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of　Sir　Edmund　Androsshad　endeavored　to　take　away　their　charters。　　So　they　also　put　out　the　lights；　and　took　themselves　to　an　oak…tree　of　their　ownwhich　is　still　standing；　though　winds　from　the　infernal　regions　are　now　battering　its　branches。　　Long　may　it　stand！　Whether　the　mother　country　did　or　did　not　infringe　the　charters　she　had　given；　I　will　not　here　inquire。　　As　to　the　nature　of　those　alleged　infringements；　are　they　not　written　down　to　the　number　of　twenty…seven　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence？　　They　mostly　begin　with　He。　　〃He〃　has　done　this；　and　〃He〃　has　done　that。　　The　〃He〃　is　poor　George　III。；　whose　twenty…seven　mortal　sins　against　his　Transatlantic　colonies　are　thus　recapitulated。　　It　would　avail　nothing　to　argue　now　whether　those　deeds　were　sins　or　virtues；　nor　would　it　have　availed　then。　　The　child　had　grown　up　and　was　strong；　and　chose　to　go　alone　into　the　world。　　The　young　bird　was　fledged；　and　flew　away。　　Poor　George　III。　with　his　cackling　was　certainly　not　efficacious　in　restraining　such　a　flight。　　But　it　is　gratifying　to　see　how　this　new　people；　when　they　had　it　in　their　power　to　change　all　their　laws；　to　throw　themselves　upon　any　Utopian　theory　that　the　folly　of　a　wild　philanthropy　could　devise；　to　discard　as　abominable　every　vestige　of　English　rule　and　English　power；it　is　gratifying　to　see　that；　when　they　could　have　done　all　this；　they　did　not　do　so；　but　preferred　to　cling　to　things　English。　　Their　old　colonial　limits　were　still　to　be　the　borders　of　their　States。　Their　old　charters　were　still　to　be　regarded　as　the　sources　from　whence　their　State　powers　had　come。　　The　old　laws　were　to　remain　in　force。　　The　precedents　of　the　English　courts　were　to　be　held　as　legal　precedents　in　the　courts　of　the　new　nation；　and　are　now　so　held。　　It　was　still　to　be　England；　but　England　without　a　king　making　his　last　struggle　for　political　power。　　This　was　the　idea　of　the　people　and　this　was　their　feeling；　and　that　idea　has　been　carried　out　and　that　feeling　has　remained。　In　the　constitution　of　the　State　of　New　York　nothing　is　said　about　the　religion　of　the　people。　　It　was　regarded　as　a　subject　with　which　the　constitution　had　no　concern　whatever。　　But　as　soon　as　we　come　among　the　stricter　people　of　New　England；　we　find　that　the　constitution…makers　have　not　been　able　absolutely　to　ignore　the　subject。　　In　Connecticut　it　is　enjoined　that；　as　it　is　the　duty　of　all　men　to　worship　the　Supreme　Being；　and　their　right　to　render　that　worship　in　the　mode　most　consistent　with　their　consciences；　no　person　shall　be　by　law　compelled　to　join　or　be　classed　with　any　religious　association。　　The　line　of　argument　is　hardly　logical；　the　conclusion　not　being　in　accordance　with　or　hanging　on　the　first　of　the　two　premises。　　But　nevertheless　the　meaning　is　clear。　　In　a　free　country　no　man　shall　be　made　to　worship　after　any　special　fashion；　but　it　is　decreed　by　the　constitution　that　every　man　is　bound　by　duty　to　worship　after　some　fashion。　　The　article　then　goes　on　to　say　how　they　who　do　worship　are　to　be　taxed　for　the　support　of　their　peculiar　church。　　I　am　not　quite　clear　whether　the　New　Yorkers　have　not　managed　this　difficulty　with　greater　success。　When　we　come　to　the　Old　Bay　Stateto　Massachusettswe　find　the　Christian　religion　spoken　of　in　the　constitution　as　that　which　in　some　one　of　its　forms　should　receive　the　adherence　of　every　good　citizen。　Hartford　is　a　pleasant　little　town；　with　English…looking　houses；　and　an　English…looking　country　around　it。　　Here；　as　everywhere　through　the　States；　one　is　struck　by　the　size　and　comfort　of　the　residences。　　I　sojourned　there　at　the　house　of　a　friend；　and　could　find　no　limit　to　the　number　of　spacious　sitting…rooms　which　it　contained。　　The　modest　dining…room　and　drawing…room　which　suffice　with　us　for　men　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　a　year　would　be　regarded　as　very　mean　accommodation　by　persons　of　similar　incomes　in　the　States。　I　found　that　Hartford　was　all　alive　with　trade；　and　that　wages　were　high；　because　there　are　there　two　factories　for　the　manufacture　of　arms。　　Colt's　pistols　come　from　Hartford；　as　also　do　Sharpe's　rifles。　　Wherever　arms　can　be　prepared；　or　gunpowder；　where　clothes　or　blankets　fit　for　soldiers　can　be　made；　or　tents　or　standards；　or　things　appertaining　in　any　way　to　warfare；　there　trade　was　still　brisk。　　No　being　is　more　costly　in　his　requirements　than　a　soldier；　and　no　soldier　so　costly　as　the　American。　　He　must　eat　and　drink　of　the　best；　and　have　good　boots　and　warm　bedding；　and　good　shelter。　