north america-2-第42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！


of　his　tobacco　in　an　ornamental　utensil　which　may　probably　be　placed　in　the　farthest　corner　of　the　hall。　　But　during　all　this　time　he　is　happy。　It　does　not　fret　him　to　sit　there　and　think　and　do　nothing。　　He　is　by　no　means　an　idle　manprobably　one　much　given　to　commercial　enterprise。　　Idle　men　out　there　in　the　West　we　may　say　there　are　none。　　How　should　any　idle　man　live　in　such　a　country？　　All　who　were　sitting　hour　after　hour　in　that　circle　round　the　stove　of　the　Crestline　Hotel　hallsitting　there　hour　after　hour　in　silence；　as　I　could　not　sitwere　men　who　earned　their　bread　by　labor。　　They　were　farmers；　mechanics；　storekeepers；　there　was　a　lawyer　or　two；　and　one　clergyman。　　Sufficient　conversation　took　place　at　first　to　indicate　the　professions　of　many　of　them。　　One　may　conclude　that　there　could　not　be　place　there　for　an　idle　man。　　But　they　all　of　them　had　a　capacity　for　a　prolonged　state　of　doing　nothing　which　is　to　me　unintelligible；　and　which　is　by　me　very　much　to　be　envied。　　They　are　patient　as　cows　which　from　hour　to　hour　lie　on　the　grass　chewing　their　cud。　　An　Englishman；　if　he　be　kept　waiting　by　a　train　in　some　forlorn　station　in　which　he　can　find　no　employment；　curses　his　fate　and　all　that　has　led　to　his　present　misfortune　with　an　energy　which　tells　the　story　of　his　deep　and　thorough　misery。　　Such；　I　confess；　is　my　state　of　existence　under　such　circumstances。　　But　a　Western　American　gives　himself　up　to　〃loafing；〃　and　is　quite　happy。　　He　balances　himself　on　the　back　legs　of　an　arm…chair；　and　remains　so；　without　speaking；　drinking　or　smoking　for　an　hour　at　a　stretch；　and　while　he　is　doing　so　he　looks　as　though　he　had　all　that　he　desired。　I　believe　that　he　is　happy；　and　that　he　has　all　that　he　wants　for　such　an　occasionan　arm…chair　in　which　to　sit；　and　a　stove　on　which　he　can　put　his　feet　and　by　which　he　can　make　himself　warm。　Such　was　not　the　phase　of　character　which　I　had　expected　to　find　among　the　people　of　the　West。　　Of　all　virtues　patience　would　have　been　the　last　which　I　should　have　thought　of　attributing　to　them。　　I　should　have　expected　to　see　them　angry　when　robbed　of　their　time；　and　irritable　under　the　stress　of　such　grievances　as　railway　delays；　but　they　are　never　irritable　under　such　circumstances　as　I　have　attempted　to　describe；　nor；　indeed；　are　they　a　people　prone　to　irritation　under　any　grievances。　　Even　in　political　matters　they　are　long…enduring；　and　do　not　form　themselves　into　mobs　for　the　expression　of　hot　opinion。　　We　in　England　thought　that　masses　of　the　people　would　rise　in　anger　if　Mr。　Lincoln's　government　should　consent　to　give　up　Slidell　and　Mason；　but　the　people　bore　it　without　any　rising。　　The　habeas　corpus　has　been　suspended；　the　liberty　of　the　press　has　been　destroyed　for　a　time；　the　telegraph　wires　have　been　taken　up　by　the　government　into　their　own　hands；　but　nevertheless　the　people　have　said　nothing。　　There　has　been　no　rising　of　a　mob；　and　not　even　an　expression　of　an　adverse　opinion。　　The　people　require　to　be　allowed　to　vote　periodically；　and；　having　acquired　that　privilege；　permit　other　matters　to　go　by　the　board。　In　this　respect　we　have；　I　think；　in　some　degree　misunderstood　their　character。　　They　have　all　been　taught　to　reverence　the　nature　of　that　form　of　government　under　which　they　live；　but　they　are　not　specially　addicted　to　hot　political　fermentation。　　They　have　learned　to　understand　that　democratic　institutions　have　given　them　liberty；　and　on　that　subject　they　entertain　a　strong　conviction　which　is　universal。　　But　they　have　not　habitually　interested　themselves　deeply　in　the　doings　of　their　legislators　or　of　their　government。　On　the　subject　of　slavery　there　have　been　and　are　different　opinions；　held　with　great　tenacity　and　maintained　occasionally　with　violence；　but　on　other　subjects　of　daily　policy　the　American　people　have　not；　I　think；　been　eager　politicians。　　Leading　men　in　public　life　have　been　much　less　trammeled　by　popular　will　than　among　us。　Indeed　with　us　the　most　conspicuous　of　our　statesmen　and　legislators　do　not　lead；　but　are　led。　　In　the　States　the　noted　politicians　of　the　day　have　been　the　leaders；　and　not　unfrequently　the　coercers　of　opinion。　　Seeing　this；　I　claim　for　England　a　broader　freedom　in　political　matters　than　the　States　have　as　yet　achieved。　　In　speaking　of　the　American　form　of　government；　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　more　clearly　the　ideas　which　I　have　come　to　hold　on　this　matter。　I　survived　my　delay　at　Seymour；　after　which　I　passed　again　through　Cincinnati；　and　then　survived　my　subsequent　delay　at　Crestline。　　As　to　Cincinnati；　I　must　put　on　record　the　result　of　a　country　walk　which　I　took　there；　or　rather　on　which　I　was　taken　by　my　friend。　　