democracy in america-1-第105章

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y　favorable　to　the　Anglo…Americans；　I　do　not　doubt　that　they　will　shortly　infringe　this　arrangement。　　Vast　provinces；　extending　beyond　the　frontiers　of　the　Union　towards　Mexico；　are　still　destitute　of　inhabitants。　　The　natives　of　the　United　States　will　forestall　the　rightful　occupants　of　these　solitary　regions。　　They　will　take　possession　of　the　soil；　and　establish　social　institutions；　so　that　when　the　legal　owner　arrives　at　length；　he　will　find　the　wilderness　under　cultivation；　and　strangers　quietly　settled　in　the　midst　of　his　inheritance。　*n

＇Footnote　n：　＇This　was　speedily　accomplished；　and　ere　long　both　Texas　and　California　formed　part　of　the　United　States。　　The　Russian　settlements　were　acquired　by　purchase。＇＇

The　lands　of　the　New　World　belong　to　the　first　occupant；　and　they　are　the　natural　reward　of　the　swiftest　pioneer。　　Even　the　countries　which　are　already　peopled　will　have　some　difficulty　in　securing　themselves　from　this　invasion。　I　have　already　alluded　to　what　is　taking　place　in　the　province　of　Texas。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　are　perpetually　migrating　to　Texas；　where　they　purchase　land；　and　although　they　conform　to　the　laws　of　the　country；　they　are　gradually　founding　the　empire　of　their　own　language　and　their　own　manners。　The　province　of　Texas　is　still　part　of　the　Mexican　dominions；　but　it　will　soon　contain　no　Mexicans；　the　same　thing　has　occurred　whenever　the　Anglo…Americans　have　come　into　contact　with　populations　of　a　different　origin。

It　cannot　be　denied　that　the　British　race　has　acquired　an　amazing　preponderance　over　all　the　other　European　races　in　the　New　World；　and　that　it　is　very　superior　to　them　in　civilization；　in　industry；　and　in　power。　　As　long　as　it　is　only　surrounded　by　desert　or　thinly　peopled　countries；　as　long　as　it　encounters　no　dense　populations　upon　its　route；　through　which　it　cannot　work　its　way；　it　will　assuredly　continue　to　spread。　　The　lines　marked　out　by　treaties　will　not　stop　it；　but　it　will　everywhere　transgress　these　imaginary　barriers。

The　geographical　position　of　the　British　race　in　the　New　World　is　peculiarly　favorable　to　its　rapid　increase。　　Above　its　northern　frontiers　the　icy　regions　of　the　Pole　extend；　and　a　few　degrees　below　its　southern　confines　lies　the　burning　climate　of　the　Equator。　　The　Anglo…Americans　are；　therefore；　placed　in　the　most　temperate　and　habitable　zone　of　the　continent。

It　is　generally　supposed　that　the　prodigious　increase　of　population　in　the　United　States　is　posterior　to　their　Declaration　of　Independence。　　But　this　is　an　error：　the　population　increased　as　rapidly　under　the　colonial　system　as　it　does　at　the　present　day；　that　is　to　say；　it　doubled　in　about　twenty…two　years。　　But　this　proportion　which　is　now　applied　to　millions；　was　then　applied　to　thousands　of　inhabitants；　and　the　same　fact　which　was　scarcely　noticeable　a　century　ago；　is　now　evident　to　every　observer。　

The　British　subjects　in　Canada；　who　are　dependent　on　a　king；　augment　and　spread　almost　as　rapidly　as　the　British　settlers　of　the　United　States；　who　live　under　a　republican　government。　　During　the　war　of　independence；　which　lasted　eight　years；　the　population　continued　to　increase　without　intermission　in　the　same　ratio。　　Although　powerful　Indian　nations　allied　with　the　English　existed　at　that　time　upon　the　western　frontiers；　the　emigration　westward　was　never　checked。　　Whilst　the　enemy　laid　waste　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic；　Kentucky；　the　western　parts　of　Pennsylvania；　and　the　States　of　Vermont　and　of　Maine　were　filling　with　inhabitants。　　Nor　did　the　unsettled　state　of　the　Constitution；　which　succeeded　the　war；　prevent　the　increase　of　the　population；　or　stop　its　progress　across　the　wilds。　　Thus；　the　difference　of　laws；　the　various　conditions　of　peace　and　war；　of　order　and　of　anarchy；　have　exercised　no　perceptible　influence　upon　the　gradual　development　of　the　Anglo…Americans。　This　may　be　readily　understood；　for　the　fact　is；　that　no　causes　are　sufficiently　general　to　exercise　a　simultaneous　influence　over　the　whole　of　so　extensive　a　territory。　　One　portion　of　the　country　always　offers　a　sure　retreat　from　the　calamities　which　afflict　another　part；　and　however　great　may　be　the　evil；　the　remedy　which　is　at　hand　is　greater　still。

