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　The　Southern　or　Democratic　party　of　the　United　States　had；　as　all　men　know；　been　in　power　for　many　years。　　Either　Southern　Presidents　had　been　elected；　or　Northern　Presidents　with　Southern　politics。　The　South　for　many　years　had　had　the　disposition　of　military　matters；　and　the　power　of　distributing　military　appliances　of　all　descriptions。　　It　is　now　alleged　by　the　North　that　a　conspiracy　had　long　been　hatching　in　the　South　with　the　view　of　giving　to　the　Southern　States　the　power　of　secession　whenever　they　might　think　fit　to　secede；　and　it　is　further　alleged　that　President　after　President；　for　years　back；　has　unduly　sent　the　military　treasure　of　the　nation　away　from　the　North　down　to　the　South；　in　order　that　the　South　might　be　prepared　when　the　day　should　come。　　That　a　President　with　Southern　instincts　should　unduly　favor　the　South；　that　he　should　strengthen　the　South；　and　feel　that　arms　and　ammunition　were　stored　there　with　better　effect　than　they　could　be　stored　in　the　North；　is　very　probable。　　We　all　understand　what　is　the　bias　of　a　man's　mind；　and　how　strong　that　bias　may　become　when　the　man　is　not　especially　scrupulous。　　But　I　do　not　believe　that　any　President　previous　to　Buchanan　sent　military　materials　to　the　South　with　the　self…acknowledged　purpose　of　using　them　against　the　Union。　　That　Buchanan　did　so；　or　knowingly　allowed　this　to　be　done；　I　do　believe；　and　I　think　that　Buchanan　was　a　traitor　to　the　country　whose　servant　he　was　and　whose　pay　he　received。　And　now；　having　said　so　much　in　the　way　of　introduction；　I　will　begin　my　journey。

CHAPTER　II。　NEWPORTRHODE　ISLAND。

Wethe　we　consisting　of　my　wife　and　myselfleft　Liverpool　for　Boston　on　the　24th　August；　1861；　in　the　Arabia；　one　of　Cunard's　North　American　mail　packets。　　We　had　determined　that　my　wife　should　return　alone　at　the　beginning　of　winter；　when　I　intended　to　go　to　a　part　of　the　country　in　which；　under　the　existing　circumstances　of　the　war；　a　lady　might　not　feel　herself　altogether　comfortable。　　I　proposed　staying　in　America　over　the　winter；　and　returning　in　the　spring；　and　this　programme　I　have　carried　out　with　sufficient　exactness。　The　Arabia　touched　at　Halifax；　and　as　the　touch　extended　from　11　A。M。　to　6　P。M。　we　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing　a　good　deal　of　that　colony；　not　quite　sufficient　to　justify　me　at　this　critical　age　in　writing　a　chapter　of　travels　in　Nova　Scotia；　but　enough　perhaps　to　warrant　a　paragraph。　　It　chanced　that　a　cousin　of　mine　was　then　in　command　of　the　troops　there；　so　that　we　saw　the　fort　with　all　the　honors。　　A　dinner　on　shore　was；　I　think；　a　greater　treat　to　us　even　than　this。　　We　also　inspected　sundry　specimens　of　the　gold　which　is　now　being　found　for　the　first　time　in　Nova　Scotia；　as　to　the　glory　and　probable　profits　of　which　the　Nova　Scotians　seemed　to　be　fully　alive。　　But　still；　I　think　the　dinner　on　shore　took　rank　with　us　as　the　most　memorable　and　meritorious　of　all　that　we　did　and　saw　at　Halifax。　　At　seven　o'clock　on　the　morning　but　one　after　that　we　were　landed　at　Boston。　At　Boston　I　found　friends　ready　to　receive　us　with　open　arms；　though　they　were　friends　we　had　never　known　before。　　I　own　that　I　felt　myself　burdened　with　much　nervous　anxiety　at　my　first　introduction　to　men　and　women　in　Boston。　　I　knew　what　the　feeling　there　was　with　reference　to　England；　and　I　knew　also　how　impossible　it　is　for　an　Englishman　to　hold　his　tongue　and　submit　to　dispraise　of　England。　　As　for　going　among　a　people　whose　whole　minds　were　filled　with　affairs　of　the　war；　and　saying　nothing　about　the　war；　I　knew　that　no　resolution　to　such　an　effect　could　be　carried　out。　　If　one　could　not　trust　one's　self　to　speak；　one　should　have　stayed　at　home　in　England。　　I　will　here　state　that　I　always　did　speak　out　openly　what　I　thought　and　felt；　and　that　though　I　encountered　very　strongsometimes　almost　fierceopposition；　I　never　was　subjected　to　anything　that　was　personally　disagreeable　to　me。　In　September　we　did　not　stay　above　a　week　in　Boston；　having　been　fairly　driven　out　of　it　by　the　musquitoes。　　I　had　been　told　that　I　should　find　nobody　in　Boston　whom　I　cared　to　see；　as　everybody　was　habitually　out　of　town　during　the　heat　of　the　latter　summer　and　early　autumn；　but　this　was　not　so。　　The　war　and　attendant　turmoils　of　war　had　made　the　season　of　vacation　shorter　than　usual；　and　most　of　those　for　whom　I　asked　were　back　at　their　posts。　　I　know　no　place　at　which　an　Englishman　may　drop　down　suddenly　among　a　pleasanter　circle　of　acquaintance；　or　find　himself　with　a　more　clever　set　of　men；　than　he　can　do　at　Boston。　　