north america-1-第82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！


nd　the　States；　and　that　any　such　quarrel　must　be　destructive　to　the　cause　of　the　North。　　I　had　never　believed　that　the　States　of　New　England　and　the　Gulf　States　would　again　become　parts　of　one　nation；　but　I　had　thought　that　the　terms　of　separation　would　be　dictated　by　the　North；　and　not　by　the　South。　I　had　felt　assured　that　South　Carolina　and　the　Gulf　States；　across　from　the　Atlantic　to　Texas；　would　succeed　in　forming　themselves　into　a　separate　confederation；　but　I　had　still　hoped　that　Maryland；　Virginia；　Kentucky；　and　Missouri　might　be　saved　to　the　grander　empire　of　the　North；　and　that　thus　a　great　blow　to　slavery　might　be　the　consequence　of　this　civil　war。　　But　such　ascendency　could　only　fall　to　the　North　by　reason　of　their　command　of　the　sea。　　The　Northern　ports　were　all　open；　and　the　Southern　ports　were　all　closed。　　But　if　this　should　be　reversed。　　If　by　England's　action　the　Southern　ports　should　be　opened；　and　the　Northern　ports　closed；　the　North　could　have　no　fair　expectation　of　success。　　The　ascendency　in　that　case　would　all　be　with　the　South。　　Up　to　that　momentthe　Christmas　of　1861Maryland　was　kept　in　subjection　by　the　guns　which　General　Dix　had　planted　over　the　City　of　Baltimore。　Two…thirds　of　Virginia　were　in　active　rebellion；　coerced　originally　into　that　position　by　her　dependence　for　the　sale　of　her　slaves　on　the　cotton　States。　　Kentucky　was　doubtful；　and　divided。　　When　the　Federal　troops　prevailed；　Kentucky　was　loyal；　when　the　Confederate　troops　prevailed；　Kentucky　was　rebellious。　　The　condition　in　Missouri　was　much　the　same。　　These　four　States；　by　two　of　which　the　capital；　with　its　District　of　Columbia；　is　surrounded；　might　be　gained　or　might　be　lost。　　And　these　four　States　are　susceptible　of　white　laboras　much　so　as　Ohio　and　Illinoisare　rich　in　fertility；　and　rich　also　in　all　associations　which　must　be　dear　to　Americans。　　Without　Virginia；　Maryland；　and　Kentucky；　without　the　Potomac；　the　Chesapeake；　and　Mount　Vernon；　the　North　would　indeed　be　shorn　of　its　glory！　　But　it　seemed　to　be　in　the　power　of　the　North　to　say　under　what　terms　secession　should　take　place；　and　where　should　be　the　line。　　A　Senator　from　South　Carolina　could　never　again　sit　in　the　same　chamber　with　one　from　Massachusetts；　but　there　need　be　no　such　bar　against　the　border　States。　　So　much　might　at　any　rate　be　gained；　and　might　stand　hereafter　as　the　product　of　all　that　money　spent　on　600；000　soldiers。　　But　if　the　Northerners　should　now　elect　to　throw　themselves　into　a　quarrel　with　England；　if　in　the　gratification　of　a　shameless　braggadocio　they　should　insist　on　doing　what　they　liked；　not　only　with　their　own；　but　with　the　property　of　all　others　also；　it　certainly　did　seem　as　though　utter　ruin　must　await　their　cause。　　With　England；　or　one　might　say　with　Europe；　against　them；　secession　must　be　accomplished；　not　on　Northern　terms；　but　on　terms　dictated　by　the　South。　　The　choice　was　then　for　them　to　make；　and　just　at　that　time　it　seemed　as　though　they　were　resolved　to　throw　away　every　good　card　out　of　their　hand。　　Such　had　been　the　ministerial　wisdom　of　Mr。　Seward。　　I　remember　hearing　the　matter　discussed　in　easy　terms　by　one　of　the　United　States　Senators。　　〃Remember；　Mr。　Trollope；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃we　don't　want　a　war　with　England。　　If　the　choice　is　given　to　us；　we　had　rather　not　fight　England。　　Fighting　is　a　bad　thing。　　But　remember　this　also；　Mr。　Trollope；　that　if　the　matter　is　pressed　on　us；　we　have　no　great　objection。　　We　had　rather　not；　but　we　don't　care　much　one　way　or　the　other。〃　　What　one　individual　may　say　to　another　is　not　of　much　moment；　but　this　Senator　was　expressing　the　feelings　of　his　constituents；　who　were　the　legislature　of　the　State　from　whence　he　came。　　He　was　expressing　the　general　idea　on　the　subject　of　a　large　body　of　Americans。　　It　was　not　that　he　and　his　State　had　really　no　objection　to　the　war。　Such　a　war　loomed　terribly　large　before　the　minds　of　them　all。　They　know　it　to　be　fraught　with　the　saddest　consequences。　　It　was　so　regarded　in　the　mind　of　that　Senator。　　But　the　braggadocio　could　not　be　omitted。　　Had　be　omitted　it；　he　would　have　been　untrue　to　his　constituency。　When　I　left　Boston　for　Washington；　nothing　was　as　yet　known　of　what　the　English　government　or　the　English　lawyers　might　say。　　This　was　in　the　first　week　in　December；　and　the　expected　voice　from　England　could　not　be　heard　till　the　end　of　the　second　week。　　It　was　a　period　of　great　suspense；　and　of　great　sorrow　also　to　the　more　sober…minded　Americans。　　To　me　the　idea　of　such　a　war　was　terrible。　It　seemed　that　in　these　days　all　the　hopes　of　our　youth　were　being　shattered。　　