north america-2-第46部分

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ton　Common　was　dear　to　my　eyes。　　Even　the　State　House；　with　its　great　yellow…　painted　dome；　became　sightly；　and　the　sunset　over　the　western　waters　that　encompass　the　city　beats　all　other　sunsets　that　I　have　seen。　During　my　last　week　there　the　world　of　Boston　was　moving　itself　on　sleighs。　　There　was　not　a　wheel　to　be　seen　in　the　town。　　The　omnibuses　and　public　carriages　had　been　dismounted　from　their　axles　and　put　themselves　upon　snow…runners；　and　the　private　world　had　taken　out　its　winter　carriages；　and　wrapped　itself　up　in　buffalo　robes。　　Men　now　spoke　of　the　coming　thaw　as　of　a　misfortune　which　must　come；　but　which　a　kind　Providence　might　perhaps　postponeas　we　all；　in　short；　speak　of　death。　　In　the　morning　the　snow　would　have　been　hardened　by　the　night's　frost；　and　men　would　look　happy　and　contented。　　By　an　hour　after　noon　the　streets　would　be　all　wet　and　the　ground　would　be　slushy；　and　men　would　look　gloomy　and　speak　of　speedy　dissolution。　　There　were　those　who　would　always　prophesy　that　the　next　day　would　see　the　snow　converted　into　one　dull；　dingy　river。　　Such　I　regarded　as　seers　of　tribulation；　and　endeavored　with　all　my　mind　to　disbelieve　their　interpretations　of　the　signs。　　That　sleighing　was　excellent　fun。　　For　myself　I　must　own　that　I　hardly　saw　the　best　of　it　at　Boston；　for　the　coming　of　the　end　was　already　at　hand　when　I　arrived　there；　and　the　fresh　beauty　of　the　hard　snow　was　gone。　　Moreover；　when　I　essayed　to　show　my　prowess　with　a　pair　of　horses　on　the　established　course　for　such　equipage；　the　beasts　ran　away；　knowing　that　I　was　not　practiced　in　the　use　of　snow　chariots；　and　brought　me　to　grief　and　shame。　　There　was　a　lady　with　me　in　the　sleigh；　whom；　for　awhile；　I　felt　that　I　was　doomed　to　consign　to　a　snowy　gravewhom　I　would　willingly　have　overturned　into　a　drift　of　snow；　so　as　to　avoid　worse　consequences；　had　I　only　known　how　to　do　so。　　But　Providence；　even　though　without　curbs　and　assisted　only　by　simple　snaffles；　did　at　last　prevail；　and　I　brought　the　sleigh　horses；　and　lady　alive　back　to　Boston；　whether　with　or　without　permanent　injury　I　have　never　yet　ascertained。　At　last　the　day　of　tribulation　came；　and　the　snow　was　picked　up　and　carted　out　of　Boston。　　Gangs　of　men；　standing　shoulder　to　shoulder；　were　at　work　along　the　chief　streets；　picking；　shoveling；　and　disposing　of　the　dirty　blocks。　　Even　then　the　snow　seemed　to　be　nearly　a　foot　thick；　but　it　was　dirty；　rough；　half　melted　in　some　places；　though　hard　as　stone　in　others。　　The　labor　and　cost　of　cleansing　the　city　in　this　way　must　be　very　great。　　The　people　were　at　it　as　I　left；　and　I　felt　that　the　day　of　tribulation　had　in　truth　come。　Farewell　to　thee；　thou　Western　Athens！　　When　I　have　forgotten　thee；　my　right　hand　shall　have　forgotten　its　cunning；　and　my　heart　forgotten　its　pulses。　　Let　us　look　at　the　list　of　names　with　which　Boston　has　honored　itself　in　our　days；　and　then　ask　what　other　town　of　the　same　size　has　done　more。　　Prescott；　Bancroft；　Motley；　Longfellow；　Lowell；　Emerson；　Dana；　Agassiz；　Holmes；　Hawthorne！　　Who　is　there　among　us　in　England　who　has　not　been　the　better　for　these　men？　　Who　does　not　owe　to　some　of　them　a　debt　of　gratitude？　　In　whose　ears　is　not　their　names　familiar？　　It　is　a　bright　galaxy；　and　far　extended；　for　so　small　a　city。　　What　city　has　done　better　than　this？　　All　these　men；　save　one；　are　now　alive　and　in　the　full　possession　of　their　powers。　　What　other　town　of　the　same　size　has　done　as　well　in　the　same　short　space　of　time？　　It　may　be　that　this　is　the　Augustan　era　of　Bostonits　Elizabethan　time。　　If　so；　I　am　thankful　that　my　steps　have　wandered　thither　at　such　a　period。　While　I　was　at　Boston　I　had　the　sad　privilege　of　attending　the　funeral　of　President　Felton；　the　head　of　Harvard　College。　　A　few　months　before　I　had　seen　him　a　strong　man；　apparently　in　perfect　health　and　in　the　pride　of　life。　　When　I　reached　Boston　I　heard　of　his　death。　　He　also　was　an　accomplished　scholar；　and　as　a　Grecian　has　left　few　behind　him　who　were　his　equals。　　At　his　installation　as　president；　four　ex…presidents　of　Harvard　College　assisted。　　Whether　they　were　all　present　at　his　funeral　I　do　not　know；　but　I　do　know　that　they　were　all　still　living。　　These　are　Mr。　Quincy；　who　is　now　over　ninety；　Mr。　Sparks；　Mr。　Everett；　the　well…known　orator；　and　Mr。　Walker。　　They　all　reside　in　Boston　or　its　neighborhood；　and　will　probably　all　assist　at　the　installation　of　another　president。

