democracy in america-1- 第95部分

The　influence　of　slavery　extends　still　further；　it　affects　the　character　of　the　master；　and　imparts　a　peculiar　tendency　to　his　ideas　and　his　tastes。　Upon　both　banks　of　the　Ohio；　the　character　of　the　inhabitants　is　enterprising　and　energetic；　but　this　vigor　is　very　differently　exercised　in　the　two　States。　The　white　inhabitant　of　Ohio；　who　is　obliged　to　subsist　by　his　own　exertions；　regards　temporal　prosperity　as　the　principal　aim　of　his　existence；　and　as　the　country　which　he　occupies　presents　inexhaustible　resources　to　his　industry　and　ever…varying　lures　to　his　activity；　his　acquisitive　ardor　surpasses　the　ordinary　limits　of　human　cupidity：　he　is　tormented　by　the　desire　of　wealth；　and　he　boldly　enters　upon　every　path　which　fortune　opens　to　him；　he　becomes　a　sailor；　a　pioneer；　an　artisan；　or　a　laborer　with　the　same　indifference；　and　he　supports；　with　equal　constancy；　the　fatigues　and　the　dangers　incidental　to　these　various　professions；　the　resources　of　his　intelligence　are　astonishing；　and　his　avidity　in　the　pursuit　of　gain　amounts　to　a　species　of　heroism。

But　the　Kentuckian　scorns　not　only　labor；　but　all　the　undertakings　which　labor　promotes；　as　he　lives　in　an　idle　independence；　his　tastes　are　those　of　an　idle　man；　money　loses　a　portion　of　its　value　in　his　eyes；　he　covets　wealth　much　less　than　pleasure　and　excitement；　and　the　energy　which　his　neighbor　devotes　to　gain；　turns　with　him　to　a　passionate　love　of　field　sports　and　military　exercises；　he　delights　in　violent　bodily　exertion；　he　is　familiar　with　the　use　of　arms；　and　is　accustomed　from　a　very　early　age　to　expose　his　life　in　single　combat。　　Thus　slavery　not　only　prevents　the　whites　from　becoming　opulent；　but　even　from　desiring　to　become　so。

As　the　same　causes　have　been　continually　producing　opposite　effects　for　the　last　two　centuries　in　the　British　colonies　of　North　America；　they　have　established　a　very　striking　difference　between　the　commercial　capacity　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　South　and　those　of　the　North。　　At　the　present　day　it　is　only　the　Northern　States　which　are　in　possession　of　shipping；　manufactures；　railroads；　and　canals。　　This　difference　is　perceptible　not　only　in　comparing　the　North　with　the　South；　but　in　comparing　the　several　Southern　States。　Almost　all　the　individuals　who　carry　on　commercial　operations；　or　who　endeavor　to　turn　slave　labor　to　account　in　the　most　Southern　districts　of　the　Union；　have　emigrated　from　the　North。　　The　natives　of　the　Northern　States　are　constantly　spreading　over　that　portion　of　the　American　territory　where　they　have　less　to　fear　from　competition；　they　discover　resources　there　which　escaped　the　notice　of　the　inhabitants；　and；　as　they　comply　with　a　system　which　they　do　not　approve；　they　succeed　in　turning　it　to　better　advantage　than　those　who　first　founded　and　who　still　maintain　it。

Were　I　inclined　to　continue　this　parallel；　I　could　easily　prove　that　almost　all　the　differences　which　may　be　remarked　between　the　characters　of　the　Americans　in　the　Southern　and　in　the　Northern　States　have　originated　in　slavery；　but　this　would　divert　me　from　my　subject；　and　my　present　intention　is　not　to　point　out　all　the　consequences　of　servitude；　but　those　effects　which　it　has　produced　upon　the　prosperity　of　the　countries　which　have　admitted　it。　

