north america-2-第17章

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　Ohio。　　But　when　that　division　takes　place；　no　river　like　the　Ohio　can　form　the　boundary　between　the　divided　nations。　　Such　rivers　are　the　highways；　round　which　in　this　country　people　have　clustered　themselves。　　A　river　here　is　not　a　natural　barrier；　but　a　connecting　street。　　It　would　be　as　well　to　make　a　railway　a　division；　or　the　center　line　of　a　city　a　national　boundary。　　Kentucky　and　Ohio　States　are　joined　together　by　the　Ohio　River；　with　Cincinnati　on　one　side　and　Louisville　on　the　other；　and　I　do　not　think　that　man's　act　can　upset　these　ties　of　nature。　　But　between　Kentucky　and　Tennessee　there　is　no　such　bond　of　union。　　There　a　mathematical　line　has　been　simply　drawn；　a　continuation　of　that　line　which　divides　Virginia　from　North　Carolina；　to　which　two　latter　States　Kentucky　and　Tennessee　belonged　when　the　thirteen　original　States　first　formed　themselves　into　a　Union。　　But　that　mathematical　line　has　offered　no　peculiar　advantages　to　population。　　No　great　towns　cluster　there；　and　no　strong　social　interests　would　be　dissevered　should　Kentucky　throw　in　her　lot　with　the　North；　and　Tennessee　with　the　South；　but　Kentucky　owns　a　quarter　of　a　million　of　slaves；　and　those　slaves　must　either　be　emancipated　or　removed　before　such　a　junction　can　be　firmly　settled。　The　great　business　of　Cincinnati　is　hog　killing　now；　as　it　used　to　be　in　the　old　days　of　which　I　have　so　often　heard。　　It　seems　to　be　an　established　fact；　that　in　this　portion　of　the　world　the　porcine　genus　are　all　hogs。　　One　never　hears　of　a　pig。　　With　us　a　trade　in　hogs　and　pigs　is　subject　to　some　little　contumely。　　There　is　a　feeling；　which　has　perhaps　never　been　expressed　in　words；　but　which　certainly　exists；　that　these　animals　are　not　so　honorable　in　their　bearings　as　sheep　and　oxen。　　It　is　a　prejudice　which　by　no　means　exists　in　Cincinnati。　　There　hog　killing　and　salting　and　packing　is　very　honorable；　and　the　great　men　in　the　trade　are　the　merchant　princes　of　the　city。　　I　went　to　see　the　performance；　feeling　it　to　be　a　duty　to　inspect　everywhere　that　which　I　found　to　be　of　most　importance；　but　I　will　not　describe　it。　　There　were　a　crowd　of　men　operating；　and　I　was　told　that　the　point　of　honor　was　to　〃put　through〃　a　hog　a　minute。　　It　must　be　understood　that　the　animal　enters　upon　the　ceremony　alive；　and　comes　out　in　that　cleanly；　disemboweled　guise　in　which　it　may　sometimes　be　seen　hanging　up　previous　to　the　operation　of　the　pork　butcher's　knife。　　To　one　special　man　was　appointed　a　performance　which　seemed　to　be　specially　disagreeable；　so　that　he　appeared　despicable　in　my　eyes；　but　when　on　inquiry　I　learned　that　he　earned　five　dollars　（or　a　pound　sterling）　a　day；　my　judgment　as　to　his　position　was　reversed。　　And；　after　all；　what　matters　the　ugly　nature　of　such　an　occupation　when　a　man　is　used　to　it？　Cincinnati　is　like　all　other　American　towns；　with　second；　third；　and　fourth　streets；　seventh；　eighth；　and　ninth　streets；　and　so　on。　　Then　the　cross　streets　are　named　chiefly　from　trees。　　Chestnut；　walnut；　locust；　etc。　　I　do　not　know　whence　has　come　this　fancy　for　naming　streets　after　trees　in　the　States；　but　it　is　very　general。　　The　town　is　well　built；　with　good　fronts　to　many　of　the　houses；　with　large　shops　and　larger　stores；　of　course　also　with　an　enormous　hotel；　which　has　never　paid　anything　like　a　proper　dividend　to　the　speculator　who　built　it。　　It　is　always　the　same　story。　　But　these　towns　shame　our　provincial　towns　by　their　breadth　and　grandeur。　　I　am　afraid　that　speculators　with　us　are　trammeled　by　an　〃ignorant　impatience　of　ruin。〃　　I　should　not　myself　like　to　live　in　Cincinnati　or　in　any　of　these　towns。　　They　are　slow；　dingy；　and　uninteresting；　but　they　all　possess　an　air　of　substantial；　civic　dignity。　　