english writers on america-第3章

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

knowingly　propagates　a　prejudice；　willfully　saps　the　foundation　of　his

country's　strength。

　　The　members　of　a　republic；　above　all　other　men；　should　be　candid　and

dispassionate。　They　are；　individually；　portions　of　the　sovereign

mind　and　sovereign　will；　and　should　be　enabled　to　come　to　all

questions　of　national　concern　with　calm　and　unbiased　judgments。　From

the　peculiar　nature　of　our　relations　with　England；　we　must　have　more

frequent　questions　of　a　difficult　and　delicate　character　with　her　than

with　any　other　nation；　questions　that　affect　the　most　acute　and

excitable　feelings；　and　as；　in　the　adjusting　of　these；　our　national

measures　must　ultimately　be　determined　by　popular　sentiment；　we　cannot

be　too　anxiously　attentive　to　purify　it　from　all　latent　passion　or

prepossession。

　　Opening；　too；　as　we　do；　an　asylum　for　strangers　from　every　portion

of　the　earth；　we　should　receive　all　with　impartiality。　It　should　be

our　pride　to　exhibit　an　example　of　one　nation；　at　least；　destitute

of　national　antipathies；　and　exercising　not　merely　the　overt　acts　of

hospitality；　but　those　more　rare　and　noble　courtesies　which　spring

from　the　liberality　of　opinion。

　　What　have　we　to　do　with　national　prejudices？　They　are　the　inveterate

diseases　of　old　countries；　contracted　in　rude　and　ignorant　ages；

when　nations　knew　but　little　of　each　other；　and　looked　beyond　their

own　boundaries　with　distrust　and　hostility。　We；　on　the　contrary；

have　sprung　into　national　existence　in　an　enlightened　and

philosophic　age；　when　the　different　parts　of　the　habitable　world；

and　the　various　branches　of　the　human　family；　have　been

indefatigably　studied　and　made　known　to　each　other；　and　we　forego

the　advantages　of　our　birth；　if　we　do　not　shake　off　the　national

prejudices；　as　we　would　the　local　superstitions　of　the　old　world。

　　But　above　all　let　us　not　be　influenced　by　any　angry　feelings；　so　far

as　to　shut　our　eyes　to　the　perception　of　what　is　really　excellent

and　amiable　in　the　English　character。　We　are　a　young　people；

necessarily　an　imitative　one；　and　must　take　our　examples　and　models；

in　a　great　degree；　from　the　existing　nations　of　Europe。　There　is　no

country　more　worthy　of　our　study　than　England。　The　spirit　of　her

constitution　is　most　analogous　to　ours。　The　manners　of　her　people…

their　intellectual　activity…　their　freedom　of　opinion…　their　habits　of

thinking　on　those　subjects　which　concern　the　dearest　interests　and

most　sacred　charities　of　private　life；　are　all　congenial　to　the

American　character；　and；　in　fact；　are　all　intrinsically　excellent；　for

it　is　in　the　moral　feeling　of　the　people　that　the　deep　foundations

of　British　prosperity　are　laid；　and　however　the　superstructure　may

be　time…worn；　or　overrun　by　abuses；　there　must　be　something　solid　in

the　basis；　admirable　in　the　materials；　and　stable　in　the　structure

of　an　edifice；　that　so　long　has　towered　unshaken　amidst　the　tempests

of　the　world。

　　Let　it　be　the　pride　of　our　writers；　therefore；　discarding　all

feelings　of　irritation；　and　disdaining　to　retaliate　the　illiberality

of　British　authors；　to　speak　of　the　English　nation　without

prejudice；　and　with　determined　candor。　While　they　rebuke　the

indiscriminating　bigotry　with　which　some　of　our　countrymen　admire

and　imitate　every　thing　English；　merely　because　it　is　English；　let

them　frankly　point　out　what　is　really　worthy　of　approbation。　We　may

thus　place　England　before　us　as　a　perpetual　volume　of　reference；

wherein　are　recorded　sound　deductions　from　ages　of　experience；　and

while　we　avoid　the　errors　and　absurdities　which　may　have　crept　into

the　page；　we　may　draw　thence　golden　maxims　of　practical　wisdom；

wherewith　to　strengthen　and　to　embellish　our　national　character。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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