The　influence　of　slavery　upon　the　production　of　wealth　must　have　been　very　imperfectly　known　in　antiquity；　as　slavery　then　obtained　throughout　the　civilized　world；　and　the　nations　which　were　unacquainted　with　it　were　barbarous。　　And　indeed　Christianity　only　abolished　slavery　by　advocating　the　claims　of　the　slave；　at　the　present　time　it　may　be　attacked　in　the　name　of　the　master；　and；　upon　this　point；　interest　is　reconciled　with　morality。

As　these　truths　became　apparent　in　the　United　States；　slavery　receded　before　the　progress　of　experience。　　Servitude　had　begun　in　the　South；　and　had　thence　spread　towards　the　North；　but　it　now　retires　again。　　Freedom；　which　started　from　the　North；　now　descends　uninterruptedly　towards　the　South。　Amongst　the　great　States；　Pennsylvania　now　constitutes　the　extreme　limit　of　slavery　to　the　North：　but　even　within　those　limits　the　slave　system　is　shaken：　Maryland；　which　is　immediately　below　Pennsylvania；　is　preparing　for　its　abolition；　and　Virginia；　which　comes　next　to　Maryland；　is　already　discussing　its　utility　and　its　dangers。　*l

＇Footnote　l：　A　peculiar　reason　contributes　to　detach　the　two　last…　mentioned　States　from　the　cause　of　slavery。　　The　former　wealth　of　this　part　of　the　Union　was　principally　derived　from　the　cultivation　of　tobacco。　　This　cultivation　is　specially　carried　on　by　slaves；　but　within　the　last　few　years　the　market…price　of　tobacco　has　diminished；　whilst　the　value　of　the　slaves　remains　the　same。　Thus　the　ratio　between　the　cost　of　production　and　the　value　of　the　produce　is　changed。　　The　natives　of　Maryland　and　Virginia　are　therefore　more　disposed　than　they　were　thirty　years　ago；　to　give　up　slave　labor　in　the　cultivation　of　tobacco；　or　to　give　up　slavery　and　tobacco　at　the　same　time。＇

No　great　change　takes　place　in　human　institutions　without　involving　amongst　its　causes　the　law　of　inheritance。　　When　the　law　of　primogeniture　obtained　in　the　South；　each　family　was　represented　by　a　wealthy　individual；　who　was　neither　compelled　nor　induced　to　labor；　and　he　was　surrounded；　as　by　parasitic　plants；　by　the　other　members　of　his　family　who　were　then　excluded　by　law　from　sharing　the　common　inheritance；　and　who　led　the　same　kind　of　life　as　himself。　　The　very　same　thing　then　occurred　in　all　the　families　of　the　South　as　still　happens　in　the　wealthy　families　of　some　countries　in　Europe；　namely；　that　the　younger　sons　remain　in　the　same　state　of　idleness　as　their　elder　brother；　without　being　as　rich　as　he　is。　　This　identical　result　seems　to　be　produced　in　Europe　and　in　America　by　wholly　analogous　causes。　　In　the　South　of　the　United　States　the　whole　race　of　whites　formed　an　aristocratic　body；　which　was　headed　by　a　certain　number　of　privileged　individuals；　whose　wealth　was　permanent；　and　whose　leisure　was　hereditary。　　These　leaders　of　the　American　nobility　kept　alive　the　traditional　prejudices　of　the　white　race　in　the　body　of　which　they　were　the　representatives；　and　maintained　the　honor　of　inactive　life。　　This　aristocracy　contained　many　who　were　poor；　but　none　who　would　work；　its　members　preferred　want　to　labor；　consequently　no　competition　was　set　on　foot　against　negro　laborers　and　slaves；　and；　whatever　opinion　might　be　entertained　as　to　the　utility　of　their　efforts；　it　was　indispensable　to　employ　them；　since　there　was　no　one　else　to　work。

