beacon lights of history-iii-2-第15部分

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promised。　　Let　me　allude　to　the　results　of　his　discovery。



The　first　we　notice　was　the　marvellous　stimulus　to　maritime

adventures。　　Europe　was　inflamed　with　a　desire　to　extend

geographical　knowledge；　or　add　new　countries　to　the　realms　of

European　sovereigns。



Within　four　years　of　the　discovery　of　the　West　India　Islands　by

Columbus；　Cabot　had　sailed　past　Newfoundland；　and　Vasco　da　Gama　had

doubled　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　the

Portuguese　empire　in　the　East　Indies。　　In　1499　Ojeda；　one　of　the

companions　of　Columbus；　and　Amerigo　Vespucci　discovered　Brazil。　　In

1500　Cortereal；　a　Portuguese；　explored　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence。

In　1505　Francesco　de　Almeira　established　factories　along　the　coast

of　Malabar。　　In　1510　the　Spaniards　formed　settlements　on　the

mainland　at　Panama。　　In　1511　the　Portuguese　established　themselves

at　Malacca。　　In　1513　Balboa　crossed　the　Isthmus　of　Darien　and

reached　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　The　year　after　that；　Ponce　de　Leon　had

visited　Florida。　　In　1515　the　Rio　de　la　Plata　was　navigated；　and　in

1517　the　Portuguese　had　begun　to　trade　with　China　and　Bengal。　　As

early　as　1520　Cortes　had　taken　Mexico；　and　completed　the　conquest

of　that　rich　country　the　following　year。　　In　1522　Cano

circumnavigated　the　globe。　　In　1524　Pizarro　discovered　Peru；　which

in　less　than　twelve　years　was　completely　subjugated；the　year　when

California　was　discovered　by　Cortes。　　In　1542　the　Portuguese　were

admitted　to　trade　with　Japan。　　In　1576　Frobisher　sought　a　North…

western　passage　to　India；　and　the　following　year　Sir　Francis　Drake

commenced　his　more　famous　voyages　under　the　auspices　of　Elizabeth。

In　1578　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　colonized　Virginia；　followed　rapidly

