north america-2-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　drunk　when　they　have　the　means　of　doing　so；　and　American　soldiers　would　not　get　drunk　if　the　means　were　taken　away　from　them。　　A　little　drunkenness　goes　a　long　way　in　a　camp；　and　ten　drunkards　will　give　a　bad　name　to　a　company　of　a　hundred。　　Let　any　man　travel　with　twenty　men　of　whom　four　are　tipsy；　and　on　leaving　them　he　will　tell　you　that　every　man　of　them　was　a　drunkard。　I　have　said　that　these　men　are　brave；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　they　are　so。　　How　should　it　be　otherwise　with　men　of　such　a　race？　　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　there　are　two　kinds　of　courage；　one　of　which　is　very　common　and　the　other　very　uncommon。　　Of　the　latter　description　of　courage　it　cannot　be　expected　that　much　should　be　found　among　the　privates　of　any　army；　and　perhaps　not　very　many　examples　among　the　officers。　　It　is　a　courage　self…sustained；　based　on　a　knowledge　of　the　right；　and　on　a　life…long　calculation　that　any　results　coming　from　adherence　to　the　right　will　be　preferable　to　any　that　can　be　produced　by　a　departure　from　it。　　This　is　the　courage　which　will　enable　a　man　to　stand　his　ground；　in　battle　or　elsewhere；　though　broken　worlds　should　fall　around　him。　　The　other　courage；　which　is　mainly　an　affair　of　the　heart　or　blood　and　not　of　the　brain；　always　requires　some　outward　support。　　The　man　who　finds　himself　prominent　in　danger　bears　himself　gallantly；　because　the　eyes　of　many　will　see　him；　whether　as　an　old　man　he　leads　an　army；　or　as　a　young　man　goes　on　a　forlorn　hope；　or　as　a　private　carries　his　officer　on　his　back　out　of　the　fire；　he　is　sustained　by　the　love　of　praise。　　And　the　men　who　are　not　individually　prominent　in　danger；　who　stand　their　ground　shoulder　to　shoulder；　bear　themselves　gallantly　also；　each　trusting　in　the　combined　strength　of　his　comrades。　　When　such　combined　courage　has　been　acquired；　that　useful　courage　is　engendered　which　we　may　rather　call　confidence；　and　which　of　all　courage　is　the　most　serviceable　in　the　army。　　At　the　battle　of　Bull's　Run　the　army　of　the　North　became　panic…stricken；　and　fled。　From　this　fact　many　have　been　led　to　believe　that　the　American　soldiers　would　not　fight　well；　and　that　they　could　not　be　brought　to　stand　their　ground　under　fire。　　This　I　think　has　been　an　unfair　conclusion。　　In　the　first　place；　the　history　of　the　battle　of　Bull's　Run　has　yet　to　be　written；　as　yet　the　history　of　the　flight　only　has　been　given　to　us。　　As　far　as　I　can　learn；　the　Northern　soldiers　did　at　first　fight　well；　so　well；　that　the　army　of　the　South　believed　itself　to　be　beaten。　　But　a　panic　was　createdat　first；　as　it　seems；　among　the　teamsters　and　wagons。　　A　cry　was　raised；　and　a　rush　was　made　by　hundreds　of　drivers　with　their　carts　and　horses；　and　then　men　who　had　never　seen　war　before；　who　had　not　yet　had　three　months'　drilling　as　soldiers；　to　whom　the　turmoil　of　that　day　must　have　seemed　as　though　hell　were　opening　upon　them；　joined　themselves　to　the　general　clamor　and　fled　to　Washington；　believing　that　all　was　lost。　　But　at　the　same　time　the　regiments　of　the　enemy　were　going　through　the　same　farce　in　the　other　direction！　　It　was　a　battle　between　troops　who　knew　nothing　of　battles；　of　soldiers　who　were　not　yet　soldiers。　　That　individual　high…minded　courage　which　would　have　given　to　each　individual　recruit　the　self…sustained　power　against　a　panic；　which　is　to　be　looked　for　in　a　general；　was　not　to　be　looked　for　in　them。　　Of　the　other　courage　of　which　I　have　spoken；　there　was　as　much　as　the　circumstances　of　the　battle　would　allow。　On　subsequent　occasions　the　men　have　fought　well。　　We　should；　I　think；　admit　that　they　have　fought　very　well　when　we　consider　how　short　has　been　their　practice　at　such　work。　　