north america-2-第41部分

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n　are　saying　that　the　President　must　give　him　another　command。　　He　is　still　a　major…general　in　the　army　of　the　States；　and　is　as　probable　a　candidate　as　any　other　that　I　could　name　for　the　next　Presidency。*

*　Since　this　was　written；　General　Fremont　has　been　restored　to　high　military　command；　and　now　holds　rank　and　equal　authority　with　McClellan　and　Halleck。　　In　fact；　the　charges　made　against　him　by　the　committee　of　the　House　of　Representatives　have　not　been　allowed　to　stand　in　his　way。　　He　is　politically　popular　with　a　large　section　of　the　nation；　and　therefore　it　has　been　thought　well　to　promote　him　to　high　place。　　Whether　he　be　fit　for　such　place　either　as　regards　capability　or　integrity；　seems　to　be　considered　of　no　moment。

The　same　argument　must　be　used　with　reference　to　the　other　gentlemen　named。　　Mr。　Welles　is　still　a　cabinet　minister　and　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　　It　has　been　found　impossible　to　keep　Mr。　Cameron　in　the　cabinet；　but　he　was　named　as　the　minister　of　the　States　government　to　Russia；　after　the　publication　of　the　Van　Wyck　report；　when　the　result　of　his　old　political　friendship　with　Mr。　Alexander　Cummings　was　well　known　to　the　President　who　appointed　him　and　to　the　Senate　who　sanctioned　his　appointment。　　The　individual　corruption　of　any　one　manof　any　ten　menis　not　much。　　It　should　not　be　insisted　on　loudly　by　any　foreigner　in　making　up　a　balance…sheet　of　the　virtues　and　vices　of　the　good　and　bad　qualities　of　any　nation。　　But　the　light　in　which　such　corruption　is　viewed　by　the　people　whom　it　most　nearly　concerns　is　very　much。　　I　am　far　from　saying　that　democracy　has　failed　in　America。　　Democracy　there　has　done　great　things　for　a　numerous　people；　and　will　yet；　as　I　think；　be　successful。　　But　that　doctrine　as　to　the　necessity　of　smartness　must　be　eschewed　before　a　verdict　in　favor　of　American　democracy　can　be　pronounced。　　〃It　behoves　a　man　to　be　smart；　sir。〃　　In　those　words　are　contained　the　curse　under　which　the　States　government　has　been　suffering　for　the　last　thirty　years。　　Let　us　hope　that　the　people　will　find　a　mode　of　ridding　themselves　of　that　curse。　　I；　for　one；　believe　that　they　will　do　so。

