north america-1-第56章

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e　must　acknowledge　it　and　pay　it；　and　then　chivalry　will　not　be　backward　in　making　good　her　claims　upon　it。　All　this　has　come　of　the　street　cars。　　But　as　it　was　necessary　that　I　should　say　it　somewhere；　it　is　as　well　said　on　that　subject　as　on　any　other。　　And　now　to　continue　with　the　street　cars。　　They　run；　as　I　have　said；　the　length　of　the　town；　taking　parallel　lines。　　They　will　take　you　from　the　Astor　House；　near　the　bottom　of　the　town；　for　miles　and　miles　northwardhalf　way　up　the　Hudson　Riverfor；　I　believe；　five　pence。　　They　are　very　slow；　averaging　about　five　miles　an　hour；　but　they　are　very　sure。　　For　regular　inhabitants；　who　have　to　travel　five　or　six　miles　perhaps　to　their　daily　work；　they　are　excellent。　　I　have　nothing　really　to　say　against　the　street　cars。　　But　they　do　not　fill　the　place　of　cabs。　There　are；　however；　public　carriagesroomy　vehicles；　dragged　by　two　horses；　clean　and　nice；　and　very　well　suited　to　ladies　visiting　the　city。　　But　they　have　none　of　the　attributes　of　the　cab。　　As　a　rule；　they　are　not　to　be　found　standing　about。　　They　are　very　slow。　They　are　very　dear。　　A　dollar　an　hour　is　the　regular　charge；　but　one　cannot　regulate　one's　motion　by　the　hour。　　Going　out　to　dinner　and　back　costs　two　dollars；　over　a　distance　which　in　London　would　cost　two　shillings。　　As　a　rule；　the　cost　is　four　times　that　of　a　cab；　and　the　rapidity　half　that　of　a　cab。　　Under　these　circumstances；　I　think　I　am　justified　in　saying　that　there　is　no　mode　of　getting　about　in　New　York　to　see　anything。　And　now　as　to　the　other　charge　against　New　York；　of　there　being　nothing　to　see。　　How　should　there　be　anything　there　to　see　of　general　interest？　　In　other　large　citiescities　as　large　in　name　as　New　Yorkthere　are　works　of　art；　fine　buildings；　ruins；　ancient　churches；　picturesque　costumes；　and　the　tombs　of　celebrated　men。　But　in　New　York　there　are　none　of　these　things。　　Art　has　not　yet　grown　up　there。　　One　or　two　fine　figures　by　Crawford　are　in　the　town；　especially　that　of　the　Sorrowing　Indian；　at　the　rooms　of　the　Historical　Society；　but　art　is　a　luxury　in　a　city　which　follows　but　slowly　on　the　heels　of　wealth　and　civilization。　　Of　fine　buildings　which；　indeed；　are　comprised　in　artthere　are　none　deserving　special　praise　or　remark。　　It　might　well　have　been　that　New　York　should　ere　this　have　graced　herself　with　something　grand　in　architecture；　but　she　has　not　done　so。　　Some　good　architectural　effect　there　is；　and　much　architectural　comfort。　　Of　ruins；　of　course；　there　can　be　nonenone；　at　least；　of　such　ruins　as　travelers　admire；　though　perhaps　some　of　that　sort　which　disgraces　rather　than　decorates。　　Churches　there　are　plenty；　but　none　that　are　ancient。　　The　costume　is　the　same　as　our　own；　and　I　need　hardly　say　that　it　is　not　picturesque。　　And　the　time　for　the　tombs　of　celebrated　men　has　not　yet　come。　　A　great　man's　ashes　are　hardly　of　value　till　they　have　all　but　ceased　to　exist。　The　visitor　to　New　York　must　seek　his　gratification　and　obtain　his　instruction　from　the　habits　and　manners　of　men。　　The　American；　though　he　dresses　like　an　Englishman；　and　eats　roast　beef　with　a　silver　forkor　sometimes　with　a　steel　knifeas　does　an　Englishman；　is　not　like　an　Englishman　in　his　mind；　in　his　aspirations；　in　his　tastes；　or　in　his　politics。　　In　his　mind　he　is　quicker；　more　universally　intelligent；　more　ambitious　of　general　knowledge；　less　indulgent　of　stupidity　and　ignorance　in　others；　harder；　sharper；　brighter　with　the　surface　brightness　of　steel；　than　is　an　Englishman；　but　he　is　more　brittle；　less　enduring；　less　malleable；　and；　I　think；　less　capable　of　impressions。　　The　mind　of　the　Englishman　has　more　imagination；　but　that　of　the　American　more　incision。　　The　American　is　a　great　observer；　but　he　observes　things　material　rather　than　things　social　or　picturesque。　　He　is　a　constant　and　ready　speculator；　but　all　speculations；　even　those　which　come　of　philosophy；　are　with　him　more　or　less　material。　　In　his　aspirations　the　American　is　more　constant　than　an　Englishman　or　I　should　rather　say　he　is　more　constant　in　aspiring。　　Every　citizen　of　the　United　States　intends　to　do　something。　　Every　one　thinks　himself　capable　of　some　effort。　　But　in　his　aspirations　he　is　more　limited　than　an　Englishman。　　The　ambitious　American　never　soars　so　high　as　the　ambitious　Englishman。　　He　does　not　even　see　up　to　so　great　a　height；　and；　when　he　has　raised　himself　somewhat　above　the　crowd；　becomes　sooner　dizzy　with　his　own　altitude。　　An　American　of　mark；　though　always　anxious　to　show　his　mark；　is　always　fearful　of　a　fall。　　In　his　tastes　the　American　imitates　the　Frenchman。　　