democracy in america-1-第127节

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！


orbed　in　the　cares　of　self…defense　even　to　attempt　any　amelioration　of　their　condition。　　Such；　however；　will　not　always　be　the　case。　　Europe　has　succeeded　by　her　own　efforts　in　piercing　the　gloom　of　the　Middle　Ages；　South　America　has　the　same　Christian　laws　and　Christian　manners　as　we　have；　she　contains　all　the　germs　of　civilization　which　have　grown　amidst　the　nations　of　Europe　or　their　offsets；　added　to　the　advantages　to　be　derived　from　our　example：　why　then　should　she　always　remain　uncivilized？　　It　is　clear　that　the　question　is　simply　one　of　time；　at　some　future　period；　which　may　be　more　or　less　remote；　the　inhabitants　of　South　America　will　constitute　flourishing　and　enlightened　nations。

But　when　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　of　South　America　begin　to　feel　the　wants　common　to　all　civilized　nations；　they　will　still　be　unable　to　satisfy　those　wants　for　themselves；　as　the　youngest　children　of　civilization；　they　must　perforce　admit　the　superiority　of　their　elder　brethren。　　They　will　be　agriculturists　long　before　they　succeed　in　manufactures　or　commerce；　and　they　will　require　the　mediation　of　strangers　to　exchange　their　produce　beyond　seas　for　those　articles　for　which　a　demand　will　begin　to　be　felt。

It　is　unquestionable　that　the　Americans　of　the　North　will　one　day　supply　the　wants　of　the　Americans　of　the　South。　　Nature　has　placed　them　in　contiguity；　and　has　furnished　the　former　with　every　means　of　knowing　and　appreciating　those　demands；　of　establishing　a　permanent　connection　with　those　States；　and　of　gradually　filling　their　markets。　　The　merchants　of　the　United　States　could　only　forfeit　these　natural　advantages　if　he　were　very　inferior　to　the　merchant　of　Europe；　to　whom　he　is；　on　the　contrary；　superior　in　several　respects。　　The　Americans　of　the　United　States　already　exercise　a　very　considerable　moral　influence　upon　all　the　peoples　of　the　New　World。　　They　are　the　source　of　intelligence；　and　all　the　nations　which　inhabit　the　same　continent　are　already　accustomed　to　consider　them　as　the　most　enlightened；　the　most　powerful；　and　the　most　wealthy　members　of　the　great　American　family。　All　eyes　are　therefore　turned　towards　the　Union；　and　the　States　of　which　that　body　is　composed　are　the　models　which　the　other　communities　try　to　imitate　to　the　best　of　their　power；　it　is　from　the　United　States　that　they　borrow　their　political　principles　and　their　laws。　

The　Americans　of　the　United　States　stand　in　precisely　the　same　position　with　regard　to　the　peoples　of　South　America　as　their　fathers；　the　English；　occupy　with　regard　to　the　Italians；　the　Spaniards；　the　Portuguese；　and　all　those　nations　of　Europe　which　receive　their　articles　of　daily　consumption　from　England；　because　they　are　less　advanced　in　civilization　and　trade。　England　is　at　this　time　the　natural　emporium　of　almost　all　the　nations　which　are　within　its　reach；　the　American　Union　will　perform　the　same　part　in　the　other　hemisphere；　and　every　community　which　is　founded；　or　which　prospers　in　the　New　World；　is　founded　and　prospers　to　the　advantage　of　the　Anglo…Americans。

If　the　Union　were　to　be　dissolved；　the　commerce　of　the　States　which　now　compose　it　would　undoubtedly　be　checked　for　a　time；　but　this　consequence　would　be　less　perceptible　than　is　generally　supposed。　　It　is　evident　that；　whatever　may　happen；　the　commercial　States　will　remain　united。　　They　are　all　contiguous　to　each　other；　they　have　identically　the　same　opinions；　interests；　and　manners；　and　they　are　alone　competent　to　form　a　very　great　maritime　power。　Even　if　the　South　of　the　Union　were　to　become　independent　of　the　North；　it　would　still　require　the　services　of　those　States。　　I　have　already　observed　that　the　South　is　not　a　commercial　country；　and　nothing　intimates　that　it　is　likely　to　become　so。　　The　Americans　of　the　South　of　the　United　States　will　therefore　be　obliged；　for　a　long　time　to　come；　to　have　recourse　to　strangers　to　export　their　produce；　and　to　supply　them　with　the　commodities　which　are　requisite　to　satisfy　their　wants。　　But　the　Northern　States　are　undoubtedly　able　to　act　as　their　intermediate　agents　cheaper　than　any　other　merchants。　They　will　therefore　retain　that　employment；　for　cheapness　is　the　sovereign　law　of　commerce。　　National　claims　and　national　prejudices　cannot　resist　the　influence　of　cheapness。　　Nothing　can　be　more　virulent　than　the　hatred　which　exists　between　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　and　the　English。　　But　notwithstanding　these　inimical　feelings；　the　Americans　derive　the　greater　part　of　their　manufactured　commodities　from　England；　because　England　supplies　them　at　a　cheaper　rate　than　any　other　nation。　　Thus　the　increasing　prosperity　of　America　turns；　notwithstanding　the　grudges　of　the　Americans；　to　the　advantage　of　British　manufactures。

