north america-2-第28章

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rmy。　　If　a　stranger　visit　Manchester　with　the　object　of　seeing　what　sort　of　place　Manchester　is；　he　must　visit　the　cotton　mills　and　printing　establishments；　though　he　may　have　no　taste　for　cotton　and　no　knowledge　on　the　subject　of　calicoes。　　Under　pressure　of　this　kind　I　have　gone　about　from　one　army　to　another；　looking　at　the　drilling　of　regiments；　of　the　manoeuvres　of　cavalry；　at　the　practice　of　artillery；　and　at　the　inner　life　of　the　camps。　　I　do　not　feel　that　I　am　in　any　degree　more　fitted　to　take　the　command　of　a　campaign　than　I　was　before　I　began；　or　even　more　fitted　to　say　who　can　and　who　cannot　do　so。　　But　I　have　obtained　on　my　own　mind's　eye　a　tolerably　clear　impression　of　the　outward　appearance　of　the　Northern　army；　I　have　endeavored　to　learn　something　of　the　manner　in　which　it　was　brought　together；　and　of　its　cost　as　it　now　stands；　and　I　have　learnedas　any　man　in　the　States　may　learn；　without　much　trouble　or　personal　investigationhow　terrible　has　been　the　peculation　of　the　contractors　and　officers　by　whom　that　army　has　been　supplied。　　Of　these　things；　writing　of　the　States　at　this　moment；　I　must　say　something。　　In　what　I　shall　say　as　to　that　matter　of　peculation；　I　trust　that　I　may　be　believed　to　have　spoken　without　personal　ill　feeling　or　individual　malice。　While　I　was　traveling　in　the　States　of　New　England　and　in　the　Northwest；　I　came　across　various　camps　at　which　young　regiments　were　being　drilled　and　new　regiments　were　being　formed。　　These　lay　in　our　way　as　we　made　our　journeys；　and；　therefore；　we　visited　them；　but　they　were　not　objects　of　any　very　great　interest。　　The　men　had　not　acquired　even　any　pretense　of　soldier…like　bearing。　　The　officers　for　the　most　part　had　only　just　been　selected；　having　hardly　as　yet　left　their　civil　occupations；　and　anything　like　criticism　was　disarmed　by　the　very　nature　of　the　movement　which　had　called　the　men　together。　　I　then　thought；　as　I　still　think；　that　the　men　themselves　were　actuated　by　proper　motives；　and　often　by　very　high　motives；　in　joining　the　regiments。　　No　doubt　they　looked　to　the　pay　offered。　　It　is　not　often　that　men　are　able　to　devote　themselves　to　patriotism　without　any　reference　to　their　personal　circumstances。　　A　man　has　got　before　him　the　necessity　of　earning　his　bread；　and　very　frequently　the　necessity　of　earning　the　bread　of　others　besides　himself。　　This　comes　before　him　not　only　as　his　first　duty；　but　as　the　very　law　of　his　existence。　　His　wages　are　his　life；　and　when　he　proposes　to　himself　to　serve　his　country；　that　subject　of　payment　comes　uppermost　as　it　does　when　he　proposes　to　serve　any　other　master。　　But　the　wages　given；　though　very　high　in　comparison　with　those　of　any　other　army；　have　not　been　of　a　nature　to　draw　together　from　their　distant　homes；　at　so　short　a　notice；　so　vast　a　cloud　of　men；　had　no　other　influence　been　at　work。　　As　far　as　I　can　learn；　the　average　rate　of　wages　in　the　country　since　the　war　began　has　been　about　65　cents　a　day　over　and　beyond　the　workman's　diet。　　I　feel　convinced　that　I　am　putting　this　somewhat　too　low；　taking　the　average　of　all　the　markets　from　which　the　labor　has　been　withdrawn。　In　large　cities　labor　has　been　much　higher　than　this；　and　a　considerable　proportion　of　the　army　has　been　taken　from　large　cities。　　But；　taking　65　cents　a　day　as　the　average；　labor　has　been　worth　about　17　dollars　a　month　over　and　above　the　laborer's　diet。　In　the　army　the　soldier　receives　13　dollars　a　month；　and　also　receives　his　diet　and　clothes；　in　addition　to　this；　in　many　States；　6　dollars　a　month　have　been　paid　by　the　State　to　the　wives　and　families　of　those　soldiers　who　have　left　wives　and　families　in　the　States　behind　them。　　Thus　for　the　married　men　the　wages　given　by　the　army　have　been　2　dollars　a　month；　or　less　than　5l。　