north america-2- 第16部分

ho　is　bound　by　her　position　to　serve　youwho　is　paid　in　some　shape　to　supply　your　wants；　whether　to　sell　you　a　bit　of　soap　or　bring　you　a　towel　in　your　bed…room　at　a　hotelis；　I　think；　of　all　human　creatures；　the　most　insolent。　　I　certainly　had　a　feeling　of　regret　at　parting　with　my　colored　friend　and　some　regret　also　as　regards　a　few　that　were　white。　As　I　drove　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　through　the　slush　and　mud；　and　saw；　perhaps　for　the　last　time；　those　wretchedly　dirty　horse　sentries　who　had　refused　to　allow　me　to　trot　through　the　streets；　I　almost　wished　that　I　could　see　more　of　them。　　How　absurd　they　looked；　with　a　whole　kit　of　rattletraps　strapped　on　their　horses'　backs　behind　themblankets；　coats；　canteens；　coils　of　rope；　and；　always　at　the　top　of　everything　else；　a　tin　pot！　　No　doubt　these　things　are　all　necessary　to　a　mounted　sentry；　or　they　would　not　have　been　there；　but　it　always　seemed　as　though　the　horse　had　been　loaded　gipsy…fashion；　in　a　manner　that　I　may　perhaps　best　describe　as　higgledy…piggledy；　and　that　there　was　a　want　of　military　precision　in　the　packing。　　The　man　would　have　looked　more　graceful；　and　the　soldier　more　warlike；　had　the　pannikin　been　made　to　assume　some　rigidly　fixed　position　instead　of　dangling　among　the　ropes。　　The　drawn　saber；　too；　never　consorted　well　with　the　dirty　outside　woolen　wrapper　which　generally　hung　loose　from　the　man's　neck。　　Heaven　knows；　I　did　not　begrudge　him　his　comforter　in　that　cold　weather；　or　even　his　long；　uncombed　shock　of　hair；　but　I　think　he　might　have　been　made　more　spruce；　and　I　am　sure　that　he　could　not　have　looked　more　uncomfortable。　　As　I　went；　however；　I　felt　for　him　a　sort　of　affection；　and　wished　in　my　heart　of　hearts　that　he　might　soon　be　enabled　to　return　to　some　more　congenial　employment。　I　went　out　by　the　Capitol；　and　saw　that　also；　as　I　then　believed；　for　the　last　time。　　With　all　its　faults　it　is　a　great　building；　and；　though　unfinished；　is　effective；　its　very　size　and　pretension　give　it　a　certain　majesty。　　What　will　be　the　fate　of　that　vast　pile；　and　of　those　other　costly　public　edifices　at　Washington；　should　the　South　succeed　wholly　in　their　present　enterprise？　　If　Virginia　should　ever　become　a　part　of　the　Southern　republic；　Washington　cannot　remain　the　capital　of　the　Northern　republic。　　In　such　case　it　would　be　almost　better　to　let　Maryland　go　also；　so　that　the　future　destiny　of　that　unfortunate　city　may　not　be　a　source　of　trouble；　and　a　stumbling…block　of　opprobrium。　　Even　if　Virginia　be　saved；　its　position　will　be　most　unfortunate。　I　fancy　that　the　railroads　in　those　days　must　have　been　doing　a　very　prosperous　business。　　From　New　York　to　Philadelphia；　thence　on　to　Baltimore；　and　again　to　Washington；　I　had　found　the　cars　full；　so　full　that　sundry　passengers　could　not　find　seats。　　Now；　on　my　return　to　Baltimore；　they　were　again　crowded。　　The　stations　were　all　crowded。　　Luggage　trains　were　going　in　and　out　as　fast　as　the　rails　could　carry　them。　　Among　the　passengers　almost　half　were　soldiers。　I　presume　that　these　were　men　going　on　furlough；　or　on　special　occasions；　for　the　regiments　were　of　course　not　received　by　ordinary　passenger　trains。　　About　this　time　a　return　was　called　for　by　Congress　of　all　the　moneys　paid　by　the　government；　on　account　of　the　army；　to　the　lines　between　New　York　and　Washington。　　Whether　or　no　it　was　ever　furnished　I　did　not　hear；　but　it　was　openly　stated　that　the　colonels　of　regiments　received　large　gratuities　from　certain　railway　companies　for　the　regiments　passing　over　their　lines。　