north america-1-第7章

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　　These　aprons　at　first　I　confess　seemed　tawdry；　but　the　eye　soon　becomes　used　to　bright　colors；　in　carriage　aprons　as　well　as　in　architecture；　and　I　soon　learned　to　like　them。　Rhode　Island；　as　the　State　is　usually　called；　is　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union。　　I　may　perhaps　best　show　its　disparity　to　other　States　by　saying　that　New　York　extends　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　north　to　south；　and　the　same　distance　from　east　to　west；　whereas　the　State　called　Rhode　Island　is　about　forty　miles　long　by　twenty　broad；　independently　of　certain　small　islands。　　It　would；　in　fact；　not　form　a　considerable　addition　if　added　on　to　many　of　the　other　States。　　Nevertheless；　it　has　all　the　same　powers　of　self…　government　as　are　possessed　by　such　nationalities　as　the　States　of　New　York　and　Pennsylvania；　and　sends　two　Senators　to　the　Senate　at　Washington；　as　do　those　enormous　States。　　Small　as　the　State　is；　Rhode　Island　itself　forms　but　a　small　portion　of　it。　　The　authorized　and　proper　name　of　the　State　is　Providence　Plantation　and　Rhode　Island。　　Roger　Williams　was　the　first　founder　of　the　colony；　and　he　established　himself　on　the　mainland　at　a　spot　which　he　called　Providence。　　Here　now　stands　the　City　of　Providence；　the　chief　town　of　the　State；　and　a　thriving；　comfortable　town　it　seems　to　be；　full　of　banks；　fed　by　railways　and　steamers；　and　going　ahead　quite　as　quickly　as　Roger　Williams　could　in　his　fondest　hopes　have　desired。　Rhode　Island；　as　I　have　said；　has　all　the　attributes　of　government　in　common　with　her　stouter　and　more　famous　sisters。　　She　has　a　governor；　and　an　upper　house　and　a　lower　house　of　legislature；　and　she　is　somewhat　fantastic　in　the　use　of　these　constitutional　powers；　for　she　calls　on　them　to　sit　now　in　one　town　and　now　in　another。　　Providence　is　the　capital　of　the　State；　but　the　Rhode　Island　parliament　sits　sometimes　at　Providence　and　sometimes　at　Newport。　　At　stated　times　also　it　has　to　collect　itself　at　Bristol；　and　at　other　stated　times　at　Kingston；　and　at　others　at　East　Greenwich。　　Of　all　legislative　assemblies　it　is　the　most　peripatetic。　　Universal　suffrage　does　not　absolutely　prevail　in　this　State；　a　certain　property　qualification　being　necessary　to　confer　a　right　to　vote　even　for　the　State　representatives。　　I　should　think　it　would　be　well　for　all　parties　if　the　whole　State　could　be　swallowed　up　by　Massachusetts　or　by　Connecticut；　either　of　which　lie　conveniently　for　the　feat；　but　I　presume　that　any　suggestion　of　such　a　nature　would　be　regarded　as　treason　by　the　men　of　Providence　Plantation。　We　returned　back　to　Boston　by　Attleborough；　a　town　at　which；　in　ordinary　times；　the　whole　population　is　supported　by　the　jewelers'　trade。　　It　is　a　place　with　a　specialty；　upon　which　specialty　it　has　thriven　well　and　become　a　town。　　But　the　specialty　is　one　ill　adapted　for　times　of　war　and　we　were　assured　that　the　trade　was　for　the　present　at　an　end。　　What　man　could　now…a…days　buy　jewels；　or　even　what　woman；　seeing　that　everything　would　be　required　for　the　war？　　I　do　not　say　that　such　abstinence　from　luxury　has　been　begotten　altogether　by　a　feeling　of　patriotism。　　The　direct　taxes　which　all　Americans　will　now　be　called　on　to　pay；　have　had　and　will　have　much　to　do　with　such　abstinence。　　In　the　mean　time　the　poor　jewelers　of　Attleborough　have　gone　altogether　to　the　wall。

CHAPTER　III。　MAINE；　NEW　HAMPSHIRE；　AND　VERMONT。

