This，itmaybesaid，canonlybeapplicabletothosemembersofthecommunitywhoareinhumblecircumstances;
wealthierindividualswilldisplaytastesakintothosewhichbelongedtotheminaristocraticages。Icontesttheproposition:inpointofphysicalgratifications，themostopulentmembersofademocracywillnotdisplaytastesverydifferentfromthoseofthepeople;whetheritbethat，springingfromthepeople，theyreallysharethosetastes，orthattheyesteemitadutytosubmittothem。Indemocraticsocietythesensualityofthepublichastakenamoderateandtranquilcourse，towhichallareboundtoconform:itisasdifficulttodepartfromthecommonrulebyone’svicesasbyone’svirtues。
Richmenwholiveamidstdemocraticnationsarethereforemoreintentonprovidingfortheirsmallestwantsthanfortheirextraordinaryenjoyments;theygratifyanumberofpettydesires，withoutindulginginanygreatirregularitiesofpassion:thustheyaremoreapttobecomeenervatedthandebauched。
Theespecialtastewhichthemenofdemocraticagesentertainforphysicalenjoymentsisnotnaturallyopposedtotheprinciplesofpublicorder;nay，itoftenstandsinneedoforderthatitmaybegratified。Norisitadversetoregularityofmorals，forgoodmoralscontributetopublictranquillityandarefavorabletoindustry。Itmayevenbefrequentlycombinedwithaspeciesofreligiousmorality:menwishtobeaswelloffastheycaninthisworld，withoutforegoingtheirchanceofanother。
Somephysicalgratificationscannotbeindulgedinwithoutcrime;
fromsuchtheystrictlyabstain。Theenjoymentofothersissanctionedbyreligionandmorality;tothesetheheart，theimagination，andlifeitselfareunreservedlygivenup;till，insnatchingattheselessergifts，menlosesightofthosemorepreciouspossessionswhichconstitutethegloryandthegreatnessofmankind。ThereproachIaddresstotheprincipleofequality，isnotthatitleadsmenawayinthepursuitofforbiddenenjoyments，butthatitabsorbsthemwhollyinquestofthosewhichareallowed。Bythesemeans，akindofvirtuousmaterialismmayultimatelybeestablishedintheworld，whichwouldnotcorrupt，butenervatethesoul，andnoiselesslyunbenditsspringsofaction。
ChapterXII:CausesOfFanaticalEnthusiasmInSomeAmericansAlthoughthedesireofacquiringthegoodthingsofthisworldistheprevailingpassionoftheAmericanpeople，certainmomentaryoutbreaksoccur，whentheirsoulsseemsuddenlytoburstthebondsofmatterbywhichtheyarerestrained，andtosoarimpetuouslytowardsheaven。InalltheStatesoftheUnion，butespeciallyinthehalf—peopledcountryoftheFarWest，wanderingpreachersmaybemetwithwhohawkaboutthewordofGodfromplacetoplace。Wholefamilies—oldmen，women，andchildren—crossroughpassesanduntroddenwilds，comingfromagreatdistance，tojoinacamp—meeting，wheretheytotallyforgetforseveraldaysandnights，inlisteningtothesediscourses，thecaresofbusinessandeventhemosturgentwantsofthebody。Hereandthere，inthemidstofAmericansociety，youmeetwithmen，fullofafanaticalandalmostwildenthusiasm，whichhardlyexistsinEurope。Fromtimetotimestrangesectsarise，whichendeavortostrikeoutextraordinarypathstoeternalhappiness。ReligiousinsanityisverycommonintheUnitedStates。
