north america-1-第29章

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　not　even　ultimately　paid；　is　very　common。　　There　is　no　fixed　rule　for　satisfying　all　such　claims　once　a　week；　and　thus　debts　to　laborers　are　contracted；　and　when　contracted　are　ignored。　　With　us　there　is　a　feeling　that　it　is　pitiful；　mean　almost　beyond　expression；　to　wrong　a　laborer　of　his　hire。　　We　have　men　who　go　in　debt　to　tradesmen　perhaps　without　a　thought　of　paying　them；　but　when　we　speak　of　such　a　one　who　has　descended　into　the　lowest　mire　of　insolvency；　we　say　that　he　has　not　paid　his　washerwoman。　　Out　there　in　the　West　the　washerwoman　is　as　fair　game　as　the　tailor；　the　domestic　servant　as　the　wine　merchant。　　If　a　man　be　honest　he　will　not　willingly　take　either　goods　or　labor　without　payment；　and　it　may　be　hard　to　prove　that　he　who　takes　the　latter　is　more　dishonest　than　he　who　takes　the　former；　but　with　us　there　is　a　prejudice　in　favor　of　one's　washerwoman　by　which　the　Western　mind　is　not　weakened。　　〃They　certainly　have　to　be　smart　to　get　it；〃　a　gentleman　said　to　me　whom　I　had　taxed　on　the　subject。　　〃You　see；　on　the　frontier　a　man　is　bound　to　be　smart。　　If　he　aint　smart；　he'd　better　go　back　East；　perhaps　as　far　as　Europe；　he'll　do　there。〃　　I　had　got　my　answer；　and　my　friend　had　turned　the　question；　but　the　fact　was　admitted　by　him；　as　it　had　been　by　many　others。　Why　this　should　be　so　is　a　question　to　answer　which　thoroughly　would　require　a　volume　in　itself。　　As　to　the　driving；　why　should　men　submit　to　it；　seeing　that　labor　is　abundant；　and　that　in　all　newly…settled　countries　the　laborer　is　the　true　hero　of　the　age？　In　answer　to　this　is　to　be　alleged　the　fact　that　hired　labor　is　chiefly　done　by　fresh　comers；　by　Irish　and　Germans；　who　have　not　as　yet　among　them　any　combination　sufficient　to　protect　them　from　such　usage。　　The　men　over　them　are　new　as　masters；　masters　who　are　rough　themselves；　who　themselves　have　been　roughly　driven；　and　who　have　not　learned　to　be　gracious　to　those　below　them。　　It　is　a　part　of　their　contract　that　very　hard　work　shall　be　exacted；　and　the　driving　resolves　itself　into　this：　that　the　master；　looking　after　his　own　interest；　is　constantly　accusing　his　laborer　of　a　breach　of　his　part　of　the　contract。　　The　men　no　doubt　do　become　used　to　it；　and　slacken　probably　in　their　endeavors　when　the　tongue　of　the　master　or　foreman　is　not　heard。　　But　as　to　that　matter　of　non…　payment　of　wages；　the　men　must　live；　and　here；　as　elsewhere；　the　master　who　omits　to　pay　once　will　hardly　find　laborers　in　future。　The　matter　would　remedy　itself　elsewhere；　and　does　it　not　do　so　here？　　This　of　course　is　so；　and　it　is　not　to　be　understood　that　labor　as　a　rule　is　defrauded　of　its　hire。　　But　the　relation　of　the　master　and　the　man　admit　of　such　fraud　here　much　more　frequently　than　in　England。　　In　England　the　laborer　who　did　not　get　his　wages　on　the　Saturday；　could　not　go　on　for　the　next　week。　　To　him；　under　such　circumstances；　the　world　would　be　coming　to　an　end。　　But　in　the　Western　States　the　laborer　does　not　live　so　completely　from　hand　to　mouth。　　He　is　rarely　paid　by　the　week；　is　accustomed　to　give　some　credit；　and；　till　hard　pressed　by　bad　circumstances；　generally　has　something　by　him。　　They　do　save　money；　and　are　thus　fattened　up　to　a　state　which　admits　of　victimization。　　I　cannot　owe　money　to　the　little　village　cobbler　who　mends　my　shoes；　because　he　demands　and　receives　his　payment　when　his　job　is　done。　　But　to　my　friend　in　Regent　Street　I　extend　my　custom　on　a　different　system；　and　when　I　make　my　start　for　continental　life　I　have　with　him　a　matter　of　unsettled　business　to　a　considerable　extent。　　The　American　laborer　is　in　the　condition　of　the　Regent　Street　bootmaker；　excepting　in　this　respect；　that　he　gives　his　credit　under　compulsion。　　〃But　does　not　the　law　set　him　right？　　