north america-1-第7章

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ommon　are　very　pleasant。　Excellent　houses　there　are；　and　large　churches；　and　enormous　hotels；　but　of　such　things　as　these　a　man　can　write　nothing　that　is　worth　the　reading。　　The　traveler　who　desires　to　tell　his　experience　of　North　America　must　write　of　people　rather　than　of　things。　As　I　have　said；　I　found　myself　instantly　involved　in　discussions　on　American　politics　and　the　bearing　of　England　upon　those　politics。　〃What　do　you　think；　you　in　Englandwhat　do　you　believe　will　be　the　upshot　of　this　war？〃　　That　was　the　question　always　asked　in　those　or　other　words。　　〃Secession；　certainly；〃　I　always　said；　but　not　speaking　quite　with　that　abruptness。　　〃And　you　believe；　then；　that　the　South　will　beat　the　North？〃　　I　explained　that　I　personally　had　never　so　thought；　and　that　I　did　not　believe　that　to　be　the　general　idea。　　Men's　opinions　in　England；　however；　were　too　divided　to　enable　me　to　say　that　there　was　any　prevailing　conviction　on　the　matter。　　My　own　impression　was；　and　is；　that　the　North　will；　in　a　military　point　of　view；　have　the　best　of　the　contestwill　beat　the　South；　but　that　the　Northerners　will　not　prevent　secession；　let　their　success　be　what　it　may。　　Should　the　North　prevail　after　a　two　years'　conflict；　the　North　will　not　admit　the　South　to　an　equal　participation　of　good　things　with　themselves；　even　though　each　separate　rebellious　State　should　return　suppliant；　like　a　prodigal　son；　kneeling　on　the　floor　of　Congress；　each　with　a　separate　rope　of　humiliation　round　its　neck。　　Such　was　my　idea　as　expressed　then；　and　I　do　not　know　that　I　have　since　had　much　cause　to　change　it。　〃We　will　never　give　it　up；〃　one　gentleman　said　to　meand；　indeed；　many　have　said　the　same〃till　the　whole　territory　is　again　united　from　the　Bay　to　the　Gulf。　　It　is　impossible　that　we　should　allow　of　two　nationalities　within　those　limits。〃　　〃And　do　you　think　it　possible；〃　I　asked；　〃that　you　should　receive　back　into　your　bosom　this　people　which　you　now　hate　with　so　deep　a　hatred；　and　receive　them　again　into　your　arms　as　brothers　on　equal　terms？　　Is　it　in　accordance　with　experience　that　a　conquered　people　should　be　so　treated；　and　that；　too；　a　people　whose　every　habit　of　life　is　at　variance　with　the　habits　of　their　presumed　conquerors？　　When　you　have　flogged　them　into　a　return　of　fraternal　affection；　are　they　to　keep　their　slaves　or　are　they　to　abolish　them？〃　　〃No；〃　said　my　friend；　〃it　may　not　be　practicable　to　put　those　rebellious　States　at　once　on　an　equality　with　ourselves。　　For　a　time　they　will　probably　be　treated　as　the　Territories　are　now　treated。〃　　（The　Territories　are　vast　outlying　districts　belonging　to　the　Union；　but　not　as　yet　endowed　with　State　governments　or　a　participation　in　the　United　States　Congress。）　　〃For　a　time　they　must；　perhaps；　lose　their　full　privileges；　but　the　Union　will　be　anxious　to　readmit　them　at　the　earliest　possible　period。〃　　〃And　as　to　the　slaves？〃　I　asked　again。　　〃Let　them　emigrate　to　Liberiaback　to　their　own　country。〃　　I　could　not　say　that　I　thought　much　of　the　solution　of　the　difficulty。　　It　would；　I　suggested；　overtask　even　the　energy　of　America　to　send　out　an　emigration　of　four　million　souls；　to　provide　for　their　wants　in　a　new　and　uncultivated　country；　and　to　provide；　after　that；　for　the　terrible　gap　made　in　the　labor　market　of　the　Southern　States。　　〃The　Israelites　went　back　from　bondage；〃　said　my　friend。　　But　a　way　was　opened　for　them　by　a　miracle　across　the　sea；　and　food　was　sent　to　them　from　heaven；　and　they　had　among　them　a　Moses　for　a　leader；　and　a　Joshua　to　fight　their　battles。　　I　could　not　but　express　my　fear　that　the　days　of　such　immigrations　were　over。　　