TheEuropeantouchesseveraltimesatdifferentportsinthecourseofalongvoyage;helosesagooddealofprecioustimeinmakingtheharbor，orinwaitingforafavorablewindtoleaveit;andhepaysdailyduestobeallowedtoremainthere。TheAmericanstartsfromBostontogotopurchaseteainChina;hearrivesatCanton，staysthereafewdays，andthenreturns。Inlessthantwoyearshehassailedasfarastheentirecircumferenceoftheglobe，andhehasseenlandbutonce。Itistruethatduringavoyageofeightortenmonthshehasdrunkbrackishwaterandliveduponsaltmeat;thathehasbeeninacontinualcontestwiththesea，withdisease，andwithatediousexistence;butuponhisreturnhecansellapoundofhisteaforahalf—pennylessthantheEnglishmerchant，andhispurposeisaccomplished。
IcannotbetterexplainmymeaningthanbysayingthattheAmericansaffectasortofheroismintheirmanneroftrading。
ButtheEuropeanmerchantwillalwaysfinditverydifficulttoimitatehisAmericancompetitor，who，inadoptingthesystemwhichIhavejustdescribed，followsnotonlyacalculationofhisgain，butanimpulseofhisnature。
TheinhabitantsoftheUnitedStatesaresubjecttoallthewantsandallthedesireswhichresultfromanadvancedstageofcivilization;butastheyarenotsurroundedbyacommunityadmirablyadapted，likethatofEurope，tosatisfytheirwants，theyareoftenobligedtoprocureforthemselvesthevariousarticleswhicheducationandhabithaverenderednecessaries。InAmericaitsometimeshappensthatthesameindividualtillshisfield，buildshisdwelling，contriveshistools，makeshisshoes，andweavesthecoarsestuffofwhichhisdressiscomposed。Thiscircumstanceisprejudicialtotheexcellenceofthework;butitpowerfullycontributestoawakentheintelligenceoftheworkman。
Nothingtendstomaterializeman，andtodeprivehisworkofthefaintesttraceofmind，morethanextremedivisionoflabor。InacountrylikeAmerica，wheremendevotedtospecialoccupationsarerare，alongapprenticeshipcannotberequiredfromanyonewhoembracesaprofession。TheAmericans，therefore，changetheirmeansofgainingalivelihoodveryreadily;andtheysuittheiroccupationstotheexigenciesofthemoment，inthemannermostprofitabletothemselves。Menaretobemetwithwhohavesuccessivelybeenbarristers，farmers，merchants，ministersofthegospel，andphysicians。IftheAmericanbelessperfectineachcraftthantheEuropean，atleastthereisscarcelyanytradewithwhichheisutterlyunacquainted。Hiscapacityismoregeneral，andthecircleofhisintelligenceisenlarged。
TheinhabitantsoftheUnitedStatesareneverfetteredbytheaxiomsoftheirprofession;theyescapefromalltheprejudicesoftheirpresentstation;theyarenotmoreattachedtoonelineofoperationthantoanother;theyarenotmorepronetoemployanoldmethodthananewone;theyhavenorootedhabits，andtheyeasilyshakeofftheinfluencewhichthehabitsofothernationsmightexerciseupontheirmindsfromaconvictionthattheircountryisunlikeanyother，andthatitssituationiswithoutaprecedentintheworld。Americaisalandofwonders，inwhicheverythingisinconstantmotion，andeverymovementseemsanimprovement。Theideaofnoveltyisthereindissolublyconnectedwiththeideaofamelioration。Nonaturalboundaryseemstobesettotheeffortsofman;andwhatisnotyetdoneisonlywhathehasnotyetattemptedtodo。