Is　there　no　law　against　debtors？〃　　The　laws　against　debtors　are　plain　enough　as　they　are　written　down；　but　seem　to　be　anything　but　plain　when　called　into　action。　　They　are　perfectly　understood；　and　operations　are　carried　on　with　the　express　purpose　of　evading　them。　　If　you　proceed　against　a　man；　you　find　that　his　property　is　in　the　hands　of　some　one　else。　　You　work　in　fact　for　Jones；　who　lives　in　the　street　next　to　you；　but　when　you　quarrel　with　Jones　about　your　wages；　you　find　that　according　to　law　you　have　been　working　for　Smith；　in　another　State。　　In　all　countries　such　dodges　are　probably　practicable。　　But　men　will　or　will　not　have　recourse　to　such　dodges　according　to　the　light　in　which　they　are　regarded　by　the　community。　In　the　Western　States　such　dodges　do　not　appear　to　be　regarded　as　disgraceful。　　〃It　behoves　a　frontier　man　to　be　smart；　sir。〃　Honesty　is　the　best　policy。　　That　is　a　doctrine　which　has　been　widely　preached；　and　which　has　recommended　itself　to　many　minds　as　being　one　of　absolute　truth。　　It　is　not　very　ennobling　in　its　sentiment；　seeing　that　it　advocates　a　special　virtue；　not　on　the　ground　that　that　virtue　is　in　itself　a　thing　beautiful；　but　on　account　of　the　immediate　reward　which　will　be　its　consequence。　Smith　is　enjoined　not　to　cheat　Jones；　because　he　will；　in　the　long　run；　make　more　money　by　dealing　with　Jones　on　the　square。　　This　is　not　teaching　of　the　highest　order；　but　it　is　teaching　well　adapted　to　human　circumstances；　and　has　obtained　for　itself　a　wide　credit。　One　is　driven；　however；　to　doubt　whether　even　this　teaching　is　not　too　high　for　the　frontier　man。　　Is　it　possible　that　a　frontier　man　should　be　scrupulous　and　at　the　same　time　successful？　　Hitherto　those　who　have　allowed　scruples　to　stand　in　their　way　have　not　succeeded；　and　they　who　have　succeeded　and　made　for　themselves　great　names；　who　have　been　the　pioneers　of　civilization；　have　not　allowed　ideas　of　exact　honesty　to　stand　in　their　way。　　From　General　Jason　down　to　General　Fremont　there　have　been　men　of　great　aspirations　but　of　slight　scruples。　　They　have　been　ambitious　of　power　and　desirous　of　progress；　but　somewhat　regardless　how　power　and　progress　shall　be　attained。　　Clive　and　Warren　Hastings　were　great　frontier　men；　but　we　cannot　imagine　that　they　had　ever　realized　the　doctrine　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy。　　Cortez；　and　even　Columbus；　the　prince　of　frontier　men；　are　in　the　same　category。　　The　names　of　such　heroes　is　legion；　but　with　none　of　them　has　absolute　honesty　been　a　favorite　virtue。　　〃It　behoves　a　frontier　man　to　be　smart；　sir。〃　　Such；　in　that　or　other　language；　has　been　the　prevailing　idea。　　Such　is　the　prevailing　idea。　　And　one　feels　driven　to　ask　one's　self　whether　such　must　not　be　the　prevailing　idea　with　those　who　leave　the　world　and　its　rules　behind　them；　and　go　forth　with　the　resolve　that　the　world　and　its　rules　shall　follow　them。　Of　filibustering；　annexation；　and　polishing　savages　off　the　face　of　creation　there　has　been　a　great　deal；　and　who　can　deny　that　humanity　has　been　the　gainer？　　It　seems　to　those　who　look　widely　back　over　history；　that　all　such　works　have　been　carried　on　in　obedience　to　God's　laws。　　When　Jacob　by　Rebecca's　aid　cheated　his　elder　brother；　he　was　very　smart；　but　we　cannot　but　suppose　that　a　better　race　was　by　this　smartness　put　in　possession　of　the　patriarchal　scepter。　　Esau　was　polished　off；　and　readers　of　Scripture　wonder　why　heaven；　with　its　thunder；　did　not　open　over　the　heads　of　Rebecca　and　her　son。　　But　Jacob；　with　all　his　fraud；　was　the　chosen　one。　　Perhaps　the　day　may　come　when　scrupulous　honesty　may　be　the　best　policy；　even　on　the　frontier。　　I　can　only　say　that　hitherto　that　day　seems　to　be　as　distant　as　ever。