Henry David Thoreau 197 



he adds, "that those who call themselves abo- 

 litionists should at once effectually withdraw 

 their support both in person and property from 

 the government of Massachusetts." This is 

 what he did. In 1843 ne ceased to pay the 

 poll-tax. He had seceded. He says: "In 

 fact I declare war with the State after my own 

 fashion." He was put in prison, but that was 

 a part of his design. "Under a government 

 which imprisons any unjustly, the true place 

 for a just man is also in prison. I know this 

 well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if 

 ten men whom I could name ay, if one 

 honest man in this State of Massachusetts, 

 ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to with- 

 draw from this copartnership and be locked up 

 in the county jail therefor it would be the abo- 

 lition of slavery in America." A friend paid 

 the tax for him and continued year by year to 

 pay it, so that Thoreau was free to walk the 

 woods. 



This curious personality of Henry David 

 Thoreau stands alone, apparently, as a practical 

 attempt to grasp the good things of this world, 

 in a higher sense, without paying the penalty 



