passages from an old volume of life-第17部分

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bred　traitors。

Not　to　have　fought　would　have　been　to　be　false　to　liberty　everywhere；　and　to　humanity。　　You　have　only　to　see　who　are　our　friends　and　who　are　our　enemies　in　this　struggle；　to　decide　for　what　principles　we　are　combating。　　We　know　too　well　that　the　British　aristocracy　is　not　with　us。　　We　know　what　the　West　End　of　London　wishes　may　be　result　of　this　controversy。　　The　two　halves　of　this　Union　are　the　two　blades　of　the　shears；　threatening　as　those　of　Atropos　herself；　which　will　sooner　or　later　cut　into　shreds　the　old　charters　of　tyranny。　　How　they　would　exult　if　they　could　but　break　the　rivet　that　makes　of　the　two　blades　one　resistless　weapon！　　The　man　who　of　all　living　Americans　had　the　best　opportunity　of　knowing　how　the　fact　stood；　wrote　these　words　in　March；　1862：　〃That　Great　Britain　did；　in　the　most　terrible　moment　of　our　domestic　trial　in　struggling　with　a　monstrous　social　evil　she　had　earnestly　professed　to　abhor；　coldly　and　at　once　assume　our　inability　to　master　it；　and　then　become　the　only　foreign　nation　steadily　contributing　in　every　indirect　way　possible　to　verify　its　pre…judgment；　will　probably　be　the　verdict　made　up　against　her　by　posterity；　on　a　calm　comparison　of　the　evidence。〃

So　speaks　the　wise；　tranquil　statesman　who　represents　the　nation　at　the　Court　of　St。　James；　in　the　midst　of　embarrassments　perhaps　not　less　than　those　which　vexed　his　illustrious　grandfather；　when　he　occupied　the　same　position　as　the　Envoy　of　the　hated；　newborn　Republic。

〃It　cannot　be　denied；〃says　another　observer；　placed　on　one　of　our　national　watch…towers　in　a　foreign　capital；〃it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　tendency　of　European　public　opinion；　as　delivered　from　high　places；　is　more　and　more　unfriendly　to　our　cause〃；　〃but　the　people；〃　he　adds；　〃everywhere　sympathize　with　us；　for　they　know　that　our　cause　is　that　of　free　institutions；that　our　struggle　is　that　of　the　people　against　an　oligarchy。〃　　These　are　the　words　of　the　Minister　to　Austria；　whose　generous　sympathies　with　popular　liberty　no　homage　paid　to　his　genius　by　the　class　whose　admiring　welcome　is　most　seductive　to　scholars　has　ever　spoiled；　our　fellow…citizen；　the　historian　of　a　great　Republic　which　infused　a　portion　of　its　life　into　our　own；John　Lothrop　Motley。

It　is　a　bitter　commentary　on　the　effects　of　European；　and　especially　of　British　institutions；　that　such　men　should　have　to　speak　in　such　terms　of　the　manner　in　which　our　struggle　has　been　regarded。　　We　had；　no　doubt；　very　generally　reckoned　on　the　sympathy　of　England；　at　least；　in　a　strife　which；　whatever　pretexts　were　alleged　as　its　cause；　arrayed　upon　one　side　the　supporters　of　an　institution　she　was　supposed　to　hate　in　earnest；　and　on　the　other　its　assailants。　　We　had　forgotten　what　her　own　poet；　one　of　the　truest　and　purest　of　her　children；　had　said　of　his　countrymen；　in　words　which　might　well　have　been　spoken　by　the　British　Premier　to　the　American　Ambassador　asking　for　some　evidence　of　kind　feeling　on　the　part　of　his　government：

　　　　〃Alas　I　expect　it　not。　　We　found　no　bait　　　　　　To　tempt　us　in　thy　country。　　Doing　good；　　　　　　Disinterested　good；　is　not　our　trade。〃