CHAPTER　IX。　THE　CONSTITUTION　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES。

It　is；　I　presume；　universally　known　that　the　citizens　of　the　Western　American　colonies　of　Great　Britain　which　revolted；　declared　themselves　to　be　free　from　British　dominion　by　an　act　which　they　called　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　　This　was　done　on　the　4th　of　July；　1776；　and　was　signed　by　delegates　from　the　thirteen　colonies；　or　States　as　they　then　called　themselves。　　These　delegates　in　this　document　declare　themselves　to　be　the　representatives　of　the　United　States　of　America　in　general　Congress　assembled。　　The　opening　and　close　of　this　declaration　have　in　them　much　that　is　grand　and　striking；　the　greater　part　of　it；　however；　is　given　up　to　enumerating；　in　paragraph　after　paragraph；　the　sins　committed　by　George　III。　against　the　colonies。　　Poor　George　III。！　　There　is　no　one　now　to　say　a　good　word　for　him；　but　of　all　those　who　have　spoken　ill　of　him；　this　declaration　is　the　loudest　in　its　censure。　In　the　following　year；　on　the　15th　of　November；　1777；　were　drawn　up　the　Articles　of　Confederation　between　the　States；　by　which　it　was　then　intended　that　a　sufficient　bond　and　compact　should　be　made　for　their　future　joint　existence　and　preservation。　　A　reference　to　this　document　will　show　how　slight　was　the　then　intended　bond　of　union　between　the　States。　　The　second　article　declares　that　each　State　retains　its　sovereignty；　freedom；　and　independence。　　The　third　article　avows　that　〃the　said　States　hereby　severally　enter　into　a　firm　league　of　friendship　with　each　other　for　their　common　defense；　the　security　of　their　liberties；　and　their　mutual　and　general　welfare；　binding　themselves　to　assist　each　other　against　all　force　offered　to；　or　attacks　made　upon；　them；　or　any　of　them；　on　account　of　religion；　sovereignty；　trade；　or　any　other　pretext　whatever。〃　And　the　third　article；　〃the　better　to　secure　and　perpetuate　mutual　friendship；〃　declares　that　the　free　citizens　of　one　State　shall　be　free　citizens　of　another。　　From　this　it　is；　I　think；　manifest　that　no　idea　of　one　united　nation　had　at　that　time　been　received　and　adopted　by　the　citizens　of　the　States。　　The　articles　then　go　on　to　define　the　way　in　which　Congress　shall　assemble　and　what　shall　be　its　powers。　　This　Congress　was　to　exercise　the　authority　of　a　national　government　rather　than　perform　the　work　of　a　national　parliament。　　It　was　intended　to　be　executive　rather　than　legislative。　　It　was　to　consist　of　delegates；　the　very　number　of　which　within　certain　limits　was　to　be　left　to　the　option　of　the　individual　States；　and　to　this　Congress　was　to　be　confided　certain　duties　and　privileges；　which　could　not　be　performed　or　exercised　separately　by　the　governments　of　the　individual　States。　　One　special　article；　the　eleventh；　enjoins　that　〃Canada；　acceding　to　the　Confederation；　and　joining　in　the　measures　of　the　United　States；　shall　be　admitted　into　and　entitled　to　all　the　advantages　of　this　Union；　but　no　other　colony　shall　be　admitted　into　the　same　unless　such　admission　be　agreed　to　by　nine　States。〃　　I　mention　this　to　show　how　strong　was　the　expectation　at　that　time　that　Canada　also　would　revolt　from　England。　　Up　to　this　day　few　Americans　can　understand　why　Canada　has　declined　to　join　her　lot　to　them。　But　the　compact　between　the　different　States　made　by　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　and　the　mode　of　national　procedure　therein　enjoined；　were　found　to　be　inefficient　for　the　wants　of　a　people　who　to　be　great　must　be　united　in　fact　as　well　as　in　name。　　The　theory　of　the　most　democratic　among　the　Americans　of　that　day　was　in　favor　of　self…government　carried　to　an　extreme。　　Self…government　was　the　Utopia　which　they　had　determined　to　realize；　and　they　were　unwilling　to　diminish　the　reality　of　the　self…government　of　the　individual　States　by　any　centralization　of　power　in　one　head；　or　in　one　parliament；　or　in　one　set　of　ministers　for　the　nation。　　For　ten　years；　from　1777　to　1787；　the　attempt　was　made；　but　then　it　was　found　that　a　stronger　bond　of　nationality　was　indispensable；　if　any　national　greatness　was　to　be　regarded　as　desirable。　　Indeed；　all　manner　of　failure　had　attended　the　mode　of　national　action　ordained　by　the　Articles　of　Confederation。　　I　am　not　attempting　to　write　a　history　of　the　United　States；　and　will　not　therefore　trouble　my　readers　with　historic　details；　which　are　not　of　value　unless　put　forward　with　historic　weight。　　The　fact　of　the　failure　is　however　admitted；　and　the　present　written　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　which　is　the　splendid　result　of　that　failure；　was　〃Done　in　Convention　by　the　unanimous　consent　of　the　States　present。〃*　　Twelve　States　were　presentRhode　Island　apparently　having　had　no　representative　on　the　occasionon　the　17th　of　September；　1787；　and　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　Independence　of　the　United　States。

*　It　must　not；　however；　be　supposed　that　by　this　〃doing　in　convention；〃