No　sooner　was　the　law　of　primogeniture　abolished　than　fortunes　began　to　diminish；　and　all　the　families　of　the　country　were　simultaneously　reduced　to　a　state　in　which　labor　became　necessary　to　procure　the　means　of　subsistence：　several　of　them　have　since　entirely　disappeared；　and　all　of　them　learned　to　look　forward　to　the　time　at　which　it　would　be　necessary　for　everyone　to　provide　for　his　own　wants。　　Wealthy　individuals　are　still　to　be　met　with；　but　they　no　longer　constitute　a　compact　and　hereditary　body；　nor　have　they　been　able　to　adopt　a　line　of　conduct　in　which　they　could　persevere；　and　which　they　could　infuse　into　all　ranks　of　society。　　The　prejudice　which　stigmatized　labor　was　in　the　first　place　abandoned　by　common　consent；　the　number　of　needy　men　was　increased；　and　the　needy　were　allowed　to　gain　a　laborious　subsistence　without　blushing　for　their　exertions。　　Thus　one　of　the　most　immediate　consequences　of　the　partible　quality　of　estates　has　been　to　create　a　class　of　free　laborers。　　As　soon　as　a　competition　was　set　on　foot　between　the　free　laborer　and　the　slave；　the　inferiority　of　the　latter　became　manifest；　and　slavery　was　attacked　in　its　fundamental　principle；　which　is　the　interest　of　the　master。

As　slavery　recedes；　the　black　population　follows　its　retrograde　course；　and　returns　with　it　towards　those　tropical　regions　from　which　it　originally　came。　　However　singular　this　fact　may　at　first　appear　to　be；　it　may　readily　be　explained。　　Although　the　Americans　abolish　the　principle　of　slavery；　they　do　not　set　their　slaves　free。　　To　illustrate　this　remark；　I　will　quote　the　example　of　the　State　of　New　York。　　In　1788；　the　State　of　New　York　prohibited　the　sale　of　slaves　within　its　limits；　which　was　an　indirect　method　of　prohibiting　the　importation　of　blacks。　　Thenceforward　the　number　of　negroes　could　only　increase　according　to　the　ratio　of　the　natural　increase　of　population。　　But　eight　years　later　a　more　decisive　measure　was　taken；　and　it　was　enacted　that　all　children　born　of　slave　parents　after　July　4；　1799；　should　be　free。　　No　increase　could　then　take　place；　and　although　slaves　still　existed；　slavery　might　be　said　to　be　abolished。

From　the　time　at　which　a　Northern　State　prohibited　the　importation　of　slaves；　no　slaves　were　brought　from　the　South　to　be　sold　in　its　markets。　　On　the　other　hand；　as　the　sale　of　slaves　was　forbidden　in　that　State；　an　owner　was　no　longer　able　to　get　rid　of　his　slave　（who　thus　became　a　burdensome　possession）　otherwise　than　by　transporting　him　to　the　South。　　But　when　a　Northern　State　declared　that　the　son　of　the　slave　should　be　born　free；　the　slave　lost　a　large　portion　of　his　market　value；　since　his　posterity　was　no　longer　included　in　the　bargain；　and　the　owner　had　then　a　strong　interest　in　transporting　him　to　the　South。　　Thus　the　same　law　prevents　the　slaves　of　the　South　from　coming　to　the　Northern　States；　and　drives　those　of　the　North　to　the　South。

The　want　of　free　hands　is　felt　in　a　State　in　proportion　as　the　number　of　slaves　decreases。　　But　in　proportion　as　labor　is　performed　by　free　hands；　slave　labor　becomes　less　productive；　and　the　slave　is　then　a　useless　or　onerous　possession；　whom　it　is　important　to　export　to　those　Southern　States　where　the　same　competition　is　not　to　be　feared。　　Thus　the　abolition　of　slavery　does　not　set　the　slave　free；　but　it　merely　transfers　him　from　one　master　to　another；　and　from　the　North　to　the　South。

The　emancipated　negroes；　and　those　born　after　the　abolition　of　slavery；　do　not；　indeed；　migrate　from　the　North　to　the　South；　but　their　situation　with　regard　to　the　Europeans　is　not　unlike　that　of　the　aborigines　of　America；　they　remain　half　civilized；　and　deprived　of　their　rights　in　the　mid