north america-2-第45节

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irtues　and　vices　of　the　North。　　The　bond　that　ties　them　to　the　North　is　to　them　a　Mezentian　marriage；　and　they　hate　their　Northern　spouses　with　a　Mezentian　hatred。　　They　would　be　anything　sooner　than　citizens　of　the　United　States。　　They　see　to　what　Mexico　has　come；　and　the　republics　of　Central　America；　but　the　prospect　of　even　that　degradation　is　less　bitter　to　them　than　a　share　in　the　glory　of　the　stars　and　stripes。　　Better；　with　them；　to　reign　in　hell　than　serve　in　heaven！　　It　is　not　only　in　politics　that　they　will　be　beaten；　if　they　be　beaten；　as　one　party　with　us　may　be　beaten　by　another；　but　they　will　be　beaten　as　we　should　be　beaten　if　France　annexed　us；　and　directed　that　we　should　live　under　French　rule。　　Let　an　Englishman　digest　and　realize　that　idea；　and　he　will　comprehend　the　feelings　of　a　Southern　gentleman　as　he　contemplates　the　probability　that　his　State　will　be　brought　back　into　the　Union。　　And　the　Northern　feeling　is　as　strong。　　The　Northern　man　has　founded　his　national　ambition　on　the　territorial　greatness　of　his　nation。　　He　has　panted　for　new　lands；　and　for　still　extended　boundaries。　　The　Western　World　has　opened　her　arms　to　him；　and　has　seemed　to　welcome　him　as　her　only　lord。　　British　America　has　tempted　him　toward　the　north；　and　Mexico　has　been　as　a　prey　to　him　on　the　south。　　He　has　made　maps　of　his　empire；　including　all　the　continent；　and　has　preached　the　Monroe　doctrine　as　though　it　had　been　decreed　by　the　gods。　　He　has　told　the　world　of　his　increasing　millions；　and　has　never　yet　known　his　store　to　diminish。　　He　has　pawed　in　the　valley；　and　rejoiced　in　his　strength。　　He　has　said　among　the　trumpets；　ha！　ha！　　He　has　boasted　aloud　in　his　pride；　and　called　on　all　men　to　look　at　his　glory。　　And　now　shall　he　be　divided　and　shorn？　　Shall　he　be　hemmed　in　from　his　ocean；　and　shut　off　from　his　rivers？　　Shall　he　have　a　hook　run　into　his　nostrils；　and　a　thorn　driven　into　his　jaw？　　Shall　men　say　that　his　day　is　over；　when　he　has　hardly　yet　tasted　the　full　cup　of　his　success？　　Has　his　young　life　been　a　dream；　and　not　a　truth？　　Shall　he　never　reach　that　giant　manhood　which　the　growth　of　his　boyish　years　has　promised　him？　　If　the　South　goes　from　him；　he　will　be　divided；　shorn；　and　hemmed　in。　　The　hook　will　have　pierced　his　nose；　and　the　thorn　will　fester　in　his　jaw。　　Men　will　taunt　him　with　his　former　boastings；　and　he　will　awake　to　find　himself　but　a　mortal　among　mortals。　Such　is　the　light　in　which　the　struggle　is　regarded　by　the　two　parties；　and　such　the　hopes　and　feelings　which　have　been　engendered。　It　may　therefore　be　surmised　with　what　amount　of　neighborly　love　secessionists　and　Northern　neighbors　regarded　each　other　in　such　towns　as　Baltimore　and　Washington。　　Of　course　there　was　hatred　of　the　deepest　dye；　of　course　there　were　muttered　curses；　or　curses　which　sometimes　were　not　simply　muttered。　　Of　course　there　was　wretchedness；　heart…burnings；　and　fearful　divisions　in　families。　That；　perhaps；　was　the　worst　of　all。　　The　daughter's　husband　would　be　in　the　Northern　ranks；　while　the　son　was　fighting　in　the　South；　or　two　sons　would　hold　equal　rank　in　the　two　armies；　sometimes　sending　to　each　other　frightful　threats　of　personal　vengeance。　　Old　friends　would　meet　each　other　in　the　street；　passing　without　speaking；　or；　worse　still；　would　utter　words　of　insult　for　which　payment　is　to　be　demanded　when　a　Southern　gentleman　may　again　be　allowed　to　quarrel　in　his　own　defense。　And　yet　society　went　on。　　Women　still　smiled；　and　men　were　happy　to　whom　such　smiles　were　given。　　Cakes　and　ale　were　going；　and　ginger　was　still　hot　in　the　mouth。　　When　many　were　together　no　words　of　unhappiness　were　heard。　　It　was　at　those　small　meetings　of　two　or　three　that　women　would　weep　instead　of　smiling；　and　that　men　would　run　their　hands　through　their　hair　and　sit　in　silence；　thinking　of　their　ruined　hopes　and　divided　children。　I　have　spoken　of　Southern　hopes　and　Northern　fears；　and　have　endeavored　to　explain　the　feelings　of　each　party。　　For　myself　I　think　that　the　Southerners　have　been　wrong　in　their　hopes；　and　that　those　of　the　North　have　been　wrong　in　their　fears。　　It　is　not　better　to　rule　in　hell　than　serve　in　heaven。　　Of　course　a　Southern　gentleman　will　not　admit　the　premises　which　are　here　by　me　taken　for　granted。　　The　hell　to　which　I　allude　is；　the　sad　position　of　a　low　and　debased　nation。　　Such；　I　think；　will　be　the　fate　of　the　Gulf　States；　if　they　succeed　in　obtaining　secessionof　a　low　and　debased　nation；　or；　worse　still；　of　many　low　and　debased　nations。　　