第1章

类别:其他 作者:Benjamin P。 Thomas字数:3350更新时间:18/12/17 16:35:35
THEREhavebeenmanypainfulcrisessincetheimpatientvanityofSouthCarolinahurriedtenprosperousCommonwealthsintoacrimewhoseassuredretributionwastoleavethemeitheratthemercyofthenationtheyhadwronged,oroftheanarchytheyhadsummonedbutcouldnotcontrol,whennothoughtfulAmericanopenedhismorningpaperwithoutdreadingtofindthathehadnolongeracountrytoloveandhonor。Whatevertheresultoftheconvulsionwhosefirstshockswerebeginningtobefelt,therewouldstillbeenoughsquaremilesofearthforelbow—room;butthatineffablesentimentmadeupofmemoryandhope,ofinstinctandtradition,whichswellseveryman\'sheartandshapeshisthought,thoughperhapsneverpresenttohisconsciousness,wouldbegonefromit,leavingitcommonearthandnothingmore。Menmightgatherrichcropsfromit,butthatidealharvestofpricelessassociationswouldbereapednolonger;thatfinevirtuewhichsentupmessagesofcourageandsecurityfromeverysodofitwouldhaveevaporatedbeyondrecall。Weshouldbeirrevocablycutofffromourpast,andbeforcedtosplicetheraggedendsofourlivesuponwhatevernewconditionschancemightleavedanglingforus。 Weconfessthatwehadourdoubtsatfirstwhetherthepatriotismofourpeoplewerenottoonarrowlyprovincialtoembracetheproportionsofnationalperil。Wefeltanonlytoonaturaldistrustofimmensepublicmeetingsandenthusiasticcheers。 Thatareactionshouldfollowtheholidayenthusiasmwithwhichthewarwasenteredon,thatitshouldfollowsoon,andthattheslackeningofpublicspiritshouldbeproportionatetothepreviousover—tension,mightwellbeforeseenbyallwhohadstudiedhumannatureorhistory。Menactinggregariouslyarealwaysinextremes; astheyareonemomentcapableofhighercourage,sotheyareliable,thenext,tobaserdepression,anditisoftenamatterofchancewhethernumbersshallmultiplyconfidenceordiscouragement。Nordoesdeceptionleadmoresurelytodistrustofmen,thanself—deceptiontosuspicionofprinciples。Theonlyfaiththatwearswellandholdsitscolorinallweathersisthatwhichiswovenofconvictionandsetwiththesharpmordantofexperience。 Enthusiasmisgoodmaterialfortheorator,butthestatesmanneedssomethingmoredurabletoworkin,——mustbeabletorelyonthedeliberatereasonandconsequentfirmnessofthepeople,withoutwhichthatpresenceofmind,nolessessentialintimesofmoralthanofmaterialperil,willbewantingatthecriticalmoment。WouldthisfervoroftheFreeStatesholdout?Wasitkindledbyajustfeelingofthevalueofconstitutionalliberty?Haditbodyenoughtowithstandtheinevitabledampeningofchecks,reverses,delays? Hadourpopulationintelligenceenoughtocomprehendthatthechoicewasbetweenorderandanarchy,betweentheequilibriumofagovernmentbylawandthetussleofmisruleby*pronunciamiento?*Couldawarbemaintainedwithouttheordinarystimulusofhatredandplunder,andwiththeimpersonalloyaltyofprinciple?Thesewereseriousquestions,andwithnoprecedenttoaidinansweringthem。 Atthebeginningofthewartherewas,indeed,occasionforthemostanxiousapprehension。APresidentknowntobeinfectedwiththepoliticalheresies,andsuspectedofsympathywiththetreason,oftheSouthernconspirators,hadjustsurrenderedthereins,wewillnotsayofpower,butofchaos,toasuccessorknownonlyastherepresentativeofapartywhoseleaders,withlongtraininginopposition,hadnoneintheconductofaffairs;anemptytreasurywascalledontosupplyresourcesbeyondprecedentinthehistoryoffinance;thetreeswereyetgrowingandtheironunminedwithwhichanavywastobebuiltandarmored;officerswithoutdisciplineweretomakeamobintoanarmy;and,aboveall,thepublicopinionofEurope,echoedandreinforcedwitheveryvaguehintandeveryspeciousargumentofdespondencybyapowerfulfactionathome,waseithercontemptuouslyscepticaloractivelyhostile。