaresurrectionandimmortalitystrengthenedbyhearingofthis？Whoknowswhatbeautifulandwingedlife，whoseegghasbeenburiedforagesundermanyconcentriclayersofwoodennessinthedeaddrylifeofsociety，depositedatfirstinthealburnumofthegreenandlivingtree，whichhasbeengraduallyconvertedintothesemblanceofitswell-seasonedtomb——heardperchancegnawingoutnowforyearsbytheastonishedfamilyofman，astheysatroundthefestiveboard——
mayunexpectedlycomeforthfromamidstsociety’smosttrivialandhandselledfurniture，toenjoyitsperfectsummerlifeatlast！
IdonotsaythatJohnorJonathanwillrealizeallthis；butsuchisthecharacterofthatmorrowwhichmerelapseoftimecannevermaketodawn。Thelightwhichputsoutoureyesisdarknesstous。Onlythatdaydawnstowhichweareawake。Thereismoredaytodawn。Thesunisbutamorningstar。
Iheartilyacceptthemotto，——“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast“；andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyandsystematically。Carriedout，itfinallyamountstothis，whichalsoIbelieve，——“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall“；andwhenmenarepreparedforit，thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichtheywillhave。Governmentisatbestbutanexpedient；butmostgovernmentsareusually，andallgovernmentsaresometimes，inexpedient。Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy，andtheyaremanyandweighty，anddeservetoprevail，mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment。Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment。Thegovernmentitself，whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill，isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit。WitnessthepresentMexicanwar，theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool；for，intheoutset，thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure。
ThisAmericangovernment——whatisitbutatradition，thougharecentone，endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity，buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity？Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman；forasinglemancanbendittohiswill。Itisasortofwoodenguntothepeoplethemselves。Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis；forthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother，andhearitsdin，tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave。