north america-2-第43章

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re；　and　the　roughs　there　are　rougher。　　In　those　early　days　of　secession；　when　the　troops　were　being　first　hurried　down　from　New　England　for　the　protection　of　Washington；　this　mob　was　vehemently　opposed　to　its　progress。　　Men　had　been　taught　to　think　that　the　rights　of　the　State　of　Maryland　were　being　invaded　by　the　passage　of　the　soldiers；　and　they　also　were　undoubtedly　imbued　with　a　strong　prepossession　for　the　Southern　cause。　　The　two　ideas　had　then　gone　together。　　But　the　mob　of　Baltimore　had　ceased　to　be　secessionists　within　twelve　months　of　their　first　exploit。　　In　April；　1861；　they　had　refused　to　allow　Massachusetts　soldiers　to　pass　through　the　town　on　their　way　to　Washington；　and　in　February；　1862；　they　were　nailing　Union　flags　on　the　door…posts　of　those　who　refused　to　display　such　banners　as　signs　of　triumph　at　the　Northern　victories！　That　Maryland　can　ever　go　with　the　South；　even　in　the　event　of　the　South　succeeding　in　secession；　no　Marylander　can　believe。　　It　is　not　pretended　that　there　is　any　struggle　now　going　on　with　such　an　object。　　No　such　result　has　been　expected；　certainly　since　the　possession　of　Washington　was　secured　to　the　North　by　the　army　of　the　Potomac。　　By　few；　I　believe；　was　such　a　result　expected　even　when　Washington　was　insecure。　　And　yet　the　feeling　for　secession　among　a　certain　class　in　Baltimore　is　as　strong　now　as　ever　it　was。　　And　it　is　equally　strong　in　certain　districts　of　the　Statein　those　districts　which　are　most　akin　to　Virginia　in　their　habits；　modes　of　thought；　and　ties　of　friendship。　　These　men；　and　these　women　also；　pray　for　the　South　if　they　be　pious；　give　their　money　to　the　South　if　they　be　generous；　work　for　the　South　if　they　be　industrious；　fight　for　the　South　if　they　be　young；　and　talk　for　the　South　morning；　noon；　and　night；　in　spite　of　General　Dix　and　his　columbiads　on　Federal　Hill。　　It　is　in　vain　to　say　that　such　men　and　women　have　no　strong　feeling　on　the　matter；　and　that　they　are　praying；　working；　fighting；　and　talking　under　dictation。　　Their　hearts　are　in　it。　　And　judging　from　them；　even　though　there　were　no　other　evidence　from　which　to　judge；　I　have　no　doubt　that　a　similar　feeling　is　strong　through　all　the　seceding　States。　　On　this　subject　the　North；　I　think；　deceives　itself　in　supposing　that　the　Southern　rebellion　has　been　carried　on　without　any　strong　feeling　on　the　part　of　the　Southern　people。　　Whether　the　mob　of　Charleston　be　like　the　mob　of　Baltimore　I　cannot　tell；　but　I　have　no　doubt　as　to　the　gentry　of　Charleston　and　the　gentry　of　Baltimore　being　in　accord　on　the　subject。　In　what　way；　then；　when　the　question　has　been　settled　by　the　force　of　arms；　will　these　classes　find　themselves　obliged　to　act？　　In　Virginia　and　Maryland　they　comprise；　as　a　rule；　the　highest　and　best　educated　of　the　people。　　As　to　parts　of　Kentucky　the　same　thing　may　be　said；　and　probably　as　to　the　whole　of　Tennessee。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　this　is　not　as　though　certain　aristocratic　families　in　a　few　English　counties　should　find　themselves　divided　off　from　the　politics　and　national　aspirations　of　their　country…men；　as　was　the　case　long　since　with　reference　to　the　Roman　Catholic　adherents　of　the　Stuarts；　and　as　has　been　the　case　since　then　in　a　lesser　degree　with　the　firmest　of　the　old　Tories　who　had　allowed　themselves　to　be　deceived　by　Sir　Robert　Peel。　　In　each　of　these　cases　the　minority　of　dissentients　was　so　small　that　the　nation　suffered　nothing；　though　individuals　were　all　but　robbed　of　their　nationality。　　but　as　regards　America　it　must　be　remembered　that　each　State　has　in　itself　a　governing　power；　and　is　in　fact　a　separate　people。　　Each　has　its　own　legislature；　and　must　have　its　own　line　of　politics。　The　secessionists　of　Maryland　and　of　Virginia　may　consent　to　live　in　obscurity；　but　if　this　be　so；　who　is　to　rule　in　those　States？　　From　whence　are　to　come　the　senators　and　the　members　of　Congress；　the　governors　and　attorney…generals？　　From　whence　is　to　come　the　national　spirit　of　the　two　States；　and　the　salt　that　shall　preserve　their　political　life？　　I　have　never　believed　that　these　States　would　succeed　in　secession。　　I　have　always　felt　that　they　would　be　held　within　the　Union；　whatever　might　be　their　own　wishes。　　But　I　think　that　they　will　be　so　held　in　a　manner　and　after　a　fashion　that　will　render　any　political　vitality　almost　impossible　till　a　new　generation　shall　have　sprung　up。　　In　the　mean　time　life　goes　on　pleasantly　enough　in　Baltimore；　and　ladies　meet　together；　knitting　stockings　and　sewing　shirts　for　the　Southern　soldiers；　while　the　gentlemen　talk　Southern　politics　and　drink　the　health　of　the　（Southern）　president　in　ambiguous　terms；　as　our　Cavaliers　used　to　drink　the　health　of　the　king。　