by　other　English　settlements；　until　before　the　century　closed　the

whole　continent　was　colonized　either　by　Spaniards；　or　Portuguese；

or　English；　or　French；　or　Dutch。　　All　countries　came　in　to　share

the　prizes　held　out　by　the　discovery　of　the　New　World。



Colonization　followed　the　voyages　of　discovery。　　It　was　animated　by

the　hope　of　finding　gold　and　precious　stones。　　It　was　carried　on

under　great　discouragements　and　hardships　and　unforeseen

difficulties。　　As　a　general　thing；　the　colonists　were　not

accustomed　to　manual　labor；　they　were　adventurers　and　broken…down

dependents　on　great　families；　who　found　restraint　irksome　and　the

drudgeries　of　their　new　life　almost　unendurable。　　Nor　did　they

intend；　at　the　outset；　permanent　settlements；　they　expected　to

accumulate　gold　and　silver；　and　then　return　to　their　country。　　They

had　sought　to　improve　their　condition；　and　their　condition　became

forlorn。　　They　were　exposed　to　sickness　from　malaria；　poor　food；

and　hardship；　they　were　molested　by　the　natives　whom　they

constantly　provoked；　they　were　subject　to　cruel　treatment　on　the

part　of　royal　governors。　　They　melted　away　wherever　they　settled；

by　famine；　disease；　and　war；　whether　in　South　or　North　America。

They　were　discontented　and　disappointed；　and　not　easily　governed；

the　chieftains　quarrelled　with　each　other；　and　were　disgraced　by

rapacity　and　cruelty。　　They　did　not　find　what　they　expected。　　They

were　lonely　and　desolate；　and　longed　to　return　to　the　homes　they

had　left；　but　were　frequently　without　means　to　return；doomed　to

remain　where　they　were；　and　die。　　Colonization　had　no　dignity　until

men　went　to　the　New　World　for　religious　liberty；　or　to　work　upon

the　soil。　　The　conquest　of　Mexico　and　Peru；　however；　opened　up　the

mining　of　gold　and　silver；　which　were　finally　found　in　great

abundance。　　And　when　the　richness　of　these　countries　in　the

precious　metals　was　finally　established；　then　a　regular　stream　of

emigrants　flocked　to　the　American　shores。　　Gold　was　at　last　found；

but　not　until　thousands　had　miserably　perished。



The　mines　of　Mexico　and　Peru　undoubtedly　enriched　Spain；　and　filled

Europe　with　envy　and　emulation。　　A　stream　of　gold　flowed　to　the

mother　country；　and　the　caravels　which　transported　the　treasures　of

the　new　world　became　objects　of　plunder　to　all　nations　hostile　to

Spain。　　The　seas　were　full　of　pirates。　　Sir　Francis　Drake　was　an

undoubted　pirate；　and　returned；　after　his　long　voyage　around　the

world；　with　immense　treasure；　which　he　had　stolen。　　Then　followed；

with　the　eager　search　after　gold　and　silver；　a　rapid　demoralization

in　all　maritime　countries。



It　would　be　interesting　to　show　how　the　sudden　accumulation　of

wealth　by　Spain　led　to　luxury；　arrogance；　and　idleness；　followed　by

degeneracy　and　decay；　since　those　virtues　on　which　the　strength　of

man　is　based　are　weakened　by　sudden　wealth。　　Industry　declined　in

proportion　as　Spain　became　enriched　by　the　precious　metals。　　But

this　inquiry　is　foreign　to　my　object。



A　still　more　interesting　inquiry　arises；　how　far　the　nations　of

Europe　were　really　enriched　by　the　rapid　accumulation　of　gold　and

silver。　　The　search　for　the　precious　metals　may　have　stimulated

commercial　enterprise；　but　it　is　not　so　clear　that　it　added　to　the

substantial　wealth　of　Europe；　except　so　far　as　it　promoted

industry。　　Gold　is　not　wealth；　it　is　simply　the　exponent　of　wealth。

Real　wealth　is　in　farms　and　shops　and　ships；in　the　various

channels　of　industry；　in　the　results　of　human　labor。　　So　far　as　the

precious　metals　enter　into　useful　manufactures；　or　into　articles　of

beauty　and　taste；　they　are　indeed　inherently　valuable。　　Mirrors；

plate；　jewelry；　watches　；　gilded　furniture；　the　adornments　of　the

person；　in　an　important　sense；　constitute　wealth；　since　all　nations

value　them；　and　will　pay　for　them　as　they　do　for　corn　or　oil。　　So

far　as　they　are　connected　with　art；　they　are　valuable　in　the　same

sense　as　statues　and　pictures；　on　which　labor　has　been　expended。

There　is　something　useful；　and　even　necessary；　besides　food　and

raiment　and　houses。　　The　gold　which　ornamented　Solomon's　temple；　or

