north america-1-第26章

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t　impatience　which　in　the　summer　had　led　to　the　disgrace　at　Bull's　Run。　　They　had　recognized　the　fact　that　their　troops　must　be　equipped；　drilled；　and　instructed；　and　they　had　also　recognized　the　perhaps　greater　fact　that　their　enemies　were　neither　weak；　cowardly；　nor　badly　officered。　　I　have　always　thought　that　the　tone　and　manner　with　which　the　North　bore　the　defeat　at　Bull's　Run　was　creditable　to　it。　It　was　never　denied；　never　explained　away；　never　set　down　as　trifling。　　〃We　have　been　whipped；〃　was　what　all　Northerners　said；　〃we've　got　an　almighty　whipping；　and　here　we　are。〃　　I　have　heard　many　Englishmen　complain　of　thissaying　that　the　matter　was　taken　almost　as　a　joke；　that　no　disgrace　was　felt；　and　that　the　licking　was　owned　by　a　people　who　ought　never　to　have　allowed　that　they　had　been　licked。　　To　all　this；　however；　I　demur。　　Their　only　chance　of　speedy　success　consisted　in　their　seeing　and　recognizing　the　truth。　Had　they　confessed　the　whipping；　and　then　sat　down　with　their　hands　in　their　pocketshad　they　done　as　second…rate　boys　at　school　will　do；　declare　that　they　had　been　licked；　and　then　feel　that　all　the　trouble　is　overthey　would　indeed　have　been　open　to　reproach。　　The　old　mother　across　the　water　would　in　such　case　have　disowned　her　son。　　But　they　did　the　very　reverse　of　this。　　〃I　have　been　whipped；〃　Jonathan　said；　and　he　immediately　went　into　training　under　a　new　system　for　another　fight。　And　so　all　through　September　and　October　the　great　armies　on　the　Potomac　rested　comparatively　in　quietthe　Northern　forces　drawing　to　themselves　immense　levies。　　The　general　confidence　in　McClellan　was　then　very　great；　and　the　cautious　measures　by　which　he　endeavored　to　bring　his　vast　untrained　body　of　men　under　discipline　were　such　as　did　at　that　time　recommend　themselves　to　most　military　critics。　　Early　in　September　the　Northern　party　obtained　a　considerable　advantage　by　taking　the　fort　at　Cape　Hatteras；　in　North　Carolina；　situated　on　one　of　those　long　banks　which　lie　along　the　shores　of　the　Southern　States；　but；　toward　the　end　of　October；　they　experienced　a　considerable　reverse　in　an　attack　which　was　made　on　the　secessionists　by　General　Stone；　and　in　which　Colonel　Baker　was　killed。　　Colonel　Baker　had　been　Senator　for　Oregon；　and　was　well　known　as　an　orator。　　Taking　all　things　together；　however；　nothing　material　had　been　done　up　to　the　end　of　October；　and　at　that　time　Northern　men　were　waitingnot　perhaps　impatiently；　considering　the　great　hopes　and　perhaps　great　fears　which　filled　their　hearts；　but　with　eager　expectationfor　some　event　of　which　they　might　talk　with　pride。　The　man　to　whom　they　had　trusted　all　their　hopes　was　young　for　so　great　a　command。　　I　think　that；　at　this　time；　（October；　1861；）　General　McClellan　was　not　yet　thirty…five。　　He　had　served；　early　in　life；　in　the　Mexican　war；　having　come　originally　from　Pennsylvania；　and　having　been　educated　at　the　military　college　at　West　Point。　During　our　war　with　Russia　he　was　sent　to　the　Crimea　by　his　own　government；　in　conjunction　with　two　other　officers　of　the　United　States　army；　that　they　might　learn　all　that　was　to　be　learned　there　as　to　military　tactics；　and　report　especially　as　to　the　manner　in　which　fortifications　were　made　and　attacked。　　I　have　been　informed　that　a　very　able　report　was　sent　in　by　them　to　the　government　on　their　return；　and　that　this　was　drawn　up　by　McClellan。　　But　in　America　a　man　is　not　only　a　soldier；　or　always　a　soldier；　nor　is　he　always　a　clergyman　if　once　a　clergyman：　he　takes　a　spell　at　anything　suitable　that　may　be　going。　　And　in　this　way　McClellan　was；　for　some　years；　engaged　on　the　Central　Illinois　Railway；　and　was　for　a　considerable　time　the　head　manager　of　that　concern。　　We　all　know　with　what　suddenness　he　rose　to　the　highest　command　in　the　army　immediately　after　the　defeat　at　Bull's　Run。　I　have　endeavored　to　describe　what　were　the　feelings　of　the　West　in　the　autumn　of　1861　with　regard　to　the　war。　　The　excitement　and　eagerness　there　were　very　great；　and　they　were　perhaps　as　great　in　the　North。　　But　in　the　North　the　matter　seemed　to　me　to　be　regarded　from　a　different　point　of　view。　　As　a　rule；　the　men　of　the　North　are　not　abolitionists。　　It　is　quite　certain　that　they　were　not　so　before　secession　began。　　They　hate　slavery　as　we　in　England　hate　it；　but　they　are　aware；　as　also　are　we；　that　the　disposition　of　four　million　of　black　men　and　women　forms　a　question　which　cannot　be　solved　by　the　chivalry　of　any　modern　Orlando。　　The　property　invested　in　these　four　million　slaves　forms　the　entire　wealth　of　the　South。　　If　they　could　be　wafted　by　a　philanthropic　breeze　back　to　the　shores　of　Africaa　breeze　of　which　the　philanthropy　would　certainly　not　be　appreciated　by　those　so　waftedthe　South　would　be　a　wilderness。　　The　subject　is　one　as　full　of　difficulty　as　any　with　which　the　politicians　of　these　days　are　tormented。　　The　Northerners　fully　appreciate　this；　and；　as　a　rule；　are　not　abolitionists　in　the　Western　sense　of　the　word。　　To　them　the　war　is　recommended　by　precisely　those　feelings　which　animated　us　when　we　fought　for　our　colonieswhen　we　strove　to　put　down　American　independence。　Secession　is　rebellion　against　the　government；　and　is　all　the　more　bitter　to　the　North　because　that　rebellion　broke　out　at　the　first　moment　of　Northern　ascendency。　　〃We　submitted；〃　the　North　says；　〃to　Southern　Presidents；　and　Southern　statesmen；　and　Southern　councils；　because　we　obeyed　the　vote　of　the　people。　　But　as　to　youthe　voice　of　the　people　is　nothing　in　your　estimation！　　At　the　first　moment　in　which　the　popular　vote　places　at　Washington　a　President　with　Northern　feelings；　you　rebel。　　We　submitted　in　your　days；　and；　by　Heaven！　you　shall　submit　in　ours。　　We　submitted　loyally；　through　love　of　the　law　and　the　Constitution。　　You　have　disregarded　the　law　and　thrown　over　the　Constitution。　　But　you　shall　be　made　to　submit；　as　a　child　is　made　to　submit　to　its　governor。〃　It　must　also　be　remembered　that　on　commercial　questions　the　North　and　the　West　are　divided。　　The　Morrill　tariff　is　as　odious　to　the　West　as　it　is　to　the　South。　　The　South　and　West　are　both　agricultural　productive　regions；　desirous　of　sending　cotton　and　corn　to　foreign　countries；　and　of　receiving　back　foreign　manufactures　on　the　best　terms。　　But　the　North　is　a　manufacturing　countrya　poor　manufacturing　country　as　regards　excellence　of　manufactureand　therefore　the　more　anxious　to　foster　its　own　growth　by　protective　laws。　　The　Morrill　tariff　is　very　injurious　to　the　West；　and　is　odious　there。　　I　might　add　that　its　folly　has　already　been　so　far　recognized　even　in　the　North　as　to　make　it　very　generally　odious　there　also。　So　much　I　have　said　endeavoring　to　make　it　understood　how　far　the　North　and　West　were　united　in　feeling　against　the　South　in　the　autumn　of　1861；　and　how　far　there　existed　between　them　a　diversity　of　interests。

CHAPTER　IX。　FROM　NIAGARA　TO　THE　MISSISSIPPI。

From　Niagara　we　went　by　the　Canada　Great　Western　Railway　to　Detroit；　the　big　city　of　Michigan。　　It　is　an　American　institution　that　the　States　should　have　a　commercial　capitalor　what　I　call　their　big　cityas　well　as　a　political　capital；　which　may；　as　a　rule；　be　called　the　State's　central　city。　　The　object　in　choosing　the　political　capital　is　average　nearness　of　approach　from　the　various　confines　of　the　State　but　commerce　submits　to　no　such　Procrustean　laws　in　selecting　her　capitals　and　consequently　she　has　placed　Detroit　on　the　borders　of　Michigan；　on　the　shore　of　the　neck　of　water　which　joins　Lake　Huron　to　Lake　Erie；　through　which　all　the　trade　must　flow　which　comes　down　from　Lakes　Michigan；　Superior；　and　Huron　on　its　way　to　the　Eastern　States　and　to　Europe。　　