north america-2-第94章

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　being　lynched　in　one　State；　or　tarred　and　feathered　in　another；　or　of　a　duel　in　a　third　being　〃fought　at　sight。〃　　So　I　may　be　told　also　of　men　garroted　in　London；　and　of　tithe　proctors　buried　in　a　bog　without　their　ears　in　Ireland。　　Neither　will　seventy　years　of　continuance；　nor　will　seven　hundred；　secure　such　an　observance　of　laws　as　will　prevent　temporary　ebullition　of　popular　feeling；　or　save　a　people　from　the　chance　disgrace　of　occasional　outrage。　Taking　the　general；　life　and　limb　and　property　have　been　as　safe　in　the　States　as　in　other　civilized　countries　with　which　we　are　acquainted。　As　to　their　personal　liberty　under　their　laws；　I　know　it　will　be　said　that　they　have　surrendered　all　claim　to　any　such　precious　possession　by　the　facility　with　which　they　have　now　surrendered　the　privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus。　　It　has　been　taken　from　them；　as　I　have　endeavored　to　show；　illegally；　and　they　have　submitted　to　the　loss　and　to　the　illegality　without　a　murmur！　　But　in　such　a　matter　I　do　not　think　it　fair　to　judge　them　by　their　conduct　in　such　a　moment　as　the　present。　　That　this　is　the　very　moment　in　which　to　judge　of　the　efficiency　of　their　institutions　generally；　of　the　aptitude　of　those　institutions　for　the　security　of　the　nation；　I　readily　acknowledge；　but　when　a　ship　is　at　sea　in　a　storm；　riding　out　through　all　that　the　winds　and　waves　can　do　to　her；　one　does　not　condemn　her　because　a　yard…arm　gives　way；　nor　even　though　the　mainmast　should　go　by　the　board。　　If　she　can　make　her　port；　saving　life　and　cargo；　she　is　a　good　ship；　let　her　losses　in　spars　and　rigging　be　what　they　may。　　In　this　affair　of　the　habeas　corpus　we　will　wait　awhile　before　we　come　to　any　final　judgment。　　If　it　be　that　the　people；　when　the　war　is　over；　shall　consent　to　live　under　a　military　or　other　dictatorship；　that　they　shall　quietly　continue　their　course　as　a　nation　without　recovery　of　their　rights　of　freedom；　then　we　shall　have　to　say　that　their　institutions　were　not　founded　in　a　soil　of　sufficient　depth；　and　that　they　gave　way　before　the　first　high　wind　that　blew　on　them。　　I　myself　do　not　expect　such　a　result。　I　think　we　must　admit　that　the　Americans　have　received　from　their　government；　or　rather　from　their　system　of　policy；　that　aid　and　furtherance　which　they　required　from　it；　and；　moreover；　such　aid　and　furtherance　as　we　expect　from　our　system　of　government。　　We　must　admit　that　they　have　been　great；　and　free；　and　prosperous；　as　we　also　have　become。　　And　we　must　admit　also　that　in　some　matters　they　have　gone　forward　in　advance　of　us。　　They　have　educated　their　people；　as　we　have　not　educated　ours。　　They　have　given　to　their　millions　a　personal　respect；　and　a　standing　above　the　abjectness　of　poverty；　which　with　us　are　much　less　general　than　with　them。　　These　things；　I　grant；　have　not　come　of　their　government；　and　have　not　been　produced　by　their　written　Constitution。　　They　are　the　happy　results　of　their　happy　circumstances。　　But　so　also　are　not　those　evil　attributes　which　we　sometimes　assign　to　them　the　creatures　of　their　government　or　of　their　Constitution。　　We　acknowledge　them　to　be　well　educated；　intelligent；　philanthropic；　and　industrious；　but　we　say　that　they　are　ambitious；　unjust；　self…idolatrous；　and　irreligious。　　If　so；　let　us　at　any　rate　balance　the　virtues　against　the　vices。　　As　to　their　ambition；　it　is　a　vice　that　leans　so　to　virtue's　side　that　it　hardly　needs　an　apology。　　As　to　their　injustice；　or　rather　dishonesty；　I　have　said　what　I　have　to　say　on　that　matter。　　I　am　not　going　to　flinch　from　the　accusation　I　have　brought；　though　I　am　aware　that　in　bringing　it　I　have　thrown　away　any　hope　that　I　might　have　had　of　carrying　with　me　the　good…will　of　the　Americans　for　my　book。　　The　love　of　moneyor　rather　of　making　moneycarried　to　an　extreme；　has　lessened　that　instinctive　respect　for　the　rights　of　meum　and　tuum；　which　all　men　feel　more　or　less；　and　which；　when　encouraged　within　the　human　breast；　finds　its　result　in　perfect　honesty。　　Other　nations；　of　which　I　will　not　now　stop　to　name　even　one；　have　had　their　periods　of　natural　dishonesty。　　