north america-1-第83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！


　turning　to　his　immediate　neighbors；　〃the　prayers　of　these　holy　men　whom　I　see　around　me。〃　　It　had　not　been　for　nothing　that　the　clergymen　were　detained。　Mr。　Everett　lectures　without　any　book　or　paper　before　him；　and　continues　from　first　to　last　as　though　the　words　came　from　him　on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　　It　is　known；　however；　that　it　is　his　practice　to　prepare　his　orations　with　great　care　and　commit　them　entirely　to　memory；　as　does　an　actor。　　Indeed；　he　repeats　the　same　lecture　over　and　over　again；　I　am　told；　without　the　change　of　a　word　or　of　an　action。　　I　did　not　like　Mr。　Everett's　lecture。　　I　did　not　like　what　he　said；　or　the　seeming　spirit　in　which　it　was　framed。　　But　I　am　bound　to　admit　that　his　power　of　oratory　is　very　wonderful。　　Those　among　his　countrymen　who　have　criticised　his　manner　in　my　hearing；　have　said　that　he　is　too　florid；　that　there　is　an　affectation　in　the　motion　of　his　hands；　and　that　the　intended　pathos　of　his　voice　sometimes　approaches　too　near　the　precipice　over　which　the　fall　is　so　deep　and　rapid；　and　at　the　bottom　of　which　lies　absolute　ridicule。　　Judging　for　myself；　I　did　not　find　it　so。　　My　position　for　seeing　was　not　good；　but　my　ear　was　not　offended。　　Critics　also　should　bear　in　mind　that　an　orator　does　not　speak　chiefly　to　them　or　for　their　approval。　　He　who　writes；　or　speaks；　or　sings　for　thousands；　must　write；　speak；　or　sing　as　those　thousands　would　have　him。　　That　to　a　dainty　connoisseur　will　be　false　music；　which　to　the　general　ear　shall　be　accounted　as　the　perfection　of　harmony。　　An　eloquence　altogether　suited　to　the　fastidious　and　hypercritical；　would　probably　fail　to　carry　off　the　hearts　and　interest　the　sympathies　of　the　young　and　eager。　　As　regards　manners；　tone；　and　choice　of　words　I　think　that　the　oratory　of　Mr。　Everett　places　him　very　high。　　His　skill　in　his　work　is　perfect。　　He　never　falls　back　upon　a　word。　　He　never　repeats　himself。　　His　voice　is　always　perfectly　under　command。　　As　for　hesitation　or　timidity；　the　days　for　those　failings　have　long　passed　by　with　him。　　When　he　makes　a　point；　he　makes　it　well；　and　drives　it　home　to　the　intelligence　of　every　one　before　him。　　Even　that　appeal　to　the　holy　men　around　him　sounded　wellor　would　have　done　so　had　I　not　been　present　at　that　little　arrangement　in　the　anteroom。　　On　the　audience　at　large　it　was　manifestly　effective。　But　nevertheless　the　lecture　gave　me　but　a　poor　idea　of　Mr。　Everett　as　a　politician；　though　it　made　me　regard　him　highly　as　an　orator。　It　was　impossible　not　to　perceive　that　he　was　anxious　to　utter　the　sentiments　of　the　audience　rather　than　his　own；　that　he　was　making　himself　an　echo；　a　powerful　and　harmonious　echo　of　what　he　conceived　to　be　public　opinion　in　Boston　at　that　moment；　that　he　was　neither　leading　nor　teaching　the　people　before　him；　but　allowing　himself　to　be　led　by　them；　so　that　he　might　best　play　his　present　part　for　their　delectation。　　He　was　neither　bold　nor　honest；　as　Emerson　had　been；　and　I　could　not　but　feel　that　every　tyro　of　a　politician　before　him　would　thus　recognize　his　want　of　boldness　and　of　honesty。　　As　a　statesman；　or　as　a　critic　of　statecraft；　and　of　other　statesmen；　he　is　wanting　in　backbone。　　For　many　years　Mr。　Everett　has　been　not　even　inimical　to　Southern　politics　and　Southern　courses；　nor　was　he　among　those　who；　during　the　last　eight　years　previous　to　Mr。　　Lincoln's　election；　fought　the　battle　for　Northern　principles。　　I　do　not　say　that　on　this　account　he　is　now　false　to　advocate　the　war。　　But　he　cannot　carry　men　with　him　when；　at　his　age；　he　advocates　it　by　arguments　opposed　to　the　tenor　of　his　long　political　life。　　