north america-2-第5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！


rceived　that　two　half…dollar　pieces　had　been　givenbut　both　of　them　were　bad。　　I　was　told　also　that　the　absolute　foundation　of　the　edifice　is　badthat　the　ground；　which　is　near　the　river　and　swampy；　would　not　bear　the　weight　intended　to　be　imposed　on　it。　A　sad　and　saddening　spot　was　that　marsh；　as　I　wandered　down　on　it　all　alone　one　Sunday　afternoon。　　The　ground　was　frozen　and　I　could　walk　dry…shod；　but　there　was　not　a　blade　of　grass。　　Around　me　on　all　sides　were　cattle　in　great　numberssteers　and　big　oxenlowing　in　their　hunger　for　a　meal。　　They　were　beef　for　the　army；　and　never　again；　I　suppose；　would　it　be　allowed　to　them　to　fill　their　big　maws　and　chew　the　patient　cud。　　There；　on　the　brown；　ugly；　undrained　field；　within　easy　sight　of　the　President's　house；　stood　the　useless；　shapeless；　graceless　pile　of　stones。　　It　was　as　though　I　were　looking　on　the　genius　of　the　city。　　It　was　vast；　pretentious；　bold；　boastful　with　a　loud　voice；　already　taller　by　many　heads　than　other　obelisks；　but　nevertheless　still　in　its　infancyugly；　unpromising；　and　false。　　The　founder　of　the　monument　had　said；　Here　shall　be　the　obelisk　of　the　world！　and　the　founder　of　the　city　had　thought　of　his　child　somewhat　in　the　same　strain。　　It　is　still　possible　that　both　city　and　monument　shall　be　completed；　but　at　the　present　moment　nobody　seems　to　believe　in　the　one　or　in　the　other。　For　myself；　I　have　much　faith　in　the　American　character；　but　I　cannot　believe　either　in　Washington　City　or　in　the　Washington　Monument。　　The　boast　made　has　been　too　loud；　and　the　fulfillment　yet　accomplished　has　been　too　small！　Have　I　as　yet　said　that　Washington　was　dirty　in　that　winter　of　1861…　62？　　Or；　I　should　rather　ask；　have　I　made　it　understood　that　in　walking　about　Washington　one　waded　as　deep　in　mud　as　one　does　in　floundering　through　an　ordinary　plowed　field　in　November？　　There　were　parts　of　Pennsylvania　Avenue　which　would　have　been　considered　heavy　ground　by　most　hunting…men；　and　through　some　of　the　remoter　streets　none　but　light　weights　could　have　lived　long。　　This　was　the　state　of　the　town　when　I　left　it　in　the　middle　of　January。　　On　my　arrival　in　the　middle　of　December；　everything　was　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　　One　walked　through　an　atmosphere　of　floating　mud；　for　the　dirt　was　ponderous　and　thick；　and　very　palpable　in　its　atoms。　　Then　came　a　severe　frost　and　a　little　snow；　and　if　one　did　not　fall　while　walking；　it　was　very　well。　　After　that　we　had　the　thaw；　and　Washington　assumed　its　normal　winter　condition。　　I　must　say　that；　during　the　whole　of　this　time；　the　atmosphere　was　to　me　exhilarating；　but　I　was　hardly　out　of　the　doctor's　hands　while　I　was　there；　and　he　did　not　support　my　theory　as　to　the　goodness　of　the　air。　　〃It　is　poisoned　by　the　soldiers；〃　he　said；　〃and　everybody　is　ill。〃　　But　then　my　doctor　was；　perhaps；　a　little　tinged　with　Southern　proclivities。　On　the　Virginian　side　of　the　Potomac　stands　a　country…house　called　Arlington　Heights；　from　which　there　is　a　fine　view　down　upon　the　city。　　Arlington　Heights　is　a　beautiful　spothaving　all　the　attractions　of　a　fine　park　in　our　country。　　It　is　covered　with　grand　timber。　　The　ground　is　varied　and　broken；　and　the　private　roads　about　sweep　here　into　a　dell　and　then　up　a　brae　side；　as　roads　should　do　in　such　a　domain。　　Below　it　was　the　Potomac；　and　immediately　on　the　other　side　stands　the　City　of　Washington。　　Any　city　seen　thus　is　graceful；　and　the　white　stones　of　the　big　buildings；　when　the　sun　gleams　on　them；　showing　the　distant　rows　of　columns；　seem　to　tell　something　of　great　endeavor　and　of　achieved　success。　　It　is　the　place　from　whence　Washington　should　be　seen　by　those　who　wish　to　think　well　of　the　present　city　and　of　its　future　prosperity。　　But　is　it　not　the　case　that　every　city　is　beautiful　from　a　distance？　The　house　at　Arlington　Heights　is　picturesque；　but　neither　large　nor　good。　　It　has　before　it　a　high　Greek　colonnade；　which　seems　to　be　almost　bigger　than　the　house　itself。　　Had　such　been　built　in　a　city　and　many　such　a　portico　does　stand　in　cities　through　the　Statesit　would　be　neither　picturesque　nor　graceful；　but　here　it　is　surrounded　by　timber；　and　as　the　columns　are　seen　through　the　trees；　they　gratify　the　eye　rather　than　offend　it。　　The　place　did　belong；　and　as　I　think　does　still　belong；　to　the　family　of　the　Leesif　not　already　confiscated。　　General　Lee；　who　is　or　would　be　the　present　owner；　bears　high　command　in　the　army　of　the　Confederates；　and　knows　well　by　what　tenure　he　holds　or　is　likely　to　hold　his　family　property。　