During　my　second　visit　to　Baltimore　I　went　over　to　Washington　for　a　day　or　two；　and　found　the　capital　still　under　the　empire　of　King　Mud。　　How　the　elite　of　a　nationfor　the　inhabitants　of　Washington　consider　themselves　to　be　the　elitecan　consent　to　live　in　such　a　state　of　thraldom；　a　foreigner　cannot　understand。　　Were　I　to　say　that　it　was　intended　to　be　typical　of　the　condition　of　the　government；　I　might　be　considered　cynical；　but　undoubtedly　the　sloughs　of　despond　which　were　deepest　in　their　despondency　were　to　be　found　in　localities　which　gave　an　appearance　of　truth　to　such　a　surmise。　　The　Secretary　of　State's　office；　in　which　Mr。　Seward　was　still　reigning；　though　with　diminished　glory；　was　divided　from　the　headquarters　of　the　commander…in…chief；　which　are　immediately　opposite　to　it；　by　an　opaque　river　which　admitted　of　no　transit。　These　buildings　stand　at　the　corner　of　President　Square；　and　it　had　been　long　understood　that　any　close　intercourse　between　them　had　not　been　considered　desirable　by　the　occupants　of　the　military　side　of　the　causeway。　　But　the　Secretary　of　State's　office　was　altogether　unapproachable　without　a　long　circuit　and　begrimed　legs。　　The　Secretary　of　War's　department　was；　if　possible；　in　a　worse　condition。　　This　is　situated　on　the　other　side　of　the　President's　house；　and　the　mud　lay；　if　possible；　thicker　in　this　quarter　than　it　did　round　Mr。　Seward's　chambers。　　The　passage　over　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　immediately　in　front　of　the　War　Office；　was　a　thing　not　to　be　attempted　in　those　days。　　Mr。　Cameron；　it　is　true；　had　gone；　and　Mr。　Stanton　was　installed；　but　the　labor　of　cleansing　the　interior　of　that　establishment　had　hitherto　allowed　no　time　for　a　glance　at　the　exterior　dirt；　and　Mr。　Stanton　should；　perhaps；　be　held　as　excused。　　That　the　Navy　Office　should　be　buried　in　mud；　and　quite　debarred　from　approach；　was　to　be　expected。　　The　space　immediately　in　front　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　own　residence　was　still　kept　fairly　clean；　and　I　am　happy　to　be　able　to　give　testimony　to　this　effect。　　Long　may　it　remain　so。　　I　could　not；　however；　but　think　that　an　energetic　and　careful　President　would　have　seen　to　the　removal　of　the　dirt　from　his　own　immediate　neighborhood。　　It　was　something　that　his　own　shoes　should　remain　unpolluted；　but　the　foul　mud　always　clinging　to　the　boots　and　leggings　of　those　by　whom　he　was　daily　surrounded　must；　I　should　think；　have　been　offensive　to　him。　　The　entrance　to　the　Treasury　was　difficult　to　achieve　by　those　who　had　not　learned　by　practice　the　ways　of　the　place；　but　I　must　confess　that　a　tolerably　clear　passage　was　maintained　on　that　side　which　led　immediately　down　to　the　halls　of　Congress。　　Up　at　the　Capitol　the　mud　was　again　triumphant　in　the　front　of　the　building；　this　however　was　not　of　great　importance；　as　the　legislative　chambers　of　the　States　are　always　reached　by　the　back　doors。　　I；　on　this　occasion；　attempted　to　leave　the　building　by　the　grand　entrance；　but　I　soon　became　entangled　among　rivers　of　mud　and　mazes　of　shifting　sand。　With　difficulty　I　recovered　my　steps；　and　finding　my　way　back　to　the　building　was　forced　to　content　myself　by　an　exit　among　the　crowd　of　Senators　and　Representatives　who　were　thronging　down　the　back　stairs。　Of　dirt　of　all　kinds　it　behoves　Washington　and　those　concerned　in　Washington　to　make　themselves　free。　　It　is　the　Augean　stables　through　which　some　American　Hercules　must　turn　a　purifying　river　before　the　American　people　can　justly　boast　either　of　their　capital　or　of　their　government。　　As　to　the　material　mud；　enough　has　been　said。　　The　presence　of　the　army　perhaps　caused　it；　and　the　excessive　quantity　of　rain　which　had　fallen　may　also　be　taken　as　a　fair　plea。　But　what　excuse　shall　we　find　for　that　other　dirt？　　It　also　had　been　caused　by　the　presence　of　the　army；　and　by　that　long…continued　down…　pouring　of　contracts　which　had　fallen　like　Danae's　golden　shower　into　the　laps　of　those　who　understood　how　to　avail　themselves　of　such　heavenly　waters。　　The　leaders　of　the　rebellion　are　hated　in　the　North。　　The　names　of　Jefferson　Davis；　of　Cobb；　Toombs；　and　Floyd　are　mentioned　with　execration　by　the　very　children。　　This　has　sprung　from　a　true　and　noble　feeling；　from　a　patriotic　love　of　national　greatness　and　a　hatred　of　those　who；　for　small　party　purposes；　have　been　willing　to　lessen　the　name　of　the　United　States。　　I　have　reverenced　the　feeling　even　when　I　have　not　shared　it。　　But；　in　addition　to　this；　the　names　of　those　also　should　be　execrated　who　have　robbed　their　country　when　pretending　to　serve　it；　who　have　taken　its　wages　in　the　days　of　its　great　strugg