Page:The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoi - 11 (Crowell, 1899).djvu/385

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LETTER TO DR. SCHMITT
361

Let us seek to hasten that end. "Carthago delenda est." Government is violence, Christianity is meekness, non-resistance, love. And, therefore, government cannot be Christian, and a man who wishes to be a Christian must not serve government. Government cannot be Christian. A Christian cannot serve government. Government cannot . . . and so on.

It is curious that just when you wrote to me about the incapability of governmental activity with Christianity, I was writing a long letter[1] on the same theme to a lady acquaintance. I send you a copy of that letter. You are at liberty to publish it if you wish to do so.[2]

  1. Published as "A Letter to the Liberals" (p. 197 supra).
  2. Writing to a man who shared his views on no-government and non-resistance, Tolstoi, in this letter to Dr. Schmitt, expresses himself briefly, without reiterating arguments already familiar to his correspondent.─Ed.