The　family　were　friends　of　General　Washington；　whose　seat；　Mount　Vernon；　stands　about　twelve　miles　lower　down　the　river　and　here；　no　doubt；　Washington　often　stood；　looking　on　the　site　he　had　chosen。　If　his　spirit　could　stand　there　now　and　look　around　upon　the　masses　of　soldiers　by　which　his　capital　is　surrounded；　how　would　it　address　the　city　of　his　hopes？　　When　he　saw　that　every　foot　of　the　neighboring　soil　was　desecrated　by　a　camp；　or　torn　into　loathsome　furrows　of　mud　by　cannon　and　army　wagonsthat　agriculture　was　gone；　and　that　every　effort　both　of　North　and　South　was　concentrated　on　the　art　of　killing；　when　he　saw　that　this　was　done　on　the　very　spot　chosen　by　himself　for　the　center　temple　of　an　everlasting　union；　what　would　he　then　say　as　to　that　boast　made　on　his　behalf　by　his　countrymen；　that　he　was　first　in　war　and　first　in　peace？　　Washington　was　a　great　man；　and　I　believe　a　good　man。　　I；　at　any　rate；　will　not　belittle　him。　　I　think　that　he　had　the　firmness　and　audacity　necessary　for　a　revolutionary　leader；　that　he　had　honesty　to　preserve　him　from　the　temptations　of　ambition　and　ostentation；　and　that　he　had　the　good　sense　to　be　guided　in　civil　matters　by　men　who　had　studied　the　laws　of　social　life　and　the　theories　of　free　government。　　He　was　justus　et　tenax　propositi；　and　in　periods　that　might　well　have　dismayed　a　smaller　man；　he　feared　neither　the　throne　to　which　he　opposed　himself　nor　the　changing　voices　of　the　fellow…　citizens　for　whose　welfare　he　had　fought。　　But　sixty　or　seventy　years　will　not　suffice　to　give　to　a　man　the　fame　of　having　been　first　among　all　men。　　Washington　did　much；　and　I　for　one　do　not　believe　that　his　work　will　perish。　　But　I　have　always　found　it　difficultI　may　say　impossibleto　sound　his　praises　in　his　own　land。　　Let　us　suppose　that　a　courteous　Frenchman　ventures　an　opinion　among　Englishmen　that　Wellington　was　a　great　general；　would　he　feel　disposed　to　go　on　with　his　eulogium　when　encountered　on　two　or　three　sides　at　once　with　such　observations　as　the　following：　　〃I　should　rather　calculate　he　was；　about　the　first　that　ever　did　live　or　ever　will　live。　　Why；　he　whipped　your　Napoleon　everlasting　whenever　he　met　him。　　He　whipped　everybody　out　of　the　field。　　There　warn't　anybody　ever　lived　was　able　to　stand　nigh　him；　and　there　won't　come　any　like　him　again。　　Sir；　I　guess　our　Wellington　never　had　his　likes　on　your　side　of　the　water。　　Such　men　can't　grow　in　a　down…trodden　country　of　slaves　and　paupers。〃　　Under　such　circumstances　the　Frenchman　would　probably　be　shut　up。　　And　when　I　strove　to　speak　of　Washington　I　generally　found　myself　shut　up　also。　Arlington　Heights；　when　I　was　at　Washington；　was　the　headquarters　of　General　McDowell；　the　general　to　whom　is　attributedI　believe　most　wrongfullythe　loss　of　the　battle　of　Bull's　Run。　　The　whole　place　was　then　one　camp。　　The　fences　had　disappeared。　　The　gardens　were　trodden　into　mud。　　The　roads　had　been　cut　to　pieces；　and　new　tracks　made　everywhere　through　the　grounds。　　But　the　timber　still　remained。　Some　no　doubt　had　fallen；　but　enough　stood　for　the　ample　ornamentation　of　the　place。　　I　saw　placards　up；　prohibiting　the　destruction　of　the　trees；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　they　have　been　spared。　　Very　little　in　this　way　has　been　spared　in　the　country　all　around。　Mount　Vernon；　Washington's　own　residence；　stands　close　over　the　Potomac；　about　six　miles　below　Alexandria。　　It　will　be　understood　that　the　capital　is　on　the　eastern；　or　Maryland　side　of　the　river；　and　that　Arlington　Heights；　Alexandria；　and　Mount　Vernon　are　in　Virginia。　　The　River　Potomac　divided　the　two　old　colonies；　or　States　as　they　afterward　became；　but　when　Washington　was　to　be　built；　a　territory；　said　to　be　ten　miles　square；　was　cut　out　of　the　two　States　and　was　called　the　District　of　Columbia。　　The　greater　portion　of　this　district　was　taken　from　Maryland；　and　on　that　the　city　was　built。　　It　comprised　the　pleasant　town　of　Georgetown；　which　is　now　a　suburband　the　only　suburbof　Washington。　　The　portion　of　the　district　on　the　Virginian　side　included　Arlington　heights；　and　went　so　far　down　the　river　as　to　take　in　the　Virginian　City　of　Alexandria。　　This　was　the　extreme　western　point　of　the　district；　but　since　that　arrangement　was　made；　the　State　of　Virginia　petitioned　to　have　their　portion　of　Columbia　back　again；　and　this　petition　was　granted。　　Now　it　is　felt　that　the　land　on　both　sides　of　the　river　should　belong　to　the　city；　and　the　government　is　anxious　to　get　back　the　Virginian　section。　　The　city　and　the　immediate　vicinity　are　freed　from　all　State　allegiance；　and　are　under　the　immediate　rule　of　the　United　States　governmenthaving　of　course　its　own　municipality；　but　the　inhabitants　have　no　political　power；　as　power　is　counted　in　the　States。　　They　vote　for　no　political　officer；　not　ev