Noroughtthesefactstosurpriseus。Itwasnotmanwhoimplantedinhimselfthetasteforwhatisinfiniteandtheloveofwhatisimmortal:thoseloftyinstinctsarenottheoffspringofhiscapriciouswill;theirsteadfastfoundationisfixedinhumannature，andtheyexistinspiteofhisefforts。Hemaycrossanddistortthem—destroythemhecannot。Thesoulhaswantswhichmustbesatisfied;andwhateverpainsbetakentodivertitfromitself，itsoongrowsweary，restless，anddisquietedamidsttheenjoymentsofsense。Ifeverthefacultiesofthegreatmajorityofmankindwereexclusivelybentuponthepursuitofmaterialobjects，itmightbeanticipatedthatanamazingreactionwouldtakeplaceinthesoulsofsomemen。Theywoulddriftatlargeintheworldofspirits，forfearofremainingshackledbytheclosebondageofthebody。
Itisnotthenwonderfulif，inthemidstofacommunitywhosethoughtstendearthward，asmallnumberofindividualsaretobefoundwhoturntheirlookstoheaven。Ishouldbesurprisedifmysticismdidnotsoonmakesomeadvanceamongstapeoplesolelyengagedinpromotingitsownworldlywelfare。ItissaidthatthedesertsoftheThebaidwerepeopledbythepersecutionsoftheemperorsandthemassacresoftheCircus;I
shouldrathersaythatitwasbytheluxuriesofRomeandtheEpicureanphilosophyofGreece。Iftheirsocialcondition，theirpresentcircumstances，andtheirlawsdidnotconfinethemindsoftheAmericanssocloselytothepursuitofworldlywelfare，itisprobablethattheywoulddisplaymorereserveandmoreexperiencewhenevertheirattentionisturnedtothingsimmaterial，andthattheywouldcheckthemselveswithoutdifficulty。Buttheyfeelimprisonedwithinboundswhichtheywillapparentlyneverbeallowedtopass。Assoonastheyhavepassedthesebounds，theirmindsknownotwheretofixthemselves，andtheyoftenrushunrestrainedbeyondtherangeofcommon—sense。
ChapterXIII:CausesOfTheRestlessSpiritOfAmericansInTheMidstOfTheirProsperityIncertainremotecornersoftheOldWorldyoumaystillsometimesstumbleuponasmalldistrictwhichseemstohavebeenforgottenamidstthegeneraltumult，andtohaveremainedstationarywhilsteverythingarounditwasinmotion。Theinhabitantsareforthemostpartextremelyignorantandpoor;
theytakenopartinthebusinessofthecountry，andtheyarefrequentlyoppressedbythegovernment;yettheircountenancesaregenerallyplacid，andtheirspiritslight。InAmericaIsawthefreestandmostenlightenedmen，placedinthehappiestcircumstanceswhichtheworldaffords:itseemedtomeasifacloudhabituallyhungupontheirbrow，andIthoughtthemseriousandalmostsadevenintheirpleasures。Thechiefreasonofthiscontrastisthattheformerdonotthinkoftheillstheyendure—thelatterareforeverbroodingoveradvantagestheydonotpossess。ItisstrangetoseewithwhatfeverishardortheAmericanspursuetheirownwelfare;andtowatchthevaguedreadthatconstantlytormentsthemlesttheyshouldnothavechosentheshortestpathwhichmayleadtoit。AnativeoftheUnitedStatesclingstothisworld’sgoodsasifhewerecertainnevertodie;andheissohastyingraspingatallwithinhisreach，thatonewouldsupposehewasconstantlyafraidofnotlivinglongenoughtoenjoythem。Heclutcheseverything，heholdsnothingfast，butsoonloosenshisgrasptopursuefreshgratifications。
IntheUnitedStatesamanbuildsahousetospendhislatteryearsinit，andhesellsitbeforetheroofison:heplantsagarden，andletsitjustasthetreesarecomingintobearing:hebringsafieldintotillage，andleavesothermentogatherthecrops:heembracesaprofession，andgivesitup:hesettlesinaplace，whichhesoonafterwardsleaves，tocarryhischangeablelongingselsewhere。Ifhisprivateaffairsleavehimanyleisure，heinstantlyplungesintothevortexofpolitics;
andifattheendofayearofunremittinglaborhefindshehasafewdays’vacation，hiseagercuriositywhirlshimoverthevastextentoftheUnitedStates，andhewilltravelfifteenhundredmilesinafewdays，toshakeoffhishappiness。Deathatlengthovertakeshim，butitisbeforeheiswearyofhisbootlesschaseofthatcompletefelicitywhichisforeveronthewing。
