democracy in america-1- 第113部分

Reflection　On　The　Causes　Of　The　Commercial　Prosperity　Of　The　Of　The　United　States

The　Americans　destined　by　Nature　to　be　a　great　maritime　people　…　Extent　of　their　coasts　…　Depth　of　their　ports　…　Size　of　their　rivers　…　The　commercial　superiority　of　the　Anglo…Americans　less　attributable；　however；　to　physical　circumstances　than　to　moral　and　intellectual　causes　…　Reason　of　this　opinion　…Future　destiny　of　the　Anglo…Americans　as　a　commercial　nation　…　The　dissolution　of　the　Union　would　not　check　the　maritime　vigor　of　the　States　…　Reason　of　this　…　Anglo…Americans　will　naturally　supply　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants　of　South　America　…　They　will　become；　like　the　English；　the　factors　of　a　great　portion　of　the　world。

The　coast　of　the　United　States；　from　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　the　Sabine　River　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　is　more　than　two　thousand　miles　in　extent。　These　shores　form　an　unbroken　line；　and　they　are　all　subject　to　the　same　government。　　No　nation　in　the　world　possesses　vaster；　deeper；　or　more　secure　ports　for　shipping　than　the　Americans。

The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　constitute　a　great　civilized　people；　which　fortune　has　placed　in　the　midst　of　an　uncultivated　country　at　a　distance　of　three　thousand　miles　from　the　central　point　of　civilization。　America　consequently　stands　in　daily　need　of　European　trade。　　The　Americans　will；　no　doubt；　ultimately　succeed　in　producing　or　manufacturing　at　home　most　of　the　articles　which　they　require；　but　the　two　continents　can　never　be　independent　of　each　other；　so　numerous　are　the　natural　ties　which　exist　between　their　wants；　their　ideas；　their　habits；　and　their　manners。　

The　Union　produces　peculiar　commodities　which　are　now　become　necessary　to　us；　but　which　cannot　be　cultivated；　or　can　only　be　raised　at　an　enormous　expense；　upon　the　soil　of　Europe。　　The　Americans　only　consume　a　small　portion　of　this　produce；　and　they　are　willing　to　sell　us　the　rest。　　Europe　is　therefore　the　market　of　America；　as　America　is　the　market　of　Europe；　and　maritime　commerce　is　no　less　necessary　to　enable　the　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　to　transport　their　raw　materials　to　the　ports　of　Europe；　than　it　is　to　enable　us　to　supply　them　with　our　manufactured　produce。　　The　United　States　were　therefore　necessarily　reduced　to　the　alternative　of　increasing　the　business　of　other　maritime　nations　to　a　great　extent；　if　they　had　themselves　declined　to　enter　into　commerce；　as　the　Spaniards　of　Mexico　have　hitherto　done；　or；　in　the　second　place；　of　becoming　one　of　the　first　trading　powers　of　the　globe。　

The　Anglo…Americans　have　always　displayed　a　very　decided　taste　for　the　sea。　　The　Declaration　of　Independence　broke　the　commercial　restrictions　which　united　them　to　England；　and　gave　a　fresh　and　powerful　stimulus　to　their　maritime　genius。　　Ever　since　that　time；　the　shipping　of　the　Union　has　increased　in　almost　the　same　rapid　proportion　as　the　number　of　its　inhabitants。　　The　Americans　themselves　now　transport　to　their　own　shores　nine…tenths　of　the　European　produce　which　they　consume。　*g　And　they　also　bring　three…　quarters　of　the　exports　of　the　New　World　to　the　European　consumer。　*h　The　ships　of　the　United　States　fill　the　docks　of　Havre　and　of　Liverpool；　whilst　the　number　of　English　and　French　vessels　which　are　to　be　seen　at　New　York　is　comparatively　small。　*i

＇Footnote　g：　The　total　value　of　goods　imported　during　the　year　which　ended　on　September　30；　1832；　was　101；129；266。　　The　value　of　the　cargoes　of　foreign　vessels　did　not　amount　to　10；731；039；　or　about　one…tenth　of　the　entire　sum。＇

