democracy in america-1-第82章

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suppose　we　have　been　mistaken。　　Those　which　have　been　brought　into　contact　with　us　have　not　become　French；　and　the　French　who　have　lived　among　them　are　changed　into　savages；　affecting　to　dress　and　live　like　them。〃　（〃History　of　New　France；〃　by　Charlevoix；　vol。　ii。；　p。　345。）　The　Englishman；　on　the　contrary；　continuing　obstinately　attached　to　the　customs　and　the　most　insignificant　habits　of　his　forefathers；　has　remained　in　the　midst　of　the　American　solitudes　just　what　he　was　in　the　bosom　of　European　cities；　he　would　not　allow　of　any　communication　with　savages　whom　he　despised；　and　avoided　with　care　the　union　of　his　race　with　theirs。　　Thus　while　the　French　exercised　no　salutary　influence　over　the　Indians；　the　English　have　always　remained　alien　from　them。＇　

The　success　of　the　Cherokees　proves　that　the　Indians　are　capable　of　civilization；　but　it　does　not　prove　that　they　will　succeed　in　it。　　This　difficulty　which　the　Indians　find　in　submitting　to　civilization　proceeds　from　the　influence　of　a　general　cause；　which　it　is　almost　impossible　for　them　to　escape。　　An　attentive　survey　of　history　demonstrates　that；　in　general；　barbarous　nations　have　raised　themselves　to　civilization　by　degrees；　and　by　their　own　efforts。　　Whenever　they　derive　knowledge　from　a　foreign　people；　they　stood　towards　it　in　the　relation　of　conquerors；　and　not　of　a　conquered　nation。　When　the　conquered　nation　is　enlightened；　and　the　conquerors　are　half　savage；　as　in　the　case　of　the　invasion　of　Rome　by　the　Northern　nations　or　that　of　China　by　the　Mongols；　the　power　which　victory　bestows　upon　the　barbarian　is　sufficient　to　keep　up　his　importance　among　civilized　men；　and　permit　him　to　rank　as　their　equal；　until　he　becomes　their　rival：　the　one　has　might　on　his　side；　the　other　has　intelligence；　the　former　admires　the　knowledge　and　the　arts　of　the　conquered；　the　latter　envies　the　power　of　the　conquerors。　　The　barbarians　at　length　admit　civilized　man　into　their　palaces；　and　he　in　turn　opens　his　schools　to　the　barbarians。　　But　when　the　side　on　which　the　physical　force　lies；　also　possesses　an　intellectual　preponderance；　the　conquered　party　seldom　become　civilized；　it　retreats；　or　is　destroyed。　It　may　therefore　be　said；　in　a　general　way；　that　savages　go　forth　in　arms　to　seek　knowledge；　but　that　they　do　not　receive　it　when　it　comes　to　them。

If　the　Indian　tribes　which　now　inhabit　the　heart　of　the　continent　could　summon　up　energy　enough　to　attempt　to　civilize　themselves；　they　might　possibly　succeed。　　Superior　already　to　the　barbarous　nations　which　surround　them；　they　would　gradually　gain　strength　and　experience；　and　when　the　Europeans　should　appear　upon　their　borders；　they　would　be　in　a　state；　if　not　to　maintain　their　independence；　at　least　to　assert　their　right　to　the　soil；　and　to　incorporate　themselves　with　the　conquerors。　　But　it　is　the　misfortune　of　Indians　to　be　brought　into　contact　with　a　civilized　people；　which　is　also　（it　must　be　owned）　the　most　avaricious　nation　on　the　globe；　whilst　they　are　still　semi…barbarian：　to　find　despots　in　their　instructors；　and　to　receive　knowledge　from　the　hand　of　oppression。　　Living　in　the　freedom　of　the　woods；　the　North　American　Indian　was　destitute；　but　he　had　no　feeling　of　inferiority　towards　anyone；　as　soon；　however；　as　he　desires　to　penetrate　into　the　social　scale　of　the　whites；　he　takes　the　lowest　rank　in　society；　for　he　enters；　ignorant　and　poor；　within　the　pale　of　science　and　wealth。　　After　having　led　a　life　of　agitation；　beset　with　evils　and　dangers；　but　at　the　same　time　filled　with　proud　emotions；　*r　he　is　obliged　to　submit　to　a　wearisome；　obscure；　and　degraded　state；　and　to　gain　the　bread　which　nourishes　him　by　hard　and　ignoble　labor；　such　are　in　his　eyes　the　only　results　of　which　civilization　can　boast：　and　even　this　much　he　is　not　sure　to　obtain。

