democracy in america-1-第14部分

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which　they　display。　　The　ideas　there　formed　of　the　duties　of　society　towards　its　members　are　evidently　much　loftier　and　more　comprehensive　than　those　of　the　European　legislators　at　that　time：　obligations　were　there　imposed　which　were　elsewhere　slighted。　　In　the　States　of　New　England；　from　the　first；　the　condition　of　the　poor　was　provided　for；　*f　strict　measures　were　taken　for　the　maintenance　of　roads；　and　surveyors　were　appointed　to　attend　to　them；　*g　registers　were　established　in　every　parish；　in　which　the　results　of　public　deliberations；　and　the　births；　deaths；　and　marriages　of　the　citizens　were　entered；　*h　clerks　were　directed　to　keep　these　registers；　*i　officers　were　charged　with　the　administration　of　vacant　inheritances；　and　with　the　arbitration　of　litigated　landmarks；　and　many　others　were　created　whose　chief　functions　were　the　maintenance　of　public　order　in　the　community。　*j　The　law　enters　into　a　thousand　useful　provisions　for　a　number　of　social　wants　which　are　at　present　very　inadequately　felt　in　France。　　＇Footnote　f：　Ibid。；　p。　78。＇

＇Footnote　g：　Ibid。；　p。　49。＇

＇Footnote　h：　See　〃Hutchinson's　History；〃　vol。　i。　p。　455。＇

＇Footnote　i：　Code　of　1650；　p。　86。＇

＇Footnote　j：　Ibid。；　p。　40。＇

But　it　is　by　the　attention　it　pays　to　Public　Education　that　the　original　character　of　American　civilization　is　at　once　placed　in　the　clearest　light。　〃It　being；〃　says　the　law；　〃one　chief　project　of　Satan　to　keep　men　from　the　knowledge　of　the　Scripture　by　persuading　from　the　use　of　tongues；　to　the　end　that　learning　may　not　be　buried　in　the　graves　of　our　forefathers；　in　church　and　commonwealth；　the　Lord　assisting　our　endeavors。　。　。　。〃　*k　Here　follow　clauses　establishing　schools　in　every　township；　and　obliging　the　inhabitants；　under　pain　of　heavy　fines；　to　support　them。　　Schools　of　a　superior　kind　were　founded　in　the　same　manner　in　the　more　populous　districts。　　The　municipal　authorities　were　bound　to　enforce　the　sending　of　children　to　school　by　their　parents；　they　were　empowered　to　inflict　fines　upon　all　who　refused　compliance；　and　in　case　of　continued　resistance　society　assumed　the　place　of　the　parent；　took　possession　of　the　child；　and　deprived　the　father　of　those　natural　rights　which　he　used　to　so　bad　a　purpose。　　The　reader　will　undoubtedly　have　remarked　the　preamble　of　these　enactments：　in　America　religion　is　the　road　to　knowledge；　and　the　observance　of　the　divine　laws　leads　man　to　civil　freedom。

＇Footnote　k：　Ibid。；　p。　90。＇

If；　after　having　cast　a　rapid　glance　over　the　state　of　American　society　in　1650；　we　turn　to　the　condition　of　Europe；　and　more　especially　to　that　of　the　Continent；　at　the　same　period；　we　cannot　fail　to　be　struck　with　astonishment。　　On　the　Continent　of　Europe；　at　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century；　absolute　monarchy　had　everywhere　triumphed　over　the　ruins　of　the　oligarchical　and　feudal　liberties　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Never　were　the　notions　of　right　more　completely　confounded　than　in　the　midst　of　the　splendor　and　literature　of　Europe；　never　was　there　less　political　activity　among　the　people；　never　were　the　principles　of　true　freedom　less　widely　circulated；　and　at　that　very　time　those　principles；　which　were　scorned　or　unknown　by　the　nations　of　Europe；　were　proclaimed　in　the　deserts　of　the　New　World；　and　were　accepted　as　the　future　creed　of　a　great　people。　　The　boldest　theories　of　the　human　reason　were　put　into　practice　by　a　community　so　humble　that　not　a　statesman　condescended　to　attend　to　it；　and　a　legislation　without　a　precedent　was　produced　offhand　by　the　imagination　of　the　citizens。　　In　the　bosom　of　this　obscure　democracy；　which　had　as　yet　brought　forth　neither　generals；　nor　philosophers；　nor　authors；　a　man　might　stand　up　in　the　face　of　a　free　people　and　pronounce　the　following　fine　definition　of　liberty。　*l