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　solve　the　problem；　but　simply　record　my　opinion　that　under　circumstances　as　they　still　exist　I　should　not　willingly　select　a　frontier　life　for　my　children。　I　have　said　that　all　great　frontier　men　have　been　unscrupulous。　There　is；　however；　an　exception　in　history　which　may　perhaps　serve　to　prove　the　rule。　　The　Puritans　who　colonized　New　England　were　frontier　men；　and　were；　I　think；　in　general　scrupulously　honest。　They　had　their　faults。　　They　were　stern；　austere　men；　tyrannical　at　the　backbone　when　power　came　in　their　way；　as　are　all　pioneers；　hard　upon　vices　for　which　they　who　made　the　laws　had　themselves　no　minds；　but　they　were　not　dishonest。　At　Milwaukee　I　went　up　to　see　the　Wisconsin　volunteers；　who　were　then　encamped　on　open　ground　in　the　close　vicinity　of　the　town。　　Of　Wisconsin　I　had　heard　beforeand　have　heard　the　same　opinion　repeated　sincethat　it　was　more　backward　in　its　volunteering　than　its　neighbor　States　in　the　West。　　Wisconsin　has　760；000　inhabitants；　and　its　tenth　thousand　of　volunteers　was　not　then　made　up；　whereas　Indiana；　with　less　than　double　its　number；　had　already　sent　out　thirty…six　thousand。　　Iowa；　with　a　hundred　thousand　less　of　inhabitants；　had　then　made　up　fifteen　thousand。　　But　neverthless　to　me　it　seemed　that　Wisconsin　was　quite　alive　to　its　presumed　duty　in　that　respect。　　Wisconsin；　with　its　three…quarters　of　a　million　of　people；　is　as　large　as　England。　　Every　acre　of　it　may　be　made　productive；　but　as　yet　it　is　not　half　cleared。　　Of　such　a　country　its　young　men　are　its　heart's　blood。　　Ten　thousand　men；　fit　to　bear　arms；　carried　away　from　such　a　land　to　the　horrors　of　civil　war；　is　a　sight　as　full　of　sadness　as　any　on　which　the　eye　can　rest。　　Ah　me；　when　will　they　return；　and　with　what　altered　hopes！　　It　is；　I　fear；　easier　to　turn　the　sickle　into　the　sword　than　to　recast　the　sword　back　again　into　the　sickle！　We　found　a　completed　regiment　at　Wisconsin　consisting　entirely　of　Germans。　　A　thousand　Germans　had　been　collected　in　that　State　and　brought　together　in　one　regiment；　and　I　was　informed　by　an　officer　on　the　ground　that　there　are　many　Germans　in　sundry　other　of　the　Wisconsin　regiments。　　It　may　be　well　to　mention　here　that　the　number　of　Germans　through　all　these　Western　States　is　very　great。　Their　number　and　well…being　were　to　me　astonishing。　　That　they　form　a　great　portion　of　the　population　of　New　York；　making　the　German　quarter　of　that　city　the　third　largest　German　town　in　the　world；　I　have　long　known；　but　I　had　no　previous　idea　of　their　expansion　westward。　　In　Detroit　nearly　every　third　shop　bore　a　German　name；　and　the　same　remark　was　to　be　made　at　Milwaukee；　and　on　all　hands　I　heard　praises　of　their　morals；　of　their　thrift；　and　of　their　new　patriotism。　　I　was　continually　told　how　far　they　exceeded　the　Irish　settlers。　　To　me　in　all　parts　of　the　world　an　Irishman　is　dear。　When　handled　tenderly　he　becomes　a　creature　most　lovable。　　But　with　all　my　judgment　in　the　Irishman's　favor；　and　with　my　prejudices　leaning　the　same　way；　I　feel　myself　bound　to　state　what　I　heard　and　what　I　saw　as　to　the　Germans。　But　this　regiment　of　Germans；　and　another　not　completed　regiment；　called　from　the　State　generally；　were　as　yet　without　arms；　accouterments；　or　clothing。　　There　was　the　raw　material　of　the　regiment；　but　there　was　nothing　else。　　Winter　was　coming　onwinter　in　which　the　mercury　is　commonly　twenty　degrees　below　zeroand　the　men　were　in　tents　with　no　provision　against　the　cold。　　These　tents　held　each　two　men；　and　were　just　large　enough　for　two　to　lie。　　The　canvas　of　which　they　were　made　seemed　to　me　to　be　thin；　but　was；　I　think；　always　double。　　At　this　camp　there　was　a　house　in　which　the　men　took　their　meals；　but　I　visited　other　camps　in　which　there　was　no　such　accommodation。　　I　saw　the　German　regiment　called　to　its　supper　by　tuck　of　drum；　and　the　men　marched　in　gallantly；　armed　each　with