north america-2-第20章

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　are　brought　with　their　bows　to　the　shore。　　It　is　an　esplanade　looking　on　to　the　river；　not　built　with　quays　or　wharves；　as　would　be　the　case　with　us；　but　with　a　sloping　bank　running　down　to　the　water。　　In　the　good　days　of　peace　a　hundred　vessels　were　to　be　seen　here；　each　with　its　double　funnels。　　The　line　of　them　seemed　to　be　never　ending　even　when　I　was　there；　but　then　a　very　large　proportion　of　them　were　lying　idle。　They　resemble　huge；　wooden　houses；　apparently　of　frail　architecture；　floating　upon　the　water。　　Each　has　its　double　row　of　balconies　running　round　it；　and　the　lower　or　ground　floor　is　open　throughout。　The　upper　stories　are　propped　and　supported　on　ugly　sticks　and　rickety…looking　beams；　so　that　the　first　appearance　does　not　convey　any　great　idea　of　security　to　a　stranger。　　They　are　always　painted　white；　and　the　paint　is　always　very　dirty。　　When　they　begin　to　move；　they　moan　and　groan　in　melancholy　tones　which　are　subversive　of　all　comfort；　and　as　they　continue　on　their　courses　they　puff　and　bluster；　and　are　forever　threatening　to　burst　and　shatter　themselves　to　pieces。　　There　they　lie；　in　a　continuous　line　nearly　a　mile　in　length；　along　the　levee　of　St。　Louis；　dirty；　dingy；　and　now；　alas！　mute。　　They　have　ceased　to　groan　and　puff；　and；　if　this　war　be　continued　for　six　months　longer；　will　become　rotten　and　useless　as　they　lie。　They　boast　at　St。　Louis　that　they　command　46；000　miles　of　navigable　river　water；　counting　the　great　rivers　up　and　down　from　that　place。　These　rivers　are　chiefly　the　Mississippi；　the　Missouri　and　Ohio；　which　fall　into　the　Mississippi　near　St。　Louis；　the　Platte　and　Kansas　Rivers；　tributaries　of　the　Missouri；　the　Illinois；　and　the　Wisconsin。　　All　these　are　open　to　steamers；　and　all　of　them　traverse　regions　rich　in　corn；　in　coal；　in　metals；　or　in　timber。　　These　ready…made　highways　of　the　world　center；　as　it　were；　at　St。　Louis；　and　make　it　the　depot　of　the　carrying　trade　of　all　that　vast　country。　　Minnesota　is　1500　miles　above　New　Orleans；　but　the　wheat　of　Minnesota　can　be　brought　down　the　whole　distance　without　change　of　the　vessel　in　which　it　is　first　deposited。　　It　would　seem　to　be　impossible　that　a　country　so　blessed　should　not　become　rich。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　these　rivers　flow　through　lands　that　have　never　yet　been　surpassed　in　natural　fertility。　　Of　all　countries　in　the　world　one　would　say　that　the　States　of　America　should　have　been　the　last　to　curse　themselves　with　a　war；　but　now　the　curse　has　fallen　upon　them　with　a　double　vengeance；　it　would　seem　that　they　could　never　be　great　in　war：　their　very　institutions　forbid　it；　their　enormous　distances　forbid　it；　the　price　of　labor　forbids　it；　and　it　is　forbidden　also　by　the　career　of　industry　and　expansion　which　has　been　given　to　them。　　But　the　curse　of　fighting　has　come　upon　them；　and　they　are　showing　themselves　to　be　as　eager　in　the　works　of　war　as　they　have　shown　themselves　capable　in　the　works　of　peace。　　Men　and　angels　must　weep　as　they　behold　the　things　that　are　being　done；　as　they　watch　the　ruin　that　has　come　and　is　still　coming；　as　they　look　on　commerce　killed　and　agriculture　suspended。　No　sight　so　sad　has　come　upon　the　earth　in　our　days。　　They　were　a　great　people；　feeding　the　world；　adding　daily　to　the　mechanical　appliances　of　mankind；　increasing　in　population　beyond　all　measures　of　such　increase　hitherto　known；　and　extending　education　as　fast　as　they　extended　their　numbers。　　Poverty　had　as　yet　found　no　place　among　them；　and　hunger　was　an　evil　of　which　they　had　read　but　were　themselves　ignorant。　　Each　man　among　their　crowds　had　a　right　to　be　proud　of　his　manhood。　　To　read　and　writeI　am　speaking　here　of　the　Northwas　as　common　as　to　eat　and　drink。　　