north america-1-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


running　river　of　free　political　activity；　has　allowed　himself　to　be　drifted　into　the　stagnant　level　of　general　political　servility？　　There　are　very　many　such　Americans。　　They　call　themselves　republicans；　and　sneer　at　the　idea　of　a　limited　monarchy；　but　they　declare　that　there　is　no　republic　so　safe；　so　equal　for　all　men；　so　purely　democratic　as　that　now　existing　in　France。　　Under　the　French　Empire　all　men　are　equal。　　There　is　no　aristocracy；　no　oligarchy；　no　overshadowing　of　the　little　by　the　great。　　One　superior　is　admittedadmitted　on　earth；　as　a　superior　is　also　admitted　in　heaven。　　Under　him　everything　is　level；　and；　provided　he　be　not　impeded；　everything　is　free。　　He　knows　how　to　rule；　and　the　nation；　allowing　him　the　privilege　of　doing　so；　can　go　along　its　course　safely；　can　eat；　drink；　and　be　merry。　　If　few　men　can　rise　high；　so　also　can　few　men　fall　low。　　Political　equality　is　the　one　thing　desirable　in　a　commonwealth；　and　by　this　arrangement　political　equality　is　obtained。　　Such　is　the　modern　creed　of　many　an　educated　republican　of　the　States。　To　me　it　seems　that　such　a　political　state　is　about　the　vilest　to　which　a　man　can　descend。　　It　amounts　to　a　tacit　abandonment　of　the　struggle　which　men　are　making　for　political　truth　and　political　beneficence；　in　order　that　bread　and　meat　may　be　eaten　in　peace　during　the　score　of　years　or　so　that　are　at　the　moment　passing　over　us。　　The　politicians　of　this　class　have　decided　for　themselves　that　the　summum　bonum　is　to　be　found　in　bread　and　the　circus　games。　　If　they　be　free　to　eat；　free　to　rest；　free　to　sleep；　free　to　drink　little　cups　of　coffee；　while　the　world　passes　before　them；　on　a　boulevard；　they　have　that　freedom　which　they　covet。　　But　equality　is　necessary　as　well　as　freedom。　　There　must　be　no　towering　trees　in　this　parterre　to　overshadow　the　clipped　shrubs；　and　destroy　the　uniformity　of　a　growth　which　should　never　mount　more　than　two　feet　above　the　earth。　　The　equality　of　this　politician　would　forbid　any　to　rise　above　him　instead　of　inviting　all　to　rise　up　to　him。　　It　is　the　equality　of　fear　and　of　selfishness；　and　not　the　equality　of　courage　and　philanthropy。　　And　brotherhood；　too；　must　be　invoked　fraternity　as　we　may　better　call　it　in　the　jargon　of　the　school。　Such　politicians　tell　one　much　of　fraternity；　and　define　it　too。　It　consists　in　a　general　raising　of　the　hat　to　all　mankind；　in　a　daily　walk　that　never　hurries　itself　into　a　jostling　trot；　inconvenient　to　passengers　on　the　pavement；　in　a　placid　voice；　a　soft　smile；　and　a　small　cup　of　coffee　on　a　boulevard。　　It　means　all　this；　but　I　could　never　find　that　it　meant　any　more。　　There　is　a　nation　for　which　one　is　almost　driven　to　think　that　such　political　aspirations　as　these　are　suitable；　but　that　nation　is　certainly　not　the　States　of　America。　And　yet　one　finds　many　American　gentlemen　who　have　allowed　themselves　to　be　drifted　into　such　a　theory。　　They　have　begun　the　world　as　republican　citizens；　and　as　such　they　must　go　on。　　But　in　their　travels　and　their　studies；　and　in　the　luxury　of　their　life；　they　have　learned　to　dislike　the　rowdiness　of　their　country's　politics。　　They　want　things　to　be　soft　and　easy；　as　republican　as　you　please；　but　with　as　little　noise　as　possible。　　The　President　is　there　for　four　years。　　Why　not　elect　him　for　eight；　for　twelve；　or　for　life？for　eternity　if　it　were　possible　to　find　one　who　could　continue　to　live？　　It　is　to　this　way　of　thinking　that　Americans　are　driven；　when　the　polish　of　Europe　has　made　the　roughness　of　their　own　elections　odious　to　them。　〃Have　you　seen　any　of　our　great　institootions；　sir？〃　　That　of　course　is　a　question　which　is　put　to　every　Englishman　who　has　visited　New　York；　and　the　Englishman　who　intends　to　say　that　he　has　seen　New　York；　should　visit　many　of　them。　　