english writers on america-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SKETCH　BOOK

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ENGLISH　WRITERS　ON　AMERICA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Washington　Irving



　　〃Methinks　I　see　in　my　mind　a　noble　and　puissant　nation；　rousing

herself　like　a　strong　man　after　sleep；　and　shaking　her　invincible

locks：　methinks　I　see　her　as　an　eagle；　mewing　her　mighty　youth；　and

kindling　her　endazzled　eyes　at　the　full　mid…day　beam。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MILTON　ON　THE　LIBERTY　OF　THE　PRESS。



　　IT　IS　with　feelings　of　deep　regret　that　I　observe　the　literary

animosity　daily　growing　up　between　England　and　America。　Great

curiosity　has　been　awakened　of　late　with　respect　to　the　United　States；

and　the　London　press　has　teemed　with　volumes　of　travels　through　the

Republic；　but　they　seem　intended　to　diffuse　error　rather　than

knowledge；　and　so　successful　have　they　been；　that；　notwithstanding　the

constant　intercourse　between　the　nations；　there　is　no　people

concerning　whom　the　great　mass　of　the　British　public　have　less　pure

information；　or　entertain　more　numerous　prejudices。

　　English　travellers　are　the　best　and　the　worst　in　the　world。　Where　no

motives　of　pride　or　interest　intervene；　none　can　equal　them　for

profound　and　philosophical　views　of　society；　or　faithful　and　graphical

descriptions　of　external　objects；　but　when　either　the　interest　or

reputation　of　their　own　country　comes　in　collision　with　that　of

another；　they　go　to　the　opposite　extreme；　and　forget　their　usual

probity　and　candor；　in　the　indulgence　of　splenetic　remark；　and　an

illiberal　spirit　of　ridicule。

　　Hence；　their　travels　are　more　honest　and　accurate；　the　more　remote

the　country　described。　I　would　place　implicit　confidence　in　an

Englishman's　descriptions　of　the　regions　beyond　the　cataracts　of　the

Nile；　of　unknown　islands　in　the　Yellow　Sea；　of　the　interior　of

India；　or　of　any　other　tract　which　other　travellers　might　be　apt　to

picture　out　with　the　illusions　of　their　fancies；　but　I　would

cautiously　receive　his　account　of　his　immediate　neighbors；　and　of

those　nations　with　which　he　is　in　habits　of　most　frequent　intercourse。

However　I　might　be　disposed　to　trust　his　probity；　I　dare　not　trust　his

prejudices。

　　It　has　also　been　the　peculiar　lot　of　our　country　to　be　visited　by

the　worst　kind　of　English　travellers。　While　men　of　philosophical

spirit　and　cultivated　minds　have　been　sent　from　England　to　ransack　the

poles；　to　penetrate　the　deserts；　and　to　study　the　manners　and

customs　of　barbarous　nations；　with　which　she　can　have　no　permanent

intercourse　of　profit　or　pleasure；　it　has　been　left　to　the　broken…down

tradesman；　the　scheming　adventurer；　the　wandering　mechanic；　the

Manchester　and　Birmingham　agent；　to　be　her　oracles　respecting　America。

From　such　sources　she　is　content　to　receive　her　information　respecting

a　country　in　a　singular　state　of　moral　and　physical　development；　a

country　in　which　one　of　the　greatest　political　experiments　in　the

history　of　the　world　is　now　performing；　and　which　presents　the　most

profound　and　momentous　studies　to　the　statesman　and　the　philosopher。

　　That　such　men　should　give　prejudicial　accounts　of　America　is　not　a

matter　of　surprise。　The　themes　it　offers　for　contemplation　are　too

vast　and　elevated　for　their　capacities。　The　national　character　is

yet　in　a　state　of　fermentation；　it　may　have　its　frothiness　and

sediment；　but　its　ingredients　are　sound　and　wholesome；　it　has

already　given　proofs　of　powerful　and　generous　qualities；　and　the　whole

promises　to　settle　down　into　something　substantially　excellent。　But

the　causes　which　are　operating　to　strengthen　and　ennoble　it；　and　its

daily　indications　of　admirable　properties；　are　all　lost　upon　these

purblind　observers；　who　are　only　affected　by　the　little　asperities

incident　to　its　present　situation。　They　are　capable　of　judging　only　of

the　surface　of　things；　of　those　matters　which　come　in　contact　with

their　private　interests　and　personal　gratifications。　They　miss　some　of

the　snug　conveniences　and　petty　comforts　which　belong　to　an　old；

highly…finished；　and　over…populous　state　of　society；　where　the　ranks

of　useful　labor　are　crowded；　and　many　earn　a　painful　and　servile

subsistence　by　studying　the　very　caprices　of　appetite　and

self…indulgence。　These　minor　comforts；　however；　are　all…important　in

the　estimation　of　narrow　minds；　which　either　do　not　perceive；　or

will　not　acknowledge；　that　they　are　more　than　counterbalanced　among　us

by　great　and　generally　diffused　blessings。

　　They　may；　perhaps；　have　been　disappointed　in　some　unreasonable

