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弗朗西丝ˇ赖特
(FRANCES WRIGHT)
美国爱国主义的意义
The Meaning of Patriotism in America
让我们作为成人ˇ而不是作为小孩ˇ作为人类ˇ而不是作为美国人ˇ作为通情达理的人ˇ而不是作为孤陋寡闻的人来欢庆这个日子。
自美国革命以后的许多年里ˇ在7月4日发表演说习惯上一直是一种荣誉ˇ而且通常是请德高望重的人来道出社区的意见。1828年7月4日ˇ弗朗西丝
(范妮)ˇ赖特发表这篇可能是第一次由一位妇女作的独立日演说。赖特(1795ˇ1852)是一位孜孜不倦的社会改革家ˇ她在宗教、婚姻、计划生育、奴隶制和妇女权利的问题上都持有进步观点。她生于苏格兰ˇ1818年第一次到美国访问ˇ还写了一本有关她广泛旅行的书。1824年ˇ她与参加美国革命的法国英雄拉斐德侯爵一起回到美国ˇ并决定在美国定居。
1825年ˇ她在田纳西州购置土地ˇ然后买些奴隶ˇ给他们自由ˇ并为这些前奴隶创建了一个公社。在她的公社失败之后ˇ她就搬到印地安纳州的哈莫尼ˇ加入罗伯特ˇ戴尔ˇ欧文的实验社会主义公社。1829年ˇ赖特和欧文到纽约市定居ˇ在那里共同建立激进的《自由问询报》。她后来成为著名的演说家和作家。
……当我们正确地把1776年7月4日以来的人类历史确定为新时代时ˇ如果我们能在每一周年检查一下我们人类在公正的知识和公正的实践方面所取得的进步ˇ那就是很好的ˇ也就是说ˇ是很有益的。这样ˇ每一个7月4日就会成为时间洪流的潮标ˇ根据这个潮标就可确定人类智力的进步ˇ根据它就可记下每一次接连发生的错误的起落ˇ每一个重要真理的发ˇˇ以及公共机构ˇ社会安排ˇ尤其是我们道德感情和精神观念的逐步改善……
近年来ˇ在欧洲大陆ˇˇ爱国主义和爱国者这种词已经被用在更广的意义上ˇ比在这里通常所赋予这些词的意义或比在大不列颠所赋予它们的意义要广。自从法国、意大利、西班牙和希腊ˇ继出ˇ政治斗争以来ˇ整个欧洲大陆都在使用爱国主义这个词来表达对公益事业的热爱ˇ表达对多数人利益的兴趣胜于对少数人利益的兴趣ˇ表达人类要从宗教和政府的专制奴役下得到解放的渴望ˇ总之ˇ爱国主义这个词与其说是用来表达某一国家ˇ或者某一具体国家的居民所感兴趣的东西ˇ倒不如说是用来表达全人类所感兴趣的东西。同样地ˇ爱国者这个词是用来表示热爱人类自由和人类改善的人ˇ而不是表示一个仅热爱他生活的国家ˇ或者他所属的那个族群的人。用在这个意义上ˇ爱国主义就是一种美德ˇ爱国者就是一个道德高尚的人。以此理解ˇ一个爱国者就是社会里一个有用的成员ˇ他能够开阔他所遇到的所有人的思路ˇ改善他所接触到的所有人的心情。一个爱国者应该是人类大家庭里的一个有用的成员ˇ他能够确立基本的原则ˇ而且能把他自己的利益、他同伴的利益和他的国家利益融合在人类的利益之中。桂冠和雕ˇ是虚无的东西ˇ而且由于它们很幼稚ˇ所以是有害的。但是ˇ我们能否假定它们是有用的ˇ人们会不会以某种理由将它们单单授予这样的一个爱国者……
如果我们最后考虑的这种爱国主义有可能在某一国家里获得ˇ那么当然是在这个国家里ˇ在这个万国之ˇ的国家里ˇ在这个国家公民的血管里ˇ地球上所有民族的血都在他们的血管里流着。就其独自的意思而言ˇ爱国主义这个词肯定不是为美国造的。如果它在各处都有害ˇ那么在这里就是既有害又荒唐。人之初是反对它的。各种制度的原则对它是不利的。我们正在庆祝的这个日子是反对它的。特别是美国人应孕育出一种更高尚的情操ˇ一种与他们的起源更一致ˇ更有助于他们未来改善的情操。特别是美国人应当知道他们为什么热爱自己的国家ˇ应当感到他们热爱自己的国家ˇ不是因为这是他们的国家ˇ而是因为这是人类自由的保障ˇ是人类改善的好景ˇ。尤其是美国人ˇ应当检查一下他们的制度ˇ应当感到他们为这些制度而自豪是因为它们是以公正的原则为基础的。尤其是美国人ˇ应当检查一下他们的制度ˇ因为他们有改善它们的手段ˇ应当检查一下他们的法律ˇ因为他们能随意改变它们。他们应当撇开奢华ˇ他们的财富在于勤奋ˇ他们应当撇开无益的炫耀ˇ他们的力量在于知识ˇ他们应当撇开野心勃勃出人头地的ˇ法ˇ他们的原则应当是平等。他们不应当休息ˇ不应当满足于言语ˇ他们应当干点实事ˇ他们应当记住平等指的不是仅仅政治权利的平等ˇ不管它有多宝贵ˇ而是指教育的平等和道德的平等ˇ要记住自由指的不是仅在选举时投票ˇ而是自由无畏地运用智力ˇ是那种从经过推理的意见和始终如一的实践中进发出来的镇静自若。他们应当以原则为荣而不是以人为荣ˇ纪念事件而不是纪念日子ˇ在他们高兴的时候ˇ应当知道为什么高兴ˇ应当仅仅为过去和ˇ在为人类带来和平和幸福的事而高兴。我们今天所纪念的事件已经在ˇ当程度上取得这两者ˇ而且在人类改善的进程中将取得比我们ˇ在能ˇˇ到的更多。为此ˇˇ为我们人类已经获得的和即将获得的好处ˇ让我们欢欣鼓舞吧ˇ但是ˇ让我们作为成人ˇ而不是作为小孩ˇ作为人类ˇ而不是作为美国人ˇ作为通情达理的人ˇ而不是作为孤陋寡闻的人来欢庆这个日子。那么ˇ我们是否应当为美好的目的和美好的感情而高兴ˇ我们是否应当改善曾经在今天所取得的胜利ˇ直至全人类都能和我们共同欢庆独立为止。
The Meaning of Patriotism in America
. . . .
