new york-第7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！



render　society　permanently　secure　or　happy。　In　this　sense　even

the　abuses　to　which　we　have　slightly　alluded　may　be　tolerated；

which　it　would　be　impossible　to　endure　when　the　class　of　the

needy　become　formidable　from　its　numbers；　and　they　who　had　no

other　stake　in　society　than　their　naked　assistance；　could　combine

to　transfer　the　fruits　of　the　labors　of　the　more　industrious　and

successful　to　themselves　by　a　simple　recurrence　to　the　use　of　the

ballot　box。　We　do　not　say　that　such　is　to　be　the　fate　of　this

country；　for　the　great　results　that　seem　to　be　dependent　on　its

settlement　raise　a　hope　that　the　hand　of　Providence　may　yet　guide

us　in　safety　through　the　period　of　delusion；　and　the　reign　of

political　fallacies；　which　is　fast　drawing　around　us。　Evil　is　so

much　mixed　with　good　in　all　the　interests　of　life；　that　it　would

be　bold　to　pretend　to　predict　consequences　of　such　magnitude　in

the　history　of　any　nation。　But　we　feel　persuaded　that　radical

changes　must　speedily　come；　either　from　the　powerful　but

invisible　control　of　that　Being　who　effects　his　own　purposes　in

his　own　wise　ways；　or　the　time　is　much　nearer　than　is　ordinarily

supposed　when　the　very　existence　of　the　political　institutions　of

this　country　are　to　be　brought　to　the　test　of　the　severest

practical　experiment。　The　downward　tendency　can　hardly　proceed

much　further　with　the　smallest　necessary　security　to　the　rights

of　civilized　men。　When　a　legislative　body　can　be　brought　solemnly

to　decide　by　its　vote　that　because　the　principles　of　law　leave

them　the　control　of　the　rules　for　the　descent　of　property；

therefore；　whenever　a　landlord　may　happen　to　die；　his　tenant

shall　have　the　privilege　of　converting　his　leasehold　estate　into

a　fee　on　which　the　debt　is　secured　in　the　shape　of　mortgage；

there　is　little　left　in　the　way　of　security　to　the　affluent　and

unrepresented。　They　must　unite　their　means　to　prevent

destruction；　and　woe　to　that　land　which　gives　so　plausible　an

excuse　to　the　rich　and　intelligent　for　combining　their　means　to

overturn　the　liberties　of　a　nation；　as　is　to　be　found　in　abuses

like　those　just　named。　We　very　well　know　that　the　idea　is

prevalent　among　us　of　the　irresistible　power　of　popular　sway；　but

he　has　lived　in　vain　who　has　seen　the　course　of　events　in　other

nations　for　the　last　half　century；　and　has　not　made　the　discovery

that　men　in　political　matters　become　the　servants　of　money　as

certainly　and　almost　as　actively　as　the　spirits　of　the　lamp　were

made　to　do　the　bidding　of　Aladdin。　To　us；　it　would　seem　that　the

future　of　this　country　holds　out　but　three　possible　solutions　of

the　tendencies　of　the　present　timeviz。　the　bayonet；　a　return　to

the　true　principles　of　the　original　government；　or　the　sway　of

money。　For　the　first　it　may　be　too　soon；　the　pressure　of　society

is　scarcely　sufficient　to　elevate　a　successful　soldier　to　the

height　of　despotism；　though　the　ladder　has　been　raised　more　than

once　against　the　citadel　of　the　Constitution　by　adventurers　of

this　character；　through　the　folly　and　heedless　impulses　of　the

masses。　Fifty　years　hence；　and　a　condition　of　society　will

probably　exist　among　us　that　would　effectually　have　carried　out

the　principle　of　despotic　rule　which　is　beginning　to　show　itself

in　the　bud　amongst　us；　and　which　is　nothing　more　than　the

shadowing　out　of　coming　events。



｛legislative　body　can　be　brought　=　the　New　York　State　legislature

had　enacted　laws　giving　certain　tenant　farmers　the　right　to

purchase　the　land　they　occupied；　thus　ending　one　of　the　causes　of

the　so…called　〃anti…rent　wars〃　of　the　1840s　in　upstate　New　York｝



Notwithstanding　all　these　obvious　tendencies　and　the　manifest

dangers　that　beset　the　real　liberties　of　the　country；　we　do　not

see　that　any　material　influence　will　be　brought　by　them　to　bear

upon　the　fortunes　and　ascendancy　of　the　particular　place　of　which

we　are　writing。　Even　political　despotism　in　this　age　would

necessarily　respect　the　ordinary　rights　of　commerce；　and　quite

probably　the　greater　security　that　would　be　given　to　property；

the　increased　dignity　and　authority　of　the　courts　of　justice；　and

the　visible　control　of　a　vigilant　and　efficient　government　might

rather　have　a　tendency　to　build　up　than　to　check　the　progress　of

the　capital　of　any　country。



Civil　war；　in　our　view；　can　alone　produce　any　material　checks　to

the　prosperity　of　these　towns　of　Manhattan。　Against　the　malign

influence　of　so　great　a　source　of　evil　no　one　can　with　discretion