Reason　shows　and　experience　proves　that　no　commercial　prosperity　can　be　durable　if　it　cannot　be　united；　in　case　of　need；　to　naval　force。　　This　truth　is　as　well　understood　in　the　United　States　as　it　can　be　anywhere　else：　the　Americans　are　already　able　to　make　their　flag　respected；　in　a　few　years　they　will　be　able　to　make　it　feared。　　I　am　convinced　that　the　dismemberment　of　the　Union　would　not　have　the　effect　of　diminishing　the　naval　power　of　the　Americans；　but　that　it　would　powerfully　contribute　to　increase　it。　　At　the　present　time　the　commercial　States　are　connected　with　others　which　have　not　the　same　interests；　and　which　frequently　yield　an　unwilling　consent　to　the　increase　of　a　maritime　power　by　which　they　are　only　indirectly　benefited。　If；　on　the　contrary；　the　commercial　States　of　the　Union　formed　one　independent　nation；　commerce　would　become　the　foremost　of　their　national　interests；　they　would　consequently　be　willing　to　make　very　great　sacrifices　to　protect　their　shipping；　and　nothing　would　prevent　them　from　pursuing　their　designs　upon　this　point。

Nations；　as　well　as　men；　almost　always　betray　the　most　prominent　features　of　their　future　destiny　in　their　earliest　years。　　When　I　contemplate　the　ardor　with　which　the　Anglo…Americans　prosecute　commercial　enterprise；　the　advantages　which　befriend　them；　and　the　success　of　their　undertakings；　I　cannot　refrain　from　believing　that　they　will　one　day　become　the　first　maritime　power　of　the　globe。　　They　are　born　to　rule　the　seas；　as　the　Romans　were　to　conquer　the　world。

Conclusion

I　have　now　nearly　reached　the　close　of　my　inquiry；　hitherto；　in　speaking　of　the　future　destiny　of　the　United　States；　I　have　endeavored　to　divide　my　subject　into　distinct　portions；　in　order　to　study　each　of　them　with　more　attention。　　My　present　object　is　to　embrace　the　whole　from　one　single　point；　the　remarks　I　shall　make　will　be　less　detailed；　but　they　will　be　more　sure。　I　shall　perceive　each　object　less　distinctly；　but　I　shall　descry　the　principal　facts　with　more　certainty。　　A　traveller　who　has　just　left　the　walls　of　an　immense　city；　climbs　the　neighboring　hill；　as　he　goes　father　off　he　loses　sight　of　the　men　whom　he　has　so　recently　quitted；　their　dwellings　are　confused　in　a　dense　mass；　he　can　no　longer　distinguish　the　public　squares；　and　he　can　scarcely　trace　out　the　great　thoroughfares；　but　his　eye　has　less　difficulty　in　following　the　boundaries　of　the　city；　and　for　the　first　time　he　sees　the　shape　of　the　vast　whole。　　Such　is　the　future　destiny　of　the　British　race　in　North　America　to　my　eye；　the　details　of　the　stupendous　picture　are　overhung　with　shade；　but　I　conceive　a　clear　idea　of　the　entire　subject。

The　territory　now　occupied　or　possessed　by　the　United　States　of　America　forms　about　one…twentieth　part　of　the　habitable　earth。　　But　extensive　as　these　confines　are；　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　the　Anglo…American　race　will　always　remain　within　them；　indeed；　it　has　already　far　overstepped　them。

There　was　once　a　time　at　which　we　also　might　have　created　a　great　French　nation　in　the　American　wilds；　to　counterbalance　the　influence　of　the　English　upon　the　destinies　of　the　New　World。　　France　formerly　possessed　a　territory　in　North　America；　scarcely　less　extensive　than　the　whole　of　Europe。　　The　three　greatest　rivers　of　that　continent　then　flowed　within　her　dominions。　The　Indian　tribes　which　dwelt　between　the　mouth　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the　delta　of　the　Mississippi　were　unaccustomed　to　any　other　tongue　but　ours；　and　all　the　European　settlements　scattered　over　that　immense　region　recalled　the　traditions　of　our　country。　　Louisbourg；　Montmorency；　Duquesne；　St。　Louis；　Vincennes；　New　Orleans　（for　such　were　the　names　they　bore）　are　words　dear　to　France　and　familiar　to　our　ears。

But　a　concourse　of　circumstances；　which　it　would　be　tedious　to　enumerate；　*m　have　deprived　us　of　this　magnificent　inheritance。　Wherever　the　French　settlers　were　numerically　weak　and　partially　established；　they　have　disappeared：　those　who　remain　are　collected　on　a　small　extent　of　country；　and　are　now　subject　to　other　laws。　　The　400；000　French　inhabitants　of　Lower　Canada　constitute；　at　the　present　time；　the　remnant　of　an　old　nation　lost　in　the　midst　of　a　new　people。　　A　foreign　population　is　increasing　around　them　unceasingly　and　on　all　sides；　which　already　penetrates　amongst　the　ancient　masters　of　the　country；　predominates　in　their　cities　and　corrupts　their　language。　　This　population　is　identical　with　that　of　the　United　States；　it　is　therefore　with　truth　that　I　asserted