beacon lights of history-iii-2-第18节

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to　better　their　fortunes。　　Gradually　the　United　States　and　Canada

became　populated　from　east　to　west　and　from　north　to　south。　　The

surplus　population　of　Europe　poured　itself　into　the　wilds　of

America。　　Generally　the　emigrants　were　farmers。　　With　the　growth　of

agricultural　industry　were　developed　commerce　and　manufactures。

Thus；　materially；　the　world　was　immensely　benefited。　　A　new

continent　was　opened　for　industry。　　No　matter　what　the　form　of

government　may　be；I　might　almost　say　no　matter　what　the　morals

and　religion　of　the　people　may　be；so　long　as　there　is　land　to

occupy；　and　to　be　sold　cheap；　the　continent　will　fill　up；　and　will

be　as　densely　populated　as　Europe　or　Asia；　because　the　natural

advantages　are　good。　　The　rivers　and　the　lakes　will　be　navigated；

the　products　of　the　country　will　be　exchanged　for　European　and

Asiatic　products；　wealth　will　certainly　increase；　and　increase

indefinitely。　　There　is　no　calculating　the　future　resources　and

wealth　of　the　New　World；　especially　in　the　United　States。　　There

are　no　conceivable　bounds　to　their　future　commerce；　manufactures；

and　agricultural　products。　　We　can　predict　with　certainty　the　rise

of　new　cities；　villas；　palaces；　material　splendor；　limited　only　to

the　increasing　resources　and　population　of　the　country。　　Who　can

tell　the　number　of　miles　of　new　railroads　yet　to　be　made；　the　new

inventions　to　abridge　human　labor；　what　great　empires　are　destined

to　rise；　what　unknown　forms　of　luxury　will　be　found　out；　what　new

and　magnificent　trophies　of　art　and　science　will　gradually　be　seen；

what　mechanism；　what　material　glories；　are　sure　to　come？　　This　is

not　speculation。　　Nothing　can　retard　the　growth　of　America　in

material　wealth　and　glory。　　The　splendid　external　will　call　forth

more　panegyrics　than　the　old　Roman　world　which　fancied　itself

eternal。　　The　tower　of　the　new　Babel　will　rise　to　the　clouds；　and

be　seen　in　all　its　glory　throughout　the　earth　and　sea。　　No　Fourth

of　July　orator　ever　exaggerated　the　future　destinies　of　America　in

a　material　point　of　view。　　No　〃spread…eagle〃　politician　even

conceived　what　will　be　sure　to　come。



And　what　then？　　Grant　the　most　indefinite　expansion；the　growth　of

empires　whose　splendor　and　wealth　and　power　shall　utterly　eclipse

the　glories　of　the　Old　World。　　All　this　is　probable。　　But　when　we

have　dwelt　on　the　future　material　expansion；　when　we　have　given

wings　to　imagination；　and　feel　that　even　imagination　cannot　reach

the　probable　realities　in　a　material　aspect；then　our　predictions

and　calculations　stop。　　Beyond　material　glories　we　cannot　count

with　certainty。　　The　world　has　witnessed　many　powerful　empires

which　have　passed　away；　and　left　〃not　a　rack　behind。〃　　What　remains

of　the　antediluvian　world？not　even　a　spike　of　Noah's　ark；　larger

and　stronger　than　any　modern　ship。　　What　remains　of　Nineveh；　of

Babylon；　of　Thebes；　of　Tyre；　of　Carthage；those　great　centres　of

wealth　and　power？　　What　remains　of　Roman　greatness　even；　except　in

laws　and　literature　and　renovated　statues？　　Remember　there　is　an

undeviating　uniformity　in　the　past　history　of　nations。　　What　is　the

simple　story　of　all　the　ages？industry；　wealth；　corruption；　decay；

and　ruin。　　What　conservative　power　has　been　strong　enough　to　arrest

the　ruin　of　the　nations　of　antiquity？　　Have　not　material　forces　and

glories　been　developed　and　exhibited；　whatever　the　religion　and

morals　of　the　fallen　nations？　　Cannot　a　country　grow　materially　to

a　certain　point；　under　the　most　adverse　influences；　in　a　religious

and　moral　point　of　view？　　Yet　for　lack　of　religion　and　morals　the

nations　perished；　and　their　Babel…towers　were　buried　in　the　dust。

They　perished　for　lack　of　true　conservative　forces；　at　least　that

is　the　judgment　of　historians。　　Nobody　doubts　the　splendor　of　the

material　glories　of　the　ancient　nations。　　The　ruins　of　Baalbec；　of

Palmyra；　of　Athens；　prove　this；　to　say　nothing　of　history。　　The

material　glories　of　the　ancient　nations　may　be　surpassed　by　our

modern　wonders；　but　yet　all　the　material　glories　of　the　ancient

nations　passed　away。



Now　if　this　is　to　be　the　destiny　of　America；an　unbounded　material

growth；　followed　by　corruption　and　ruin；then　Columbus　has　simply

extended　the　realm　for　men　to　try　material　experiments。　　Make　New

York　a　second　Carthage；　and　Boston　a　second　Athens；　and

Philadelphia　a　second　Antioch；　and　Washington　a　second　Rome；　and　we

simply　repeat　the　old　experiments。　　Did　not　the　Romans　have　nearly