CHAPTER　VIII。　BACK　TO　BOSTON。

From　Louisville　we　returned　to　Cincinnati；　in　making　which　journey　we　were　taken　to　a　place　called　Seymour；　in　Indiana；　at　which　spot　we　were　to　〃make　connection〃　with　the　train　running　on　the　Mississippi　and　Ohio　line　from　St。　Louis　to　Cincinnati。　　We　did　make　the　connection；　but　were　called　upon　to　remain　four　hours　at　Seymour　in　consequence　of　some　accident　on　the　line。　　In　the　same　way；　when　going　eastward　from　Cincinnati　to　Baltimore　a　few　days　later；　I　was　detained　another　four　hours　at　a　place　called　Crestline；　in　Ohio。　On　both　occasions　I　spent　my　time　in　realizing；　as　far　as　that　might　be　possible；　the　sort　of　life　which　men　lead　who　settle　themselves　at　such　localities。　　Both　these　townsfor　they　call　themselves　townshad　been　created　by　the　railways。　　Indeed　this　has　been　the　case　with　almost　every　place　at　which　a　few　hundred　inhabitants　have　been　drawn　together　in　the　Western　States。　　With　the　exception　of　such　cities　as　Chicago；　St。　Louis；　and　Cincinnati；　settlers　can　hardly　be　said　to　have　chosen　their　own　localities。　　These　have　been　chosen　for　them　by　the　originators　of　the　different　lines　of　railway。　　And　there　is　nothing　in　Europe　in　any　way　like　to　these　Western　railway　settlements。　　In　the　first　place；　the　line　of　the　rails　runs　through　the　main　street　of　the　town；　and　forms　not　unfrequently　the　only　road。　　At　Seymour　I　could　find　no　way　of　getting　away　from　the　rails　unless　I　went　into　the　fields。　　At　Crestline；　which　is　a　larger　place；　I　did　find　a　street　in　which　there　was　no　railroad；　but　it　was　deserted；　and　manifestly　out　of　favor　with　the　inhabitants。　　As　there　were　railway　junctions　at　both　these　posts；　there　were；　of　course；　cross…streets；　and　the　houses　extended　themselves　from　the　center　thus　made　along　the　lines；　houses　being　added　to　houses　at　short　intervals　as　new…corners　settled　themselves　down。　　The　panting；　and　groaning；　and　whistling　of　engines　is　continual；　for　at　such　places　freight　trains　are　always　kept　waiting　for　passenger　trains；　and　the　slower　freight　trains　for　those　which　are　called　fast。　　This　is　the　life　of　the　town；　and　indeed　as　the　whole　place　is　dependent　on　the　railway；　so　is　the　railway　held　in　favor　and　beloved。　　The　noise　of　the　engines　is　not　disliked；　nor　are　its　puffings　and　groanings　held　to　be　unmusical。　　With　us　a　locomotive　steam…engine　is　still；　as　it　were；　a　beast　of　prey；　against　which　one　has　to　be　on　one's　guardin　respect　to　which　one　specially　warns　the　children。　　But　there；　in　the　Western　States；　it　has　been　taken　to　the　bosoms　of　them　all　as　a　domestic　animal；　no　one　fears　it；　and　the　little　children　run　about　almost　among　its　wheels。　　It　is　petted　and　made　much　of　on　all　sidesand；　as　far　as　I　know；　it　seldom　bites　or　tears。　　I　have　not　heard　of　children　being　destroyed　wholesale　in　the　streets；　or　of　drunken　men　becoming　frequent　sacrifices。　　But　had　I　been　consulted　beforehand　as　to　the　natural　effects　of　such　an　arrangement；　I　should　have　said　that　no　child　could　have　been　reared　in　such　a　town；　and　that　any　continuance　of　population　under　such　circumstances　must　have　been　impracticable。　Such　places；　however；　do　thrive　and　prosper　with　a　prosperity　especially　their　own；　and　the　boys　and　girls　increase　and　multiply　in　spite　of　all　dangers。　　With　us　in　England　it　is　difficult　to　realize　the　importance　which　is　attached　to　a　railway　in　the　States；　and　the　results　which　a　railway　creates。　　We　have　roads　everywhere；　and　our　country　had　been　cultivated　throughout　with　more　or　less　care　before　our　system　of　railways　had　been　commenced；　but　in　America；　especially　in　the　North；　the　railways　have　been　the　precursors　of　cultivation。　　They　have　been　carried　hither　and　thither；　through　primeval　forests　and　over　prairies；　with　small　hope　of　other　traffic　than　that　which　they　themselves　would　make　by　their　own　influences。　　The　people　settling　on　their　edges　have　had　the　very　best　of　all　roads　at　their　service；　but　they　have　had　no　other　roads。　　The　face　of　the　country　between　one　settlement　and　another　is　still　in　many　cases　utterly　unknown；　but　there　is　the　connecting　road　by　which　produce　is　carried　away；　and　new…comers　are　brought　in。　　The　town　that　is　distant　a　hundred　miles　by　the　rail　is　so　near　that　its　inhabitants　are　neighbors；　but　a　settlement　twenty　miles　distant　across　the　uncleared　country　is　unknown；　unvisited；　and　probably　unheard　of　by　the　women　and　children。　　Under　such　circumstances　the　railway　is　everything。　　It　is　the　first　necessity　of　life；　and　gives　the　only　hope　of　wealth。　　It　is　the　backbone　of　existence　from　whence　spring；　and　by　which　are　protected；　all　the　vital　organs　and　functions　of　the　community。　　It　is　the　right　arm　of　civilization　for　the　people；　and　the　discoverer　of　the　fertility　of　the　land。　　It　is　all　in　all　to　those　people；　and　to　those　regions。　It　has　supplied　the　wants　of　frontier　life　with　all　the　substantial　comfort　of　the　cities；　and　carried　education；　progress；　and　social　habits　into　the　wilderness。　　To　the　eye　of　the　stranger　such　places　as　Seymour　and　Crestline　are　desolate　and　dreary。　　There　is　nothing　of　beauty　in　themgiven　either　by　nature　or　by　art。　　The　railway　itself　is　ugly；　and　its　numerous　sidings　and　branches　form　a　mass　of　iron　road　which　is　bewildering；　and；　according　to　my　ideas；　in　itself　disagreeable。　　The　wooden　houses　open　down　upon　the　line；　and　have　no　gardens　to　relieve　them。　　A　foreigner；　when　first　surveying　such　a　spot；　will　certainly　record　within　himself　a　verdict　against　it；　but　in　doing　so　he　probably　commits　the　error　of　judging　it　by　a　wrong　standard。　　He　should　compare　it　with　the　new　settlements　which　men　have　opened　up　in　spots　where　no　railway　has　assisted　them；　and　not　with　old　towns　in　which　wealth　has　long　been　congregated。　　The　traveler　may　see　what　is　the　place　with　the　railway；　then　let　him　consider　how　it　might　have　thriven　without　the　railway。　I　confess　that　I　became　tired　of　my　sojourn　at　both　the　places　I　have　named。　　At　each　I　think　that　I　saw　every　house　in　the　place；　although　my　visit　to　Seymour　was　made　in　the　night；　and　at　both　I　was　lamentably　at　a　loss　for　something　to　do。　　At　Crestline　I　was　all　alone；　and　began　to　feel　that　the　hours　which　I　knew　must　pass　before　the　missing　train　could　come　would　never　make　away　with　themselves。　　There　were　many　others　stationed　there　as　I　was；　but　to　them　had　been　given　a　capability　for　loafing　which　niggardly　Nature　has　denied　to　me。　　An　American　has　the　power　of　seating　himself　in　the　close　vicinity　of　a　hot　stove　and　feeding　in　silence　on　his　own　thoughts　by　the　hour　together。　　It　may　be　that　he　will　smoke；　but　after　awhile　his　cigar　will　come　to　an　end。　　He　sits　on；　however；　certainly　patient；　and　apparently　contented。　　It　may　be　that　he　chews；　but　if　so；　he　does　it　with　motionless　jaws；　and　so　slow　a　mastication　of　the　pabulum　upon　which　he　feeds；　that　his　employment　in　this　respect　only　disturbs　the　absolute　quiet　of　the　circle　when；　at　certain　long；　distant　intervals；　he　deposits　the　secretion　of　his　tobacco　in　an　ornamental　utensil　which　may　probably　be　placed　in　the　farthest　corner　of　the　h