north america-2-第81章

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sir？　　Do　you　find　that　philanthropy；　religion；　philosophy　and　the　social　virtues　are　cultivated　on　a　scale　commensurate　with　the　unequaled　liberty　and　political　advancement　of　the　nation？〃　　There　is　something　absurd　in　such　a　mode　of　address　when　it　is　repeated　often。　　But　hero　worship　and　love　of　country　are　not　absurd；　and　do　not　these　addresses　show　capacity　for　hero　worship　and　an　aptitude　for　the　love　of　country？　Jefferson　Brick　may　not　be　a　hero；　but　a　capacity　for　such　worship　is　something。　　Indeed　the　capacity　is　everything；　for　the　need　of　a　hero　will　produce　a　hero。　　And　it　is　the　same　with　that　love　of　country。　　A　people　that　are　proud　of　their　country　will　see　that　there　is　something　in　their　country　to　justify　their　pride。　　Do　we　not　all　of　us　feel　assured　by　the　intense　nationality　of　an　American　that　he　will　not　desert　his　nation　in　the　hour　of　her　need？　　I　feel　that　assurance　respecting　them；　and　at　those　moments　in　which　I　am　moved　to　laughter　by　the　absurdities　of　their　addresses　to　me　I　feel　it　the　strongest。　I　left　Boston　with　the　snow；　and　returning　to　New　York　found　that　the　streets　there　were　dry　and　that　the　winter　was　nearly　over。　　As　I　had　passed　through　New　York　to　Boston　the　streets　had　been　by　no　means　dry。　　The　snow　had　lain　in　small　mountains　over　which　the　omnibuses　made　their　way　down　Broadway；　till　at　the　bottom　of　that　thoroughfare；　between　Trinity　Church　and　Bowling　Green；　alp　became　piled　upon　alp；　and　all　traffic　was　full　of　danger。　　The　cursed　love　of　gain　still　took　men　to　Wall　Street；　but　they　had　to　fight　their　way　thither　through　physical　difficulties　which　must　have　made　even　the　state　of　the　money　market　a　matter　of　indifference　to　them。　They　do　not　seem　to　me　to　manage　the　winter　in　New　York　so　well　as　they　do　in　Boston。　　But　now；　on　my　last　return　thither；　the　alps　were　gone；　the　roads　were　clear；　and　one　could　travel　through　the　city　with　no　other　impediment　than　those　of　treading　on　women's　dresses　if　one　walked；　or　having　to　look　after　women's　band…boxes　and　pay　their　fares　and　take　their　change　if　one　used　the　omnibuses。　And　now　had　come　the　end　of　my　adventure；　and　as　I　set　my　foot　once　more　upon　the　deck　of　the　Cunard　steamer；　I　felt　that　my　work　was　done；　whether　it　were　done　ill　or　well；　or　whether　indeed　any　approach　to　the　doing　of　it　had　been　attained；　all　had　been　done　that　I　could　accomplish。　　No　further　opportunity　remained　to　me　of　seeing；　hearing；　or　of　speaking。　　I　had　come　out　thither；　having　resolved　to　learn　a　little　that　I　might　if　possible　teach　that　little　to　others；　and　now　the　lesson　was　learned；　or　must　remain　unlearned。　　But　in　carrying　out　my　resolution　I　had　gradually　risen　in　my　ambition；　and　had　mounted　from　one　stage　of　inquiry　to　another；　till　at　last　I　had　found　myself　burdened　with　the　task　of　ascertaining　whether　or　no　the　Americans　were　doing　their　work　as　a　nation　well　or　ill；　and　now；　if　ever；　I　must　be　prepared　to　put　forth　the　result　of　my　inquiry。　　As　I　walked　up　and　down　the　deck　of　the　steamboat　I　confess　I　felt　that　I　had　been　somewhat　arrogant。　I　had　been　a　few　days　over　six　months　in　the　States；　and　I　was　engaged　in　writing　a　book　of　such　a　nature　that　a　man　might　well　engage　himself　for　six　years；　or　perhaps　for　sixty；　in　obtaining　the　materials　for　it。　　There　was　nothing　in　the　form　of　government；　or　legislature；　or　manners　of　the　people　as　to　which　I　had　not　taken　upon　myself　to　say　something。　　I　was　professing　to　understand　their　strength　and　their　weakness；　and　was　daring　to　censure　their　faults　and　to　eulogize　their　virtues。　　〃Who　is　he；〃　an　American　would　say；　〃that　he　comes　and　judges　us？　　His　judgment　is　nothing。〃　　〃Who　is　he；〃　an　Englishman　would　say；　〃that　he　comes　and　teaches　us？　　His　teaching　is　of　no　value。〃　In　answer　to　this　I　have　but　a　small　plea　to　makeI　have　done　my　best。　　I　have　nothing　〃extenuated；　and　have　set　down　naught　in　malice。〃　　I　do　feel　that　my　volumes　have　blown　themselves　out　into　proportions　greater　than　I　had　intended；　greater　not　in　mass　of　pages；　but　in　the　matter　handled。　　I　am　frequently　addressing　my　own　muse；　who　I　am　well　aware　is　not　Clio；　and　asking　her　whither　she　is　wending。　　〃Cease；　thou　wrong…headed　one；　to　meddle　with　these　mysteries。〃　　I　appeal　to　her　frequently；　but　ever　in　vain。　　One　cannot　drive　one's　muse；　nor　yet　always　lead　her。　　Of　the　various　women　with　which　a　man　is　blessed；　his　muse　is　by　no　means　the　least　difficult　to　manage。　But　again　I　put　in　my　slight　plea。　　In　doing　as　I　have　done；　I　have　at　least　done　my　best。　　I　have　endeavored　to　judge　without　prejudice；　and　to　hear　with　honest　ears　and　to　see　with　honest　eyes。　