That　poetic　turning　of　the　sword　into　a　sickle；　which　gladdened　our　hearts　ten　or　twelve　years　since；　had　been　clean　banished　from　men's　minds。　　To　belong　to　a　peace　party　was　to　be　either　a　fanatic；　an　idiot；　or　a　driveler。　　The　arts　of　war　had　become　everything。　　Armstrong　guns；　themselves　indestructible　but　capable　of　destroying　everything　within　sight；　and　most　things　out　of　sight；　were　the　only　recognized　results　of　man's　inventive　faculties。　　To　build　bigger；　stronger；　and　more　ships　than　the　French　was　England's　glory。　　To　hit　a　speck　with　a　rifle　bullet　at　800　yards　distance　was　an　Englishman's　first　duty。　　The　proper　use　for　a　young　man's　leisure　hours　was　the　practice　of　drilling。　　All　this　had　come　upon　us　with　very　quick　steps　since　the　beginning　of　the　Russian　war。　　But　if　fighting　must　needs　be　done；　one　did　not　feel　special　grief　at　fighting　a　Russian。　　That　the　Indian　mutiny　should　be　put　down　was　a　matter　of　course。　　That　those　Chinese　rascals　should　be　forced　into　the　harness　of　civilization　was　a　good　thing。　　That　England　should　be　as　strong　as　Franceor；　perhaps；　if　possible　a　little　strongerrecommended　itself　to　an　Englishman's　mind　as　a　State　necessity。　　But　a　war　with　the　States　of　America！　　In　thinking　of　it　I　began　to　believe　that　the　world　was　going　backward。　　Over　sixty　millions　sterling　of　stockrailway　stock　and　such　likeare　held　in　America　by　Englishmen；　and　the　chances　would　be　that　before　such　a　war　could　be　finished　the　whole　of　that　would　be　confiscated。　　Family　connections　between　the　States　and　the　British　isles　are　almost　as　close　as　between　one　of　those　islands　and　another。　　The　commercial　intercourse　between　the　two　countries　has　given　bread　to　millions　of　Englishmen；　and　a　break　in　it　would　rob　millions　of　their　bread。　　These　people　speak　our　language；　use　our　prayers；　read　our　books；　are　ruled　by　our　laws；　dress　themselves　in　our　image；　are　warm　with　our　blood。　　They　have　all　our　virtues；　and　their　vices　are　our　own　too；　loudly　as　we　call　out　against　them。　　They　are　our　sons　and　our　daughters；　the　source　of　our　greatest　pride；　and　as　we　grow　old　they　should　be　the　staff　of　our　age。　　Such　a　war　as　we　should　now　wage　with　the　States　would　be　an　unloosing　of　hell　upon　all　that　is　best　upon　the　world's　surface。　　If　in　such　a　war　we　beat　the　Americans；　they　with　their　proud　stomachs　would　never　forgive　us。　　If　they　should　be　victors；　we　should　never　forgive　ourselves。　　I　certainly　could　not　bring　myself　to　speak　of　it　with　the　equanimity　of　my　friend　the　Senator。　I　went　through　New　York　to　Philadelphia；　and　made　a　short　visit　to　the　latter　town。　　Philadelphia　seems　to　me　to　have　thrown　off　its　Quaker　garb；　and　to　present　itself　to　the　world　in　the　garments　ordinarily　assumed　by　large　citiesby　which　I　intend　to　express　my　opinion　that　the　Philadelphians　are　not；　in　these　latter　days；　any　better　than　their　neighbors。　　I　am　not　sure　whether　in　some　respects　they　may　not　perhaps　be　worse。　　QuakersQuakers　absolutely　in　the　very　flesh　of　close　bonnets　and　brown　knee…　breechesare　still　to　be　seen　there；　but　they　are　not　numerous；　and　would　not　strike　the　eye　if　one　did　not　specially　look　for　a　Quaker　at　Philadelphia。　　It　is　a　large　town；　with　a　very　large　hotelthere　are　no　doubt　half　a　dozen　large　hotels；　but　one　of　them　is　specially　greatwith　long；　straight　streets；　good　shops　and　markets；　and　decent；　comfortable…looking　houses。　　The　houses　of　Philadelphia　generally　are　not　so　large　as　those　of　other　great　cities　in　the　States。　　They　are　more　modest　than　those　of　New　York；　and　less　commodious　than　those　of　Boston。　　Their　most　striking　appendage　is　the　marble　steps　at　the　front　doors。　　Two　doors；　as　a　rule；　enjoy　one　set　of　steps；　on　the　outer　edges　of　which　there　is　generally　no　parapet　or　raised　curb…stone。　　This；　to　my　eye；　gave　the　houses　an　unfinished　appearanceas　though　the　marble　ran　short；　and　no　further　expenditure　could　be　made。　　The　frost　came　when　I　was　there；　and　then　all　these　steps　were　covered　up　in　wooden　cases。　The　City　of　Philadelphia　lies　between　the　two　rivers；　the　Delaware　and　the　Schuylkill。　　Eight　chief　streets　run　from　river　to　river；　and　twenty…four　principal　cross…streets　bisect　the　eight　at　right　angles。　　The　cross…streets　are　all　called　by　their　numbers。　　In　the　long　streets　the　numbers　of　the　houses　are　not　consecutive；　but　follow　the　numbers　of　the　cross…streets；　so　that　a　person　living　on　Chestnut　Street　between　Tenth　Street　and　Eleventh　Street；　and　ten　doors　from　Tenth　Street；　would　live　at　No。　1010。　　The　opposite　house　would　be　No。　　1011。　　It　thus　follows　that　the　number　of　the　house　indicates　the　exact　block　of　houses　in　which　it　is　situated。　I　do