north america-1-第83章

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lows　that　the　number　of　the　house　indicates　the　exact　block　of　houses　in　which　it　is　situated。　I　do　not　like　the　right…angled　building　of　these　towns；　nor　do　I　like　the　sound　of　Twentieth　Street　and　Thirtieth　Street；　but　I　must　acknowledge　that　the　arrangement　in　Philadelphia　has　its　convenience。　　In　New　York　I　found　it　by　no　means　an　easy　thing　to　arrive　at　the　desired　locality。　They　boast　in　Philadelphia　that　they　have　half　a　million　inhabitants。　　If　this　be　taken　as　a　true　calculation；　Philadelphia　is　in　size　the　fourth　city　in　the　worldputting　out　of　the　question　the　cities　of　China；　as　to　which　we　have　heard　so　much　and　believe　so　little。　　But　in　making　this　calculation　the　citizens　include　the　population　of　a　district　on　some　sides　ten　miles　distant　from　Philadelphia。　　It　takes　in　other　towns；　connected　with　it　by　railway　but　separated　by　large　spaces　of　open　country。　American　cities　are　very　proud　of　their　population；　but　if　they　all　counted　in　this　way；　there　would　soon　be　no　rural　population　left　at　all。　　There　is　a　very　fine　bank　at　Philadelphia；　and　Philadelphia　is　a　town　somewhat　celebrated　in　its　banking　history。　My　remarks　here；　however；　apply　simply　to　the　external　building；　and　not　to　its　internal　honesty　and　wisdom；　or　to　its　commercial　credit。　In　Philadelphia　also　stands　the　old　house　of　Congressthe　house　in　which　the　Congress　of　the　United　States　was　held　previous　to　1800；　when　the　government　and　the　Congress　with　it　were　moved　to　the　new　City　of　Washington。　　I　believe；　however；　that　the　first　Congress；　properly　so　called；　was　assembled　at　New　York　in　1789；　the　date　of　the　inauguration　of　the　first　President。　　It　was；　however；　here　in　this　building　at　Philadelphia　that　the　independence　of　the　Union　was　declared　in　1776；　and　that　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　was　framed。　Pennsylvania；　with　Philadelphia　for　its　capital；　was　once　the　leading　State　of　the　Union；　leading　by　a　long　distance。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　it　beat　all　the　other　States　in　population；　but　has　since　been　surpassed　by　New　York　in　all　respectsin　population；　commerce；　wealth；　and　general　activity。　　Of　course　it　is　known　that　Pennsylvania　was　granted　to　William　Penn；　the　Quaker；　by　Charles　II。　　I　cannot　completely　understand　what　was　the　meaning　of　such　grantshow　far　they　implied　absolute　possession　in　the　territory；　or　how　far　they　confirmed　simply　the　power　of　settling　and　governing　a　colony。　　In　this　case　a　very　considerable　property　was　confirmed；　as　the　claim　made　by　Penn's　children；　after　Penn's　death；　was　bought　up　by　the　commonwealth　of　Pennsylvania　for　130；000l。；　which；　in　those　days；　was　a　large　price　for　almost　any　landed　estate　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic。　Pennsylvania　lies　directly　on　the　borders　of　slave　land；　being　immediately　north　of　Maryland。　　Mason　and　Dixon's　line；　of　which　we　hear　so　often；　and　which　was　first　established　as　the　division　between　slave　soil　and　free　soil；　runs　between　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland。　　The　little　State　of　Delaware；　which　lies　between　Maryland　and　the　Atlantic；　is　also　tainted　with　slavery；　but　the　stain　is　not　heavy　nor　indelible。　　In　a　population　of　a　hundred　and　twelve　thousand；　there　are　not　two　thousand　slaves；　and　of　these　the　owners　generally　would　willingly　rid　themselves　if　they　could。　It　is；　however；　a　point　of　honor　with　these　owners；　as　it　is　also　in　Maryland；　not　to　sell　their　slaves；　and　a　man　who　cannot　sell　his　slaves　must　keep　them。　　Were　he　to　enfranchise　them　and　send　them　about　their　business；　they　would　come　back　upon　his　hands。　Were　he　to　enfranchise　them　and　pay　them　wages　for　work；　they　would　get　the　wages；　but　he　would　not　get　the　work。　　They　would　get　the　wages；　but　at　the　end　of　three　months　they　would　still　fall　back　upon　his　hands　in　debt　and　distress；　looking　to　him　for　aid　and　comfort　as　a　child　looks　for　it。　　It　is　not　easy　to　get　rid　of　a　slave　in　a　slave　State。　　That　question　of　enfranchising　slaves　is　not　one　to　be　very　readily　solved。　In　Pennsylvania　the　right　of　voting　is　confined　to　free　white　men。　In　New　York　the　colored　free　men　have　the　right　to　vote；　providing　they　have　a　certain　small　property　qualification；　and　have　been　citizens　for　three　years　in　the　State；　whereas　a　white　man　need　have　been　a　citizen　but　for　ten　days；　and　need　have　no　property　qualificationfrom　which　it　is　seen　that　the　position　of　the　negro　becomes　worse；　or　less　like　that　of　a　white　man；　as　the　border　of　slave　land　is　more　nearly　reached。　　But；　in　the　teeth　of　this　embargo　on　colored　men；　the　constitution　of　Pennsylvania　asserts　broadly　that　all　men　are　born　equally　free　and　independent。　　