I　went　to　schools；　hospitals；　lunatic　asylums；　institutes　for　deaf　and　dumb；　water…　works；　historical　societies；　telegraph　offices；　and　large　commercial　establishments。　　I　rather　think　that　I　did　my　work　in　a　thorough　and　conscientious　manner；　and　I　owe　much　gratitude　to　those　who　guided　me　on　such　occasions。　　Perhaps　I　ought　to　describe　all　these　institutions；　but　were　I　to　do　so；　I　fear　that　I　should　inflict　fifty　or　sixty　very　dull　pages　on　my　readers。　　If　I　could　make　all　that　I　saw　as　clear　and　intelligible　to　others　as　it　was　made　to　me　who　saw　it；　I　might　do　some　good。　　But　I　know　that　I　should　fail。　　I　marveled　much　at　the　developed　intelligence　of　a　room　full　of　deaf　and　dumb　pupils；　and　was　greatly　astonished　at　the　performance　of　one　special　girl；　who　seemed　to　be　brighter　and　quicker；　and　more　rapidly　easy　with　her　pen　than　girls　generally　are　who　can　hear　and　talk；　but　I　cannot　convey　my　enthusiasm　to　others。　　On　such　a　subject　a　writer　may　be　correct；　may　be　exhaustive；　may　be　statistically　great；　but　he　can　hardly　be　entertaining；　and　the　chances　are　that　he　will　not　be　instructive。　In　all　such　matters；　however；　New　York　is　pre…eminently　great。　　All　through　the　States　suffering　humanity　receives　so　much　attention　that　humanity　can　hardly　be　said　to　suffer。　　The　daily　recurring　boast　of　〃our　glorious　institootions；　sir；〃　always　provokes　the　ridicule　of　an　Englishman。　　The　words　have　become　ridiculous；　and　it　would；　I　think；　be　well　for　the　nation　if　the　term　〃Institution〃　could　be　excluded　from　its　vocabulary。　　But；　in　truth；　they　are　glorious。　　The　country　in　this　respect　boasts；　but　it　has　done　that　which　justifies　a　boast。　　The　arrangements　for　supplying　New　York　with　water　are　magnificent。　　The　drainage　of　the　new　part　of　the　city　is　excellent。　　The　hospitals　are　almost　alluring。　　The　lunatic　asylum　which　I　saw　was　perfectthough　I　did　not　feel　obliged　to　the　resident　physician　for　introducing　me　to　all　the　worst　patients　as　countrymen　of　my　own。　　〃An　English　lady；　Mr。　Trollope。　　I'll　introduce　you。　　Quite　a　hopeless　case。　　Two　old　women。　　They've　been　here　fifty　years。　　They're　English。　　Another　gentleman　from　England；　Mr。　Trollope。　　A　very　interesting　case！　　Confirmed　inebriety。〃　And　as　to　the　schools；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　mention　them　with　too　high　a　praise。　　I　am　speaking　here　specially　of　New　York；　though　I　might　say　the　same　of　Boston；　or　of　all　New　England。　　I　do　not　know　any　contrast　that　would　be　more　surprising　to　an　Englishman；　up　to　that　moment　ignorant　of　the　matter；　than　that　which　he　would　find　by　visiting　first　of　all　a　free　school　in　London；　and　then　a　free　school　in　New　York。　　If　he　would　also　learn　the　number　of　children　that　are　educated　gratuitously　in　each　of　the　two　cities；　and　also　the　number　in　each　which　altogether　lack　education；　he　would；　if　susceptible　of　statistics；　be　surprised　also　at　that。　　But　seeing　and　hearing　are　always　more　effective　than　mere　figures。　　The　female　pupil　at　a　free　school　in　London　is；　as　a　rule；　either　a　ragged　pauper　or　a　charity　girl；　if　not　degraded；　at　least　stigmatized　by　the　badges　and　dress　of　the　charity。　　We　Englishmen　know　well　the　type　of　each；　and　have　a　fairly　correct　idea　of　the　amount　of　education　which　is　imparted　to　them。　　We　see　the　result　afterward　when　the　same　girls　become　our　servants；　and　the　wives　of　our　grooms　and　porters。　　The　female　pupil　at　a　free　school　in　New　York　is　neither　a　pauper　nor　a　charity　girl。　　She　is　dressed　with　the　utmost　decency。　　She　is　perfectly　cleanly。　　In　speaking　to　her；　you　cannot　in　any　degree　guess　whether　her　father　has　a　dollar　a　day；　or　three　thousand　dollars　a　year。　　Nor　will　you　be　enabled　to　guess　by　the　manner　in　which　her　associates　treat　her。　　