At　Somerset；　at　Fort　Henry；　at　Fort　Donelson；　at　Corinth；　the　men　behaved　with　courage；　standing　well　to　their　arms；　though　at　each　place　the　slaughter　among　them　was　great。　　They　have　always　gone　well　into　fire；　and　have　general＇y　borne　themselves　well　under　fire。　　I　am　convinced　that　we　in　England　can　make　no　greater　mistake　than　to　suppose　that　the　Americans　as　soldiers　are　deficient　in　courage。　But　now　I　must　come　to　a　matter　in　which　a　terrible　deficiency　has　been　shown；　not　by　the　soldiers；　but　by　those　whose　duty　it　has　been　to　provide　for　the　soldiers。　　It　is　impossible　to　speak　of　the　army　of　the　North　and　to　leave　untouched　that　hideous　subject　of　army　contracts。　　And　I　think　myself　the　more　specially　bound　to　allude　to　it　because　I　feel　that　the　iniquities　which　have　prevailed　prove　with　terrible　earnestness　the　demoralizing　power　of　that　dishonesty　among　men　in　high　places；　which　is　the　one　great　evil　of　the　American　States。　　It　is　there　that　the　deficiency　exists；　which　must　be　supplied　before　the　public　men　of　the　nation　can　take　a　high　rank　among　other　public　men。　　There　is　the　gangrene；　which　must　be　cut　out　before　the　government；　as　a　government；　can　be　great。　　To　make　money　is　the　one　thing　needful；　and　men　have　been　anxious　to　meddle　with　the　affairs　of　government；　because　there　might　money　be　made　with　the　greatest　ease。　　〃Make　money；〃　the　Roman　satirist　said；　〃make　it　honestly　if　you　can；　but　at　any　rate　make　money。〃　　That　first　counsel　would　be　considered　futile　and　altogether　vain　by　those　who　have　lately　dealt　with　the　public　wants　of　the　American　States。　This　is　bad　in　a　most　fatal　degree；　not　mainly　because　men　in　high　places　have　been　dishonest；　or　because　the　government　has　been　badly　served　by　its　own　paid　officers。　　That　men　in　high　places　should　be　dishonest；　and　that　the　people　should　be　cheated　by　their　rulers；　is　very　bad。　　But　there　is　worse　than　this。　　The　thing　becomes　so　common；　and　so　notorious；　that　the　American　world　at　large　is　taught　to　believe　that　dishonesty　is　in　itself　good。　　〃It　behoves　a　man　to　be　smart；　sir！〃　　Till　the　opposite　doctrine　to　that　be　learned；　till　men　in　Americaay；　and　in　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africacan　learn　that　it　specially　behoves　a　man　not　to　be　smart；　they　will　have　learned　little　of　their　duty　toward　God；　and　nothing　of　their　duty　toward　their　neighbor。　In　the　instances　of　fraud　against　the　States　government　to　which　I　am　about　to　allude；　I　shall　take　all　my　facts　from　the　report　made　to　the　House　of　Representatives　at　Washington　by　a　committee　of　that　House　in　December；　1861。　　〃Mr。　Washburne；　from　the　Select　Committee　to　inquire　into　the　Contracts　of　the　Government；　made　the　following　Report。〃　　That　is　the　heading　of　the　pamphlet。　　The　committee　was　known　as　the　Van　Wyck　Committee；　a　gentleman　of　that　name　having　acted　as　chairman。　The　committee　first　went　to　New　York；　and　began　their　inquiries　with　reference　to　the　purchase　of　a　steamboat　called　the　〃Catiline。〃　　In　this　case　a　certain　Captain　Comstock　had　been　designated　from　Washington　as　the　agent　to　be　trusted　in　the　charter　or　purchase　of　the　vessel。　　He　agreed　on　behalf　of　the　government　to　hire　that　special　boat　for　2000l。　a　month　for　three　months；　having　given　information　to　friends　of　his　on　the　matter；　which　enabled　them　to　purchase　it　out　and　out　for　less　than　4000l。　　These　friends　were　not　connected　with　shipping　matters；　but　were　lawyers　and　hotel　proprietors。　　The　committee　conclude　〃that　the　vessel　was　chartered　to　the　government　at　an　unconscionable　price；　and　that　Captain　Comstock；　by　whom　this　was　effected；　while　enjoying　THE　PECULIAR　CONFIDENCE　OF　THE　GOVERNMENT；　was　acting　for　and　in　concert　with　the　parties　who　chartered　the　vessel；　and　was　in　fact　their　agent。〃　　But　the　report　does　not　explain　why　Captain　Comstock　was　selected　for　this　work　by　authority　from　Washington；　nor　does　it　recommend　that　he　be　punished。　　