north america-2-第23章

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　and　proved。　　This　gentleman　employed　his　wife's　brother…in…law　to　buy　ships；　and　the　agent　so　employed　pocketed　about　20；000l。　by　the　transaction　in　six　months。　　The　excuse　made　was　that　this　profit　was　in　accordance　with　the　usual　practice　of　the　ship…dealing　trade；　and　that　it　was　paid　by　the　owners　who　sold；　and　not　by　the　government　which　bought。　　But　in　so　vast　an　agency　the　ordinary　rate　of　profit　on　such　business　became　an　enormous　sum；　and　the　gentleman　who　made　the　plea　must　surely　have　understood　that　that　20；000l。　was　in　fact　paid　by　the　government。　　It　is　the　purchaser；　and　not　the　seller；　who　in　fact　pays　all　such　fees。　　The　question　is　this：　Should　the　government　have　paid　so　vast　a　sum　for　one　man's　work　for　six　months？　　And　if　so；　was　it　well　that　that　sum　should　go　into　the　pocket　of　a　near　relative　of　the　minister　whose　special　business　it　was　to　protect　the　government？　American　private　soldiers　are　not　pleasant　fellow…travelers。　　They　are　loud　and　noisy；　and　swear　quite　as　much　as　the　army　could　possibly　have　sworn　in　Flanders。　　They　are；　moreover；　very　dirty；　and　each　man；　with　his　long；　thick　great…coat；　takes　up　more　space　than　is　intended　to　be　allotted　to　him。　　Of　course　I　felt　that　if　I　chose　to　travel　in　a　country　while　it　had　such　a　piece　of　business　on　its　hands；　I　could　not　expect　that　everything　should　be　found　in　exact　order。　　The　matter　for　wonder；　perhaps；　was　that　the　ordinary　affairs　of　life　were　so　little　disarranged；　and　that　any　traveling　at　all　was　practicable。　　Nevertheless；　the　fact　remains　that　American　private　soldiers　are　not　agreeable　fellow…travelers。　It　was　my　present　intention　to　go　due　west　across　the　country　into　Missouri；　skirting；　as　it　were；　the　line　of　the　war　which　had　now　extended　itself　from　the　Atlantic　across　into　Kansas。　　There　were　at　this　time　three　main　armiesthat　of　the　Potomac；　as　the　army　of　Virginia　was　called；　of　which　McClellan　held　the　command；　that　of　Kentucky；　under　General　Buell；　who　was　stationed　at　Louisville　on　the　Ohio；　and　the　army　on　the　Mississippi；　which　had　been　under　Fremont；　and　of　which　General　Halleck　now　held　the　command。　　To　these　were　opposed　the　three　rebel　armies　of　Beauregard；　in　Virginia；　of　Johnston；　on　the　borders　of　Kentucky　and　Tennessee；　and　of　Price；　in　Missouri。　　There　was　also　a　fourth　army　in　Kansas；　west　of　Missouri；　under　General　Hunter；　and　while　I　was　in　Washington　another　general；　supposed　by　some　to　be　the　〃coming　man；〃　was　sent　down　to　Kansas　to　participate　in　General　Hunter's　command。　　This　was　General　Jim　Lane；　who　resigned　a　seat　in　the　Senate　in　order　that　he　might　undertake　this　military　duty。　　When　he　reached　Kansas；　having　on　his　route　made　sundry　violent　abolition　speeches；　and　proclaimed　his　intention　of　sweeping　slavery　out　of　the　Southwestern　States；　he　came　to　loggerheads　with　his　superior　officer　respecting　their　relative　positions。　On　my　arrival　at　Baltimore；　I　found　the　place　knee…deep　in　mud　and　slush　and　half…melted　snow。　　It　was　then　raining　hard；raining　dirt；　not　water；　as　it　sometimes　does。　　Worse　weather　for　soldiers　out　in　tents　could　not　be　imaginednor　for　men　who　were　not　soldiers；　but　who；　nevertheless；　were　compelled　to　leave　their　houses。　　I　only　remained　at　Baltimore　one　day；　and　then　started　again；　leaving　there　the　greater　part　of　my　baggage。　　