It　must；　however；　be　remembered　that　the　Americans　live　much　more　in　towns　than　we　do。　　All　with　us　that　are　rich　and　aristocratic　and　luxurious　live　in　the　country；　frequenting　the　metropolis　for　only　a　portion　of　the　year。　　But　all　that　are　rich　and　aristocratic　and　luxurious　in　the　States　live　in　the　towns。　　Our　provincial　towns　are　not　generally　chosen　as　the　residences　of　our　higher　classes。　Cincinnati　has　170；000　inhabitants；　and　there　are　14；000　children　at　the　free　schoolswhich　is　about　one　in　twelve　of　the　whole　population。　　This　number　gives　the　average　of　scholars　throughout　the　year　ended　30th　of　June；　1861。　　But　there　are　other　schools　in　Cincinnatiparish　schools　and　private　schoolsand　it　is　stated　to　me　that　there　were　in　all　32；000　children　attending　school　in　the　city　throughout　the　year。　　The　education　at　the　State　schools　is　very　good。　　Thirty…four　teachers　are　employed；　at　an　average　salary　of　92l。　each；　ranging　from　260l。　to　60l。　per　annum。　　It　is　in　this　matter　of　education　that　the　cities　of　the　free　States　of　America　have　done　so　much　for　the　civilization　and　welfare　of　their　population。　　This　fact　cannot　be　repeated　in　their　praise　too　often。　Those　who　have　the　management　of　affairs；　who　are　at　the　top　of　the　tree；　are　desirous　of　giving　to　all　an　opportunity　of　raising　themselves　in　the　scale　of　human　beings。　　I　dislike　universal　suffrage；　I　dislike　votes　by　ballot；　I　dislike　above　all　things　the　tyranny　of　democracy。　　But　I　do　like　the　political　feelingfor　it　is　a　political　feelingwhich　induces　every　educated　American　to　lend　a　hand　to　the　education　of　his　fellow…citizens。　　It　shows；　if　nothing　else　does　so；　a　germ　of　truth　in　that　doctrine　of　equality。　It　is　a　doctrine　to　be　forgiven　when　he　who　preaches　it　is　in　truth　striving　to　raise　others　to　his　own　level；　though　utterly　unpardonable　when　the　preacher　would　pull　down　others　to　his　level。　Leaving　Cincinnati；　I　again　entered　a　slave　Statenamely；　Kentucky。　When　the　war　broke　out；　Kentucky　took　upon　itself　to　say　that　it　would　be　neutral；　as　if　neutrality　in　such　a　position　could　by　any　means　have　been　possible！　　Neutrality　on　the　borders　of　secession；　on　the　battle…field　of　the　coming　contest；　was　of　course　impossible。　Tennessee；　to　the　south；　had　joined　the　South　by　a　regular　secession　ordinance。　　Ohio；　Illinois；　and　Indiana；　to　the　north；　were　of　course　true　to　the　Union。　　Under　these　circumstances　it　became　necessary　that　Kentucky　should　choose　her　side。　　With　the　exception　of　the　little　State　of　Delaware；　in　which　from　her　position　secession　would　have　been　impossible；　Kentucky　was；　I　think；　less　inclined　to　rebellion；　more　desirous　of　standing　by　the　North；　than　any　other　of　the　slave　States。　　She　did　all　she　could；　however；　to　put　off　the　evil　day　of　so　evil　a　choice。　　Abolition　within　her　borders　was　held　to　be　abominable　as　strongly　as　it　was　so　held　in　Georgia。　　She　had　no　sympathy；　and　could　have　none；　with　the　teachings　and　preachings　of　Massachusetts。　　But　she　did　not　wish　to　belong　to　a　confederacy　of　which　the　Northern　States　were　to　be　the　declared　enemy；　and　be　the　border　State　of　the　South　under　such　circumstances。　　She　did　all　she　could　for　personal　neutrality。　　She　made　that　effort　for　general　reconciliation　of　which　I　have　spoken　as　the　Crittenden　Compromise。　　But　compromises　and　reconciliation　were　not　as　yet　possible；　and　therefore　it　was　necessary　that　she　should　choose　her　part。　　Her　governor　declared　for　secession；　and　at　first　also　her　legislature　was　inclined　to　follow　the　governor。　　But　no　overt　act　of　secession　by　the　State　was　committed；　and　at　last　it　was　decided　that　Kentucky　should　be　declared　to　be　loyal。　　It　was　in　fact　divided。　　Those　on　the　southern　border　joined　the　secessionists；　whereas　the　greater　portion　of　the　State；　containing　Frankfort；　the　capital；　and　the　would…be　secessionist　governor；　who　lived　there；　joined　the　North。　　