Sir,
It has long been my Observation, that when the Weather grows tempestuous, there are always some who blame the Wind, others who curse the Sea, and not a few who insist the Compass itself is corrupt. Meanwhile, the Ship drifts on, unattended by those who ought to be trimming the Sails.
I am no Statesman, nor the Daughter of one; yet being a Lover of my Country, I cannot forbear remarking the present Disposition of our public Discourse. We are grown so fond of Victory in Argument, that we have forgotten the far nobler Art of Understanding. Each Party speaks loudly of Liberty, yet many mean only their own. Each cries out against Corruption, yet excuses it in those whose Colors they wear.
It is a curious Folly in human Nature, that we will sooner suspect a Neighbor’s Motives than examine our own. We hold our Principles to be sacred, but treat our Opponents as profane; and thus, in defending Virtue, we sometimes lose it. For if Civility, Charity, and Truth are not preserved in the Contest, what precisely is it we imagine we are saving?
I have observed, with no small Concern, that some mistake Anger for Courage, and Noise for Strength. They imagine that to shout is to persuade, and that to wound is to win. Yet a Republic is not sustained by the sharpness of its tongues, but by the steadiness of its character. A free People may disagree vigorously—indeed, they must—but if they cease to see one another as Countrymen, they will soon find themselves strangers in their own Land.
Let it not be said that to call for Decency is to demand Silence. Heaven forbid. The Liberty to speak one’s Mind is the Glory of a free Nation; but Liberty is not Licentiousness, nor does it oblige us to despise one another in order to prove our Independence. The strongest Arguments are those that can afford to be patient.
I would therefore humbly propose that we each undertake a small Reform—not of our Laws, which are many, nor of our Neighbors, who are stubborn—but of our own Conduct. Let us be severe with falsehood, yet gentle with persons. Let us require Accountability of those in Power, yet resist the temptation to become petty tyrants in our own conversations. Let us read before we rage, verify before we vilify, and remember that a Republic cannot endure if its Citizens delight more in destruction than in repair.
We are heirs to an Experiment rare in the History of Nations: that ordinary people might govern themselves. Such an Experiment demands not perfection, but Participation; not uniformity, but mutual Regard. If we would preserve what is good, we must be good enough to preserve it.
For my own part, I confess a stubborn Hope. I have seen Neighbors disagree fiercely at noon and lend each other tools by dusk. I have seen Communities wounded by tragedy, yet knit themselves together with remarkable Grace. The same Spirit that builds barns, schools, and businesses can surely mend a few political quarrels—provided we prize the Barn more than the Brawl.
If we fail, it will not be for want of eloquence, but for want of humility. If we succeed, it will not be because we conquered one another, but because we remembered we belong to one another.
I remain, Sir,
Your Humble Servant,
A Friend to Liberty and to Peace.
Prudence C. Wilder
Letter's From Prudence 