north america-1-第52章

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　church。　　I　am　not　quite　clear　whether　the　New　Yorkers　have　not　managed　this　difficulty　with　greater　success。　When　we　come　to　the　Old　Bay　Stateto　Massachusettswe　find　the　Christian　religion　spoken　of　in　the　constitution　as　that　which　in　some　one　of　its　forms　should　receive　the　adherence　of　every　good　citizen。　Hartford　is　a　pleasant　little　town；　with　English…looking　houses；　and　an　English…looking　country　around　it。　　Here；　as　everywhere　through　the　States；　one　is　struck　by　the　size　and　comfort　of　the　residences。　　I　sojourned　there　at　the　house　of　a　friend；　and　could　find　no　limit　to　the　number　of　spacious　sitting…rooms　which　it　contained。　　The　modest　dining…room　and　drawing…room　which　suffice　with　us　for　men　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　a　year　would　be　regarded　as　very　mean　accommodation　by　persons　of　similar　incomes　in　the　States。　I　found　that　Hartford　was　all　alive　with　trade；　and　that　wages　were　high；　because　there　are　there　two　factories　for　the　manufacture　of　arms。　　Colt's　pistols　come　from　Hartford；　as　also　do　Sharpe's　rifles。　　Wherever　arms　can　be　prepared；　or　gunpowder；　where　clothes　or　blankets　fit　for　soldiers　can　be　made；　or　tents　or　standards；　or　things　appertaining　in　any　way　to　warfare；　there　trade　was　still　brisk。　　No　being　is　more　costly　in　his　requirements　than　a　soldier；　and　no　soldier　so　costly　as　the　American。　　He　must　eat　and　drink　of　the　best；　and　have　good　boots　and　warm　bedding；　and　good　shelter。　There　were　during　the　Christmas　of　1861　above　half　a　million　of　soldiers　so　to　be　providedthe　President；　in　his　message　made　in　December　to　Congress；　declared　the　number　to　be　above　six　hundred　thousandand　therefore　in　such　places　as　Hartford　trade　was　very　brisk。　　I　went　over　the　rifle　factory；　and　was　shown　everything；　but　I　do　not　know　that　I　brought　away　much　with　me　that　was　worth　any　reader's　attention。　　The　best　of　rifles；　I　have　no　doubt；　were　being　made　with　the　greatest　rapidity；　and　all　were　sent　to　the　army　as　soon　as　finished。　　I　saw　some　murderous…looking　weapons；　with　swords　attached　to　them　instead　of　bayonets；　but　have　since　been　told　by　soldiers　that　the　old…fashioned　bayonet　is　thought　to　be　more　serviceable。　Immediately　on　my　arrival　in　Boston　I　heard　that　Mr。　Emerson　was　going　to　lecture　at　the　Tremont　Hall　on　the　subject　of　the　war；　and　I　resolved　to　go　and　hear　him。　　I　was　acquainted　with　Mr。　Emerson；　and　by　reputation　knew　him　well。　　Among　us　in　England　he　is　regarded　as　transcendental　and　perhaps　even　as　mystic　in　his　philosophy。　　His　〃Representative　Men〃　is　the　work　by　which　he　is　best　known　on　our　side　of　the　water；　and　I　have　heard　some　readers　declare　that　they　could　not　quite　understand　Mr。　Emerson's　〃Representative　Men。〃　　For　myself；　I　confess　that　I　had　broken　down　over　some　portions　of　that　book。　　Since　I　had　become　acquainted　with　him　I　had　read　others　of　his　writings；　especially　his　book　on　England；　and　had　found　that　he　improved　greatly　on　acquaintance。　　I　think　that　he　has　confined　his　mysticism　to　the　book　above　named。　In　conversation　he　is　very　clear；　and　by　no　means　above　the　small　practical　things　of　the　world。　　He　would；　I　fancy；　know　as　well　what　interest　he　ought　to　receive　for　his　money　as　though　he　were　no　philosopher；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　if　he　held　land　he　would　make　his　hay　while　the　sun　shone；　as　might　any　common　farmer。　Before　I　had　met　Mr。　Emerson；　when　my　idea　of　him　was　formed　simply　on　the　〃Representative　Men；〃　I　should　have　thought　that　a　lecture　from　him　on　the　war　would　have　taken　his　hearers　all　among　the　clouds。　　As　it　was；　I　still　had　my　doubts；　and　was　inclined　to　fear　that　a　subject　which　could　only　be　handled　usefully　at　such　a　time　before　a　large　audience　by　a　combination　of　common　sense；　high　principles；　and　eloquence；　would　hardly　be　safe　in　Mr。　