Perhaps　I　ought　to　assume　that　all　the　world　in　England　knows　that　that　portion　of　the　United　States　called　New　England　consists　of　the　six　States　of　Maine；　New　Hampshire；　Vermont；　Massachusetts；　Connecticut；　and　Rhode　Island。　　This　is　especially　the　land　of　Yankees；　and　none　can　properly　be　called　Yankees　but　those　who　belong　to　New　England。　　I　have　named　the　States　as　nearly　as　may　be　in　order　from　the　north　downward。　　Of　Rhode　Island；　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union；　I　have　already　said　what　little　I　have　to　say。　Of　these　six　States　Boston　may　be　called　the　capital。　　Not　that　it　is　so　in　any　civil　or　political　sense；　it　is　simply　the　capital　of　Massachusetts。　　But　as　it　is　the　Athens　of　the　Western　world；　as　it　was　the　cradle　of　American　freedom；　as　everybody　of　course　knows　that　into　Boston　harbor　was　thrown　the　tea　which　George　III。　would　tax；　and　that　at　Boston；　on　account　of　that　and　similar　taxes；　sprang　up　the　new　revolution；　and　as　it　has　grown　in　wealth；　and　fame；　and　size　beyond　other　towns　in　New　England；　it　may　be　allowed　to　us　to　regard　it　as　the　capital　of　these　six　Northern　States；　without　guilt　of　lese　majeste　toward　the　other　five。　　To　me；　I　confess　this　Northern　division　of　our　once…unruly　colonies　is；　and　always　has　been；　the　dearest。　　I　am　no　Puritan　myself；　and　fancy　that；　had　I　lived　in　the　days　of　the　Puritans；　I　should　have　been　anti…Puritan　to　the　full　extent　of　my　capabilities。　　But　I　should　have　been　so　through　ignorance　and　prejudice；　and　actuated　by　that　love　of　existing　rights　and　wrongs　which　men　call　loyalty。　　If　the　Canadas　were　to　rebel　now；　I　should　be　for　putting　down　the　Canadians　with　a　strong　hand；　but　not　the　less　have　I　an　idea　that　it　will　become　the　Canadas　to　rebel　and　assert　their　independence　at　some　future　period；　unless　it　be　conceded　to　them　without　such　rebellion。　　Who；　on　looking　back；　can　now　refuse　to　admire　the　political　aspirations　of　the　English　Puritans；　or　decline　to　acknowledge　the　beauty　and　fitness　of　what　they　did？　　It　was　by　them　that　these　States　of　New　England　were　colonized。　　They　came　hither；　stating　themselves　to　be　pilgrims；　and　as　such　they　first　placed　their　feet　on　that　hallowed　rock　at　Plymouth；　on　the　shore　of　Massachusetts。　　They　came　here　driven　by　no　thirst　of　conquest；　by　no　greed　for　gold；　dreaming　of　no　Western　empire　such　as　Cortez　had　achieved　and　Raleigh　had　meditated。　　They　desired　to　earn　their　bread　in　the　sweat　of　their　brow；　worshiping　God　according　to　their　own　lights；　living　in　harmony　under　their　own　laws；　and　feeling　that　no　master　could　claim　a　right　to　put　a　heel　upon　their　necks。　And　be　it　remembered　that　here　in　England；　in　those　days；　earthly　masters　were　still　apt　to　put　their　heels　on　the　necks　of　men。　　The　Star　Chamber　was　gone；　but　Jeffreys　had　not　yet　reigned。　　What　earthly　aspirations　were　ever　higher　than　these；　or　more　manly？　And　what　earthly　efforts　ever　led　to　grander　results？　We　determined　to　go　to　Portland；　in　Maine；　from　thence　to　the　White　Mountains　in　New　Hampshirethe　American　Alps；　as　they　love　to　call　themand　then　on　to　Quebec；　and　up　through　the　two　Canadas　to　Niagara；　and　this　route　we　followed。　　From　Boston　to　Portland　we　traveled　by　railroadthe　carriages　on　which　are　in　America　always　called　cars。　　And　here　I　beg；　once　for　all；　to　enter　my　protest　loudly　against　the　manner　in　which　these　conveyances　are　conducted。　The　one　grand　faultthere　are　other　smaller　faultsbut　the　one　grand　fault　is　that　they　admit　but　one　class。　　Two　reasons　for　this　are　given。　　The　first　is　that　the　finances　of　the　companies　will　not　admit　of　a　divided　accommodation；　and　the　second　is　that　the　republican　nature　of　the　people　will　not　brook　a　superior　or　aristocratic　classification　of　traveling。　　As　regards　the　first；　I　do　not　in　the　least　believe　in　it。　　If　a　more　expensive　manner　of　railway　traveling　will　pay　in　England；　it　would　surely　do　so　here。　Were　a　better　class　of　carriages　organized；　as　large　a　portion　of　the　population　would　use　them　in　the　United　States　as　in　any　country　in　Europe。　　And　it　seems　to　be　evident　that　in　arranging　that　there　shall　be　only　one　rate　of　traveling；　the　price　is　enhanced　on　poor　travelers　exactly　in　proportion　as　it　is　made　cheap　to　those　who　are　not　poor。　　