north america-1- 第61部分

t　for　the　private　uses　of　the　family。　　To　me　this　plan　of　building　recommended　itself　as　being　very　commodious。　I　found　the　spirit　for　the　war　quite　as　hot　at　Boston　now　（in　November）　if　not　hotter　than　it　was　when　I　was　there　ten　weeks　earlier；　and　I　found　also；　to　my　grief；　that　the　feeling　against　England　was　as　strong。　　I　can　easily　understand　how　difficult　it　must　have　been；　and　still　must　be；　to　Englishmen　at　home　to　understand　this；　and　see　how　it　has　come　to　pass。　　It　has　not　arisen；　as　I　think；　from　the　old　jealousy　of　England。　　It　has　not　sprung　from　that　source　which　for　years　has　induced　certain　newspapers；　especially　the　New　York　Herald；　to　vilify　England。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　men　of　New　England　have　ever　been；　as　regards　this　matter；　in　the　same　boat　with　the　New　York　Herald。　　But　when　this　war　between　the　North　and　South　first　broke　out；　even　before　there　was　as　yet　a　war；　the　Northern　men　had　taught　themselves　to　expect　what　they　called　British　sympathy；　meaning　British　encouragement。　　They　regarded；　and　properly　regarded；　the　action　of　the　South　as　a　rebellion；　and　said　among　themselves　that　so　staid　and　conservative　a　nation　as　Great　Britain　would　surely　countenance　them　in　quelling　rebels。　　If　not；　should　it　come　to　pass　that　Great　Britain　should　show　no　such　countenance　and　sympathy　for　Northern　law；　if　Great　Britain　did　not　respond　to　her　friend　as　she　was　expected　to　respond；　then　it　would　appear　that　cotton　was　king；　at　least　in　British　eyes。　　The　war　did　come；　and　Great　Britain　regarded　the　two　parties　as　belligerents；　standing；　as　far　as　she　was　concerned；　on　equal　grounds。　　This　it　was　that　first　gave　rise　to　that　fretful　anger　against　England　which　has　gone　so　far　toward　ruining　the　Northern　cause。　　We　know　how　such　passions　are　swelled　by　being　ventilated；　and　how　they　are　communicated　from　mind　to　mind　till　they　become　national。　　PoliticiansAmerican　politicians　I　here　meanhave　their　own　future　careers　ever　before　their　eyes；　and　are　driven　to　make　capital　where　they　can。　　Hence　it　is　that　such　men　as　Mr。　Seward　in　the　cabinet；　and　Mr。　Everett　out　of　it；　can　reconcile　it　to　themselves　to　speak　as　they　have　done　of　England。　　It　was　but　the　other　day　that　Mr。　Everett　spoke；　in　one　of　his　orations；　of　the　hope　that　still　existed　that　the　flag　of　the　United　States　might　still　float　over　the　whole　continent　of　North　America。　　What　would　he　say　of　an　English　statesman　who　should　speak　of　putting　up　the　Union　Jack　on　the　State　House　in　Boston？　　Such　words　tell　for　the　moment　on　the　hearers；　and　help　to　gain　some　slight　popularity；　but　they　tell　for　more　than　a　moment　on　those　who　read　them　and　remember　them。　And　then　came　the　capture　of　Messrs。　Slidell　and　Mason。　　I　was　at　Boston　when　those　men　were　taken　out　of　the　〃Trent〃　by　the　〃San　Jacinto；〃　and　brought　to　Fort　Warren　in　Boston　Harbor。　　Captain　Wilkes　was　the　officer　who　had　made　the　capture；　and　he　immediately　was　recognized　as　a　hero。　　He　was　invited　to　banquets　and　feted。　Speeches　were　made　to　him　as　speeches　are　commonly　made　to　high　officers　who　come　home；　after　many　perils；　victorious　from　the　wars。　　His　health　was　drunk　with　great　applause；　and　thanks　were　voted　to　him　by　one　of　the　Houses　of　Congress。　　It　was　said　that　a　sword　was　to　be　given　to　him；　but　I　do　not　think　that　the　gift　was　consummated。　　Should　it　not　have　been　a　policeman's　truncheon？　　