new york-第9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！



the　State。　The　danger　to　valuable　and　movable　property　would　be

too　imminent；　and　those　who　felt　an　interest　in　its　preservation

would　not　fail　to　rally　in　its　defence。　It　is　precisely　on　this

principle　that　in　the　end　property　will　protect　itself　as　against

the　popular　inroads　which　are　inevitable；　should　the　present

tendencies　receive　no　check。　Calm；　disinterested；　and　judicious

legislation　is　a　thing　not　to　be　hoped　for。　It　never　occurs　in

any　state　of　society　except　under　the　pressure　of　great　events；

and　this　for　the　very　simple　reason　that　men；　acting　in　factions；

are　never　calm；　judicious；　or　disinterested。



｛around　the　bell　of　the　Capitol　=　Cooper　is　alluding　to　the

public　ferment　in　upstate　New　York；　during　the　〃anti…rent　wars〃

of　the　1840s；　resulting　in　laws　infringing；　in　Cooper's　view；　on

the　legal　contractual　and　property　rights　of　landowners｝



Nevertheless；　the　community　will　live　on；　suffer；　and　be　deluded：

it　may　even　fancy　itself　almost　within　reach　of　perfection；　but

it　will　live　on　to　be　disappointed。　There　is　no　such　thing　on

earth；　and　the　only　real　question　for　the　American　statesman　is

to　measure　the　results　of　different　defective　systems　for　the

government　of　the　human　race。　We　are　far　from　saying　that　our

own；　with　all　its　flagrant　and　obvious　defects；　will　be　the

worst；　more　especially　when　considered　solely　in　connection　with

whole　numbers；　though　we　cannot　deny；　nor　do　we　wish　to　conceal；

the　bitterness　of　the　wrongs　that　are　so　frequently　inflicted　by

the　many　on　the　few。　This　is；　perhaps；　the　worst　species　of

tyranny。　He　who　suffers　under　the　arbitrary　power　of　a　single

despot；　or　by　the　selfish　exactions　of　a　privileged　few；　is

certain　to　be　sustained　by　the　sympathies　of　the　masses。　But　he

who　is　crushed　by　the　masses　themselves；　must　look　beyond　the

limits　of　his　earthly　being　for　consolation　and　support。　The

wrongs　committed　by　democracies　are　of　the　most　cruel　character；

and　though　wanting　in　that　apparent　violence　and　sternness　that

marks　the　course　of　law　in　the　hands　of　narrower　governments；　for

it　has　no　need　of　this　severity；　they　carry　with　them　in　their

course　all　the　feelings　that　render　injustice　and　oppression

intolerable。



We　think　that　the　towns　of　America；　generally；　will　suffer　less

from　these　popular　abuses　than　the　rural　districts。　As　has　been

already　said；　associated　wealth　will　take　care　of　itself。　It　may

make；　and　probably　will　make；　in　the　earlier　stages　of　these

political　changes；　some　capital　mistakes；　and　there　cannot　be　a

question　that　in　the　rapacity　of　private　efforts　to　accumulate；

some　of　the　most　obvious　and　natural　expedients　of　protection

will　be　overlooked；　until　the　neglect　compels　recourse　possibly

even　to　the　use　of　the　strong　hand。　Still　property　will

eventually　protect　itself。　For；　in　an　age　like　this；　when　even

the　bayonet　must　be　carried　ordinarily　in　its　sheath；　and　when

men　get　to　be　accustomed　from　infancy　to　the　inbred　recognition

of　many　of　the　most　important　principles　of　government；　society

starts；　as　it　might　be；　far　in　advance　of　the　point　which　it

reached　in　the　ages　of　pure　military　and　arbitrary　sway。　The

celebrated　saying　of　Napoleon；　〃L'Europe　sera；　dans　cinquante

ans；　ou　republicaine　ou　cossaque；〃　has　a　profound　signification；

yet　it　must　be　greatly　qualified　to　be　received　with　safety。　The

〃cossaque〃　of　the　close　of　the　nineteenth　century　will　be　a　very

different　thing　from　the　〃cossaque〃　of　the　days　of　Paul。　It　now

means　little　more　than　conservatism；　and　this；　too；　a

conservatism　that　is　not　absolutely　without　that　principle　of

concession　to　the　spirits　and　wants　of　the　passing　moment。　These

quarrels　and　bitter　conflicts　of　which　we　hear　so　much　in　the　Old

World；　like　some　of　our　own；　have　their　rise　in　abstractions

quite　as　much　as　in　actual　oppression；　and　the　alternative

offered　by　change　half　the　time　amounts　to　but　little　more　than

the　substitution　of　King　Stork　for　King　Log。　It　may　not　be

agreeable　to　the　pride；　recollections；　and　national　traditions　of

the　Hungarian；　or　the　Italian；　to　submit　to　the　sway　of　a　German；

but　it　may　well　be　questioned　if　the　substitutes　they　would　offer

for　the　present　form　of　government　would　greatly　tend　to　the

amelioration　of　the　respective　people。



｛L'Europe　sera。。。。　=　Europe　will；　in　fifty　years；　be　either

republican　or　cossack　＇French＇；　Paul　=　Paul　I；　Tsar　of　Russia

from　1796　to　1801；　King　Stork　for　King　Log　=　from　Aesop's　Fables｝



What　is　true　in　the　Old　World　will；　in　the　end；　be　found　to　be

true　here。　To　us；　it　would　seem　that　the　portion　of　the　people　of

this　country；　whom　we　should　term　the　disinterested；　or　those　who

have　no　direct　connection　with　slavery；　on　the　one　hand；　or　with

fanaticism；　and　its　handmaid　demagogism；　on　the　other；　should

turn　their　attention　solely　to　the　achievement　of　a　single

object。　They　have　the　strength　to　do　it；　if　they　only　had　the

will。　By　compelling　the　disturbers　of　the　public　peace　to　submit

to　the　control　of　the　government；　and　to　cease　their　meddling　and

wanton　invasion　of　the　security　and　property　of　their　brothers

and　neighbors；　the　question　of　slavery　would　soon　take　care　of

itself。　A　single　generation　would；　probably；　see　it　confined　in　a

great　measure　to　the　extreme　Southern　and　Southwestern　States；

for；　under　the　present　emigration　from　Europe；　it　cannot　be　long

before　the　upper　counties　of　even　the　Carolinas　and　Georgia　will

make　the　discovery　that　the　introduction　of　a　single　white　man

will　be　really　of　more　importance　to　them　than　that　of　a　dozen

negroes。　Could　Virginia　be　made　to　see　her　true　interests　in　this

behalf；　the　glory　of　the　Old　Dominion　would　speedily　revive；　and

her　fine　population　of　gentlemen　would　shortly　take　its　place

again　where　it　so　properly　belongs；　in　the　foremost　ranks　of　the

nation。　We　require　an　exchange　with　that　quarter　of　the　country；

for　we　could　give　that　which　she　greatly　needs；　and　receive　in

exchange　that　which　would　probably　not　a　little　benefit

ourselves。　Puritanism；　most　especially　when　it　breaks　out　of

bonds　by　the　process　of　emigration；　does　not　always　produce　the

most　acceptable　fruits；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　the　descendants

of　the　Cavaliers　might　obtain　homely　lessons；　of　great　practical

benefit；　from　the　utilitarian　spirit　of　the　whole　North。











End