For　the　poorer　classes；　traveling　in　America　is　by　no　means　cheap；　the　average　rate　being；　as　far　as　I　can　judge；　fully　three　halfpence　a　mile。　　It　is　manifest　that　dearer　rates　for　one　class　would　allow　of　cheaper　rates　for　the　other；　and　that　in　this　manner　general　traveling　would　be　encouraged　and　increased。　But　I　do　not　believe　that　the　question　of　expenditure　has　had　anything　to　do　with　it。　　I　conceive　it　to　be　true　that　the　railways　are　afraid　to　put　themselves　at　variance　with　the　general　feeling　of　the　people。　　If　so；　the　railways　may　be　right。　　But　then；　on　the　other　band；　the　general　feeling　of　the　people　must　in　such　case　be　wrong。　　Such　a　feeling　argues　a　total　mistake　as　to　the　nature　of　that　liberty　and　equality　for　the　security　of　which　the　people　are　so　anxious；　and　that　mistake　the　very　one　which　has　made　shipwreck　so　many　attempts　at　freedom　in　other　countries。　　It　argues　that　confusion　between　social　and　political　equality　which　has　led　astray　multitudes　who　have　longed　for　liberty　fervently；　but　who　have　not　thought　of　it　carefully。　　If　a　first…class　railway　carriage　should　be　held　as　offensive；　so　should　a　first…class　house；　or　a　first…class　horse；　or　a　first…class　dinner。　　But　first…　class　houses；　first…class　horses；　and　first…class　dinners　are　very　rife　in　America。　　Of　course　it　may　be　said　that　the　expenditure　shown　in　these　last…named　objects　is　private　expenditure；　and　cannot　be　controlled；　and　that　railway　traveling　is　of　a　public　nature；　and　can　be　made　subject　to　public　opinion。　　But　the　fault　is　in　that　public　opinion　which　desires　to　control　matters　of　this　nature。　　Such　an　arrangement　partakes　of　all　the　vice　of　a　sumptuary　law；　and　sumptuary　laws　are　in　their　very　essence　mistakes。　　It　is　well　that　a　man　should　always　have　all　for　which　he　is　willing　to　pay。　　If　he　desires　and　obtains　more　than　is　good　for　him；　the　punishment；　and　thus　also　the　preventive；　will　come　from　other　sources。　It　will　be　said　that　the　American　cars　are　good　enough　for　all　purposes。　　The　seats　are　not　very　hard；　and　the　room　for　sitting　is　sufficient。　　Nevertheless　I　deny　that　they　are　good　enough　for　all　purposes。　　They　are　very　long；　and　to　enter　them　and　find　a　place　often　requires　a　struggle　and　almost　a　fight。　　There　is　rarely　any　person　to　tell　a　stranger　which　car　he　should　enter。　　One　never　meets　an　uncivil　or　unruly　man；　but　the　women　of　the　lower　ranks　are　not　courteous。　　American　ladies　love　to　lie　at　ease　in　their　carriages；　as　thoroughly　as　do　our　women　in　Hyde　Park；　and　to　those　who　are　used　to　such　luxury；　traveling　by　railroad　in　their　own　country　must　be　grievous。　　I　would　not　wish　to　be　thought　a　Sybarite　myself；　or　to　be　held　as　complaining　because　I　have　been　compelled　to　give　up　my　seat　to　women　with　babies　and　bandboxes　who　have　accepted　the　courtesy　with　very　scanty　grace。　　I　have　borne　worse　things　than　these；　and　have　roughed　it　much　in　my　days；　from　want　of　means　and　other　reasons。　　Nor　am　I　yet　so　old　but　what　I　can　rough　it　still。　　Nevertheless　I　like　to　see　things　as　well　done　as　is　practicable；　and　railway　traveling　in　the　States　is　not　well　done。　　I　feel　bound　to　say　as　much　as　this；　and　now　I　have　said　it；　once　for　all。　Few　cities；　or　localities　for　cities；　have　fairer　natural　advantages　than　Portland　and　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　people　of　Portland　have　done　much　in　turning　them　to　account。　　This　town　is　not　the　capital　of　the　State　in　a　political　point　of　view。　Augusta；　which　is　farther　to　the　north；　on　the　Kennebec　River；　is　the　seat　of　the　State　government　for　Maine。　　It　is　very　generally　the　case　that　the　States　do　not　hold　their　legislatures　and　carry　on　their　government　at　their　chief　towns。　　Augusta　a