SOCIETY IN AMERICA.SOCIETY IN AMERICA.
"This country, which has given to the world the example of physical liberty, owes to it that of moral emancipation also; for as yet it is but nominal with us. The inquisition of public opinion overwhelms, in practice, the freedom asserted by the laws in theory."
Jefferson.
The degree of civilisation of any people corresponds with theexaltation of the idea which is the most prevalent among thatpeople. The prominent idea of savages is the necessity ofproviding for the supply of the commonest bodily wants. The firststeps in civilisation, therefore, are somewhat refined methods oftreating the body. When, by combination of labour and otherexercises of ingenuity, the wants of the body are supplied withregularity and comparative ease, the love of pleasure, the loveof idleness, succeeds. Then comes the desire of wealth; and next,the regard to opinion. Further than this no nation has yetattained. Individuals there have been, probably in every nationunder heaven, who have lived for a higher idea than any of these;and insulated customs and partial legislation have, among allcommunities, shown a tendency towards something loftier than theprevalent morality. The majesty of higher ideas is besides soirresistible, that an involuntary homage, purely inefficacious,has been offered to them from of old by the leaders of society.
"Earth is sick,
And Heaven is weary of the hollow words
Which States and Kingdoms utter when they talk
Of truth and justice."
Though, as yet, "profession mocks performance," theprofession, from age to age, of the same lofty something not yetattained, may be taken as a clear prophecy of ultimateperformance. It shows a perception, however dim, a regard,however feeble, from which endeavour and attainment cannot butfollow, in course of time. But the time is not yet. In the oldworld, the transition is, in its most enlightened parts, onlybeginning to be made, from the few governing the many avowedlyfor the good of the few, to governing the many professedly forthe good of the many. The truth and justice under whose dominionevery man would reverence all other men, would renounce himselffor the sake of others, and feel it to be the highest destiny"not to be ministered unto, but to minister," are still"hollow words." The civilisation of the old world stillcorresponds with the low idea, that man lives in and for theoutward, in and for what is around him rather than what is withinhim. It is still supposed, that whatever a few individuals sayand do, the generality of men live for wealth, outward ease anddignity, and, at the highest, lofty reputation. The degree ofcivilisation corresponds with this. There is scarcely aninstitution or a custom which supposes anything higher. Whateducational arrangements there are, are new, and (howeverpraiseworthy as being an actual advance) are so narrow and meagreas to show how unaccustomed is the effort to consider the man asnobler than the unit of society. The phrase is still thecommonest of phrases in which parents, guardians, schoolmastersand statesmen embody their ambition for their wards--that anysuch ward "may become a useful and respectable member ofsociety." The greater number of guardians would be terrifiedat the idea of their wards becoming anything else; anythinghigher than "useful and respectable members ofsociety," while it is as clear as noon-day that room oughtto be left,--that facilities ought to be afforded for every onebecoming whatsoever his Maker has fitted him to be, so long as itappears that the noblest men by whom the earth has been graced,have been considered in their own time the very reverse of"useful and respectable members of society." The mostgodlike of the race have been esteemed "pestilentfellows" in their day and generation. No student of the waysof Providence will repine at this order of affairs, or expectthat any arrangement of society can be made by which theconvictions and sympathies of the less gifted should be enabledsuddenly to overtake those of the more gifted. He will not desireto change the great and good laws by which the chosen of his raceare "made perfect through sufferings," and by which thelight of reason is ordained to brighten very gradually from dawninto day. He will only take note of the fact, that it is a lowstate of civilisation which presupposes specified and outwardaims, and relies with such confidence on the mechanical means ofattaining them as to be shocked, or anything but gratified, atthe pursuit of singular objects by unusual methods. The observerwill rightly judge such to be a low state of civilisation,whatever lamentations or exultations he may daily hear about thevery high point civilisation has reached, when the schoolmasteris abroad, when people can travel at the rate of fifty miles anhour, and eminent cooks are paid 1,200l. a-year. Whiletruth and justice remain "hollow words," so far as thatmen cannot live for them, to the detriment of their fortunes,without being called mischievous and disreputable members ofsociety, no one can reasonably speak of the high civilisation ofthe country to which they belong.
