north america-2-第17节

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！


　raise　him　in　the　scale　of　human　beingsif　anything　can　so　raise　him　and　make　him　fit　for　freedom。　　The　abolitionists　hold　that　the　negro　is　the　white　man's　equal。　　I　do　not。　　I　see；　or　think　that　I　see；　that　the　negro　is　the　white　man's　inferior　through　laws　of　nature。　　That　he　is　not　mentally　fit　to　cope　with　white　menI　speak　of　the　full…blooded　negroand　that　he　must　fill　a　position　simply　servile。　　But　the　abolitionist　declares　him　to　be　the　white　man's　equal。　　But　yet；　when　he　has　him　at　his　elbow；　he　treats　him　with　a　scorn　which　even　the　negro　can　hardly　endure。　　I　will　give　him　political　equality；　but　not　social　equality；　says　the　abolitionist。　　But　even　in　this　he　is　untrue。　　A　black　man　may　vote　in　New　York；　but　he　cannot　vote　under　the　same　circumstances　as　a　white　man。　　He　is　subjected　to　qualifications　which　in　truth　debar　him　from　the　poll。　　A　white　man　votes　by　manhood　suffrage；　providing　he　has　been　for　one　year　an　inhabitant　of　his　State；　but　a　man　of　color　must　have　been　for　three　years　a　citizen　of　the　State；　and　must　own　a　property　qualification　of　50l。　free　of　debt。　　But　political　equality　is　not　what　such　men　want；　nor　indeed　is　it　social　equality。　　It　is　social　tolerance　and　social　sympathy；　and　these　are　denied　to　the　negro。　　An　American　abolitionist　would　not　sit　at　table　with　a　negro。　　He　might　do　so　in　England　at　the　house　of　an　English　duchess；　but　in　his　own　country　the　proposal　of　such　a　companion　would　be　an　insult　to　him。　　He　will　not　sit　with　him　in　a　public　carriage；　if　he　can　avoid　it。　　In　New　York　I　have　seen　special　street　cars　for　colored　people。　　The　abolitionist　is　struck　with　horror　when　he　thinks　that　a　man　and　a　brother　should　be　a　slave；　but　when　the　man　and　the　brother　has　been　made　free；　he　is　regarded　with　loathing　and　contempt。　　All　this　I　cannot　see　with　equanimity。　　There　is　falsehood　in　it　from　the　beginning　to　the　end。　　The　slave；　as　a　rule；　is　well　treatedgets　all　he　wants　and　almost　all　he　desires。　　The　free　negro；　as　a　rule；　is　ill　treated；　and　does　not　get　that　consideration　which　alone　might　put　him　in　the　worldly　position　for　which　his　advocate　declares　him　to　be　fit。　　It　is　false　throughout；　this　preaching。　The　negro　is　not　the　white　man's　equal　by　nature。　　But　to　the　free　negro　in　the　Northern　States　this　inequality　is　increased　by　the　white　man's　hardness　to　him。　In　a　former　book　which　I　wrote　some　few　years　since；　I　expressed　an　opinion　as　to　the　probable　destiny　of　this　race　in　the　West　Indies。　I　will　not　now　go　over　that　question　again。　　I　then　divided　the　inhabitants　of　those　islands　into　three　classesthe　white；　the　black；　and　the　colored；　taking　a　nomenclature　which　I　found　there　prevailing。　　By　colored　men　I　alluded　to　mulattoes；　and　all　those　of　mixed　European　and　African　blood。　　The　word　〃colored；〃　in　the　States；　seems　to　apply　to　the　whole　negro　race；　whether　full…blooded　or　half…blooded。　　I　allude　to　this　now　because　I　wish　to　explain　that；　in　speaking　of　what　I　conceive　to　be　the　intellectual　inferiority　of　the　negro　race；　I　allude　to　those　of　pure　negro　descentor　of　descent　so　nearly　pure　as　to　make　the　negro　element　manifestly　predominant。　　In　the　West　Indies；　where　I　had　more　opportunity　of　studying　the　subject；　I　always　believed　myself　able　to　tell　a　negro　from　a　colored　man。　　Indeed；　the　classes　are　to　a　great　degree　distinct　there；　the　greater　portion　of　the　retail　trade　of　the　country　being　in　the　hands　of　the　colored　people。　　But　in　the　States　I　have　been　able　to　make　no　such　distinction。　　One　sees　generally　neither　the　rich　yellow　of　the　West　Indian　mulatto　nor　the　deep　oily　black　of　the　West　Indian　negro。　　The　prevailing　hue　is　a　dry；　dingy　brownalmost　dusty　in　its　dryness。　　I　have　observed　but　little　difference　made　between　the　negro　and　the　half…casteand　no　difference　in　the　actual　treatment。　　I　have　never　met　in　American　society　any　man　or　woman　in　whose　veins　there　can　have　been　presumed　to　be　any　taint　of　African　blood。　　In　Jamaica　they　are　daily　to　be　found　in　society。　Every　Englishman　probably　looks　forward　to　the　accomplishment　of　abolition　of　slavery　at　some　future　day。　　I　feel　as　sure　of　it　as　I　do　of　the　final　judgment。　　When　or　how　it　shall　come；　I　will　not　attempt　to　foretell。　　The　mode　which　seems　to　promise　the　surest　success　and　the　least　present　or　future　inconvenience；　would　be　an　edict　enfranchising　all　female　children　born　after　a　certain　date；　and　all　their　children。　　Under　such　an　arrangement　the　negro　population　would　probably　die　out　slowlyvery　slowly。　　What　might　then　be　the　fate　of　the　cotton　fields　of　the　Gulf　States；　who　shall　dare　to　say？　　It　may　be　that　coolies　from　India　and　from　China　will　then　have　taken　the　place　of　the　negro　there；　as　they　probably　will　have　done　also　in　Guiana　and　the　West　Indies。