We　had　thought　of　going　from　Buffalo　across　Lake　Erie　to　Detroit；　but　we　found　that　the　better　class　of　steamers　had　been　taken　off　the　waters　for　the　winter。　　And　we　also　found　that　navigation　among　these　lakes　is　a　mistake　whenever　the　necessary　journey　can　be　taken　by　railway。　　Their　waters　are　by　no　means　smooth；　and　then　there　is　nothing　to　be　seen。　　I　do　not　know　whether　others　may　have　a　feeling；　almost　instinctive；　that　lake　navigation　must　be　pleasantthat　lakes　must　of　necessity　be　beautiful。　　I　have　such　a　feeling；　but　not　now　so　strongly　as　formerly。　　Such　an　idea　should　be　kept　for　use　in　Europe；　and　never　brought　over　to　America　with　other　traveling　gear。　　The　lakes　in　America　are　cold；　cumbrous；　uncouth；　and　uninterestingintended　by　nature　for　the　conveyance　of　cereal　produce；　but　not　for　the　comfort　of　traveling　men　and　women。　　So　we　gave　up　our　plan　of　traversing　the　lake；　and；　passing　back　into　Canada　by　the　suspension　bridge　at　Niagara；　we　reached　the　Detroit　River　at　Windsor　by　the　Great　Western　line；　and　passed　thence　by　the　ferry　into　the　City　of　Detroit。　In　making　this　journey　at　night　we　introduced　ourselves　to　the　thoroughly　American　institution　of　sleeping…carsthat　is；　of　cars　in　which　beds　are　made　up　for　travelers。　　The　traveler　may　have　a　whole　bed；　or　half　a　bed；　or　no　bed　at　all；　as　he　pleases；　paying　a　dollar　or　half　a　dollar　extra　should　he　choose　the　partial　or　full　fruition　of　a　couch。　　I　confess　I　have　always　taken　a　delight　in　seeing　these　beds　made　up；　and　consider　that　the　operations　of　the　change　are　generally　as　well　executed　as　the　manoeuvres　of　any　pantomime　at　Drury　Lane。　　The　work　is　usually　done　by　negroes　or　colored　men；　and　the　domestic　negroes　of　America　are　always　light…　handed　and　adroit。　　The　nature　of　an　American　car　is　no　doubt　known　to　all　men。　　It　looks　as　far　removed　from　all　bed…room　accommodation　as　the　baker's　barrow　does　from　the　steam　engine　into　which　it　is　to　be　converted　by　Harlequin's　wand。　　But　the　negro　goes　to　work　much　more　quietly　than　the　Harlequin；　and　for　every　four　seats　in　the　railway　car　he　builds　up　four　beds　almost　as　quickly　as　the　hero　of　the　pantomime　goes　through　his　performance。　The　great　glory　of　the　Americans　is　in　their　wondrous　contrivances　in　their　patent　remedies　for　the　usually　troublous　operations　of　life。　　In　their　huge　hotels　all　the　bell　ropes　of　each　house　ring　on　one　bell　only；　but　a　patent　indicator　discloses　a　number；　and　the　whereabouts　of　the　ringer　is　shown。　　One　fire　heats　every　room；　passage；　hall；　and　cupboard；　and　does　it　so　effectually　that　the　inhabitants　are　all　but　stifled。　　Soda…water　bottles　open　themselves　without　any　trouble　of　wire　or　strings。　　Men　and　women　go　up　and　down　stairs　without　motive　power　of　their　own。　　Hot　and　cold　water　are　laid　on　to　all　the　chambers；　though　it　sometimes　happens　that　the　water　from　both　taps　is　boiling；　and　that；　when　once　turned　on；　it　cannot　be　turned　off　again　by　any　human　energy。　Everything　is　done　by　a　new　and　wonderful　patent　contrivance；　and　of　all　their　wonderful　contrivances；　that　of　their　railroad　beds　is　by　no　means　the　least。　　For　every　four　seats　the　negro　builds　up　four　bedsthat　is；　four　half　beds；　or　accommodation　for　four　persons。　　Two　are　supposed　to　be　below；　on　the　level　of　the　ordinary　four　seats；　and　two　up　above　on　shelves　which　are　let　down　from　the　roof。　　Mattresses　slip　out　from　one　nook　and　pillows　from　another。　　Blankets　are　added；　and　the　bed　is　ready。　　Any　over…　particular　individualan　islander；　for　instance；　who　hugs　his　chainswill　generally　prefer　to　pay　the　dollar　for　the　double　accommodation。　　Looking　at　the　bed　in　the　light　of　a　bedtakin