＇Footnote　l：　Mather's　〃Magnalia　Christi　Americana；〃　vol。　ii。　p。　13。　　This　speech　was　made　by　Winthrop；　he　was　accused　of　having　committed　arbitrary　actions　during　his　magistracy；　but　after　having　made　the　speech　of　which　the　above　is　a　fragment；　he　was　acquitted　by　acclamation；　and　from　that　time　forwards　he　was　always　re…　elected　governor　of　the　State。　　See　Marshal；　vol。　i。　p。　166。＇　

〃Nor　would　I　have　you　to　mistake　in　the　point　of　your　own　liberty。　There　is　a　liberty　of　a　corrupt　nature　which　is　effected　both　by　men　and　beasts　to　do　what　they　list；　and　this　liberty　is　inconsistent　with　authority；　impatient　of　all　restraint；　by　this　liberty　'sumus　omnes　deteriores'：　'tis　the　grand　enemy　of　truth　and　peace；　and　all　the　ordinances　of　God　are　bent　against　it。　But　there　is　a　civil；　a　moral；　a　federal　liberty　which　is　the　proper　end　and　object　of　authority；　it　is　a　liberty　for　that　only　which　is　just　and　good：　for　this　liberty　you　are　to　stand　with　the　hazard　of　your　very　lives　and　whatsoever　crosses　it　is　not　authority；　but　a　distemper　thereof。　This　liberty　is　maintained　in　a　way　of　subjection　to　authority；　and　the　authority　set　over　you　will；　in　all　administrations　for　your　good；　be　quietly　submitted　unto　by　all　but　such　as　have　a　disposition　to　shake　off　the　yoke　and　lose　their　true　liberty；　by　their　murmuring　at　the　honor　and　power　of　authority。〃

The　remarks　I　have　made　will　suffice　to　display　the　character　of　Anglo…American　civilization　in　its　true　light。　　It　is　the　result　（and　this　should　be　constantly　present　to　the　mind　of　two　distinct　elements；　which　in　other　places　have　been　in　frequent　hostility；　but　which　in　America　have　been　admirably　incorporated　and　combined　with　one　another。　　I　allude　to　the　spirit　of　Religion　and　the　spirit　of　Liberty。

The　settlers　of　New　England　were　at　the　same　time　ardent　sectarians　and　daring　innovators。　　Narrow　as　the　limits　of　some　of　their　religious　opinions　were；　they　were　entirely　free　from　political　prejudices。　　Hence　arose　two　tendencies；　distinct　but　not　opposite；　which　are　constantly　discernible　in　the　manners　as　well　as　in　the　laws　of　the　country。

It　might　be　imagined　that　men　who　sacrificed　their　friends；　their　family；　and　their　native　land　to　a　religious　conviction　were　absorbed　in　the　pursuit　of　the　intellectual　advantages　which　they　purchased　at　so　dear　a　rate。　　The　energy；　however；　with　which　they　strove　for　the　acquirement　of　wealth；　moral　enjoyment；　and　the　comforts　as　well　as　liberties　of　the　world；　is　scarcely　inferior　to　that　with　which　they　devoted　themselves　to　Heaven。

