north america-1-第85章

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　in　all　this　is　the　antagonism　between　United　States　law　and　individual　State　feeling。　　Through　the　whole　proceeding　the　Governor　and　the　State　of　Maryland　seemed　to　have　considered　it　quite　reasonable　to　oppose　the　constitutional　power　of　the　President　and　his　government。　　It　is　argued　in　all　the　speeches　and　written　documents　that　were　produced　in　Maryland　at　the　time；　that　Maryland　was　true　to　the　Union；　and　yet　she　put　herself　in　opposition　to　the　constitutional　military　power　of　the　President。　　Certain　Commissioners　went　from　the　State　legislature　to　Washington　in　May；　and　from　their　report　it　appears　that　the　President　had　expressed　himself　of　opinion　that　Maryland　might　do　this　or　that　〃as　long　as　she　had　not　taken　and　was　not　about　to　take　a　hostile　attitude　to　the　Federal　government！〃　　From　which　we　are　to　gather　that　a　denial　of　that　military　power　given　to　the　President　by　the　Constitution　was　not　considered　as　an　attitude　hostile　to　the　Federal　government。　　At　any　rate；　it　was　direct　disobedience　to　Federal　law。　　I　cannot　but　revert　from　this　to　the　condition　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law。　　Federal　law；　and　indeed　the　original　constitution；　plainly　declare　that　fugitive　slaves　shall　be　given　up　by　the　free…soil　States。　　Massachusetts　proclaims　herself　to　be　specially　a　Federal　law…loving　State。　　But　every　man　in　Massachusetts　knows　that　no　judge；　no　sheriff；　no　magistrate；　no　policeman　in　that　State　would　at　this　time；　or　then；　when　that　civil　war　was　beginning；　have　lent　a　hand　in　any　way　to　the　rendition　of　a　fugitive　slave。　　The　Federal　law　requires　the　State　to　give　up　the　fugitive；　but　the　State　law　does　not　require　judge；　sheriff；　magistrate；　or　policeman　to　engage　in　such　work；　and　no　judge；　sheriff　or　magistrate　will　do　so；　consequently　that　Federal　law　is　dead　in　Massachusetts；　as　it　is　also　in　every　free…soil　State；dead；　except　in　as　much　as　there　was　life　in　it　to　create　ill　blood　as　long　as　the　North　and　South　remained　together；　and　would　be　life　in　it　for　the　same　effect　if　they　should　again　be　brought　under　the　same　flag。　On　the　10th　of　May；　the　Maryland　legislature；　having　received　the　report　of　their　Commissioners　above　mentioned；　passed　the　following　resolution：　〃Whereas；　the　war　against　the　Confederate　States　is　unconstitutional　and　repugnant　to　civilization；　and　will　result　in　a　bloody　and　shameful　overthrow　of　our　constitution；　and　while　recognizing　the　obligations　of　Maryland　to　the　Union；　we　sympathize　with　the　South　in　the　struggle　for　their　rights；　for　the　sake　of　humanity　we　are　for　peace　and　reconciliation；　and　solemnly　protest　against　this　war；　and　will　take　no　part　in　it。　〃RESOLVED；　That　Maryland　implores　the　President；　in　the　name　of　God；　to　cease　this　unholy　war；　at　least　until　Congress　assembles〃　a　period　of　above　six　months。　　〃That　Maryland　desires　and　consents　to　the　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Confederate　States。　The　military　occupation　of　Maryland　is　unconstitutional；　and　she　protests　against　it；　though　the　violent　interference　with　the　transit　of　the　Federal　troops　is　discountenanced。　　That　the　vindication　of　her　rights　be　left　to　time　and　reason；　and　that　a　convention　under　existing　circumstances　is　inexpedient。〃　　From　which　it　is　plain　that　Maryland　would　have　seceded　as　effectually　as　Georgia　seceded；　had　she　not　been　prevented　by　the　interposition　of　Washington　between　her　and　the　Confederate　Statesthe　happy　intervention；　seeing　that　she　has　thus　been　saved　from　becoming　the　battle…ground　of　the　contest。　　But　the　legislature　had　to　pay　for　its　rashness。　　On　the　13th　of　September　thirteen　of　its　members　were　arrested；　as　were　also　two　editors　of　newspapers　presumed　to　be　secessionists。　　A　member　of　Congress　was　also　arrested　at　the　same　time；　and　a　candidate　for　Governor　Hicks's　place；　who　belonged　to　the　secessionist　party。　　Previously；　in　the　last　days　of　June　and　beginning　of　July；　the　chief　of　the　police　at　Baltimore　and　the　members　of　the　Board　of　Police　had　been　arrested　by　General　Banks；　who　then　held　Baltimore　in　his　power。　I　should　be　sorry　to　be　construed　as　saying　that　republican　institutions；　or　what　may　more　properly　be　called　democratic　institutions；　have　been　broken　down　in　the　States　of　America。　　I　am　far　from　thinking　that　they　have　broken　down。　　Taking　them　and　their　work　as　a　whole；　I　think　that　they　have　shown　and　still　show　vitality　of　the　best　order。　　But　the　written　Constitution　of　the　United　States　and　of　the　several　States；　as　bearing　upon　each　other；　are　not　equal　to　the　requirements　made　upon　them。　　That；　I　think；　is　the　conclusion　to　which　a　spectator　should　come。　　