democracy in america-1-第124章

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These　evils　are　unquestionably　great；　but　they　are　the　necessary　and　foreseen　consequence　of　the　very　principle　of　modern　slavery。　　When　the　Europeans　chose　their　slaves　from　a　race　differing　from　their　own；　which　many　of　them　considered　as　inferior　to　the　other　races　of　mankind；　and　which　they　all　repelled　with　horror　from　any　notion　of　intimate　connection；　they　must　have　believed　that　slavery　would　last　forever；　since　there　is　no　intermediate　state　which　can　be　durable　between　the　excessive　inequality　produced　by　servitude　and　the　complete　equality　which　originates　in　independence。　　The　Europeans　did　imperfectly　feel　this　truth；　but　without　acknowledging　it　even　to　themselves。　　Whenever　they　have　had　to　do　with　negroes；　their　conduct　has　either　been　dictated　by　their　interest　and　their　pride；　or　by　their　compassion。　　They　first　violated　every　right　of　humanity　by　their　treatment　of　the　negro　and　they　afterwards　informed　him　that　those　rights　were　precious　and　inviolable。　　They　affected　to　open　their　ranks　to　the　slaves；　but　the　negroes　who　attempted　to　penetrate　into　the　community　were　driven　back　with　scorn；　and　they　have　incautiously　and　involuntarily　been　led　to　admit　of　freedom　instead　of　slavery；　without　having　the　courage　to　be　wholly　iniquitous；　or　wholly　just。

If　it　be　impossible　to　anticipate　a　period　at　which　the　Americans　of　the　South　will　mingle　their　blood　with　that　of　the　negroes；　can　they　allow　their　slaves　to　become　free　without　compromising　their　own　security？　　And　if　they　are　obliged　to　keep　that　race　in　bondage　in　order　to　save　their　own　families；　may　they　not　be　excused　for　availing　themselves　of　the　means　best　adapted　to　that　end？　　The　events　which　are　taking　place　in　the　Southern　States　of　the　Union　appear　to　me　to　be　at　once　the　most　horrible　and　the　most　natural　results　of　slavery。　　When　I　see　the　order　of　nature　overthrown；　and　when　I　hear　the　cry　of　humanity　in　its　vain　struggle　against　the　laws；　my　indignation　does　not　light　upon　the　men　of　our　own　time　who　are　the　instruments　of　these　outrages；　but　I　reserve　my　execration　for　those　who；　after　a　thousand　years　of　freedom；　brought　back　slavery　into　the　world　once　more。

Whatever　may　be　the　efforts　of　the　Americans　of　the　South　to　maintain　slavery；　they　will　not　always　succeed。　　Slavery；　which　is　now　confined　to　a　single　tract　of　the　civilized　earth；　which　is　attacked　by　Christianity　as　unjust；　and　by　political　economy　as　prejudicial；　and　which　is　now　contrasted　with　democratic　liberties　and　the　information　of　our　age；　cannot　survive。　By　the　choice　of　the　master；　or　by　the　will　of　the　slave；　it　will　cease；　and　in　either　case　great　calamities　may　be　expected　to　ensue。　　If　liberty　be　refused　to　the　negroes　of　the　South；　they　will　in　the　end　seize　it　for　themselves　by　force；　if　it　be　given；　they　will　abuse　it　ere　long。　*x

＇Footnote　x：　＇This　chapter　is　no　longer　applicable　to　the　condition　of　the　negro　race　in　the　United　States；　since　the　abolition　of　slavery　was　the　result；　though　not　the　object；　of　the　great　Civil　War；　and　the　negroes　have　been　raised　to　the　condition　not　only　of　freedmen；　but　of　citizens；　and　in　some　States　they　exercise　a　preponderating　political　power　by　reason　of　their　numerical　majority。　　Thus；　in　South　Carolina　there　were　in　1870；　289；667　whites　and　415；814　blacks。　　But　the　emancipation　of　the　slaves　has　not　solved　the　problem；　how　two　races　so　different　and　so　hostile　are　to　live　together　in　peace　in　one　country　on　equal　terms。　　That　problem　is　as　difficult；　perhaps　more　difficult　than　ever；　and　to　this　difficulty　the　author's　remarks　are　still　perfectly　applicable。＇＇


Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　VI

What　Are　The　Chances　In　Favor　Of　The　Duration　Of　The　American　Union；　And　What　Dangers　Threaten　It　*y