all　we　have；　materially；　except　our　modern　scientific　inventions？



But　has　America　no　higher　destiny　than　to　repeat　the　old

experiments；　and　improve　upon　them；　and　become　rich　and　powerful？

Has　she　no　higher　and　nobler　mission？　　Can　she　lay　hold　of　forces

that　the　Old　World　never　had；　such　as　will　prevent　the　uniform　doom

of　nations？　　I　maintain　that　there　is　no　reason　that　can　be　urged；

based　on　history　and　experience；　why　she　should　escape　the　fate　of

the　nations　of　antiquity；　unless　new　forces　arise　on　this　continent

different　from　what　the　world　has　known；　and　which　have　a

conservative　influence。　　If　America　has　a　great　mission　to　declare

and　to　fulfil；　she　must　put　forth　altogether　new　forces；　and　these

not　material。　　And　these　alone　will　save　her　and　save　the　world。

It　is　mournful　to　contemplate　even　the　future　magnificent　material

glories　of　America　if　these　are　not　to　be　preserved；　if　these　are

to　share　the　fate　of　ancient　wonders。　　It　is　obvious　that　the　real

glory　of　America　is　to　be　something　entirely　different　from　that　of

which　the　ancients　boasted。　　And　this　is　to　be　moral　and

spiritual；that　which　the　ancients　lacked。



This　leads　me　to　speak　of　the　moral　consequences　of　the　discovery

of　America；infinitely　grander　than　any　material　wonders；　of　which

the　world　has　been　full；　of　which　every　form　of　paganism　has

boasted；　which　nearly　everywhere　has　perished；　and　which　must

necessarily　perish　everywhere；　without　new　forces　to　preserve　them。



In　a　moral　point　of　view　scarcely　anything　good　immediately

resulted；　at　least　to　Europe；　by　the　discovery　of　America。　　It

excited　the　wildest　spirit　of　adventure；　the　most　unscrupulous

cupidity；　the　most　demoralizing　speculation。　　It　created　jealousies

and　wars。　　The　cruelties　and　injustices　inflicted　on　the　Indians

were　revolting。　　Nothing　in　the　annals　of　the　world　exceeds　the

wickedness　of　the　Spaniards　in　the　conquest　of　Peru　and　Mexico。

That　conquest　is　the　most　dismal　and　least　glorious　in　human

history。　　We　see　in　it　no　poetry；　or　heroism；　or　necessity；　we　read

of　nothing　but　its　crimes。　　The　Jesuits；　in　their　missionary　zeal；

partly　redeemed　the　cruelties；　but　they　soon　imposed　a　despotic

yoke；　and　confirmed　their　sway。　　Monopolies　scandalously　increased；

and　the　New　World　was　regarded　only　as　spoil。　　The　tone　of　moral

feeling　was　lowered　everywhere；　for　the　nations　were　crazed　with

the　hope　of　sudden　accumulations。　　Spain　became　enervated　and

demoralized。



On　America　itself　the　demoralization　was　even　more　marked。　　There

never　was　such　a　state　of　moral　degradation　in　any　Christian

country　as　in　South　America。　　Three　centuries　have　passed；　and　the

low　state　of　morals　continues。　　Contrast　Mexico　and　Peru　with　the

United　States；　morally　and　intellectually。　　What　seeds　of　vice　did

not　the　Spaniards　plant！　　How　the　old　natives　melted　away！



And　then；　to　add　to　the　moral　evils　attending　colonization；　was　the

introduction　of　African　slaves；　especially　in　the　West　Indies　and

the　Southern　States　of　North　America。　　Christendom　seems　to　have

lost　the　sense　of　morality。　　Slavery　more　than　counterbalances　all

other　advantages　together。　　It　was　the　stain　of　the　seventeenth　and

eighteenth　centuries。　　Not　merely　slaves；　but　the　slave…trade；

increase　the　horrors　of　the　frightful　picture。　　America　became

associated；　in　the　minds　of　Europeans；　with　gold…hunting；　slavery；

and　cruelty　to　Indians。　　Better　that　the　country　had　remained

undiscovered　than　that　such　vices　and　miseries　should　be　introduced

into　the　most　fertile　parts　of　the　New　World。



I　cannot　see　that　civilization　gained　anything；　morally；　by　the

discovery　of　America；　until　the　new　settlers　were　animated　by　other

motives　than　a　desire　for　sudden　wealth。　　When　the　country　became

colonized　by　men　who　sought　liberty　to　worship　God；men　of　lofty

purposes；　willing　to　undergo　sufferings　and　danger　in　order　to

plant　the　seeds　of　a　higher　civilization；then　there　arose　new

forms　of　social　and　political　life。　　Such　men　were　those　who

colonized　New　England。　　And；　say　what　you　will；　in　spite　of　all　the

disagreeable　sides　of　the　Puritan　character；　it　was　the　Puritans

who　gave　a　new　impulse　to　civilization　in　the　New　World。　　They

founded　schools　and　colleges　and　churches。　　They　introduced　a　new

form　of　political　life　by　their　town…meetings；　in　which　liberty　was

nurtured；　and　all　local　improvements　were　regulated。　　It　was　the

autonomy　of　towns　on　which　the　political　structure　of　new　Engla