democracy in america-1- 第105部分

＇Footnote　i：　The　activity　of　Ohio　is　not　confined　to　individuals；　but　the　undertakings　of　the　State　are　surprisingly　great；　a　canal　has　been　established　between　Lake　Erie　and　the　Ohio；　by　means　of　which　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　communicates　with　the　river　of　the　North；　and　the　European　commodities　which　arrive　at　New　York　may　be　forwarded　by　water　to　New　Orleans　across　five　hundred　leagues　of　continent。＇

The　State　of　Kentucky　was　founded　in　1775；　the　State　of　Ohio　only　twelve　years　later；　but　twelve　years　are　more　in　America　than　half　a　century　in　Europe；　and；　at　the　present　day；　the　population　of　Ohio　exceeds　that　of　Kentucky　by　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　souls。　*j　These　opposite　consequences　of　slavery　and　freedom　may　readily　be　understood；　and　they　suffice　to　explain　many　of　the　differences　which　we　remark　between　the　civilization　of　antiquity　and　that　of　our　own　time。

＇Footnote　j：　The　exact　numbers　given　by　the　census　of　1830　were：　Kentucky；　688；…844；　Ohio；　937；679。　　＇In　1890　the　population　of　Ohio　was　3；672；316；　that　of　Kentucky；　1；858；635。＇＇

Upon　the　left　bank　of　the　Ohio　labor　is　confounded　with　the　idea　of　slavery；　upon　the　right　bank　it　is　identified　with　that　of　prosperity　and　improvement；　on　the　one　side　it　is　degraded；　on　the　other　it　is　honored；　on　the　former　territory　no　white　laborers　can　be　found；　for　they　would　be　afraid　of　assimilating　themselves　to　the　negroes；　on　the　latter　no　one　is　idle；　for　the　white　population　extends　its　activity　and　its　intelligence　to　every　kind　of　employment。　　Thus　the　men　whose　task　it　is　to　cultivate　the　rich　soil　of　Kentucky　are　ignorant　and　lukewarm；　whilst　those　who　are　active　and　enlightened　either　do　nothing　or　pass　over　into　the　State　of　Ohio；　where　they　may　work　without　dishonor。

It　is　true　that　in　Kentucky　the　planters　are　not　obliged　to　pay　wages　to　the　slaves　whom　they　employ；　but　they　derive　small　profits　from　their　labor；　whilst　the　wages　paid　to　free　workmen　would　be　returned　with　interest　in　the　value　of　their　services。　　The　free　workman　is　paid；　but　he　does　his　work　quicker　than　the　slave；　and　rapidity　of　execution　is　one　of　the　great　elements　of　economy。　　The　white　sells　his　services；　but　they　are　only　purchased　at　the　times　at　which　they　may　be　useful；　the　black　can　claim　no　remuneration　for　his　toil；　but　the　expense　of　his　maintenance　is　perpetual；　he　must　be　supported　in　his　old　age　as　well　as　in　the　prime　of　manhood；　in　his　profitless　infancy　as　well　as　in　the　productive　years　of　youth。　　Payment　must　equally　be　made　in　order　to　obtain　the　services　of　either　class　of　men：　the　free　workman　receives　his　wages　in　money；　the　slave　in　education；　in　food；　in　care；　and　in　clothing。　The　money　which　a　master　spends　in　the　maintenance　of　his　slaves　goes　gradually　and　in　detail；　so　that　it　is　scarcely　perceived；　the　salary　of　the　free　workman　is　paid　in　a　round　sum；　which　appears　only　to　enrich　the　individual　who　receives　it；　but　in　the　end　the　slave　has　cost　more　than　the　free　servant；　and　his　labor　is　less　productive。　*k

＇Footnote　k：　Independently　of　these　causes；　which；　wherever　free　workmen　abound；　render　their　labor　more　productive　and　more　economical　than　that　of　slaves；　another　cause　may　be　pointed　out　which　is　peculiar　to　the　United　States：　the　sugar…cane　has　hitherto　been　cultivated　with　success　only　upon　the　banks　of　the　Mississippi；　near　the　mouth　of　that　river　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　In　Louisiana　the　cultivation　of　the　sugar…cane　is　exceedingly　lucrative；　and　nowhere　does　a　laborer　earn　so　much　by　his　work；　and；　as　there　is　always　a　certain　relation　between　the　cost　of　production　and　the　value　of　the　produce；　the　price　of　slaves　is　very　high　in　Louisiana。　　But　Louisiana　is　one　of　the　confederated　States；　and　slaves　may　be　carried　thither　from　all　parts　of　the　Union；　the　price　given　for　slaves　in　New　Orleans　consequently　raises　the　value　of　slaves　in　all　the　other　markets。　　The　consequence　of　this　is；　that　in　the　countries　where　the　land　is　less　productive；　the　cost　of　slave　labor　is　still　very　considerable；　which　gives　an　additional　advantage　to　the　competition　of　free　labor。＇

