马萨诸塞与南卡罗来纳

The eulogium pronounced on the character of the State of South Carolina by the honorable gentleman，for her Revolutionary and other merits，meets my hearty concurrence.I shall not acknowledge that the honorable member goes before me，in regard for whatever of distinguished talent or distinguished character South Carolina has produced.I claim part of the honor；I partake in the pride of her great names.I claim them for countrymen，one and all——the Laurenses，the Rutledges，the Pinckneys，the Sumters，the Marions——Americans all— whose fame is no more to be hemmed in by state lines than their talents and patriotism were capable of being circumscribed within the same narrow limits.

In their day and generation，they served and honored the country，and the whole country，and their renown is of the treasures of the whole country.Him whose honored name the gentleman himself bears，——does he suppose me less capable of gratitude for his patriotism，or sympathy for his suffering，than if his eyes had first opened upon the light in Massachusetts，instead of South Carolina？Sir，does he suppose it in his power to exhibit in Carolina a name so bright as to produce envy in my bosom？No，sir，——increased gratification and delight rather.Sir，I thank God that，if I am gifted with little of the spirit which is said to be able to raise mortals to the skies，I have yet none，as I trust，of that other spirit which would drag angels down.

When I shall be found，sir，in my place here in the Senate，or elsewhere，to sneer at public merit because it happened to spring up beyond the little limits of my own state or neighborhood；when I refuse for any such cause，or for any cause，the homage due to American talent，to elevated patriotism，to sincere devotion to liberty and the country；or if I see an uncommon endowment of Heaven；if I see extraordinary capacity or virtue in any son of the South；and if，moved by local prejudice，or gangrened by state jealousy，I get up here to abate a tithe of a hair from his just character and just fame，may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ！

Mr.President，I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachusetts.She needs none.There she is；behold her，and judge for yourselves.There is her history；the world knows it by heart.The past，at least，is secure.There is Boston，and Concord，and Lexington，and Bunker Hill；and there they will remain forever.And，sir，where American Liberty raised its first voice，and where its youth was nurtured and sustained，there it still lives，in the strength of its manhood，and full of its original spirit.If discord and disunion shall wound it；if party strife and blind ambition shall hawk at and tear it；if folly and madness，if uneasiness under salutary restraint，shall succeed to separate it from that Union，by which alone its existence is made sure，it will stand，in the end，by the side of that cradle in which its infancy was rocked；it will stretch forth its arm，with whatever of vigor it may still retain，over the friends who gathered around it；and it will fall at last，if fall it must，amid the proudest monuments of its glory and on the very spot of its origin.

译文　TRANSLATION

这位可敬的绅士赞颂了南卡罗来纳州的革命精神以及其他优点，于此亦我心有戚戚焉。但对他言下所谓南卡罗来纳州与众不同的品格与才华，我却不敢苟同。我也承继了那份荣光与先贤们的骄傲。我断言他们属于全体国人——劳伦斯、拉特里奇、平克尼、萨姆特、马里昂——他们的声望同他们的才能及爱国情怀一样不为州界所限。

在他们的世代，他们以身许国，为国家——整个国家——带来荣耀，他们的声誉是整个国家的财富。那享有大名的绅士——他会认为如果他在马萨诸塞而不是卡罗来纳看到生命中第一缕光，我就会对他的爱国精神少一丝敬仰，对他遭受的苦难少几许感同生受？先生们，他会以为他展现了一个来自卡罗来纳的光辉的名字就在我心中激起嫉妒吗？不，先生们，相反那只会令我愈发感到满足与欣悦。先生们，感谢上帝，如果我没有多少那种据说能让人升入天庭的精神，那么，我确信自己绝无那种能把天使拖入凡间的品性。

如果在参议院或其他任何地方，有人发现我嘲讽公共美德，只因为它碰巧不在我的州或不在与我相邻的州；如果因为诸如此类原因或任何原因，我不肯对美国才俊、对高尚的爱国精神、对向自由与国家的真诚奉献表示应有的敬意；如果我看到天资卓绝的英杰，看到南方子孙身上展露的超迈群伦的才德，却为乡曲的偏见、地域的妒忌左右，而去贬损他们正直的品格和声望，哪怕一丝一毫，那就让我永远翘舌不下！

总统先生，我无须颂美马萨诸塞。她根本不需要。她就在那里，诸位尽可独立地去审视、去品评她。她的历史就在那里；世人已铭记于心。至少过去不会变易。那里的波士顿、康科德、莱克星顿、邦克山将永存于天壤间。先生们，美国的自由在那里发出第一声怒吼；美国的青春在那里滋养；美国的阳刚之气、独创精神依然在那里发扬光大。如果动荡与分裂会伤害马萨诸塞，如果党争与盲目的野心会让它四分五裂，如果颟顸、疯狂、叛逆让它脱离了维系它存在的联邦，它将站在它的摇篮边，以仅有的活力向周边的友朋求援，而最终它将倒下，倒在它诞生的地方、倒在最骄傲的光荣的纪念碑之间。