osc.am1.seventhson-第32部分

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！


nd　babies　born　in　Charleston　were　Jacobians　or　Cavaliers　or　some　such　name。〃
　　〃They　still　are；〃　Alvin　pointed　out。
　　〃They　are　indeed；　lad；　but　they're　something　else　besides。　All　those　names；　Old　Ben　figured；　those　names　divided　us　up　into　Virginians　and　Orangemen　and　Rhode　Islanders；　into　Whites　and　Reds　and　Blacks；　into　Quakers　and　Papists　and　Puritans　and　Presbyterians；　into　Dutch；　Swedish；　French；　and　English。　Old　Ben　saw　how　a　Virginian　could　never　quite　trust　a　man　from　Netticut；　and　how　a　White　man　could　never　quite　trust　a　Red；　because　they　were　different。　And　he　said　to　himself；　If　we've　got　all　these　names　to　hold　us　apart；　why　not　a　name　to　bind　us　together？　He　toyed　with　a　lot　of　names　that　already　were　used。　Colonials；　for　instance。　But　he　didn't　like　calling　us　all　Colonials　because　that　made　us　always　turn　our　eyes　back　to　Europe；　and　besides；　the　Reds　aren't　Colonials；　are　they！　Nor　are　the　Blacks；　since　they　came　as　slaves。　Do　you　see　the　problem？〃
　　〃He　wanted　a　name　we　could　all　share　the　same；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃Just　right。　There　was　one　thing　we　all　had　in　mon。　We　all　lived　on　the　same　continent。　North　America。　So　he　thought　of　calling　us　North　Americans。　But　that　was　too　long。　So〃
　　〃Americans。〃
　　〃That's　a　name　that　belongs　to　a　fisherman　living　on　the　rugged　coast　of　West　Anglia　as　much　as　to　a　baron　ruling　his　slavehold　in　the　southwest　part　of　Dryden。　It　belongs　as　much　to　the　Mohawk　chief　in　Irrakwa　as　to　the　Knickerbocker　shopkeeper　in　New　Amsterdam。　Old　Ben　knew　that　if　people　could　once　start　thinking　of　themselves　as　Americans；　we'd　bee　a　nation。　Not　just　a　piece　of　some　tired　old　European　country；　but　a　single　new　nation　here　in　a　new　land。　So　he　started　using　that　word　in　everything　he　wrote。　Poor　Richard's　Almanac　was　full　of　talk　about　Americans　this　and　Americans　that。　And　Old　Ben　wrote　letters　to　everybody；　saying　things　like；　Conflict　over　land　claims　is　a　problem　for　Americans　to　solve　together。　Europeans　can't　possibly　understand　what　Americans　need　to　survive。　Why　should　Americans　die　for　European　wars？　Why　should　Americans　be　bound　by　European　precedents　in　our　courts　of　law？　Inside　of　five　years；　there　was　hardly　a　person　from　New　England　to　Jacobia　who　didn't　think　of　himself　as　being；　at　least　partly；　an　American。〃
　　〃It　was　just　a　name。〃
　　〃But　it　is　the　name　by　which　we　call　ourselves。　And　it　includes　everyone　else　on　this　continent　who's　willing　to　accept　the　name。　Old　Ben　worked　hard　to　make　sure　that　name　included　as　many　people　as　possible。　Without　ever　holding　any　public　office　except　postmaster；　he　singlehandedly　turned　a　name　into　a　nation。　With　the　King　ruling　over　the　Cavaliers　in　the　south；　and　the　Lord　Protector's　men　ruling　over　New　England　in　the　north；　he　saw　nothing　but　chaos　and　war　ahead；　with　Pennsylvania　smack　in　the　middle。　He　wanted　to　forestall　that　war；　and　he　used　the　name　'American'　to　fend　it　off。　He　made　the　New　Englanders　fear　to　offend　Pennsylvania；　and　made　the　Cavaliers　bend　over　backward　trying　to　woo　Pennsylvanian　support。　He　was　the　one　who　agitated　for　an　American　Congress　to　establish　trade　policies　and　uniform　land　law。
　　〃And　finally；〃　Taleswapper　continued；　〃just　before　he　invited　me　over　from　England；　he　wrote　the　American　pact　and　got　the　seven　original　colonies　to　sign　it。　It　wasn't　easy；　you　know　　even　the　number　of　states　was　the　result　of　a　great　deal　of　struggle。　The　Dutch　could　see　that　most　of　the　immigrants　to　America　were　English　and　Irish　and　Scotch；　and　they　didn't　want　to　be　swallowed　up　　so　Old　Ben　allowed　them　to　divide　New　Netherland　into　three　colonies　so　they'd　have　more　votes　in　the　Congress。　With　Suskwahenny　split　off　from　the　land　claimed　by　New　Sweden　and　Pennsylvania；　another　squabble　was　put　to　rest。〃
