democracy in america-1-第87章

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race　in　the　body　of　which　they　were　the　representatives；　and　maintained　the　honor　of　inactive　life。　　This　aristocracy　contained　many　who　were　poor；　but　none　who　would　work；　its　members　preferred　want　to　labor；　consequently　no　competition　was　set　on　foot　against　negro　laborers　and　slaves；　and；　whatever　opinion　might　be　entertained　as　to　the　utility　of　their　efforts；　it　was　indispensable　to　employ　them；　since　there　was　no　one　else　to　work。

No　sooner　was　the　law　of　primogeniture　abolished　than　fortunes　began　to　diminish；　and　all　the　families　of　the　country　were　simultaneously　reduced　to　a　state　in　which　labor　became　necessary　to　procure　the　means　of　subsistence：　several　of　them　have　since　entirely　disappeared；　and　all　of　them　learned　to　look　forward　to　the　time　at　which　it　would　be　necessary　for　everyone　to　provide　for　his　own　wants。　　Wealthy　individuals　are　still　to　be　met　with；　but　they　no　longer　constitute　a　compact　and　hereditary　body；　nor　have　they　been　able　to　adopt　a　line　of　conduct　in　which　they　could　persevere；　and　which　they　could　infuse　into　all　ranks　of　society。　　The　prejudice　which　stigmatized　labor　was　in　the　first　place　abandoned　by　common　consent；　the　number　of　needy　men　was　increased；　and　the　needy　were　allowed　to　gain　a　laborious　subsistence　without　blushing　for　their　exertions。　　Thus　one　of　the　most　immediate　consequences　of　the　partible　quality　of　estates　has　been　to　create　a　class　of　free　laborers。　　As　soon　as　a　competition　was　set　on　foot　between　the　free　laborer　and　the　slave；　the　inferiority　of　the　latter　became　manifest；　and　slavery　was　attacked　in　its　fundamental　principle；　which　is　the　interest　of　the　master。

As　slavery　recedes；　the　black　population　follows　its　retrograde　course；　and　returns　with　it　towards　those　tropical　regions　from　which　it　originally　came。　　However　singular　this　fact　may　at　first　appear　to　be；　it　may　readily　be　explained。　　Although　the　Americans　abolish　the　principle　of　slavery；　they　do　not　set　their　slaves　free。　　To　illustrate　this　remark；　I　will　quote　the　example　of　the　State　of　New　York。　　In　1788；　the　State　of　New　York　prohibited　the　sale　of　slaves　within　its　limits；　which　was　an　indirect　method　of　prohibiting　the　importation　of　blacks。　　Thenceforward　the　number　of　negroes　could　only　increase　according　to　the　ratio　of　the　natural　increase　of　population。　　But　eight　years　later　a　more　decisive　measure　was　taken；　and　it　was　enacted　that　all　children　born　of　slave　parents　after　July　4；　1799；　should　be　free。　　No　increase　could　then　take　place；　and　although　slaves　still　existed；　slavery　might　be　said　to　be　abolished。

From　the　time　at　which　a　Northern　State　prohibited　the　importation　of　slaves；　no　slaves　were　brought　from　the　South　to　be　sold　in　its　markets。　　On　the　other　hand；　as　the　sale　of　slaves　was　forbidden　in　that　State；　an　owner　was　no　longer　able　to　get　rid　of　his　slave　（who　thus　became　a　burdensome　possession）　otherwise　than　by　transporting　him　to　the　South。　　But　when　a　Northern　State　declared　that　the　son　of　the　slave　should　be　born　free；　the　slave　lost　a　large　portion　of　his　market　value；　since　his　posterity　was　no　longer　included　in　the　bargain；　and　the　owner　had　then　a　strong　interest　in　transporting　him　to　the　South。　　Thus　the　same　law　prevents　the　slaves　of　the　South　from　coming　to　the　Northern　States；　and　drives　those　of　the　North　to　the　South。

The　want　of　free　hands　is　felt　in　a　State　in　proportion　as　the　number　of　slaves　decreases。　　But　in　proportion　as　labor　is　performed　by　free　hands；　slave　labor　becomes　less　productive；　and　the　slave　is　then　a　useless　or　onerous　possession；　whom　it　is　important　to　export　to　those　Southern　States　where　the　same　competition　is　not　to　be　feared。　　Thus　the　abolition　of　slavery　does　not　set　the　slave　free；　but　it　merely　transfers　him　from　one　master　to　another；　and　from　the　North　to　the　South。

