north america-2-第49章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ylvania　Avenue；　immediately　in　front　of　the　War　Office；　was　a　thing　not　to　be　attempted　in　those　days。　　Mr。　Cameron；　it　is　true；　had　gone；　and　Mr。　Stanton　was　installed；　but　the　labor　of　cleansing　the　interior　of　that　establishment　had　hitherto　allowed　no　time　for　a　glance　at　the　exterior　dirt；　and　Mr。　Stanton　should；　perhaps；　be　held　as　excused。　　That　the　Navy　Office　should　be　buried　in　mud；　and　quite　debarred　from　approach；　was　to　be　expected。　　The　space　immediately　in　front　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　own　residence　was　still　kept　fairly　clean；　and　I　am　happy　to　be　able　to　give　testimony　to　this　effect。　　Long　may　it　remain　so。　　I　could　not；　however；　but　think　that　an　energetic　and　careful　President　would　have　seen　to　the　removal　of　the　dirt　from　his　own　immediate　neighborhood。　　It　was　something　that　his　own　shoes　should　remain　unpolluted；　but　the　foul　mud　always　clinging　to　the　boots　and　leggings　of　those　by　whom　he　was　daily　surrounded　must；　I　should　think；　have　been　offensive　to　him。　　The　entrance　to　the　Treasury　was　difficult　to　achieve　by　those　who　had　not　learned　by　practice　the　ways　of　the　place；　but　I　must　confess　that　a　tolerably　clear　passage　was　maintained　on　that　side　which　led　immediately　down　to　the　halls　of　Congress。　　Up　at　the　Capitol　the　mud　was　again　triumphant　in　the　front　of　the　building；　this　however　was　not　of　great　importance；　as　the　legislative　chambers　of　the　States　are　always　reached　by　the　back　doors。　　I；　on　this　occasion；　attempted　to　leave　the　building　by　the　grand　entrance；　but　I　soon　became　entangled　among　rivers　of　mud　and　mazes　of　shifting　sand。　With　difficulty　I　recovered　my　steps；　and　finding　my　way　back　to　the　building　was　forced　to　content　myself　by　an　exit　among　the　crowd　of　Senators　and　Representatives　who　were　thronging　down　the　back　stairs。　Of　dirt　of　all　kinds　it　behoves　Washington　and　those　concerned　in　Washington　to　make　themselves　free。　　It　is　the　Augean　stables　through　which　some　American　Hercules　must　turn　a　purifying　river　before　the　American　people　can　justly　boast　either　of　their　capital　or　of　their　government。　　As　to　the　material　mud；　enough　has　been　said。　　The　presence　of　the　army　perhaps　caused　it；　and　the　excessive　quantity　of　rain　which　had　fallen　may　also　be　taken　as　a　fair　plea。　But　what　excuse　shall　we　find　for　that　other　dirt？　　It　also　had　been　caused　by　the　presence　of　the　army；　and　by　that　long…continued　down…　pouring　of　contracts　which　had　fallen　like　Danae's　golden　shower　into　the　laps　of　those　who　understood　how　to　avail　themselves　of　such　heavenly　waters。　　The　leaders　of　the　rebellion　are　hated　in　the　North。　　The　names　of　Jefferson　Davis；　of　Cobb；　Toombs；　and　Floyd　are　mentioned　with　execration　by　the　very　children。　　This　has　sprung　from　a　true　and　noble　feeling；　from　a　patriotic　love　of　national　greatness　and　a　hatred　of　those　who；　for　small　party　purposes；　have　been　willing　to　lessen　the　name　of　the　United　States。　　I　have　reverenced　the　feeling　even　when　I　have　not　shared　it。　　But；　in　addition　to　this；　the　names　of　those　also　should　be　execrated　who　have　robbed　their　country　when　pretending　to　serve　it；　who　have　taken　its　wages　in　the　days　of　its　great　struggle；　and　at　the　same　time　have　filched　from　its　coffers；　who　have　undertaken　the　task　of　steering　the　ship　through　the　storm　in　order　that　their　hands　might　be　deep　in　the　meal…tub　and　the　bread…basket；　and　that　they　might　stuff　their　own　sacks　with　the　ship's　provisions。　　These　are　the　men　who　must　be　loathed　by　the　nationwhose　fate　must　be　held　up　as　a　warning　to　others　before　good　can　come！　　Northern　men　and　women　talk　of　hanging　Davis　and　his　accomplices。　　I　myself　trust　that　there　will　be　no　hanging　when　the　war　is　over。　　I　believe　there　will　be　none；　for　the　Americans　are　not　a　blood…thirsty　people。　　But　if　punishment　of　any　kind　be　meted　out；　the　men　of　the　North　should　understand　that　they　have　worse　offenders　among　them　than　Davis　and　Floyd。　At　the　period　of　which　I　am　now　speaking；　there　had　come　a　change　over　the　spirit　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　cabinet。　　Mr。　