　　〃That's　only　six　states；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃Old　Ben　refused　to　allow　anyone　to　sign　the　pact　unless　the　Irrakwa　were　included　as　the　seventh　state；　with　firm　borders；　with　Reds　governing　themselves。　There　were　plenty　of　people　who　wanted　a　White　man's　nation；　but　Old　Ben　wouldn't　hear　of　it。　The　only　way　to　have　peace；　he　said；　was　for　all　Americans　to　join　together　as　equals。　That's　why　his　pact　doesn't　allow　slavery　or　even　bonding。　That's　why　his　pact　doesn't　allow　any　religion　to　have　authority　over　any　other。　That's　why　his　pact　doesn't　let　the　government　close　down　a　press　or　silence　a　speech。　White；　Black；　and　Red；　Papist；　Puritan；　and　Presbyterian；　rich　man；　poor　man；　beggarman；　thief　　we　all　live　under　the　same　laws。　One　nation；　created　out　of　a　single　word。〃
　　〃American。〃
　　〃Now　do　you　see　why　he　calls　it　his　greatest　deed？〃
　　〃How　e　the　pact　itself　ain't　more　important？〃
　　〃The　pact　was　just　the　words。　The　name　'American'　was　the　idea　that　made　the　words。〃
　　〃It　still　doesn't　include　the　Yankees　and　the　Cavaliers；　and　it　didn't　stop　war；　neither；　cause　the　Appalachee　folk　are　still　fighting　against　the　King。〃
　　〃But　it　does　include　all　those　people；　Alvin。　Remember　the　story　of　George　Washington　in　Shenandoah？　He　was　Lord　Potomac　in　those　days；　leading　King　Robert's　largest　army　against　that　poor　ragtag　band　that　was　all　Ben　Arnold　had　left。　It　was　plain　to　see　that　in　the　morning；　Lord　Potomac's　Cavaliers　would　overrun　that　little　fort　and　seal　the　doom　of　Tom　Jefferson's　free…mountain　rebellion。　But　Lord　Potomac　had　fought　beside　those　mountain　men　in　the　wars　against　the　French。　And　Tom　Jefferson　had　been　his　friend　in　days　gone　by。　In　his　heart　he　could　not　bear　to　think　of　the　morrow's　battle。　Who　was　King　Robert；　that　so　much　blood　should　be　shed　for　him？　All　these　rebels　wanted　was　to　own　their　land；　and　not　have　the　King　set　barons　over　them；　to　tax　them　dry　and　turn　them　into　slaves　as　surely　as　any　Black　in　the　Crown　Colonies。　He　didn't　sleep　at　all　that　night。〃
　　〃He　was　praying；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃That's　the　way　Thrower　tells　it；〃　Taleswapper　said　sharply。　〃But　no　one　knows。　And　when　he　spoke　to　the　troops　the　next　morning；　he　didn't　say　a　word　about　prayer。　But　he　did　speak　about　the　word　Ben　Franklin　made。　He　wrote　a　letter　to　the　King；　resigning　from　his　mand　and　rejecting　his　lands　and　titles。　He　didn't　sign　it　'Lord　Potomac；'　he　signed　it　'George　Washington。'　Then　he　rose　up　in　the　morning　and　stood　before　the　blue…coat　soldiers　of　the　King　and　told　them　what　he　had　done；　and　told　them　that　they　were　free　to　choose；　all　of　them；　whether　to　obey　their　officers　and　go　into　battle；　or　march　instead　in　defense　of　Tom　Jefferson's　great　Declaration　of　Freedom。　He　said；　'The　choice　is　yours；　but　as　for　me'〃
　　Alvin　knew　the　words；　as　did　every　man；　woman；　and　child　on　the　continent。　Now　the　words　meant　all　the　more　to　him；　and　he　shouted　them　out：　〃'My　American　sword　will　never　shed　a　drop　of　American　blood！'〃
　　〃And　then；　when　most　of　his　army　had　gone　and　joined　the　Appalachee　rebels；　with　their　guns　and　their　powder；　their　wagons　and　their　supplies；　he　ordered　the　senior　officer　of　the　men　loyal　to　the　King　to　arrest　him。　'I　broke　my　oath　to　the　King；'　he　said。　'It　was　for　the　sake　of　a　higher　good；　but　still　I　broke　my　oath；　and　I　will　pay　the　price　for　my　treason。'　He　paid；　yes　sir；　paid　with　a　blade　through　his　neck。　But　how　many　people　outside　the　court　of　the　King　think　it　was　really　treason？〃
　　〃Not　a　one；〃　said　Alvin。
　　〃And　has　the　King　been　able　to　fight　a　single　battle　against　the　Appalachees　since　that　day？〃
　　〃Not　a　one。〃
　　〃Not　a　man　on　that　battlefield　in　Shenandoah　was　a　citizen　of　the　United　States。　Not　a　man　of　them　lived　under　the　American　pact。　And　yet　when　George　Washington　spoke　of　American　swords　and　American　blood；　they　understood　the　name　to　mean　themselves。　Now　tell　me；　Alvin　Junior；　was　old　Ben　wrong　to　say　that　the　greatest　thing　he　ever　made　was　a　single　word？〃
　　Alvin　would　have　answered；　but　right　then　they　stepped　up　onto　the　porch　of　the　house；　and　before　they　could　get　to　the　door；　it　swung　open；　and　Ma　stood　there　looking　down　at　him。　From　the　look　on　her　face；　Alvin　knew　that　he　was　in　trouble　this　time；　and　he　knew　why。
　　〃I　meant　to　go　to　church；　Ma！〃
　　〃Lots　of　dead　people　meant　to　go　to　heaven；〃　she　answered；　〃and　they　didn't　get　there；　neither。〃
　　〃It　was　my　fault；　Goody　Faith；〃　said　T