democracy in america-1-第10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！


d　to　this　result。　　It　may　safely　be　advanced；　that　on　leaving　the　mother…country　the　emigrants　had　in　general　no　notion　of　superiority　over　one　another。　　The　happy　and　the　powerful　do　not　go　into　exile；　and　there　are　no　surer　guarantees　of　equality　among　men　than　poverty　and　misfortune。　　It　happened；　however；　on　several　occasions；　that　persons　of　rank　were　driven　to　America　by　political　and　religious　quarrels。　Laws　were　made　to　establish　a　gradation　of　ranks；　but　it　was　soon　found　that　the　soil　of　America　was　opposed　to　a　territorial　aristocracy。　　To　bring　that　refractory　land　into　cultivation；　the　constant　and　interested　exertions　of　the　owner　himself　were　necessary；　and　when　the　ground　was　prepared；　its　produce　was　found　to　be　insufficient　to　enrich　a　master　and　a　farmer　at　the　same　time。　The　land　was　then　naturally　broken　up　into　small　portions；　which　the　proprietor　cultivated　for　himself。　　Land　is　the　basis　of　an　aristocracy；　which　clings　to　the　soil　that　supports　it；　for　it　is　not　by　privileges　alone；　nor　by　birth；　but　by　landed　property　handed　down　from　generation　to　generation；　that　an　aristocracy　is　constituted。　　A　nation　may　present　immense　fortunes　and　extreme　wretchedness；　but　unless　those　fortunes　are　territorial　there　is　no　aristocracy；　but　simply　the　class　of　the　rich　and　that　of　the　poor。

All　the　British　colonies　had　then　a　great　degree　of　similarity　at　the　epoch　of　their　settlement。　　All　of　them；　from　their　first　beginning；　seemed　destined　to　witness　the　growth；　not　of　the　aristocratic　liberty　of　their　mother…country；　but　of　that　freedom　of　the　middle　and　lower　orders　of　which　the　history　of　the　world　had　as　yet　furnished　no　complete　example。

In　this　general　uniformity　several　striking　differences　were　however　discernible；　which　it　is　necessary　to　point　out。　　Two　branches　may　be　distinguished　in　the　Anglo…American　family；　which　have　hitherto　grown　up　without　entirely　commingling；　the　one　in　the　South；　the　other　in　the　North。

Virginia　received　the　first　English　colony；　the　emigrants　took　possession　of　it　in　1607。　　The　idea　that　mines　of　gold　and　silver　are　the　sources　of　national　wealth　was　at　that　time　singularly　prevalent　in　Europe；　a　fatal　delusion；　which　has　done　more　to　impoverish　the　nations　which　adopted　it；　and　has　cost　more　lives　in　America；　than　the　united　influence　of　war　and　bad　laws。　The　men　sent　to　Virginia　*a　were　seekers　of　gold；　adventurers；　without　resources　and　without　character；　whose　turbulent　and　restless　spirit　endangered　the　infant　colony；　*b　and　rendered　its　progress　uncertain。　　The　artisans　and　agriculturists　arrived　afterwards；　and；　although　they　were　a　more　moral　and　orderly　race　of　men；　they　were　in　nowise　above　the　level　of　the　inferior　classes　in　England。　*c　No　lofty　conceptions；　no　intellectual　system；　directed　the　foundation　of　these　new　settlements。　　The　colony　was　scarcely　established　when　slavery　was　introduced；　*d　and　this　was　the　main　circumstance　which　has　exercised　so　prodigious　an　influence　on　the　character；　the　laws；　and　all　the　future　prospects　of　the　South。　　Slavery；　as　we　shall　afterwards　show；　dishonors　labor；　it　introduces　idleness　into　society；　and　with　idleness；　ignorance　and　pride；　luxury　and　distress。　　It　enervates　the　powers　of　the　mind；　and　benumbs　the　activity　of　man。　　The　influence　of　slavery；　united　to　the　English　character；　explains　the　manners　and　the　social　condition　of　the　Southern　States。

＇Footnote　a：　The　charter　granted　by　the　Crown　of　England　in　1609　stipulated；　amongst　other　conditions；　that　the　adventurers　should　pay　to　the　Crown　a　fifth　of　the　produce　of　all　gold　and　silver　mines。　　See　Marshall's　〃Life　of　Washington；〃　vol。　i。　pp。　18…66。＇　　＇Footnote　b：　A　large　portion　of　the　adventurers；　says　Stith　（〃History　of　Virginia〃）；　were　unprincipled　young　men　of　family；　whom　their　parents　were　glad　to　ship　off；　discharged　servants；　fraudulent　bankrupts；　or　debauchees；　and　others　of　the　same　class；　people　more　apt　to　pillage　and　destroy　than　to　assist　the　settlement；　were　the　seditious　chiefs；　who　easily　led　this　band　into　every　kind　of　extravagance　and　excess。　　See　for　the　history　of　Virginia　the　following　works：　…

