democracy in america-1-第70章

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s　have　never　been　felt　in　the　United　States；　and　many　generations　must　elapse　before　they　can　be　felt。　　The　extent　of　our　inhabited　territory；　the　abundance　of　adjacent　land；　and　the　continual　stream　of　emigration　flowing　from　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic　towards　the　interior　of　the　country；　suffice　as　yet；　and　will　long　suffice；　to　prevent　the　parcelling　out　of　estates。〃

It　is　difficult　to　describe　the　rapacity　with　which　the　American　rushes　forward　to　secure　the　immense　booty　which　fortune　proffers　to　him。　　In　the　pursuit　he　fearlessly　braves　the　arrow　of　the　Indian　and　the　distempers　of　the　forest；　he　is　unimpressed　by　the　silence　of　the　woods；　the　approach　of　beasts　of　prey　does　not　disturb　him；　for　he　is　goaded　onwards　by　a　passion　more　intense　than　the　love　of　life。　　Before　him　lies　a　boundless　continent；　and　he　urges　onwards　as　if　time　pressed；　and　he　was　afraid　of　finding　no　room　for　his　exertions。　　I　have　spoken　of　the　emigration　from　the　older　States；　but　how　shall　I　describe　that　which　takes　place　from　the　more　recent　ones？　Fifty　years　have　scarcely　elapsed　since　that　of　Ohio　was　founded；　the　greater　part　of　its　inhabitants　were　not　born　within　its　confines；　its　capital　has　only　been　built　thirty　years；　and　its　territory　is　still　covered　by　an　immense　extent　of　uncultivated　fields；　nevertheless　the　population　of　Ohio　is　already　proceeding　westward；　and　most　of　the　settlers　who　descend　to　the　fertile　savannahs　of　Illinois　are　citizens　of　Ohio。　　These　men　left　their　first　country　to　improve　their　condition；　they　quit　their　resting…place　to　ameliorate　it　still　more；　fortune　awaits　them　everywhere；　but　happiness　they　cannot　attain。　　The　desire　of　prosperity　is　become　an　ardent　and　restless　passion　in　their　minds　which　grows　by　what　it　gains。　　They　early　broke　the　ties　which　bound　them　to　their　natal　earth；　and　they　have　contracted　no　fresh　ones　on　their　way。　　Emigration　was　at　first　necessary　to　them　as　a　means　of　subsistence；　and　it　soon　becomes　a　sort　of　game　of　chance；　which　they　pursue　for　the　emotions　it　excites　as　much　as　for　the　gain　it　procures。

Sometimes　the　progress　of　man　is　so　rapid　that　the　desert　reappears　behind　him。　　The　woods　stoop　to　give　him　a　passage；　and　spring　up　again　when　he　has　passed。　　It　is　not　uncommon　in　crossing　the　new　States　of　the　West　to　meet　with　deserted　dwellings　in　the　midst　of　the　wilds；　the　traveller　frequently　discovers　the　vestiges　of　a　log　house　in　the　most　solitary　retreats；　which　bear　witness　to　the　power；　and　no　less　to　the　inconstancy　of　man。　　In　these　abandoned　fields；　and　over　these　ruins　of　a　day；　the　primeval　forest　soon　scatters　a　fresh　vegetation；　the　beasts　resume　the　haunts　which　were　once　their　own；　and　Nature　covers　the　traces　of　man's　path　with　branches　and　with　flowers；　which　obliterate　his　evanescent　track。