His　abuse　of　the　South　and　of　Southern　ideas　was　as　virulent　as　might　be　that　of　a　young　lad　now　beginning　his　political　career；　or　of　one　who　had　through　life　advocated　abolition　principles。　　He　heaped　reproaches　on　poor　Virginia；　whose　position　as　the　chief　of　the　border　States　has　given　to　her　hardly　the　possibility　of　avoiding　a　Scylla　of　ruin　on　the　one　side；　or　a　Charybdis　of　rebellion　on　the　other。　　When　he　spoke　as　he　did　of　Virginia；　ridiculing　the　idea　of　her　sacred　soil；　even　I；　Englishman　as　I　am；　could　not　but　think　of　Washington；　of　Jefferson；　of　Randolph；　and　of　Madison。　　He　should　not　have　spoken　of　Virginia　as　he　did　speak；　for　no　man　could　have　known　better　Virginia's　difficulties。　　But　Virginia　was　at　a　discount　in　Boston；　and　Mr。　Everett　was　speaking　to　a　Boston　audience。　　And　then　he　referred　to　England　and　to　Europe。　　Mr。　Everett　has　been　minister　to　England；　and　knows　the　people。　　He　is　a　student　of　history；　and　must；　I　think；　know　that　England's　career　has　not　been　unhappy　or　unprosperous。　　But　England　also　was　at　a　discount　in　Boston；　and　Mr。　Everett　was　speaking　to　a　Boston　audience。　　They　are　sending　us　their　advice　across　the　water；　said　Mr。　Everett。　　And　what　is　their　advice　to　us？　　That　we　should　come　down　from　the　high　place　we　have　built　for　ourselves；　and　be　even　as　they　are。　　They　screech　at　us　from　the　low　depths　in　which　they　are　wallowng　in　their　misery；　and　call　on　us　to　join　them　in　their　wretchedness。　　I　am　not　quoting　Mr。　Everett's　very　words；　for　I　have　not　them　by　me；　but　I　am　not　making　them　stronger；　nor　so　strong　as　he　made　them。　　As　I　thought　of　Mr。　Everett's　reputation；　and　of　his　years　of　study；　of　his　long　political　life　and　unsurpassed　sources　of　information；　I　could　not　but　grieve　heartily　when　I　heard　such　words　fall　from　him。　　I　could　not　but　ask　myself　whether　it　were　impossible　that　under　the　present　circumstances　of　her　constitution　this　great　nation　of　America　should　produce　an　honest；　high…minded　statesman。　　When　Lincoln　and　Hamlin；　the　existing　President　and　Vice…President　of　the　States；　were　in　1860　as　yet　but　the　candidates　of　the　Republican　party；　Bell　and　Everett　also　were　the　candidates　of　the　old　Whig；　conservative　party。　Their　express　theory　was　thisthat　the　question　of　slavery　should　not　be　touched。　　Their　purpose　was　to　crush　agitation　and　restore　harmony　by　an　impartial　balance　between　the　North　and　South：　a　fine　purposethe　finest　of　all　purposes；　had　it　been　practicable。　　But　such　a　course　of　compromise　was　now　at　a　discount　in　Boston；　and　Mr。　Everett　was　speaking　to　a　Boston　audience。　　As　an　orator；　Mr。　Everett's　excellence　is；　I　think；　not　to　be　questioned；　but　as　a　politician　I　cannot　give　him　a　high　rank。　After　that　I　heard　Mr。　Wendell　Phillips。　　Of　him；　too；　as　an　orator；　all　the　world　of　Massachusetts　speaks　with　great　admiration；　and　I　have　no　doubt　so　speaks　with　justice。　　He　is；　however；　known　as　the　hottest　and　most　impassioned　advocate　of　abolition。　　Not　many　months　since　the　cause　of　abolition；　as　advocated　by　him；　was　so　unpopular　in　Boston；　that　Mr。　Phillips　was　compelled　to　address　his　audience　surrounded　by　a　guard　of　policemen。　　Of　this　gentleman　I　may　at　any　rate　say　that　he　is　consistent；　devoted；　and　disinterested。　　He　is　an　abolitionist　by　profession；　and　seeks　to　find　in　every　turn　of　the　tide　of　politics　some　stream　on　which　he　may　bring　himself　nearer　to　his　object。　　In　the　old　days；　previous　to　the　selection　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　in　days　so　old　that　they　are　now　nearly　eighteen　months　past；　Mr。　Phillips　was　an　anti…Union　man。　　He　advocated　strongly　the　disseverance　of　the　Union；　so　that