It　must　not；　then；　be　imagined　that　the　impulse　of　the　British　race　in　the　New　World　can　be　arrested。　　The　dismemberment　of　the　Union；　and　the　hostilities　which　might　ensure；　the　abolition　of　republican　institutions；　and　the　tyrannical　government　which　might　succeed　it；　may　retard　this　impulse；　but　they　cannot　prevent　it　from　ultimately　fulfilling　the　destinies　to　which　that　race　is　reserved。　　No　power　upon　earth　can　close　upon　the　emigrants　that　fertile　wilderness　which　offers　resources　to　all　industry；　and　a　refuge　from　all　want。　　Future　events；　of　whatever　nature　they　may　be；　will　not　deprive　the　Americans　of　their　climate　or　of　their　inland　seas；　of　their　great　rivers　or　of　their　exuberant　soil。　　Nor　will　bad　laws；　revolutions；　and　anarchy　be　able　to　obliterate　that　love　of　prosperity　and　that　spirit　of　enterprise　which　seem　to　be　the　distinctive　characteristics　of　their　race；　or　to　extinguish　that　knowledge　which　guides　them　on　their　way。

Thus；　in　the　midst　of　the　uncertain　future；　one　event　at　least　is　sure。　At　a　period　which　may　be　said　to　be　near　（for　we　are　speaking　of　the　life　of　a　nation）；　the　Anglo…Americans　will　alone　cover　the　immense　space　contained　between　the　polar　regions　and　the　tropics；　extending　from　the　coasts　of　the　Atlantic　to　the　shores　of　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　The　territory　which　will　probably　be　occupied　by　the　Anglo…Americans　at　some　future　time；　may　be　computed　to　equal　three…quarters　of　Europe　in　extent。　*o　The　climate　of　the　Union　is　upon　the　whole　preferable　to　that　of　Europe；　and　its　natural　advantages　are　not　less　great；　it　is　therefore　evident　that　its　population　will　at　some　future　time　be　proportionate　to　our　own。　　Europe；　divided　as　it　is　between　so　many　different　nations；　and　torn　as　it　has　been　by　incessant　wars　and　the　barbarous　manners　of　the　Middle　Ages；　has　notwithstanding　attained　a　population　of　410　inhabitants　to　the　square　league。　*p　What　cause　can　prevent　the　United　States　from　having　as　numerous　a　population　in　time？　

＇Footnote　o：　The　United　States　already　extend　over　a　territory　equal　to　one…half　of　Europe。　　The　area　of　Europe　is　500；000　square　leagues；　and　its　population　205；000；000　of　inhabitants。　　（〃Malte　Brun；〃　liv。　114。　vol。　vi。　p。　4。）

＇This　computation　is　given　in　French　leagues；　which　were　in　use　when　the　author　wrote。　　Twenty　years　later；　in　1850；　the　superficial　area　of　the　United　States　had　been　extended　to　3；306；865　square　miles　of　territory；　which　is　about　the　area　of　Europe。＇＇

＇Footnote　p：　See　〃Malte　Brun；〃　liv。　116；　vol。　vi。　p。　92。＇

Many　ages　must　elapse　before　the　divers　offsets　of　the　British　race　in　America　cease　to　present　the　same　homogeneous　characteristics：　and　the　time　cannot　be　foreseen　at　which　a　permanent　inequality　of　conditions　will　be　established　in　the　New　World。　　Whatever　differences　may　arise；　from　peace　or　from　war；　from　freedom　or　oppression；　from　prosperity　or　want；　between　the　destinies　of　the　different　descendants　of　the　great　Anglo…American　family；　they　will　at　least　preserve　an　analogous　social　condition；　and　they　will　hold　in　common　the　customs　and　the　opinions　to　which　that　social　condition　has　given　birth。