The　emancipated　negroes；　and　those　born　after　the　abolition　of　slavery；　do　not；　indeed；　migrate　from　the　North　to　the　South；　but　their　situation　with　regard　to　the　Europeans　is　not　unlike　that　of　the　aborigines　of　America；　they　remain　half　civilized；　and　deprived　of　their　rights　in　the　midst　of　a　population　which　is　far　superior　to　them　in　wealth　and　in　knowledge；　where　they　are　exposed　to　the　tyranny　of　the　laws　*m　and　the　intolerance　of　the　people。　　On　some　accounts　they　are　still　more　to　be　pitied　than　the　Indians；　since　they　are　haunted　by　the　reminiscence　of　slavery；　and　they　cannot　claim　possession　of　a　single　portion　of　the　soil：　many　of　them　perish　miserably；　*n　and　the　rest　congregate　in　the　great　towns；　where　they　perform　the　meanest　offices；　and　lead　a　wretched　and　precarious　existence。

＇Footnote　m：　The　States　in　which　slavery　is　abolished　usually　do　what　they　can　to　render　their　territory　disagreeable　to　the　negroes　as　a　place　of　residence；　and　as　a　kind　of　emulation　exists　between　the　different　States　in　this　respect；　the　unhappy　blacks　can　only　choose　the　least　of　the　evils　which　beset　them。＇

＇Footnote　n：　There　is　a　very　great　difference　between　the　mortality　of　the　blacks　and　of　the　whites　in　the　States　in　which　slavery　is　abolished；　from　1820　to　1831　only　one　out　of　forty…two　individuals　of　the　white　population　died　in　Philadelphia；　but　one　negro　out　of　twenty…one　individuals　of　the　black　population　died　in　the　same　space　of　time。　　The　mortality　is　by　no　means　so　great　amongst　the　negroes　who　are　still　slaves。　　（See　Emmerson's　〃Medical　Statistics；〃　p。　28。）＇

But　even　if　the　number　of　negroes　continued　to　increase　as　rapidly　as　when　they　were　still　in　a　state　of　slavery；　as　the　number　of　whites　augments　with　twofold　rapidity　since　the　abolition　of　slavery；　the　blacks　would　soon　be；　as　it　were；　lost　in　the　midst　of　a　strange　population。

A　district　which　is　cultivated　by　slaves　is　in　general　more　scantily　peopled　than　a　district　cultivated　by　free　labor：　moreover；　America　is　still　a　new　country；　and　a　State　is　therefore　not　half　peopled　at　the　time　when　it　abolishes　slavery。　　No　sooner　is　an　end　put　to　slavery　than　the　want　of　free　labor　is　felt；　and　a　crowd　of　enterprising　adventurers　immediately　arrive　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　who　hasten　to　profit　by　the　fresh　resources　which　are　then　opened　to　industry。　　The　soil　is　soon　divided　amongst　them；　and　a　family　of　white　settlers　takes　possession　of　each　tract　of　country。　Besides　which；　European　emigration　is　exclusively　directed　to　the　free　States；　for　what　would　be　the　fate　of　a　poor　emigrant　who　crosses　the　Atlantic　in　search　of　ease　and　happiness　if　he　were　to　land　in　a　country　where　labor　is　stigmatized　as　degrading？

Thus　the　white　population　grows　by　its　natural　increase；　and　at　the　same　time　by　the　immense　influx　of　emigrants；　whilst　the　black　population　receives　no　emigrants；　and　is　upon　its　decline。　　The　proportion　which　existed　between　the　two　races　is　soon　inverted。　　The　negroes　constitute　a　scanty　remnant；　a　poor　tribe　of　vagrants；　which　is　lost　in　the　midst　of　an　immense　people　in　full　possession　of　the　land；　and　the　presence　of　the　blacks　is　only　marked　by　the　injustice　and　the　hardships　of　which　they　are　the　unhappy　victims。

In　several　of　the　Western　States　the　negro　race　never　made　its　appearance；　and　in　all　the　Northern　States　it　is　rapidly　declining。　　Thus　the　great　question　of　its　future　condition　is　confined　within　a　narrow　circle；　where　it　becomes　less　formidable；　though　not　more　easy　of　solution。

The　more　we　descend　towards　the　South；　the　more　difficult　does　it　become　to　abolish　slavery　with　advantage：　and　this　arises　from　several　physical　causes　which　it　is　important　to　point　out。　