Dating, as we justly may. a new era in the history of man from the Fourth of
July, 1776, it would be well--that is, it would be useful--if on each
anniversary we examined the progress made by our species in just knowledge and
just practice. Each Fourth of July would then stand as a tidemark in the flood
of time by which to ascertain the advance of the human intellect, by which to
note the rise and fall of each successive error, the discovery of each important
truth, the gradual melioration in our public institutions, social arrangements,
and, above all, in our moral feelings and mental views. . . .
In
continental Europe, of late years, the words patriotism and patriot have been
used in a more enlarged sense than it is usual here to attribute to them, or
than is attached to them in Great Britain. Since the political struggles
of France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, the word patriotism has been employed,
throughout continental Europe, to express a love of the public good; a
preference for the interests of the many to those of the few, a desire for the
emancipation of the human race from the thrall of despotism, religious and
civil: in short, patriotism there is used rather to express the interest felt in
the human race in general than that felt for any country, or inhabitants of a
country, in particular. And patriot, in like manner, is employed to signify
a lover of human liberty and human improvement rather than a mere lover of the
country in which he lives, or the tribe to which he belongs. Used in this sense,
patriotism is a virtue, and a patriot a virtuous man. With such
an interpretation, a patriot is a useful member of society, capable of enlarging
all minds and bettering all hearts with which he comes in contact; a useful
member of the human family, capable of establishing fundamental principles and
of merging his own interests, those of his associates, and those of his nation
in the interests of the human race. Laurels and statues are vain things, and
mischievous as they are childish; but could we imagine them of use, on such a
patriot alone could they be with any reason bestowed....
If such a
patriotism as we have last considered should seem likely to obtain in any
country, it should be certainly in this. In this which is truly the home of all
nations and in the veins of whose citizens flows the blood of every people on
the globe. Patriotism, in the exclusive meaning, is surely not made for America.
Mischievous everywhere, it were here both mischievous and absurd. The very
origin of the people is opposed to it. The institutions, in their principle,
militate against it. The day we are celebrating protests against it. It is for
Americans, more especially, to nourish a nobler sentiment; one more consistent
with their origin, and more conducive to their future improvement. It is for
them more especially to know why they love their country; and to feel that they
love it, not because it is their country, but because it is the palladium of
human liberty--the favored scene of human improvement. It is for them, more
especially, to examine their institutions; and to feel that they honor them
because they are bused on just principles. It is for them, more especially, to
examine their institutions, because they have the means of improving them; to
examine their laws, because at will they can alter them. It is for them to lay
aside luxury whose wealth is in industry; idle parade whose strength is in
knowledge; ambitious distinctions whose principle is equality. It is for them
not to rest, satisfied with words, who can seize upon things; and to remember
that equality means, not the mere equality of political rights, however
valuable, but equality of instruction and equality in virtue; and that liberty
means, not the mere voting at elections, but the free and fearless exercise of
the mental faculties and that self-possession which springs out of well-reasoned
opinions and consistent practice. It is for them to honor principles rather than
men--to commemorate events rather than days; when they rejoice, to know for what
they rejoice, and to rejoice only for what has brought and what brings peace and
happiness to men. The event we commemorate this day has procured much of both,
and shall procure in the onward course of human improvement more than we can now
conceive of. For this--for the good obtained and yet in store for our race--let
us rejoice! But let us rejoice as men, not as children--as human beings rather
than as Americans--as reasoning beings, not as ignorants. So shall we rejoice to
good purpose and in good feeling; so shall we improve the victory once on this
day achieved, until all mankind hold with us the Jubilee of Independence.
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