north america-2-第84章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


f　their　Constitution。　　We　acknowledge　them　to　be　well　educated；　intelligent；　philanthropic；　and　industrious；　but　we　say　that　they　are　ambitious；　unjust；　self…idolatrous；　and　irreligious。　　If　so；　let　us　at　any　rate　balance　the　virtues　against　the　vices。　　As　to　their　ambition；　it　is　a　vice　that　leans　so　to　virtue's　side　that　it　hardly　needs　an　apology。　　As　to　their　injustice；　or　rather　dishonesty；　I　have　said　what　I　have　to　say　on　that　matter。　　I　am　not　going　to　flinch　from　the　accusation　I　have　brought；　though　I　am　aware　that　in　bringing　it　I　have　thrown　away　any　hope　that　I　might　have　had　of　carrying　with　me　the　good…will　of　the　Americans　for　my　book。　　The　love　of　moneyor　rather　of　making　moneycarried　to　an　extreme；　has　lessened　that　instinctive　respect　for　the　rights　of　meum　and　tuum；　which　all　men　feel　more　or　less；　and　which；　when　encouraged　within　the　human　breast；　finds　its　result　in　perfect　honesty。　　Other　nations；　of　which　I　will　not　now　stop　to　name　even　one；　have　had　their　periods　of　natural　dishonesty。　　It　may　be　that　others　are　even　now　to　be　placed　in　the　same　category。　　But　it　is　a　fault　which　industry　and　intelligence　combined　will　after　awhile　serve　to　lessen　and　to　banish。　　The　industrious　man　desires　to　keep　the　fruit　of　his　own　industry；　and　the　intelligent　man　will　ultimately　be　able　to　do　so。　　That　the　Americans　are　self…idolaters　is　perhaps　truewith　a　difference。　　An　American　desires　you　to　worship　his　country；　or　his　brother；　but　he　does　not　often；　by　any　of　the　usual　signs　of　conceit；　call　upon　you　to　worship　himself；　as　an　American；　treating　of　America；　he　is　self…idolatrous；　that　is　a　self…idolatry　which　I　can　endure。　　Then；　as　to　his　want　of　religion　and　it　is　a　very　sad　wantI　can　only　say　of　him　that　I；　as　an　Englishman；　do　not　feel　myself　justified　in　flinging　the　first　stone　at　him。　　In　that　matter　of　religion；　as　in　the　matter　of　education；　the　American；　I　think；　stands　on　a　level　higher　than　ours。　　There　is　not　in　the　States　so　absolute　an　ignorance　of　religion　as　is　to　be　found　in　some　of　our　manufacturing　and　mining　districts；　and　also；　alas！　in　some　of　our　agricultural　districts；　but　also；　I　think；　there　is　less　of　respect　and　veneration　for　God's　word　among　their　educated　classes　than　there　is　with　us；　and；　perhaps；　also　less　knowledge　as　to　God's　word。　　The　general　religious　level　is；　I　think；　higher　with　them；　but　there　is；　if　I　am　right　in　my　supposition；　with　us　a　higher　eminence　in　religion；　as　there　is　also　a　deeper　depth　of　ungodliness。　I　think；　then；　that　we　are　bound　to　acknowledge　that　the　Americans　have　succeeded　as　a　nation；　politically　and　socially。　　When　I　speak　of　social　success；　I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　their　manners　are　correct　according　to　this　or　that　standard；　I　will　not　say　that　they　are　correct　or　are　not　correct。　　In　that　matter　of　manners　I　have　found　those　with　whom　it　seemed　to　me　natural　that　I　should　associate　very　pleasant　according　to　my　standard。　　I　do　not　know　that　I　am　a　good　critic　on　such　a　subject；　or　that　I　have　ever　thought　much　of　it　with　the　view　of　criticising；　I　have　been　happy　and　comfortable　with　them；　and　for　me　that　has　been　sufficient。　　In　speaking　of　social　success　I　allude　to　their　success　in　private　life　as　distinguished　from　that　which　they　have　achieved　in　public　life；　to　their　successes　in　commerce；　in　mechanics；　in　the　comforts　and　luxuries　of　life；　in　physic　and　all　that　leads　to　the　solace　of　affliction；　in　literature；　and　I　may　add　also；　considering　the　youth　of　the　nation；　in　the　arts。　　We　are；　I　think；　bound　to　acknowledge　that　they　have　succeeded。　　And　if　they　have　succeeded；　it　is　vain　for　us　to　say　that　a　system　is　wrong　which　has；　at　any　rate；　admitted　of　such　success。　　That　which　was　wanted　from　some　form　of　government；　has　been　obtained　with　much　more　than　average　excellence；　and　therefore　the　form　adopted　has　approved　itself　as　good。　　You　may　explain　to　a　farmer's　wife；　with　indisputable　logic；　that　her　churn　is　a　bad　churn；　but　as　long　as　she　turns　out　butter　in　greater　quantity；　in　better　quality；　and　with　more　profit　than　her　neighbors；　you　will　hardly　induce　her　to　change　it。　　It　may　be　that　with　some　other　churn　she　might　have　done　even　better；　but；　under　such　circumstances；　she　will　have　a　right　to　think　well　of　the　churn　she　uses。　The　American　Constitution　is　now；　I　think；　at　the　crisis　of　its　severest　trial。　　I　conceive　it　to　be　by　no　means　perfect；　even　for　the　wants　of　the　people　who　use　it；　and　I　have　already　endeavored　to　explain　what　changes　it　seems　to　need。　　And　it　has　had　this　defect　that　it　has　permitted　a　falling　away　from　its　intended　modes　of　action；　while　its　letter　has　been　kept　sacred。　　