Seward　was　still　his　Secretary　of　State；　but　he　was；　as　far　as　outside　observers　could　judge；　no　longer　his　Prime　Minister。　　In　the　early　days　of　the　war；　and　up　to　the　departure　of　Mr。　Cameron　from　out　of　the　cabinet；　Mr。　Seward　had　been　the　Minister　of　the　nation。　　In　his　dispatches　he　talks　ever　of　We　or　of　I。　　In　every　word　of　his　official　writings；　of　which　a　large　volume　has　been　published；　he　shows　plainly　that　he　intends　to　be　considered　as　the　man　of　the　dayas　the　hero　who　is　to　bring　the　States　through　their　difficulties。　　Mr。　Lincoln　may　be　king；　but　Mr。　Seward　is　mayor　of　the　palace；　and　carries　the　king　in　his　pocket。　　From　the　depth　of　his　own　wisdom　he　undertakes　to　teach　his　ministers　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　not　only　their　duties；　but　their　proper　aspiration。　　He　is　equally　kind　to　foreign　statesmen；　and　sends　to　them　messages　as　though　from　an　altitude　which　no　European　politician　had　ever　reached。　　At　home　he　has　affected　the　Prime　Minister　in　everything；　dropping　the　We　and　using　the　I　in　a　manner　that　has　hardly　made　up　by　its　audacity　for　its　deficiency　in　discretion。　　It　is　of　course　known　everywhere　that　he　had　run　Mr。　Lincoln　very　hard　for　the　position　of　Republican　candidate　for　the　Presidency。　　Mr。　Lincoln　beat　him；　and　Mr。　Seward　is　well　aware　that　in　the　states　a　man　has　never　a　second　chance　for　the　presidential　chair。　　Hence　has　arisen　his　ambition　to　make　for　himself　a　new　place　in　the　annals　of　American　politics。　　Hitherto　there　has　been　no　Prime　Minister　known　in　the　government　of　the　United　States。　　Mr。　Seward　has　attempted　a　revolution　in　that　matter；　and　has　essayed　to　fill　the　situation。　　For　awhile　it　almost　seemed　that　he　was　successful。　　He　interfered　with　the　army；　and　his　interferences　were　endured。　　He　took　upon　himself　the　business　of　the　police；　and　arrested　men　at　his　own　will　and　pleasure。　　The　habeas　corpus　was　in　his　hand；　and　his　name　was　current　through　the　States　as　a　covering　authority　for　every　outrage　on　the　old　laws。　　Sufficient　craft；　or　perhaps　cleverness；　he　possessed　to　organize　a　position　which　should　give　him　a　power　greater　than　the　power　of　the　President；　but　he　had　not　the　genius　which　would　enable　him　to　hold　it。　　He　made　foolish　prophecies　about　the　war；　and　talked　of　the　triumphs　which　he　would　win。　　He　wrote　state…papers　on　matters　which　he　did　not　understand；　and　gave　himself　the　airs　of　diplomatic　learning　while　he　showed　himself　to　be　sadly　ignorant　of　the　very　rudiments　of　diplomacy。　　He　tried　to　joke　as　Lord　Palmerston　jokes；　and　nobody　liked　his　joking。　He　was　greedy　after　the　little　appanages　of　power；　taking　from　others　who　loved　them　as　well　as　he　did　privileges　with　which　he　might　have　dispensed。　　And　then；　lastly；　he　was　successful　in　nothing。　　He　had　given　himself　out　as　the　commander　of　the　commander…in…chief；　but　then　under　his　command　nothing　got　itself　done。　　For　a　month　or　two　some　men　had　really　believed　in　Mr。　Seward。　　The　policemen　of　the　country　had　come　to　have　an　absolute　trust　in　him；　and　the　underlings　of　the　public　offices　were　beginning　to　think　that　he　might　be　a　great　man。　　But　then；　as　is　ever　the　case　with　such　men；　there　came　suddenly　a　downfall。　　Mr。　Cameron　went　from　the　cabinet；　and　everybody　knew　that　Mr。　Seward　would　be　no　longer　commander　of　the　commander…in…chief。　　His　prime　ministership　was　gone　from　him；　and　he　sank　down　into　the　comparatively　humble　position　of　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs。　　His　lettres　de　cachet　no　longer　ran。　　His　passport　system　was　repealed。　His　prisoners　were　released。　　And　though　it　is　too　much　to　say　that　writs　of　habeas　corpus　were　no　longer　suspended；　the　effect　and　very　meaning　of　the　suspension　were　at　once　altered。　　When　I　first　left　Washington；　Mr。　Seward　was　the　only　minister　of　the　cabinet　whose　name　was　ever　mentioned　with　reference　to　any　great　political　measure。　　When　I　returned　to　Washington；　Mr。　Stanton　was　Mr。　Lincoln's　leading　minister；　and；　as　Secretary　of　War；　had　practically　the　management　of　the　army　and　of　the　internal　police。　I　have　spoken　here　of　Mr。　Seward　by　name；　and　in　my　preceding　paragraphs　I　have　alluded　with　some　asperity　to　the　dishonesty　of　certain　men　who　had　obtained　political　power　under　Mr。　Lincoln