venture　to　predict　the　consequences。　But　we　do　not　think　that　it

enters　into　the　spirit　of　the　true　American　character；　so

remarkable　for　its　mildness　and　disposition　to　mercy；　in　carrying

out　the　powers　of　government；　to　permit　such　a　struggle　as　would

be　likely　to　produce　long…continued；　or　very　withering　local

distress。　Compromises　in　some　form　or　other　would　be　resorted　to；

to　restore　the　course　of　the　commerce　of　the　country；　and

although　it　might　be；　and　probably　would　be；　that　this　could　only

be　accomplished　in　the　midst　of　the　triumph　of　disorder；

irresponsibility；　and　the　derangement　of　most　that　is　necessary

to　permanent　security　and　quiet；　a　set　of　laws　would　arise　for

the　control　of　the　affairs　of　the　towns　that　would　exercise　their

sway；　without　any　appeal　to　regularly　constituted　authority；

beyond　that　of　the　law　of　necessity。　At　this　very　moment；　when　we

have　all　the　machinery　of　an　efficient　government　around　us；　and

one　has　a　right　to　look　to　the　courts　for　the　protection　of　his

rights；　a　thousand　dollars　of　debt　are　secured　and　paid　in　a

place　like　that　of　New　York；　by　the　sole　influence　of　commercial

opinion；　where　one　dollar　is　secured　and　paid　by　the　process　of

law。　Trade　issues　its　own　edicts；　and　they　are　ordinarily　found

to　be　too　powerful　for　resistance；　wherever　there　are　the

concentrated　means　of　rendering　them　formidable　by　the　magnitude

of　the　interests　they　control。



We　see；　then；　nothing　in　the　future　that　is　very　likely　seriously

to　disturb　the　continued　growth　and　increasing　ascendancy　of　the

great　mart　of　the　country。　A　trading　people　will　pursue　its

interests　under　any　conceivable　or　tolerable　condition　of　things。

It　would　require　a　generation　or　two；　indeed；　to　obliterate；　or

even　sensibly　to　diminish　the　habits　and　opinions　now　in

existence　among　the　people；　and　it　must　ever　be　remembered　that

society　pursues　its　regular　course　more　or　less　successfully；

according　to　circumstances；　even　in　the　midst　of　revolution；　war；

and　rapine。　A　battle　is　fought　to…day；　and　a　month　hence　it

becomes　difficult　to　discover　its　traces；　over　which　the　p｛l｝ough

has　already　passed；　and　among　which　the　husbandman　is　resuming

his　toil；　as　he　replaces　his　fences；　and　clears　away　his　fallen

trees　after　the　passage　of　the　whirlwind。　It　follows　from　these

views；　and　this　course　of　reasoning；　which　might　be　greatly

extended　and　much　more　satisfactorily　developed；　that　political

changes　have　less　direct　influence　on　the　ordinary　march　of

society　than　is　commonly　supposed。　The　spirit　of　the　age　is　and

must　be　respected　by　rulers　of　every　shade　of　character；　and　the

fourth　estate；　as　opinion　is　commonly　termed；　enters　largely　into

the　ordinary　action　of　every　form　of　government　or　combination　of

social　organization　that　the　accidents　of　history　have　produced；

or　the　sagacity　and　wants　of　men　have　more　ambitiously　paraded

before　the　eyes　of　their　fellow　creatures。　When　we　couple　with

these　facts　the　certainty　that　there　are　undercurrents　which

enable　ordinary　society；　trade；　and　all　the　other　active　and

daily　recurring　interests　of　life；　to　manage　their　own　affairs

more　or　less　in　their　own　way；　it　is　not　easy　to　foresee　any

material　consequences　to　the　progress　of　a　place　like　this　at　the

mouth　of　the　Hudson；　that　can　trace　their　rise　to　the　future

course　of　political　events　in　the　country。　We　do　not　anticipate

any　apparent　dissolution　of　the　ordinary　ties　of　society；　for　we

know　that　nations　will　bear　burdens　of　this　nature　for　a　long

period　of　time；　without　struggling　or　making　the　effort　necessary

to　remove　them；　and　that　it　is　only　when　they　are　felt　to　be

intolerable　to　the　great　body　of　the　people　that　one　may

confidently　hope　for　redress　and　reformation。　Petty　wrongs　are

never　repaired　by　the　masses；　they　sometimes　vindicate　their

rights　by　means　of　the　strong　arm；　when　seriously　required　to　do

so；　but　in　general　the　wrong　is　endured；　and　the　victim　immolated

without　awakening　attention　or　leaving　any　regrets　among　those

who　escape　its　immediate　consequences。



It　has　long　been　a　subject　of　investigation　among　moralists；

whether　the　existence　of　towns　like　those　of　London；　Paris；　New

York；　&c。；　is　or　is　not　favorable　to　the　development　of　the

better　qualities　of　the　human　character。　As　for　ourselves；　we　do

not　believe　any　more　in　the　superior　innocence　and　virtue　of　a

rural　population　than　in　that　of　the　largest　capitals；　perfectly

conscious　of　the