They　will　have　lost　their　cotton　monopoly　by　the　competition　created　during　the　period　of　the　war；　and　will　have　no　material　of　greatness　on　which　either　to　found　themselves　or　to　flourish。　　That　they　had　much　to　bear　when　linked　with　the　North；　much　to　endure　on　account　of　that　slavery　from　which　it　was　all　but　impossible　that　they　should　disentangle　themselves；　may　probably　be　true。　　But　so　have　all　political　parties　among　all　free　nations　much　to　bear　from　political　opponents；　and　yet　other　free　nations　do　not　go　to　pieces。　　Had　it　been　possible　that　the　slaveowners　and　slave　properties　should　have　been　scattered　in　parts　through　all　the　States　and　not　congregated　in　the　South；　the　slave　party　would　have　maintained　itself　as　other　parties　do；　but　in　such　case；　as　a　matter　of　course；　it　would　not　have　thought　of　secession。　　It　has　been　the　close　vicinity　of　slaveowners　to　each　other；　the　fact　that　their　lands　have　been　coterminous；　that　theirs　was　especially　a　cotton　district；　which　has　tempted　them　to　secession。　　They　have　been　tempted　to　secession；　and　will；　as　I　think；　still　achieve　it　in　those　Gulf　States；　much　to　their　misfortune。　And　the　fears　of　the　North　are；　I　think；　equally　wrong。　　That　they　will　be　deceived　as　to　that　Monroe　doctrine　is　no　doubt　more　than　probable。　　That　ambition　for　an　entire　continent　under　one　rule　will　not；　I　should　say；　be　gratified。　　But　not　on　that　account　need　the　nation　be　less　great；　or　its　civilization　less　extensive。　　That　hook　in　its　nose　and　that　thorn　in　its　jaw　will；　after　all；　be　but　a　hook　of　the　imagination　and　an　ideal　thorn。　　Do　not　all　great　men　suffer　such　ere　their　greatness　be　established　and　acknowledged？　　There　is　scope　enough　for　all　that　manhood　can　do　between　the　Atlantic　and　the　Pacific；　even　though　those　hot；　swampy　cotton　fields　be　taken　away；　even　though　the　snows　of　the　British　provinces　be　denied　to　them。　　And　as　for　those　rivers　and　that　sea…board；　the　Americans　of　the　North　will　have　lost　much　of　their　old　energy　and　usual　force　of　will　if　any　Southern　confederacy　be　allowed　to　deny　their　right　of　way　or　to　stop　their　commercial　enterprises。　　I　believe　that　the　South　will　be　badly　off　without　the　North；　but　I　feel　certain　that　the　North　will　never　miss　the　South　when　once　the　wounds　to　her　pride　have　been　closed。　From　Washington　I　journeyed　back　to　Boston　through　the　cities　which　I　had　visited　in　coming　thither；　and　stayed　again　on　my　route；　for　a　few　days；　at　Baltimore；　at　Philadelphia；　and　at　New　York。　　At　each　town　there　were　those　whom　I　now　regarded　almost　as　old　friends；　and　as　the　time　of　my　departure　drew　near　I　felt　a　sorrow　that　I　was　not　to　be　allowed　to　stay　longer。　　As　the　general　result　of　my　sojourn　in　the　country；　I　must　declare　that　I　was　always　happy　and　comfortable　in　the　Eastern　cities；　and　generally　unhappy　and　uncomfortable　in　the　West。　　I　had　previously　been　inclined　to　think　that　I　should　like　the　roughness　of　the　West；　and　that　in　the　East　I　should　encounter　an　arrogance　which　would　have　kept　me　always　on　the　verge　of　hot　water；　but　in　both　these　surmises　I　found　myself　to　have　been　wrong。　　And　I　think　that　most　English　travelers　would　come　to　the　same　conclusion。　　The　Western　people　do　not　mean　to　be　harsh　or　uncivil；　but　they　do　not　make　themselves　pleasant。　　In　all　the　Eastern　citiesI　speak　of　the　Eastern　cities　north　of　Washingtona　society　may　be　found　which　must　be　esteemed　as　agreeable　by　Englishmen　who　like　clever；　genial　men；　and　who　love　clever；　pretty　women。　I　was　forced　to　pass　twice　again　over　the　road　between　New　York　and　Boston；　as　the　packet　by　which　I　intended　to　leave　America　was　fixed　to　sail　from　the　former　port。　　I　had　promised　myself；　and　had　promised　others；　that　I　would　spend　in　Boston　the　last　week　of　my　sojourn　in　the　States；　and　this　was　a　promise　which　I　was　by　no　means　inclined　to　break。　　If　there　be　a　gratification　in　this　world　which　has　no　alloy；　it　is　that　of　going　to　an　assured　welcome。　　The　belief　that　arms　and　hearts　are　open　to　receive　oneand　the　arms　and　hearts　of　women；　too；　as　far　as　they　allow　themselves　to　open　themis　the　salt　of　the　earth；　the　sole　remedy　against　sea…　sickness；　the　only　cure　for　the　tedium　of　railways；　the　one　preservative　amid　all　the　miseries　and　fatigue　of　travail。　　These　matters　are　private；　and　should　hardly　be　told　of　in　a　book；　but　in　writing　of　the　States；　I　should　not　do　justice　to　my　own　convictions　of　the　country　if　I　did　not　say　how　pleasantly　social　intercourse　there　will　ripen　into　friendship；　and　how　full　of　love　that　friendship　may　become。　　I　became　enamored　of　Boston　at　last。　　Beacon　Street　was　very　pleasant　to　me；　and　the　view　over　Boston　Common　was　dear　to　my　eyes。　　Even　the　State　House；　with　its　great　yellow…　painted　dome；　became　s