contributions to all the year round-第7部分

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its　blood　and　life；　but　they　scarcely　coloured　the　stream　of

desperate　adventurers　which　sets　that　way　for　profit　and　for　pay。

It　is　the　game　of　these　men；　and　of　their　profligate　organs；　to　make

the　strife　of　politics　so　fierce　and　brutal；　and　so　destructive　of

all　self…respect　in　worthy　men；　that　sensitive　and　delicate…minded

persons　shall　be　kept　aloof；　and　they；　and　such　as　they；　be　left　to

battle　out　their　selfish　views　unchecked。　　And　thus　this　lowest　of

all　scrambling　fights　goes　on；　and　they　who　in　other　countries

would；　from　their　intelligence　and　station；　most　aspire　to　make　the

laws；　do　here　recoil　the　farthest　from　that　degradation。



〃That　there　are；　among　the　representatives　of　the　people　in　both

Houses；　and　among　all　parties；　some　men　of　high　character　and　great

abilities；　I　need　not　say。　　The　foremost　among　those　politicians　who

are　known　in　Europe；　have　been　already　described；　and　I　see　no

reason　to　depart　from　the　rule　I　have　laid　down　for　my　guidance；　of

abstaining　from　all　mention　of　individuals。　　It　will　be　sufficient

to　add；　that　to　the　most　favourable　accounts　that　have　been　written

of　them；　I　fully　and　most　heartily　subscribe；　and　that　personal

intercourse　and　free　communication　have　bred　within　me；　not　the

result　predicted　in　the　very　doubtful　proverb；　but　increased

admiration　and　respect。〃



Towards　the　end　of　his　book；　the　Young　Man　from　the　Country　thus

expressed　himself　concerning　its　people：





〃They　are；　by　nature；　frank；　brave；　cordial；　hospitable；　and

affectionate。　　Cultivation　and　refinement　seem　but　to　enhance　their

warmth　of　heart　and　ardent　enthusiasm；　and　it　is　the　possession　of

these　latter　qualities　in　a　most　remarkable　degree；　which　renders　an

educated　American　one　of　the　most　endearing　and　most　generous　of

friends。　　I　never　was　so　won　upon；　as　by　this　class；　never　yielded

up　my　full　confidence　and　esteem　so　readily　and　pleasurably；　as　to

them；　never　can　make　again；　in　half　a　year；　so　many　friends　for　whom

I　seem　to　entertain　the　regard　of　half　a　life。



〃These　qualities　are　natural；　I　implicitly　believe；　to　the　whole

people。　　That　they　are；　however；　sadly　sapped　and　blighted　in　their

growth　among　the　mass；　and　that　there　are　influences　at　work　which

endanger　them　still　more；　and　give　but　little　present　promise　of

their　healthy　restoration；　is　a　truth　that　ought　to　be　told。



〃It　is　an　essential　part　of　every　national　character　to　pique　itself

mightily　upon　its　faults；　and　to　deduce　tokens　of　its　virtue　or　its

wisdom　from　their　very　exaggeration。　　One　great　blemish　in　the

popular　mind　of　America；　and　the　prolific　parent　of　an　innumerable

brood　of　evils；　is　Universal　Distrust。　　Yet　the　American　citizen

plumes　himself　upon　this　spirit；　even　when　he　is　sufficiently

dispassionate　to　perceive　the　ruin　it　works；　and　will　often　adduce

it；　in　spite　of　his　own　reason；　as　an　instance　of　the　great　sagacity

and　acuteness　of　the　people；　and　their　superior　shrewdness　and

independence。



〃'You　carry；'　says　the　stranger；　'this　jealousy　and　distrust　into

every　transaction　of　public　life。　　By　repelling　worthy　men　from　your

legislative　assemblies；　it　has　bred　up　a　class　of　candidates　for　the