expectation　of　sudden　gain。　They　may　have　pictured　America　to

themselves　an　El　Dorado；　where　gold　and　silver　abounded；　and　the

natives　were　lacking　in　sagacity；　and　where　they　were　to　become

strangely　and　suddenly　rich；　in　some　unforeseen；　but　easy　manner。

The　same　weakness　of　mind　that　indulges　absurd　expectations　produces

petulance　in　disappointment。　Such　persons　become　embittered　against

the　country　on　finding　that　there；　as　everywhere　else；　a　man　must

sow　before　he　can　reap；　must　win　wealth　by　industry　and　talent；　and

must　contend　with　the　common　difficulties　of　nature；　and　the

shrewdness　of　an　intelligent　and　enterprising　people。

　　Perhaps；　through　mistaken；　or　ill…directed　hospitality；　or　from

the　prompt　disposition　to　cheer　and　countenance　the　stranger；

prevalent　among　my　countrymen；　they　may　have　been　treated　with

unwonted　respect　in　America；　and　having　been　accustomed　all　their

lives　to　consider　themselves　below　the　surface　of　good　society；　and

brought　up　in　a　servile　feeling　of　inferiority；　they　become　arrogant

on　the　common　boon　of　civility：　they　attribute　to　the　lowliness　of

others　their　own　elevation；　and　underrate　a　society　where　there　are　no

artificial　distinctions；　and　where；　by　any　chance；　such　individuals　as

themselves　can　rise　to　consequence。

　　One　would　suppose；　however；　that　information　coming　from　such

sources；　on　a　subject　where　the　truth　is　so　desirable；　would　be

received　with　caution　by　the　censors　of　the　press；　that　the　motives　of

these　men；　their　veracity；　their　opportunities　of　inquiry　and

observation；　and　their　capacities　for　judging　correctly；　would　be

rigorously　scrutinized　before　their　evidence　was　admitted；　in　such

sweeping　extent；　against　a　kindred　nation。　The　very　reverse；

however；　is　the　case；　and　it　furnishes　a　striking　instance　of　human

inconsistency。　Nothing　can　surpass　the　vigilance　with　which　English

critics　will　examine　the　credibility　of　the　traveller　who　publishes　an

account　of　some　distant；　and　comparatively　unimportant　country。　How

warily　will　they　compare　the　measurements　of　a　pyramid；　or　the

descriptions　of　a　ruin；　and　how　sternly　will　they　censure　any

inaccuracy　in　these　contributions　of　merely　curious　knowledge：　while

they　will　receive；　with　eagerness　and　unhesitating　faith；　the　gross

misrepresentations　of　coarse　and　obscure　writers；　concerning　a　country

with　which　their　own　is　placed　in　the　most　important　and　delicate

relations。　Nay；　they　will　even　make　these　apocryphal　volumes

text…books；　on　which　to　enlarge　with　a　zeal　and　an　ability　worthy　of　a

more　generous　cause。

　　I　shall　not；　however；　dwell　on　this　irksome　and　hackneyed　topic；　nor

should　I　have　adverted　to　it；　but　for　the　undue　interest　apparently

taken　in　it　by　my　countrymen；　and　certain　injurious　effects　which　I

apprehended　it　might　produce　upon　the　national　feeling。　We　attach

too　much　consequence　to　these　attacks。　They　cannot　do　us　any　essential

injury。　The　tissue　of　misrepresentations　attempted　to　be　woven　round

us　are　like　cobwebs　woven　round　the　limbs　of　an　infant　giant。　Our

country　continually　outgrows　them。　One　falsehood　after　another　falls

off　of　itself。　We　have　but　to　live　on；　and　every　day　we　live　a　whole

volume　of　refutation。

　　All　the　writers　of　England　united；　if　we　could　for　a　moment

suppose　their　great　minds　stooping　to　so　unworthy　a　combination；　could

not　conceal　our　rapidly…growing　importance；　and　matchless

prosperity。　They　could　not　conceal　that　these　are　owing；　not　merely　to

physical　and　local；　but　also　to　moral　causes…　to　the　political

liberty；　the　general　diffusion　of　knowledge；　the　prevalence　of　sound

moral　and　religious　principles；　which　give　force　and　sustained

energy　to　the　character　of　a　people；　and　which；　in　fact；　have　been　the

acknowledged　and　wonderful　supporters　of　their　own　national　power

and　glory。

　　But　why　are　we　so　exquisitely　alive　to　the　aspersions　of　England？

Why　do　we　suffer　ourselves　to　be　so　affected　by　the　contumely　she

has　endeavored　to　cast　upon　us？　It　is　not　in　the　opinion　of　England

alone　that　honor　lives；　and　reputation　has　its　being。　The　world　at

large　is　the　arbiter　of　a　nation's　fame；　with　its　thousand　eyes　it

witnesses　a　nation's　deeds；　and　from　their　collective　testimony　is

national　glory　or　national　disgrace　established。

　　For　ourselves；　therefore；　it　is　comparatively　of　but　little

importance　whether　England　does　us　justice　or　not；　it　is；　perhaps；

of　far　more　importance　to　herself。　She　is　instilling　anger　and

resentment　into　the　bosom　of　a　youthful　nation；　to　grow　with　its

growth　and　strengthen