north america-1-第44章

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ch　passes　through　that　town；　and　because　Buffalo　and　Chicago　are　the　two　spots　which　are　becoming　most　famous　in　the　cereal　history　of　the　Western　States。　Everybody　has　a　map　of　North　America。　　A　reference　to　such　a　map　will　show　the　peculiar　position　of　Chicago。　　It　is　at　the　south　or　head　of　Lake　Michigan；　and　to　it　converge　railways　from　Wisconsin；　Iowa；　Illinois；　and　Indiana。　　At　Chicago　is　found　the　nearest　water　carriage　which　can　be　obtained　for　the　produce　of　a　large　portion　of　these　States。　　From　Chicago　there　is　direct　water　conveyance　round　through　the　lakes　to　Buffalo；　at　the　foot　of　Lake　Erie。　　At　Milwaukee；　higher　up　on　the　lake；　certain　lines　of　railway　come　in；　joining　the　lake　to　the　Upper　Mississippi；　and　to　the　wheat…lands　of　Minnesota。　　Thence　the　passage　is　round　by　Detroit；　which　is　the　port　for　the　produce　of　the　greatest　part　of　Michigan；　and　still　it　all　goes　on　toward　Buffalo。　　Then　on　Lake　Erie　there　are　the　ports　of　Toledo；　Cleveland；　and　Erie。　　At　the　bottom　of　Lake　Erie　there　is　this　city　of　corn；　at　which　the　grain　and　flour　are　transhipped　into　the　canal…boats　and　into　the　railway　cars　for　New　York；　and　there　is　also　the　Welland　Canal；　through　which　large　vessels　pass　from　the　upper　lakes　without　transhipment　of　their　cargo。　I　have　said　above　that　cornmeaning　maize　or　Indian…cornwas　to　be　bought　at　Bloomington；　in　Illinois；　for　ten　cents　（or　five　pence）　a　bushel。　　I　found　this　also　to　be　the　case　at　Dixon；　and　also　that　corn　of　inferior　quality　might　be　bought　for　four　pence；　but　I　found　also　that　it　was　not　worth　the　farmer's　while　to　shell　it　and　sell　it　at　such　prices。　　I　was　assured　that　farmers　were　burning　their　Indian…corn　in　some　places；　finding　it　more　available　to　them　as　fuel　than　it　was　for　the　market。　　The　labor　of　detaching　a　bushel　of　corn　from　the　hulls　or　cobs　is　considerable；　as　is　also　the　task　of　carrying　it　to　market。　　I　have　known　potatoes　in　Ireland　so　cheap　that　they　would　not　pay　for　digging　and　carrying　away　for　purposes　of　sale。　　There　was　then　a　glut　of　potatoes　in　Ireland；　and　in　the　same　way　there　was；　in　the　autumn　of　1861；　a　glut　of　corn　in　the　Western　States。　　The　best　qualities　would　fetch　a　price；　though　still　a　low　price；　but　corn　that　was　not　of　the　best　quality　was　all　but　worthless。　　It　did　for　fuel；　and　was　burned。　　The　fact　was　that　the　produce　had　re…created　itself　quicker　than　mankind　had　multiplied。　　The　ingenuity　of　man　had　not　worked　quick　enough　for　its　disposal。　　The　earth　had　given　forth　her　increase　so　abundantly　that　the　lap　of　created　humanity　could　not　stretch　itself　to　hold　it。　　At　Dixon；　in　1861；　corn　cost　four　pence　a　bushel。　　In　Ireland；　in　1848；　it　was　sold　for　a　penny　a　pound；　a　pound　being　accounted　sufficient　to　sustain　life　for　a　day；　and　we　all　felt　that　at　that　price　food　was　brought　into　the　country　cheaper　than　it　had　ever　been　brought　before。　Dixon　is　not　a　town　of　much　apparent　prosperity。　　It　is　one　of　those　places　at　which　great　beginnings　have　been　made；　but　as　to　which　the　deities　presiding　over　new　towns　have　not　been　propitious。　　