suffrage；　who；　in　their　every　act；　disgrace　your　Institutions　and

your　people's　choice。　　It　has　rendered　you　so　fickle；　and　so　given

to　change；　that　your　inconstancy　has　passed　into　a　proverb；　for　you

no　sooner　set　up　an　idol　firmly；　than　you　are　sure　to　pull　it　down

and　dash　it　into　fragments：　　and　this；　because　directly　you　reward　a

benefactor；　or　a　public…servant；　you　distrust　him；　merely　because　he

IS　rewarded；　and　immediately　apply　yourselves　to　find　out；　either

that　you　have　been　too　bountiful　in　your　acknowledgments；　or　he

remiss　in　his　deserts。　　Any　man　who　attains　a　high　place　among　you；

from　the　President　downwards；　may　date　his　downfall　from　that

moment；　for　any　printed　lie　that　any　notorious　villain　pens；

although　it　militate　directly　against　the　character　and　conduct　of　a

life；　appeals　at　once　to　your　distrust；　and　is　believed。　　You　will

strain　at　a　gnat　in　the　way　of　trustfulness　and　confidence；　however

fairly　won　and　well　deserved；　but　you　will　swallow　a　whole　caravan

of　camels；　if　they　be　laden　with　unworthy　doubts　and　mean

suspicions。　　Is　this　well；　think　you；　or　likely　to　elevate　the

character　of　the　governors　or　the　governed；　among　you？'



〃The　answer　is　invariably　the　same：　　'There's　freedom　of　opinion

here；　you　know。　　Every　man　thinks　for　himself；　and　we　are　not　to　be

easily　overreached。　　That's　how　our　people　come　to　be　suspicious。'



〃Another　prominent　feature　is　the　love　of　'smart'　dealing：　　which

gilds　over　many　a　swindle　and　gross　breach　of　trust；　many　a

defalcation；　public　and　private；　and　enables　many　a　knave　to　hold

his　head　up　with　the　best；　who　well　deserves　a　halter：　　though　it

has　not　been　without　its　retributive　operation；　for　this　smartness

has　done　more　in　a　few　years　to　impair　the　public　credit；　and　to

cripple　the　public　resources；　than　dull　honesty；　however　rash；　could

have　effected　in　a　century。　　The　merits　of　a　broken　speculation；　or

a　bankruptcy；　or　of　a　successful　scoundrel；　are　not　gauged　by　its　or

his　observance　of　the　golden　rule；　'Do　as　you　would　be　done　by'；　but

are　considered　with　reference　to　their　smartness。　　I　recollect；　on

both　occasions　of　our　passing　that　ill…fated　Cairo　on　the

Mississippi；　remarking　on　the　bad　effects　such　gross　deceits　must

have　when　they　exploded；　in　generating　a　want　of　confidence　abroad；

and　discouraging　foreign　investment：　　but　I　was　given　to　understand

that　this　was　a　very　smart　scheme　by　which　a　deal　of　money　had　been

made：　　and　that　its　smartest　feature　was；　that　they　forgot　these

things　abroad；　in　a　very　short　time；　and　speculated　again；　as　freely

as　ever。　　The　following　dialogue　I　have　held　a　hundred　times：　　'Is

it　not　a　very　disgraceful　circumstance　that　such　a　man　as　So…and…so

should　be　acquiring　a　large　property　by　the　most　infamous　and　odious

means；　and　notwithstanding　all　the　crimes　of　which　he　has　been

guilty；　should　be　tolerated　and　abetted　by　your　citizens？　　He　is　a

public　nuisance；　is　he　not？'　　'Yes；　sir。'　　'A　convicted　liar？'

'Yes；　sir。'　　'He　has　been　kicked；　and　cuffed；　and　caned？'　　'Yes；

sir。'　　'And　he　is　utterly　dishonourable；　debased；　and　profligate？'

'Yes；　sir。'　　'In　the　name　of　wonder；　then；　what　is　his　merit？'

'Well；　sir；　he　is　a　smart　man。'