The　first　of　these　causes　is　the　climate；　it　is　well　known　that　in　proportion　as　Europeans　approach　the　tropics　they　suffer　more　from　labor。　Many　of　the　Americans　even　assert　that　within　a　certain　latitude　the　exertions　which　a　negro　can　make　without　danger　are　fatal　to　them；　*o　but　I　do　not　think　that　this　opinion；　which　is　so　favorable　to　the　indolence　of　the　inhabitants　of　southern　regions；　is　confirmed　by　experience。　　The　southern　parts　of　the　Union　are　not　hotter　than　the　South　of　Italy　and　of　Spain；　*p　and　it　may　be　asked　why　the　European　cannot　work　as　well　there　as　in　the　two　latter　countries。　　If　slavery　has　been　abolished　in　Italy　and　in　Spain　without　causing　the　destruction　of　the　masters；　why　should　not　the　same　thing　take　place　in　the　Union？　　I　cannot　believe　that　nature　has　prohibited　the　Europeans　in　Georgia　and　the　Floridas；　under　pain　of　death；　from　raising　the　means　of　subsistence　from　the　soil；　but　their　labor　would　unquestionably　be　more　irksome　and　less　productive　to　them　than　to　the　inhabitants　of　New　England。　As　the　free　workman　thus　loses　a　portion　of　his　superiority　over　the　slave　in　the　Southern　States；　there　are　fewer　inducements　to　abolish　slavery。

＇Footnote　o：　This　is　true　of　the　spots　in　which　rice　is　cultivated；　rice…grounds；　which　are　unwholesome　in　all　countries；　are　particularly　dangerous　in　those　regions　which　are　exposed　to　the　beams　of　a　tropical　sun。　Europeans　would　not　find　it　easy　to　cultivate　the　soil　in　that　part　of　the　New　World　if　it　must　be　necessarily　be　made　to　produce　rice；　but　may　they　not　subsist　without　rice…grounds？＇

＇Footnote　p：　These　States　are　nearer　to　the　equator　than　Italy　and　Spain；　but　the　temperature　of　the　continent　of　America　is　very　much　lower　than　that　of　Europe。

The　Spanish　Government　formerly　caused　a　certain　number　of　peasants　from　the　Acores　to　be　transported　into　a　district　of　Louisiana　called　Attakapas；　by　way　of　experiment。　　These　settlers　still　cultivate　the　soil　without　the　assistance　of　slaves；　but　their　industry　is　so　languid　as　scarcely　to　supply　their　most　necessary　wants。＇

All　the　plants　of　Europe　grow　in　the　northern　parts　of　the　Union；　the　South　has　special　productions　of　its　own。　　It　has　been　observed　that　slave　labor　is　a　very　expensive　method　of　cultivating　corn。　　The　farmer　of　corn　land　in　a　country　where　slavery　is　unknown　habitually　retains　a　small　number　of　laborers　in　his　service；　and　at　seed…time　and　harvest　he　hires　several　additional　hands；　who　only　live　at　his　cost　for　a　short　period。　　But　the　agriculturist　in　a　slave　State　is　obliged　to　keep　a　large　number　of　slaves　the　whole　year　round；　in　order　to　sow　his　fields　and　to　gather　in　his　crops；　although　their　services　are　only　required　for　a　few　weeks；　but　slaves　are　unable　to　wait　till　they　are　hired；　and　to　subsist　by　their　own　labor　in　the　mean　time　like　free　laborers；　in　order　to　have　their　services　they　must　be　bought。　　Slavery；　independently　of　its　general　disadvantages；　is　therefore　still　more　inapplicable　to　countries　in　which　corn　is　cultivated　than　to　those　which　produce　crops　of　a　different　kind。　　The　cultivation　of　tobacco；　of　cotton；　and　especially　of　the　sugar…cane；　demands；　on　the　other　hand；　unremitting　attention：　and　women　and　children　are　employed　in　it；　whose　services　are　of　but　little　use　in　the　cultivation　of　wheat。　　Thus　slavery　is　naturally　more　fitted　to　the　countries　from　which　these　productions　are　derived。　　Tobacco；　cotton；　and　the　sugar…cane　are　exclusively　grown　in　the　South；　and　they　form　one　of　the　principal　sources　of　the　wealth　of　those　States。　　If　slavery　were　abolished；　the　inhabitants　of　the　South　would　be　constrained　to　adopt　one　of　two　alternatives：　they　must　either　change　the