north america-1-第94章

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g　was　so　strong　as　the　necessity　of　keeping　of　Slidell　and　Mason；　when　I　suggested　that　the　English　government　would　probably　require　their　surrender；　I　was　talked　down　and　ridiculed。　　〃Never　thatcome　what　may。〃　　Then；　within　half　an　hour；　I　would　be　told　by　a　secessionist　that　England　must　demand　reparation　if　she　meant　to　retain　any　place　among　the　great　nations　of　the　world；　but　he　also　would　declare　that　the　men　would　not　be　surrendered。　　〃She　must　make　the　demand；〃　the　secessionists　would　say；　〃and　then　there　will　be　war；　and　after　that　we　shall　see　whose　ports　will　be　blockaded！〃　　The　Southerner　has　ever　looked　to　England　for　some　breach　of　the　blockade　quite　as　strongly　as　the　North　has　looked　to　England　for　sympathy　and　aid　in　keeping　it。　The　railway　from　Philadelphia　to　Baltimore　passes　along　the　top　of　Chesapeake　Bay　and　across　the　Susquehanna　River；　at　least　the　railway　cars　do　so。　　On　one　side　of　that　river　they　are　run　on　to　a　huge　ferry…boat；　and　are　again　run　off　at　the　other　side。　　Such　an　operation　would　seem　to　be　one　of　difficulty　to　us　under　any　circumstances；　but　as　the　Susquehanna　is　a　tidal　river；　rising　and　falling　a　considerable　number　of　feet；　the　natural　impediment　in　the　way　of　such　an　enterprise　would；　I　think；　have　staggered　us。　We　should　have　built　a　bridge　costing　two　or　three　millions　sterling；　on　which　no　conceivable　amount　of　traffic　would　pay　a　fair　dividend。　　Here；　in　crossing　the　Susquehanna；　the　boat　is　so　constructed　that　its　deck　shall　be　level　with　the　line　of　the　railway　at　half　tide；　so　that　the　inclined　plane　from　the　shore　down　to　the　boat；　or　from　the　shore　up　to　the　boat；　shall　never　exceed　half　the　amount　of　the　rise　or　fall。　　One　would　suppose　that　the　most　intricate　machinery　would　have　been　necessary　for　such　an　arrangement；　but　it　was　all　rough　and　simple；　and　apparently　managed　by　two　negroes。　　We　would　employ　a　small　corps　of　engineers　to　conduct　such　an　operation；　and　men　and　women　would　be　detained　in　their　carriages　under　all　manner　of　threats　as　to　the　peril　of　life　and　limb；　but　here　everybody　was　expected　to　look　out　for　himself。　　The　cars　were　dragged　up　the　inclined　plane　by　a　hawser　attached　to　an　engine；　which　hawser；　had　the　stress　broken　it；　as　I　could　not　but　fancy　probable；　would　have　flown　back　and　cut　to　pieces　a　lot　of　us　who　were　standing　in　front　of　the　car。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　any　such　accident　would　have　caused　very　much　attention。　　Life　and　limbs　are　not　held　to　be　so　precious　here　as　they　are　in　England。　　It　may　be　a　question　whether　with　us　they　are　not　almost　too　precious。　　Regarding　railways　in　America　generally；　as　to　the　relative　safety　of　which；　when　compared　with　our　own；　we　have　not　in　England　a　high　opinion；　I　must　say　that　I　never　saw　any　accident　or　in　any　way　became　conversant　with　one。　　It　is　said　that　large　numbers　of　men　and　women　are　slaughtered　from　time　to　time　on　different　lines；　but　if　it　be　so；　the　newspapers　make　very　light　of　such　cases。　　I　myself　have　seen　no　such　slaughter；　nor　have　I　even　found　myself　in　the　vicinity　of　a　broken　bone。　　Beyond　the　Susquehanna　we　passed　over　a　creek　of　Chesapeake　Bay　on　a　long　bridge。　　The　whole　scenery　here　is　very　pretty；　and　the　view　up　the　Susquehanna　is　fine。　　This　is　the　bay　which　divides　the　State　of　Maryland　into　two　parts；　and　which　is　blessed　beyond　all　other　bays　by　the　possession　of　canvas…back　ducks。　　Nature　has　done　a　great　deal　for　the　State　of　Maryland；　but　in　nothing　more　than　in　sending　thither　these　webfooted　birds　of　Paradise。　Nature　has　done　a　great　deal　for　Maryland；　and　Fortune　also　has　done　much　for　it　in　these　latter　days　in　directing　the　war　from　its　territory。　　But　for　the　peculiar　position　of　Washington　as　the　capital；　all　that　is　now　being　done　in　Virginia　would　have　been　done　in　Maryland；　and　I　must　say　that　the　Marylanders　did　their　best　to　bring　about　such　a　result。　　Had　the　presence　of　the　war　been　regarded　by　the　men　of　Baltimore　as　an　unalloyed　benefit；　they　could　not　have　made　a　greater　struggle　to　bring　it　close　to　them。　Nevertheless　fate　has　so　far　spared　them。　