It　may　be　that　others　are　even　now　to　be　placed　in　the　same　category。　　But　it　is　a　fault　which　industry　and　intelligence　combined　will　after　awhile　serve　to　lessen　and　to　banish。　　The　industrious　man　desires　to　keep　the　fruit　of　his　own　industry；　and　the　intelligent　man　will　ultimately　be　able　to　do　so。　　That　the　Americans　are　self…idolaters　is　perhaps　truewith　a　difference。　　An　American　desires　you　to　worship　his　country；　or　his　brother；　but　he　does　not　often；　by　any　of　the　usual　signs　of　conceit；　call　upon　you　to　worship　himself；　as　an　American；　treating　of　America；　he　is　self…idolatrous；　that　is　a　self…idolatry　which　I　can　endure。　　Then；　as　to　his　want　of　religion　and　it　is　a　very　sad　wantI　can　only　say　of　him　that　I；　as　an　Englishman；　do　not　feel　myself　justified　in　flinging　the　first　stone　at　him。　　In　that　matter　of　religion；　as　in　the　matter　of　education；　the　American；　I　think；　stands　on　a　level　higher　than　ours。　　There　is　not　in　the　States　so　absolute　an　ignorance　of　religion　as　is　to　be　found　in　some　of　our　manufacturing　and　mining　districts；　and　also；　alas！　in　some　of　our　agricultural　districts；　but　also；　I　think；　there　is　less　of　respect　and　veneration　for　God's　word　among　their　educated　classes　than　there　is　with　us；　and；　perhaps；　also　less　knowledge　as　to　God's　word。　　The　general　religious　level　is；　I　think；　higher　with　them；　but　there　is；　if　I　am　right　in　my　supposition；　with　us　a　higher　eminence　in　religion；　as　there　is　also　a　deeper　depth　of　ungodliness。　I　think；　then；　that　we　are　bound　to　acknowledge　that　the　Americans　have　succeeded　as　a　nation；　politically　and　socially。　　When　I　speak　of　social　success；　I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　their　manners　are　correct　according　to　this　or　that　standard；　I　will　not　say　that　they　are　correct　or　are　not　correct。　　In　that　matter　of　manners　I　have　found　those　with　whom　it　seemed　to　me　natural　that　I　should　associate　very　pleasant　according　to　my　standard。　　I　do　not　know　that　I　am　a　good　critic　on　such　a　subject；　or　that　I　have　ever　thought　much　of　it　with　the　view　of　criticising；　I　have　been　happy　and　comfortable　with　them；　and　for　me　that　has　been　sufficient。　　In　speaking　of　social　success　I　allude　to　their　success　in　private　life　as　distinguished　from　that　which　they　have　achieved　in　public　life；　to　their　successes　in　commerce；　in　mechanics；　in　the　comforts　and　luxuries　of　life；　in　physic　and　all　that　leads　to　the　solace　of　affliction；　in　literature；　and　I　may　add　also；　considering　the　youth　of　the　nation；　in　the　arts。　　We　are；　I　think；　bound　to　acknowledge　that　they　have　succeeded。　　And　if　they　have　succeeded；　it　is　vain　for　us　to　say　that　a　system　is　wrong　which　has；　at　any　rate；　admitted　of　such　success。　　That　which　was　wanted　from　some　form　of　government；　has　been　obtained　with　much　more　than　average　excellence；　and　therefore　the　form　adopted　has　approved　itself　as　good。　　You　may　explain　to　a　farmer's　wife；　with　indisputable　logic；　that　her　churn　is　a　bad　churn；　but　as　long　as　she　turns　out　butter　in　greater　quantity；　in　better　quality；　and　with　more　profit　than　her　neighbors；　you　will　hardly　induce　her　to　change　it。　　It　may　be　that　with　some　other　churn　she　might　have　done　even　better；　but；　under　such　circumstances；　she　will　have　a　right　to　think　well　of　the　churn　she　uses。　The　American　Constitution　is　now；　I　think；　at　the　crisis　of　its　severest　trial。　　I　conceive　it　to　be　by　no　means　perfect；　even　for　the　wants　of　the　people　who　use　it；　and　I　have　already　endeavored　to　explain　what　changes　it　seems　to　need。　　And　it　has　had　this　defect　that　it　has　permitted　a　falling　away　from　its　intended　modes　of　action；　while　its　letter　has　been　kept　sacred。　　As　I　have　endeavored　to　show；　universal　suffrage　and　democratic　action　in　the　Senate　were　not　intended　by　the　framers　of　the　Constitution。　　In　this　respect　the　Constitution　has；　as　it　were；　fallen　through；　and　it　is　needed　that　its　very　beams　should　be　restrengthened。　　There　are　also　other　matters　as　to　which　it　seems　that　some　change　is　indispensable。　　So　much　I　have　admitted。　　But；　not　the　less；　judging　of　it　by　the　entirety　of　the　work　that　it　has　done；　I　think　that　we　are　bound　to　own　that　it　has　been　successful。