Itwouldbehardtoover—estimatetheforceofthislatterelementofdisintegrationanddiscouragementamongapeoplewhereeverycitizenathome,andeverysoldierinthefield,isareaderofnewspapers。ThepeddlersofrumorintheNorthwerethemosteffectivealliesoftherebellion。Anationcanbeliabletonomoreinsidioustreacherythanthatofthetelegraph,sendinghourlyitselectricthrillofpanicalongtheremotestnervesofthecommunity,tilltheexcitedimaginationmakeseveryrealdangerloomheightenedwithitsunrealdouble。 Andevenifwelookonlyatmorepalpabledifficulties,theproblemtobesolvedbyourcivilwarwassovast,bothinitsimmediaterelationsanditsfutureconsequences;theconditionsofitssolutionweresointricateandsogreatlydependentonincalculableanduncontrollablecontingencies;somanyofthedata,whetherforhopeorfear,were,fromtheirnovelty,incapableofarrangementunderanyofthecategoriesofhistoricalprecedent,thatthereweremomentsofcrisiswhenthefirmestbelieverinthestrengthandsufficiencyofthedemocratictheoryofgovernmentmightwellholdhisbreathinvagueapprehensionofdisaster。Ourteachersofpoliticalphilosophy,solemnlyarguingfromtheprecedentofsomepettyGrecian,Italian,orFlemishcity,whoselongperiodsofaristocracywerebrokennowandthenbyawkwardparenthesesofmob,hadalwaystaughtusthatdemocracieswereincapableofthesentimentofloyalty,ofconcentratedandprolongedeffort,offar— reachingconceptions;wereabsorbedinmaterialinterests;impatientofregular,andmuchmoreofexceptionalrestraint;hadnonaturalnucleusofgravitation,noranyforcesbutcentrifugal;werealwaysonthevergeofcivilwar,andslunkatlastintothenaturalalmshouseofbankruptpopulargovernment,amilitarydespotism。 Herewasindeedadrearyoutlookforpersonswhoknewdemocracy,notbyrubbingshoulderswithitlifelong,butmerelyfrombooks,andAmericaonlybythereportofsomefellow—Briton,who,havingeatenabaddinnerorlostacarpet—baghere,hadwrittento*TheTimes*demandingredress,anddrawingamournfulinferenceofdemocraticinstability。NorweremenwantingamongourselveswhohadsosteepedtheirbrainsinLondonliteratureastomistakeCockneyismforEuropeanculture,andcontemptoftheircountryforcosmopolitanbreadthofview,andwho,owingalltheyhadanalltheyweretodemocracy,thoughtithadanairofhigh—breedingtojoinintheshallowepicediumthatourbubblehadburst。 Butbesideanydishearteninginfluenceswhichmightaffectthetimidorthedespondent,therewerereasonsenoughofsettledgravityagainstanyover—confidenceofhope。Awar——which,whetherweconsidertheexpanseoftheterritoryatstake,thehostsbroughtintothefield,orthereachoftheprinciplesinvolved,mayfairlybereckonedthemostmomentousofmoderntimes——wastobewagedbyapeopledividedathome,unnervedbyfiftyyearsofpeace,underachiefmagistratewithoutexperienceandwithoutreputation,whoseeverymeasurewassuretobecunninglyhamperedbyajealousandunscrupulousminority,andwho,whiledealingwithunheard—ofcomplicationsathome,mustsootheahostileneutralityabroad,waitingonlyapretexttobecomewar。Allthiswastobedonewithoutwarningandwithoutpreparation,whileatthesametimeasocialrevolutionwastobeaccomplishedinthepoliticalconditionoffourmillionsofpeople,bysofteningtheprejudices,allayingthefears,andgraduallyobtainingthecooperation,oftheirunwillingliberators。Surely,ifevertherewereanoccasionwhentheheightenedimaginationofthehistorianmightseeDestinyvisiblyinterveninginhumanaffairs,herewasaknotworthyofhershears。