north america-1-第62章

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ege　with　all　the　honors　of　a　victory；　and　will　be　conscious　of　a　triumph　over　the　superintendent　and　his　officers。〃　　〃And　is　that　common？〃　I　asked。　　〃Not　at　the　present　moment；〃　I　was　told。　　〃But　it　was　common　before　the　war。　While　Mr。　Buchanan；　and　Mr。　Pierce；　and　Mr。　Polk　were　Presidents；　no　officer　or　board　of　officers　then　at　West　Point　was　able　to　dismiss　a　lad　whose　father　was　a　Southerner；　and　who　had　friends　among　the　government。〃　Not　only　was　this　true　of　West　Point；　but　the　same　allegation　is　true　as　to　all　matters　of　patronage　throughout　the　United　States。　During　the　three　or　four　last　presidencies；　and　I　believe　back　to　the　time　of　Jackson；　there　has　been　an　organized　system　of　dishonesty　in　the　management　of　all　beneficial　places　under　the　control　of　the　government。　　I　doubt　whether　any　despotic　court　of　Europe　has　been　so　corrupt　in　the　distribution　of　placesthat　is；　in　the　selection　of　public　officersas　has　been　the　assemblage　of　statesmen　at　Washington。　　And　this　is　the　evil　which　the　country　is　now　expiating　with　its　blood　and　treasure。　　It　has　allowed　its　knaves　to　stand　in　the　high　places；　and　now　it　finds　that　knavish　works　have　brought　about　evil　results。　　But　of　this　I　shall　be　constrained　to　say　something　further　hereafter。　We　went　into　all　the　schools　of　the　college；　and　made　ourselves　fully　aware　that　the　amount　of　learning　imparted　was　far　above　our　comprehension。　　It　always　occurs　to　me；　in　looking　through　the　new　schools　of　the　present　day；　that　I　ought　to　be　thankful　to　persons　who　know　so　much　for　condescending　to　speak　to　me　at　all　in　plain　English。　　I　said　a　word　to　the　gentleman　who　was　with　me　about　horses；　seeing　a　lot　of　lads　going　to　their　riding　lesson。　　But　he　was　down　upon　me；　and　crushed　me　instantly　beneath　the　weight　of　my　own　ignorance。　　He　walked　me　up　to　the　image　of　a　horse；　which　he　took　to　pieces；　bit　by　bit；　taking　off　skin；　muscle；　flesh；　nerves；　and　bones；　till　the　animal　was　a　heap　of　atoms；　and　assured　me　that　the　anatomy　of　the　horse　throughout　was　one　of　the　necessary　studies　of　the　place。　　We　afterward　went　to　see　the　riding。　　The　horses　themselves　were　poor　enough。　　This　was　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　such　of　them　as　had　been　found　fit　for　military　service　had　been　taken　for　the　use　of　the　army。　There　is　a　gallery　in　the　college　in　which　are　hung　sketches　and　pictures　by　former　students。　　I　was　greatly　struck　with　the　merit　of　many　of　these。　　There　were　some　copies　from　well…known　works　of　art　of　very　high　excellence；　when　the　age　is　taken　into　account　of　those　by　whom　they　were　done。　　I　don't　know　how　far　the　art　of　drawing；　as　taught　generally；　and　with　no　special　tendency　to　military　instruction；　may　be　necessary　for　military　training；　but　if　it　be　necessary　I　should　imagine　that　more　is　done　in　that　direction　at　West　Point　than　at　Sandhurst。　　I　found；　however；　that　much　of　that　in　the　gallery；　which　was　good；　had　been　done　by　lads　who　had　not　obtained　their　degree；　and　who　had　shown　an　aptitude　for　drawing；　but　had　not　shown　any　aptitude　for　other　pursuits　necessary　to　their　intended　career。　And　then　we　were　taken　to　the　chapel；　and　there　saw；　displayed　as　trophies；　two　of　our　own　dear　old　English　flags。　　I　have　seen　many　a　banner　hung　up　in　token　of　past　victory；　and　many　a　flag　taken　on　the　field　of　battle　mouldering　by　degrees　into　dust　on　some　chapel's　wallbut　they　have　not　been　the　flags　of　England。　　Till　this　day　I　had　never　seen　our　own　colors　in　any　position　but　one　of　self…assertion　and　independent　power。　　