The　subject；　moreover；　on　which　I　have　written　is　one　which；　though　great；　is　so　universal　in　its　bearings　that　it　may　be　said　to　admit；　without　impropriety；　of　being　handled　by　the　unlearned　as　well　as　the　learned；　by　those　who　have　grown　gray　in　the　study　of　constitutional　lore；　and　by　those　who　have　simply　looked　on　at　the　government　of　men　as　we　all　look　on　at　those　matters　which　daily　surround　us。　　There　are　matters　as　to　which　a　man　should　never　take　a　pen　in　hand　unless　he　has　given　to　them　much　labor。　　The　botanist　must　have　learned　to　trace　the　herbs　and　flowers　before　he　can　presume　to　tell　us　how　God　has　formed　them。　　But　the　death　of　Hector　is　a　fit　subject　for　a　boy's　verses；　though　Homer　also　sang　of　it。　I　feel　that　there　is　scope　for　a　book　on　the　United　States　form　of　government　as　it　was　founded；　and　as　it　has　since　framed　itself；　which　might　do　honor　to　the　life…long　studies　of　some　one　of　those　great　constitutional　pundits　whom　we　have　among　us；　but；　nevertheless；　the　plain　words　of　a　man　who　is　no　pundit　need　not　disgrace　the　subject；　if　they　be　honestly　written；　and　if　he　who　writes　them　has　in　his　heart　an　honest　love　of　liberty。　　Such　were　my　thoughts　as　I　walked　the　deck　of　the　Cunard　steamer。　　Then　I　descended　to　my　cabin；　settled　my　luggage；　and　prepared　a　table　for　the　continuance　of　my　work。　　It　was　fourteen　days　from　that　time　before　I　reached　London；　but　the　fourteen　days　to　me　were　not　unpleasant。　　The　demon　of　sea…sickness　spares　me　always；　and　if　I　can　find　on　board　one　or　two　who　are　equally　fortunatewho　can　eat　with　me；　drink　with　me；　and　talk　with　meI　do　not　know　that　a　passage　across　the　Atlantic　is　by　any　means　a　terrible　evil　to　me。　In　finishing　these　volumes　after　the　fashion　in　which　they　have　been　written　throughout；　I　feel　that　I　am　bound　to　express　a　fixed　opinion　on　two　or　three　points；　and　that　if　I　have　not　enabled　myself　to　do　so；　I　have　traveled　through　the　country　in　vain。　　I　am　bound　by　the　very　nature　of　my　undertaking　to　say　whether；　according　to　such　view　as　I　have　enabled　myself　to　take　of　them；　the　Americans　have　succeeded　as　a　nation　politically　and　socially；　and　in　doing　this　I　ought　to　be　able　to　explain　how　far　slavery　has　interfered　with　such　success。　　I　am　bound　also；　writing　at　the　present　moment；　to　express　some　opinion　as　to　the　result　of　this　war；　and　to　declare　whether　the　North　or　the　South　may　be　expected　to　be　victorious　explaining　in　some　rough　way　what　may　be　the　results　of　such　victory；　and　how　such　results　will　affect　the　question　of　slavery；　and　I　shall　leave　my　task　unfinished　if　I　do　not　say　what　may　be　the　possible　chances　of　future　quarrel　between　England　and　the　States。　That　there　has　been　and　is　much　hot　blood　and　angry　feeling；　no　man　doubts；　but　such　angry　feeling　has　existed　among　many　nations　without　any　probability　of　war。　　In　this　case；　with　reference　to　this　ill　will　that　has　certainly　established　itself　between　us　and　that　other　people；　is　there　any　need　that　it　should　be　satisfied　by　war　and　allayed　by　blood？　No　one；　I　think；　can　doubt　that　the　founders　of　the　great　American　Commonwealth　made　an　error　in　omitting　to　provide　some　means　for　the　gradual　extinction　of　slavery　throughout　the　States。　　That　error　did　not　consist　in　any　liking　for　slavery。　　There　was　no　feeling　in　favor　of　slavery　on　the　part　of　those　who　made　themselves　prominent　at　the　political　birth　of　the　nation。　　I　think　I　shall　be　justified　in　saying　that　at　that　time　the　opinion　that　slavery　is　itself　a　good　thing；　that　it　is　an　institution　of　divine　origin　and　fit　to　be　perpetuated　among　men　as　in　itself　excellent；　had　not　found　that　favor　in　the　Southern　States　in　which　it　is　now　held。　　Jefferson；　who　has　been　regarded　as　the　leader　of　the　Southern　or　Democratic　party；　has　left　ample　testimony　that　he　regarded　slavery　as　an　evil。　It　is；　I　think；　true　that　he　gave　such　testimony　much　more　freely　when　he　was　speaking　or　writing　as　a　private　individual　than　he　ever　allowed　himself　to　do　when　his　words　were　armed　with　the　weight　of　public　authority。　　But　it　is　clear　that　on　the　whole　he　was　opposed　to　slavery；　and　I　think　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　he　and　his　party　looked　forward　to　a　natural　death　for　that　evil。　　Calculation　was　made　that　slavery　when　not　recruited　afresh　from　Africa　could　not　maintain　its　numbers；　and　that　gradually　the　negro　population　would　become　extinct。　　This　was　the　error　made。　　It　was　easier　to　look　forward　to　such　a　result　and　hope　for　such　an　end　of　the　difficulty；　than　to　extinguish　slavery　by　a　great　political　movement；　which　must　doubtless　have　been　difficult　and　costly。　　The　Northern