democracy in america-1-第84章

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…　a　few　whom　a　sweeping　pestilence　has　left。　　The　northern　tribes；　who　were　once　so　numerous　and　powerful；　are　now　nearly　extinct。　　Thus　it　has　happened　to　the　red　man　of　America。　　Shall　we；　who　are　remnants；　share　the　same　fate？

＇Footnote　z：　To　obtain　a　correct　idea　of　the　policy　pursued　by　the　several　States　and　the　Union　with　respect　to　the　Indians；　it　is　necessary　to　consult；　1st；　〃The　Laws　of　the　Colonial　and　State　Governments　relating　to　the　Indian　Inhabitants。〃　（See　the　Legislative　Documents；　21st　Congress；　No。　319。）　2d；　The　Laws　of　the　Union　on　the　same　subject；　and　especially　that　of　March　30；　1802。　（See　Story's　〃Laws　of　the　United　States。〃）　3d；　The　Report　of　Mr。　Cass；　Secretary　of　War；　relative　to　Indian　Affairs；　November　29；　1823。＇

＇Footnote　a：　December　18；　1829。＇

〃The　land　on　which　we　stand　we　have　received　as　an　inheritance　from　our　fathers；　who　possessed　it　from　time　immemorial；　as　a　gift　from　our　common　Father　in　Heaven。　　They　bequeathed　it　to　us　as　their　children；　and　we　have　sacredly　kept　it；　as　containing　the　remains　of　our　beloved　men。　　This　right　of　inheritance　we　have　never　ceded　nor　ever　forfeited。　　Permit　us　to　ask　what　better　right　can　the　people　have　to　a　country　than　the　right　of　inheritance　and　immemorial　peaceable　possession？　　We　know　it　is　said　of　late　by　the　State　of　Georgia　and　by　the　Executive　of　the　United　States；　that　we　have　forfeited　this　right；　but　we　think　this　is　said　gratuitously。　　At　what　time　have　we　made　the　forfeit？　　What　great　crime　have　we　committed；　whereby　we　must　forever　be　divested　of　our　country　and　rights？　　Was　it　when　we　were　hostile　to　the　United　States；　and　took　part　with　the　King　of　Great　Britain；　during　the　struggle　for　independence？　　If　so；　why　was　not　this　forfeiture　declared　in　the　first　treaty　of　peace　between　the　United　States　and　our　beloved　men？　Why　was　not　such　an　article　as　the　following　inserted　in　the　treaty：　…　'The　United　States　give　peace　to　the　Cherokees；　but；　for　the　part　they　took　in　the　late　war；　declare　them　to　be　but　tenants　at　will；　to　be　removed　when　the　convenience　of　the　States；　within　whose　chartered　limits　they　live；　shall　require　it'？　　That　was　the　proper　time　to　assume　such　a　possession。　　But　it　was　not　thought　of；　nor　would　our　forefathers　have　agreed　to　any　treaty　whose　tendency　was　to　deprive　them　of　their　rights　and　their　country。〃　

Such　is　the　language　of　the　Indians：　their　assertions　are　true；　their　forebodings　inevitable。　　From　whichever　side　we　consider　the　destinies　of　the　aborigines　of　North　America；　their　calamities　appear　to　be　irremediable：　if　they　continue　barbarous；　they　are　forced　to　retire；　if　they　attempt　to　civilize　their　manners；　the　contact　of　a　more　civilized　community　subjects　them　to　oppression　and　destitution。　　They　perish　if　they　continue　to　wander　from　waste　to　waste；　and　if　they　attempt　to　settle　they　still　must　perish；　the　assistance　of　Europeans　is　necessary　to　instruct　them；　but　the　approach　of　Europeans　corrupts　and　repels　them　into　savage　life；　they　refuse　to　change　their　habits　as　long　as　their　solitudes　are　their　own；　and　it　is　too　late　to　change　them　when　they　are　constrained　to　submit。

The　Spaniards　pursued　the　Indians　with　bloodhounds；　like　wild　beasts；　they　sacked　the　New　World　with　no　more　temper　or　compassion　than　a　city　taken　by　storm；　but　destruction　must　cease；　and　frenzy　be　stayed；　the　remnant　of　the　Indian　population　which　had　escaped　the　massacre　mixed　with　its　conquerors；　and　adopted　in　the　end　their　religion　and　their　manners。　*b　The　conduct　of　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　towards　the　aborigines　is　characterized；　on　the　other　hand；　by　a　singular　attachment　to　the　formalities　of　law。　　Provided　that　the　Indians　retain　their　barbarous　condition；　the　Americans　take　no　part　in　their　affairs；　they　treat　them　as　independent　nations；　and　do　not　possess　themselves　of　their　hunting　grounds　without　a　treaty　of　purchase；　and　if　an　Indian　nation　happens　to　be　so　encroached　upon　as　to　be　unable　to　subsist　upon　its　territory；　they　afford　it　brotherly　assistance　in　transporting　it　to　a　grave　sufficiently　remote　from　the　land　of　its　fathers。　