Men　in　fact　became　Unionists　or　secessionists　not　by　their　own　conviction；　but　through　the　necessity　of　their　positions；　and　Kentucky；　through　the　necessity　of　her　position；　became　one　of　the　scenes　of　civil　war。　I　must　confess　that　the　difficulty　of　the　position　of　the　whole　country　seems　to　me　to　have　been　under…estimated　in　England。　　In　common　life　it　is　not　easy　to　arrange　the　circumstances　of　a　divorce　between　man　and　wife；　all　whose　belongings　and　associations　have　for　many　years　been　in　common。　　Their　children；　their　money；　their　house；　their　friends；　their　secrets　have　been　joint　property；　and　have　formed　bonds　of　union。　　But　yet　such　quarrels　may　arise；　such　mutual　antipathy；　such　acerbity　and　even　ill　usage；　that　all　who　know　them　admit　that　a　separation　is　needed。　　So　it　is　here　in　the　States。　　Free　soil　and　slave　soil　could；　while　both　were　young　and　unused　to　power；　go　on　togethernot　without　many　jars　and　unhappy　bickerings；　but　they　did　go　on　together。　　But　now　they　must　part；　and　how　shall　the　parting　be　made？　　With　which　side　shall　go　this　child；　and　who　shall　remain　in　possession　of　that　pleasant　homestead？　　Putting　secession　aside；　there　were　in　the　United　States　two　distinct　political　doctrines；　of　which　the　extremes　were　opposed　to　each　other　as　pole　is　opposed　to　pole。　　We　have　no　such　variance　of　creed；　no　such　radical　difference　as　to　the　essential　rules　of　life　between　parties　in　our　country。　　We　have　no　such　cause　for　personal　rancor　in　our　Parliament　as　has　existed　for　some　years　past　in　both　Houses　of　Congress。　　These　two　extreme　parties　were　the　slaveowners　of　the　South　and　the　abolitionists　of　the　North　and　West。　　Fifty　years　ago　the　former　regarded　the　institution　of　slavery　as　a　necessity　of　their　positiongenerally　as　an　evil　necessity；　and　generally　also　as　a　custom　to　be　removed　in　the　course　of　years。　　Gradually　they　have　learned　to　look　upon　slavery　as　good　in　itself；　and　to　believe　that　it　has　been　the　source　of　their　wealth　and　the　strength　of　their　position。　　They　have　declared　it　to　be　a　blessing　inalienable；　that　should　remain　among　them　forever　as　an　inheritance　not　to　be　touched　and　not　to　be　spoken　of　with　hard　words。　　Fifty　years　ago　the　abolitionists　of　the　North　differed　only　in　opinion　from　the　slave　owners　of　the　South　in　hoping　for　a　speedier　end　to　this　stain　upon　the　nation；　and　in　thinking　that　some　action　should　be　taken　toward　the　final　emancipation　of　the　bondsmen。　　But　they　also　have　progressed；　and；　as　the　Southern　masters　have　called　the　institution　blessed；　they　have　called　it　accursed。　　Their　numbers　have　increased；　and　with　their　numbers　their　power　and　their　violence。　　In　this　way　two　parties　have　been　formed　who　could　not　look　on　each　other　without　hatred。　　An　intermediate　doctrine　has　been　held　by　men　who　were　nearer　in　their　sympathies　to　the　slaveowners　than　to　the　abolitionists；　but　who　were　not　disposed　to　justify　slavery　as　a　thing　apart。　　These　men　have　been　aware　that　slavery　has　existed　in　accordance　with　the　Constitution　of　their　country；　and　have　been　willing　to　attach　the　stain　which　accompanies　the　institution　to　the　individual　State　which　entertains　it；　and　not　to　the　national　government　by　which　the　question　has　been　constitutionally　ignored。　The　men　who　have　participated　in　the　government　have　naturally　been　inclined　toward　the　middle　doctrine；　but　as　the　two　extremes　have　retreated　farther　from　each　other；　the　power　of　this　middle　class　of　politicians　has　decreased。　　Mr。　Lincoln；　though　he　does　not　now　declare　himself　an　abolitionist；　was　elected　by　the　abolitionists；　and　when；　as　a　consequence　of　that　election；　secession　was　threatened；　no　step　which　he　could　have