a　year；　more　than　his　earnings　at　home；　and　for　the　unmarried　man　they　have　been　4　dollars　a　month；　or　less　than　10l。　a　year；　below　his　earnings　at　home。　　But　the　army　also　gives　clothing　to　the　extent　of　3　dollars　a　month。　　This　would　place　the　unmarried　soldier；　in　a　pecuniary　point　of　view；　worse　off　by　one　dollar　a　month；　or　2l。　l0s。　a　year；　than　he　would　have　been　at　home；　and　would　give　the　married　man　5　dollars　a　month；　or　12l。　a　year；　more　than　his　ordinary　wages；　for　absenting　himself　from　his　family。　　I　cannot　think；　therefore；　that　the　pecuniary　attractions　have　been　very　great。　Our　soldiers　in　England　enlist　at　wages　which　are　about　one…half　that　paid　in　the　ordinary　labor　market　to　the　class　from　whence　they　come。　　But　labor　in　England　is　uncertain；　whereas　in　the　States　it　is　certain。　　In　England　the　soldier　with　his　shilling　gets　better　food　than　the　laborer　with　his　two　shillings；　and　the　Englishman　has　no　objection　to　the　rigidity　of　that　discipline　which　is　so　distasteful　to　an　American。　　Moreover；　who　in　England　ever　dreamed　of　raising　600；000　new　troops　in　six　months；　out　of　a　population　of　thirty　million？　　But　this　has　been　done　in　the　Northern　States　out　of　a　population　of　eighteen　million。　　If　England　were　invaded；　Englishmen　would　come　forward　in　the　same　way；　actuated；　as　I　believe；　by　the　same　high　motives。　　My　object　here　is　simply　to　show　that　the　American　soldiers　have　not　been　drawn　together　by　the　prospect　of　high　wages；　as　has　been　often　said　since　the　war　began。　They　who　inquire　closely　into　the　matter　will　find　that　hundreds　and　thousands　have　joined　the　army　as　privates；　who　in　doing　so　have　abandoned　all　their　best　worldly　prospects；　and　have　consented　to　begin　the　game　of　life　again；　believing　that　their　duty　to　their　country　has　now　required　their　services。　　The　fact　has　been　that　in　the　different　States　a　spirit　of　rivalry　has　been　excited。　　Indiana　has　endeavored　to　show　that　she　was　as　forward　as　Illinois；　Pennsylvania　has　been　unwilling　to　lag　behind　New　York；　Massachusetts；　who　has　always　struggled　to　be　foremost　in　peace；　has　desired　to　boast　that　she　was　first　in　war　also；　the　smaller　States　have　resolved　to　make　their　names　heard；　and　those　which　at　first　were　backward　in　sending　troops　have　been　shamed　into　greater　earnestness　by　the　public　voice。　　There　has　been　a　general　feeling　throughout　the　people　that　the　thing　should　be　donethat　the　rebellion　must　be　put　down；　and　that　it　must　be　put　down　by　arms。　Young　men　have　been　ashamed　to　remain　behind；　and　their　elders；　acting　under　that　glow　of　patriotism　which　so　often　warms　the　hearts　of　free　men；　but　which；　perhaps；　does　not　often　remain　there　long　in　all　its　heat；　have　left　their　wives　and　have　gone　also。　　It　may　be　true　that　the　voice　of　the　majority　has　been　coercive　on　manythat　men　have　enlisted　partly　because　the　public　voice　required　it　of　them；　and　not　entirely　through　the　promptings　of　individual　spirit。　Such　public　voice　in　America　is　very　potent；　but　it　is　not；　I　think；　true　that　the　army　has　been　gathered　together　by　the　hope　of　high　wages。　Such　was　my　opinion　of　the　men　when　I　saw　them　from　State　to　State　clustering　into　their　new　regiments。　　They　did　not　look　like　soldiers；　but　I　regarded　them　as　men　earnestly　intent　on　a　work　which　they　believed　to　be　right。　　Afterward　when　I　saw　them　in　their　camps；　amid　all　the　pomps　and　circumstances　of　glorious　war；　positively　converted　into　troops；　armed　with　real　rifles　and　doing　actual　military　service；　I　believed　the　same　of　thembut　cannot　say　that　I　then　liked　them　so　well。　　Good　motives　had　brought　them　there。　　They　were　the　same　men；　or　men　of　the　same　class；　that　I　had　seen　before。　　They　were　doing　just　that　which　I　knew　they　would　have　to　do。　　