north america-1-第39章

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which　keep　a　hold　upon　the　stone。　If　I　remember　rightly；　there　are　two　actual　cataractsone　not　far　above　the　steps　by　which　the　descent　is　made　into　the　channel；　and　the　other　close　under　a　summer…house；　near　to　which　the　visitors　reascend　into　the　wood。　　But　these　cataracts；　though　by　no　means　despicable　as　cataracts；　leave　comparatively　a　slight　impression。　They　tumble　down　with　sufficient　violence　and　the　usual　fantastic　disposition　of　their　forces；　but　simply　as　cataracts　within　a　day's　journey　of　Niagara；　they　would　be　nothing。　　Up　beyond　the　summer…　house　the　passage　along　the　river　can　be　continued　for　another　mile；　but　it　is　rough；　and　the　climbing　in　some　places　rather　difficult　for　ladies。　　Every　man；　however；　who　has　the　use　of　his　legs　should　do　it；　for　the　succession　of　rapids；　and　the　twistings　of　the　channels；　and　the　forms　of　the　rocks　are　as　wild　and　beautiful　as　the　imagination　can　desire。　　The　banks　of　the　river　are　closely　wooded　on　each　side；　and　though　this　circumstance　does　not　at　first　seem　to　add　much　to　the　beauty；　seeing　that　the　ravine　is　so　deep　that　the　absence　of　wood　above　would　hardly　be　noticed；　still　there　are　broken　clefts　ever　and　anon　through　which　the　colors　of　the　foliage　show　themselves；　and　straggling　boughs　and　rough　roots　break　through　the　rocks　here　and　there；　and　add　to　the　wildness　and　charm　of　the　whole。　The　walk　back　from　the　summer…house　through　the　wood　is　very　lovely；　but　it　would　be　a　disappointing　walk　to　visitors　who　had　been　prevented　by　a　flood　in　the　river　from　coming　up　the　channel；　for　it　indicates　plainly　how　requisite　it　is　that　the　river　should　be　seen　from　below　and　not　from　above。　　The　best　view　of　the　larger　fall　itself　is　that　seen　from　the　wood。　　And　here　again　I　would　point　out　that　any　male　visitor　should　walk　the　channel　of　the　river　up　and　down。　　The　descent　is　too　slippery　and　difficult　for　bipeds　laden　with　petticoats。　　We　found　a　small　hotel　open　at　Trenton；　at　which　we　got　a　comfortable　dinner；　and　then　in　the　evening　were　driven　back　to　Utica。　Albany　is　the　capital　of　the　State　of　New　York；　and　our　road　from　Trenton　to　West　Point　lay　through　that　town；　but　these　political　State　capitals　have　no　interest　in　themselves。　　The　State　legislature　was　not　sitting；　and　we　went　on；　merely　remarking　that　the　manner　in　which　the　railway　cars　are　made　to　run　backward　and　forward　through　the　crowded　streets　of　the　town　must　cause　a　frequent　loss　of　human　life。　　One　is　led　to　suppose　that　children　in　Albany　can　hardly　have　a　chance　of　coming　to　maturity。　　Such　accidents　do　not　become　the　subject　of　long…continued　and　strong　comment　in　the　States　as　they　do　with　us；　but　nevertheless　I　should　have　thought　that　such　a　state　of　things　as　we　saw　there　would　have　given　rise　to　some　remark　on　the　part　of　the　philanthropists。　　I　cannot　myself　say　that　I　saw　anybody　killed；　and　therefore　should　not　be　justified　in　making　more　than　this　passing　remark　on　the　subject。　When　first　the　Americans　of　the　Northern　States　began　to　talk　much　of　their　country；　their　claims　as　to　fine　scenery　were　confined　to　Niagara　and　the　Hudson　River。　　Of　Niagara　I　have　spoken；　and　all　the　world　has　acknowledged　that　no　claim　made　on　that　head　can　be　regarded　as　exaggerated。　　As　to　the　Hudson　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　so　much　generally；　though　there　is　one　spot　upon　it　which　cannot　be　beaten　for　sweetness。　　I　have　been　up　and　down　the　Hudson　by　water；　and　confess　that　the　entire　river　is　pretty。　　But　there　is　much　of　it　that　is　not　pre…eminently　pretty　among　rivers。　　As　a　whole；　it　cannot　be　named　with　the　Upper　Mississippi；　with　the　Rhine；　with　the　Moselle；　or　with　the　Upper　Rhone。　　