In　the　Middle　Ages；　the　tie　of　religion　was　sufficiently　powerful　to　imbue　all　the　different　populations　of　Europe　with　the　same　civilization。　The　British　of　the　New　World　have　a　thousand　other　reciprocal　ties；　and　they　live　at　a　time　when　the　tendency　to　equality　is　general　amongst　mankind。　　The　Middle　Ages　were　a　period　when　everything　was　broken　up；　when　each　people；　each　province；　each　city；　and　each　family；　had　a　strong　tendency　to　maintain　its　distinct　individuality。　　At　the　present　time　an　opposite　tendency　seems　to　prevail；　and　the　nations　seem　to　be　advancing　to　unity。　　Our　means　of　intellectual　intercourse　unite　the　most　remote　parts　of　the　earth；　and　it　is　impossible　for　men　to　remain　strangers　to　each　other；　or　to　be　ignorant　of　the　events　which　are　taking　place　in　any　corner　of　the　globe。　　The　consequence　is　that　there　is　less　difference；　at　the　present　day；　between　the　Europeans　and　their　descendants　in　the　New　World；　than　there　was　between　certain　towns　in　the　thirteenth　century　which　were　only　separated　by　a　river。　If　this　tendency　to　assimilation　brings　foreign　nations　closer　to　each　other；　it　must　a　fortiori　prevent　the　descendants　of　the　same　people　from　becoming　aliens　to　each　other。

The　time　will　therefore　come　when　one　hundred　and　fifty　millions　of　men　will　be　living　in　North　America；　*q　equal　in　condition；　the　progeny　of　one　race；　owing　their　origin　to　the　same　cause；　and　preserving　the　same　civilization；　the　same　language；　the　same　religion；　the　same　habits；　the　same　manners；　and　imbued　with　the　same　opinions；　propagated　under　the　same　forms。　The　rest　is　uncertain；　but　this　is　certain；　and　it　is　a　fact　new　to　the　world　…　　a　fact　fraught　with　such　portentous　consequences　as　to　baffle　the　efforts　even　of　the　imagination。

＇Footnote　q：　This　would　be　a　population　proportionate　to　that　of　Europe；　taken　at　a　mean　rate　of　410　inhabitants　to　the　square　league。＇

There　are；　at　the　present　time；　two　great　nations　in　the　world　which　seem　to　tend　towards　the　same　end；　although　they　started　from　different　points：　I　allude　to　the　Russians　and　the　Americans。　　Both　of　them　have　grown　up　unnoticed；　and　whilst　the　attention　of　mankind　was　directed　elsewhere；　they　have　suddenly　assumed　a　most　prominent　place　amongst　the　nations；　and　the　world　learned　their　existence　and　their　greatness　at　almost　the　same　time。

All　other　nations　seem　to　have　nearly　reached　their　natural　limits；　and　only　to　be　charged　with　the　maintenance　of　their　power；　but　these　are　still　in　the　act　of　growth；　*r　all　the　others　are　stopped；　or　continue　to　advance　with　extreme　difficulty；　these　are　proceeding　with　ease　and　with　celerity　along　a　path　to　which　the　human　eye　can　assign　no　term。　　The　American　struggles　against　the　natural　obstacles　which　oppose　him；　the　adversaries　of　the　Russian　are　men；　the　former　combats　the　wilderness　and　savage　life；　the　latter；　civilization　with　all　its　weapons　and　its　arts：　the　conquests　of　the　one　are　therefore　gained　by　the　ploughshare；　those　of　the　other　by　the　sword。　The　Anglo…American　relies　upon　personal　interest　to　accomplish　his　ends；　and　gives　free　scope　to　the　unguided　exertions　and　common…sense　of　the　citizens；　the　Russian　centres　all　the　authority　of　society　in　a　single　arm：　the　principal　instrument　of　the　former　is　freedom；　of　the　latter　servitude。　Their　starting…point　is　different；　and　their　courses　are　not　the　same；　yet　each　of　them　seems　to　be　marked　out　by　the　will　of　Heaven　to　sway　the　destinies　of　half　the　globe。

＇Footnote　r：　Russia　is　the　country　in　the　Old　World　in　which　population　increases　most　rapidly　in　proportion。＇





End　of　Volume　1