I　remember　that；　in　crossing　one　of　the　woodland　districts　which　still　cover　the　State　of　New　York；　I　reached　the　shores　of　a　lake　embosomed　in　forests　coeval　with　the　world。　　A　small　island；　covered　with　woods　whose　thick　foliage　concealed　its　banks；　rose　from　the　centre　of　the　waters。　　Upon　the　shores　of　the　lake　no　object　attested　the　presence　of　man　except　a　column　of　smoke　which　might　be　seen　on　the　horizon　rising　from　the　tops　of　the　trees　to　the　clouds；　and　seeming　to　hang　from　heaven　rather　than　to　be　mounting　to　the　sky。　　An　Indian　shallop　was　hauled　up　on　the　sand；　which　tempted　me　to　visit　the　islet　that　had　first　attracted　my　attention；　and　in　a　few　minutes　I　set　foot　upon　its　banks。　　The　whole　island　formed　one　of　those　delicious　solitudes　of　the　New　World　which　almost　lead　civilized　man　to　regret　the　haunts　of　the　savage。　　A　luxuriant　vegetation　bore　witness　to　the　incomparable　fruitfulness　of　the　soil。　　The　deep　silence　which　is　common　to　the　wilds　of　North　America　was　only　broken　by　the　hoarse　cooing　of　the　wood…pigeon；　and　the　tapping　of　the　woodpecker　upon　the　bark　of　trees。　　I　was　far　from　supposing　that　this　spot　had　ever　been　inhabited；　so　completely　did　Nature　seem　to　be　left　to　her　own　caprices；　but　when　I　reached　the　centre　of　the　isle　I　thought　that　I　discovered　some　traces　of　man。　　I　then　proceeded　to　examine　the　surrounding　objects　with　care；　and　I　soon　perceived　that　a　European　had　undoubtedly　been　led　to　seek　a　refuge　in　this　retreat。　　Yet　what　changes　had　taken　place　in　the　scene　of　his　labors！　　The　logs　which　he　had　hastily　hewn　to　build　himself　a　shed　had　sprouted　afresh；　the　very　props　were　intertwined　with　living　verdure；　and　his　cabin　was　transformed　into　a　bower。　In　the　midst　of　these　shrubs　a　few　stones　were　to　be　seen；　blackened　with　fire　and　sprinkled　with　thin　ashes；　here　the　hearth　had　no　doubt　been；　and　the　chimney　in　falling　had　covered　it　with　rubbish。　　I　stood　for　some　time　in　silent　admiration　of　the　exuberance　of　Nature　and　the　littleness　of　man：　and　when　I　was　obliged　to　leave　that　enchanting　solitude；　I　exclaimed　with　melancholy；　〃Are　ruins；　then；　already　here？〃

In　Europe　we　are　wont　to　look　upon　a　restless　disposition；　an　unbounded　desire　of　riches；　and　an　excessive　love　of　independence；　as　propensities　very　formidable　to　society。　　Yet　these　are　the　very　elements　which　ensure　a　long　and　peaceful　duration　to　the　republics　of　America。　　Without　these　unquiet　passions　the　population　would　collect　in　certain　spots；　and　would　soon　be　subject　to　wants　like　those　of　the　Old　World；　which　it　is　difficult　to　satisfy；　for　such　is　the　present　good　fortune　of　the　New　World；　that　the　vices　of　its　inhabitants　are　scarcely　less　favorable　to　society　than　their　virtues。　These　circumstances　exercise　a　great　influence　on　the　estimation　in　which　human　actions　are　held　in　the　two　hemispheres。　　The　Americans　frequently　term　what　we　should　call　cupidity　a　laudable　industry；　and　they　blame　as　faint…heartedness　what　we　consider　to　be　the　virtue　of　moderate　desires。

In　France；　simple　tastes；　orderly　manners；　domestic　affections；　and　the　attachments　which　men　feel　to　the　place　of　their　birth；　are　looked　upon　as　great　guarantees　of　the　tranquillity　and　happiness　of　the　State。　　But　in　America　nothing　seems　to　be　more　prejudicial　to　society　than　these　virtues。　The　French　Canadians；　who　have　faithfully　preserved　the　traditions　of　their　pristine　manners；　are　already　embarrassed　for　room　upon　their　small　territory；　and　this　little　community；　which　has　so　recently　begun　to　exist；　will　shortly　be　a　prey　to　the　calamities　incident　to　old　nations。　　In　Canada；　the　most　enlightened；　patriotic；　and　humane　inhabitants　make　extraordinary　efforts　to　render　the　people　dissatisfied　with　those　simple　enjoyments　which　still　content　it。　　There；　the　seductions　of　wealth　are　vaunted　with　as　much　zeal　as　the　charms　of　an　honest　but　limited　income　in　the　Old　World；　and　more　exertions　are　made　to　excite　the　passions　of　the　citizens　there　than　to　calm　them　elsewhere。　　If　we　listen　to　their　eulogies；　we　shall　hear　that　nothing　is　more　praiseworthy　than　to　exchange　the　pure　and　homely　pleasures　which　even　the　poor　man　tastes　in　his　own　country　for　the　dull　delights　of　prosperity　under　a　foreign　sky；　to　leave　the　patrimonial　hearth　and　the　turf　beneath　which　his　forefathers　sleep；　in　short；　to　abandon　the　living　and　the　dead　in　quest　of　fortune。