The　palisades　just　out　of　New　York　are　pretty；　and　the　whole　passage　through　the　mountains　from　West　Point　up　to　Catskill　and　Hudson　is　interesting。　　But　the　glory　of　the　Hudson　is　at　West　Point　itself；　and　thither　on　this　occasion　we　went　direct　by　railway；　and　there　we　remained　for　two　days。　　The　Catskill　Mountains　should　be　seen　by　a　detour　from　off　the　river。　　We　did　not　visit　them；　because　here　again　the　hotel　was　closed。　　I　will　leave　them；　therefore；　for　the　new　hand　book　which　Mr。　Murray　will　soon　bring　out。　Of　West　Point　there　is　something　to　be　said　independently　of　its　scenery。　　It　is　the　Sandhurst　of　the　States。　　Here　is　their　military　school；　from　which　officers　are　drafted　to　their　regiments；　and　the　tuition　for　military　purposes　is；　I　imagine；　of　a　high　order。　　It　must　of　course　be　borne　in　mind　that　West　Point；　even　as　at　present　arranged；　is　fitted　to　the　wants　of　the　old　army；　and　not　to　that　of　the　army　now　required。　　It　can　go　but　a　little　way　to　supply　officers　for　500；000　men；　but　would　do　much　toward　supplying　them　for　40；000。　　At　the　time　of　my　visit　to　West　Point　the　regular　army　of　the　Northern　States　had　not　even　then　swelled　itself　to　the　latter　number。　I　found　that　there　were　220　students　at　West　Point；　that　about　forty　graduate　every　year；　each　of　whom　receives　a　commission　in　the　army；　that　about　120　pupils　are　admitted　every　year；　and　that　in　the　course　of　every　year　about　eighty　either　resign；　or　are　called　upon　to　leave　on　account　of　some　deficiency；　or　fail　in　their　final　examination。　　The　result　is　simply　this；　that　one…third　of　those　who　enter　succeeds；　and　that　two…thirds　fail。　　The　number　of　failures　seemed　to　me　to　be　terribly　largeso　large　as　to　give　great　ground　of　hesitation　to　a　parent　in　accepting　a　nomination　for　the　college。　　I　especially　inquired　into　the　particulars　of　these　dismissals　and　resignations；　and　was　assured　that　the　majority　of　them　take　place　in　the　first　year　of　the　pupilage。　　It　is　soon　seen　whether　or　no　a　lad　has　the　mental　and　physical　capacities　necessary　for　the　education　and　future　life　required　of　him；　and　care　is　taken　that　those　shall　be　removed　early　as　to　whom　it　may　be　determined　that　the　necessary　capacity　is　clearly　wanting。　　If　this　is　doneand　I　do　not　doubt　itthe　evil　is　much　mitigated。　　The　effect　otherwise　would　be　very　injurious。　　The　lads　remain　till　they　are　perhaps　one　and　twenty；　and　have　then　acquired　aptitudes　for　military　life；　but　no　other　aptitudes。　　At　that　age　the　education　cannot　be　commenced　anew；　and；　moreover；　at　that　age　the　disgrace　of　failure　is　very　injurious。　　The　period　of　education　used　to　be　five　years；　but　has　now　been　reduced　to　four。　　This　was　done　in　order　that　a　double　class　might　be　graduated　in　1861　to　supply　the　wants　of　the　war。　　I　believe　it　is　considered　that　but　for　such　necessity　as　that；　the　fifth　year　of　education　can　be　ill　spared。　The　discipline；　to　our　English　ideas；　is　very　strict。　　In　the　first　place　no　kind　of　beer；　wine；　or　spirits　is　allowed　at　West　Point。　The　law　upon　this　point　may　be　said　to　be　very　vehement；　for　it　debars　even　the　visitors　at　the　hotel　from　the　solace　of　a　glass　of　beer。　　The　hotel　is　within　the　bounds　of　the　college；　and　as　the　lads　might　become　purchasers　at　the　bar；　there　is　no　bar　allowed。　Any　breach　of　this　law　leads　to　instant　expulsion；　or；　I　should　say　rather；　any　detection　of　such　breach。　　The　officer　who　showed　us　over　the　college　assured　me　that　the　presence　of　a　glass　of　wine　in　a　young　man's　room　would　secure　his　exclusion；　even　though　there　should　be　no　evidence　that　he　had　tasted　it。　　He　was　very　firm　as　to　this；　but　a　little　bird　of　West　Point；　whose　information；　though　not　official　or　probably　accurate　in　words；　seemed　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　reliance　in　general；　told　me　that　eyes　were　wont　to　wink　when　such　glasses　of　wine　made　themselves　unnecessarily　visible。　