The Gallic or French-American is less enterprising, yet
sufficiently so for the necessary uses of life. He is more honest and
less speculative; more honorable and less litigious; more sincere with
less pretension; superior to trickery or low intrigue; more open and
less designing; of nobler motives and less hypocrisy; more refined and
less presumptuous, and altogether a man of more chivalrous spirit and
purer aspirations. The Anglo-American commences to succeed, and will
not scruple at the means: he uses any and all within his power, secures
success, and this is called enterprise combined with energy. Moral
considerations are a slight obstacle. They may cause him to hesitate,
but never restrain his action. The maxim is ever present to his mind:
it is honorable and respectable to succeed--dishonorable and
disreputable to fail; it is only folly to yield a bold enterprise to
nice considerations of moral right. If he can avoid the penalties of
the civil law, success obviates those of the moral law. Success is the
balm for every wrong--the passport to every honor.
"His race may be a line of thieves,
His acts may strike the soul with horror;
Yet infamy no soiling leaves--
The rogue to-day's the prince to-morrow.
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