＇Footnote　b：　The　honor　of　this　result　is；　however；　by　no　means　due　to　the　Spaniards。　　If　the　Indian　tribes　had　not　been　tillers　of　the　ground　at　the　time　of　the　arrival　of　the　Europeans；　they　would　unquestionably　have　been　destroyed　in　South　as　well　as　in　North　America。＇

The　Spaniards　were　unable　to　exterminate　the　Indian　race　by　those　unparalleled　atrocities　which　brand　them　with　indelible　shame；　nor　did　they　even　succeed　in　wholly　depriving　it　of　its　rights；　but　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　have　accomplished　this　twofold　purpose　with　singular　felicity；　tranquilly；　legally；　philanthropically；　without　shedding　blood；　and　without　violating　a　single　great　principle　of　morality　in　the　eyes　of　the　world。　*c　It　is　impossible　to　destroy　men　with　more　respect　for　the　laws　of　humanity。

＇Footnote　c：　See；　amongst　other　documents；　the　report　made　by　Mr。　Bell　in　the　name　of　the　Committee　on　Indian　Affairs；　February　24；　1830；　in　which　is　most　logically　established　and　most　learnedly　proved；　that　〃the　fundamental　principle　that　the　Indians　had　no　right　by　virtue　of　their　ancient　possession　either　of　will　or　sovereignty；　has　never　been　abandoned　either　expressly　or　by　implication。〃　In　perusing　this　report；　which　is　evidently　drawn　up　by　an　experienced　hand；　one　is　astonished　at　the　facility　with　which　the　author　gets　rid　of　all　arguments　founded　upon　reason　and　natural　right；　which　he　designates　as　abstract　and　theoretical　principles。　　The　more　I　contemplate　the　difference　between　civilized　and　uncivilized　man　with　regard　to　the　principles　of　justice；　the　more　I　observe　that　the　former　contests　the　justice　of　those　rights　which　the　latter　simply　violates。＇

＇I　leave　this　chapter　wholly　unchanged；　for　it　has　always　appeared　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　most　eloquent　and　touching　parts　of　this　book。　　But　it　has　ceased　to　be　prophetic；　the　destruction　of　the　Indian　race　in　the　United　States　is　already　consummated。　　In　1870　there　remained　but　25；731　Indians　in　the　whole　territory　of　the　Union；　and　of　these　by　far　the　largest　part　exist　in　California；　Michigan；　Wisconsin；　Dakota；　and　New　Mexico　and　Nevada。　　In　New　England；　Pennsylvania；　and　New　York　the　race　is　extinct；　and　the　predictions　of　M。　de　Tocqueville　are　fulfilled。　…　Translator's　Note。＇

Situation　Of　The　Black　Population　In　The　United　States；　And　Dangers　With　Which　Its　Presence　Threatens　The　Whites

Why　it　is　more　difficult　to　abolish　slavery；　and　to　efface　all　vestiges　of　it　amongst　the　moderns　than　it　was　amongst　the　ancients　…　In　the　United　States　the　prejudices　of　the　Whites　against　the　Blacks　seem　to　increase　in　proportion　as　slavery　is　abolished　…　Situation　of　the　Negroes　in　the　Northern　and　Southern　States　…　Why　the　Americans　abolish　slavery　…　Servitude；　which　debases　the　slave；　impoverishes　the　master　…　Contrast　between　the　left　and　the　right　bank　of　the　Ohio　…　To　what　attributable　…　The　Black　race；　as　well　as　slavery；　recedes　towards　the　South　…　Explanation　of　this　fact　…　Difficulties　attendant　upon　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　South　…　　Dangers　to　come　…　General　anxiety　…　Foundation　of　a　Black　colony　in　Africa　…　Why　the　Americans　of　the　South　increase　the　hardships　of　slavery；　whilst　they　are　distressed　at　its　continuance。　