To　work　was　no　disgrace；　and　the　wages　of　work　were　plentiful。　　To　live　without　work　was　the　lot　of　none。　　What　blessing　above　these　blessings　was　needed　to　make　a　people　great　and　happy？　　And　now　a　stranger　visiting　them　would　declare　that　they　are　wallowing　in　a　very　slough　of　despond。　　The　only　trade　open　is　the　trade　of　war。　　The　axe　of　the　woodsman　is　at　rest；　the　plow　is　idle；　the　artificer　has　closed　his　shop。　　The　roar　of　the　foundery　is　still　heard　because　cannon　are　needed；　and　the　river　of　molten　iron　comes　out　as　an　implement　of　death。　　The　stone…　cutter's　hammer　and　the　mason's　trowel　are　never　heard。　　The　gold　of　the　country　is　hiding　itself　as　though　it　had　returned　to　its　mother　earth；　and　the　infancy　of　a　paper　currency　has　been　commenced。　　Sick　soldiers；　who　have　never　seen　a　battle…field；　are　dying　by　hundreds　in　the　squalid　dirt　of　their　unaccustomed　camps。　　Men　and　women　talk　of　war；　and　of　war　only。　　Newspapers　full　of　the　war　are　alone　read。　A　contract　for　war　storestoo　often　a　dishonest　contractis　the　one　path　open　for　commercial　enterprise。　　The　young　man　must　go　to　the　war　or　he　is　disgraced。　　The　war　swallows　everything；　and　as　yet　has　failed　to　produce　even　such　bitter　fruits　as　victory　or　glory。　Must　it　not　be　said　that　a　curse　has　fallen　upon　the　land？　And　yet　I　still　hope　that　it　may　ultimately　be　for　good。　　Through　water　and　fire　must　a　nation　be　cleansed　of　its　faults。　　It　has　been　so　with　all　nations；　though　the　phases　of　their　trials　have　been　different。　　It　did　not　seem　to　be　well　with　us　in　Cromwell's　early　days；　nor　was　it　well　with　us　afterward　in　those　disgraceful　years　of　the　later　Stuarts。　　We　know　how　France　was　bathed　in　blood　in　her　effort　to　rid　herself　of　her　painted　sepulcher　of　an　ancient　throne；　how　Germany　was　made　desolate；　in　order　that　Prussia　might　become　a　nation。　　Ireland　was　poor　and　wretched　till　her　famine　came。　　Men　said　it　was　a　curse；　but　that　curse　has　been　her　greatest　blessing。　And　so　will　it　be　here　in　the　West。　　I　could　not　but　weep　in　spirit　as　I　saw　the　wretchedness　around　methe　squalid　misery　of　the　soldiers；　the　inefficiency　of　their　officers；　the　bickerings　of　their　rulers；　the　noise　and　threats；　the　dirt　and　ruin；　the　terrible　dishonesty　of　those　who　were　trusted！　　These　are　things　which　made　a　man　wish　that　he　were　anywhere　but　there。　　But　I　do　believe　that　God　is　still　over　all；　and　that　everything　is　working　for　good。　　These　things　are　the　fire　and　water　through　which　this　nation　must　pass。　The　course　of　this　people　had　been　too　straight；　and　their　way　had　been　too　pleasant。　　That　which　to　others　had　been　ever　difficult　had　been　made　easy　for　them。　　Bread　and　meat　had　come　to　them　as　things　of　course；　and　they　hardly　remembered　to　be　thankful。　　〃We；　ourselves；　have　done　it；〃　they　declared　aloud。　　〃We　are　not　as　other　men。　　We　are　gods　upon　the　earth。　　Whose　arm　shall　be　long　enough　to　stay　us；　or　whose　bolt　shall　be　strong　enough　to　strike　us？〃　Now　they　are　stricken　sore；　and　the　bolt　is　from　their　own　bow。　Their　own　hands　have　raised　the　barrier　that　has　stayed　them。　　They　have　stumbled　in　their　running；　and　are　lying　hurt　upon　the　ground；　while　they　who　have　heard　their　boastings　turn　upon　them　with　ridicule；　and　laugh　at　them　in　their　discomforture。　　They　are　rolling　in　the　mire；　and　cannot　take　the　hand　of　any　man　to　help　them。　　Though　the　hand　of　the　by…stander　may　be　stretched　to　them；　his　face　is　scornful　and　his　voice　full　of　reproaches。　　Who　has　not　known　that　hour　of　misery　when　in　the　sullenness　of　the　heart　all　help　has　been　refused；　and　misfortune　has　been　made　welcome　to　do　her　worst？　　So　is　it　now　with　those　once　United　States。　　The　man　who　can　see　without　inward　tears　the　self…inflicted　wounds　of　that　American　people　can　hardly　have　within　his　bosom　the　tenderness　of　an　Englishman's　heart。　