From　the　tone　used　by　the　gentleman　who　showed　them　to　me；　I　could　gather　that　he　would　have　passed　them　by；　had　he　not　foreseen　that　he　could　not　do　so　without　my　notice。　　〃I　don't　know　that　we　are　right　to　put　them　there；〃　he　said。　　〃Quite　right；〃　was　my　reply；　〃as　long　as　the　world　does　such　things。〃　　In　private　life　it　is　vulgar　to　triumph　over　one's　friends；　and　malicious　to　triumph　over　one's　enemies。　　We　have　not　got　so　far　yet　in　public　life；　but　I　hope　we　are　advancing　toward　it。　　In　the　mean　time　I　did　not　begrudge　the　Americans　our　two　flags。　　If　we　keep　flags　and　cannons　taken　from　our　enemies；　and　show　them　about　as　signs　of　our　own　prowess　after　those　enemies　have　become　friends；　why　should　not　others　do　so　as　regards　us？　　It　clearly　would　not　be　well　for　the　world　that　we　should　always　beat　other　nations　and　never　be　beaten。　　I　did　not　begrudge　that　chapel　our　two　flags。　　But；　nevertheless；　the　sight　of　them　made　me　sick　in　the　stomach　and　uncomfortable。　　As　an　Englishman　I　do　not　want　to　be　ascendant　over　any　one。　　But　it　makes　me　very　ill　when　any　one　tries　to　be　ascendant　over　me。　　I　wish　we　could　send　back　with　our　compliments　all　the　trophies　that　we　hold；　carriage　paid；　and　get　back　in　return　those　two　flags；　and　any　other　flag　or　two　of　our　own　that　may　be　doing　similar　duty　about　the　world。　　I　take　it　that　the　parcel　sent　away　would　be　somewhat　more　bulky　than　that　which　would　reach　us　in　return。　The　discipline　at　West　Point　seemed；　as　I　have　said；　to　be　very　severe；　but　it　seemed　also　that　that　severity　could　not　in　all　cases　be　maintained。　　The　hours　of　study　also　were　long；　being　nearly　continuous　throughout　the　day。　　〃English　lads　of　that　age　could　not　do　it；〃　I　said；　thus　confessing　that　English　lads　must　have　in　them　less　power　of　sustained　work　than　those　of　America。　〃They　must　do　it　here；〃　said　my　informant；　〃or　else　leave　us。〃　　And　then　he　took　us　off　to　one　of　the　young　gentlemen's　quarters；　in　order　that　we　might　see　the　nature　of　their　rooms。　　We　found　the　young　gentleman　fast　asleep　on　his　bed；　and　felt　uncommonly　grieved　that　we　should　have　thus　intruded　on　him。　　As　the　hour　was　one　of　those　allocated　by　my　informant　in　the　distribution　of　the　day　to　private　study；　I　could　not　but　take　the　present　occupation　of　the　embryo　warrior　as　an　indication　that　the　amount　of　labor　required　might　be　occasionally　too　much　even　for　an　American　youth。　　〃The　heat　makes　one　so　uncommonly　drowsy；〃　said　the　young　man。　　I　was　not　the　least　surprised　at　the　exclamation。　　The　air　of　the　apartment　had　been　warmed　up　to　such　a　pitch　by　the　hot…pipe　apparatus　of　the　building　that　prolonged　life　to　me　would；　I　should　have　thought；　be　out　of　the　question　in　such　an　atmosphere。　　〃Do　you　always　have　it　as　hot　as　this？〃　I　asked。　　The　young　man　swore　that　it　was　so；　and　with　considerable　energy　expressed　his　opinion　that　all　his　health；　and　spirits；　and　vitality　were　being　baked　out　of　him。　　He　seemed　to　have　a　strong　opinion　on　the　matter；　for　which　I　respected　him；　but　it　had　never　occurred　to　him；　and　did　not　then　occur　to　him；　that　anything　could　be　done　to　moderate　that　deathly　flow　of　hot　air　which　came　up　to　him　from　the　neighboring　infernal　regions。　　He　was　pale　in　the　face；　and　all　the　lads　there　were　pale。　　American　lads　and　lasses　are　all　pale。　　Men　at　thirty　and　women　at　twenty…five　have　had　all　semblance　of　youth　baked　out　of　them。　　Infants　even　are　not　rosy；　and　the　only　shades　known　on　the　cheeks　of　children　are　those　composed　of　brown；　yellow；　and　white。　　All　this　comes　of　those　damnable　hot…air　pipes　with　which　every　tenement　in　America　is　infested。　　〃We　cannot　do　without　them；〃　they　say。　　〃Our　cold　is　so　intense　that　we　must　heat