Who　shall　dare　to　say　that　he　is　wrong；　seeing　that　in　general　matters　of　design　and　luxury　the　French　have　won　for　themselves　the　foremost　name？　　I　will　not　say　that　the　American　is　wrong；　but　I　cannot　avoid　thinking　that　he　is　so。　　I　detest　what　is　called　French　taste；　but　the　world　is　against　me。　　When　I　complained　to　a　landlord　of　a　hotel　out　in　the　West　that　his　furniture　was　useless；　that　I　could　not　write　at　a　marble　table　whose　outside　rim　was　curved　into　fantastic　shapes；　that　a　gold　clock　in　my　bed…room　which　did　not　go　would　give　me　no　aid　in　washing　myself；　that　a　heavy；　immovable　curtain　shut　out　the　light；　and　that　papier…mache　chairs　with　small；　fluffy　velvet　seats　were　bad　to　sit　on；　he　answered　me　completely　by　telling　me　that　his　house　had　been　furnished　not　in　accordance　with　the　taste　of　England；　but　with　that　of　France。　　I　acknowledged　the　rebuke；　gave　up　my　pursuits　of　literature　and　cleanliness；　and　hurried　out　of　the　house　as　quickly　as　I　could。　　All　America　is　now　furnishing　itself　by　the　rules　which　guided　that　hotel…keeper。　　I　do　not　merely　allude　to　actual　household　furnitureto　chairs；　tables；　and　detestable　gilt　clocks。　　The　taste　of　America　is　becoming　French　in　its　conversation；　French　in　its　comforts　and　French　in　its　discomforts；　French　in　its　eating　and　French　in　its　dress；　French　in　its　manners；　and　will　become　French　in　its　art。　　There　are　those　who　will　say　that　English　taste　is　taking　the　same　direction。　　I　do　not　think　so。　　I　strongly　hope　that　it　is　not　so。　　And　therefore　I　say　that　an　Englishman　and　an　American　differ　in　their　tastes。　But　of　all　differences　between　an　Englishman　and　an　American；　that　in　politics　is　the　strongest　and　the　most　essential。　　I　cannot　here；　in　one　paragraph；　define　that　difference　with　sufficient　clearness　to　make　my　definition　satisfactory；　but　I　trust　that　some　idea　of　that　difference　may　be　conveyed　by　the　general　tenor　of　my　book。　　The　American　and　the　Englishman　are　both　republicans。　　The　governments　of　the　States　and　of　England　are　probably　the　two　purest　republican　governments　in　the　world。　　I　do　not；　of　course；　here　mean　to　say　that　the　governments　are　more　pure　than　others；　but　that　the　systems　are　more　absolutely　republican。　　And　yet　no　men　can　be　much　farther　asunder　in　politics　than　the　Englishman　and　the　American。　　The　American　of　the　present　day　puts　a　ballot…box　into　the　hands　of　every　citizen；　and　takes　his　stand　upon　that　and　that　only。　　It　is　the　duty　of　an　American　citizen　to　vote；　and　when　he　has　voted；　he　need　trouble　himself　no　further　till　the　time　for　voting　shall　come　round　again。　　The　candidate　for　whom　he　has　voted　represents　his　will；　if　he　have　voted　with　the　majority；　and　in　that　case　he　has　no　right　to　look　for　further　influence。　　If　he　have　voted　with　the　minority；　he　has　no　right　to　look　for　any　influence　at　all。　　In　either　case　he　has　done　his　political　work；　and　may　go　about　his　business　till　the　next　year；　or　the　next　two　or　four　years；　shall　have　come　round。　　The　Englishman；　on　the　other　hand；　will　have　no　ballot…box；　and　is　by　no　means　inclined　to　depend　exclusively　upon　voters　or　upon　voting。　　As　far　as　voting　can　show　it；　he　desires　to　get　the　sense　of　the　country；　but　he　does　not　think　that　that　sense　will　be　shown　by　universal　suffrage。　He　thinks　that　property　amounting　to　a　thousand　pounds　will　show　more　of　that　sense　than　property　amounting　to　a　hundred；　but　he　will　not；　on　that　account；　go　to　work　and　apportion　votes　to　wealth。　　He　thinks　that　the　educated　can　show　more　of　that　sense　than　the　uneducated；　but　he　does　not　therefore　lay　down　any　rule　about　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　or　apportion　votes　to　learning。　　He　prefers　that　all　these　opinions　of　his　shall　bring　themselves　out　and　operate　by　their　own　intrinsic　weight。　　Nor　does　he　at　all　confine　himself　to　voting；　in　his　anxiety　to　get　the　sense　of　the　country。　　He　takes　it　in　any　way　that　it　will　show　itself；　uses　it　for　what　it　is　worth；　or　perhaps　far　more　than　it　is　worth；　and　welds　it　into　that　gigantic　lever　by　which　the　political　action　of　the　country　is　moved。　　Every　man　in　Great　Britain；　whether　he　possesses　any　actual　vote　or　no；　can　do　that　which　is　tantamount　to　voting　every　day　of　his　life　by　the　mere　expression　of　his　opinion。　　Public　opinion　in　America　has　hitherto　been　nothing；　unless　it　has　managed　to　express　itself　by　a　majority　of　ballot…boxes。　　Public　opinion　in　England　is　everything；　let　votes　go　as　they　may。　　Let　the　people　want　a　measure；　and　there　is　no　doubt　of　their　obtaining　it。　　Only　the　people　must　want　itas　they　did　want　Catholic　emancipation；　reform；　and　corn…law　repeal；　and　as　they　would　want　war　if　it　were　brought　home　to