Emerson's　hands。　　I　did　not　doubt　the　high　principles；　but　feared　much　that　there　would　be　a　lack　of　common　sense。　　So　many　have　talked　on　that　subject；　and　have　shown　so　great　a　lack　of　common　sense！　　As　to　the　eloquence；　that　might　be　there　or　might　not。　Mr。　Emerson　is　a　Massachusetts　man；　very　well　known　in　Boston；　and　a　great　crowd　was　collected　to　hear　him。　　I　suppose　there　were　some　three　thousand　persons　in　the　room。　　I　confess　that　when　he　took　his　place　before　us　my　prejudices　were　against　him。　　The　matter　in　hand　required　no　philosophy。　　It　required　common　sense；　and　the　very　best　of　common　sense。　　It　demanded　that　he　should　be　impassioned；　for　of　what　interest　can　any　address　be　on　a　matter　of　public　politics　without　passion？　　But　it　demanded　that　the　passion　should　be　winnowed；　and　free　from　all　rodomontade。　　I　fancied　what　might　be　said　on　such　a　subject　as　to　that　overlauded　star…spangled　banner；　and　how　the　star…spangled　flag　would　look　when　wrapped　in　a　mist　of　mystic　Platonism。　But　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　there　was　nothing　mysticno　Platonism；　and；　if　I　remember　rightly；　the　star…spangled　banner　was　altogether　omitted。　　To　the　national　eagle　he　did　allude。　　〃Your　American　eagle；〃　he　said；　〃is　very　well。　　Protect　it　here　and　abroad。　　But　beware　of　the　American　peacock。〃　　He　gave　an　account　of　the　war　from　the　beginning；　showing　how　it　had　arisen；　and　how　it　had　been　conducted；　and　he　did　so　with　admirable　simplicity　and　truth。　　He　thought　the　North　were　right　about　the　war；　and　as　I　thought　so　also；　I　was　not　called　upon　to　disagree　with　him。　　He　was　terse　and　perspicuous　in　his　sentences；　practical　in　his　advice；　and；　above　all　things；　true　in　what　he　said　to　his　audience　of　themselves。　　They　who　know　America　will　understand　how　hard　it　is　for　a　public　man　in　the　States　to　practice　such　truth　in　his　addresses。　　Fluid　compliments　and　high…flown　national　eulogium　are　expected。　　In　this　instance　none　were　forthcoming。　　The　North　had　risen　with　patriotism　to　make　this　effort；　and　it　was　now　warned　that　in　doing　so　it　was　simply　doing　its　national　duty。　　And　then　came　the　subject　of　slavery。　　I　had　been　told　that　Mr。　Emerson　was　an　abolitionist；　and　knew　that　I　must　disagree　with　him　on　that　head；　if　on　no　other。　　To　me　it　has　always　seemed　that　to　mix　up　the　question　of　general　abolition　with　this　war　must　be　the　work　of　a　man　too　ignorant　to　understand　the　real　subject　of　the　war；　or　too　false　to　his　country　to　regard　it。　　Throughout　the　whole　lecture　I　was　waiting　for　Mr。　Emerson's　abolition　doctrine；　but　no　abolition　doctrine　came。　　The　words　abolition　and　compensation　were　mentioned；　and　then　there　was　an　end　of　the　subject。　　If　Mr。　Emerson　be　an　abolitionist；　he　expressed　his　views　very　mildly　on　that　occasion。　　On　the　whole；　the　lecture　was　excellent；　and　that　little　advice　about　the　peacock　was　in　itself　worth　an　hour's　attention。　That　practice　of　lecturing　is　〃quite　an　institution〃　in　the　States。　So　it　is　in　England；　my　readers　will　say。　　But　in　England　it　is　done　in　a　different　way；　with　a　different　object；　and　with　much　less　of　result。　　With　us；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　lectures　are　mostly　given　gratuitously　by　the　lecturer。　　They　are　got　up　here　and　there　with　some　philanthropical　object；　and　in　the　hope　that　an　hour　at　the　disposal　of　young　men　and　women　may　be　rescued　from　idleness。　The　subjects　chosen　are　social；　literary；　philanthropic；　romantic；　geographical；　scientific；　religiousanything　rather　than　political。　　The　lecture…rooms　are　not　usually　filled　to　overflowing；　and　there　is　often　a　question　whether　the　real　good　achieved　is　worth　the　trouble　taken。　　The　most　popular　lectures　are　given　by　big　people；　whose　presence　is　likely　to　be　attractive；　and　the　whole　thing；　I　fear　we　must　confess；　is　not　pre…eminently　successful。　　