Against Paternalism

While researching for a professor, I ran across an interesting view about the role of Governments by Isaac A. Cornelison, a late 19th century Presbyterian minister. He says in the preface of his book The Relation of Religion to Civil Government in The United States of America--A State Without a Church, but Not Without a Religion:

In a democracy, the many may not claim to be better judges of the personal interests of the one than the individual himself. They may not, therefore, compel him to act in a matter relating only to his own interest, against his own judgment, and in accordance with theirs. It may be that, in the use of his liberty, he will do himself harm; but the discipline of responsibility will tend to strengthen and elevate the man, which would be far better than that he should escape a particular harm by the surrender of his liberty and the transfer of his responsibility to others. This being the principle upon which the divine government of the world is conducted, it must be regarded as founded in the highest wisdom and benevolence, and therefore as best fitted (at least in the case of adults) to promote the welfare of mankind. The Creator has made special provision in nature for the paternal government of the young; but he has made it plain that it is the proper aim of that government to secure its own early extinction by developing in the young the power of self-government. This divine intention is manifested, with especial clearness, in the lower animal creation, for there the dam does not recognize her offpsring, or even know them as her own, after they have come to maturity.

The authority of civil government, when it interferes with the liberty of the individual, for the purpose of securing his own good, and not merely for the purpose of preventing his interference with the liberty of his fellowman, is pedagogic, fulfilling an office like that of the freedman or slave who, in ancient times, was given authority to conduct the child from the home to the school. The authority of the pedagogue over the child was legitimate and proper for a time, but when he had delivered the child to the teacher his authority ceased. The fulfilment of the function of his office was the very thing which brought his authority to an end. (preface iv-v)

Oddly enough, our government, as it seeks to do better, gets increasingly larger, trying to do more and more for us. Wouldn't it be refreshing if the general view of a good government was one that accomplishes itself out of a job?