As　the　position　of　Maryland　and　the　course　of　events　as　they　took　place　in　Baltimore　on　the　commencement　of　secession　had　considerable　influence　both　in　the　North　and　in　the　South；　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　how　that　State　was　affected；　and　how　the　question　was　affected　by　that　State。　　Maryland；　as　I　have　said　before；　is　a　slave　State　lying　immediately　south　of　Mason　and　Dixon's　line。　　Small　portions　both　of　Virginia　and　of　Delaware　do　run　north　of　Maryland；　but　practically　Maryland　is　the　frontier　State　of　the　slave　States。　　It　was　therefore　of　much　importance　to　know　which　way　Maryland　would　go　in　the　event　of　secession　among　the　slave　States　becoming　general；　and　of　much　also　to　ascertain　whether　it　could　secede　if　desirous　of　doing　so。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　as　a　State　it　was　desirous　of　following　Virginia；　though　there　are　many　in　Maryland　who　deny　this　very　stoutly。　　But　it　was　at　once　evident　that　if　loyalty　to　the　North　could　not　be　had　in　Maryland　of　its　own　free　will；　adherence　to　the　North　must　be　enforced　upon　Maryland。　　Otherwise　the　City　of　Washington　could　not　be　maintained　as　the　existing　capital　of　the　nation。　The　question　of　the　fidelity　of　the　State　to　the　Union　was　first　tried　by　the　arrival　at　Baltimore　of　a　certain　Commissioner　from　the　State　of　Mississippi；　who　visited　that　city　with　the　object　of　inducing　secession。　　It　must　be　understood　that　Baltimore　is　the　commercial　capital　of　Maryland；　whereas　Annapolis　is　the　seat　of　government　and　the　legislatureor　is；　in　other　terms；　the　political　capital。　　Baltimore　is　a　city　containing　230；000　inhabitants；　and　is　considered　to　have　as　strong　and　perhaps　as　violent　a　mob　as　any　city　in　the　Union。　　Of　the　above　number　30；000　are　negroes　and　2000　are　slaves。　　The　Commissioner　made　his　appeal；　telling　his　tale　of　Southern　grievances；　declaring；　among　other　things；　that　secession　was　not　intended　to　break　up　the　government　but　to　perpetuate　it；　and　asked　for　the　assistance　and　sympathy　of　Maryland。　　This　was　in　December；　1860。　　The　Commissioner　was　answered　by　Governor　Hicks；　who　was　placed　in　a　somewhat　difficult　position。　　The　existing　legislature　of　the　State　was　presumed　to　be　secessionist；　but　the　legislature　was　not　sitting；　nor　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things　would　that　legislature　have　been　called　on　to　sit　again。　　The　legislature　of　Maryland　is　elected　every　other　year；　and　in　the　ordinary　course　sits　only　once　in　the　two　years。　　That　session　had　been　held；　and　the　existing　legislature　was　therefore　exempt　from　further　workunless　specially　summoned　for　an　extraordinary　session。　　To　do　this　is　within　the　power　of　the　Governor。　　But　Governor　Hicks；　who　seems　to　have　been　mainly　anxious　to　keep　things　quiet；　and　whose　individual　politics　did　not　come　out　strongly；　was　not　inclined　to　issue　the　summons。　　〃Let　us　show　moderation　as　well　as　firmness；〃　he　said；　and　that　was　about　all　he　did　say　to　the　Commissioner　from　Mississippi。　　The　Governor　after　that　was　directly　called　on　to　convene　the　legislature；　but　this　he　refused　to　do；　alleging　that　it　would　not　be　safe　to　trust　the　discussion　of　such　a　subject　as　secession　to　〃excited　politicians；　many　of　whom；　having　nothing　to　lose　from　the　destruction　of　the　government；　may　hope　to　derive　some　gain　from　the　ruin　of　the　State！〃　　I　quote　these　words；　coming　from　the　head　of　the　executive　of　the　State　and　spoken　with　reference　to　the　legislature　of　the　State；　with　the　object　of　showing　in　what　light　the　political　leaders　of　a　State　may　be　held　in　that　very　State　to　which　they　belong。　　If　we　are　to　judge　of　these　legislators　from　the　opinion　expressed　by　Governor　Hicks；　they　could　hardly　have　been　fit　for　their　places。　　That　plan　of　governing　by　the　little　men　has　certainly　not　answered。　　It　need　hardly　be　said　that　Governor　Hicks；　having　expressed　such　an　opinion　of　his　State's　legislature；　refused　to　call　them　to　an　extraordinary　session。　On　the　18th　of　April；　1860；　Governor　Hicks　issued　a　proclamation　to　the　people　of　Maryland；　begging　them　to　be　quiet；　the　chief　object　of　which；　however；　was　that　of　promising　that　no　troops　should　be　sent　from　their　State；　unless　with　the　object