ThisperpetualchangewhichgoesonintheUnitedStates，thesefrequentvicissitudesoffortune，accompaniedbysuchunforeseenfluctuationsinprivateandinpublicwealth，servetokeepthemindsofthecitizensinaperpetualstateoffeverishagitation，whichadmirablyinvigoratestheirexertions，andkeepstheminastateofexcitementabovetheordinarylevelofmankind。ThewholelifeofanAmericanispassedlikeagameofchance，arevolutionarycrisis，orabattle。Asthesamecausesarecontinuallyinoperationthroughoutthecountry，theyultimatelyimpartanirresistibleimpulsetothenationalcharacter。TheAmerican，takenasachancespecimenofhiscountrymen，mustthenbeamanofsingularwarmthinhisdesires，enterprising，fondofadventure，and，aboveall，ofinnovation。
Thesamebentismanifestinallthathedoes;heintroducesitintohispoliticallaws，hisreligiousdoctrines，histheoriesofsocialeconomy，andhisdomesticoccupations;hebearsitwithhiminthedepthsofthebackwoods，aswellasinthebusinessofthecity。Itisthissamepassion，appliedtomaritimecommerce，whichmakeshimthecheapestandthequickesttraderintheworld。
AslongasthesailorsoftheUnitedStatesretaintheseinspiritingadvantages，andthepracticalsuperioritywhichtheyderivefromthem，theywillnotonlycontinuetosupplythewantsoftheproducersandconsumersoftheirowncountry，buttheywilltendmoreandmoretobecome，liketheEnglish，thefactorsofallotherpeoples。*kThispredictionhasalreadybeguntoberealized;weperceivethattheAmericantradersareintroducingthemselvesasintermediateagentsinthecommerceofseveralEuropeannations;*landAmericawillofferastillwiderfieldtotheirenterprise。
[Footnotek:ItmustnotbesupposedthatEnglishvesselsareexclusivelyemployedintransportingforeignproduceintoEngland，orBritishproducetoforeigncountries;atthepresentdaythemerchantshippingofEnglandmayberegardedinthelightofavastsystemofpublicconveyances，readytoservealltheproducersoftheworld，andtoopencommunicationsbetweenallpeoples。ThemaritimegeniusoftheAmericanspromptsthemtoenterintocompetitionwiththeEnglish。]
[Footnotel:PartofthecommerceoftheMediterraneanisalreadycarriedonbyAmericanvessels。]
ThegreatcolonieswhichwerefoundedinSouthAmericabytheSpaniardsandthePortuguesehavesincebecomeempires。
Civilwarandoppressionnowlaywastethoseextensiveregions。
Populationdoesnotincrease，andthethinlyscatteredinhabitantsaretoomuchabsorbedinthecaresofself—defenseeventoattemptanyameliorationoftheircondition。Such，however，willnotalwaysbethecase。EuropehassucceededbyherowneffortsinpiercingthegloomoftheMiddleAges;SouthAmericahasthesameChristianlawsandChristianmannersaswehave;shecontainsallthegermsofcivilizationwhichhavegrownamidstthenationsofEuropeortheiroffsets，addedtotheadvantagestobederivedfromourexample:whythenshouldshealwaysremainuncivilized？Itisclearthatthequestionissimplyoneoftime;atsomefutureperiod，whichmaybemoreorlessremote，theinhabitantsofSouthAmericawillconstituteflourishingandenlightenednations。
ButwhentheSpaniardsandPortugueseofSouthAmericabegintofeelthewantscommontoallcivilizednations，theywillstillbeunabletosatisfythosewantsforthemselves;astheyoungestchildrenofcivilization，theymustperforceadmitthesuperiorityoftheirelderbrethren。Theywillbeagriculturistslongbeforetheysucceedinmanufacturesorcommerce，andtheywillrequirethemediationofstrangerstoexchangetheirproducebeyondseasforthosearticlesforwhichademandwillbegintobefelt。
