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　be　maintained。　　The　hours　of　study　also　were　long；　being　nearly　continuous　throughout　the　day。　　〃English　lads　of　that　age　could　not　do　it；〃　I　said；　thus　confessing　that　English　lads　must　have　in　them　less　power　of　sustained　work　than　those　of　America。　〃They　must　do　it　here；〃　said　my　informant；　〃or　else　leave　us。〃　　And　then　he　took　us　off　to　one　of　the　young　gentlemen's　quarters；　in　order　that　we　might　see　the　nature　of　their　rooms。　　We　found　the　young　gentleman　fast　asleep　on　his　bed；　and　felt　uncommonly　grieved　that　we　should　have　thus　intruded　on　him。　　As　the　hour　was　one　of　those　allocated　by　my　informant　in　the　distribution　of　the　day　to　private　study；　I　could　not　but　take　the　present　occupation　of　the　embryo　warrior　as　an　indication　that　the　amount　of　labor　required　might　be　occasionally　too　much　even　for　an　American　youth。　　〃The　heat　makes　one　so　uncommonly　drowsy；〃　said　the　young　man。　　I　was　not　the　least　surprised　at　the　exclamation。　　The　air　of　the　apartment　had　been　warmed　up　to　such　a　pitch　by　the　hot…pipe　apparatus　of　the　building　that　prolonged　life　to　me　would；　I　should　have　thought；　be　out　of　the　question　in　such　an　atmosphere。　　〃Do　you　always　have　it　as　hot　as　this？〃　I　asked。　　The　young　man　swore　that　it　was　so；　and　with　considerable　energy　expressed　his　opinion　that　all　his　health；　and　spirits；　and　vitality　were　being　baked　out　of　him。　　He　seemed　to　have　a　strong　opinion　on　the　matter；　for　which　I　respected　him；　but　it　had　never　occurred　to　him；　and　did　not　then　occur　to　him；　that　anything　could　be　done　to　moderate　that　deathly　flow　of　hot　air　which　came　up　to　him　from　the　neighboring　infernal　regions。　　He　was　pale　in　the　face；　and　all　the　lads　there　were　pale。　　American　lads　and　lasses　are　all　pale。　　Men　at　thirty　and　women　at　twenty…five　have　had　all　semblance　of　youth　baked　out　of　them。　　Infants　even　are　not　rosy；　and　the　only　shades　known　on　the　cheeks　of　children　are　those　composed　of　brown；　yellow；　and　white。　　All　this　comes　of　those　damnable　hot…air　pipes　with　which　every　tenement　in　America　is　infested。　　〃We　cannot　do　without　them；〃　they　say。　　〃Our　cold　is　so　intense　that　we　must　heat　our　houses　throughout。　　Open　fire…places　in　a　few　rooms　would　not　keep　our　toes　and　fingers　from　the　frost。〃　　There　is　much　in　this。　　The　assertion　is　no　doubt　true；　and　thereby　a　great　difficulty　is　created。　　It　is　no　doubt　quite　within　the　power　of　American　ingenuity　to　moderate　the　heat　of　these　stoves；　and　to　produce　such　an　atmosphere　as　may　be　most　conducive　to　health。　　In　hospitals　no　doubt　this　will　be　done；　perhaps　is　done　at　presentthough　even　in　hospitals　I　have　thought　the　air　hotter　than　it　should　be。　　But　hot…air　drinking　is　like　dram…drinking。　　There　is　the　machine　within　the　house　capable　of　supplying　any　quantity；　and　those　who　consume　it　unconsciously　increase　their　draughts；　and　take　their　drains　stronger　and　stronger；　till　a　breath　of　fresh　air　is　felt　to　be　a　blast　direct　from　Boreas。　West　Point　is　at　all　points　a　military　colony；　and；　as　such；　belongs　exclusively　to　the　Federal　government　as　separate　from　the　government　of　any　individual　State。　　It　is　the　purchased　property　of　the　United　States　as　a　whole；　and　is　devoted　to　the　necessities　of　a　military　college。　　No　man　could　take　a　house　there；　or　succeed　in　getting　even　permanent　lodgings；　unless　he　belonged　to　or　were　employed　by　the　establishment。　　There　is　no　intercourse　by　road　between　West　Point　and　other　towns　or　villages　on　the　river　side；　and　any　such　intercourse　even　by　water　is　looked　upon　with　jealousy　by　the　authorities。　　The　wish　is　that　West　Point　should　be　isolated　and　kept　apart　for　military　instruction　to　the　exclusion　of　all　other　purposes　whateverespecially　love…making　purposes。　　The　coming　over　from　the　other　side　of　the　water　of　young　ladies　by　the　ferry　is　regarded　as　a　great　hinderance。　　They　will　come；　and　then　the　military　students　will　talk　to　them。　　We　all　know　to　what　such　talking　leads！　　A　lad　when　I　was　there　had　been　tempted　to　get　out　of　barracks　in　plain　clothes；　in　order　that　he　might　call　on　a　young　lady　at　the　hotel；　and　was　in　consequence　obliged　to　abandon　his　commission　and　retire　from　the　Academy。　　Will　that　young　lady　ever　again　sleep　quietly　in　her　bed？　　I　should　hope　not。　　An　opinion　was　expressed　to　me　that　there　should　be　no　hotel　in　such　a　placethat　there　should　be　no　ferry；　no　roads；　no　means　by　which　the　attention　of　the　students　should　be　distractedthat　these　military　Rasselases　should　live　in　a　happy　military　valley　from　which　might　be　excluded　both　strong　drinks　and　female　charmsthose　two　poisons　from　which　youthful　military　ardor　is　supposed　to　suffer　so　much。　