democracy in america-1-第6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！


　its　course。　*c　At　the　distance　of　1；364　miles　from　its　mouth　this　river　attains　an　average　depth　of　fifteen　feet；　and　it　is　navigated　by　vessels　of　300　tons　burden　for　a　course　of　nearly　500　miles。　　Fifty…seven　large　navigable　rivers　contribute　to　swell　the　waters　of　the　Mississippi；　amongst　others；　the　Missouri；　which　traverses　a　space　of　2；500　miles；　the　Arkansas　of　1；300　miles；　the　Red　River　1；000　miles；　four　whose　course　is　from　800　to　1；000　miles　in　length；　viz。；　the　Illinois；　the　St。　Peter's；　the　St。　Francis；　and　the　Moingona；　besides　a　countless　multitude　of　rivulets　which　unite　from　all　parts　their　tributary　streams。

＇Footnote　b：　The　Red　River。＇

＇Footnote　c：　Warden's　〃Description　of　the　United　States。〃＇　　The　valley　which　is　watered　by　the　Mississippi　seems　formed　to　be　the　bed　of　this　mighty　river；　which；　like　a　god　of　antiquity；　dispenses　both　good　and　evil　in　its　course。　　On　the　shores　of　the　stream　nature　displays　an　inexhaustible　fertility；　in　proportion　as　you　recede　from　its　banks；　the　powers　of　vegetation　languish；　the　soil　becomes　poor；　and　the　plants　that　survive　have　a　sickly　growth。　　Nowhere　have　the　great　convulsions　of　the　globe　left　more　evident　traces　than　in　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi；　the　whole　aspect　of　the　country　shows　the　powerful　effects　of　water；　both　by　its　fertility　and　by　its　barrenness。　　The　waters　of　the　primeval　ocean　accumulated　enormous　beds　of　vegetable　mould　in　the　valley；　which　they　levelled　as　they　retired。　　Upon　the　right　shore　of　the　river　are　seen　immense　plains；　as　smooth　as　if　the　husbandman　had　passed　over　them　with　his　roller。　As　you　approach　the　mountains　the　soil　becomes　more　and　more　unequal　and　sterile；　the　ground　is；　as　it　were；　pierced　in　a　thousand　places　by　primitive　rocks；　which　appear　like　the　bones　of　a　skeleton　whose　flesh　is　partly　consumed。　　The　surface　of　the　earth　is　covered　with　a　granite　sand　and　huge　irregular　masses　of　stone；　among　which　a　few　plants　force　their　growth；　and　give　the　appearance　of　a　green　field　covered　with　the　ruins　of　a　vast　edifice。　　These　stones　and　this　sand　discover；　on　examination；　a　perfect　analogy　with　those　which　compose　the　arid　and　broken　summits　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　The　flood　of　waters　which　washed　the　soil　to　the　bottom　of　the　valley　afterwards　carried　away　portions　of　the　rocks　themselves；　and　these；　dashed　and　bruised　against　the　neighboring　cliffs；　were　left　scattered　like　wrecks　at　their　feet。　*d　The　valley　of　the　Mississippi　is；　upon　the　whole；　the　most　magnificent　dwelling…place　prepared　by　God　for　man's　abode；　and　yet　it　may　be　said　that　at　present　it　is　but　a　mighty　desert。

＇Footnote　d：　See　Appendix；　A。＇

On　the　eastern　side　of　the　Alleghanies；　between　the　base　of　these　mountains　and　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　there　lies　a　long　ridge　of　rocks　and　sand；　which　the　sea　appears　to　have　left　behind　as　it　retired。　　The　mean　breadth　of　this　territory　does　not　exceed　one　hundred　miles；　but　it　is　about　nine　hundred　miles　in　length。　　This　part　of　the　American　continent　has　a　soil　which　offers　every　obstacle　to　the　husbandman；　and　its　vegetation　is　scanty　and　unvaried。

Upon　this　inhospitable　coast　the　first　united　efforts　of　human　industry　were　made。　　The　tongue　of　arid　land　was　the　cradle　of　those　English　colonies　which　were　destined　one　day　to　become　the　United　States　of　America。　　The　centre　of　power　still　remains　here；　whilst　in　the　backwoods　the　true　elements　of　the　great　people　to　whom　the　future　control　of　the　continent　belongs　are　gathering　almost　in　secrecy　together。