the　Minerva　of　Phidias；　or　the　garments　of　Leo　X。；　had　a　value。

The　ring　which　is　a　present　to　brides　is　a　part　of　a　marriage

ceremony。　　The　golden　watch；　which　never　tarnishes；　is　more

valuable　inherently　than　a　pewter　one；　because　it　remains

beautiful。　　Thus　when　gold　enters　into　ornaments　deemed

indispensable；　or　into　manufactures　which　are　needed；　it　has　an

inherent　value；it　is　wealth。



But　when　gold　is　a　mere　medium　of　exchange；its　chief　use；then

it　has　only　a　conventional　value；　I　mean；　it　does　not　make　a　nation

rich　or　poor；　since　the　rarer　it　is　the　more　it　will　purchase　of

the　necessaries　of　life。　　A　pound's　weight　of　gold；　in　ancient

Greece；　or　in　Mediaeval　Europe；　would　purchase　as　much　wheat　as

twenty　pounds'　weight　will　purchase　to…day。　　If　the　mines　of　Mexico

or　Peru　or　California　had　never　been　worked；　the　gold　in　the

civilized　world　three　hundred　years　ago　would　have　been　as　valuable

for　banking　purposes；　or　as　an　exchange　for　agricultural　products；

as　twenty　times　its　present　quantity；　since　it　would　have　bought　as

much　as　twenty　times　the　quantity　will　buy　to…day。　　Make　diamonds

as　plenty　as　crystals；　they　would　be　worth　no　more　than　crystals；

if　they　were　not　harder　and　more　beautiful。　　Make　gold　as　plenty　as

silver；　it　would　be　worth　no　more　than　silver；　except　for

manufacturing　purposes；　it　would　be　worth　no　more　to　bankers　and

merchants。　　The　vast　increase　in　the　production　of　the　precious

metals　simply　increased　the　value　of　the　commodities　for　which　they

were　exchanged。　　A　laborer　can　purchase　no　more　bread　with　a　dollar

to…day　than　he　could　with　five　cents　three　hundred　years　ago。　　Five

cents　were　really　as　much　wealth　three　hundred　years　ago　as　a

dollar　is　to…day。　　Wherein；　then；　has　the　increase　in　the　precious

metals　added　to　the　wealth　of　the　world；　if　a　twentieth　part　of　the

gold　and　silver　now　in　circulation　would　buy　as　much　land；　or

furniture；　or　wheat；　or　oil　three　hundred　years　ago　as　the　whole

amount　now　used　as　money　will　buy　to…day？　　Had　no　gold　or　silver

mines　been　discovered　in　America；　the　gold　and　silver　would　have

appreciated　in　value　in　proportion　to　the　wear　of　them。　　In　other

words；　the　scarcer　the　gold　and　silver　the　more　the　same　will

purchase　of　the　fruits　of　human　industry。　　So　industry　is　the

wealth；　not　the　gold。　　It　is　the　cultivated　farms　and　the

manufactures　and　the　buildings　and　the　internal　improvements　of　a

country　which　constitute　its　real　wealth；　since　these　represent　its

industry；the　labor　of　men。　　Mines；　indeed；　employ　the　labor　of

men；　but　they　do　not　furnish　food　for　the　body；　or　raiment　to　wear；

or　houses　to　live　in；　or　fuel　for　cooking；　or　any　purpose　whatever

of　human　comfort　or　necessity；only　a　material　for　ornament；　which

I　grant　is　wealth；　so　far　as　ornament　is　for　the　welfare　of　man。

The　marbles　of　ancient　Greece　were　very　valuable　for　the　labor

expended　on　them；　either　for　architecture　or　for　ornament。



Gold　and　silver　were　early　selected　as　useful　and　convenient

articles　for　exchange；　like　bank…notes；　and　so　far　have　inherent

value　as　they　supply　that　necessity；　but　if　a　fourth　part　of　the

gold　and　silver　in　existence　would　supply　that　necessity；　the

remaining　three…fourths　are　as　inherently　valueless　as　the　paper　of

which　bank…notes　are　printed。　　Their　value　consists　in　what　they

represent　of　the　labors　and　industries　of　men。



Now　Spain　ultimately　became　poor；　in　spite　of　the　influx　of　gold

and　silver　from　the　American　mines；　because　industries　of　all　kinds

declined。　　People　were　diverted　from　useful　callings　by　the　mighty

delusion　which　gold　discoveries　created。　　These　discoveries　had　the

same　effect　on　industry；　which　is　the　wealth　of　nations；　as　the

support　of　standing　armies　has　in　our　day。　　They　diverted　men　from

legitimate　callings。　　The　miners　had　to　be　supported　like　soldiers；

and；　worse；　the　sudden　influx　of　gold　and　silver　intoxicated　men

and　stimulated　speculation。　　An　army　of　speculators　do　not　enrich　a

nation；　since　they　rob　each　other。　　They　cause　money　to　change

hands；　they　do　not　stimulate　industry。　　They　do　not