The　influence　of　slavery　extends　still　further；　it　affects　the　character　of　the　master；　and　imparts　a　peculiar　tendency　to　his　ideas　and　his　tastes。　Upon　both　banks　of　the　Ohio；　the　character　of　the　inhabitants　is　enterprising　and　energetic；　but　this　vigor　is　very　differently　exercised　in　the　two　States。　The　white　inhabitant　of　Ohio；　who　is　obliged　to　subsist　by　his　own　exertions；　regards　temporal　prosperity　as　the　principal　aim　of　his　existence；　and　as　the　country　which　he　occupies　presents　inexhaustible　resources　to　his　industry　and　ever…varying　lures　to　his　activity；　his　acquisitive　ardor　surpasses　the　ordinary　limits　of　human　cupidity：　he　is　tormented　by　the　desire　of　wealth；　and　he　boldly　enters　upon　every　path　which　fortune　opens　to　him；　he　becomes　a　sailor；　a　pioneer；　an　artisan；　or　a　laborer　with　the　same　indifference；　and　he　supports；　with　equal　constancy；　the　fatigues　and　the　dangers　incidental　to　these　various　professions；　the　resources　of　his　intelligence　are　astonishing；　and　his　avidity　in　the　pursuit　of　gain　amounts　to　a　species　of　heroism。

But　the　Kentuckian　scorns　not　only　labor；　but　all　the　undertakings　which　labor　promotes；　as　he　lives　in　an　idle　independence；　his　tastes　are　those　of　an　idle　man；　money　loses　a　portion　of　its　value　in　his　eyes；　he　covets　wealth　much　less　than　pleasure　and　excitement；　and　the　energy　which　his　neighbor　devotes　to　gain；　turns　with　him　to　a　passionate　love　of　field　sports　and　military　exercises；　he　delights　in　violent　bodily　exertion；　he　is　familiar　with　the　use　of　arms；　and　is　accustomed　from　a　very　early　age　to　expose　his　life　in　single　combat。　　Thus　slavery　not　only　prevents　the　whites　from　becoming　opulent；　but　even　from　desiring　to　become　so。

As　the　same　causes　have　been　continually　producing　opposite　effects　for　the　last　two　centuries　in　the　British　colonies　of　North　America；　they　have　established　a　very　striking　difference　between　the　commercial　capacity　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　South　and　those　of　the　North。　　At　the　present　day　it　is　only　the　Northern　States　which　are　in　possession　of　shipping；　manufactures；　railroads；　and　canals。　　This　difference　is　perceptible　not　only　in　comparing　the　North　with　the　South；　but　in　comparing　the　several　Southern　States。　Almost　all　the　individuals　who　carry　on　commercial　operations；　or　who　endeavor　to　turn　slave　labor　to　account　in　the　most　Southern　districts　of　the　Union；　have　emigrated　from　the　North。　　The　natives　of　the　Northern　States　are　constantly　spreading　over　that　portion　of　the　American　territory　where　they　have　less　to　fear　from　competition；　they　discover　resources　there　which　escaped　the　notice　of　the　inhabitants；　and；　as　they　comply　with　a　system　which　they　do　not　approve；　they　succeed　in　turning　it　to　better　advantage　than　those　who　first　founded　and　who　still　maintain　it。

Were　I　inclined　to　continue　this　parallel；　I　could　easily　prove　that　almost　all　the　differences　which　may　be　remarked　between　the　characters　of　the　Americans　in　the　Southern　and　in　the　Northern　States　have　originated　in　slavery；　but　this　would　divert　me　from　my　subject；　and　my　present　intention　is　not　to　point　out　all　the　consequences　of　servitude；　but　those　effects　which　it　has　produced　upon　the　prosperity　of　the　countries　which　have　admitted　it。　

The　influence　of　slavery　upon　the　production　of　wealth　must　have　been　very　imperfectly　known　in　antiquity；　as　slavery　then　obtained　throughout　the　civilized　world；　and　the　nations　which　were　unacquainted　with　it　were　barbarous。　　And　indeed　Christianity　only　abolished　slavery　by　advocating　the　claims　of　the　slave；　at　the　present　time　it　may　be　attacked　in　the　name　of　the　master；　and；　upon　this　point；　interest　is　reconciled　with　morality。

As　these　truths　became　apparent　in　the　United　States；　slavery　receded　before　the　progress　of　experience。　　Servitude　had　begun　in　the　South；　and　had　thence　spread　towards　the　North；　but　it　now　retires　again。　　Freedom；　which　started　from　the　North；　now　descends　uninterruptedly　towards　the　South。　Amongst　the　great　States；　Pennsylvania　now　constitutes　the　extreme　limit　of　slavery　to　the　North：　but　even　within　those　limits　the　slave　system　is　shaken：　Maryland；　which　is　immediately　below　Pennsylvania；　is　preparing　for　its　abolition；　and　Virginia；　which　comes　next　to　Maryland；　is　already　discussing　its　utility　and　its　dangers。　*l

＇Footnote　l：　A　peculiar　reason　contributes　to　detach　the　two　last…　mentioned　States　from　the　cause　of　slavery。　　The　former　wealth　of　this　part　of　the　Union　was　principally　derived　from　the　cultivation　of　tobacco。　　This　cultivation　is　specially　carried　on　by　slaves；　but　within　the　last　few　years　the　market…price　of　tobacco　has　diminished；　whilst　the　value　of　the　slaves　remains　the　same。　Thus　the　ratio　between　the　cost　of　production　and　the　value　of　the　produce　is　changed。　　The　natives　of　Maryland　and　Virginia　are　therefore　more　disposed　than　they　were　thirty　years　ago；　to　give　up　slave　labor　in　the　cultivation　of　tobacco；　or　to　give　up　slavery　and　tobacco　at　the　same　time。＇

No　great　change　takes　place　in　human　institutions　without　involving　amongst　its　causes　the　law　of　inheritance。　　When