I　confess　that　in　this　respect　I　think　that　but　few　towns　are　at　present　more　fortunately　circumstanced　than　the　capital　of　the　Bay　State；　as　Massachusetts　is　called；　and　that　very　few　towns　make　a　better　use　of　their　advantages。　　Boston　has　a　right　to　be　proud　of　what　it　has　done　for　the　world　of　letters。　　It　is　proud；　but　I　have　not　found　that　its　pride　was　carried　too　far。　Boston　is　not　in　itself　a　fine　city；　but　it　is　a　very　pleasant　city。　　They　say　that　the　harbor　is　very　grand　and　very　beautiful。　It　certainly　is　not　so　fine　as　that　of　Portland；　in　a　nautical　point　of　view；　and　as　certainly　it　is　not　as　beautiful。　　It　is　the　entrance　from　the　sea　into　Boston　of　which　people　say　so　much；　but　I　did　not　think　it　quite　worthy　of　all　I　had　heard。　　In　such　matters；　however；　much　depends　on　the　peculiar　light　in　which　scenery　is　seen。　　An　evening　light　is　generally　the　best　for　all　landscapes；　and　I　did　not　see　the　entrance　to　Boston　harbor　by　an　evening　light。　　It　was　not　the　beauty　of　the　harbor　of　which　I　thought　the　most；　but　of　the　tea　which　had　been　sunk　there；　and　of　all　that　came　of　that　successful　speculation。　　Few　towns　now　standing　have　a　right　to　be　more　proud　of　their　antecedents　than　Boston。　But　as　I　have　said；　it　is　not　specially　interesting　to　the　eye；　what　new　town；　or　even　what　simply　adult　town；　can　be　so？　　There　is　an　Atheneum；　and　a　State　Hall；　and　a　fashionable　street；Beacon　Street；　very　like　Piccadilly　as　it　runs　along　the　Green　Park；and　there　is　the　Green　Park　opposite　to　this　Piccadilly；　called　Boston　Common。　　Beacon　Street　and　Boston　Common　are　very　pleasant。　Excellent　houses　there　are；　and　large　churches；　and　enormous　hotels；　but　of　such　things　as　these　a　man　can　write　nothing　that　is　worth　the　reading。　　The　traveler　who　desires　to　tell　his　experience　of　North　America　must　write　of　people　rather　than　of　things。　As　I　have　said；　I　found　myself　instantly　involved　in　discussions　on　American　politics　and　the　bearing　of　England　upon　those　politics。　〃What　do　you　think；　you　in　Englandwhat　do　you　believe　will　be　the　upshot　of　this　war？〃　　That　was　the　question　always　asked　in　those　or　other　words。　　〃Secession；　certainly；〃　I　always　said；　but　not　speaking　quite　with　that　abruptness。　　〃And　you　believe；　then；　that　the　South　will　beat　the　North？〃　　I　explained　that　I　personally　had　never　so　thought；　and　that　I　did　not　believe　that　to　be　the　general　idea。　　Men's　opinions　in　England；　however；　were　too　divided　to　enable　me　to　say　that　there　was　any　prevailing　conviction　on　the　matter。　　My　own　impression　was；　and　is；　that　the　North　will；　in　a　military　point　of　view；　have　the　best　of　the　contestwill　beat　the　South；　but　that　the　Northerners　will　not　prevent　secession；　let　their　success　be　what　it　may。　　Should　the　North　prevail　after　a　two　years'　conflict；　the　North　will　not　admit　the　South　to　an　equal　participation　of　good　things　with　themselves；　even　though　each　separate　rebellious　State　should　return　suppliant；　like　a　prodigal　son；　kneeling　on　the　floor　of　Congress；　each　with　a　separate　rope　of　humiliation　round　its　neck。　　Such　was　my　idea　as　expressed　then；　and　I　do　not　know　that　I　have　since　had　much　cause　to　change　it。　〃We　will　never　give　it　up；〃　one　gentleman　said　to　meand；　indeed；　many　have　said　the　same〃till　the　whole　territory　is　again　united　from　the　Bay　to　the　Gulf。　　It　is　impossible　that　we　should　allow　of　two　nationalities　within　those　limits。〃　　〃And　do　you　think　it　possible；〃　I　asked；　〃that　you　should　receive　back　into　your　bosom　this　people　which　you　now　hate　with　so　deep　a　hatred；　and　receive　them　again　into　your　arms　as　brothers　on　equal　terms？　　Is　it　in　accordance　with　experience　that　a　conquered　people　should　be　so　treated；　and　that；　too；　a　people　whose　every　habit　of　life　is　at　variance　with　the　habits　of　their　presumed　conquerors？　　When　you　have　flogged　them　into　a　return　of　fraternal　affection；　are　they　to　keep　their　slaves　or　are　they　to　abolish　them？〃　　〃No；〃　said　my　friend；　〃it　may　not　be　practicable　to　put　those　rebellious　States　at　once　on　an　equality　with　ourselves。　　For　a　time　they　will　probably　be　treated　as　the　Territories　are　now　treated。〃　　（The　Territories　are　vast　outlying　districts　belonging　to　the　Union；　but　not　as　yet　endowed　with　State　governments　or　a　participation　in　the　United　States　Congress。）　　〃For　a　time　they　must；　perhaps；　lose　their　full　privileges；　but　the　Union　will　be　anxious　to　readmit　them　at　the　earliest　possible　period。〃　　〃And　as　to　the　slaves？〃　I　asked　again。　　〃Let　them　emigrate　to　Liberiaback　to　their　own　country。〃　　I　could　not　say　that　I　thought　much　of　the　solution　of　the　difficulty。　　It　would；　I　suggested；　overtask　even　the　energy　of　America　to　send　out　an　emigration　of　four　million　souls；　to　provide　for　their