CHAPTER　IV。　WASHINGTON　TO　ST。　LOUIS。

Though　I　had　felt　Washington　to　be　disagreeable　as　a　city；　yet　I　was　almost　sorry　to　leave　it　when　the　day　of　my　departure　came。　　I　had　allowed　myself　a　month　for　my　sojourn　in　the　capital；　and　I　had　stayed　a　mouth　to　the　day。　　Then　came　the　trouble　of　packing　up；　the　necessity　of　calling　on　a　long　list　of　acquaintances　one　after　another；　the　feeling　that；　bad　as　Washington　might　be；　I　might　be　going　to　places　that　were　worse；　a　conviction　that　I　should　get　beyond　the　reach　of　my　letters；　and　a　sort　of　affection　which　I　had　acquired　for　my　rooms。　　My　landlord；　being　a　colored　man；　told　me　that　he　was　sorry　I　was　going。　　Would　I　not　remain？　　Would　I　come　back　to　him？　　Had　I　been　comfortable？　　Only　for　so　and　so　or　so　and　so；　he　would　have　done　better　for　me。　　No　white　American　citizen；　occupying　the　position　of　landlord；　would　have　condescended　to　such　comfortable　words。　　I　knew　the　man　did　not　in　truth　want　me　to　stay；　as　a　lady　and　gentleman　were　waiting　to　go　in　the　moment　I　went　out；　but　I　did　not　the　less　value　the　assurance。　　One　hungers　and　thirsts　after　such　civil　words　among　American　citizens　of　this　class。　　The　clerks　and　managers　at　hotels；　the　officials　at　railway　stations；　the　cashiers　at　banks；　the　women　in　the　shopsah！　they　are　the　worst　of　all。　　An　American　woman　who　is　bound　by　her　position　to　serve　youwho　is　paid　in　some　shape　to　supply　your　wants；　whether　to　sell　you　a　bit　of　soap　or　bring　you　a　towel　in　your　bed…room　at　a　hotelis；　I　think；　of　all　human　creatures；　the　most　insolent。　　I　certainly　had　a　feeling　of　regret　at　parting　with　my　colored　friend　and　some　regret　also　as　regards　a　few　that　were　white。　As　I　drove　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　through　the　slush　and　mud；　and　saw；　perhaps　for　the　last　time；　those　wretchedly　dirty　horse　sentries　who　had　refused　to　allow　me　to　trot　through　the　streets；　I　almost　wished　that　I　could　see　more　of　them。　　How　absurd　they　looked；　with　a　whole　kit　of　rattletraps　strapped　on　their　horses'　backs　behind　themblankets；　coats；　canteens；　coils　of　rope；　and；　always　at　the　top　of　everything　else；　a　tin　pot！　　No　doubt　these　things　are　all　necessary　to　a　mounted　sentry；　or　they　would　not　have　been　there；　but　it　always　seemed　as　though　the　horse　had　been　loaded　gipsy…fashion；　in　a　manner　that　I　may　perhaps　best　describe　as　higgledy…piggledy；　and　that　there　was　a　want　of　military　precision　in　the　packing。　　The　man　would　have　looked　more　graceful；　and　the　soldier　more　warlike；　had　the　pannikin　been　made　to　assume　some　rigidly　fixed　position　instead　of　dangling　among　the　ropes。　　The　drawn　saber；　too；　never　consorted　well　with　the　dirty　outside　woolen　wrapper　which　generally　hung　loose　from　the　man's　neck。　　Heaven　knows；　I　did　not　begrudge　him　his　comforter　in　that　cold　weather；　or　even　his　long；　uncombed　shock　of　hair；　but　I　think　he　might　have　been　made　more　spruce；　and　I　am　sure　that　he　could　not　have　looked　more　uncomfortable。　　As　I　went；　however；　I　felt　for　him　a　sort　of　affection；　and　wished　in　my　heart　of　hearts　that　he　might　soon　be　enabled　to　return　to　some　more　congenial　employment。　I　went　out　by　the　Capitol；　and　saw　that　also；　as　I　then　believed；　for　the　last　time。　　With　all　its　faults　it　is　a　great　building；　and；　though　unfinished；　is　effective；　its　very　size　and　pretension　give　it　a　certain　majesty。　　What　will　be　the　fate　of　that　vast　pile；　and　of　those　other　costly　public　edifices　at　Washington；　should　the　South　succeed　wholly　in　their　present　enterprise？　　If　Virginia　should　ever　become　a　part　of　the　Southern　republic；　Washington　cannot　remain　the　capital　of　the　Northern　republic。　　In　such　case　it　would　be　almost　better　to　let　Maryland　go　also；　so　that　the　future　destiny　of　that　unfortunate　city　may　not　be　a　source　of　trouble；　and　a　stumbling…block　of　opprobrium。　　Even　if　Virginia　be　saved；　its　position　will　be　most　unfortunate。　I　fancy　that　the　railroads　in　those　days　must　have　been　doing　a　very　prosperous　business。　　From　New　York　to　Philadelphia；　thence　on　to　Baltimore；　and　again　to　Washington；　I　had　found　the　cars　full；　so　full　that　sundry　passengers　could　not　find　seats。　　Now；　on　my　return　to　Baltimore；　they　were　again　crowded。　　The　stations　were　all　crowded。　　Luggage　trains　were　going　in　and　out　as　fast　as　the　rails　could　carry　them。　　Among　the　passengers　almost　half　were　soldiers。　I　presume　that　these　were　men　going　on　furlough；　or　on　special　occasions；　for　the　regiments　were　of　course　not　received　by　ordinary　passenger　trains。　　A