Much　of　it　has　been　burned　down；　and　more　of　it　has　never　been　built　up。　　It　had　a　straggling；　ill…conditioned；　uncommercial　aspect；　very　different　from　the　look　of　Detroit；　Milwaukee；　or　St。　Paul。　　There　was；　however；　a　great　hotel　there；　as　usual；　and　a　grand　bridge　over　the　Rock　River；　a　tributary　of　the　Mississippi；　which　runs　by　or　through　the　town。　　I　found　that　life　might　be　maintained　on　very　cheap　terms　at　Dixon。　　To　me；　as　a　passing　traveler；　the　charges　at　the　hotel　were；　I　take　it；　the　same　as　elsewhere。　　But　I　learned　from　an　inmate　there　that　he；　with　his　wife　and　horse；　were　fed　and　cared　for　and　attended；　for　two　dollars　（or　eight　shillings　and　four　pence）　a　day。　　This　included　a　private　sitting…room；　coals；　light；　and　all　the　wants　of　lifeas　my　informant　told　meexcept　tobacco　and　whisky。　　Feeding　at　such　a　house　means　a　succession　of　promiscuous　hot　meals；　as　often　as　the　digestion　of　the　patient　can　face　them。　　Now　I　do　not　know　any　locality　where　a　man　can　keep　himself　and　his　wife；　with　all　material　comforts　and　the　luxury　of　a　horse　and　carriage；　on　cheaper　terms　than　that。　　Whether　or　no　it　might　be　worth　a　man's　while　to　live　at　all　at　such　a　place　as　Dixon；　is　altogether　another　question。　We　went　there　because　it　is　surrounded　by　the　prairie；　and　out　into　the　prairie　we　had　ourselves　driven。　　We　found　some　difficulty　in　getting　away　from　the　corn；　though　we　had　selected　this　spot　as　one　at　which　the　open　rolling　prairie　was　specially　attainable。　　As　long　as　I　could　see　a　corn…field　or　a　tree　I　was　not　satisfied。　Nor；　indeed；　was　I　satisfied　at　last。　　To　have　been　thoroughly　on　the　prairie；　and　in　the　prairie；　I　should　have　been　a　day's　journey　from　tilled　land。　　But　I　doubt　whether　that　could　now　be　done　in　the　State　of　Illinois。　　I　got　out　into　various　patches　and　brought　away　specimens　of　cornears　bearing　sixteen　rows　of　grain；　with　forty　grains　in　each　row；　each　ear　bearing　a　meal　for　a　hungry　man。　At　last　we　did　find　ourselves　on　the　prairie；　amid　the　waving　grass；　with　the　land　rolling　on　before　us　in　a　succession　of　gentle　sweeps；　never　rising　so　as　to　impede　the　view；　or　apparently　changing　in　its　general　level；　but　yet　without　the　monotony　of　flatness。　　We　were　on　the　prairie；　but　still　I　felt　no　satisfaction。　　It　was　private　property；　divided　among　holders　and　pastured　over　by　private　cattle。　　Salisbury　Plain　is　as　wild；　and　Dartmoor　almost　wilder。　　Deer；　they　told　me；　were　to　be　had　within　reach　of　Dixon；　but　for　the　buffalo　one　has　to　go　much　farther　afield　than　Illinois。　　The　farmer　may　rejoice　in　Illinois；　but　the　hunter　and　the　trapper　must　cross　the　big　rivers　and　pass　away　into　the　Western　Territories　before　he　can　find　lands　wild　enough　for　his　purposes。　　My　visit　to　the　corn…fields　of　Illinois　was　in　its　way　successful；　but　I　felt；　as　I　turned　my　face　eastward　toward　Chicago；　that　I　had　no　right　to　boast　that　I　had　as　yet　made　acquaintance　with　a　prairie。　All　minds　were　turned　to　the　war；　at　Dixon　as　elsewhere。　　In　Illinois　the　men　boasted　that；　as　regards　the　war；　they　were　the　leading　State　of　the　union。　　