It　always　seems　to　me　that　such　training　begins　at　the　wrong　end。　I　will　not　say　that　nothing　should　be　done　to　keep　lads　of　eighteen　from　strong　drinks。　　I　will　not　even　say　that　there　should　not　be　some　line　of　moderation　with　reference　to　feminine　allurements。　But；　as　a　rule；　the　restraint　should　come　from　the　sense；　good　feeling；　and　education　of　him　who　is　restrained。　　There　is　no　embargo　on　the　beer…shops　either　at　Harrow　or　at　Oxfordand　certainly　none　upon　the　young　ladies。　　Occasional　damage　may　accrue　from　habits　early　depraved；　or　a　heart　too　early　and　too　easily　susceptible；　but　the　injury　so　done　is　not；　I　think；　equal　to　that　inflicted　by　a　Draconian　code　of　morals；　which　will　probably　be　evaded；　and　will　certainly　create　a　desire　for　its　evasion。　Nevertheless；　I　feel　assured　that　West　Point；　taken　as　a　whole；　is　an　excellent　military　academy；　and　that　young　men　have　gone　forth　from　it；　and　will　go　forth　from　it；　fit　for　officers　as　far　as　training　can　make　men　fit。　　The　fault；　if　fault　there　be；　is　that　which　is　to　be　found　in　so　many　of　the　institutions　of　the　United　States；　and　is　one　so　allied　to　a　virtue；　that　no　foreigner　has　a　right　to　wonder　that　it　is　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　virtue　by　all　Americans。　　There　has　been　an　attempt　to　make　the　place　too　perfect。　　In　the　desire　to　have　the　establishment　self…sufficient　at　all　points；　more　has　been　attempted　than　human　nature　can　achieve。　　The　lad　is　taken　to　West　Point；　and　it　is　presumed　that　from　the　moment　of　his　reception　he　shall　expend　every　energy　of　his　mind　and　body　in　making　himself　a　soldier。　　At　fifteen　he　is　not　to　be　a　boy；　at　twenty　he　is　not　to　be　a　young　man。　　He　is　to　be　a　gentleman；　a　soldier；　and　an　officer。　　I　believe　that　those　who　leave　the　college　for　the　army　are　gentlemen；　soldiers；　and　officers；　and；　therefore；　the　result　is　good。　　But　they　are　also　young　men；　and　it　seems　that　they　have　become　so；　not　in　accordance　with　their　training；　but　in　spite　of　it。　But　I　have　another　complaint　to　make　against　the　authorities　of　West　Point；　which　they　will　not　be　able　to　answer　so　easily　as　that　already　preferred。　　What　right　can　they　have　to　take　the　very　prettiest　spot　on　the　Hudsonthe　prettiest　spot　on　the　continent　one　of　the　prettiest　spots　which　Nature；　with　all　her　vagaries；　ever　formedand　shut　it　up　from　all　the　world　for　purposes　of　war？　Would　not　any　plain；　however　ugly；　do　for　military　exercises？　Cannot　broadsword；　goose…step；　and　double…quick　time　be　instilled　into　young　hands　and　legs　in　any　field　of　thirty；　forty；　or　fifty　acres？　　I　wonder　whether　these　lads　appreciate　the　fact　that　they　are　studying　fourteen　hours　a　day　amid　the　sweetest　river；　rock；　and　mountain　scenery　that　the　imagination　can　conceive。　　Of　course　it　will　be　said；　that　the　world　at　large　is　not　excluded　from　West　Point；　that　the　ferry　to　the　place　is　open；　and　that　there　is　even　a　hotel　there；　closed　against　no　man　or　woman　who　will　consent　to　become　a　teetotaller　for　the　period　of　his　visit。　　I　must　admit　that　this　is　so；　but　still　one　feels　that　one　is　only　admitted　as　a　guest。　　I　want　to　go　and　live　at　West　Point；　and　why　should　I　be　prevented？　　The　government　had　a　right　to　buy　it　of　course；　but　government　should　not　buy　up　the　prettiest　spots　on　a　country's　surface。　　If　I　were　an　American；　I　should　make　a　grievance　of　this；　but　Americans　will　suffer　things　from　their　government　which　no　Englishmen　would　endure。　It　is　one　of　the　peculiarities　of　West　Point　that　everything　there　is　in　good　taste。　　The　point　itself　consists　of　a　bluff　of　land　so　formed　that　the　River　Hudson　is　forced　to　run　round　three　sides　of　it。　　It　is　consequently　a　peninsula；　and　as　the　surrounding　country　is　mountainous　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　it　may　be　imagined　that　the　site　is　good。　　The　views　both　up　and　down　the　river　are　lovely；　and　the　mountains　behind　break　themselves　so　as　to　make　the　landscape　perfect。　　But　this　is　not　all。　　At　West　Point　there　is　much　of　buildings；　much　of　military　arrangement　in　the　way　of　cannons；　forts；　and　artillery　yards。　　All　these　things　are　so　contrived　as　to　group　themselves　well　into　pictures。　　There　is　no　picture　of　architectural　grandeur；　but　everything　stands　well　and　where　it　should　stand；　and　the　eye　is　not　hurt　at　any　spot。　　I　regard　West　Point　as　a　delightful　place；　and　was　much　gratified　by　the　kindness　I　received　there。　From　West　Point　we　went　direct　to　new　York。

CHAPTER　XIII。　AN　APOLOGY　FOR　THE　WAR。

I　think　it　may　be　received　as　a　fact　that　the　Northern　States；　taken　together；　sent　a　full　tenth　of　their　able…bodied　men　into　the　ranks　of　the　army　in　the　c