It　is　in　that　doctrine　of　finality　that　our　friends　have　broken　downa　doctrine　not　expressed　in　their　constitutions；　and　indeed　expressly　denied　in　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　provides　the　mode　in　which　amendments　shall　be　madebut　appearing　plainly　enough　in　every　word　of　self…gratulation　which　comes　from　them。　Political　finality　has　ever　proved　a　delusionas　has　the　idea　of　finality　in　all　human　institutions。　　I　do　not　doubt　but　that　the　republican　form　of　government　will　remain　and　make　progress　in　North　America；　but　such　prolonged　existence　and　progress　must　be　based　on　an　acknowledgment　of　the　necessity　for　change；　and　must　much　depend　on　the　facilities　for　change　which　shall　be　afforded。　I　have　described　the　condition　of　Baltimore　as　it　was　early　in　May；　1861。　　I　reached　that　city　just　seven　months　later；　and　its　condition　was　considerably　altered。　　There　was　no　question　then　whether　troops　should　pass　through　Baltimore；　or　by　an　awkward　round　through　Annapolis；　or　not　pass　at　all　through　Maryland。　General　Dix；　who　had　succeeded　General　Banks；　was　holding　the　city　in　his　grip；　and　martial　law　prevailed。　　In　such　times　as　those；　it　was　bootless　to　inquire　as　to　that　promise　that　no　troops　should　pass　southward　through　Baltimore。　　What　have　such　assurances　ever　been　worth　in　such　days？　　Baltimore　was　now　a　military　depot　in　the　hands　of　the　Northern　army；　and　General　Dix　was　not　a　man　to　stand　any　trifling。　　He　did　me　the　honor　to　take　me　to　the　top　of　Federal　Hill；　a　suburb　of　the　city；　on　which　he　had　raised　great　earthworks　and　planted　mighty　cannons；　and　built　tents　and　barracks　for　his　soldiery；　and　to　show　me　how　instantaneously　he　could　destroy　the　town　from　his　exalted　position。　　〃This　hill　was　made　for　the　very　purpose；〃　said　General　Dix；　and　no　doubt　he　thought　so。　　Generals；　when　they　have　fine　positions　and　big　guns　and　prostrate　people　lying　under　their　thumbs；　are　inclined　to　think　that　God's　providence　has　specially　ordained　them　and　their　points　of　vantage。　It　is　a　good　thing　in　the　mind　of　a　general　so　circumstanced　that　200；000　men　should　be　made　subject　to　a　dozen　big　guns。　　I　confess　that　to　me；　having　had　no　military　education；　the　matter　appeared　in　a　different　light；　and　I　could　not　work　up　my　enthusiasm　to　a　pitch　which　would　have　been　suitable　to　the　general's　courtesy。　That　hill；　on　which　many　of　the　poor　of　Baltimore　had　lived；　was　desecrated　in　my　eyes　by　those　columbiads。　　The　neat　earth…works　were　ugly；　as　looked　upon　by　me；　and　though　I　regarded　General　Dix　as　energetic；　and　no　doubt　skillful　in　the　work　assigned　to　him；　I　could　not　sympathize　with　his　exultation。　Previously　to　the　days　of　secession　Baltimore　had　been　guarded　by　Fort　McHenry；　which　lies　on　a　spit　of　land　running　out　into　the　bay　just　below　the　town。　　Hither　I　went　with　General　Dix；　and　he　explained　to　me　how　the　cannon　had　heretofore　been　pointed　solely　toward　the　sea；　that；　however；　now　was　all　changed；　and　the　mouths　of　his　bombs　and　great　artillery　were　turned　all　the　other　way。　The　commandant　of　the　fort　was　with　us；　and　other　officers；　and　they　all　spoke　of　this　martial　tenure　as　a　great　blessing。　　Hearing　them；　one　could　hardly　fail　to　suppose　that　they　had　lived　their　forty；　fifty；　or　sixty　years　of　life　in　full　reliance　on　the　powers　of　a　military　despotism。　　But　not　the　less　were　they　American　republicans；　who；　twelve　months　since；　would　have　dilated　on　the　all…sufficiency　of　their　republican　institutions；　and　on　the　absence　of　any　military　restraint　in　their　country；　with　that　peculiar　pride　which　characterizes　the　citizens　of　the　States。　There　are；　however；　some　lessons　which　may　be　learned　with　singular　rapidity！　Such　was　the　state　of　Baltimore　when　I　visited　that　city。　　I　found；　nevertheless；　that　cakes　and　ale　still　prevailed　there。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　cakes　and　ale　prevail　most　freely　in　times　that　are　perilous；　and　when　sources　of　sorrow　abound。　　I　have　seen　more　reckless　joviality　in　a　town　stricken　by　pestilence　than　I　ever　encountered　elsewhere。　　There　was　General　Dix　seated　on　Federal　Hill　with　his　cannon；　and　there；　beneath　his　artillery；　were　gentlemen　hotly　professing　themselves　to　be　secessionists；　men　whose　sons　and　brothers　were　in　the　Southern　army；　and　women；　alas！　whose　brothers　would　be　in　one　army；　and　their　sons　in　another。　That　was　the　part　of　it　which　was　most　heartrending　in　this　border　land。　　In　New　England　and　New　York　men's　minds　at　any　rate　were　bent　all　in　the　same　directionas　doubtless　they　were　also　in　Georgia　and　Alabama。　　But　here　fathers　were　divided　from　sons；　and　mothers　from　daughters。　　Terrible　tales　were　told　of　threats