＇Footnote　h：　The　value　of　goods　exported　during　the　same　year　amounted　to　87；176；943；　the　value　of　goods　exported　by　foreign　vessels　amounted　to　21；036；183；　or　about　one　quarter　of　the　whole　sum。　　（Williams's　〃Register；〃　1833；　p。　398。）＇

＇Footnote　i：　The　tonnage　of　the　vessels　which　entered　all　the　ports　of　the　Union　in　the　years　1829；　1830；　and　1831；　amounted　to　3；307；719　tons；　of　which　544；571　tons　were　foreign　vessels；　they　stood；　therefore；　to　the　American　vessels　in　a　ratio　of　about　16　to　100。　　（〃National　Calendar；〃　1833；　p。　304。）　The　tonnage　of　the　English　vessels　which　entered　the　ports　of　London；　Liverpool；　and　Hull；　in　the　years　1820；　1826；　and　1831；　amounted　to　443；800　tons。　　The　foreign　vessels　which　entered　the　same　ports　during　the　same　years　amounted　to　159；431　tons。　　The　ratio　between　them　was；　therefore；　about　36　to　100。　　（〃Companion　to　the　Almanac；〃　1834；　p。　169。）　In　the　year　1832　the　ratio　between　the　foreign　and　British　ships　which　entered　the　ports　of　Great　Britain　was　29　to　100。　＇These　statements　relate　to　a　condition　of　affairs　which　has　ceased　to　exist；　the　Civil　War　and　the　heavy　taxation　of　the　United　States　entirely　altered　the　trade　and　navigation　of　the　country。＇＇　

Thus；　not　only　does　the　American　merchant　face　the　competition　of　his　own　countrymen；　but　he　even　supports　that　of　foreign　nations　in　their　own　ports　with　success。　　This　is　readily　explained　by　the　fact　that　the　vessels　of　the　United　States　can　cross　the　seas　at　a　cheaper　rate　than　any　other　vessels　in　the　world。　　As　long　as　the　mercantile　shipping　of　the　United　States　preserves　this　superiority；　it　will　not　only　retain　what　it　has　acquired；　but　it　will　constantly　increase　in　prosperity。


Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　X

It　is　difficult　to　say　for　what　reason　the　Americans　can　trade　at　a　lower　rate　than　other　nations；　and　one　is　at　first　led　to　attribute　this　circumstance　to　the　physical　or　natural　advantages　which　are　within　their　reach；　but　this　supposition　is　erroneous。　　The　American　vessels　cost　almost　as　much　to　build　as　our　own；　*j　they　are　not　better　built；　and　they　generally　last　for　a　shorter　time。　　The　pay　of　the　American　sailor　is　more　considerable　than　the　pay　on　board　European　ships；　which　is　proved　by　the　great　number　of　Europeans　who　are　to　be　met　with　in　the　merchant　vessels　of　the　United　States。　But　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　true　cause　of　their　superiority　must　not　be　sought　for　in　physical　advantages；　but　that　it　is　wholly　attributable　to　their　moral　and　intellectual　qualities。

＇Footnote　j：　Materials　are；　generally　speaking；　less　expensive　in　America　than　in　Europe；　but　the　price　of　labor　is　much　higher。＇　

The　following　comparison　will　illustrate　my　meaning。　　During　the　campaigns　of　the　Revolution　the　French　introduced　a　new　system　of　tactics　into　the　art　of　war；　which　perplexed　the　oldest　generals；　and　very　nearly　destroyed　the　most　ancient　monarchies　in　Europe。　　They　undertook　（what　had　never　before　been　attempted）　to　make　shift　without　a　number　of　things　which　had　always　been　held　to　be　indispensable　in　warfare；　they　required　novel　exertions　on　the　part　of　their　troops　which　no　civilized　nations　had　ever　thought　of；　they　achieved　great　actions　in　an　incredibly　short　space　of　time；　and　they　risked　human　life　without　hesitation　to　obtain　the　object　in　view。　The　French　had　less　money　and　fewer　men　than　their　enemies；　their　resources　were　infinitely　inferior；　nevertheless　they　were　constantly　victorious；　until　their　adversaries　chose　to　imitate　their　example。