Political　principles　and　all　human　laws　and　institutions　were　moulded　and　altered　at　their　pleasure；　the　barriers　of　the　society　in　which　they　were　born　were　broken　down　before　them；　the　old　principles　which　had　governed　the　world　for　ages　were　no　more；　a　path　without　a　turn　and　a　field　without　an　horizon　were　opened　to　the　exploring　and　ardent　curiosity　of　man：　but　at　the　limits　of　the　political　world　he　checks　his　researches；　he　discreetly　lays　aside　the　use　of　his　most　formidable　faculties；　he　no　longer　consents　to　doubt　or　to　innovate；　but　carefully　abstaining　from　raising　the　curtain　of　the　sanctuary；　he　yields　with　submissive　respect　to　truths　which　he　will　not　discuss。　　Thus；　in　the　moral　world　everything　is　classed；　adapted；　decided；　and　foreseen；　in　the　political　world　everything　is　agitated；　uncertain；　and　disputed：　in　the　one　is　a　passive；　though　a　voluntary；　obedience；　in　the　other　an　independence　scornful　of　experience　and　jealous　of　authority。　

These　two　tendencies；　apparently　so　discrepant；　are　far　from　conflicting；　they　advance　together；　and　mutually　support　each　other。　Religion　perceives　that　civil　liberty　affords　a　noble　exercise　to　the　faculties　of　man；　and　that　the　political　world　is　a　field　prepared　by　the　Creator　for　the　efforts　of　the　intelligence。　　Contented　with　the　freedom　and　the　power　which　it　enjoys　in　its　own　sphere；　and　with　the　place　which　it　occupies；　the　empire　of　religion　is　never　more　surely　established　than　when　it　reigns　in　the　hearts　of　men　unsupported　by　aught　beside　its　native　strength。　　Religion　is　no　less　the　companion　of　liberty　in　all　its　battles　and　its　triumphs；　the　cradle　of　its　infancy；　and　the　divine　source　of　its　claims。　　The　safeguard　of　morality　is　religion；　and　morality　is　the　best　security　of　law　and　the　surest　pledge　of　freedom。　*m

＇Footnote　m：　See　Appendix；　F。＇

Reasons　Of　Certain　Anomalies　Which　The　Laws　And　Customs　Of　The　Anglo…Americans　Present

Remains　of　aristocratic　institutions　in　the　midst　of　a　complete　democracy　…Why？　…　Distinction　carefully　to　be　drawn　between　what　is　of　Puritanical　and　what　is　of　English　origin。

The　reader　is　cautioned　not　to　draw　too　general　or　too　absolute　an　inference　from　what　has　been　said。　　The　social　condition；　the　religion；　and　the　manners　of　the　first　emigrants　undoubtedly　exercised　an　immense　influence　on　the　destiny　of　their　new　country。　　Nevertheless　they　were　not　in　a　situation　to　found　a　state　of　things　solely　dependent　on　themselves：　no　man　can　entirely　shake　off　the　influence　of　the　past；　and　the　settlers；　intentionally　or　involuntarily；　mingled　habits　and　notions　derived　from　their　education　and　from　the　traditions　of　their　country　with　those　habits　and　notions　which　were　exclusively　their　own。　　To　form　a　judgment　on　the　Anglo…Americans　of　the　present　day　it　is　therefore　necessary　to　distinguish　what　is　of　Puritanical　and　what　is　of　English　origin。

Laws　and　customs　are　frequently　to　be　met　with　in　the　United　States　which　contrast　strongly　with　all　that　surrounds　them。　　These　laws　seem　to　be　drawn　up　in　a　spirit　contrary　to　the　prevailing　tenor　of　the　American　legislation；　and　these　customs　are　no　less　opposed　to　the　tone　of　society。　If　the　English　colonies　had　been　founded　in　an　age　of　darkness；　or　if　their　origin　was　already　lost　in　the　lapse　of　years；　the　problem　would　be　insoluble。

I　shall　quote　a　single　example　to　illustrate　what　I　advance。　　The　civil　and　criminal　procedure　of　the　Americans　has　only　two　means　of　action　…committal　and　bail。　　The　first　measure　taken　by　the　magistrate　is　to　exact　security　from　the　defendant；　or；　in　case　of　refusal；　to　incarcerate　him：　the　ground　of　the　accusation　and　the　importance　of　the　charges　against　him　are　then　discussed。　　It　is　evident　that　a　legislation　of　this　kind　is　hostile　to　the　poor　man；　and　favorable　only　to　the　rich。　　The　poor　man　has　not　always　a　security　to　produce；　even　in　a　civil　cause；　and　if　he　is　obl