Had　he　at　the　best　done　any　thing　beyond　a　policeman's　work？　　Of　Captain　Wilkes　no　one　would　complain　for　doing　policeman's　duty。　If　his　country　were　satisfied　with　the　manner　in　which　he　did　it；　England；　if　she　quarreled　at　all；　would　not　quarrel　with　him。　　It　may　now　and　again　become　the　duty　of　a　brave　officer　to　do　work　of　so　low　a　caliber。　　It　is　a　pity　that　an　ambitious　sailor　should　find　himself　told　off　for　so　mean　a　task；　but　the　world　would　know　that　it　is　not　his　fault。　　No　one　could　blame　Captain　Wilkes　for　acting　policeman　on　the　seas。　　But　who　ever　before　heard　of　giving　a　man　glory　for　achievements　so　little　glorious？　　How　Captain　Wilkes　must　have　blushed　when　those　speeches　were　made　to　him；　when　that　talk　about　the　sword　came　up；　when　the　thanks　arrived　to　him　from　Congress！　　An　officer　receives　his　country's　thanks　when　he　has　been　in　great　peril；　and　has　borne　himself　gallantly　through　his　danger；　when　he　has　endured　the　brunt　of　war；　and　come　through　it　with　victory；　when　he　has　exposed　himself　on　behalf　of　his　country　and　singed　his　epaulets　with　an　enemy's　fire。　　Captain　Wilkes　tapped　a　merchantman　on　the　shoulder　in　the　high　seas；　and　told　him　that　his　passengers　were　wanted。　　In　doing　this　he　showed　no　lack　of　spirit；　for　it　might　be　his　duty；　but　where　was　his　spirit　when　he　submitted　to　be　thanked　for　such　work？　And　then　there　arose　a　clamor　of　justification　among　the　lawyers；　judges　and　ex…judges　flew　to　Wheaton；　Phillimore；　and　Lord　Stowell。　Before　twenty…four　hours　were　over；　every　man　and　every　woman　in　Boston　were　armed　with　precedents。　　Then　there　was　the　burning　of　the　〃Caroline。〃　　England　had　improperly　burned　the　〃Caroline〃　on　Lake　Erie；　or　rather　in　one　of　the　American　ports　on　Lake　Erie；　and　had　then　begged　pardon。　　If　the　States　had　been　wrong；　they　would　beg　pardon；　but　whether　wrong　or　right；　they　would　not　give　up　Slidell　and　Mason。　　But　the　lawyers　soon　waxed　stronger。　　The　men　were　manifestly　ambassadors；　and　as　such　contraband　of　war。　　Wilkes　was　quite　right；　only　he　should　have　seized　the　vessel　also。　　He　was　quite　right；　for　though　Slidell　and　Mason　might　not　be　ambassadors；　they　were　undoubtedly　carrying　dispatches。　　In　a　few　hours　there　began　to　be　a　doubt　whether　the　men　could　be　ambassadors；　because　if　called　ambassadors；　then　the　power　that　sent　the　embassy　must　be　presumed　to　be　recognized。　　That　Captain　Wilkes　had　taken　no　dispatches；　was　true；　but　the　captain　suggested　a　way　out　of　this　difficulty　by　declaring　that　he　had　regarded　the　two　men　themselves　as　an　incarnated　embodiment　of　dispatches。　　At　any　rate；　they　were　clearly　contraband　of　war。　　They　were　going　to　do　an　injury　to　the　North。　　It　was　pretty　to　hear　the　charming　women　of　Boston；　as　they　became　learned　in　the　law　of　nations：　〃Wheaton　is　quite　clear　about　it；〃　one　young　girl　said　to　me。　　It　was　the　first　I　had　ever　heard　of　Wheaton；　and　so　far　was　obliged　to　knock　under。　　All　the　world；　ladies　and　lawyers；　expressed　the　utmost　confidence　in　the　justice　of　the　seizure；　but　it　was　clear　that　all　the　world　was　in　a　state　of　the　profoundest　nervous　anxiety　on　the　subject。　　To　me　it　seemed　to　be　the　most　suicidal　act　that　any　party　in　a　life…and…death　struggle　ever　committed。　All　Americans　on　both　sides　had　felt；　from　the　beginning　of　the　war；　that　any　assistance　given　by　England　to　one　or　the　other　would　turn　the　scale。　　The　government　of　Mr。　