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North　America
Volume　2
by　Anthony　Trollope


CONTENTS　OF　VOL。　II。

CHAPTER　I。
Washington
CHAPTER　II。
Congress
CHAPTER　III。
The　Causes　of　the　War
CHAPTER　IV。
Washington　to　St。　Louis
CHAPTER　V。
Missouri
CHAPTER　VI。
Cairo　and　Camp　Wood
CHAPTER　VII。
The　Army　of　the　North
CHAPTER　VIII。
Back　to　Boston
CHAPTER　IX。
The　Constitution　of　the　United　States
CHAPTER　X。
The　Government
CHAPTER　XI。
The　Law　Courts　and　Lawyers　of　the　United　States
CHAPTER　XII。
The　Financial　Position
CHAPTER　XIII。
The　Post…office
CHAPTER　XIV。
American　Hotels
CHAPTER　XV。
Literature
CHAPTER　XVI。
Conclusion


NORTH　AMERICA。

CHAPTER　1。　WASHINGTON。

The　site　of　the　present　City　of　Washington　was　chosen　with　three　special　views：　firstly；　that　being　on　the　Potomac　it　might　have　the　full　advantage　of　water…carriage　and　a　sea…port；　secondly；　that　it　might　be　so　far　removed　from　the　sea…board　as　to　be　safe　from　invasion；　and；　thirdly；　that　it　might　be　central　alike　to　all　the　States。　　It　was　presumed；　when　Washington　was　founded；　that　these　three　advantages　would　be　secured　by　the　selected　position。　　As　regards　the　first；　the　Potomac　affords　to　the　city　but　few　of　the　advantages　of　a　sea…port。　　Ships　can　come　up；　but　not　ships　of　large　burden。　　The　river　seems　to　have　dwindled　since　the　site　was　chosen；　and　at　present　it　is；　I　think；　evident　that　Washington　can　never　be　great　in　its　shipping。　　Statio　benefida　carinis　can　never　be　its　motto。　　As　regards　the　second　point；　singularly　enough　Washington　is　the　only　city　of　the　Union　that　has　been　in　an　enemy's　possession　since　the　United　States　became　a　nation。　　In　the　war　of　1812　it　fell　into　our　hands；　and　we　burned　it。　　As　regards　the　third　point；　Washington；　from　the　lie　of　the　land；　can　hardly　have　been　said　to　be　centrical　at　any　time。　　Owing　to　the　irregularities　of　the　coast　it　is　not　easy　of　access　by　railways　from　different　sides。　Baltimore　would　have　been　far　better。　　But　as　far　as　we　can　now　see；　and　as　well　as　we　can　now　judge；　Washington　will　soon　be　on　the　borders　of　the　nation　to　which　it　belongs；　instead　of　at　its　center。　I　fear；　therefore；　that　we　must　acknowledge　that　the　site　chosen　for　his　country's　capital　by　George　Washington　has　not　been　fortunate。　I　have　a　strong　idea；　which　I　expressed　before　in　speaking　of　the　capital　of　the　Canadas；　that　no　man　can　ordain　that　on　such　a　spot　shall　be　built　a　great　and　thriving　city。　　No　man　can　so　ordain　even　though　he　leave　behind　him；　as　was　the　case　with　Washington；　a　prestige　sufficient　to　bind　his　successors　to　his　wishes。　　The　political　leaders　of　the　country　have　done　what　they　could　for　Washington。　　The　pride　of　the　nation　has　endeavored　to　sustain　the　character　of　its　chosen　metropolis。　　There　has　been　no　rival；　soliciting　favor　on　the　strength　of　other　charms。　　The　country　has　all　been　agreed　on　the　point　since　the　father　of　the　country　first　commenced　the　work。　　Florence　and　Rome　in　Italy　have　each　their　pretensions；　but　in　the　States　no　other　city　has　put　itself　forward　for　the　honor　of　entertaining　Congress。　　And　yet　Washington　has　been　a　failure。　　It　is　commerce　that　makes　great　cities；　and　commerce　has　refused　to　back　the　general's　choice。　　New　York　and　Philadelphia；　without　any　political　power；　have　become　great　among　the　cities　of　the　earth。　　They　are　beaten　by　none　except　by　London　and　Paris。　　But　Washington　is　but　a　ragged；　unfinished　collection　of　unbuilt　broad　streets；　as　to　the　completion　of　which　there　can　now；　I　imagine；　be　but　little　hope。　Of　all　places　that　I　know　it　is　the　most　ungainly　and　most　unsatisfactory：　I　fear　I　must　also　say　the　most　presumptuous　in　its　pretensions。　　There　is　a　map　of　Washington　accurately　laid　down；　and　taking　that　map　with　him　in　his　journeyings；　a　man　may　lose　himself　in　the　streets；　not　as　one　loses　one's　self　in　London；　between　Shoreditch　and　Russell　Square；　but　as　one　does　so　in　the　deserts　of　the　Holy　Land；　between　Emmaus　and　Arimathea。　　In　the　first　place　no　one　knows　where　the　places　are；　or　is　sure　of　their　existence；　and　then　between　their　presumed　localities　the　country　is　wild；　trackless；　unbridged；　uninhabited；　and　desolate。　　Massachusetts　Avenue　runs　the　whole　length　of　the　city；　and　is　inserted　on　the　maps　as　a　full…blown　street；　about　four　miles　in　length。　　Go　there；　and　you　will　find　yourself　not　only　out　of　town；　away　among　the　fields；　but　you　will　find　yourself　beyond　the　fields；　in　an　uncultivated；　undrained　wilderness。　　Tucking　your　trowsers　up　to　your　knees　you　will　wade　through　the　bogs；　you　will　lose　yourself　among　rude　hillocks；　you　will　be　out　of　the　reach　of　humanity。　　