〃History　of　Virginia；　from　the　First　Settlements　in　the　year　1624；〃　by　Smith。

〃History　of　Virginia；〃　by　William　Stith。

〃History　of　Virginia；　from　the　Earliest　Period；〃　by　Beverley。＇　

＇Footnote　c：　It　was　not　till　some　time　later　that　a　certain　number　of　rich　English　capitalists　came　to　fix　themselves　in　the　colony。＇　

＇Footnote　d：　Slavery　was　introduced　about　the　year　1620　by　a　Dutch　vessel　which　landed　twenty　negroes　on　the　banks　of　the　river　James。　　See　Chalmer。＇

In　the　North；　the　same　English　foundation　was　modified　by　the　most　opposite　shades　of　character；　and　here　I　may　be　allowed　to　enter　into　some　details。　　The　two　or　three　main　ideas　which　constitute　the　basis　of　the　social　theory　of　the　United　States　were　first　combined　in　the　Northern　English　colonies；　more　generally　denominated　the　States　of　New　England。　*e　The　principles　of　New　England　spread　at　first　to　the　neighboring　states；　they　then　passed　successively　to　the　more　distant　ones；　and　at　length　they　imbued　the　whole　Confederation。　　They　now　extend　their　influence　beyond　its　limits　over　the　whole　American　world。　　The　civilization　of　New　England　has　been　like　a　beacon　lit　upon　a　hill；　which；　after　it　has　diffused　its　warmth　around；　tinges　the　distant　horizon　with　its　glow。

＇Footnote　e：　The　States　of　New　England　are　those　situated　to　the　east　of　the　Hudson；　they　are　now　six　in　number：　1；　Connecticut；　2；　Rhode　Island；　3；　Massachusetts；　4；　Vermont；　5；　New　Hampshire；　6；　Maine。＇

The　foundation　of　New　England　was　a　novel　spectacle；　and　all　the　circumstances　attending　it　were　singular　and　original。　　The　large　majority　of　colonies　have　been　first　inhabited　either　by　men　without　education　and　without　resources；　driven　by　their　poverty　and　their　misconduct　from　the　land　which　gave　them　birth；　or　by　speculators　and　adventurers　greedy　of　gain。　Some　settlements　cannot　even　boast　so　honorable　an　origin；　St。　Domingo　was　founded　by　buccaneers；　and　the　criminal　courts　of　England　originally　supplied　the　population　of　Australia。

The　settlers　who　established　themselves　on　the　shores　of　New　England　all　belonged　to　the　more　independent　classes　of　their　native　country。　　Their　union　on　the　soil　of　America　at　once　presented　the　singular　phenomenon　of　a　society　containing　neither　lords　nor　common　people；　neither　rich　nor　poor。　These　men　possessed；　in　proportion　to　their　number；　a　greater　mass　of　intelligence　than　is　to　be　found　in　any　European　nation　of　our　own　time。　All；　without　a　single　exception；　had　received　a　good　education；　and　many　of　them　were　known　in　Europe　for　their　talents　and　their　acquirements。　　The　other　colonies　had　been　founded　by　adventurers　without　family；　the　emigrants　of　New　England　brought　with　them　the　best　elements　of　order　and　morality　…they　landed　in　the　desert　accompanied　by　their　wives　and　children。　　But　what　most　especially　distinguished　them　was　the　aim　of　their　undertaking。　　They　had　not　been　obliged　by　necessity　to　leave　their　country；　the　social　position　they　abandoned　was　one　to　be　regretted；　and　their　means　of　subsistence　were　certain。　　Nor　did　they　cross　the　Atlantic　to　improve　their　situation　or　to　increase　their　wealth；　the　call　which　summoned　them　from　the　comforts　of　their　homes　was　purely　intellectual；　and　in　facing　the　inevitable　sufferings　of　exile　their　object　was　the　triumph　of　an　idea。