When　the　Europeans　first　landed　on　the　shores　of　the　West　Indies；　and　afterwards　on　the　coast　of　South　America；　they　thought　themselves　transported　into　those　fabulous　regions　of　which　poets　had　sung。　　The　sea　sparkled　with　phosphoric　light；　and　the　extraordinary　transparency　of　its　waters　discovered　to　the　view　of　the　navigator　all　that　had　hitherto　been　hidden　in　the　deep　abyss。　*e　Here　and　there　appeared　little　islands　perfumed　with　odoriferous　plants；　and　resembling　baskets　of　flowers　floating　on　the　tranquil　surface　of　the　ocean。　　Every　object　which　met　the　sight；　in　this　enchanting　region；　seemed　prepared　to　satisfy　the　wants　or　contribute　to　the　pleasures　of　man。　Almost　all　the　trees　were　loaded　with　nourishing　fruits；　and　those　which　were　useless　as　food　delighted　the　eye　by　the　brilliancy　and　variety　of　their　colors。　　In　groves　of　fragrant　lemon…trees；　wild　figs；　flowering　myrtles；　acacias；　and　oleanders；　which　were　hung　with　festoons　of　various　climbing　plants；　covered　with　flowers；　a　multitude　of　birds　unknown　in　Europe　displayed　their　bright　plumage；　glittering　with　purple　and　azure；　and　mingled　their　warbling　with　the　harmony　of　a　world　teeming　with　life　and　motion。　*f　Underneath　this　brilliant　exterior　death　was　concealed。　　But　the　air　of　these　climates　had　so　enervating　an　influence　that　man；　absorbed　by　present　enjoyment；　was　rendered　regardless　of　the　future。

＇Footnote　e：　Malte　Brun　tells　us　（vol。　v。　p。　726）　that　the　water　of　the　Caribbean　Sea　is　so　transparent　that　corals　and　fish　are　discernible　at　a　depth　of　sixty　fathoms。　　The　ship　seemed　to　float　in　air；　the　navigator　became　giddy　as　his　eye　penetrated　through　the　crystal　flood；　and　beheld　submarine　gardens；　or　beds　of　shells；　or　gilded　fishes　gliding　among　tufts　and　thickets　of　seaweed。＇　

＇Footnote　f：　See　Appendix；　B。＇

North　America　appeared　under　a　very　different　aspect；　there　everything　was　grave；　serious；　and　solemn：　it　seemed　created　to　be　the　domain　of　intelligence；　as　the　South　was　that　of　sensual　delight。　　A　turbulent　and　foggy　ocean　washed　its　shores。　　It　was　girt　round　by　a　belt　of　granite　rocks；　or　by　wide　tracts　of　sand。　　The　foliage　of　its　woods　was　dark　and　gloomy；　for　they　were　composed　of　firs；　larches；　evergreen　oaks；　wild　olive…trees；　and　laurels。　Beyond　this　outer　belt　lay　the　thick　shades　of　the　central　forest；　where　the　largest　trees　which　are　produced　in　the　two　hemispheres　grow　side　by　side。　The　plane；　the　catalpa；　the　sugar…　maple；　and　the　Virginian　poplar　mingled　their　branches　with　those　of　the　oak；　the　beech；　and　the　lime。　　In　these；　as　in　the　forests　of　the　Old　World；　destruction　was　perpetually　going　on。　　The　ruins　of　vegetation　were　heaped　upon　each　other；　but　there　was　no　laboring　hand　to　remove　them；　and　their　decay　was　not　rapid　enough　to　make　room　for　the　continual　work　of　reproduction。　　Climbing　plants；　grasses；　and　other　herbs　forced　their　way　through　the　mass　of　dying　trees；　they　crept　along　their　bending　trunks；　found　nourishment　in　their　dusty　cavities；　and　a　passage　beneath　the　lifeless　bark。　　Thus　decay　gave　its　assistance　to　life；　and　their　respective　productions　were　mingled　together。　　The　depths　of　these　forests　were　gloomy　and　obscure；　undirected　in　their　course　by　human　industry；　preserved　in　them　a　constant　moisture。　　It　was　rare　to　meet　with　flowers；　wild　fruits；　or　birds　beneath　their　shades。　　The　fall　of　a　tree　overthrown　by　age；　the　rushing　torrent　of　a　cataract；　the　lowing　of　the　buffalo；　and　the　howling　of　the　wind　were　the　only　sounds　which　broke　the　silence　of　nature。

To　the　east　of　the　great　river；　the　woods　almost　disappeared；　in　their　stead　were　seen　prairies　of　immense　extent。　　Whether　Nature　in　her　infinite　variety　had　denied　the　germs　of　trees　to　these　fertile　plains；　or　whether　they　had　once　been　covered　with　forests；　subsequently　destroyed　by　the　hand　of　man；　is　a　question　which　neither　tradition　nor　scientific　research　has　been　able　to　resolve。