Charges　of　a　similar　nature　were　made　against　officers；　contractors；　quartermasters；　paymasters；　generals；　and　cabinet　ministers。　　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　that　any　of　these　men　had　dirty　hands。　　It　was　not　for　me　to　make　inquiries　on　such　matters。　　But　the　continuance　and　universality　of　the　accusations　were　dreadful。　　When　everybody　is　suspected　of　being　dishonest；　dishonesty　almost　ceases　to　be　regarded　as　disgraceful。　I　will　allude　to　a　charge　made　against　one　member　of　the　cabinet；　because　the　circumstances　of　the　case　were　all　acknowledged　and　proved。　　This　gentleman　employed　his　wife's　brother…in…law　to　buy　ships；　and　the　agent　so　employed　pocketed　about　20；000l。　by　the　transaction　in　six　months。　　The　excuse　made　was　that　this　profit　was　in　accordance　with　the　usual　practice　of　the　ship…dealing　trade；　and　that　it　was　paid　by　the　owners　who　sold；　and　not　by　the　government　which　bought。　　But　in　so　vast　an　agency　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit　on　such　business　became　an　enormous　sum；　and　the　gentleman　who　made　the　plea　must　surely　have　understood　that　that　20；000l。　was　in　fact　paid　by　the　government。　　It　is　the　purchaser；　and　not　the　seller；　who　in　fact　pays　all　such　fees。　　The　question　is　this：　Should　the　government　have　paid　so　vast　a　sum　for　one　man's　work　for　six　months？　　And　if　so；　was　it　well　that　that　sum　should　go　into　the　pocket　of　a　near　relative　of　the　minister　whose　special　business　it　was　to　protect　the　government？　American　private　soldiers　are　not　pleasant　fellow…travelers。　　They　are　loud　and　noisy；　and　swear　quite　as　much　as　the　army　could　possibly　have　sworn　in　Flanders。　　They　are；　moreover；　very　dirty；　and　each　man；　with　his　long；　thick　great…coat；　takes　up　more　space　than　is　intended　to　be　allotted　to　him。　　Of　course　I　felt　that　if　I　chose　to　travel　in　a　country　while　it　had　such　a　piece　of　business　on　its　hands；　I　could　not　expect　that　everything　should　be　found　in　exact　order。　　The　matter　for　wonder；　perhaps；　was　that　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life　were　so　little　disarranged；　and　that　any　traveling　at　all　was　practicable。　　Nevertheless；　the　fact　remains　that　American　private　soldiers　are　not　agreeable　fellow…travelers。　It　was　my　present　intention　to　go　due　west　across　the　country　into　Missouri；　skirting；　as　it　were；　the　line　of　the　war　which　had　now　extended　itself　from　the　Atlantic　across　into　Kansas。　　There　were　at　this　time　three　main　armiesthat　of　the　Potomac；　as　the　army　of　Virginia　was　called；　of　which　McClellan　held　the　command；　that　of　Kentucky；　under　General　Buell；　who　was　stationed　at　Louisville　on　the　Ohio；　and　the　army　on　the　Mississippi；　which　had　been　under　Fremont；　and　of　which　General　Halleck　now　held　the　command。　　To　these　were　opposed　the　three　rebel　armies　of　Beauregard；　in　Virginia；　of　Johnston；　on　the　borders　of　Kentucky　and　Tennessee；　and　of　Price；　in　Missouri。　　There　was　also　a　fourth　army　in　Kansas；　west　of　Missouri；　under　General　Hunter；　and　while　I　was　in　Washington　another　general；　supposed　by　some　to　be　the　〃coming　man；〃　was　sent　down　to　Kansas　to　participate　in　General　Hunter's　command。　　This　was　General　Jim　Lane；　who　resigned　a　seat　in　the　Senate　in　order　that　he　might　undertake　this　military　duty。　　When　he　reached　Kansas；　having　on　his　route　made　sundry　violent　abolition　speeches；　and　proclaimed　his　intention　of　sweeping　slavery　out　of　the　Southwestern　States；　he　came　to　loggerheads　with　his　superior　officer　respecting　their　relative　positions。　