We must educate！We must educate！or we must perish by our own prosperity.If we do not，short will be our race from the cradle to the grave.If，in our haste to be rich and mighty，we outrun our literary and religious institutions，they will never overtake us；or only come up after the battle of liberty is fought and lost，as spoils to grace the victory，and as resources of inexorable despotism for the perpetuity of our bondage.

But what will become of the West if her prosperity rushes up to such a majesty of power，while those great institutions linger which are necessary to form the mind，and the conscience，and the heart of the vast world？It must not be permitted.And yet what is done must be done quickly；for population will not wait，and commerce will not cast anchor，and manufactures will not shut off the steam，nor shut down the gate，and agriculture，pushed by millions of freemen on their fertile soil，will not withhold her corrupting abundance.

And let no man at the East quiet himself，and dream of liberty，whatever may become of the West.Our alliance of blood，and political institutions，and common interests，is such，that we can not stand aloof in the hour of her calamity，should it ever come.Her destiny is our destiny；and the day that her gallant ship goes down，our little boat sinks in the vortex！

The great experiment is now making，and from its extent and rapid filling up，is making in the West，whether the perpetuity of our republican institutions can be reconciled with universal suffrage.Without the education of the head and heart of the nation，they can not be；and the question to be decided is，can the nation，or the vast balance power of it，be so imbued with intelligence and virtue as to bring out，in laws and their administration，a perpetual self-preserving energy.We know that the work is a vast one，and of great difficulty；and yet we believe it can be done.

I am aware that our ablest patriots are looking out on the deep，vexed with storms，with great forebodings and failings of heart，for fear of the things that are coming upon us；and I perceive a spirit of impatience rising，and distrust in respect to the perpetuity of our republic；and I am sure that these fears are well founded，and am glad that they exist.It is the star of hope in our dark horizon.Fear is what we need，as the ship needs wind on a rocking sea，after a storm，to prevent foundering.But when our fear and our efforts shall correspond with our danger，the danger is past.

For it is not the impossibility of self-preservation which threatens us；nor is it the unwillingness of the nation to pay the price of the preservation，as she has paid the price of the purchase of our liberties.It is inattention and inconsideration，protracted till the crisis is past，and the things which belong to our peace are hid from our eyes.And blessed be God，that the tokens of a national waking up，the harbinger of God's mercy，are multiplying upon us！

We did not，in the darkest hour，believe that God had brought our fathers to this goodly land to lay the foundation of religious liberty，and wrought such wonders in their preservation，and raised their descendants to such heights of civil and religious liberty，only to reverse the analogy of his providence，and abandon his work.

And though there now be clouds，and the sea roaring，and men's hearts failing，we believe there is light behind the cloud，and that the imminence of our danger is intended，under the guidance of Heaven，to call forth and apply a holy，fraternal fellowship between the East and the West，which shall secure our preservation，and make the prosperity of our nation durable as time，and as abundant as the waves of the sea.

I would add，as a motive to immediate action，that if we do fail in our great experiment of self-government，our destruction will be as signal as the birthright abandoned，the mercies abused，and the provocation offered to beneficent Heaven.The descent of desolation will correspond with the past elevation.

No punishments of Heaven are so severe as those for mercies abused；and no instrumentality employed in their infliction is so dreadful as the wrath of man.No spasms are like the spasms of expiring liberty，and no wailing such as her convulsions extort.

It took Rome three hundred years to die；and our death，if we perish，will be as much more terrific as our intelligence and free institutions have given us more bone，sinew，and vitality.May God hide from me the day when the dying agonies of my country shall begin！O thou beloved land，bound together by the ties of brotherhood，and common interest，and perils！live forever——one and undivided！

（Lyman Beecher）

譯文　TRANSLATION

我們必須推行教育！我們一定要厲行教育！否則，我們將在浮華中走向衰落。否則，我們的種族將迅速從新生走向滅亡。如果我們吸汲于富強(qiáng)而侵越文學(xué)與宗教建制，它們定將永遠(yuǎn)滯后?；蛘?，只在自由受到攻擊并失落后，作為溢美勝利者的戰(zhàn)利品或鞏固奴役的冷酷專制的資源。

但是，如果西部的財(cái)富只是推動(dòng)了強(qiáng)權(quán)，而那些形塑精神、良知與心靈所必需的偉大建制卻徘徊不前，那么，未來等待西部的將是什么？絕不能允許這種局面出現(xiàn)。而且必須當(dāng)機(jī)立斷，因?yàn)槟抢锏娜丝谌找娣笔?；貿(mào)易不斷發(fā)展；工廠不停運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)；數(shù)百萬自耕農(nóng)在肥沃的土壤里收獲著腐蝕人的豐饒，推動(dòng)著農(nóng)業(yè)的發(fā)展。