This　plan　of　sending　back　the　negroes　to　Africa　did　not　reach　me　only　from　one　or　from　two　mouths；　and　it　was　suggested　by　men　whose　opinions　respecting　their　country　have　weight　at　home　and　are　entitled　to　weight　abroad。　　I　mention　this　merely　to　show　how　insurmountable　would　be　the　difficulty　of　preventing　secession；　let　which　side　win　that　may。　〃We　will　never　abandon　the　right　to　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。〃　That；　in　all　such　arguments；　is　a　strong　point　with　men　of　the　Northern　Statesperhaps　the　point　to　which　they　all　return　with　the　greatest　firmness。　　It　is　that　on　which　Mr。　Everett　insists　in　the　last　paragraph　of　the　oration　which　he　made　in　New　York　on　the　4th　of　July；　1861。　　〃The　Missouri　and　the　Mississippi　Rivers；〃　he　says；　〃with　their　hundred　tributaries；　give　to　the　great　central　basin　of　our　continent　its　character　and　destiny。　　The　outlet　of　this　system　lies　between　the　States　of　Tennessee　and　Missouri；　of　Mississippi　and　Arkansas；　and　through　the　State　of　Louisiana。　　The　ancient　province　so　called；　the　proudest　monument　of　the　mighty　monarch　whose　name　it　bears；　passed　from　the　jurisdiction　of　France　to　that　of　Spain　in　1763。　　Spain　coveted　itnot　that　she　might　fill　it　with　prosperous　colonies　and　rising　States；　but　that　it　might　stretch　as　a　broad　waste　barrier；　infested　with　warlike　tribes；　between　the　Anglo…American　power　and　the　silver　mines　of　Mexico。　　With　the　independence　of　the　United　States　the　fear　of　a　still　more　dangerous　neighbor　grew　upon　Spain；　and；　in　the　insane　expectation　of　checking　the　progress　of　the　Union　westward；　she　threatened；　and　at　times　attempted；　to　close　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　on　the　rapidly…increasing　trade　of　the　West。　　The　bare　suggestion　of　such　a　policy　roused　the　population　upon　the　banks　of　the　Ohio；　then　inconsiderable；　as　one　man。　　Their　confidence　in　Washington　scarcely　restrained　them　from　rushing　to　the　seizure　of　New　Orleans；　when　the　treaty　of　San　Lorenzo　El　Real；　in　1795；　stipulated　for　them　a　precarious　right　of　navigating　the　noble　river　to　the　sea；　with　a　right　of　deposit　at　New　Orleans。　　This　subject　was　for　years　the　turning…point　of　the　politics　of　the　West；　and　it　was　perfectly　well　understood　that；　sooner　or　later；　she　would　be　content　with　nothing　less　than　the　sovereign　control　of　the　mighty　stream　from　its　head…spring　to　its　outlet　in　the　Gulf。　　AND　THAT　IS　AS　TRUE　NOW　AS　IT　WAS　THEN。〃　This　is　well　put。　　It　describes　with　force　the　desires；　ambition；　and　necessities　of　a　great　nation；　and　it　tells　with　historical　truth　the　story　of　the　success　of　that　nation。　　It　was　a　great　thing　done　when　the　purchase　of　the　whole　of　Louisiana　was　completed　by　the　United　Statesthat　cession　by　France；　however；　having　been　made　at　the　instance　of　Napoleon；　and　not　in　consequence　of　any　demand　made　by　the　States。　　The　district　then　called　Louisiana　included　the　present　State　of　that　name　and　the　States　of　Missouri　and　Arkansasincluded　also　the　right　to　possess；　if　not　the　absolute　possession　of　all　that　enormous　expanse　of　country　running　from　thence　back　to　the　Pacific：　a　huge　amount　of　territory；　of　which　the　most　fertile　portion　is　watered　by　the　Mississippi　and　its　vast　tributaries。　　That　river　and　those　tributaries　are　navigable　through　the　whole　center　of　the　American　continent　up　to　Wisconsin　and　Minnesota。　　To　the　United　States　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　was；　we　may　say；　indispensable；　and　to　the　States；　when　no　longer　united；　the　navigation　will　be　equally　indispensable。　　But　the　days　are　gone　when　any　country　such　as　Spain　was　can　interfere　to　stop　the　highways　of　the　world　with　the　all　bu