The　Indians　will　perish　in　the　same　isolated　condition　in　which　they　have　lived；　but　the　destiny　of　the　negroes　is　in　some　measure　interwoven　with　that　of　the　Europeans。　　These　two　races　are　attached　to　each　other　without　intermingling；　and　they　are　alike　unable　entirely　to　separate　or　to　combine。　The　most　formidable　of　all　the　ills　which　threaten　the　future　existence　of　the　Union　arises　from　the　presence　of　a　black　population　upon　its　territory；　and　in　contemplating　the　cause　of　the　present　embarrassments　or　of　the　future　dangers　of　the　United　States；　the　observer　is　invariably　led　to　consider　this　as　a　primary　fact。

The　permanent　evils　to　which　mankind　is　subjected　are　usually　produced　by　the　vehement　or　the　increasing　efforts　of　men；　but　there　is　one　calamity　which　penetrated　furtively　into　the　world；　and　which　was　at　first　scarcely　distinguishable　amidst　the　ordinary　abuses　of　power；　it　originated　with　an　individual　whose　name　history　has　not　preserved；　it　was　wafted　like　some　accursed　germ　upon　a　portion　of　the　soil；　but　it　afterwards　nurtured　itself；　grew　without　effort；　and　spreads　naturally　with　the　society　to　which　it　belongs。　　I　need　scarcely　add　that　this　calamity　is　slavery。　　Christianity　suppressed　slavery；　but　the　Christians　of　the　sixteenth　century　re…established　it　…　as　an　exception；　indeed；　to　their　social　system；　and　restricted　to　one　of　the　races　of　mankind；　but　the　wound　thus　inflicted　upon　humanity；　though　less　extensive；　was　at　the　same　time　rendered　far　more　difficult　of　cure。

It　is　important　to　make　an　accurate　distinction　between　slavery　itself　and　its　consequences。　　The　immediate　evils　which　are　produced　by　slavery　were　very　nearly　the　same　in　antiquity　as　they　are　amongst　the　moderns；　but　the　consequences　of　these　evils　were　different。　　The　slave；　amongst　the　ancients；　belonged　to　the　same　race　as　his　master；　and　he　was　often　the　superior　of　the　two　in　education　*d　and　instruction。　　Freedom　was　the　only　distinction　between　them；　and　when　freedom　was　conferred　they　were　easily　confounded　together。　The　ancients；　then；　had　a　very　simple　means　of　avoiding　slavery　and　its　evil　consequences；　which　was　that　of　affranchisement；　and　they　succeeded　as　soon　as　they　adopted　this　measure　generally。　　Not　but；　in　ancient　States；　the　vestiges　of　servitude　subsisted　for　some　time　after　servitude　itself　was　abolished。　There　is　a　natural　prejudice　which　prompts　men　to　despise　whomsoever　has　been　their　inferior　long　after　he　is　become　their　equal；　and　the　real　inequality　which　is　produced　by　fortune　or　by　law　is　always　succeeded　by　an　imaginary　inequality　which　is　implanted　in　the　manners　of　the　people。　　Nevertheless；　this　secondary　consequence　of　slavery　was　limited　to　a　certain　term　amongst　the　ancients；　for　the　freedman　bore　so　entire　a　resemblance　to　those　born　free；　that　it　soon　became　impossible　to　distinguish　him　from　amongst　them。

＇Footnote　d：　It　is　well　known　that　several　of　the　most　distinguished　authors　of　antiquity；　and　amongst　them　Aesop　and　Terence；　were；　or　had　been　slaves。　Slaves　were　not　always　taken　from　barbarous　nations；　and　the　chances　of　war　reduced　highly　civilized　men　to　servitude。＇

The　greatest　difficulty　in　antiquity　was　that　of　altering　the　law；　amongst　the　moderns　it　is　that　of　altering　the　manners；　and；　as　far　as　we　are　concerned；　the　real　obstacles　begin　where　those　of　the　ancients　left　off。　This　arises　from　the　circumstance　that；　amongst　the　moderns；　the　abstract　and　transient　fact　of　slavery　is　fatally　united　to　the　physical　and　permanent　fact　of　color。　　The　tradition　of　slavery　dishonors　the　race；　and　the　peculiarity　of　the　race　perpetuates　the　tradition　of　slavery。　　No　African　has　ever　voluntarily　emigrated　to　the　shores　of　the　New　World；　whence　it　must　be　inferred；　that　all　the　blacks　who　are　now　to　be　found　in　that　hemisphere　are　either　slaves　or　freedmen。　　Thus　the　negro　transmits　the　eternal　mark　of　his　ignominy　to　all　his　desce