At　the　present　time　America　presents　a　field　for　human　effort　far　more　extensive　than　any　sum　of　labor　which　can　be　applied　to　work　it。　　In　America　too　much　knowledge　cannot　be　diffused；　for　all　knowledge；　whilst　it　may　serve　him　who　possesses　it；　turns　also　to　the　advantage　of　those　who　are　without　it。　New　wants　are　not　to　be　feared；　since　they　can　be　satisfied　without　difficulty；　the　growth　of　human　passions　need　not　be　dreaded；　since　all　passions　may　find　an　easy　and　a　legitimate　object；　nor　can　men　be　put　in　possession　of　too　much　freedom；　since　they　are　scarcely　ever　tempted　to　misuse　their　liberties。

The　American　republics　of　the　present　day　are　like　companies　of　adventurers　formed　to　explore　in　common　the　waste　lands　of　the　New　World；　and　busied　in　a　flourishing　trade。　　The　passions　which　agitate　the　Americans　most　deeply　are　not　their　political　but　their　commercial　passions；　or；　to　speak　more　correctly；　they　introduce　the　habits　they　contract　in　business　into　their　political　life。　　They　love　order；　without　which　affairs　do　not　prosper；　and　they　set　an　especial　value　upon　a　regular　conduct；　which　is　the　foundation　of　a　solid　business；　they　prefer　the　good　sense　which　amasses　large　fortunes　to　that　enterprising　spirit　which　frequently　dissipates　them；　general　ideas　alarm　their　minds；　which　are　accustomed　to　positive　calculations；　and　they　hold　practice　in　more　honor　than　theory。

It　is　in　America　that　one　learns　to　understand　the　influence　which　physical　prosperity　exercises　over　political　actions；　and　even　over　opinions　which　ought　to　acknowledge　no　sway　but　that　of　reason；　and　it　is　more　especially　amongst　strangers　that　this　truth　is　perceptible。　　Most　of　the　European　emigrants　to　the　New　World　carry　with　them　that　wild　love　of　independence　and　of　change　which　our　calamities　are　so　apt　to　engender。　　I　sometimes　met　with　Europeans　in　the　United　States　who　had　been　obliged　to　leave　their　own　country　on　account　of　their　political　opinions。　　They　all　astonished　me　by　the　language　they　held；　but　one　of　them　surprised　me　more　than　all　the　rest。　　As　I　was　crossing　one　of　the　most　remote　districts　of　Pennsylvania　I　was　benighted；　and　obliged　to　beg　for　hospitality　at　the　gate　of　a　wealthy　planter；　who　was　a　Frenchman　by　birth。　　He　bade　me　sit　down　beside　his　fire；　and　we　began　to　talk　with　that　freedom　which　befits　persons　who　meet　in　the　backwoods；　two　thousand　leagues　from　their　native　country。　I　was　aware　that　my　host　had　been　a　great　leveller　and　an　ardent　demagogue　forty　years　ago；　and　that　his　name　was　not　unknown　to　fame。　　I　was；　therefore；　not　a　little　surprised　to　hear　him　discuss　the　rights　of　property　as　an　economist　or　a　landowner　might　have　done：　he　spoke　of　the　necessary　gradations　which　fortune　establishes　among　men；　of　obedience　to　established　laws；　of　the　influence　of　good　morals　in　commonwealths；　and　of　the　support　which　religious　opinions　give　to　order　and　to　freedom；　he　even　went　to　far　as　to　quote　an　evangelical　authority　in　corroboration　of　one　of　his　political　tenets。

I　listened；　and　marvelled　at　the　feebleness　of　human　reason。　　A　proposition　is　true　or　false；　but　no　art　can　prove　it　to　be　one　or　the　other；　in　the　midst　of　the　uncertainties　of　science　and　the　conflicting　lessons　of　experience；　until　a　new　incident　disperses　the　clouds　of　doubt；　I　was　poor；　I　become　rich；　and　I　am　not　to　expect　that　prosperity　will　act　upon　my　conduct；　and　leave　my　judgment　free；　my　opinions　change　with　my　fortune；　and　the　happy　circumstances　which　I　turn　to　my　advantage　furnish　me　with　that　decisive　argument　which　was　before　wanting。　The　influence　of　prosperity　acts　still　more　freely　upon　the　American　than　upon　strangers。　　The　American　has　always　seen　the　connection　of　public　order　and　public　prosperity；　intimately　united　as　they　are；　go　on　before　his　eyes；　he　does　not　conceive　that　one　can　subsist　without　the　other；　he　has　therefore　nothing　to　forget；　nor　has　he；　like　so　many　Europeans；　to　unlearn　the　lessons　of　his　early　education。　

Chapter　XVII：　Principal　Causes　Maintaining　The　Democratic　Republic　…　Part　II