Atfirstsightthereissomethingsurprisinginthisstrangeunrestofsomanyhappymen，restlessinthemidstofabundance。
Thespectacleitselfishoweverasoldastheworld;thenoveltyistoseeawholepeoplefurnishanexemplificationofit。TheirtasteforphysicalgratificationsmustberegardedastheoriginalsourceofthatsecretinquietudewhichtheactionsoftheAmericansbetray，andofthatinconstancyofwhichtheyaffordfreshexampleseveryday。Hewhohassethisheartexclusivelyuponthepursuitofworldlywelfareisalwaysinahurry，forhehasbutalimitedtimeathisdisposaltoreachit，tograspit，andtoenjoyit。Therecollectionofthebrevityoflifeisaconstantspurtohim。Besidesthegoodthingswhichhepossesses，heeveryinstantfanciesathousandotherswhichdeathwillpreventhimfromtryingifhedoesnottrythemsoon。Thisthoughtfillshimwithanxiety，fear，andregret，andkeepshismindinceaselesstrepidation，whichleadshimperpetuallytochangehisplansandhisabode。Ifinadditiontothetasteforphysicalwell—beingasocialconditionbesuperadded，inwhichthelawsandcustomsmakenoconditionpermanent，hereisagreatadditionalstimulanttothisrestlessnessoftemper。Menwillthenbeseencontinuallytochangetheirtrack，forfearofmissingtheshortestcuttohappiness。Itmayreadilybeconceivedthatifmen，passionatelybentuponphysicalgratifications，desireeagerly，theyarealsoeasilydiscouraged:
astheirultimateobjectistoenjoy，themeanstoreachthatobjectmustbepromptandeasy，orthetroubleofacquiringthegratificationwouldbegreaterthanthegratificationitself。
Theirprevailingframeofmindthenisatonceardentandrelaxed，violentandenervated。Deathisoftenlessdreadedthanperseveranceincontinuouseffortstooneend。
TheequalityofconditionsleadsbyastillstraighterroadtoseveraloftheeffectswhichIhaveheredescribed。Whenalltheprivilegesofbirthandfortuneareabolished，whenallprofessionsareaccessibletoall，andaman’sownenergiesmayplacehimatthetopofanyoneofthem，aneasyandunboundedcareerseemsopentohisambition，andhewillreadilypersuadehimselfthatheisborntonovulgardestinies。Butthisisanerroneousnotion，whichiscorrectedbydailyexperience。Thesameequalitywhichallowseverycitizentoconceivetheseloftyhopes，rendersallthecitizenslessabletorealizethem:itcircumscribestheirpowersoneveryside，whilstitgivesfreerscopetotheirdesires。Notonlyaretheythemselvespowerless，buttheyaremetateverystepbyimmenseobstacles，whichtheydidnotatfirstperceive。Theyhavesweptawaytheprivilegesofsomeoftheirfellow—creatureswhichstoodintheirway，buttheyhaveopenedthedoortouniversalcompetition:thebarrierhaschangeditsshaperatherthanitsposition。Whenmenarenearlyalike，andallfollowthesametrack，itisverydifficultforanyoneindividualtowalkquickandcleaveawaythroughthedensethrongwhichsurroundsandpresseshim。Thisconstantstrifebetweenthepropensitiesspringingfromtheequalityofconditionsandthemeansitsuppliestosatisfythem，harassesandweariesthemind。
Itispossibletoconceivemenarrivedatadegreeoffreedomwhichshouldcompletelycontentthem;theywouldthenenjoytheirindependencewithoutanxietyandwithoutimpatience。
Butmenwillneverestablishanyequalitywithwhichtheycanbecontented。Whatevereffortsapeoplemaymake，theywillnever...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
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