＇Footnote　r：　There　is　in　the　adventurous　life　of　the　hunter　a　certain　irresistible　charm；　which　seizes　the　heart　of　man　and　carries　him　away　in　spite　of　reason　and　experience。　　This　is　plainly　shown　by　the　memoirs　of　Tanner。　　Tanner　is　a　European　who　was　carried　away　at　the　age　of　six　by　the　Indians；　and　has　remained　thirty　years　with　them　in　the　woods。　　Nothing　can　be　conceived　more　appalling　that　the　miseries　which　he　describes。　　He　tells　us　of　tribes　without　a　chief；　families　without　a　nation　to　call　their　own；　men　in　a　state　of　isolation；　wrecks　of　powerful　tribes　wandering　at　random　amid　the　ice　and　snow　and　desolate　solitudes　of　Canada。　　Hunger　and　cold　pursue　them；　every　day　their　life　is　in　jeopardy。　　Amongst　these　men；　manners　have　lost　their　empire；　traditions　are　without　power。　　They　become　more　and　more　savage。　Tanner　shared　in　all　these　miseries；　he　was　aware　of　his　European　origin；　he　was　not　kept　away　from　the　whites　by　force；　on　the　contrary；　he　came　every　year　to　trade　with　them；　entered　their　dwellings；　and　witnessed　their　enjoyments；　he　knew　that　whenever　he　chose　to　return　to　civilized　life　he　was　perfectly　able　to　do　so　…　and　he　remained　thirty　years　in　the　deserts。　　When　he　came　into　civilized　society　he　declared　that　the　rude　existence　which　he　described；　had　a　secret　charm　for　him　which　he　was　unable　to　define：　he　returned　to　it　again　and　again：　at　length　he　abandoned　it　with　poignant　regret；　and　when　he　was　at　length　fixed　among　the　whites；　several　of　his　children　refused　to　share　his　tranquil　and　easy　situation。　I　saw　Tanner　myself　at　the　lower　end　of　Lake　Superior；　he　seemed　to　me　to　be　more　like　a　savage　than　a　civilized　being。　　His　book　is　written　without　either　taste　or　order；　but　he　gives；　even　unconsciously；　a　lively　picture　of　the　prejudices；　the　passions；　the　vices；　and；　above　all；　of　the　destitution　in　which　he　lived。＇

When　the　Indians　undertake　to　imitate　their　European　neighbors；　and　to　till　the　earth　like　the　settlers；　they　are　immediately　exposed　to　a　very　formidable　competition。　　The　white　man　is　skilled　in　the　craft　of　agriculture；　the　Indian　is　a　rough　beginner　in　an　art　with　which　he　is　unacquainted。　　The　former　reaps　abundant　crops　without　difficulty；　the　latter　meets　with　a　thousand　obstacles　in　raising　the　fruits　of　the　earth。

The　European　is　placed　amongst　a　population　whose　wants　he　knows　and　partakes。　　The　savage　is　isolated　in　the　midst　of　a　hostile　people；　with　whose　manners；　language；　and　laws　he　is　imperfectly　acquainted；　but　without　whose　assistance　he　cannot　live。　　He　can　only　procure　the　materials　of　comfort　by　bartering　his　commodities　against　the　goods　of　the　European；　for　the　assistance　of　his　countrymen　is　wholly　insufficient　to　supply　his　wants。　When　the　Indian　wishes　to　sell　the　produce　of　his　labor；　he　cannot　always　meet　with　a　purchaser；　whilst　the　European　readily　finds　a　market；　and　the　former　can　only　produce　at　a　considerable　cost　that　which　the　latter　vends　at　a　very　low　rate。　　Thus　the　Indian　has　no　sooner　escaped　those　evils　to　which　barbarous　nations　are　exposed；　than　he　is　subjected　to　the　still　greater　miseries　of　civilized　communities；　and　he　finds　is　scarcely　less　difficult　to　live　in　the　midst　of　our　abundance；　than　in　the　depth　of　his　own　wilderness。