But　the　strong　runner　will　rise　again　to　his　feet；　even　though　he　be　stunned　by　his　fall。　　He　will　rise　again；　and　will　have　learned　something　by　his　sorrow。　　His　anger　will　pass　away；　and　he　will　again　brace　himself　for　his　work。　　What　great　race　has　ever　been　won　by　any　man；　or　by　any　nation；　without　some　such　fall　during　its　course？　　Have　we　not　all　declared　that　some　check　to　that　career　was　necessary？　　Men　in　their　pursuit　of　intelligence　had　forgotten　to　be　honest；　in　struggling　for　greatness　they　had　discarded　purity。　　The　nation　has　been　great；　but　the　statesmen　of　the　nation　have　been　little。　　Men　have　hardly　been　ambitious　to　govern；　but　they　have　coveted　the　wages　of　governors。　　Corruption　has　crept　into　high　placesinto　places　that　should　have　been　hightill　of　all　holes　and　corners　in　the　land　they　have　become　the　lowest。　　No　public　man　has　been　trusted　for　ordinary　honesty。　　It　is　not　by　foreign　voices；　by　English　newspapers　or　in　French　pamphlets；　that　the　corruption　of　American　politicians　has　been　exposed；　but　by　American　voices　and　by　the　American　press。　　It　is　to　be　heard　on　every　side。　　Ministers　of　the　cabinet；　senators；　representatives；　State　legislatures；　officers　of　the　army；　officials　of　the　navy；　contractors　of　every　gradeall　who　are　presumed　to　touch；　or　to　have　the　power　of　touching　public　money；　are　thus　accused。　　For　years　it　has　been　so。　　The　word　politician　has　stunk　in　men's　nostrils。　　When　I　first　visited　New　York；　some　three　years　since；　I　was　warned　not　to　know　a　man；　because　he　was　a　〃politician。〃　　We　in　England　define　a　man　of　a　certain　class　as　a　blackleg。　　How　has　it　come　about　that　in　American　ears　the　word　politician　has　come　to　bear　a　similar　signification？　The　material　growth　of　the　States　has　been　so　quick　that　the　political　growth　has　not　been　able　to　keep　pace　with　it。　　In　commerce；　in　education；　in　all　municipal　arrangements；　in　mechanical　skill；　and　also　in　professional　ability　the　country　has　stalked　on　with　amazing　rapidity；　but　in　the　art　of　governing；　in　all　political　management　and　detail；　it　has　made　no　advance。　　The　merchants　of　our　country　and　of　that　country　have　for　many　years　met　on　terms　of　perfect　equality；　but　it　has　never　been　so　with　their　statesmen　and　our　statesmen；　with　their　diplomatists　and　our　diplomatists。　Lombard　Street　and　Wall　Street　can　do　business　with　each　other　on　equal　footing；　but　it　is　not　so　between　Downing　Street　and　the　State　office　at　Washington。　　The　science　of　statesmanship　has　yet　to　be　learned　in　the　States；　and　certainly　the　highest　lesson　of　that　science；　which　teaches　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy。　I　trust　that　the　war　will　have　left　such　a　lesson　behind　it。　　If　it　do　so；　let　the　cost　in　money　be　what　it　may；　that　money　will　not　have　been　wasted。　　If　the　American　people　can　learn　the　necessity　of　employing　their　best　men　for　their　highest　workif　they　can　recognize　these　honest　men；　and　trust　them　when　they　are　so　recognizedthen　they　may　become　as　great　in　politics　as　they　have　become　great　in　commerce　and　in　social　institutions。　St。　Louis；　and　indeed　the　whole　State　of　Missouri；　was　at　the　time　of　my　visit　under　martial　law。　　General　Halleck　was　in　command；　holding　his　headquarters　at　St。　Louis；　and　carrying　out；　at　any　rate　as　far　as　the　city　was　concerned；　what　orders　he　chose　to　issue。　　I　am　disposed　to　think　that；　situated　as　Missouri　then　was；　martial　law　was　the　best　law。　　No　other　law　could　have　had　force　in　a　town　surrounded　by　soldiers；　and　in　which　half　of　the　inhabitants　were　loyal　to　the　existing　government　and　half　of　them　were　in　favor　of　rebellion。　　The　necessity　for　such　power　is　terrible；　and　the　power　itself　in　the　hands　of　one　man　must　be　full　of　danger；　but　even　that　is　better　than　anarchy。　　I　will　not　accuse　General　Ha