north america-2-第28章

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is　voice　full　of　reproaches。　　Who　has　not　known　that　hour　of　misery　when　in　the　sullenness　of　the　heart　all　help　has　been　refused；　and　misfortune　has　been　made　welcome　to　do　her　worst？　　So　is　it　now　with　those　once　United　States。　　The　man　who　can　see　without　inward　tears　the　self…inflicted　wounds　of　that　American　people　can　hardly　have　within　his　bosom　the　tenderness　of　an　Englishman's　heart。　But　the　strong　runner　will　rise　again　to　his　feet；　even　though　he　be　stunned　by　his　fall。　　He　will　rise　again；　and　will　have　learned　something　by　his　sorrow。　　His　anger　will　pass　away；　and　he　will　again　brace　himself　for　his　work。　　What　great　race　has　ever　been　won　by　any　man；　or　by　any　nation；　without　some　such　fall　during　its　course？　　Have　we　not　all　declared　that　some　check　to　that　career　was　necessary？　　Men　in　their　pursuit　of　intelligence　had　forgotten　to　be　honest；　in　struggling　for　greatness　they　had　discarded　purity。　　The　nation　has　been　great；　but　the　statesmen　of　the　nation　have　been　little。　　Men　have　hardly　been　ambitious　to　govern；　but　they　have　coveted　the　wages　of　governors。　　Corruption　has　crept　into　high　placesinto　places　that　should　have　been　hightill　of　all　holes　and　corners　in　the　land　they　have　become　the　lowest。　　No　public　man　has　been　trusted　for　ordinary　honesty。　　It　is　not　by　foreign　voices；　by　English　newspapers　or　in　French　pamphlets；　that　the　corruption　of　American　politicians　has　been　exposed；　but　by　American　voices　and　by　the　American　press。　　It　is　to　be　heard　on　every　side。　　Ministers　of　the　cabinet；　senators；　representatives；　State　legislatures；　officers　of　the　army；　officials　of　the　navy；　contractors　of　every　gradeall　who　are　presumed　to　touch；　or　to　have　the　power　of　touching　public　money；　are　thus　accused。　　For　years　it　has　been　so。　　The　word　politician　has　stunk　in　men's　nostrils。　　When　I　first　visited　New　York；　some　three　years　since；　I　was　warned　not　to　know　a　man；　because　he　was　a　〃politician。〃　　We　in　England　define　a　man　of　a　certain　class　as　a　blackleg。　　How　has　it　come　about　that　in　American　ears　the　word　politician　has　come　to　bear　a　similar　signification？　The　material　growth　of　the　States　has　been　so　quick　that　the　political　growth　has　not　been　able　to　keep　pace　with　it。　　In　commerce；　in　education；　in　all　municipal　arrangements；　in　mechanical　skill；　and　also　in　professional　ability　the　country　has　stalked　on　with　amazing　rapidity；　but　in　the　art　of　governing；　in　all　political　management　and　detail；　it　has　made　no　advance。　　The　merchants　of　our　country　and　of　that　country　have　for　many　years　met　on　terms　of　perfect　equality；　but　it　has　never　been　so　with　their　statesmen　and　our　statesmen；　with　their　diplomatists　and　our　diplomatists。　Lombard　Street　and　Wall　Street　can　do　business　with　each　other　on　equal　footing；　but　it　is　not　so　between　Downing　Street　and　the　State　office　at　Washington。　　The　science　of　statesmanship　has　yet　to　be　learned　in　the　States；　and　certainly　the　highest　lesson　of　that　science；　which　teaches　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy。　I　trust　that　the　war　will　have　left　such　a　lesson　behind　it。　　If　it　do　so；　let　the　cost　in　money　be　what　it　may；　that　money　will　not　have　been　wasted。　　If　the　American　people　can　learn　the　necessity　of　employing　their　best　men　for　their　highest　workif　they　can　recognize　these　honest　men；　and　trust　them　when　they　are　so　recognizedthen　they　may　become　as　great　in　politics　as　they　have　become　great　in　commerce　and　in　social　institutions。　St。　Louis；　and　indeed　the　whole　State　of　Missouri；　was　at　the　time　of　my　visit　under　martial　law。　　General　Halleck　was　in　command；　holding　his　headquarters　at　St。　Louis；　and　carrying　out；　at　any　rate　as　far　as　the　city　was　concerned；　what　orders　he　chose　to　issue。　　I　am　disposed　to　think　that；　situated　as　Missouri　then　was；　martial　law　was　the　best　law。　　No　other　law　could　have　had　force　in　a　town　surrounded　by　soldiers；　and　in　which　half　of　the　inhabitants　were　loyal　to　the　existing　government　and　half　of　them　were　in　favor　of　rebellion。　　The　necessity　for　such　power　is　terrible；　and　the　power　itself　in　the　hands　of　one　man　must　be　full　of　danger；　but　even　that　is　better　than　anarchy。　　