He　has　not　yet　lost　the　habits　of　his　erratic　life；　the　traditions　of　his　fathers　and　his　passion　for　the　chase　are　still　alive　within　him。　　The　wild　enjoyments　which　formerly　animated　him　in　the　woods；　painfully　excite　his　troubled　imagination；　and　his　former　privations　appear　to　be　less　keen；　his　former　perils　less　appalling。　　He　contrasts　the　independence　which　he　possessed　amongst　his　equals　with　the　servile　position　which　he　occupies　in　civilized　society。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　solitudes　which　were　so　long　his　free　home　are　still　at　hand；　a　few　hours'　march　will　bring　him　back　to　them　once　more。　　The　whites　offer　him　a　sum；　which　seems　to　him　to　be　considerable；　for　the　ground　which　he　has　begun　to　clear。　　This　money　of　the　Europeans　may　possibly　furnish　him　with　the　means　of　a　happy　and　peaceful　subsistence　in　remoter　regions；　and　he　quits　the　plough；　resumes　his　native　arms；　and　returns　to　the　wilderness　forever。　*s　The　condition　of　the　Creeks　and　Cherokees；　to　which　I　have　already　alluded；　sufficiently　corroborates　the　truth　of　this　deplorable　picture。

＇Footnote　s：　The　destructive　influence　of　highly　civilized　nations　upon　others　which　are　less　so；　has　been　exemplified　by　the　Europeans　themselves。　About　a　century　ago　the　French　founded　the　town　of　Vincennes　up　on　the　Wabash；　in　the　middle　of　the　desert；　and　they　lived　there　in　great　plenty　until　the　arrival　of　the　American　settlers；　who　first　ruined　the　previous　inhabitants　by　their　competition；　and　afterwards　purchased　their　lands　at　a　very　low　rate。　　At　the　time　when　M。　de　Volney；　from　whom　I　borrow　these　details；　passed　through　Vincennes；　the　number　of　the　French　was　reduced　to　a　hundred　individuals；　most　of　whom　were　about　to　pass　over　to　Louisiana　or　to　Canada。　　These　French　settlers　were　worthy　people；　but　idle　and　uninstructed：　they　had　contracted　many　of　the　habits　of　savages。　　The　Americans；　who　were　perhaps　their　inferiors；　in　a　moral　point　of　view；　were　immeasurably　superior　to　them　in　intelligence：　they　were　industrious；　well　informed；　rich；　and　accustomed　to　govern　their　own　community。

I　myself　saw　in　Canada；　where　the　intellectual　difference　between　the　two　races　is　less　striking；　that　the　English　are　the　masters　of　commerce　and　manufacture　in　the　Canadian　country；　that　they　spread　on　all　sides；　and　confine　the　French　within　limits　which　scarcely　suffice　to　contain　them。　　In　like　manner；　in　Louisiana；　almost　all　activity　in　commerce　and　manufacture　centres　in　the　hands　of　the　Anglo…Americans。


But　the　case　of　Texas　is　still　more　striking：　the　State　of　Texas　is　a　part　of　Mexico；　and　lies　upon　the　frontier　between　that　country　and　the　United　States。　　In　the　course　of　the　last　few　years　the　Anglo…Americans　have　penetrated　into　this　province；　which　is　still　thinly　peopled；　they　purchase　land；　they　produce　the　commodities　of　the　country；　and　supplant　the　original　population。　　It　may　easily　be　foreseen　that　if　Mexico　takes　no　steps　to　check　this　change；　the　province　of　Texas　will　very　shortly　cease　to　belong　to　that　government。

If　the　different　degrees　…　comparatively　so　slight　…　which　exist　in　European　civilization　produce　results　of　such　magnitude；　the　consequences　which　must　ensue　from　the　collision　of　the　most　perfect　European　civilization　with　Indian　savages　may　readily　be　conceived。＇

The　Indians；　in　the　little　which　they　have　done；　have　unquestionably　displayed　as　much　natural　genius　as　the　peoples　of　Europe　in　their　most　important　designs；　but　nations　as　well　as　men　require　time　to　learn；　whatever　may　be　their　intelligence　and　their　zeal。　　Whilst　the　savages　were　engaged　in　the　work　of　civilization；　the　Europeans　continued　to　surround　them　on　every　side；　and　to　confine　them　within　narrower　limits；　the　two　races　gradually　met；　and　they　are　now　in　immediate　juxtaposition　to　each　other。　The　Indian　is　already　superior　to　his　barbarous　parent；　but　he　is　still　very　far　below　his　white　neighbor。　　With　their　resources　and　acquired　knowledge；　the　Europeans　soon　appropriated　to　themselves　most　of　the　advantages　which　the　natives　might　have　derived　from　the　possession　of　the　soil；　they　have　settled　in　the　country；　they　have　purchased　land　at　a　very　low　rate　or　have　occupied　it　by　force；　and　t