無論西部的未來是什么，都不能讓東部的任何人自我麻痹，空想自由。我們的血脈、政體、共同利益緊密地凝結(jié)在一起，以致萬一西部遭遇災(zāi)難，我們絕不可能獨(dú)善其身。她與我們休戚與共，她的巨輪傾覆時(shí)，我們的小舟也將在漩渦中沉沒。

在西部，一場(chǎng)偉大的實(shí)驗(yàn)正在進(jìn)行；而這場(chǎng)實(shí)驗(yàn)正從范圍和迅速擴(kuò)展的規(guī)模兩方面檢驗(yàn)著普選是否能增強(qiáng)我們共和政體的鞏固性。如果不對(duì)我們民族的理智與心靈這兩方面進(jìn)行教育，這些建制就不能得以加強(qiáng)。而亟待解決的問題是，作為對(duì)這一實(shí)驗(yàn)成敗起決定作用的力量，我們的民族能否在品德與知性方面獲得那樣的熏陶以致在法律與行政層面產(chǎn)生自我保護(hù)的能力。誠然，這是個(gè)艱巨的任務(wù)，但我們相信它定將完成。

我意識(shí)到我們最干練的愛國者面對(duì)這場(chǎng)實(shí)驗(yàn)當(dāng)中涌起的波峰浪谷也帶著幾分畏葸和不祥的預(yù)感，擔(dān)心將要襲來的危險(xiǎn)。并且，我也注意到一種不耐煩的情緒在潛滋暗長，這是對(duì)我們共和國長治久安的疑惑，我相信這些恐懼是有理由的，亦因這些恐懼的存在而欣喜。他們是我們黑暗的天邊亮起的希望之星。恐懼是我們所需要的，正如暴風(fēng)雨后在波濤洶涌的海上行駛的輪船需要風(fēng)來使自己免于沉沒。但是，如果我們能以敬畏與勤勉應(yīng)對(duì)危險(xiǎn)，則必化險(xiǎn)為夷。

因?yàn)槲ｋU(xiǎn)不是那恐嚇我們的無力自保；危險(xiǎn)也不是我們不愿像換取自由那樣為國家付出代價(jià)。危險(xiǎn)是疏忽、輕率、得過且過，直至和平的景象在我們眼前隱匿不見。承天之佑，民族覺醒的象征、上帝榮寵的征兆都在我們身上顯現(xiàn)。

即使最黑暗的時(shí)刻，我們也不相信，上帝帶我們的祖先到這片美麗的土地來奠定宗教自由的基礎(chǔ)，并在這里創(chuàng)造出奇跡，令他們的后裔得以享受高度的民權(quán)和宗教自由，而結(jié)果卻是背棄天道神恩、放棄圣功偉業(yè)。

而縱使陰霾漫天，大海呼嘯，心兒在瑟縮，我們?nèi)詧?jiān)信光明在烏云背后，而在上帝的指引下，那迫近的危險(xiǎn)只是為召喚而賦予東西部神圣的手足情，以便保衛(wèi)我們的國家安全，使我們的祖國繁榮昌盛、萬古長存，宛如長江大河。

我還要補(bǔ)充一點(diǎn)以激勵(lì)即將采取的行動(dòng)。如果我們的自治偉大實(shí)驗(yàn)失敗了，我們的敗績相當(dāng)于放棄與生俱來的權(quán)利、相當(dāng)于濫用恩典、相當(dāng)于挑戰(zhàn)仁慈的上天。而我們的蕭瑟衰敗將與往昔的蒸蒸日上遙相呼應(yīng)。

上帝對(duì)濫用其恩典者的懲罰最為嚴(yán)厲；而最可怕的報(bào)復(fù)手段亦無過于人之忿怒；沒有哪一種痙攣像即將逝去的自由那樣痛苦；沒有哪一種哀哭堪比國殤。

羅馬的衰亡歷時(shí)三百年；而倘若我們一旦敗落，其歷程勢(shì)必更其慘烈，因?yàn)槲覀兊闹橇εc自由體制給予我們更強(qiáng)的筋骨與活力。當(dāng)我的祖國親歷敗亡之痛的那一天，唯愿上帝離我而去！啊，我深愛的國度，休戚與共的同胞之誼凝結(jié)成你！愿你萬世長存，愿你完整、統(tǒng)一、永不分崩離析。

（黎曼·比徹）