english writers on america-第2章

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physical　and　local；　but　also　to　moral　causes…　to　the　political

liberty；　the　general　diffusion　of　knowledge；　the　prevalence　of　sound

moral　and　religious　principles；　which　give　force　and　sustained

energy　to　the　character　of　a　people；　and　which；　in　fact；　have　been　the

acknowledged　and　wonderful　supporters　of　their　own　national　power

and　glory。

　　But　why　are　we　so　exquisitely　alive　to　the　aspersions　of　England？

Why　do　we　suffer　ourselves　to　be　so　affected　by　the　contumely　she

has　endeavored　to　cast　upon　us？　It　is　not　in　the　opinion　of　England

alone　that　honor　lives；　and　reputation　has　its　being。　The　world　at

large　is　the　arbiter　of　a　nation's　fame；　with　its　thousand　eyes　it

witnesses　a　nation's　deeds；　and　from　their　collective　testimony　is

national　glory　or　national　disgrace　established。

　　For　ourselves；　therefore；　it　is　comparatively　of　but　little

importance　whether　England　does　us　justice　or　not；　it　is；　perhaps；

of　far　more　importance　to　herself。　She　is　instilling　anger　and

resentment　into　the　bosom　of　a　youthful　nation；　to　grow　with　its

growth　and　strengthen　with　its　strength。　If　in　America；　as　some　of　her

writers　are　laboring　to　convince　her；　she　is　hereafter　to　find　an

invidious　rival；　and　a　gigantic　foe；　she　may　thank　those　very

writers　for　having　provoked　rivalship　and　irritated　hostility。　Every

one　knows　the　all…pervading　influence　of　literature　at　the　present

day；　and　how　much　the　opinions　and　passions　of　mankind　are　under　its

control。　The　mere　contests　of　the　sword　are　temporary；　their　wounds

are　but　in　the　flesh；　and　it　is　the　pride　of　the　generous　to　forgive

and　forget　them；　but　the　slanders　of　the　pen　pierce　to　the　heart；　they

rankle　longest　in　the　noblest　spirits；　they　dwell　ever　present　in

the　mind；　and　render　it　morbidly　sensitive　to　the　most　trifling

collision。　It　is　but　seldom　that　any　one　overt　act　produces

hostilities　between　two　nations；　there　exists；　most　commonly；　a

previous　jealousy　and　ill…will；　a　predisposition　to　take　offence。

Trace　these　to　their　cause；　and　how　often　will　they　be　found　to

originate　in　the　mischievous　effusions　of　mercenary　writers；　who；

secure　in　their　closets；　and　for　ignominious　bread；　concoct　and

circulate　the　venom　that　is　to　inflame　the　generous　and　the　brave。

　　I　am　not　laying　too　much　stress　upon　this　point；　for　it　applies　most

emphatically　to　our　particular　case。　Over　no　nation　does　the　press

hold　a　more　absolute　control　than　over　the　people　of　America；　for

the　universal　education　of　the　poorest　classes　makes　every

individual　a　reader。　There　is　nothing　published　in　England　on　the

subject　of　our　country　that　does　not　circulate　through　every　part　of

it。　There　is　not　a　calumny　dropped　from　English　pen；　nor　an　unworthy

sarcasm　uttered　by　an　English　statesman；　that　does　not　go　to　blight

good…will；　and　add　to　the　mass　of　latent　resentment。　Possessing；　then；

as　England　does；　the　fountain…head　whence　the　literature　of　the

language　flows；　how　completely　is　it　in　her　power；　and　how　truly　is　it

her　duty；　to　make　it　the　medium　of　amiable　and　magnanimous　feeling…

a　stream　where　the　two　nations　might　meet　together；　and　drink　in　peace

and　kindness。　Should　she；　however；　persist　in　turning　it　to　waters

of　bitterness；　the　time　may　come　when　she　may　repent　her　folly。　The

present　friendship　of　America　may　be　of　but　little　moment　to　her；

but　the　future　destinies　of　that　country　do　not　admit　of　a　doubt；　over

those　of　England　there　lower　some　shadows　of　uncertainty。　Should；

then；　a　day　of　gloom　arrive；　should　these　reverses　overtake　her；

from　which　the　proudest　empires　have　not　been　exempt；　she　may　look

back　with　regret　at　her　infatuation；　in　repulsing　from　her　side　a

nation　she　might　have　grappled　to　her　bosom；　and　thus　destroying　her

only　chance　for　real　friendship　beyond　the　boundaries　of　her　own

dominions。

　　There　is　a　general　impression　in　England；　that　the　people　of　the

United　States　are　inimical　to　the　parent　country。　It　is　one　of　the

errors　which　have　been　diligently　propagated　by　designing　writers。