As　regards　her　own　manner　to　you；　it　is　always　the　same　as　though　her　father　were　in　all　respects　your　equal。　　As　to　the　amount　of　her　knowledge；　I　fairly　confess　that　it　is　terrific。　　When　in　the　first　room　which　I　visited；　a　slight；　slim　creature　was　had　up　before　me　to　explain　to　me　the　properties　of　the　hypothenuse；　I　fairly　confess　that；　as　regards　education；　I　backed　down；　and　that　I　resolved　to　confine　my　criticisms　to　manner；　dress；　and　general　behavior。　　In　the　next　room　I　was　more　at　my　ease；　finding　that　ancient　Roman　history　was　on　the　tapis。　　〃Why　did　the　Romans　run　away　with　the　Sabine　women　asked　the　mistress；　herself　a　young　woman　of　about　three　and　twenty。　　〃Because　they　were　pretty；〃　simpered　out　a　little　girl　with　a　cherry　mouth。　　The　answer　did　not　give　complete　satisfaction；　and　then　followed　a　somewhat　abstruse　explanation　on　the　subject　of　population。　　It　was　all　done　with　good　faith　and　a　serious　intent；　and　showed　what　it　was　intended　to　showthat　the　girls　there　educated　had　in　truth　reached　the　consideration　of　important　subjects；　and　that　they　were　leagues　beyond　that　terrible　repetition　of　A　B　C；　to　which；　I　fear；　that　most　of　our　free　metropolitan　schools　are　still　necessarily　confined。　　You　and　I；　reader；　were　we　called　on　to　superintend　the　education　of　girls　of　sixteen；　might　not　select；　as　favorite　points　either　the　hypothenuse　or　the　ancient　methods　of　populating　young　colonies。　There　may　be；　and　to　us　on　the　European　side　of　the　Atlantic　there　will　be；　a　certain　amount　of　absurdity　in　the　Transatlantic　idea　that　all　knowledge　is　knowledge；　and　that　it　should　be　imparted　if　it　be　not　knowledge　of　evil。　　But　as　to　the　general　result；　no　fair…minded　man　or　woman　can　have　a　doubt。　　That　the　lads　and　girls　in　these　schools　are　excellently　educated；　comes　home　as　a　fact　to　the　mind　of　any　one　who　will　look　into　the　subject。　　That　girl　could　not　have　got　as　fair　at　the　hypothenuse　without　a　competent　and　abiding　knowledge　of　much　that　is　very　far　beyond　the　outside　limits　of　what　such　girls　know　with　us。　　It　was　at　least　manifest　in　the　other　examination　that　the　girls　knew　as　well　as　I　did　who　were　the　Romans；　and　who　were　the　Sabine　women。　　That　all　this　is　of　use；　was　shown　in　the　very　gestures　and　bearings　of　the　girl。　Emollit　mores；　as　Colonel　Newcombe　used　to　say。　　That　young　woman　whom　I　had　watched　while　she　cooked　her　husband's　dinner　upon　the　banks　of　the　Mississippi　had　doubtless　learned　all　about　the　Sabine　women；　and　I　feel　assured　that　she　cooked　her　husband's　dinner　all　the　better　for　that　knowledgeand　faced　the　hardships　of　the　world　with　a　better　front　than　she　would　have　done　had　she　been　ignorant　on　the　subject。　In　order　to　make　a　comparison　between　the　schools　of　London　and　those　of　New　York；　I　have　called　them　both　free　schools。　　They　are；　in　fact；　more　free　in　New　York　than　they　are　in　London；　because　in　New　York　every　boy　and　girl；　let　his　parentage　be　what　it　may；　can　attend　these　schools　without　any　payment。　　Thus　an　education　as　good　as　the　American　mind　can　compass；　prepared　with　every　care；　carried　on　by　highly…paid　tutors；　under　ample　surveillance；　provided　with　all　that　is　most　excellent　in　the　way　of　rooms；　desks；　books；　charts；　maps；　and　implements；　is　brought　actually　within　the　reach　of　everybody。　　I　need　not　point　out　to　Englishmen　how　different　is　the　nature　of　schools　in　London。　　It　must　not；　however；　be　supposed　that　these　are　charity　schools。　　Such　is　not　their　nature。　　Let　us　say　what　we　may　as　to　the　beauty　of　charity　as　a　virtue；　the　recipient　of　charity　in　its　customary　sense　among　us　is　ever　more　or　less　degraded　by　the　position。　　In　the　States　that　has　been　fully　understood；　and　the　schools　to　which　I　allude　are　carefully　preserved　from　any　such　taint。　　Throughout　the　States　a　separate　ta