north america-1-第25章

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oint　also　to　Maryland　and　Baltimore；　declaring　that　secession　would　be　as　strong　there　as　at　New　Orleans；　if　secession　were　practicable。　　Maryland　and　Baltimore　lie　behind　Washington；　and　are　under　the　heels　of　the　Northern　troops；　so　that　secession　is　not　practicable；　but　the　South　would　say　that　they　have　seceded　in　heart。　　In　this　the　South　would　have　some　show　of　reason　for　its　assertion；　but　nevertheless　I　shall　best　convey　a　true　idea　of　the　position　of　these　States　by　classing　them　as　doubtful。　　When　secession　shall　have　been　accomplishedif　ever　it　be　accomplished　it　will　hardly　be　possible　that　they　should　adhere　to　the　South。　It　will　be　seen　by　the　foregoing　tables　that　the　population　of　the　West　is　nearly　equal　to　that　of　the　North；　and　that　therefore　Western　power　is　almost　as　great　as　Northern。　　It　is　almost　as　great　already；　and　as　population　in　the　West　increases　faster　than　it　does　in　the　North；　the　two　will　soon　be　equalized。　　They　are　already　sufficiently　on　a　par　to　enable　them　to　fight　on　equal　terms；　and　they　will　be　prepared　for　fightingpolitical　fighting；　if　no　otheras　soon　as　they　have　established　their　supremacy　over　a　common　enemy。　While　I　am　on　the　subject　of　population　I　should　explainthough　the　point　is　not　one　which　concerns　the　present　argumentthat　the　numbers　given；　as　they　regard　the　South；　include　both　the　whites　and　the　blacks；　the　free　men　and　the　slaves。　　The　political　power　of　the　South　is　of　course　in　the　hands　of　the　white　race　only；　and　the　total　white　population　should　therefore　be　taken　as　the　number　indicating　the　Southern　power。　　The　political　power　of　the　South；　however；　as　contrasted　with　that　of　the　North；　has；　since　the　commencement　of　the　Union；　been　much　increased　by　the　slave　population。　　The　slaves　have　been　taken　into　account　in　determining　the　number　of　representatives　which　should　be　sent　to　Congress　by　each　State。　　That　number　depends　on　the　population　but　it　was　decided　in　l787　that　in　counting　up　the　number　of　representatives　to　which　each　State　should　be　held　to　be　entitled；　five　slaves　should　represent　three　white　men。　　A　Southern　population；　therefore；　of　five　thousand　free　men　and　five　thousand　slaves　would　claim　as　many　representatives　as　a　Northern　population　of　eight　thousand　free　men；　although　the　voting　would　be　confined　to　the　free　population。　　This　has　ever　since　been　the　law　of　the　United　States。　The　Western　power　is　nearly　equal　to　that　of　the　North；　and　this　fact；　somewhat　exaggerated　in　terms；　is　a　frequent　boast　in　the　mouths　of　Western　men。　　〃We　ran　Fremont　for　President；〃　they　say；　〃and　had　it　not　been　for　Northern　men　with　Southern　principles；　we　should　have　put　him　in　the　White　House　instead　of　the　traitor　Buchanan。　　If　that　had　been　done　there　would　have　been　no　secession。〃　　How　things　might　have　gone　had　Fremont　been　elected　in　lieu　of　Buchanan；　I　will　not　pretend　to　say；　but　the　nature　of　the　argument　shows　the　difference　that　exists　between　Northern　and　Western　feeling。　　At　the　time　that　I　was　in　the　West；　General　Fremont　was　the　great　topic　of　public　interest。　　Every　newspaper　was　discussing　his　conduct；　his　ability　as　a　soldier；　his　energy；　and　his　fate。　　At　that　time　General　McClellan　was　in　command　at　Washington　on　the　Potomac；　it　being　understood　that　he　held　his　power　directly　under　the　President；　free　from　the　exercise　of　control　on　the　part　of　the　veteran　General　Scott；　though　at　that　time　General　Scott　had　not　actually　resigned　his　position　as　head　of　the　army。　　And　General　Fremont；　who　some　five　years　before　had　been　〃run〃　for　President　by　the　Western　States；　held　another　command　of　nearly　equal　independence　in　Missouri。　　