There　is；　doubtless；　considerable　political　hostility；　and　a　general

soreness　at　the　illiberality　of　the　English　press；　but；　generally

speaking；　the　prepossessions　of　the　people　are　strongly　in　favor　of

England。　Indeed；　at　one　time；　they　amounted；　in　many　parts　of　the

Union；　to　an　absurd　degree　of　bigotry。　The　bare　name　of　Englishman　was

a　passport　to　the　confidence　and　hospitality　of　every　family；　and

too　often　gave　a　transient　currency　to　the　worthless　and　the

ungrateful。　Throughout　the　country　there　was　something　of　enthusiasm

connected　with　the　idea　of　England。　We　looked　to　it　with　a　hallowed

feeling　of　tenderness　and　veneration；　as　the　land　of　our　forefathers…

the　august　repository　of　the　monuments　and　antiquities　of　our　race…

the　birthplace　and　mausoleum　of　the　sages　and　heroes　of　our　paternal

history。　After　our　own　country；　there　was　none　in　whose　glory　we　more

delighted…　none　whose　good　opinion　we　were　more　anxious　to　possess…

none　towards　which　our　hearts　yearned　with　such　throbbings　of　warm

consanguinity。　Even　during　the　late　war；　whenever　there　was　the　least

opportunity　for　kind　feelings　to　spring　forth；　it　was　the　delight　of

the　generous　spirits　of　our　country　to　show　that；　in　the　midst　of

hostilities；　they　still　kept　alive　the　sparks　of　future　friendship。

　　Is　all　this　to　be　at　an　end？　Is　this　golden　band　of　kindred

sympathies；　so　rare　between　nations；　to　be　broken　for　ever？…　Perhaps

it　is　for　the　best…　it　may　dispel　an　illusion　which　might　have　kept　us

in　mental　vassalage；　which　might　have　interfered　occasionally　with　our

true　interests；　and　prevented　the　growth　of　proper　national　pride。　But

it　is　hard　to　give　up　the　kindred　tie！　and　there　are　feelings　dearer

than　interest…　closer　to　the　heart　than　pride…　that　will　still　make　us

cast　back　a　look　of　regret；　as　we　wander　farther　and　farther　from

the　paternal　roof；　and　lament　the　waywardness　of　the　parent　that　would

repel　the　affections　of　the　child。

　　Short…sighted　and　injudicious；　however；　as　the　conduct　of　England

may　be　in　this　system　of　aspersion；　recrimination　on　our　part　would　be

equally　ill…judged。　I　speak　not　of　a　prompt　and　spirited　vindication

of　our　country；　nor　the　keenest　castigation　of　her　slanderers…　but　I

allude　to　a　disposition　to　retaliate　in　kind；　to　retort　sarcasm；　and

inspire　prejudice；　which　seems　to　be　spreading　widely　among　our

writers。　Let　us　guard　particularly　against　such　a　temper；　for　it　would

double　the　evil　instead　of　redressing　the　wrong。　Nothing　is　so　easy

and　inviting　as　the　retort　of　abuse　and　sarcasm；　but　it　is　a　paltry

and　an　unprofitable　contest。　It　is　the　alternative　of　a　morbid　mind；

fretted　into　petulance；　rather　than　warmed　into　indignation。　If

England　is　willing　to　permit　the　mean　jealousies　of　trade；　or　the

rancorous　animosities　of　politics；　to　deprave　the　integrity　of　her

press；　and　poison　the　fountain　of　public　opinion；　let　us　beware　of　her

example。　She　may　deem　it　her　interest　to　diffuse　error；　and　engender

antipathy；　for　the　purpose　of　checking　emigration；　we　have　no

purpose　of　the　kind　to　serve。　Neither　have　we　any　spirit　of　national

jealousy　to　gratify；　for　as　yet；　in　all　our　rivalships　with　England；

we　are　the　rising　and　the　gaining　party。　There　can　be　no　end　to

answer；　therefore；　but　the　gratification　of　resentment…　a　mere

spirit　of　retaliation；　and　even　that　is　impotent。　Our　retorts　are

never　republished　in　England；　they　fall　short；　therefore；　of　their

aim；　but　they　foster　a　querulous　and　peevish　temper　among　our　writers；

they　sour　the　sweet　flow　of　our　early　literature；　and　sow　thorns　and

brambles　among　its　blossoms。　What　is　still　worse；　they　circulate

through　our　own　country；　and；　as　far　as　they　have　effect；　excite

virulent　national　prejudices。　This　last　is　the　evil　most　especially　to

be　deprecated。　Governed；　as　we　are；　entirely　by　public　opinion；　the

utmost　care　should　be　taken　to　preserve　the　purity　of　the　public　mind。

Knowledge　is　power；　and　truth　is　knowledge；　whoever；　therefore；

knowingly　propagates　a　prejudice；　willfully　saps　the　foundation　of　his