As　I　have　endeavored　to　show；　universal　suffrage　and　democratic　action　in　the　Senate　were　not　intended　by　the　framers　of　the　Constitution。　　In　this　respect　the　Constitution　has；　as　it　were；　fallen　through；　and　it　is　needed　that　its　very　beams　should　be　restrengthened。　　There　are　also　other　matters　as　to　which　it　seems　that　some　change　is　indispensable。　　So　much　I　have　admitted。　　But；　not　the　less；　judging　of　it　by　the　entirety　of　the　work　that　it　has　done；　I　think　that　we　are　bound　to　own　that　it　has　been　successful。　And　now；　with　regard　to　this　tedious　war；　of　which　from　day　to　day　we　are　still；　in　this　month　of　May；　1862；　hearing　details　which　teach　us　to　think　that　it　can　hardly　as　yet　be　near　its　end。　　To　what　may　we　rationally　look　as　its　result？　　Of　one　thing　I　myself　feel　tolerably　certain；　that　its　result　will　not　be　nothing；　as　some　among　us　have　seemed　to　suppose　may　be　probable。　　I　cannot　believe　that　all　this　energy　on　the　part　of　the　North　will　be　of　no　avail；　more　than　I　suppose　that　Southern　perseverance　will　be　of　no　avail。　There　are　those　among　us　who　say　that　a　secession　will　at　last　be　accomplished；　the　North　should　have　yielded　to　the　South　at　once；　and　that　nothing　will　be　gained　by　their　great　expenditure　of　life　and　treasure。　　I　can　by　no　means　bring　myself　to　agree　with　these。　I　also　look　to　the　establishment　of　secession。　　Seeing　how　essential　and　thorough　are　the　points　of　variance　between　the　North　and　the　South；　how　unlike　the　one　people　is　to　the　other；　and　how　necessary　it　is　that　their　policies　should　be　different；　seeing　how　deep　are　their　antipathies；　and　how　fixed　is　each　side　in　the　belief　of　its　own　rectitude　and　in　the　belief　also　of　the　other's　political　baseness；　I　can　not　believe　that　the　really　Southern　States　will　ever　again　be　joined　in　amicable　union　with　those　of　the　North。　They；　the　States　of　the　Gulf；　may　be　utterly　subjugated；　and　the　North　may　hold　over　them　military　power。　　Georgia　and　her　sisters　may　for　awhile　belong　to　the　Union；　as　one　conquered　country　belongs　to　another。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　they　will　ever　act　with　the　Union；　and；　as　I　imagine；　the　Union　before　long　will　agree　to　a　separation。　　I　do　not　mean　to　prophesy　that　the　result　will　be　thus　accomplished。　　It　may　be　that　the　South　will　effect　their　own　independence　before　they　lay　down　their　arms。　　I　think；　however；　that　we　may　look　forward　to　such　independence；　whether　it　be　achieved　in　that　way；　or　in　this；　or　in　some　other。　But　not　on　that　account　will　the　war　have　been　of　no　avail　to　the　North。　　I　think　it　must　be　already　evident　to　all　those　who　have　looked　into　the　matter；　that　had　the　North　yielded　to　the　first　call　made　by　the　South　for　secession　all　the　slave　States　must　have　gone。　Maryland　would　have　gone；　carrying　Delaware　in　its　arms；　and　if　Maryland；　all　south　of　Maryland。　　If　Maryland　had　gone；　the　capital　would　have　gone。　　If　the　government　had　resolved　to　yield；　Virginia　to　the　east　would　assuredly　have　gone；　and　I　think　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　Missouri；　to　the　west；　would　have　gone　also。　　The　feeling　for　the　Union　in　Kentucky　was　very　strong；　but　I　do　not　think　that　even　Kentucky　could　have　saved　itself。　　To　have　yielded　to　the　Southern　demands　would　have　been　to　have　yielded　everything。　　But　no　man　now　presumes；　let　the　contest　go　as　it　will；　that　Maryland　and　Delaware　will　go　with　the　South。　　The　secessionists　of　Baltimore　do　not　think　so；　nor　the　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　Washington；　whose　whole　hearts　are　in　the　Southern　cause。　　No　man　thinks　that　Maryland　will　go；　and　few；　I　believe；　imagine　that　either　Missouri　or　Kentucky　will　be　divided　from　the　North。　　I　will　not　pretend　what　may　be　the　exact　line；　but　I　myself　feel　confident　that　it　will　run　south　both　of　Virginia　and　of　Kentucky。　If　the　North　do　conquer　the　South；　and　so　arrange　their　matters　that　the　Southern　States　shall　again　become　members　of　the　Union；　it　will　be　admitted　that　they　have　done　all　that　they　ought　to　do。　　If　they　do　not　do　thisif　instead　of　doing　this；　which　would　be　all　that　they　desire；　they　were　in　truth　to　do　nothing；　to　win　finally　not　one　foot　of　ground　from　the　Southa　supposition　which　I　regard　as　impossibleI　think　that　we　should　still　admit　after　awhile　that　they　had　done　their　duty　in　endeavoring　to　maintain　the　integrity　of　the　empire。　　But　if；　as　a　third　and　more　probable　alternative；　they　succeed　in　rescuing　from　the　South　and　from　slavery　four　or　five　of　the　finest　States　of　the　old　Unionand　a　vast　portion　of　the　continent　to　be　beaten　by　none　other　in　salubrity；　fertility；　beauty；　and　political　importancewi