He　had　been　put　over　General　Lyon　in　the　Western　command；　and　directly　after　this　General　Lyon　had　fallen　in　battle　at　Springfield；　in　the　first　action　in　which　the　opposing　armies　were　engaged　in　the　West。　General　Fremont　at　once　proceeded　to　carry　matters　with　a　very　high　hand；　On　the　30th　of　August；　1861；　he　issued　a　proclamation　by　which　he　declared　martial　law　at　St。　Louis；　the　city　at　which　he　held　his　headquarters；　and　indeed　throughout　the　State　of　Missouri　generally。　　In　this　proclamation　he　declared　his　intention　of　exercising　a　severity　beyond　that　ever　threatened；　as　I　believe；　in　modern　warfare。　　He　defines　the　region　presumed　to　be　held　by　his　army　of　occupation；　drawing　his　lines　across　the　State；　and　then　declares　〃that　all　persons　who　shall　be　taken　with　arms　in　their　hands　within　those　lines　shall　be　tried　by　court…martial；　and　if　found　guilty　will　be　shot。〃　　He　then　goes　on　to　say　that　he　will　confiscate　all　the　property　of　persons　in　the　State　who　shall　have　taken　up　arms　against　the　Union；　or　shall　have　taken　part　with　the　enemies　of　the　Union；　and　that　he　will　make　free　all　slaves　belonging　to　such　persons。　　This　proclamation　was　not　approved　at　Washington；　and　was　modified　by　the　order　of　the　President。　　It　was　understood　also　that　he　issued　orders　for　military　expenditure　which　were　not　recognized　at　Washington；　and　men　began　to　understand　that　the　army　in　the　West　was　gradually　assuming　that　irresponsible　military　position　which；　in　disturbed　countries　and　in　times　of　civil　war；　has　so　frequently　resulted　in　a　military　dictatorship。　　Then　there　arose　a　clamor　for　the　removal　of　General　Fremont。　　A　semi…official　account　of　his　proceedings；　which　had　reached　Washington　from　an　officer　under　his　command；　was　made　public；　and　also　the　correspondence　which　took　place　on　the　subject　between　the　President　and　General　Fremont's　wife。　　The　officer　in　question　was　thereupon　placed　under　arrest；　but　immediately　released　by　orders　from　Washington。　　He　then　made　official　complaint　of　his　general；　sending　forward　a　list　of　charges；　in　which　Fremont　was　accused　of　rashness；　incompetency；　want　of　fidelity　of　the　interests　of　the　government；　and　disobedience　to　orders　from　headquarters。　　After　awhile　the　Secretary　of　War　himself　proceeded　from　Washington　to　the　quarters　of　General　Fremont　at　St。　Louis；　and　remained　there　for　a　day　or　two　making；　or　pretending　to　make；　inquiry　into　the　matter。　　But　when　he　returned　he　left　the　General　still　in　command。　　During　the　whole　month　of　October　the　papers　were　occupied　in　declaring　in　the　morning　that　General　Fremont　had　been　recalled　from　his　command；　and　in　the　evening　that　he　was　to　remain。　　In　the　mean　time　they　who　befriended　his　cause；　and　this　included　the　whole　West；　were　hoping　from　day　to　day　that　he　would　settle　the　matter　for　himself　and　silence　his　accusers；　by　some　great　military　success。　　General　Price　held　the　command　opposed　to　him；　and　men　said　that　Fremont　would　sweep　General　Price　and　his　army　down　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　into　the　sea。　　But　General　Price　would　not　be　so　swept；　and　it　began　to　appear　that　a　guerrilla　warfare　would　prevail；　that　General　Price；　if　driven　southward；　would　reappear　behind　the　backs　of　his　pursuers；　and　that　General　Fremont　would　not　accomplish　all　that　was　expected　of　him　with　that　rapidity　for　which　his　friends　had　given　him　credit。　　So　the　newspapers　still　went　on　waging　the　war；　and　every　morning　General　Fremont　was　recalled；　and　every　evening　they　who　had　recalled　him　were　shown　up　as　having　known　nothing　of　the　matter。　〃Never　mind；　he　is　a　pioneer　man；　and　will　do　a'most　anything　he　puts　his　hand　to；〃　his　friends　in　the　West　still　said。　　〃He　understands　the　frontier。〃　　Understanding　the　frontier　is　a　great　thing　in　Western　America；　across　which　the　vanguard　of　civilization　continues　to　march　on　in　advance　from　year　to　year。　　