But　the　same　boast　was　made　in　Indiana；　and　also　in　Massachusetts；　and　probably　in　half　the　States　of　the　North　and　West。　　They；　the　Illinoisians；　call　their　country　the　war…nest　of　the　West。　　The　population　of　the　State　is　1；700；000；　and　it　had　undertaken　to　furnish　sixty　volunteer　regiments　of　1000　men　each。　　And　let　it　be　borne　in　mind　that　these　regiments；　when　furnished；　are　really　fullabsolutely　containing　the　thousand　men　when　they　are　sent　away　from　the　parent　States。　The　number　of　souls　above　named　will　give　420；000　working　men；　and　if；　out　of　these；　60；000　are　sent　to　the　war；　the　State；　which　is　almost　purely　agricultural；　will　have　given　more　than　one　man　in　eight。　　When　I　was　in　Illinois；　over　forty　regiments　had　already　been　sentforty…six；　if　I　remember　rightlyand　there　existed　no　doubt　whatever　as　to　the　remaining　number。　　From　the　next　State；　Indiana；　with　a　population　of　1；350；000；　giving　something　less　than　350；000　working　men；　thirty…six　regiments　had　been　sent。　　I　fear　that　I　am　mentioning　these　numbers　usque　ad　nauseam；　but　I　wish　to　impress　upon　English　readers　the　magnitude　of　the　effort　made　by　the　States　in　mustering　and　equipping　an　army　within　six　or　seven　months　of　the　first　acknowledgment　that　such　an　army　would　be　necessary。　　The　Americans　have　complained　bitterly　of　the　want　of　English　sympathy；　and　I　think　they　have　been　weak　in　making　that　complaint。　　But　I　would　not　wish　that　they　should　hereafter　have　the　power　of　complaining　of　a　want　of　English　justice。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　a　genuine　feeling　of　patriotism　was　aroused　throughout　the　North　and　West；　and　that　men　rushed　into　the　ranks　actuated　by　that　feeling；　men　for　whom　war　and　army　life；　a　camp　and　fifteen　dollars　a　month；　would　not　of　themselves　have　had　any　attraction。　　It　came　to　that；　that　young　men　were　ashamed　not　to　go　into　the　army。　　This　feeling　of　course　produced　coercion；　and　the　movement　was　in　that　way　tyrannical。　　There　is　nothing　more　tyrannical　than　a　strong　popular　feeling　among　a　democratic　people。　During　the　period　of　enlistment　this　tyranny　was　very　strong。　　But　the　existence　of　such　a　tyranny　proves　the　passion　and　patriotism　of　the　people。　　It　got　the　better　of　the　love　of　money；　of　the　love　of　children；　and　of　the　love　of　progress。　　Wives　who　with　their　bairns　were　absolutely　dependent　on　their　husbands'　labors；　would　wish　their　husbands　to　be　at　the　war。　　Not　to　conduce；　in　some　special　way；　toward　the　war；　to　have　neither　father　there；　nor　brother　nor　son；　not　to　have　lectured；　or　preached；　or　written　for　the　war；　to　have　made　no　sacrifice　for　the　war；　to　have　had　no　special　and　individual　interest　in　the　war；　was　disgraceful。　　One　sees　at　a　glance　the　tyranny　of　all　this　in　such　a　country　as　the　States。　　One　can　understand　how　quickly　adverse　stories　would　spread　themselves　as　to　the　opinion　of　any　man　who　chose　to　remain　tranquil　at　such　a　time。　　One　shudders　at　the　absolute　absence　of　true　liberty　which　such　a　passion　throughout　a　democratic　country　must　engender。　　But　he　who　has　observed　all　this　must　acknowledge　that　that　passion　did　exist。