We　know　full　well　by　this　time　what　truth　there　is　in　these　honest　lines。　　We　have　found　out；　too；　who　our　European　enemies　are；　and　why　they　are　our　enemies。　　Three　bending　statues　bear　up　that　gilded　seat；　which；　in　spite　of　the　time…hallowed　usurpations　and　consecrated　wrongs　so　long　associated　with　its　history；　is　still　venerated　as　the　throne。　　One　of　these　supports　is　the　pensioned　church；　the　second　is　the　purchased　army；　the　third　is　the　long…　suffering　people。　　Whenever　the　third　caryatid　comes　to　life　and　walks　from　beneath　its　burden；　the　capitals　of　Europe　will　be　filled　with　the　broken　furniture　of　palaces。　　No　wonder　that　our　ministers　find　the　privileged　orders　willing　to　see　the　ominous　republic　split　into　two　antagonistic　forces；　each　paralyzing　the　other；　and　standing　in　their　mighty　impotence　a　spectacle　to　courts　and　kings；　to　be　pointed　at　as　helots　who　drank　themselves　blind　and　giddy　out　of　that　broken　chalice　which　held　the　poisonous　draught　of　liberty！

We　know　our　enemies；　and　they　are　the　enemies　of　popular　rights。　　We　know　our　friends；　and　they　are　the　foremost　champions　of　political　and　social　progress。　　The　eloquent　voice　and　the　busy　pen　of　John　Bright　have　both　been　ours；　heartily；　nobly；　from　the　first；　the　man　of　the　people　has　been　true　to　the　cause　of　the　people。　　That　deep　and　generous　thinker；　who；　more　than　any　of　her　philosophical　writers；　represents　the　higher　thought　of　England；　John　Stuart　Mill；　has　spoken　for　us　in　tones　to　which　none　but　her　sordid　hucksters　and　her　selfish　land…graspers　can　refuse　to　listen。　　Count　Gasparin　and　Laboulaye　have　sent　us　back　the　echo　from　liberal　France；　France；　the　country　of　ideas；　whose　earlier　inspirations　embodied　themselves　for　us　in　the　person　of　the　youthful　Lafayette。　　Italy；would　you　know　on　which　side　the　rights　of　the　people　and　the　hopes　of　the　future　are　to　be　found　in　this　momentous　conflict；　what　surer　test；　what　ampler　demonstration　can　you　askthan　the　eager　sympathy　of　the　Italian　patriot　whose　name　is　the　hope　of　the　toiling　many；　and　the　dread　of　their　oppressors；　wherever　it　is　spoken；　the　heroic　Garibaldi？

But　even　when　it　is　granted　that　the　war　was　inevitable；　when　it　is　granted　that　it　is　for　no　base　end；　but　first　for　the　life　of　the　nation；　and　more　and　more；　as　the　quarrel　deepens；　for　the　welfare　of　mankind；　for　knowledge　as　against　enforced　ignorance；　for　justice　as　against　oppression；　for　that　kingdom　of　God　on　earth　which　neither　the　unrighteous　man　nor　the　extortioner　can　hope　to　inherit；　it　may　still　be　that　the　strife　is　hopeless；　and　must　therefore　be　abandoned。　　Is　it　too　much　to　say　that　whether　the　war　is　hopeless　or　not　for　the　North　depends　chiefly　on　the　answer　to　the　question；　whether　the　North　has　virtue　and　manhood　enough　to　persevere　in　the　contest　so　long　as　its　resources　hold　out？　　But　how　much　virtue　and　manhood　it　has　can　never　be　told　until　they　are　tried；　and　those　who　are　first　to　doubt　the　prevailing　existence　of　these　qualities　are　not　commonly　themselves　patterns　of　either。　　We　have　a　right　to　trust　that　this　people　is　virtuous　and　brave　enough　not　to　give　up　a　just　and　necessary　contest　before　its　end　is　attained；　or　shown　to　be　unattainable　for　want　of　material　agencies。　　What　was　the　end　to　be　attained　by　accepting　the　gage　of　battle？　　It　was　to　get　the　better　of　our　assailants；　and；　having　done　so；　to　take　exactly　those　steps　which　we　should　then　consider　necessary　to　our　present　and　future　safety。　　The　more　obstinate　the　resistance；　the　more　completely　must　it　be　subdued。　　It　may　not　even　have　been　desirable；　as　Mr。　　Mill　suggested　long　since；　that　the　victory　over　the　rebellion　should　have　been　easily　and　speedily　won；　and　so　have　failed　to　develop　the　true　meaning　of　the　conflict；　to　bring　out　the　full　strength　of　the　revolted　section；　and　to　exhaust　the　means　which　would　have　served　it　for　a　still　more　desperate　future　effort。　　We　cannot　complain　that　our　task　has　proved　too　easy。　　We　give　our　Southern　army；for　we　must　remember　that　it　is　our　army；　after　all；　only　in　a　state　of　mutiny；we　give　our　Southern　army　credit　for　excellent　spirit　and　perseverance　in　the　face　of　many　disadvantages。　　But　we　have　a　few　plain　facts　which　show　the　probable　course　of　events；　the　gradual　but　sure　operation　of　the　blockade；　the　steady　pushing　back　of　the　boundary　of　rebellion；　in　spite　of　resistance　at　many　points；　or　even　of　such　aggressive　inroads　as　that　which　our　armies　are　now　meeting　with　their　long　lines　of　bayonets；may　God　grant　them　victory！the　progress　of　our　arms　down　the　Mississippi；　the　relative　value　of　gold　and　currency　at　Richmond　and　Washington。　　If　the　index…hands　of　force　and　credit　continue　to　move　in　the　ratio　of　the　past　two　years；　where　will　the　Confederacy　be　in　twice　or　thrice　that　time？