The　Americans　have　introduced　a　similar　system　into　their　commercial　speculations；　and　they　do　for　cheapness　what　the　French　did　for　conquest。　The　European　sailor　navigates　with　prudence；　he　only　sets　sail　when　the　weather　is　favorable；　if　an　unforseen　accident　befalls　him；　he　puts　into　port；　at　night　he　furls　a　portion　of　his　canvas；　and　when　the　whitening　billows　intimate　the　vicinity　of　land；　he　checks　his　way；　and　takes　an　observation　of　the　sun。　　But　the　American　neglects　these　precautions　and　braves　these　dangers。　　He　weighs　anchor　in　the　midst　of　tempestuous　gales；　by　night　and　by　day　he　spreads　his　sheets　to　the　wind；　he　repairs　as　he　goes　along　such　damage　as　his　vessel　may　have　sustained　from　the　storm；　and　when　he　at　last　approaches　the　term　of　his　voyage；　he　darts　onward　to　the　shore　as　if　he　already　descried　a　port。　　The　Americans　are　often　shipwrecked；　but　no　trader　crosses　the　seas　so　rapidly。　And　as　they　perform　the　same　distance　in　a　shorter　time；　they　can　perform　it　at　a　cheaper　rate。

The　European　touches　several　times　at　different　ports　in　the　course　of　a　long　voyage；　he　loses　a　good　deal　of　precious　time　in　making　the　harbor；　or　in　waiting　for　a　favorable　wind　to　leave　it；　and　he　pays　daily　dues　to　be　allowed　to　remain　there。　　The　American　starts　from　Boston　to　go　to　purchase　tea　in　China；　he　arrives　at　Canton；　stays　there　a　few　days；　and　then　returns。　In　less　than　two　years　he　has　sailed　as　far　as　the　entire　circumference　of　the　globe；　and　he　has　seen　land　but　once。　　It　is　true　that　during　a　voyage　of　eight　or　ten　months　he　has　drunk　brackish　water　and　lived　upon　salt　meat；　that　he　has　been　in　a　continual　contest　with　the　sea；　with　disease；　and　with　a　tedious　existence；　but　upon　his　return　he　can　sell　a　pound　of　his　tea　for　a　half…penny　less　than　the　English　merchant；　and　his　purpose　is　accomplished。

I　cannot　better　explain　my　meaning　than　by　saying　that　the　Americans　affect　a　sort　of　heroism　in　their　manner　of　trading。　　But　the　European　merchant　will　always　find　it　very　difficult　to　imitate　his　American　competitor；　who；　in　adopting　the　system　which　I　have　just　described；　follows　not　only　a　calculation　of　his　gain；　but　an　impulse　of　his　nature。

The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　are　subject　to　all　the　wants　and　all　the　desires　which　result　from　an　advanced　stage　of　civilization；　but　as　they　are　not　surrounded　by　a　community　admirably　adapted；　like　that　of　Europe；　to　satisfy　their　wants；　they　are　often　obliged　to　procure　for　themselves　the　various　articles　which　education　and　habit　have　rendered　necessaries。　　In　America　it　sometimes　happens　that　the　same　individual　tills　his　field；　builds　his　dwelling；　contrives　his　tools；　makes　his　shoes；　and　weaves　the　coarse　stuff　of　which　his　dress　is　composed。　　This　circumstance　is　prejudicial　to　the　excellence　of　the　work；　but　it　powerfully　contributes　to　awaken　the　intelligence　of　the　workman。　　Nothing　tends　to　materialize　man；　and　to　deprive　his　work　of　the　faintest　trace　of　mind；　more　than　extreme　division　of　labor。　In　a　country　like　America；　where　men　devoted　to　special　occupations　are　rare；　a　long　apprenticeship　cannot　be　required　from　anyone　who　embraces　a　profession。　　The