Wielding ethos in his argument in favor of peaceful disobedience, Thoreau makes a surprising claim to authority based upon his own brief experience of imprisonment in a local jail for refusing to pay his taxes. Characterizing this as a life-changing experience that opened his eyes to the reality of American politics, Thoreau writes:
When I came out of prison,—for some one interfered, and paid the tax,—I did not perceive that great changes had taken place on the common [...] and yet a change had to my eyes come over the scene,—the town, and State, and country,—greater than any that mere time could effect. I saw yet more distinctly the State in which I lived. I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly purpose to do right.
He acknowledges that no “great changes had taken place” during his one-night stay in jail, and yet, he feels that his own perspective has radically shifted as a result of his experience. For the first time, he claims, he “saw yet more distinctly the State” in which he lived and can more fully appreciate the ways in which it wields power over its citizens. Though his imprisonment was brief, he feels that it has given him a perspective which his fellow citizens lack, including an increased awareness of the ease with which members of a community will turn their backs upon each other.