Either　all　our　statements　of　the　relative　numbers；　power；　and　wealth　of　the　two　sections　of　the　country　signify　nothing；　or　the　resources　of　our　opponents　in　men　and　means　must　be　much　nearer　exhaustion　than　our　own。　　The　running　sand　of　the　hour…glass　gives　no　warning；　but　runs　as　freely　as　ever　when　its　last　grains　are　about　to　fall。　　The　merchant　wears　as　bold　a　face　the　day　before　he　is　proclaimed　a　bankrupt；　as　he　wore　at　the　height　of　his　fortunes。　　If　Colonel　Grierson　found　the　Confederacy　〃a　mere　shell；〃　so　far　as　his　equestrian　excursion　carried　him；　how　can　we　say　how　soon　the　shell　will　collapse？　　It　seems　impossible　that　our　own　dissensions　can　produce　anything　more　than　local　disturbances；　like　the　Morristown　revolt；　which　Washington　put　down　at　once　by　the　aid　of　his　faithful　Massachusetts　soldiers。　　But　in　a　rebellious　state　dissension　is　ruin；　and　the　violence　of　an　explosion　in　a　strict　ratio　to　the　pressure　on　every　inch　of　the　containing　surface。　　Now　we　know　the　tremendous　force　which　has　compelled　the　〃unanimity〃　of　the　Southern　people。　　There　are　men　in　the　ranks　of　the　Southern　army；　if　we　can　trust　the　evidence　which　reaches　us；　who　have　been　recruited　with　packs　of　blood…hounds；　and　drilled；　as　it　were；　with　halters　around　their　necks。　　We　know　what　is　the　bitterness　of　those　who　have　escaped　this　bloody　harvest　of　the　remorseless　conspirators；　and　from　that　we　can　judge　of　the　elements　of　destruction　incorporated　with　many　of　the　seemingly　solid　portions　of　the　fabric　of　the　rebellion。　The　facts　are　necessarily　few；　but　we　can　reason　from　the　laws　of　human　nature　as　to　what　must　be　the　feelings　of　the　people　of　the　South　to　their　Northern　neighbors。　　It　is　impossible　that　the　love　of　the　life　which　they　have　had　in　common；　their　glorious　recollections；　their　blended　histories；　their　sympathies　as　Americans；　their　mingled　blood；　their　birthright　as　born　under　the　same　flag　and　protected　by　it　the　world　over；　their　worship　of　the　same　God；　under　the　same　outward　form；　at　least；　and　in　the　folds　of　the　same　ecclesiastical　organizations；　should　all　be　forgotten；　and　leave　nothing　but　hatred　and　eternal　alienation。　　Men　do　not　change　in　this　way；　and　we　may　be　quite　sure　that　the　pretended　unanimity　of　the　South　will　some　day　or　other　prove　to　have　been　a　part　of　the　machinery　of　deception　whi