The　unfinished　dome　of　the　Capitol　will　loom　before　you　in　the　distance；　and　you　will　think　that　you　approach　the　ruins　of　some　western　Palmyra。　　If　you　are　a　sportsman；　you　will　desire　to　shoot　snipe　within　sight　of　the　President's　house。　　There　is　much　unsettled　land　within　the　States　of　America；　but　I　think　none　so　desolate　in　its　state　of　nature　as　three…fourths　of　the　ground　on　which　is　supposed　to　stand　the　City　of　Washington。　The　City　of　Washington　is　something　more　than　four　miles　long；　and　is　something　more　than　two　miles　broad。　　The　land　apportioned　to　it　is　nearly　as　compact　as　may　be；　and　it　exceeds　in　area　the　size　of　a　parallelogram　four　miles　long　by　two　broad。　　These　dimensions　are　adequate　for　a　noble　city；　for　a　city　to　contain　a　million　of　inhabitants。　　It　is　impossible　to　state　with　accuracy　the　actual　population　of　Washington；　for　it　fluctuates　exceedingly。　　The　place　is　very　full　during　Congress；　and　very　empty　during　the　recess。　　By　which　I　mean　it　to　be　understood　that　those　streets　which　are　blessed　with　houses　are　full　when　Congress　meets。　　I　do　not　think　that　Congress　makes　much　difference　to　Massachusetts　Avenue。　　I　believe　that　the　city　never　contains　as　many　as　eighty　thousand；　and　that　its　permanent　residents　are　less　than　sixty　thousand。　But；　it　will　be　said；　was　it　not　well　to　prepare　for　a　growing　city？　Is　it　not　true　that　London　is　choked　by　its　own　fatness；　not　having　been　endowed　at　its　birth　or　during　its　growth　with　proper　means　for　accommodating　its　own　increasing　proportions？　　Was　it　not　well　to　lay　down　fine　avenues　and　broad　streets；　so　that　future　citizens　might　find　a　city　well　prepared　to　their　hand？　There　is　no　doubt　much　in　such　an　argument；　but　its　correctness　must　be　tested　by　its　success。　　When　a　man　marries　it　is　well　that　be　should　make　provision　for　a　coming　family。　　But　a　Benedict；　who　early　in　his　career　shall　have　carried　his　friends　with　considerable　self…applause　through　half　a　dozen　nurseries；　and　at　the　end　of　twelve　years　shall　still　be　the　father　of　one　rickety　baby；　will　incur　a　certain　amount　of　ridicule。　　It　is　very　well　to　be　prepared　for　good　fortune；　but　one　should　limit　one's　preparation　within　a　reasonable　scope。　　Two　miles　by　one　might；　perhaps；　have　done　for　the　skeleton　sketch　of　a　new　city。　　Less　than　half　that　would　contain　much　more　than　the　present　population　of　Washington；　and　there　are；　I　fear；　few　towns　in　the　Union　so　little　likely　to　enjoy　any　speedy　increase。　Three　avenues　sweep　the　whole　length　of　Washington：　Virginia　Avenue；　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　and　Massachusetts　Avenue。　　But　Pennsylvania　Avenue　is　the　only　one　known　to　ordinary　men；　and　the　half　of　that　only　is　so　known。　　This　avenue　is　the　backbone　of　the　city；　and　those　streets　which　are　really　inhabited　cluster　round　that　half　of　it　which　runs　westward　from　the　Capitol。　　The　eastern　end；　running　from　the　front　of　the　Capitol；　is　again　a　desert。　　The　plan　of　the　city　is　somewhat　complicated。　　It　may　truly　be　called　〃a　mighty　maze；　but　not　without　a　plan。〃　　The　Capitol　was　intended　to　be　the　center　of　the　city。　　It　faces　eastward；　away　from　the　Potomacor　rather　from　the　main　branch　of　the　Potomac；　and　also　unfortunately　from　the　main　body　of　the　town。　　It　turns　its　back　upon　the　chief　thoroughfare；　upon　the　Treasury　buildings；　and　upon　the　President's　house；　and；　indeed；　upon　the　whole　place。　　It　was；　I　suppose；　intended　that　the　streets　to　the　eastward　should　be　noble　and　populous；　but　hitherto　they　have　come　to　nothing。　　The　building；　therefore；　is　wrong　side　foremost；　and　all　mankind　who　enter　it；　Senators；　Representatives；　and　judges　included；　go　in　at　the　back　door。　　Of　course　it　is　generally　known　that　in　the　Capitol　is　the　chamber　of　the　Senate；　that　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　the　Supreme　Judicial　Court　of　the　Union。　　It　may　be　said　that　there　are　two　centers　in　Washington；　this　being　one　and　the　President's　house　the　other。　　At　these　centers　the　main　avenues　are　supposed　to　cross　each　other；　which　avenues　are　called　by　the　names　of　the　respective　States。　　At　the　Capitol；　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　New　Jersey　Avenue；　Delaware　Avenue；　and　Maryland　Avenue　converge。　　They　come　from　one　extremity　of　the　city　to　the　square　of　the　Capitol　on　one　side；　and　run　out　from　the　other　side　of　it　to　the　other　extremity　of　the　city。　　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　New　York　Avenue；　Vermont　Avenue；　and　Connecticut　Avenue　do　the　same　at　what　is　generally　called　President's　Square。　　In　theory；　or　on　paper；　this　seems　to　be　a　clear　and　intelligible　arrangement；　but　it　does　not　work　well。　These　center　depots　are　large　spaces；　and　consequently　one　portion　of　a　street　is　r