Lincoln　must　have　learned　by　this　time　that　England　was　at　least　true　in　her　neutrality；　that　no　desire　for　cotton　would　compel　her　to　give　aid　to　the　South　as　long　as　she　herself　was　not　ill　treated　by　the　North。　　But　it　seemed　as　though　Mr。　Seward；　the　President's　Prime　Minister；　had　no　better　work　on　hand　than　that　of　showing　in　every　way　his　indifference　as　to　courtesy　with　England。　　Insults　offered　to　England　would；　he　seemed　to　think；　strengthen　his　hands。　　He　would　let　England　know　that　he　did　not　care　for　her。　　When　our　minister；　Lord　Lyons；　appealed　to　him　regarding　the　suspension　of　the　habeas　corpus；　Mr。　Seward　not　only　answered　him　with　insolence；　but　instantly　published　his　answer　in　the　papers。　　He　instituted　a　system　of　passports；　especially　constructed　so　as　to　incommode　Englishmen　proceeding　from　the　States　across　the　Atlantic。　　He　resolved　to　make　every　Englishman　in　America　feel　himself　in　some　way　punished；　because　England　had　not　assisted　the　North。　　And　now　came　the　arrest　of　Slidell　and　Mason　out　of　an　English　mail　steamer；　and　Mr。　Seward　took　care　to　let　it　be　understood　that；　happen　what　might；　those　two　men　should　not　be　given　up。　Nothing　during　all　this　time　astonished　me　so　much　as　the　estimation　in　which　Mr。　Seward　was　then　held　by　his　own　party。　　It　is；　perhaps；　the　worst　defect　in　the　constitution　of　the　States；　that　no　incapacity　on　the　part　of　a　minister；　no　amount　of　condemnation　expressed　against　him　by　the　people　or　by　Congress；　can　put　him　out　of　office　during　the　term　of　the　existing　Presidency。　　The　President　can　dismiss　him；　but　it　generally　happens　that　the　President　is　brought　in　on　a　〃platform〃　which　has　already　nominated　for　him　his　cabinet　as　thoroughly　as　they　have　nominated　him。　　Mr。　Seward　ran　Mr。　Lincoln　very　hard　for　the　position　of　candidate　for　the　Presidency　on　the　Republican　interest。　　On　the　second　voting　of　the　Republican　delegates　at　the　Convention　at　Chicago；　Mr。　Seward　polled　184　to　Mr。　Lincoln's　181。　But　as　a　clear　half　of　the　total　number　of　votes　was　necessary　that　is；　233　out　of　465there　was　necessarily　a　third　polling；　and　Mr。　Lincoln　won　the　day。　　On　that　occasion　Mr。　Chase　and　Mr。　Cameron；　both　of　whom　became　members　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　cabinet；　were　also　candidates　for　the　White　House　on　the　Republican　side。　　I　mention　this　here　to　show　that　though　the　President　can　in　fact　dismiss　his　ministers；　he　is　in　a　great　manner　bound　to　them；　and　that　a　minister　in　Mr。　Seward's　position　is　hardly　to　be　dismissed。　But　from　the　1st　of　November；　1861；　till　the　day　on　which　I　left　the　States；　I　do　not　think　that　I　heard　a　good　word　spoken　of　Mr。　Seward　as　a　minister；　even　by　one　of　his　own　party。　　The　Radical　or　Abolitionist　Republicans　all　abused　him。　　The　Conservative　or　Anti…　abolition　Republicans；　to　whose　party　he　would　consider　himself　as　belonging；　spoke　of　him　as　a　mistake。　　He　had　been　prominent　as　Senator　from　New　York；　and　had　been　Governor　of　the　State　of　New　York；　but　had　none　of　the　aptitudes　of　a　statesman。　　He　was　there；　and　it　was　a　pity。　　He　was　not　so　bad　as　Mr。　Cameron；　the　Minister　for　War；　that　was　the　best　his　own　party　could　say　for　him；　even　in　his　own　State　of　New　York。　　As　to　the　Democrats；　their　language　respecting　him　was　as　harsh　as　any　that　I　have　heard　used　toward　the　Southern　leaders。　　He　seemed　to　have　no　friends；　no　one　who　trusted　him；　and　yet　he　was　the　President's　chief　minister；　and　seemed　to　have　in　his　own　hands　the　power　of　mismanaging　all　foreign　relations　as　he　pleas