It　does　not　appear　that　Captain　Comstock　had　ever　been　in　the　regular　service　of　the　government；　but　that　he　had　been　master　of　a　steamer。　In　the　next　place　one　Starbuck　is　employed　to　buy　ships。　　As　a　government　agent　he　buys　two　for　1300l。　and　sells　them　to　the　government　for　2900l。　　The　vessels　themselves；　when　delivered　at　the　navy　yard；　were　found　to　be　totally　unfit　for　the　service　for　which　they　had　been　purchased。　　But　why　was　Starbuck　employed；　when；　as　appears　over　and　over　again　in　the　report；　New　York　was　full　of　paid　government　servants　ready　and　fit　to　do　the　work？　　Starbuck　was　merely　an　agent；　and　who　will　believe　that　he　was　allowed　to　pocket　the　whole　difference　of　1600l。？　　The　greater　part　of　the　plunder　was；　however；　in　this　case　refunded。　Then　we　come　to　the　case　of　Mr。　George　D。　Morgan；　brother…in…law　of　Mr。　Welles；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　　I　have　spoken　of　this　gentleman　before；　and　of　his　singular　prosperity。　　He　amassed　a　large　fortune　in　five　months；　as　a　government　agent　for　the　purchase　of　vessels；　he　having　been　a　wholesale　grocer　by　trade。　　This　gentleman　had　had　no　experience　whatsoever　with　reference　to　ships。　It　is　shown　by　the　evidence　that　he　had　none　of　the　requisite　knowledge；　and　that　there　were　special　servants　of　the　government　in　New　York　at　that　time；　sent　there　specially　for　such　services　as　these；　who　were　in　every　way　trustworthy；　and　who　had　the　requisite　knowledge。　　Yet　Mr。　Morgan　was　placed　in　this　position　by　his　brother…in…law；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　and　in　that　capacity　made　about　20；000l。　in　five　months；　all　of　which　was　paid　by　the　government；　as　is　well　shown　to　have　been　the　fact　in　the　report　before　me。　　One　result　of　such　a　mode　of　agency　is　given；　one　other　result；　I　mean；　besides　the　20；000l。　put　into　the　pocket　of　the　brother　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　　A　ship　called　the　〃Stars　and　Stripes〃　was　bought　by　Mr。　Morgan　for　11；000l。；　which　had　been　built　some　months　before　for　7000l。　　This　vessel　was　bought　from　a　company　which　was　blessed　with　a　president。　　The　president　made　the　bargain　with　the　government　agent；　but　insisted　on　keeping　back　from　his　own　company　2000l。　out　of　the　11；000l。　for　expenses　incident　to　the　purchase。　　The　company　did　not　like　being　mulcted　of　its　prey；　and　growled　heavily；　but　their　president　declared　that　such　bargains　were　not　got　at　Washington　for　nothing。　　Members　of　Congress　had　to　be　paid　to　assist　in　such　things。　　At　least　he　could　not　reduce　his　little　private　bill　for　such　assistance　below　1600l。　　He　had；　he　said；　positively　paid　out　so　much　to　those　venal　members　of　Congress；　and　had　made　nothing　for　himself　to　compensate　him　for　his　own　exertions。　　When　this　president　came　to　be　examined；　he　admitted　that　he　had　really　made　no　payments　to　members　of　Congress。　　His　own　capacity　had　been　so　great　that　no　such　assistance　had　been　found　necessary。　　But　he　justified　his　charge　on　the　ground　that　the　sum　taken　by　him　was　no　more　than　the　company　might　have　expected　him　to　lay　out　on　members　of　Congress；　or　on　ex…members　who　are　specially　mentioned；　had　he　not　himself　carried　on　the　business　with　such　consummate　discretion！　　It　seems　to　me　that　the　members　or　ex…　members　of　Congress　were　shamefully　robbed　in　this　matter。　The　report　deals　manfully　with　Mr。　Morgan；　showing　that　for　five　months'　workwhich　work　he　did　not　do　and　did　not　know　how　to　do　he　received　as　large　a　sum　as　the　President's　salary　for　the　whole　Presidential　term　of　four　years。　　So　much　better　is　it　to　be　an　agent　of　government　than　simply　an　officer！　　And　the　committee　adds；　that　they　〃do　not　find　in　this　transaction　the　less　to　censure　in　the　fact　that　this　arrangement　between　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy　and　Mr。　Morgan　was　one　bet