ItisunquestionablethattheAmericansoftheNorthwillonedaysupplythewantsoftheAmericansoftheSouth。Naturehasplacedthemincontiguity，andhasfurnishedtheformerwitheverymeansofknowingandappreciatingthosedemands，ofestablishingapermanentconnectionwiththoseStates，andofgraduallyfillingtheirmarkets。ThemerchantsoftheUnitedStatescouldonlyforfeitthesenaturaladvantagesifhewereveryinferiortothemerchantofEurope;towhomheis，onthecontrary，superiorinseveralrespects。TheAmericansoftheUnitedStatesalreadyexerciseaveryconsiderablemoralinfluenceuponallthepeoplesoftheNewWorld。Theyarethesourceofintelligence，andallthenationswhichinhabitthesamecontinentarealreadyaccustomedtoconsiderthemasthemostenlightened，themostpowerful，andthemostwealthymembersofthegreatAmericanfamily。AlleyesarethereforeturnedtowardstheUnion;andtheStatesofwhichthatbodyiscomposedarethemodelswhichtheothercommunitiestrytoimitatetothebestoftheirpower;itisfromtheUnitedStatesthattheyborrowtheirpoliticalprinciplesandtheirlaws。
TheAmericansoftheUnitedStatesstandinpreciselythesamepositionwithregardtothepeoplesofSouthAmericaastheirfathers，theEnglish，occupywithregardtotheItalians，theSpaniards，thePortuguese，andallthosenationsofEuropewhichreceivetheirarticlesofdailyconsumptionfromEngland，becausetheyarelessadvancedincivilizationandtrade。Englandisatthistimethenaturalemporiumofalmostallthenationswhicharewithinitsreach;theAmericanUnionwillperformthesamepartintheotherhemisphere;andeverycommunitywhichisfounded，orwhichprospersintheNewWorld，isfoundedandprosperstotheadvantageoftheAnglo—Americans。
IftheUnionweretobedissolved，thecommerceoftheStateswhichnowcomposeitwouldundoubtedlybecheckedforatime;butthisconsequencewouldbelessperceptiblethanisgenerallysupposed。Itisevidentthat，whatevermayhappen，thecommercialStateswillremainunited。Theyareallcontiguoustoeachother;theyhaveidenticallythesameopinions，interests，andmanners;andtheyarealonecompetenttoformaverygreatmaritimepower。EveniftheSouthoftheUnionweretobecomeindependentoftheNorth，itwouldstillrequiretheservicesofthoseStates。IhavealreadyobservedthattheSouthisnotacommercialcountry，andnothingintimatesthatitislikelytobecomeso。TheAmericansoftheSouthoftheUnitedStateswillthereforebeobliged，foralongtimetocome，tohaverecoursetostrangerstoexporttheirproduce，andtosupplythemwiththecommoditieswhicharerequisitetosatisfytheirwants。ButtheNorthernStatesareundoubtedlyabletoactastheirintermediateagentscheaperthananyothermerchants。Theywillthereforeretainthatemployment，forcheapnessisthesovereignlawofcommerce。Nationalclaimsandnationalprejudicescannotresisttheinfluenceofcheapness。NothingcanbemorevirulentthanthehatredwhichexistsbetweentheAmericansoftheUnitedStatesandtheEnglish。Butnotwithstandingtheseinimicalfeelings，theAmericansderivethegreaterpartoftheirmanufacturedcommoditiesfromEngland，becauseEnglandsuppliesthematacheaperratethananyothernation。ThustheincreasingprosperityofAmericaturns，notwithstandingthegrudgesoftheAmericans，totheadvantageofBritishmanufactures。
Reasonshowsandexperienceprovesthatnocommercialprosperitycanbedurableifitcannotbeunited，incaseofneed，tonavalforce。ThistruthisaswellunderstoodintheUnitedStatesasitcanbeanywhereelse:theAmericansarealreadyabletomaketheirflagrespected;inafewyearstheywillbeabletomakeitfeared。IamconvincedthatthedismembermentoftheUnionwouldnothavetheeffectofdiminishingthenavalpoweroftheAmericans，butthatitwouldpowerfullycontributetoincreaseit。AtthepresenttimethecommercialStatesareconnectedwithotherswhichhavenotthesameinterests，andwhichfrequentlyyieldanunwillingconsenttotheincreaseofamaritimepowerbywhichtheyare...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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