north america-2-第107章

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nd　president；　suffrage　by　poll　and　suffrage　by　property；　are　but　the　means。　　If　the　end　be　there；　if　the　thing　has　been　done；　king　and　president；　open　suffrage　and　close　suffrage；　may　alike　be　declared　to　have　been　successful。　　The　Americans　have　been　in　existence　as　a　nation　for　seventy…five　years；　and　have　achieved　an　amount　of　foreign　respect　during　that　period　greater　than　any　other　nation　ever　obtained　in　double　the　time。　　And　this　has　been　given　to　them；　not　in　deference　to　the　statesmanlike　craft　of　their　diplomatic　and　other　officers；　but　on　grounds　the　very　opposite　of　those。　　It　has　been　given　to　them　because　they　form　a　numerous；　wealthy；　brave；　and　self…asserting　nation。　　It　is；　I　think；　unnecessary　to　prove　that　such　foreign　respect　has　been　given　to　them；　but　were　it　necessary；　nothing　would　prove　it　more　strongly　than　the　regard　which　has　been　universally　paid　by　European　governments　to　the　blockade　placed　during　this　war　on　the　Southern　ports　by　the　government　of　the　United　States。　　Had　the　nation　been　placed　by　general　consent　in　any　class　of　nations　below　the　first；　England；　France；　and　perhaps　Russia　would　have　taken　the　matter　into　their　own　hands；　and　have　settled　for　the　States；　either　united　or　disunited；　at　any　rate　that　question　of　the　blockade。　　And　the　Americans　have　been　safe　at　home　from　foreign　foes；　so　safe；　that　no　other　strong　people　but　ourselves　have　enjoyed　anything　approaching　to　their　security　since　their　foundation。　　Nor　has　our　security　been　at　all　equal　to　theirs；　if　we　are　to　count　our　nationality　as　extending　beyond　the　British　Isles。　　Then　as　to　security　under　their　laws　and　from　their　laws！　　Those　laws　and　the　system　of　their　management　have　been　taken　almost　entirely　from　us；　and　have　so　been　administered　that　life　and　property　have　been　safe；　and　the　subject　also　has　been　free；　under　the　law。　　I　think　that　this　may　be　taken　for　granted；　seeing　that　they　who　have　been　most　opposed　to　American　forms　of　government　have　never　asserted　the　reverse。　　I　may　be　told　of　a　man　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　district