democracy in america-1-第126部分

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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　Americans；　therefore；　change　their　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood　very　readily；　and　they　suit　their　occupations　to　the　exigencies　of　the　moment；　in　the　manner　most　profitable　to　themselves。　　Men　are　to　be　met　with　who　have　successively　been　barristers；　farmers；　merchants；　ministers　of　the　gospel；　and　physicians。　　If　the　American　be　less　perfect　in　each　craft　than　the　European；　at　least　there　is　scarcely　any　trade　with　which　he　is　utterly　unacquainted。　　His　capacity　is　more　general；　and　the　circle　of　his　intelligence　is　enlarged。

The　inhabitants　of　the　United　States　are　never　fettered　by　the　axioms　of　their　profession；　they　escape　from　all　the　prejudices　of　their　present　station；　they　are　not　more　attached　to　one　line　of　operation　than　to　another；　they　are　not　more　prone　to　employ　an　old　method　than　a　new　one；　they　have　no　rooted　habits；　and　they　easily　shake　off　the　influence　which　the　habits　of　other　nations　might　exercise　upon　their　minds　from　a　conviction　that　their　country　is　unlike　any　other；　and　that　its　situation　is　without　a　precedent　in　the　world。　　America　is　a　land　of　wonders；　in　which　everything　is　in　constant　motion；　and　every　movement　seems　an　improvement。　　The　idea　of　novelty　is　there　indissolubly　connected　with　the　idea　of　amelioration。　　No　natural　boundary　seems　to　be　set　to　the　efforts　of　man；　and　what　is　not　yet　done　is　only　what　he　has　not　yet　attempted　to　do。

This　perpetual　change　which　goes　on　in　the　United　States；　these　frequent　vicissitudes　of　fortune；　accompanied　by　such　unforeseen　fluctuations　in　private　and　in　public　wealth；　serve　to　keep　the　minds　of　the　citizens　in　a　perpetual　state　of　feverish　agitation；　which　admirably　invigorates　their　exertions；　and　keeps　them　in　a　state　of　excitement　above　the　ordinary　level　of　mankind。　　The　whole　life　of　an　American　is　passed　like　a　game　of　chance；　a　revolutionary　crisis；　or　a　battle。　　As　the　same　causes　are　continually　in　operation　throughout　the　country；　they　ultimately　impart　an　irresistible　impulse　to　the　national　character。　　The　American；　taken　as　a　chance　specimen　of　his　countrymen；　must　then　be　a　man　of　singular　warmth　in　his　desires；　enterprising；　fond　of　adventure；　and；　above　all；　of　innovation。　　The　same　bent　is　manifest　in　all　that　he　does；　he　introduces　it　into　his　political　laws；　his　religious　doctrines；　his　theories　of　social　economy；　and　his　domestic　occupations；　he　bears　it　with　him　in　the　depths　of　the　backwoods；　as　well　as　in　the　business　of　the　city。　　It　is　this　same　passion；　applied　to　maritime　commerce；　which　makes　him　the　cheapest　and　the　quickest　trader　in　the　world。

As　long　as　the　sailors　of　the　United　States　retain　these　inspiriting　advantages；　and　the　practical　superiority　which　they　derive　from　them；　they　will　not　only　continue　to　supply　the　wants　of　the　producers　and　consumers　of　their　own　country；　but　they　will　tend　more　and　more　to　become；　like　the　English；　the　factors　of　all　other　peoples。　*k　This　prediction　has　already　begun　to　be　realized；　we　perceive　that　the　American　traders　are　introducing　themselves　as　intermediate　agents　in　the　commerce　of　several　European　nations；　*l　and　America　will　offer　a　still　wider　field　to　their　enterprise。　

＇Footnote　k：　It　must　not　be　supposed　that　English　vessels　are　exclusively　employed　in　transporting　foreign　produce　into　England；　or　British　produce　to　foreign　countries；　at　the　present　day　the　merchant　shipping　of　England　may　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　vast　system　of　public　conveyances；　ready　to　serve　all　the　producers　of　the　world；　and　to　open　communications　between　all　peoples。　　The　maritime　genius　of　the　Americans　prompts　them　to　enter　into　competition　with　the　English。＇

＇Footnote　l：　Part　of　the　commerce　of　the　Mediterranean　is　already　carried　on　by　American　vessels。＇

The　great　colonies　which　were　founded　in　South　America　by　the　Spaniards　and　the　Portuguese　have　since　become　empires。　　Civil　war　and　oppression　now　lay　waste　those　extensive　regions。　　Population　does　not　increase；　and　the　thinly　scattered　inhabitants　are　too　much　absorbed　in　the　cares　of　self…defense　even　to　attempt　any　amelioration　of　their　condition。　　Such；　howev