发明与发现

John Caldwell Calhoun，1782—1850.This great statesman，and champion of southern rights and opinions，was born in Abbeville District，South Carolina.In the line of both parents，he was of Irish Presbyterian descent.In youth he was very studious，and made the best use of such opportunities for education as the frontier settlement afforded.He graduated at Yale College in 1804，and studied law at Litchfield，Connecticut.In 1808 he was elected to the Legislature of South Carolina；and，three years later，he was chosen to the National House of Representatives.During the six years that he remained in the House，he took an active and prominent part in the stirring events of the time.In 1817 he was appointed Secretary of War，and held the office seven years.From 1825 to 1832 he was Vice President of the United States.He then resigned this office，and took his seat as senator from South Carolina.In 1844 President Tyler called him to his Cabinet as Secretary of State；and，in 1845，he returned to the Senate，where he remained till his death.During all his public life Mr.Calhoun was active and outspoken.His earnestness and logical force commanded the respect of those who differed most widely from him in opinion.He took the most advanced ground in favor of “State Rights，”and defended slavery as neither morally nor politically wrong.His foes generally conceded his honesty，and respected his ability；while his friends regarded him as little less than an oracle.

In private life Mr.Calhoun was highly esteemed and respected.His home was at“Fort Hill，”in the northwestern district of South Carolina；and here he spent all the time he could spare from his public duties，in the enjoyments of domestic life and in cultivating his plantation.In his home he was remarkable for kindness，cheerfulness，and sociability.

To comprehend more fully the force and bearing of public opinion，and to form a just estimate of the changes to which，aided by the press，it will probably lead，politically and socially，it will be necessary to consider it in connection with the causes that have given it an influence so great as to entitle it to be regarded as a new political element.They will，upon investigation，be found in the many discoveries and inventions made in the last few centuries.

All these have led to important results.Through the invention of the mariner's compass，the globe has been circumnavigated and explored；and all who inhabit it，with but few exceptions，are brought within the sphere of an allpervading commerce，which is daily diffusing over its surface the light and blessings of civilization.

Through that of the art of printing，the fruits of observation and reflection，of discoveries and inventions，with all the accumulated stores of previously acquired knowledge，are preserved and widely diffused.The application of gunpowder to the art of war has forever settled the long conflict for ascendency between civilization and barbarism，in favor of the former，and thereby guaranteed that，whatever knowledge is now accumulated，or may hereafter be added，shall never again be lost.

The numerous discoveries and inventions，chemical and mechanical，and the application of steam to machinery，have increased many fold the productive powers of labor and capital，and have thereby greatly increased the number who may devote themselves to study and improvement，and the amount of means necessary for commercial exchanges，especially between the more and the less advanced and civilized portions of the globe，to the great advantage of both，but particularly of the latter.

The application of steam to the purposes of travel and transportation，by land and water，has vastly increased the facility，cheapness，and rapidity of both:diffusing，with them，information and intelligence almost as quickly and as freely as if borne by the winds；while the electrical wires outstrip them in velocity，rivaling in rapidity even thought itself.

The joint effect of all this has been a great increase and diffusion of knowledge；and，with this，an impulse to progress and civilization heretofore unexampled in the history of the world，accompanied by a mental energy and activity unprecedented.

To all these causes，public opinion，and its organ，the press，owe their origin and great influence.Already they have attained a force in the more civilized portions of the globe sufficient to be felt by all governments，even the most absolute and despotic.But，as great as they now are，they have，as yet，attained nothing like their maximum force.It is probable that not one of the causes which have contributed to their formation and influence，has yet produced its full effect；while several of the most powerful have just begun to operate；and many others，probably of equal or even greater force，yet remain to be brought to light.

When the causes now in operation have produced their full effect，and inventions and discoveries shall have been exhausted—if that may ever be—they will give a force to public opinion，and cause changes，political and social，difficult to be anticipated.What will be their final bearing，time only can decide with any certainty.