I　will　not　accuse　General　Halleck　of　abusing　his　power；　seeing　that　it　is　hard　to　determine　what　is　the　abuse　of　such　power　and　what　its　proper　use。　　When　we　were　at　St。　Louis　a　tax　was　being　gathered　of　100l。　a　head　from　certain　men　presumed　to　be　secessionists；　and；　as　the　money　was　not　of　course　very　readily　paid；　the　furniture　of　these　suspected　secessionists　was　being　sold　by　auction。　　No　doubt　such　a　measure　was　by　them　regarded　as　a　great　abuse。　　One　gentleman　informed　me　that；　in　addition　to　this；　certain　houses　of　his　had　been　taken　by　the　government　at　a　fixed　rent；　and　that　the　payment　of　the　rent　was　now　refused　unless　he　would　take　the　oath　of　allegiance。　　He　no　doubt　thought　that　an　abuse　of　power！　　But　the　worst　abuse　of　such　power　comes　not　at　first；　but　with　long　usage。　Up　to　the　time；　however；　at　which　I　was　at　St。　Louis；　martial　law　had　chiefly　been　used　in　closing　grog…shops　and　administering　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　suspected　secessionists。　　Something　also　had　been　done　in　the　way　of　raising　money　by　selling　the　property　of　convicted　secessionists；　and　while　I　was　there　eight　men　were　condemned　to　be　shot　for　destroying　railway　bridges。　　〃But　will　they　be　shot？〃　I　asked　of　one　of　the　officers。　　〃Oh；　yes。　　It　will　be　done　quietly；　and　no　one　will　know　anything　about　it；　we　shall　get　used　to　that　kind　of　thing　presently。〃　　And　the　inhabitants　of　Missouri　were　becoming　used　to　martial　law。　　It　is　surprising　how　quickly　a　people　can　reconcile　themselves　to　altered　circumstances；　when　the　change　comes　upon　them　without　the　necessity　of　any　expressed　opinion　on　their　own　part。　　Personal　freedom　has　been　considered　as　necessary　to　the　American　of　the　States　as　the　air　he　breathes。　　Had　any　suggestion　been　made　to　him　of　a　suspension　of　the　privilege　of　habeas　corpus；　of　a　censorship　of　the　press；　or　of　martial　law；　the　American　would　have　declared　his　willingness　to　die　on　the　floor　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　have　proclaimed　with　ten　million　voices　his　inability　to　live　under　circumstances　so　subversive　of　his　rights　as　a　man。　　And　he　would　have　thoroughly　believed　the　truth　of　his　own　assertions。　　Had　a　chance　been　given　of　an　argument　on　the　matter；　of　stump　speeches　and　caucus　meetings；　these　things　could　never　have　been　done。　　But　as　it　is；　Americans　are；　I　think；　rather　proud　of　the　suspension　of　the　habeas　corpus。　They　point　with　gratification　to　the　uniformly　loyal　tone　of　the　newspapers；　remarking　that　any　editor　who　should　dare　to　give　even　a　secession　squeak　would　immediately　find　himself　shut　up。　　And　now　nothing　but　good　is　spoken　of　martial　law。　　I　thought　it　a　nuisance　when　I　was　prevented　by　soldiers　from　trotting　my　horse　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue　in　Washington；　but　I　was　assured　by　Americans　that　such　restrictions　were　very　serviceable　in　a　community。　　At　St。　Louis　martial　law　was　quite　popular。　　Why　should　not　General　Halleck　be　as　well　able　to　say　what　was　good　for　the　people　as　any　law　or　any　lawyer？　　He　had　no　interest　in　the　injury　of　the　State；　but　every　interest　in　its　preservation。　　〃But　what；〃　I　asked；　〃would　be　the　effect　were　he　to　tell　you　to　put　all　your　fires　out　at　eight　o'clock？〃　　〃If　he　were　so　to　order；　we　should　do　it；　but　we　know　that　he　will　not。〃　　But　who　does　know　to　what　General　Halleck　or　other　generals　may　come；　or　how　soon　a　curfew…bell　may　be　ringing　in　American　towns？　　The　winning　of　liberty　is　long　and　tedious；　but　the　losing　it　is　a　down…hill；　easy　journey。　It　was　here；　in　St。　Louis；　that　General　Fremont　held　his　military　court。　　He　was　a　great　man　here　during　those　hundred　days　through　which　his　command　lasted。　　He　lived　in　a　great　house；　had　a　body…　guard；　was　inaccessible　as　a　great　man　should　be；　and　fared　sumptuously　every　day。　　He　fortified　the　cityor　rather；　he　began　to　do　so。　　He　constructed　barracks　here；　and　instituted　military　prisons。　　The　fortifications　have　been　discontinued　as　useless；　but　the　barracks　and　the　prisons　remain。　　In　the　latter　there　were　1200　secessionist　soldiers　who　had　been　taken　in　the　State　of　Missouri。　〃Why　are　they　not　exchanged？〃　I　asked。　　〃