north america-1-第3章

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It　behooved　the　Foreign　Secretary　of　State　to　declare　openly　that　England　intended　to　side　either　with　one　party　or　with　the　other；　or　else　to　remain　neutral　between　them。　I　had　heard　this　matter　discussed　by　Americans　before　I　left　England；　and　I　have　of　course　heard　it　discussed　very　frequently　in　America。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　front　of　the　offense　given　by　England　to　the　Northern　States　was　this　declaration　of　Lord　John　Russell's。　　But　it　has　been　always　made　evident　to　me　that　the　sin　did　not　consist　in　the　fact　of　England's　neutralityin　the　fact　of　her　regarding　the　two　parties　as　belligerentsbut　in　the　open　declaration　made　to　the　world　by　a　Secretary　of　State　that　she　did　intend　so　to　regard　them。　　If　another　proof　were　wanting；　this　would　afford　another　proof　of　the　immense　weight　attached　in　America　to　all　the　proceedings　and　to　all　the　feelings　of　England　on　this　matter。　　The　very　anger　of　the　North　is　a　compliment　paid　by　the　North　to　England。　　But　not　the　less　is　that　anger　unreasonable。　　To　those　in　America　who　understand　our　constitution；　it　must　be　evident　that　our　government　cannot　take　official　measures　without　a　public　avowal　of　such　measures。　　France　can　do　so。　　Russia　can　do　so。　　The　government　of　the　United　States　can　do　so；　and　could　do　so　even　before　this　rupture。　　But　the　government　of　England　cannot　do　so。　　All　men　connected　with　the　government　in　England　have　felt　themselves　from　time　to　time　more　or　less　hampered　by　the　necessity　of　publicity。　　Our　statesmen　have　been　forced　to　fight　their　battles　with　the　plan　of　their　tactics　open　before　their　adversaries。　　But　we　in　England　are　inclined　to　believe　that　the　general　result　is　good；　and　that　battles　so　fought　and　so　won　will　be　fought　with　the　honestest　blows　and　won　with　the　surest　results。　　Reticence　in　this　matter　was　not　possible；　and　Lord　John　Russell；　in　making　the　open　avowal　which　gave　such　offense　to　the　Northern　States；　only　did　that　which；　as　a　servant　of　England；　England　required　him　to　do。　〃What　would　you　in　England　have　thought；〃　a　gentleman　of　much　weight　in　Boston　said　to　me；　〃if；　when　you　were　in　trouble　in　India；　we　had　openly　declared　that　we　regarded　your　opponents　there　are　as　belligerents　on　equal　terms　with　yourselves？〃　　I　was　forced　to　say　that；　as　far　as　I　could　see；　there　was　no　analogy　between　the　two　cases。　　In　India　an　army　had　mutinied；　and　that　an　army　composed　of　a　subdued；　if　not　a　servile　race。　　The　analogy　would　have　been　fairer　had　it　referred　to　any　sympathy　shown　by　us　to　insurgent　negroes。　　But；　nevertheless；　had　the　army　which　mutinied　in　India　been　in　possession　of　ports　and　sea…board；　had　they　held　in　their　hands　vast　commercial　cities　and　great　agricultural　districts；　had　they　owned　ships　and　been　masters　of　a　wide…spread　trade；　America　could　have　done　nothing　better　toward　us　than　have　remained　neutral　in　such　a　conflict　and　have　regarded　the　parties　as　belligerents。　　The　only　question　is　whether　she　would　have　done　so　well　by　us。　　〃But；〃　said　my　friend；　in　answer　to　all　this；　〃we　should　not　have　proclaimed　to　the　world　that　we　regarded　you　and　them　as　standing　on　an　equal　footing。〃　　There　again　appeared　the　true　gist　of　the　offense。　　A　word　from　England　such　as　that　spoken　by　Lord　John　Russell　was　of　such　weight　to　the　South　that　the　North　could　not　endure　to　have　it　spoken。　　I　did　not　say　to　that　gentleman；　but　here　I　may　say　that；　had　such　circumstances　arisen　as　those　conjectured；　and　had　America　spoken　such　a　word；　England　would　not　have　felt　herself　called　upon　to　resent　it。　But　the　fairer　analogy　lies　between　Ireland　and　the　Southern　States。　　The　monster　meetings　and　O'Connell's　triumphs　are　not　so　long　gone　by　but　that　many　of　us　can　remember　the　first　demand　for　secession　made　by　Ireland；　and　the　line　which　was　then　taken　by　American　sympathies。　　