But　still　I　found　that　the　more　I　saw　of　them；　the　more　I　lost　of　that　respect　for　them　which　I　had　once　felt。　　I　think　it　was　their　dirt　that　chiefly　operated　upon　me。　　Then；　too；　they　had　hitherto　done　nothing；　and　they　seemed　to　be　so　terribly　intent　upon　their　rations！　　The　great　boast　of　this　army　was　that　they　eat　meat　twice　a　day；　and　that　their　daily　supply　of　bread　was　more　than　they　could　consume。　When　I　had　been　two　or　three　weeks　in　Washington；　I　went　over　to　the　army　of　the　Potomac　and　spent　a　few　days　with　some　of　the　officers。　I　had　on　previous　occasions　ridden　about　the　camps；　and　had　seen　a　review　at　which　General　McClellan　trotted　up　and　down　the　lines　with　all　his　numerous　staff　at　his　heels。　　I　have　always　believed　reviews　to　be　absurdly　useless　as　regards　the　purpose　for　which　they　are　avowedly　got　upthat；　namely；　of　military　inspection。　　And　I　believed　this　especially　of　this　review。　　I　do　not　believe　that　any　commander…in…chief　ever　learns　much　as　to　the　excellence　or　deficiencies　of　his　troops　by　watching　their　manoeuvres　on　a　vast　open　space；　but　I　felt　sure　that　General　McClellan　had　learned　nothing　on　this　occasion。　　If　before　his　review　he　did　not　know　whether　his　men　were　good　as　soldiers；　he　did　not　possess　any　such　knowledge　after　the　review。　　If　the　matter　may　be　regarded　as　a　review　of　the　generalif　the　object　was　to　show　him　off　to　the　men；　that　they　might　know　how　well　he　rode；　and　how　grand　he　looked　with　his　staff　of　forty　or　fifty　officers　at　his　heels；　then　this　review　must　be　considered　as　satisfactory。　　General　McClellan　does　ride　very　well。　　So　much　I　learned；　and　no　more。　It　was　necessary　to　have　a　pass　for　crossing　the　Potomac　either　from　one　side　or　from　the　other；　and　such　a　pass　I　procured　from　a　friend　in　the　War…office；　good　for　the　whole　period　of　my　sojourn　in　Washington。　　The　wording　of　the　pass　was　more　than　ordinarily　long；　as　it　recommended　me　to　the　special　courtesy　of　all　whom　I　might　encounter；　but　in　this　respect　it　was　injurious　to　me　rather　than　otherwise；　as　every　picket　by　whom　I　was　stopped　found　it　necessary　to　read　it　to　the　end。　　The　paper　was　almost　invariably　returned　to　me　without　a　word；　but　the　musket　which　was　not　unfrequently　kept　extended　across　my　horse's　nose　by　the　reader's　comrade　would　be　withdrawn；　and　then　I　would　ride　on　to　the　next　barrier。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　these　passes　were　so　numerous　and　were　signed　by　so　many　officers　that　there　could　have　been　no　risk　in　forging　them。　　The　army　of　the　Potomac；　into　which　they　admitted　the　bearer；　lay　in　quarters　which　were　extended　over　a　length　of　twenty　miles　up　and　down　on　the　Virginian　side　of　the　river；　and　the　river　could　be　traversed　at　five　different　places。　　Crowds　of　men　and　women　were　going　over　daily；　and　no　doubt　all　the　visitors　who　so　went　with　innocent　purposes　were　provided　with　proper　passports；　but　any　whose　purposes　were　not　innocent；　and　who　were　not　so　provided；　could　have　passed　the　pickets　with　counterfeited　orders。　　This；　I　have　little　doubt；　was　done　daily。　　Washington　was　full　of　secessionists；　and　every　movement　of　the　Federal　army　was　communicated　to　the　Confederates　at　Richmond；　at　which　city　was　now　established　the　Congress　and　headquarters　of　the　Confederacy。　　But　no　such　tidings　of　the　Confederate　army　reached　those　in　command　at　Washington。　There　were　many　circumstances　in　the　contest　which　led　to　this　result；　and　I　do　not　think　that　General　McClellan　had　any　power　to　prevent　it。　　His　system　of　passes　certainly　did　not　do　so。　I　never　could　learn　from　any　one　what　was　the　true　number　of　this　army　on　the　Potomac。　　I　have　been　informed　by　those　who　professed　to　know　that　it　contained　over　200；000　men；　and　by　others　who　also　professed　to　know；　that　it　did　not　contain　100；000。　　To　me　the　s