The　emigrants；　or；　as　they　deservedly　styled　themselves；　the　Pilgrims；　belonged　to　that　English　sect　the　austerity　of　whose　principles　had　acquired　for　them　the　name　of　Puritans。　　Puritanism　was　not　merely　a　religious　doctrine；　but　it　corresponded　in　many　points　with　the　most　absolute　democratic　and　republican　theories。　　It　was　this　tendency　which　had　aroused　its　most　dangerous　adversaries。　　Persecuted　by　the　Government　of　the　mother…country；　and　disgusted　by　the　habits　of　a　society　opposed　to　the　rigor　of　their　own　principles；　the　Puritans　went　forth　to　seek　some　rude　and　unfrequented　part　of　the　world；　where　they　could　live　according　to　their　own　opinions；　and　worship　God　in　freedom。

A　few　quotations　will　throw　more　light　upon　the　spirit　of　these　pious　adventures　than　all　we　can　say　of　them。　　Nathaniel　Morton；　*f　the　historian　of　the　first　years　of　the　settlement；　thus　opens　his　subject：

＇Footnote　f：　〃New　England's　Memorial；〃　p。　13；　Boston；　1826。　　See　also　〃Hutchinson's　History；〃　vol。　ii。　p。　440。＇

〃Gentle　Reader；　…　I　have　for　some　length　of　time　looked　upon　it　as　a　duty　incumbent；　especially　on　the　immediate　successors　of　those　that　have　had　so　large　experience　of　those　many　memorable　and　signal　demonstrations　of　God's　goodness；　viz。；　the　first　beginners　of　this　Plantation　in　New　England；　to　commit　to　writing　his　gracious　dispensations　on　that　behalf；　having　so　many　inducements　thereunto；　not　onely　otherwise　but　so　plentifully　in　the　Sacred　Scriptures：　that　so；　what　we　have　seen；　and　what　our　fathers　have　told　us　（Psalm　lxxviii。　3；　4）；　we　may　not　hide　from　our　children；　showing　to　the　generations　to　come　the　praises　of　the　Lord；　that　especially　the　seed　of　Abraham　his　servant；　and　the　children　of　Jacob　his　chosen　（Psalm　cv。　5；　6）；　may　remember　his　marvellous　works　in　the　beginning　and　progress　of　the　planting　of　New　England；　his　wonders　and　the　judgments　of　his　mouth；　how　that　God　brought　a　vine　into　this　wilderness；　that　he　cast　out　the　heathen；　and　planted　it；　that　he　made　room　for　it　and　caused　it　to　take　deep　root；　and　it　filled　the　land　（Psalm　lxxx。　8；　9）。　　And　not　onely　so；　but　also　that　he　hath　guided　his　people　by　his　strength　to　his　holy　habitation　and　planted　them　in　the　mountain　of　his　inheritance　in　respect　of　precious　Gospel　enjoyments：　and　that　as　especially　God　may　have　the　glory　of　all　unto　whom　it　is　most　due；　so　also　some　rays　of　glory　may　reach　the　names　of　those　blessed　Saints　that　were　the　main　instruments　and　the　beginning　of　this　happy　enterprise。〃　

It　is　impossible　to　read　this　opening　paragraph　without　an　involuntary　feeling　of　religious　awe；　it　breathes　the　very　savor　of　Gospel　antiquity。　The　sincerity　of　the　author　heightens　his　power　of　language。　　The　band　which　to　his　eyes　was　a　mere　party　of　adventurers　gone　forth　to　seek　their　fortune　beyond　seas　appears　to　the　reader　as　the　germ　of　a　great　nation　wafted　by　Providence　to　a　predestined　shore。

The　author　thus　continues　his　narrative　of　the　departure　of　the　first　pilgrims：　…

〃So　they　left　that　goodly　and　pleasant　city　of　Leyden；　*g　which　had　been　their　resting…place　for　above　eleven　years；　but　they　knew　that　they　were　pilgrims　and　strangers　here　below；　and　looked　not　much　on　these　things；　but　lifted　up　their　eyes　to　Heaven；　their　dearest　country；　where　God　hath　prepared　for　them　a　city　（Heb。　xi。　16）；　and　therein　quieted　their　spirits。　When　they　came　to　Delfs…　Haven　they　found　the　ship　and　all　things　ready；　and　such　of　their　friends　as　could　not　come　with　them　followed　after　them；　and　sundry　came　from　Amsterdam　to　see　them　shipt；　and　to　take　their　leaves　of　them。　　One　night　was　spent　with　little　sleep　with　the　most；　but　with　friendly　entertainment　and　Christian　discourse；　and　other　real　expressions　of　true　Christian　love。　　The　next　day　they　went　on　board；　and　their　fr