It　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　America　then　believed　that　Ireland　would　secure　secession；　and　that　the　great　trust　of　the　Irish　repealers　was　in　the　moral　aid　which　she　did　and　would　receive　from　America。　　〃But　our　government　proclaimed　no　sympathy　with　Ireland；〃　said　my　friend。　　No。　　The　American　government　is　not　called　on　to　make　such　proclamations；　nor　had　Ireland　ever　taken　upon　herself　the　nature　and　labors　of　a　belligerent。　That　this　anger　on　the　part　of　the　North　is　unreasonable；　I　cannot　doubt。　　That　it　is　unfortunate；　grievous；　and　very　bitter；　I　am　quite　sure。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　it　is　in　any　degree　surprising。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that；　did　I　belong　to　Boston　as　I　do　belong　to　London；　I　should　share　in　the　feeling；　and　rave　as　loudly　as　all　men　there　have　raved　against　the　coldness　of　England。　When　men　have　on　hand　such　a　job　of　work　as　the　North　has　now　undertaken；　they　are　always　guided　by　their　feelings　rather　than　their　reason。　　What　two　men　ever　had　a　quarrel　in　which　each　did　not　think　that　all　the　world；　if　just；　would　espouse　his　own　side　of　the　dispute？　　The　North　feels　that　it　has　been　more　than　loyal　to　the　South；　and　that　the　South　has　taken　advantage　of　that　over…　loyalty　to　betray　the　North。　　〃We　have　worked　for　them；　and　fought　for　them；　and　paid　for　them；〃　says　the　North。　　〃By　our　labor　we　have　raised　their　indolence　to　a　par　with　our　energy。　　While　we　have　worked　like　men；　we　have　allowed　them　to　talk　and　bluster。　　We　have　warmed　them　in　our　bosom；　and　now　they　turn　against　us　and　sting　us。　　The　world　sees　that　this　is　so。　　England；　above　all；　must　see　it；　and；　seeing　it；　should　speak　out　her　true　opinion。〃　The　North　is　hot　with　such　thoughts　as　these；　and　one　cannot　wonder　that　she　should　be　angry　with　her　friend　when　her　friend；　with　an　expression　of　certain　easy　good　wishes；　bids　her　fight　out　her　own　battles。　　The　North　has　been　unreasonable　with　England；　but　I　believe　that　every　reader　of　this　page　would　have　been　as　unreasonable　had　that　reader　been　born　in　Massachusetts。　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Jones　are　the　dearly…beloved　friends　of　my　family。　　My　wife　and　I　have　lived　with　Mrs。　Jones　on　terms　of　intimacy　which　have　been　quite　endearing。　　Jones　has　had　the　run　of　my　house　with　perfect　freedom；　and　in　Mrs。　Jones's　drawing…room　I　have　always　had　my　own　arm…chair；　and　have　been　regaled　with　large　breakfast…cups　of　tea；　quite　as　though　I　were　at　home。　　But　of　a　sudden　Jones　and　his　wife　have　fallen　out；　and　there　is　for　awhile　in　Jones　Hall　a　cat…and…dog　life　that　may　endin　one　hardly　dare　to　surmise　what　calamity。　　Mrs。　Jones　begs　that　I　will　interfere　with　her　husband；　and　Jones　entreats　the　good　offices　of　my　wife　in　moderating　the　hot　temper　of　his　own。　　But　we　know　better　than　that。　　If　we　interfere；　the　chances　are　that　my　dear　friends　will　make　it　up　and　turn　upon　us。　　I　grieve　beyond　measure　in　a　general　way　at　the　temporary　break　up　of　the　Jones…Hall　happiness。　　I　express　general　wishes　that　it　may　be　temporary。　　But　as　for　saying　which　is　right　or　which　is　wrongas　to　expressing　special　sympathy　on　either　side　in　such　a　quarrelit　is　out　of　the　question。　　〃My　dear　Jones；　you　must　excuse　me。　　Any　news　in　the　city　to…day？　　Sugars　have　fallen；　how　are　teas？〃　　Of　course　Jones　thinks　that　I'm　a　brute；　but　what　can　I　do？　I　have　been　somewhat　surprised　to　find　the　trouble　that　has　been　taken　by　American　orators；　statesmen；　and　logicians　to　prove　that　this　secession　on　the　part　of　the　South　has　been　revolutionary　that　is　to　say；　that　it　has　been　undertaken　and　carried　on　not　in　compliance　with　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　but　in　defiance　of　it。　　