He　professed　to　know　the　beauties　of　the　neighborhood　and　to　be　well　acquainted　with　all　that　was　attractive　in　its　vicinity。　　Cincinnati　is　built　on　the　Ohio；　and　is　closely　surrounded　by　picturesque　hills　which　overhang　the　suburbs　of　the　city。　　Over　these　I　was　taken；　plowing　my　way　through　a　depth　of　mud　which　cannot　be　understood　by　any　ordinary　Englishman。　　But　the　depth　of　mud　was　not　the　only　impediment　nor　the　worst　which　we　encountered。　　As　we　began　to　ascend　from　the　level　of　the　outskirts　of　the　town　we　were　greeted　by　a　rising　flavor　in　the　air；　which　soon　grew　into　a　strong　odor；　and　at　last　developed　itself　into　a　stench　that　surpassed　in　offensiveness　anything　that　my　nose　had　ever　hitherto　suffered。　When　we　were　at　the　worst　we　hardly　knew　whether　to　descend　or　to　proceed。　　It　had　so　increased　in　virulence　that　at　one　time　I　felt　sure　that　it　arose　from　some　matter　buried　in　the　ground　beneath　my　feet。　　But　my　friend；　who　declared　himself　to　be　quite　at　home　in　Cincinnati　matters；　and　to　understand　the　details　of　the　great　Cincinnati　trade；　declared　against　this　opinion　of　mine。　　Hogs；　he　said；　were　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　It　was　the　odor　of　hogs　going　up　to　the　Ohio　heavensof　hogs　in　a　state　of　transit　from　hoggish　nature　to　clothes…brushes；　saddles；　sausages；　and　lard。　　He　spoke　with　an　authority　that　constrained　belief；　but　I　can　never　forgive　him　in　that　he　took　me　over　those　hills；　knowing　all　that　he　professed　to　know。　　Let　the　visitors　to　Cincinnati　keep　themselves　within　the　city；　and　not　wander　forth　among　the　mountains。　　It　is　well　that　the　odor　of　hogs　should　ascend　to　heaven　and　not　hang　heavy　over　the　streets；　but　it　is　not　well　to　intercept　that　odor　in　its　ascent。　My　friend　became　ill　with　fever；　and　had　to　betake　himself　to　the　care　of　nursing　friends；　so　that　I　parted　company　with　him　at　Cincinnati。　　I　did　not　tell　him　that　his　illness　was　deserved　as　well　as　natural；　but　such　was　my　feeling　on　the　matter。　　I　myself　happily　escaped　the　evil　consequences　which　his　imprudence　might　have　entailed　on　me。　I　again　passed　through　Pittsburg；　and　over　the　Alleghany　Mountains　by　Altoona；　and　down　to　Baltimoreback　into　civilization；　secession；　conversation；　and　gastronomy。　　I　never　had　secessionist　sympathies　and　never　expressed　them。　　I　always　believed　in　the　North　as　a　peoplediscrediting；　however；　to　the　utmost　the　existing　Northern　government；　or；　as　I　should　more　properly　say；　the　existing　Northern　cabinet；　but　nevertheless；　with　such　feelings　and　such　belief　I　found　myself　very　happy　at　Baltimore。　　Putting　aside　Bostonwhich　must；　I　think；　be　generally　preferred　by　Englishmen　to　any　other　city　in　the　StatesI　should　choose　Baltimore　as　my　residence　if　I　were　called　upon　to　live　in　America。　　I　am　not　led　to　this；　if　I　know　myself；　solely　by　the　canvas…back　ducks；　and　as　to　the　terrapins；　I　throw　them　to　the　winds。　　The　madeira；　which　is　still　kept　there　with　a　reverence　which　I　should　call　superstitious　were　it　not　that　its　free　circulation　among　outside　worshipers　prohibits　the　just　use　of　such　a　word；　may　have　something　to　do　with　it；　as　may　also　the　beauty　of　the　womento　some　small　extent。　Trifles　do　bear　upon　our　happiness　in　a　manner　that　we　do　not　ourselves　understand　and　of　which　we　are　unconscious。　　But　there　was　an　English　look　about　the　streets　and　houses　which　I　think　had　as　much　to　do　with　it　as　either　the　wine；　the　women；　or　the　ducks；　and　it　seemed　to　me　as　though　the　manners　of　the　people　of　Maryland　were　more　English　than　those　of　other　Americans。　　I　do　not　say　that　they　were　on　this　account　better。　　My　English　hat　is；　I　am　well　aware；　less　graceful；　and　I　believe　less　comfortable；　than　a　Turkish　fez　and　turban；　nevertheless　I　prefer　my　English　hat。　　New　York　I　regard　as　the　most　thoroughly　American　of　all　American　cities。　　It　is　by　no　means　the　one　in　which　I　should　find　myself　the　happiest；　but　I　do　not　on　that　account　condemn　it。　I　have　said　that　in　returning　to　Baltimore　I　found　myself　among　secessionists。　　In　so　saying　I　intend　to　speak　of　a　certain　set　whose　influence　depends　perhaps　more　on　their　wealth；　position；　and　education　than　on　their　numbers。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　population　of　the　city　was　then　in　favor　of　secession；　even　if　it　had　ever　been　so。　　I　believe　that　the　mob　of　Baltimore　is　probably　the　roughest　mob　in　the　Statesis　more　akin　to　a　Paris　mob；　and　I　may　perhaps　also　say　to　a　Manchester　mob；　than　that　of　any　other　American　city。　There　are　more　roughs　in　Baltimore　than　elsewhere；　and　the　roughs　there　are　rougher。　　In　those　early　days　of　secession；　when　the　troops　were　being