〃And　it's　he　that　is　bound　to　sweep　slavery　from　off　the　face　of　this　continent。　He's　the　man；　and　he's　about　the　only　man。〃　　I　am　not　qualified　to　write　the　life　of　General　Fremont；　and　can　at　present　only　make　this　slight　reference　to　the　details　of　his　romantic　career。　　That　it　has　been　full　of　romance；　and　that　the　man　himself　is　endued　with　a　singular　energy；　and　a　high；　romantic　idea　of　what　may　be　done　by　power　and　will；　there　is　no　doubt。　　Five　times　he　has　crossed　the　Continent　of　North　America　from　Missouri　to　Oregon　and　California；　enduring　great　hardships　in　the　service　of　advancing　civilization　and　knowledge。　　That　he　has　considerable　talent；　immense　energy；　and　strong　self…confidence；　I　believe。　　He　is　a　frontier　manone　of　those　who　care　nothing　for　danger；　and　who　would　dare　anything　with　the　hope　of　accomplishing　a　great　career。　But　I　have　never　heard　that　he　has　shown　any　practical　knowledge　of　high　military　matters。　　It　may　be　doubted　whether　a　man　of　this　stamp　is　well　fitted　to　hold　the　command　of　a　nation's　army　for　great　national　purposes。　　May　it　not　even　be　presumed　that　a　man　of　this　class　is　of　all　men　the　least　fitted　for　such　a　work？　　The　officer　required　should　be　a　man　with　two　specialtiesa　specialty　for　military　tactics　and　a　specialty　for　national　duty。　　The　army　in　the　West　was　far　removed　from　headquarters　in　Washington；　and　it　was　peculiarly　desirable　that　the　general　commanding　it　should　be　one　possessing　a　strong　idea　of　obedience　to　the　control　of　his　own　government。　　Those　frontier　capabilitiesthat　self…dependent　energy　for　which　his　friends　gave　Fremont；　and　probably　justly　gave　him；　such　unlimited　creditare　exactly　the　qualities　which　are　most　dangerous　in　such　a　position。　I　have　endeavored　to　explain　the　circumstances　of　the　Western　command　in　Missouri　as　they　existed　at　the　time　when　I　was　in　the　Northwestern　States；　in　order　that　the　double　action　of　the　North　and　West　may　be　understood。　　I；　of　course；　was　not　in　the　secret　of　any　official　persons；　but　I　could　not　but　feel　sure　that　the　government　in　Washington　would　have　been　glad　to　have　removed　Fremont　at　once　from　the　command；　had　they　not　feared　that　by　so　doing　they　would　have　created　a　schism；　as　it　were；　in　their　own　camp；　and　have　done　much　to　break　up　the　integrity　or　oneness　of　Northern　loyalty。　　The　Western　people　almost　to　a　man　desired　abolition。　　The　States　there　were　sending　out　their　tens　of　thousands　of　young　men　into　the　army　with　a　prodigality　as　to　their　only　source　of　wealth　which　they　hardly　recognized　themselves；　because　this　to　them　was　a　fight　against　slavery。　　The　Western　population　has　been　increased　to　a　wonderful　degree　by　a　German　infusionso　much　so　that　the　Western　towns　appear　to　have　been　peopled　with　Germans。　　I　found　regiments　of　volunteers　consisting　wholly　of　Germans。　　And　the　Germans　are　all　abolitionists。　　To　all　the　men　of　the　West　the　name　of　Fremont　is　dear。　　He　is　their　hero　and　their　Hercules。　　He　is　to　cleanse　the　stables　of　the　Southern　king；　and　turn　the　waters　of　emancipation　through　the　foul　stalls　of　slavery。　　And　therefore；　though　the　Cabinet　in　Washington　would　have　been　glad　for　many　reasons　to　have　removed　Fremont　in　October　last；　it　was　at　first　scared　from　committing　itself　to　so　strong　a　measure。　　At　last；　however；　the　charges　made　against　him　were　too　fully　substantiated　to　allow　of　their　being　set　on　one　side；　and　early　in　November；　1861；　he　was　superseded。　　I　shall　be　obliged　to　allude　again　to　General　Fremont's　career　as　I　go　on　with　my　narrative。　At　this　time　the　North　was　looking　for　a　victory　on　the　Potomac；　but　they　were　no　longer　looking　for　it　with　that　impatience　which　in　the　summer　had　led　to　the　disgrace　at　Bull's　Run。　　They　had　recognized　the　fac