These　immense　deserts　were　not；　however；　devoid　of　human　inhabitants。　Some　wandering　tribes　had　been　for　ages　scattered　among　the　forest　shades　or　the　green　pastures　of　the　prairie。　　From　the　mouth　of　the　St。　Lawrence　to　the　delta　of　the　Mississippi；　and　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Pacific　Ocean；　these　savages　possessed　certain　points　of　resemblance　which　bore　witness　of　their　common　origin；　but　at　the　same　time　they　differed　from　all　other　known　races　of　men：　*g　they　were　neither　white　like　the　Europeans；　nor　yellow　like　most　of　the　Asiatics；　nor　black　like　the　negroes。　　Their　skin　was　reddish　brown；　their　hair　long　and　shining；　their　lips　thin；　and　their　cheekbones　very　prominent。　The　languages　spoken　by　the　North　American　tribes　are　various　as　far　as　regarded　their　words；　but　they　were　subject　to　the　same　grammatical　rules。　These　rules　differed　in　several　points　from　such　as　had　been　observed　to　govern　the　origin　of　language。　　The　idiom　of　the　Americans　seemed　to　be　the　product　of　new　combinations；　and　bespoke　an　effort　of　the　understanding　of　which　the　Indians　of　our　days　would　be　incapable。　*h

＇Footnote　g：　With　the　progress　of　discovery　some　resemblance　has　been　found　to　exist　between　the　physical　conformation；　the　language；　and　the　habits　of　the　Indians　of　North　America；　and　those　of　the　Tongous；　Mantchous；　Mongols；　Tartars；　and　other　wandering　tribes　of　Asia。　　The　land　occupied　by　these　tribes　is　not　very　distant　from　Behring's　Strait；　which　allows　of　the　supposition；　that　at　a　remote　period　they　gave　inhabitants　to　the　desert　continent　of　America。　　But　this　is　a　point　which　has　not　yet　been　clearly　elucidated　by　science。　　See　Malte　Brun；　vol。　v。；　the　works　of　Humboldt；　Fischer；　〃Conjecture　sur　l'Origine　des　Americains〃；　Adair；　〃History　of　the　American　Indians。〃＇

＇Footnote　h：　See　Appendix；　C。＇

The　social　state　of　these　tribes　differed　also　in　many　respects　from　all　that　was　seen　in　the　Old　World。　　They　seemed　to　have　multiplied　freely　in　the　midst　of　their　deserts　without　coming　in　contact　with　other　races　more　civilized　than　their　own。　　Accordingly；　they　exhibited　none　of　those　indistinct；　incoherent　notions　of　right　and　wrong；　none　of　that　deep　corruption　of　manners；　which　is　usually　joined　with　ignorance　and　rudeness　among　nations　which；　after　advancing　to　civilization；　have　relapsed　into　a　state　of　barbarism。　　The　Indian　was　indebted　to　no　one　but　himself；　his　virtues；　his　vices；　and　his　prejudices　were　his　own　work；　he　had　grown　up　in　the　wild　independence　of　his　nature。　

If；　in　polished　countries；　the　lowest　of　the　people　are　rude　and　uncivil；　it　is　not　merely　because　they　are　poor　and　ignorant；　but　that；　being　so；　they　are　in　daily　contact　with　rich　and　enlightened　men。　　The　sight　of　their　own　hard　lot　and　of　their　weakness；　which　is　daily　contrasted　with　the　happiness　and　power　of　some　of　their　fellow…creatures；　excites　in　their　hearts　at　the　same　time　the　sentiments　of　anger　and　of　fear：　the　consciousness　of　their　inferiority　and　of　their　dependence　irritates　while　it　humiliates　them。　　This　state　of　mind　displays　itself　in　their　manners　and　language；　they　are　at　once　insolent　and　servile。　　The　truth　of　this　is　easily　proved　by　observation；　the　people　are　more　rude　in　aristocratic　countries　than　elsewhere；　in　opulent　cities　than　in　rural　districts。　　In　those　places　where　the　rich　and　powerful　are　assembled　together　the　weak　and　the　indigent　feel　themselves　oppressed　by　their　inferior　condition。　　Unable　to　perceive　a　single　chance　of　regaining　their　equality；　they　give　up　to　despair；　and　allow　themselves　to　fall　below　the　dignity　of　human　nature。

This　unfortunate　effect　of　the　disparity　of　conditions　is　not　observable　in　savage　life：　the　Indians；　although　they　are　ignorant　and　poor；　are　equal　and　free。　　At　the　period　when　Europeans　first　came　among