In　the　Northern　States　of　America　the　matter　stands　on　a　very　different　footing。　　Lectures　there　are　more　popular　than　either　theaters　or　concerts。　　Enormous　halls　are　built　for　them。　Tickets　for　long　courses　are　taken　with　avidity。　　Very　large　sums　are　paid　to　popular　lecturers；　so　that　the　profession　is　lucrative　more　so；　I　am　given　to　understand；　than　is　the　cognate　profession　of　literature。　　The　whole　thing　is　done　in　great　style。　　Music　is　introduced。　　The　lecturer　stands　on　a　large　raised　platform；　on　which　sit　around　him　the　bald　and　hoary…headed　and　superlatively　wise。　　Ladies　come　in　large　numbers；　especially　those　who　aspire　to　soar　above　the　frivolities　of　the　world。　　Politics　is　the　subject　most　popular；　and　most　general。　　The　men　and　women　of　Boston　could　no　more　do　without　their　lectures　than　those　of　Paris　could　without　their　theaters。　　It　is　the　decorous　diversion　of　the　best　ordered　of　her　citizens。　　The　fast　young　men　go　to　clubs；　and　the　fast　young　women　to　dances；　as　fast　young　men　and　women　do　in　other　places　that　are　wicked；　but　lecturing　is　the　favorite　diversion　of　the　steady…minded　Bostonian。　　After　all；　I　do　not　know　that　the　result　is　very　good。　　It　does　not　seem　that　much　will　be　gained　by　such　lectures　on　either　side　of　the　Atlanticexcept　that　respectable　killing　of　an　evening　which　might　otherwise　be　killed　less　respectably。　　It　is　but　an　industrious　idleness；　an　attempt　at　a　royal　road　to　information；　that　habit　of　attending　lectures。　　Let　any　man　or　woman　say　what　he　has　brought　away　from　any　such　attendance。　　It　is　attractive；　that　idea　of　being　studious　without　any　of　the　labor　of　study；　but　I　fear　it　is　illusive。　　If　an　evening　can　be　so　passed　without　ennui；　I　believe　that　that　may　be　regarded　as　the　best　result　to　be　gained。　　But　then　it　so　often　happens　that　the　evening　is　not　passed　without　ennui！　　Of　course　in　saying　this；　I　am　not　alluding　to　lectures　given　in　special　places　as　a　course　of　special　study。　　Medical　lectures　are；　or　may　be；　a　necessary　part　of　medical　education。　　As　many　as　two　or　three　thousand　often　attend　these　popular　lectures　in　Boston；　but　I　do　not　know　whether　on　that　account　the　popular　subjects　are　much　better　understood。　　Nevertheless　I　resolved　to　hear　more；　hoping　that　I　might　in　that　way　teach　myself　to　understand　what　were　the　popular　politics　in　New　England。　　Whether　or　no　I　may　have　learned　this　in　any　other　way；　I　do　not　perhaps　know；　but　at　any　rate　I　did　not　learn　it　in　this　way。　The　next　lecture　which　I　attended　was　also　given　in　the　Tremont　Hall；　and　on　this　occasion　also　the　subject　of　the　war　was　to　be　treated。　　The　special　treachery　of　the　rebels　was；　I　think；　the　matter　to　be　taken　in　hand。　　On　this　occasion　also　the　room　was　full；　and　my　hopes　of　a　pleasant　hour　ran　high。　　For　some　fifteen　minutes　I　listened；　and　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　gentleman　discoursed　in　excellent　English。　　He　was　master　of　that　wonderful　fluency　which　is　peculiarly　the　gift　of　an　American。　　He　went　on　from　one　sentence　to　another　with　rhythmic　tones　and　unerring　pronunciation。　　He　never　faltered；　never　repeated　his　words；　never　fell　into　those　vile　half…muttered　hems　and　haws　by　which　an　Englishman　in　such　a　position　so　generally　betrays　his　timidity。　But　during　the　whole　time　of　my　remaining　in　the　room　he　did　not　give　expression　to　a　single　thought。　　He　went　on　from　one　soft　platitude　to　another；　and　uttered　words　from　which　I　would　defy　any　one　of　his　audience　to　carry　away　with　them　anything。　　And　yet　it　seemed　to　me　that　his　audience　was　satisfied。　　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　managed　to　escape　out　of　the　room。　The　next　lecturer　to　whom　I　listened　was　Mr。　Everett。　　Mr。　Everett's　reputation　as　an　orator　is　ve