3 88 



LITERARY PAPERS 



But to "the self that knows" truths take on in this knowing 

 self an effulgence incomparably bright with former states. 

 To truth's justification in each soul and guidance to its 

 own freedom, must self look to self alone, and be its own 

 guide to that point which makes each particular individual 

 free. 



How incompatible is this state with the social world around 

 us! From reading Whitman, especially those portions of his 

 works bidding us bow in obedience to law, I have understood 

 him to be speaking of universal spiritual laws. To these, when 

 recognized, we owe allegiance and obedience. In conforming 

 and bringing our spiritual nature into touch with our psychi- 

 cal environment we become freest men and women. These 

 thoughts, which are found scattered through Whitman's 

 writings, as it were like jewelled stars in the vast sky, are pre- 

 sented concisely in his prose under the title " Freedom." He 

 says : 



"It is not only true that most people entirely misunder- 

 stand Freedom, but I sometimes think I have not yet met one 

 person who rightly understands it. The whole Universe is 

 absolute Law. Freedom only opens entire activity and license 

 under the law. To the degraded or undeveloped and even 

 to too many others the thought of freedom is a thought of 

 escaping from law, which, of course, is impossible. More 

 precious than all worldly riches is Freedom freedom from 

 the painful constipation and poor narrowness of ecclesiasti- 

 cism freedom in manners, habiliments, furniture, from 

 the silliness and tyranny of local fashions entire freedom 

 from party rings and mere conventions in Politics and 

 better than all, a general freedom of One's-Self from the 

 tyrannic dominations of vices, habits, appetites, under which 

 nearly every man of us (often the greatest bawler for freedom) 

 is enslaved. Can we attain such enfranchisement the true 

 Democracy, and the height of it? While we are from birth 

 to death the subjects of irresistible law, enclosing every move- 

 ment and minute, we yet escape, by a paradox, into true free 

 will. Strange as it may seem, we only attain to freedom by 

 a knowledge of, and implicit obedience to Law. Great 