One　cannot　conceive　how　two　clauses　can　have　found　their　way　into　the　same　document　so　absolutely　contradictory　to　each　other。　　The　first　clause　says　that　white　men　shall　vote；　and　that　black　men　shall　notwhich　means　that　all　political　action　shall　be　confined　to　white　men。　　The　second　clause　says　that　all　men　are　born　equally　free　and　independent。　In　Philadelphia　I　for　the　first　time　came　across　live　secessionistssecessionists　who　pronounced　themselves　to　be　such。　I　will　not　say　that　I　had　met　in　other　cities　men　who　falsely　declared　themselves　true　to　the　Union；　but　I　had　fancied；　in　regard　to　some；　that　their　words　were　a　little　stronger　than　their　feelings。　　When　a　man's　breadand；　much　more；　when　the　bread　of　his　wife　and　childrendepends　on　his　professing　a　certain　line　of　political　conviction；　it　is　very　hard　for　him　to　deny　his　assent　to　the　truth　of　the　argument。　　One　feels　that　a　man；　under　such　circumstances；　is　bound　to　be　convinced；　unless　he　be　in　a　position　which　may　make　a　stanch　adherence　to　opposite　politics　a　matter　of　grave　public　importance。　　In　the　North　I　had　fancied　that　I　could　sometimes　read　a　secessionist　tendency　under　a　cloud　of　Unionist　protestations。　　But　in　Philadelphia　men　did　not　seem　to　think　it　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　such　a　cloud。　　I　generally　found；　in　mixed　society；　that　even　there　the　discussion　of　secession　was　not　permitted；　but　in　society　that　was　not　mixed　I　heard　very　strong　opinions　expressed　on　each　side。　　With　the　Unionists　nothing　was　so　strong　as　the　necessity　of　keeping　of　Slidell　and　Mason；　when　I　suggested　that　the　English　government　would　probably　require　their　surrender；　I　was　talked　down　and　ridiculed。　　〃Never　thatcome　what　may。〃　　Then；　within　half　an　hour；　I　would　be　told　by　a　secessionist　that　England　must　demand　reparation　if　she　meant　to　retain　any　place　among　the　great　nations　of　the　world；　but　he　also　would　declare　that　the　men　would　not　be　surrendered。　　〃She　must　make　the　demand；〃　the　secessionists　would　say；　〃and　then　there　will　be　war；　and　after　that　we　shall　see　whose　ports　will　be　blockaded！〃　　The　Southerner　has　ever　looked　to　England　for　some　breach　of　the　blockade　quite　as　strongly　as　the　North　has　looked　to　England　for　sympathy　and　aid　in　keeping　it。　The　railway　from　Philadelphia　to　Baltimore　passes　along　the　top　of　Chesapeake　Bay　and　across　the　Susquehanna　River；　at　least　the　railway　cars　do　so。　　On　one　side　of　that　river　they　are　run　on　to　a　huge　ferry…boat；　and　are　again　run　off　at　the　other　side。　　Such　an　operation　would　seem　to　be　one　of　difficulty　to　us　under　any　circumstances；　but　as　the　Susquehanna　is　a　tidal　river；　rising　and　falling　a　considerable　number　of　feet；　the　natural　impediment　in　the　way　of　such　an　enterprise　would；　I　think；　have　staggered　us。　We　should　have　built　a　bridge　costing　two　or　three　millions　sterling；　on　which　no　conceivable　amount　of　traffic　would　pay　a　fair　dividend。　　Here；　in　crossing　the　Susquehanna；　the　boat　is　so　constructed　that　its　deck　shall　be　level　with　the　line　of　the　railway　at　half　tide；　so　that　the　inclined　plane　from　the　shore　down　to　the　boat；　or　from　the　shore　up　to　the　boat；　shall　never　exceed　half　the　amount　of　the　rise　or　fall。　　One　would　suppose　that　the　most　intricate　machinery　would　have　been　necessary　for　such　an　arrangement；　but　it　was　all　rough　and　simple；　and　apparently　managed　by　two　negroes。　　We　would　employ　a　small　corps　of　engineers　to　conduct　such　an　operation；　and　men　and　women　would　be　detained　in　their　carriages　under　all　manner　of　threats　as　to　the　peril　of　life　and　limb；　but　here　everybody　was　expected　to　look　out　for　himself。　　The　cars　were　dragged　up　the　inclined　plane　by　a　hawser　attached　to　an　engine；　which　hawser；　had　the　stress　broken　it；　as　I　could　not　but　fancy　probable；　would　have　flown　back　and　cut　to　pieces　a　lot　of　us　who　were　standing　in　front　of　the　car。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　any　such　accident　would　have　caused　very　much　attention。　　Life　and　limbs　are　not　held　to　be　so　precious　here　as　they　are　in　England。　　It　may　be　a　question　whether　with　us　they　are　not　almost　too　precious。　　Regarding　railways　in　America　generally；　as　to　the　relative　safety　of　which；　when　compared　with　our　own；　we　have　not　in　England　a　high　opinion；　I　must　say　that　I　never　saw　any　accident　or　in　any　way　became　conversant　with　one。　　It　is　said　that　large　numbers　of　men　and　women　are　slaughtered　from　time　to　time　on　different　lines；　but　if　it　be　so；　the　newspapers　make　very　light　of　such　cases。　　I　myself　have　seen　no　such　slaughter；　nor　have　I　even　found　myself　in　the　vicinity　of　a　broken　bone。　　Beyond　the　Susquehanna　we　passed　over　a　creek　of　Chesapeake　Bay　on　a　long