north america-1-第70章

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ps　is　discountenanced。　　That　the　vindication　of　her　rights　be　left　to　time　and　reason；　and　that　a　convention　under　existing　circumstances　is　inexpedient。〃　　From　which　it　is　plain　that　Maryland　would　have　seceded　as　effectually　as　Georgia　seceded；　had　she　not　been　prevented　by　the　interposition　of　Washington　between　her　and　the　Confederate　Statesthe　happy　intervention；　seeing　that　she　has　thus　been　saved　from　becoming　the　battle…ground　of　the　contest。　　But　the　legislature　had　to　pay　for　its　rashness。　　On　the　13th　of　September　thirteen　of　its　members　were　arrested；　as　were　also　two　editors　of　newspapers　presumed　to　be　secessionists。　　A　member　of　Congress　was　also　arrested　at　the　same　time；　and　a　candidate　for　Governor　Hicks's　place；　who　belonged　to　the　secessionist　party。　　Previously；　in　the　last　days　of　June　and　beginning　of　July；　the　chief　of　the　police　at　Baltimore　and　the　members　of　the　Board　of　Police　had　been　arrested　by　General　Banks；　who　then　held　Baltimore　in　his　power。　I　should　be　sorry　to　be　construed　as　saying　that　republican　institutions；　or　what　may　more　properly　be　called　democratic　institutions；　have　been　broken　down　in　the　States　of　America。　　I　am　far　from　thinking　that　they　have　broken　down。　　Taking　them　and　their　work　as　a　whole；　I　think　that　they　have　shown　and　still　show　vitality　of　the　best　order。　　But　the　written　Constitution　of　the　United　States　and　of　the　several　States；　as　bearing　upon　each　other；　are　not　equal　to　the　requirements　made　upon　them。　　That；　I　think；　is　the　conclusion　to　which　a　spectator　should　come。　　It　is　in　that　doctrine　of　finality　that　our　friends　have　broken　downa　doctrine　not　expressed　in　their　constitutions；　and　indeed　expressly　denied　in　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　provides　the　mode　in　which　amendments　shall　be　madebut　appearing　plainly　enough　in　every　word　of　self…gratulation　which　comes　from　them。　Political　finality　has　ever　proved　a　delusionas　has　the　idea　of　finality　in　all　human　institutions。　　I　do　not　doubt　but　that　the　republican　form　of　government　will　remain　and　make　progress　in　North　America；　but　such　prolonged　existence　and　progress　must　be　based　on　an　acknowledgment　of　the　necessity　for　change；　and　must　much　depend　on　the　facilities　for　change　which　shall　be　afforded。　I　have　described　the　condition　of　Baltimore　as　it　was　early　in　May；　1861。　　I　reached　that　city　just　seven　months　later；　and　its　condition　was　considerably　altered。　　There　was　no　question　then　whether　troops　should　pass　through　Baltimore；　or　by　an　awkward　round　through　Annapolis；　or　not　pass　at　all　through　Maryland。　General　Dix；　who　had　succeeded　General　Banks；　was　holding　the　city　in　his　grip；　and　martial　law　prevailed。　　In　such　times　as　those；　it　was　bootless　to　inquire　as　to　that　promise　that　no　troops　should　pass　southward　through　Baltimore。　　What　have　such　assurances　ever　been　worth　in　such　days？　　Baltimore　was　now　a　military　depot　in　the　hands　of　the　Northern　army；　and　General　Dix　was　not　a　man　to　stand　any　trifling。　　He　did　me　the　honor　to　take　me　to　the　top　of　Federal　Hill；　a　suburb　of　the　city；　on　which　he　had　raised　great　earthworks　and　planted　mighty　cannons；　and　built　tents　and　barracks　for　his　soldiery；　and　to　show　me　how　instantaneously　he　could　destroy　the　town　from　his　exalted　position。　　〃This　hill　was　made　for　the　very　purpose；〃　said　General　Dix；　and　no　doubt　he　thought　so。　　Generals；　when　they　have　fine　positions　and　big　guns　and　prostrate　people　lying　under　their　thumbs；　are　inclined　to　think　that　God's　providence　has　specially　ordained　them　and　their　points　of　vantage。　It　is　a　good　thing　in　the　mind　of　a　general　so　circumstanced　that　200；000　men　should　be　made　subject　to　a　dozen　big　guns。　　I　confess　that　to　me；　having　had　no　military　education；　the　matter　appeared　in　a　different　light；　and　I　could　not　work　up　my　enthusiasm　to　a　pitch　which　would　have　been　suitable　to　the　general's　courtesy。　That　hill；　on　which　many　of　the　poor　of　Baltimore　had　lived；　was　desecrated　in　my　eyes　by　those　columbiads。　　The　neat　earth…works　were　ugly；　as　looked　upon　by　me；　and　though　I　regarded　General　Dix　as　energetic；　and　no　doubt　skillful　in　the　work　assigned　to　him；　I　could　not　sympathize　with　his　exultation。　Previously　to　the　days　of　secession　Baltimore　had　been　guarded　by　Fort　McHenry；　which　lies　on　a　spit　of　land　running　out　into　the　bay　just　below　the　town。　　Hither　I　went　with　General　Dix；　and　he　explained　to　me　how　the　cannon　had　heretofore　been　pointed　solely　toward　the　sea；　that；　however；　now　was　all　changed；　and　the　mouths　of　his　bombs　and　great　artillery　were　turned　all　the　other　way。　The　commandant　of　the　fort　was　with　us；　and　other　officers；　and　they　all　spoke　of　this　martial　tenure　as　a　great　blessing。　　Hearing　them；　one　could　hardly　fail　to　suppose　that　they　had　lived　their　forty；　fifty；　or　sixty　years　of　life　in　full　reliance　on　the　powers　of　a　military　despotism。　　But　not　the　less　were　they　American　republicans；　who；　twelve　months　since；　would　have　dilated　on　the　all…sufficiency　of　their　republican　institutions；　and　on　the　absence　of　any　military　restraint　in　their　country；　with　that　peculiar　pride　which　characterizes　the　citizens　of　the　States。　There　are；　however；　some　lessons　which　may　be　learned　with　singular　rapidity！　Such　was　the　state　of　Baltimore　when　I　visited　that　city。　　I　found；　nevertheless；　that　cakes　and　ale　still　prevailed　there。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　cakes　and　ale　prevail　most　freely　in　times　that　are　perilous；　and　when　sources　of　sorrow　abound。　　I　have　seen　more　reckless　joviality　in　a　town　stricken　by　pestilence　than　I　ever　encountered　elsewhere。　　There　was　General　Dix　seated　on　Federal　Hill　with　his　cannon；　and　there；　beneath　his　artillery；　were　gentlemen　hotly　professing　themselves　to　be　secessionists；　men　whose　sons　and　brothers　were　in　the　Southern　army；　and　women；　alas！　whose　brothers　would　be　in　one　army；　and　their　sons　in　another。　That　was　the　part　of　it　which　was　most　heartrending　in　this　border　land。　　In　New　England　and　New　York　men's　minds　at　any　rate　were　bent　all　in　the　same　directionas　doubtless　they　were　also　in　Georgia　and　Alabama。　　But　here　fathers　were　divided　from　sons；　and　mothers　from　daughters。　　Terrible　tales　were　told　of　threats　uttered　by　one　member　of　a　family　against　another。　　Old　ties　of　friendship　were　broken　up。　　Society　had　so　divided　itself　that　one　side　could　hold　no　terms　of　courtesy　with　the　other。　　〃When　this　is　over；〃　one　gentleman　said　to　me；　〃every　man　in　Baltimore　will　have　a　quarrel　to　the　death　on　his　hands　with　some　friend　whom　he　used　to　love。〃　　The　complaints　made　on　both　sides　were　eager　and　open…　mouthed　against　the　other。　Late　in　the　autumn　an　election　for　a　new　legislature　of　the　State　had　taken　place；　and　the　members　returned　were　all　supposed　to　be　Unionists。　　That　they　were　prepared　to　support　the　government　is　certain。　　But　no　known　or　presumed　secessionist　was　allowed　to　vote　without　first　taking　the　oath　of　allegiance。　　The　election；　therefore；　even　if　the　numbers　were　true；　cannot　be　looked　upon　as　a　free　election。　　Voters　were　stopped　at　the　poll　and　not　allowed　to　vote　unless　they　would　take　an　oath　which　would；　on　their　parts；　undoubtedly　have　been　false。　　It　was　also　declared　in　Baltimore　that　men　engaged　to　promote　the　Northern　party　were　permitted　to　vote　five　or　six　times　over；　and　the　enormous　number　of　votes　polled　on　the　government　side　gave　some　coloring　to　the　statement。　At　any　rate；　an　election　carried　under　General　Dix's　guns　cannot　be　regarded　as　an　open　election。　　It　was　out　of　the　question　that　any　election　taken　under　such　circumstances　should　be　worth　anything　as　expressing　the　minds　of　the　people。　　Red　and　white　had　been　declared　to　be　the　colors　of　the　Confederates；　and　red　and　white　had　of　course　become　the　favorite　colors　of　the　Baltimore　ladies。　Then　it　was　given　out　that　red　and　white　would　not　be　allowed　in　the　streets。　　Ladies　wearing　red　and　white　were　requested　to　return　home。　　Children　decorated　with　red　and　white　ribbons　were　stripped　of　their　bits　of　finerymuch　to　their　infantile　disgust　and　dismay。　　Ladies　would　put　red　and　white　ornaments　in　their　windows；　and　the　police　would　insist　on　the　withdrawal　of　the　colors。　　Such　was　the　condition　of　Baltimore　during　the　past　winter。　Nevertheless　cakes　and　ale　abounded；　and　though　there　was　deep　grief　in　the　city；　and　wailing　in　the　recesses　of　many　houses；　and　a　feeling　that　the　good　times　were　gone；　never　to　return　within　the　days　of　many　of　them；　still　there　existed　an　excitement　and　a　consciousness　of　the　importance　of　the　crisis　which　was　not　altogether　unsatisfactory。　　Men　and　women　can　endure　to　be　ruined；　to　be　torn　from　their　friends；　to　be　overwhelmed　with　avalanches　of　misfortune；　better　than　they　can　endure　to　be　dull。　Baltimore　is；　or　at　any　rate　was；　an　aspiring　city；　proud　of　its　commerce　and　proud　of　its　society。　　It　has　regarded　itself　as　the　New　York　of　the　South；　and　to　some　extent　has　forced　others　so　to　regard　it　also。　　In　many　respects　it　is　more　like　an　English　town　than　most　of　its　Transatlantic　brethren；　and　the　ways　of　its　inhabitants　are　English。　　In　old　days　a　pack　of　fox　hounds　was　kept　hereor　indeed　in　days　that　are　not　yet　very　old；　for　I　was　told　of　their　doings　by　a　gentleman　who　had　long　been　a　member　of　the　hunt。　　The　country　looks　as　a　hunting　country　should　look；　whereas　no　man　that　ever　crossed　a　field　after　a　pack　of　hounds　would　feel　the　slightest　wish　to　attempt　that　process　in　New　England　or　New　York。　　There　is　in　Baltimore　an　old　inn　with　an　old　sign；　standing　at　the　corner　of　Eutaw　and　Franklin　Streets；　just　such　as　may　still　be　seen　in　the　towns　of　Somersetshire；　and　before　it　there　are　to　be　seen　old　wagons；　covered　and　soiled　and　battered；　about　to　return　from　the　city　to　the　country；　just　as　the　wagons　do　in　our　own　agricultural　counties。　　I　have　seen　nothing　so　thoroughly　English　in　any　other　part　of　the　Union。　But　canvas…back　ducks　and　terrapins　are　the　great　glories　of　Baltimore。　　Of　the　nature　of　the　former　bird　I　believe　all　the　world　knows　something。　　It　is　a　wild　duck　which　obtains　the　peculiarity　of　its　flavor　from　the　wild　celery　on　which　it　feeds。　This　celery　grows　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　I　believe　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay　only。　　At　any　rate；　Baltimore　is　the　headquarters　of　the　canvas…backs；　and　it　is　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay　that　they　are　shot。　　I　was　kindly　invited　to　go　down　on　a　shooting…party；　but　when　I　learned　that　I　should　have　to　ensconce　myself　alone　for　hours　in　a　wet　wooden　box　on　the　water's　edge；　waiting　there　for　the　chance　of　a　duck　to　come　to　me；　I　declined。　　The　fact　of　my　never　having　as　yet　been　successful　in　shooting　a　bird　of　any　kind　conduced　somewhat；　perhaps；　to　my　decision。　I　must　acknowledge　that　the　canvas…back　duck　fully　deserves　all　the　reputation　it　has　acquired。　　As　to　the　terrapin；　I　have　not　so　much　to　say。　　The　terrapin　is　a　small　turtle；　found　on　the　shores　of　Maryland　and　Virginia；　out　of　which　a　very　rich　soup　is　made。　　It　is　cooked　with　wines　and　spices；　and　is　served　in　the　shape　of　a　hash；　with　heaps　of　little　bones　mixed　through　it。　　It　is　held　in　great　repute；　and　the　guest　is　expected　as　a　matter　of　course　to　be　helped　twice。　The　man　who　did　not　eat　twice　of　terrapin　would　be　held　in　small　repute；　as　the　Londoner　is　held　who　at　a　city　banquet