On　my　arrival　at　Baltimore；　I　found　the　place　knee…deep　in　mud　and　slush　and　half…melted　snow。　　It　was　then　raining　hard；raining　dirt；　not　water；　as　it　sometimes　does。　　Worse　weather　for　soldiers　out　in　tents　could　not　be　imaginednor　for　men　who　were　not　soldiers；　but　who；　nevertheless；　were　compelled　to　leave　their　houses。　　I　only　remained　at　Baltimore　one　day；　and　then　started　again；　leaving　there　the　greater　part　of　my　baggage。　　I　had　a　vague　hopea　hope　which　I　hardly　hoped　to　realizethat　I　might　be　able　to　get　through　to　the　South。　　At　any　rate　I　made　myself　ready　for　the　chance　by　making　my　traveling　impediments　as　light　as　possible；　and　started　from　Baltimore；　prepared　to　endure　all　the　discomfort　which　lightness　of　baggage　entails。　　My　route　lay　over　the　Alleghenies；　by　Pittsburg　and　Cincinnati；　and　my　first　stopping　place　was　at　Harrisburg；　the　political　capital　of　Pennsylvania。　There　is　nothing　special　at　Harrisburg　to　arrest　any　traveler；　but　the　local　legislature　of　the　State　was　then　sitting；　and　I　was　desirous　of　seeing　the　Senate　and　Representatives　of　at　any　rate　one　State；　during　its　period　of　vitality。　In　Pennsylvania　the　General　Assembly；　as　the　joint　legislature　is　called；　sits　every　year；　commencing　their　work　early　in　January；　and　continuing　till　it　be　finished。　　The　usual　period　of　sitting　seems　to　be　about　ten　weeks。　　In　the　majority　of　States；　the　legislature　only　sits　every　other　year。　　In　this　State　it　sits　every　year；　and　the　Representatives　are　elected　annually。　　The　Senators　are　elected　for　three　years；　a　third　of　the　body　being　chosen　each　year。　　The　two　chambers　were　ugly；　convenient　rooms；　arranged　very　much　after　the　fashion　of　the　halls　of　Congress　at　Washington。　　Each　member　had　his　own　desk　and　his　own　chair。　　They　were　placed　in　the　shape　of　a　horseshoe；　facing　the　chairman；　before　whom　sat　three　clerks。　　In　neither　house　did　I　hear　any　set　speech。　　The　voices　of　the　Speaker　and　of　the　Clerks　of　the　Houses　were　heard　more　frequently　than　those　of　the　members；　and　the　business　seemed　to　be　done　in　a　dull；　serviceable；　methodical　manner；　likely　to　be　useful　to　the　country；　and　very　uninteresting　to　the　gentlemen　engaged。　　Indeed　at　Washington　also；　in　Congress；　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　was　much　less　of　set　speeches　than　in　our　House　of　Commons。　　With　us　there　are　certain　men　whom　it　seems　impossible　to　put　down；　and　by　whom　the　time　of　Parliament　is　occupied　from　night　to　night；　with　advantage　to　no　one　and　with　satisfaction　to　none　but　themselves。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　evil　prevails　to　the　same　extent　in　America；　either　in　Congress　or　in　the　State　legislatures。　　As　regards　Washington；　this　good　result　may　be　assisted　by　a　salutary　practice　which；　as　I　was　assured；　prevails　there。　　A　member　gets　his　speech　printed　at　the　government　cost；　and　sends　it　down　free　by　post　to　his　constituents；　without　troubling　either　the　House　with　hearing　it　or　himself　with　speaking　it。　　I　cannot　but　think　that　the　practice　might　be　copied　with　success　on　our　side　of　the　water。　The　appearance　of　the　members　of　the　legislature　of　Pennsylvania　did　not　impress　me　very　favorably。　　I　do　not　know　why　we　should　wish　a　legislator　to　be　neat　in　his　dress；　and　comely；　in　some　degree；　in　his　personal　appearance。　　There　is　no　good　reason；　perhaps；　why　they　should　have　c