There　were　during　the　Christmas　of　1861　above　half　a　million　of　soldiers　so　to　be　providedthe　President；　in　his　message　made　in　December　to　Congress；　declared　the　number　to　be　above　six　hundred　thousandand　therefore　in　such　places　as　Hartford　trade　was　very　brisk。　　I　went　over　the　rifle　factory；　and　was　shown　everything；　but　I　do　not　know　that　I　brought　away　much　with　me　that　was　worth　any　reader's　attention。　　The　best　of　rifles；　I　have　no　doubt；　were　being　made　with　the　greatest　rapidity；　and　all　were　sent　to　the　army　as　soon　as　finished。　　I　saw　some　murderous…looking　weapons；　with　swords　attached　to　them　instead　of　bayonets；　but　have　since　been　told　by　soldiers　that　the　old…fashioned　bayonet　is　thought　to　be　more　serviceable。　Immediately　on　my　arrival　in　Boston　I　heard　that　Mr。　Emerson　was　going　to　lecture　at　the　Tremont　Hall　on　the　subject　of　the　war；　and　I　resolved　to　go　and　hear　him。　　I　was　acquainted　with　Mr。　Emerson；　and　by　reputation　knew　him　well。　　Among　us　in　England　he　is　regarded　as　transcendental　and　perhaps　even　as　mystic　in　his　philosophy。　　His　〃Representative　Men〃　is　the　work　by　which　he　is　best　known　on　our　side　of　the　water；　and　I　have　heard　some　readers　declare　that　they　could　not　quite　understand　Mr。　Emerson's　〃Representative　Men。〃　　For　myself；　I　confess　that　I　had　broken　down　over　some　portions　of　that　book。　　Since　I　had　become　acquainted　with　him　I　had　read　others　of　his　writings；　especially　his　book　on　England；　and　had　found　that　he　improved　greatly　on　acquaintance。　　I　think　that　he　has　confined　his　mysticism　to　the　book　above　named。　In　conversation　he　is　very　clear；　and　by　no　means　above　the　small　practical　things　of　the　world。　　He　would；　I　fancy；　know　as　well　what　interest　he　ought　to　receive　for　his　money　as　though　he　were　no　philosopher；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　if　he　held　land　he　would　make　his　hay　while　the　sun　shone；　as　might　any　common　farmer。　Before　I　had　met　Mr。　Emerson；　when　my　idea　of　him　was　formed　simply　on　the　〃Representative　Men；〃　I　should　have　thought　that　a　lecture　from　him　on　the　war　would　have　taken　his　hearers　all　among　the　clouds。　　As　it　was；　I　still　had　my　doubts；　and　was　inclined　to　fear　that　a　subject　which　could　only　be　handled　usefully　at　such　a　time　before　a　large　audience　by　a　combination　of　common　sense；　high　principles；　and　eloquence；　would　hardly　be　safe　in　Mr。　Emerson's　hands。　　I　did　not　doubt　the　high　principles；　but　feared　much　that　there　would　be　a　lack　of　common　sense。　　So　many　have　talked　on　that　subject；　and　have　shown　so　great　a　lack　of　common　sense！　　As　to　the　eloquence；　that　might　be　there　or　might　not。　Mr。　Emerson　is　a　Massachusetts　man；　very　well　known　in　Boston；　and　a　great　crowd　was　collected　to　hear　him。　　I　suppose　there　were　some　three　thousand　persons　in　the　room。　　I　confess　that　when　he　took　his　place　before　us　my　prejudices　were　against　him。　　The　matter　in　hand　required　no　philosophy。　　It　required　common　sense；　and　the　very　best　of　common　sense。　　It　demanded　that　he　should　be　impassioned；　for　of　what　interest　can　any　address　be　on　a　matter　of　public　politics　without　passion？　　But　it　demanded　that　the　passion　should　be　winnowed；　and　free　from　all　rodomontade。　　I　fancied　what　might　be　said　on　such　a　subject　as　to　that　overlauded　star…spangled　banner；　and　how　the　star…spangled　flag　would　look　when　wrapped　in　a　mist　of　mystic　Platonism。　But　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　there　was　nothing　mysticno　Platonism；　and；　if　I　remember　rightly；　the　star…spangled　banner　was　altogether　omitted。　　To　the　national　eagle　he　did　allude。　　〃Your　American　eagle；〃　he　said；　〃is　very　well。　　Protect　it　here　and　abroad。　　But　beware　of　the　American　peacock。〃　　He　gave　an　account　of　the　war　from　the　beginning；　showing　how　it　had　arisen；　and　how　it　had　been　conducted；　and　he　did　so　with　admirable　simplicity　and　truth。　　He　thought　the　North　were　right　about　the　war；　and　as　I　thought　so　also；　I　was　not　called　upon　to　disagree　with　him。　　He　was　terse　and　perspicuous　in　his　sentences；　practical　in　his　advice；　and；　above　all　things；　true　in　what　he　said　to　his　audience　of　themselves。　　They　who　know　America　will　understand　how　hard　it　is　for　a　public　man　in　the　States　to　practice　such　truth　in　his　addresses。　　Fluid　compliments　and　high…flown　national　eulogium　are　expected。　　In　this　instance　none　were　forthcoming。　　The　North　had　risen　with　patriotism　to　make　this　effort；　and　it　was　now　warned　that　in　doing　so　it　was　simply　doing　its　national　duty。　　And　then　came　the　subject　of　slavery。　　I　had　been　told　that　Mr。　Emerson　was　an　abolitionist；　and　knew　that　I　must　disagree　with　him　on　that　head；　if　on　no　other。　　To　me　it　has　always　seemed　that　to　mix　up　the　question　of　general　abolition　with　this　war　must　be　the　work　of　a　man　too　ignorant　to　understand　the　real　subject　of　the　war