This　has　been　done　over　and　over　again　by　some　of　the　greatest　men　of　the　North；　and　has　been　done　most　successfully。　But　what　then？　　Of　course　the　movement　has　been　revolutionary　and　anti…constitutional。　　Nobody；　no　single　Southerner；　can　really　believe　that　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　as　framed　in　1787；　or　altered　since；　intended　to　give　to　the　separate　States　the　power　of　seceding　as　they　pleased。　　It　is　surely　useless　going　through　long　arguments　to　prove　this；　seeing　that　it　is　absolutely　proved　by　the　absence　of　any　clause　giving　such　license　to　the　separate　States。　　Such　license　would　have　been　destructive　to　the　very　idea　of　a　great　nationality。　　Where　would　New　England　have　been；　as　a　part　of　the　United　States；　if　New　York；　which　stretches　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　borders　of　Canada；　had　been　endowed　with　the　power　of　cutting　off　the　six　Northern　States　from　the　rest　of　the　Union？　　No　one　will　for　a　moment　doubt　that　the　movement　was　revolutionary；　and　yet　infinite　pains　are　taken　to　prove　a　fact　that　is　patent　to　every　one。　It　is　revolutionary；　but　what　then？　　Have　the　Northern　States　of　the　American　Union　taken　upon　themselves；　in　1861；　to　proclaim　their　opinion　that　revolution　is　a　sin？　　Are　they　going　back　to　the　divine　right　of　any　sovereignty？　　Are　they　going　to　tell　the　world　that　a　nation　or　a　people　is　bound　to　remain　in　any　political　status　because　that　status　is　the　recognized　form　of　government　under　which　such　a　people　have　lived？　　Is　this　to　be　the　doctrine　of　United　States　citizensof　all　people？　　And　is　this　the　doctrine　preached　now；　of　all　times；　when　the　King　of　Naples　and　the　Italian　dukes　have　just　been　dismissed　from　their　thrones　with　such　enchanting　nonchalance　because　their　people　have　not　chosen　to　keep　them？　　Of　course　the　movement　is　revolutionary；　and　why　not？　　It　is　agreed　now　among　all　men　and　all　nations　that　any　people　may　change　its　form　of　government　to　any　other；　if　it　wills　to　do　soand　if　it　can　do　so。　There　are　two　other　points　on　which　these　Northern　statesmen　and　logicians　also　insist；　and　these　two　other　points　are　at　any　rate　better　worth　an　argument　than　that　which　touches　the　question　of　revolution。　　It　being　settled　that　secession　on　the　part　of　the　Southerners　is　revolution；　it　is　argued；　firstly；　that　no　occasion　for　revolution　had　been　given　by　the　North　to　the　South；　and；　secondly；　that　the　South　has　been　dishonest　in　its　revolutionary　tactics。　　Men　certainly　should　not　raise　a　revolution　for　nothing；　and　it　may　certainly　be　declared　that　whatever　men　do　they　should　do　honestly。　But　in　that　matter　of　the　cause　and　ground　for　revolution；　it　is　so　very　easy　for　either　party　to　put　in　a　plea　that　shall　be　satisfactory　to　itself！　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Jones　each　had　a　separate　story。　　Mr。　Jones　was　sure　that　the　right　lay　with　him；　but　Mrs。　Jones　was　no　less　sure。　　No　doubt　the　North　had　done　much　for　the　South；　had　earned　money　for　it；　had　fed　it；　and　had；　moreover；　in　a　great　measure　fostered　all　its　bad　habits。　　It　had　not　only　been　generous　to　the　South；　but　over…indulgent。　　But　also　it　had　continually　irritated　the　South　by　meddling　with　that　which　the　Southerners　believed　to　be　a　question　absolutely　private　to　themselves。　　The　matter　was　illustrated　to　me　by　a　New　Hampshire　man　who　was　conversant　with　black　bears。　　At　the　hotels　in　the　New　Hampshire　mountains　it　is　customary　to　find　black　bears　chained　to　poles。　　These　bears　are　caught　among　the　hills；　and　are　thus　imprisoned　for　the　amusement　of　the　hotel　guests。　　〃Them　Southerners；〃　said　my　friend；　〃are　jist　as　one　as　that　'ere　bear。　We　feeds　him　and　gives　him　a　house；　and　his　belly　is　ollers　full。　But　then；　jist　becase　he's　a　black　bear；　we're　ollers　a　poking　him　with　sticks；　and　a'　course　the　beast　is　a　kinder　riled。　　He　wants　to　be　back　to　the　mountains。　　He　wouldn't　have