〃But　the　foul　growth　of　America　has　a　more　tangled　root　than　this；

and　it　strikes　its　fibres；　deep　in　its　licentious　Press。



〃Schools　may　he　erected；　East；　West；　North；　and　South；　pupils　be

taught；　and　masters　reared；　by　scores　upon　scores　of　thousands；

colleges　may　thrive；　churches　may　be　crammed；　temperance　may　be

diffused；　and　advancing　knowledge　in　all　other　forms　walk　through

the　land　with　giant　strides；　but　while　the　newspaper　press　of

America　is　in；　or　near；　its　present　abject　state；　high　moral

improvement　in　that　country　is　hopeless。　　Year　by　year；　it　must　and

will　go　back；　year　by　year；　the　tone　of　public　opinion　must　sink

lower　down；　year　by　year；　the　Congress　and　the　Senate　must　become　of

less　account　before　all　decent　men；　and　year　by　year；　the　memory　of

the　Great　Fathers　of　the　Revolution　must　be　outraged　more　and　more；

in　the　bad　life　of　their　degenerate　child。



〃Among　the　herd　of　journals　which　are　published　in　the　States；　there

are　some；　the　reader　scarcely　need　be　told；　of　character　and　credit。

From　personal　intercourse　with　accomplished　gentlemen　connected　with

publications　of　this　class；　I　have　derived　both　pleasure　and　profit。

But　the　name　of　these　is　Few；　and　of　the　others　Legion；　and　the

influence　of　the　good；　is　powerless　to　counteract　the　moral　poison

of　the　bad。



〃Among　the　gentry　of　America；　among　the　well…informed　and　moderate；

in　the　learned　professions；　at　the　bar　and　on　the　bench；　there　is；

as　there　can　be；　but　one　opinion；　in　reference　to　the　vicious

character　of　these　infamous　journals。　　It　is　sometimes　contendedI

will　not　say　strangely；　for　it　is　natural　to　seek　excuses　for　such　a

disgracethat　their　influence　is　not　so　great　as　a　visitor　would

suppose。　　I　must　be　pardoned　for　saying　that　there　is　no　warrant　for

this　plea；　and　that　every　fact　and　circumstance　tends　directly　to

the　opposite　conclusion。



〃When　any　man；　of　any　grade　of　desert　in　intellect　or　character；　can

climb　to　any　public　distinction；　no　matter　what；　in　America；　without

first　grovelling　down　upon　the　earth；　and　bending　the　knee　before

this　monster　of　depravity；　when　any　private　excellence　is　safe　from

its　attacks；　when　any　social　confidence　is　left　unbroken　by　it；　or

any　tie　of　social　decency　and　honour　is　held　in　the　least　regard；

when　any　man　in　that　Free　Country　has　freedom　of　opinion；　and

presumes　to　think　for　himself；　and　speak　for　himself；　without　humble

reference　to　a　censorship　which；　for　its　rampant　ignorance　and　base

dishonesty；　he　utterly　loaths　and　despises　in　his　heart；　when　those

who　most　acutely　feel　its　infamy　and　the　reproach　it　casts　upon　the

nation；　and　who　most　denounce　it　to　each　other；　dare　to　set　their

heels　upon；　and　crush　it　openly；　in　the　sight　of　all　men：　　then；　I

will　believe　that　its　influence　is　lessening；　and　men　are　returning

to　their　manly　senses。　　But　while　that　Press　has　its　evil　eye　in

every　house；　and　its　black　hand　in　every　appointment　in　the　state；

from　a　president　to　a　postman；　while；　with　ribald　slander　for　its

only　stock　in　trade；　it　is　the　standard　literature　of　an　enormous

class；　who　must　find　their　reading　in　a　newspaper；　or　they　will　not

read　at　all；　so　long　must　its　odium　be　upon　the　country's　head；　and

so　long　must　the　evil　it　works；　be　plainly　visible　in　the　Republic。〃





The　foregoing　was　written　in　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　forty…

two。　　It　rests　with　the　reader　to　decide　whether　it　has　received　any

confirmation；　or　assumed　any　colour　of　truth；　in　or　about　th