The old world naturally looks with interest to the new, to seewhat point of civilisation it reaches under fresh circumstances.The interest may be undefined, and partly unconscious; but it isvery eager. The many, who conceive of no other objects of generalpursuit than the old ones of wealth, ease, and honour; look onlyto see under what forms these are pursued. The few, who lay theblame of the grovelling at home upon outward restrictions alone,look to America with extravagant expectations of a perfect reignof virtue and happiness, because the Americans live in outwardfreedom. What is the truth ?
While the republics of North America are new, the ideas of thepeople are old. While these republics were colonies, theycontained an old people, living under old institutions, in a newcountry. Now they are a mixed people, infant as a nation, with aconstant accession of minds from old countries, living in a newcountry, under institutions newly combined out of old elements.It is a case so singular, that the old world may well havepatience for some time, to see what will arise. The old worldmust have patience; for the Americans have no national characteryet; nor can have, for a length of years. It matters not thatthey think they have: or it matters only so far as it shows towhat they tend. Their veneration of Washington has led them tosuppose that he is the type of their nation. Their patrioticfeelings are so far associated with him that they conclude thenation is growing up in his likeness. If any American weretrusted by his countrymen to delineate what they call theirnational character, it would infallibly come out a perfectlikeness of Washington. But there is a mistake here. There wereinfluences prior to Washington, and there are circumstances whichhave survived him, that cause some images to lie deeper down inthe hearts of Americans than Washington himself. His character isa grand and very prevalent idea among them: but there are otherswhich take the precedence, from being more general still. Wealthand opinion were practically worshipped before Washington openedhis eyes on the sun which was to light him to his creeds; and theworship of Opinion is, at this day, the established religion ofthe United States.
If the prevalent idea of society did not arise out ofcircumstances over which the mutations of outward events exercisebut a small immediate influence, it is clear that, in this case,the idea should arise out of the characters of the benefactorswho achieved the revolution, and must be consistent with thesolemn words in which they conveyed their united Declaration. Theprinciples of truth, and the rule of justice, according to whichthat Declaration was framed, and that revolutionary struggleundertaken and conducted, should, but for prior influences, havebeen the spirit inspiring the whole civilisation of the Americanpeople. There should then have been the utmost social as well aspolitical freedom. The pursuit of wealth might then have beensubordinated at pleasure: fear of injury, alike from opinion andfrom violence, should have been banished; and as noble facilitiesafforded for the progression of the inward, as for the enjoymentof the outward, man. But this was not given. Instead of it therewas ordained a mingling of old ancd new influences, from which asomewhat new kind of civilisation has arisen.
The old-world estimation of wealth has remained among them,though, I believe and trust, somewhat diminished in strength.Though every man works for it in America, and not quite every mandoes so in England, it seems to me that it is not so absolutelythe foreground object in all views of life, the one subject ofcare, speculation, inquiry, and supposition, that it is inEngland. It is in America clearly subordinate to another idea,still an idol, but of a higher order than the former. The worshipof Opinion certainly takes precedence of that of wealth.
In a country where the will of the majority decides allpolitical affairs, there is a temptation to belong to themajority, except where strong interests, or probabilities of thespeedy supremacy of the minority, countervail. The minority, insuch a case, must be possessed of a strong will, to be aminority. A strong will is dreaded by the weaker, who have solittle faith as to believe that such a will endangers thepolitical equality which is the fundamental principle of theirinstitutions. This dread occasions persecution, or at leastopprobium: opprobrium becomes a real danger; and, like alldangers, is much more feared than it deserves, the longer itlasts, and the more it is dwelt upon. Thus, from a want of faithin the infallible operation of the principles of truth and therule of justice, these last become "hollow words" inthe States of the new, as in the kingdoms of the old world; andthe infant nation, which was expected to begin a fresh and highersocial life, is acting out in its civilisation an idea but littlemore exalted than those which have operated among nations farless favoured than herself in regard to political freedom.
From Harriet Martineau, Society in America, VolumeIII, Part III - "Civilisation." London: Saunders andOtley, 1837, pp. 1-9.
Forward to Society in America, VolumeIII, Part III, Chapter I - "Idea of Honour."
Back to Society in America, Volume II,Part II, Chapter V, Section III - "Morals of Commerce."
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