Let　us　fancy　an　English　mess　of　young　men　from　seventeen　to　twenty…　one；　at　which　a　mug　of　beer　would　be　felony　and　a　glass　of　wine　high　treason！　　But　the　whole　management　of　the　young　with　the　Americans　differs　much　from　that　in　vogue　with　us。　　We　do　not　require　so　much　at　so　early　an　age；　either　in　knowledge；　in　morals；　or　even　in　manliness。　　In　America；　if　a　lad　be　under　control；　as　at　West　Point；　he　is　called　upon　for　an　amount　of　labor　and　a　degree　of　conduct　which　would　be　considered　quite　transcendental　and　out　of　the　question　in　England。　　But　if　he　be　not　under　control；　if　at　the　age　of　eighteen　he　be　living　at　home；　or　be　from　his　circumstances　exempt　from　professorial　power；　he　is　a　full…fledged　man；　with　his　pipe　apparatus　and　his　bar　acquaintances。　And　then　I　was　told；　at　West　Point；　how　needful　and　yet　how　painful　it　was　that　all　should　be　removed　who　were　in　any　way　deficient　in　credit　to　the　establishment。　　〃Our　rules　are　very　exact；〃　my　informant　told　me；　〃but　the　carrying　out　of　our　rules　is　a　task　not　always　very　easy。〃　　As　to　this　also　I　had　already　heard　something　from　that　little　bird　of　West　Point；　but　of　course　I　wisely　assented　to　my　informant；　remarking　that　discipline　in　such　an　establishment　was　essentially　necessary。　　The　little　bird　had　told　me　that　discipline　at　West　Point　had　been　rendered　terribly　difficult　by　political　interference。　　〃A　young　man　will　be　dismissed　by　the　unanimous　voice　of　the　board；　and　will　be　sent　away。　　And　then；　after　a　week　or　two；　he　will　be　sent　back；　with　an　order　from　Washington　that　another　trial　shall　be　given　him。　　The　lad　will　march　back　into　the　college　with　all　the　honors　of　a　victory；　and　will　be　conscious　of　a　triumph　over　the　superintendent　and　his　officers。〃　　〃And　is　that　common？〃　I　asked。　　〃Not　at　the　present　moment；〃　I　was　told。　　〃But　it　was　common　before　the　war。　While　Mr。　Buchanan；　and　Mr。　Pierce；　and　Mr。　Polk　were　Presidents；　no　officer　or　board　of　officers　then　at　West　Point　was　able　to　dismiss　a　lad　whose　father　was　a　Southerner；　and　who　had　friends　among　the　government。〃　Not　only　was　this　true　of　West　Point；　but　the　same　allegation　is　true　as　to　all　matters　of　patronage　throughout　the　United　States。　During　the　three　or　four　last　presidencies；　and　I　believe　back　to　the　time　of　Jackson；　there　has　been　an　organized　system　of　dishonesty　in　the　management　of　all　beneficial　places　under　the　control　of　the　government。　　I　doubt　whether　any　despotic　court　of　Europe　has　been　so　corrupt　in　the　distribution　of　placesthat　is；　in　the　selection　of　public　officersas　has　been　the　assemblage　of　statesmen　at　Washington。　　And　this　is　the　evil　which　the　country　is　now　expiating　with　its　blood　and　treasure。　　It　has　allowed　its　knaves　to　stand　in　the　high　places；　and　now　it　finds　that　knavish　works　have　brought　about　evil　results。　　But　of　this　I　shall　be　constrained　to　say　something　further　hereafter。　We　went　into　all　the　schools　of　the　college；　and　made　ourselves　fully　aware　that　the　amount　of　learning　imparted　was　far　above　our　comprehension。　　It　always　occurs　to　me；　in　looking　through　the　new　schools　of　the　present　day；　that　I　ought　to　be　thankful　to　persons　who　know　so　much　for　condescending　to　speak　to　me　at　all　in　plain　English。　　I　said　a　word　to　the　gentleman　who　was　with　me　about　horses；　seeing　a　lot　of　lads　going　to　their　riding　lesson。　　But　he　was　down　upon　me；　and　crushed　me　instantly　beneath　the　weight　of　my　own　ignorance。　　He　walked　me　up　to　the　image　of　a　horse；　which　he　took　to　pieces；　bit　by　bit；　taking　off　skin；　muscle；　flesh；　nerves；　and　bones；　till　the　animal　was　a　heap　of　atoms；　and　assured　me　that　the　anatomy　of　the　horse　throughout　was　one　of　the　necessary　studies　of　the　place。　　We　afterward　went　to　see　the　riding。　　The　horses　themselves　were　p