＇Footnote　y：　＇This　chapter　is　one　of　the　most　curious　and　interesting　portions　of　the　work；　because　it　embraces　almost　all　the　constitutional　and　social　questions　which　were　raised　by　the　great　secession　of　the　South　and　decided　by　the　results　of　the　Civil　War。　　But　it　must　be　confessed　that　the　sagacity　of　the　author　is　sometimes　at　fault　in　these　speculations；　and　did　not　save　him　from　considerable　errors；　which　the　course　of　events　has　since　made　apparent。　He　held　that　〃the　legislators　of　the　Constitution　of　1789　were　not　appointed　to　constitute　the　government　of　a　single　people；　but　to　regulate　the　association　of　several　States；　that　the　Union　was　formed　by　the　voluntary　agreement　of　the　States；　and　in　uniting　together　they　have　not　forfeited　their　nationality；　nor　have　they　been　reduced　to　the　condition　of　one　and　the　same　people。〃　Whence　he　inferred　that　〃if　one　of　the　States　chose　to　withdraw　its　name　from　the　contract；　it　would　be　difficult　to　disprove　its　right　of　doing　so；　and　that　the　Federal　Government　would　have　no　means　of　maintaining　its　claims　directly；　either　by　force　or　by　right。〃　This　is　the　Southern　theory　of　the　Constitution；　and　the　whole　case　of　the　South　in　favor　of　secession。　　To　many　Europeans；　and　to　some　American　（Northern）　jurists；　this　view　appeared　to　be　sound；　but　it　was　vigorously　resisted　by　the　North；　and　crushed　by　force　of　arms。

The　author　of　this　book　was　mistaken　in　supposing　that　the　〃Union　was　a　vast　body　which　presents　no　definite　object　to　patriotic　feeling。〃　When　the　day　of　trial　came；　millions　of　men　were　ready　to　lay　down　their　lives　for　it。　He　was　also　mistaken　in　supposing　that　the　Federal　Executive　is　so　weak　that　it　requires　the　free　consent　of　the　governed　to　enable　it　to　subsist；　and　that　it　would　be　defeated　in　a　struggle　to　maintain　the　Union　against　one　or　more　separate　States。　　In　1861　nine　States；　with　a　population　of　8；753；000；　seceded；　and　maintained　for　four　years　a　resolute　but　unequal　contest　for　independence；　but　they　were　defeated。

Lastly；　the　author　was　mistaken　in　supposing　that　a　community　of　interests　would　always　prevail　between　North　and　South　sufficiently　powerful　to　bind　them　together。　　He　overlooked　the　influence　which　the　question　of　slavery　must　have　on　the　Union　the　moment　that　the　majority　of　the　people　of　the　North　declared　against　it。　　In　1831；　when　the　author　visited　America；　the　anti…slavery　agitation　had　scarcely　begun；　and　the　fact　of　Southern　slavery　was　accepted　by　men　of　all　parties；　even　in　the　States　where　there　were　no　slaves：　and　that　was　unquestionably　the　view　taken　by　all　the　States　and　by　all　American　statesmen　at　the　time　of　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution；　in　1789。　　But　in　the　course　of　thirty　years　a　great　change　took　place；　and　the　North　refused　to　perpetuate　what　had　become　the　〃peculiar　institution〃　of　the　South；　especially　as　it　gave　the　South　a　species　of　aristocratic　preponderance。　　The　result　was　the　ratification；　in　December；　1865；　of　the　celebrated　13th　article　or　amendment　of　the　Constitution；　which　declared　that　〃neither　slavery　nor　involuntary　servitude　…　except　as　a　punishment　for　crime　…　shall　exist　within　the　United　States。〃　To　which　was　soon　afterwards　added　the　15th　article；　〃The　right　of　citizens　to　vote　shall　not　be　denied　or　abridged　by　the　United　States；　or　by　any　State；　on　account　of　race；　color；　or　previous　servitude。〃　The　emancipation　of　several　millions　of　negro　slaves　without　compensation；　and　the　transfer　to　them　of　political　preponderance　in　the　States　in　which　they　outnumber　the　white　population；　were　acts　of　the　North　totally　opposed　to　the　interests　of　the　South；　and　which　could　only　have　been　carried　into　effect　by　conquest。　…　Translator's　Note。＇＇

Reason　for　which　the　preponderating　force　lies　in　the　States　rather　than　in　the　Union　…　The　Union　will　only　last　as　long　as　all　the　States　choose　to　belong　to　it　…　Causes　which　tend　to　keep　them　united　…　Utility　of　the　Union　to　resist　foreign　enemies；　and　to　prevent　the　existence　of　foreigners　in　America　…　No　natural　barriers　between　the　several　States　…　No　conflicting　interests　to　divide　them　…　Reciprocal　interests　of　the　Northern；　Southern；　and　Western　States　…　Intellectual　ties　of　union　…　Uniformity　of　opinions　…　Dangers　of　the　Union　resulting　from　the　different　characters　and　the　passions　of　its　citizens　…　Character　of　the　citizens　in　the　South　and　in　the　North　…　The　rapid　growth　of　the　Union　one　of　its　greatest　d