That they will，however，greatly improve the condition of man ultimately，it would be impious to doubt；it would be to suppose that the all-wise and beneficent Being，the Creator of all，had so constituted man as that the employment of the high intellectual faculties with which He has been pleased to endow him，in order that he might develop the laws that control the great agents of the material world，and make them subservient to his use，would prove to him the cause of permanent evil，and not of permanent good.

译文　TRANSLATION

约翰·考德威尔·卡尔洪（1782—1850），出生于南卡罗来纳州阿比维尔行政区。卡尔洪是位伟大的政治家，他支持“州权”与奴隶制。1804年他毕业于耶鲁大学。他曾历任州议员、众议员、陆军部长、参议员、副总统。在公共生活中，卡尔洪积极、敢言。他的诚挚与清晰的逻辑甚至赢得了与他见解相左的人的尊敬。他大力支持“州权”，为奴隶制辩护，认为其在道德上、政治上都没有错误。他的敌人敬畏他的正直，敬佩他的才干，而他的朋友则将他视为贤哲。

在个人生活中，卡尔洪喜好园艺，以友善、乐观著称。

为更充分地理解舆论的力量和影响，正确估计舆论在新闻媒体帮助下所可能引发的政治和社会变化，有必要考量舆论获得如此大的影响力甚至被视为新的政治元素的诸多起因。而研究表明这些起因就蕴于过去几个世纪的很多发明与发现之中。

这些发明和发现有很多成果。譬如，借由航海罗盘的发明，人们得以环游世界，各地探险；世界上的所有人几无例外都被带入了一个无所不在的商贸世界，这个世界每天都在传播着文明的福祉与光辉。

随着印刷术的发明，观察与思索的果实，发现与发明的结晶，连同历代累积的知识，都得以保存和流布。战争中火药的应用永久性地解决了文明与野蛮间的争斗，让文明战胜了野蛮，并进而保障各类知识不断积累、增益，并不再失去。

化学和机械方面的众多发明与发现，蒸汽在机械上的运用，使劳动与资本的生产力得以数倍提升，从而让更多的人投身研究与革新，并令发达国家与欠发达国家之间以及不同文明区域之间必要的商业交换方式增多——这有益于双方，尤其对欠发达地区尤为如此。

蒸汽应用于陆路与水路交通运输不仅大幅提升了二者的便利性、快捷性，同时还降低了它们的价格。使用蒸汽火车和轮船后，信息传播得几乎像风一样快；而无线电则在速度上又超过了火车和轮船，其快捷性甚至可同思想本身媲美。

所有这些发明形成一种综合效应，大大促进了知识的增长与传播。而其对进步与文明的推动在世界历史上是无与伦比的，相应地，精神能量与心智活动也取得了前所未有的进步。

舆论及新闻这一舆论机构的起源和影响皆归因于这些发明与发现。而舆论与新闻在世界更文明的区域业已成为一种力量，所有政府，甚至最专制、最残暴的政府都充分感知到了这种力量。但是，尽管时下舆论与新闻的力量很大，它们却尚未达到极致。可能的情形是，在促使其形成及发挥影响的诸多肇因中，尚没有哪个一支独大；尽管最为强大的肇因中的几个已在协同作用，但另一些具有相等或更大力量的肇因却还有待发现。

当目前运作的这些肇因都发挥了其全部效应，而发明与发现的能量也得到了充分发掘，那么，它们将赋予舆论一种力量，并引发难以预料的政治与社会变革。这些发明与发现最终将产生怎样的影响，这一问题只有时间能确切地回答。

然而，毋庸置疑，它们将最终极大地改善人类的境况；难以设想，仁慈的全知全能的造物主赐予人类高度的智能，只为他能发现规律操控那些在物质世界中起推动作用的因素，令这些因素臣服于他，而结果却证明那是永恒的恶因而非永恒的善因。