He should do all he
can by legal methods to get the command cancelled, but till it is
cancelled, he should conform to it. The common good must suffer more
from resistance to a law or to the ordinance of a legal authority than
from the individual's conformity to the particular law or ordinance that
is bad, until its repeal can be obtained."[44] Here we have the true
ground of the duty of obedience. The antagonistic principle of passive
resistance provides a charter for criminals and anarchists.

(2) The second point needs little enlargement. It is clear from many
examples in both ancient and modern history that if a monarchy is
overthrown an aristocracy can take its place, and that if an aristocracy
is dispossessed of power, room is made for a democracy. But what do our
rebels against democracy propose to substitute for the sovereign will of
the majority, if they succeed by resistance in reducing it to impotence?
Possibly they hope that their own exalted will may prevail. Let them not
flatter themselves by any such vain dream. Even assuming what is
improbable, viz., that they remain united among themselves, can they
suppose that their example of successful revolt will remain without
imitators, or that their anti-social doctrines will never be applied
again? If they will not render obedience when they are in a minority,
who will obey them even if they have a majority behind them? Government
will cease; the reign of order will be at an end; Society will be
dissolved amid "red ruin and the breaking-up of laws."

FOOTNOTE:

[44] Green. _Principles of Political Obligation_, p. 111. _Cf._ Ritchie,
Natural Rights, p. 243.

V. THE DUTY OF THE STATE

The case seems clear. Passive resistance is rebellion, and it is
entirely inconsistent with loyalty to any form of government. In
relation to democratic government it is, moreover, on the part of
members of the democracy, treachery of a peculiarly heinous type, since
it is a betrayal of the sovereign community by those within its own
ranks. If the sovereign community does (as it easily may) by the vote of
its majority make enactments which seem to any one of its subjects to be
morally wrong, that subject has two legitimate courses open to him. He
may either obey under protest, and meantime use all lawful influence at
his disposal to convince the majority of the error of their ways, and
convert them to his way of thinking; or he may withdraw from the
community and its t