I　had　a　vague　hopea　hope　which　I　hardly　hoped　to　realizethat　I　might　be　able　to　get　through　to　the　South。　　At　any　rate　I　made　myself　ready　for　the　chance　by　making　my　traveling　impediments　as　light　as　possible；　and　started　from　Baltimore；　prepared　to　endure　all　the　discomfort　which　lightness　of　baggage　entails。　　My　route　lay　over　the　Alleghenies；　by　Pittsburg　and　Cincinnati；　and　my　first　stopping　place　was　at　Harrisburg；　the　political　capital　of　Pennsylvania。　There　is　nothing　special　at　Harrisburg　to　arrest　any　traveler；　but　the　local　legislature　of　the　State　was　then　sitting；　and　I　was　desirous　of　seeing　the　Senate　and　Representatives　of　at　any　rate　one　State；　during　its　period　of　vitality。　In　Pennsylvania　the　General　Assembly；　as　the　joint　legislature　is　called；　sits　every　year；　commencing　their　work　early　in　January；　and　continuing　till　it　be　finished。　　The　usual　period　of　sitting　seems　to　be　about　ten　weeks。　　In　the　majority　of　States；　the　legislature　only　sits　every　other　year。　　In　this　State　it　sits　every　year；　and　the　Representatives　are　elected　annually。　　The　Senators　are　elected　for　three　years；　a　third　of　the　body　being　chosen　each　year。　　The　two　chambers　were　ugly；　convenient　rooms；　arranged　very　much　after　the　fashion　of　the　halls　of　Congress　at　Washington。　　Each　member　had　his　own　desk　and　his　own　chair。　　They　were　placed　in　the　shape　of　a　horseshoe；　facing　the　chairman；　before　whom　sat　three　clerks。　　In　neither　house　did　I　hear　any　set　speech。　　The　voices　of　the　Speaker　and　of　the　Clerks　of　the　Houses　were　heard　more　frequently　than　those　of　the　members；　and　the　business　seemed　to　be　done　in　a　dull；　serviceable；　methodical　manner；　likely　to　be　useful　to　the　country；　and　very　uninteresting　to　the　gentlemen　engaged。　　Indeed　at　Washington　also；　in　Congress；　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　was　much　less　of　set　speeches　than　in　our　House　of　Commons。　　With　us　there　are　certain　men　whom　it　seems　impossible　to　put　down；　and　by　whom　the　time　of　Parliament　is　occupied　from　night　to　night；　with　advantage　to　no　one　and　with　satisfaction　to　none　but　themselves。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　evil　prevails　to　the　same　extent　in　America；　either　in　Congress　or　in　the　State　legislatures。　　As　regards　Washington；　this　good　result　may　be　assisted　by　a　salutary　practice　which；　as　I　was　assured；　prevails　there。　　A　member　gets　his　speech　printed　at　the　government　cost；　and　sends　it　down　free　by　post　to　his　constituents；　without　troubling　either　the　House　with　hearing　it　or　himself　with　speaking　it。　　I　cannot　but　think　that　the　practice　might　be　copied　with　success　on　our　side　of　the　water。　The　appearance　of　the　members　of　the　legislature　of　Pennsylvania　did　not　impress　me　very　favorably。　　I　do　not　know　why　we　should　wish　a　legislator　to　be　neat　in　his　dress；　and　comely；　in　some　degree；　in　his　personal　appearance。　　There　is　no　good　reason；　perhaps；　why　they　should　have　cleaner　shirts　than　their　outside　brethren；　or　have　been　more　particular　in　the　use　of　soap　and　water；　and　brush　and　comb。　But　I　have　an　idea　that　if　ever　our　own　Parliament　becomes　dirty；　it　will　lose　its　prestige；　and　I　cannot　but　think　that　the　Parliament　of　Pennsylvania　would　gain　an　accession　of　dignity　by　some　slightly　increased　devotion　to　the　Graces。　　I　saw　in　the　two　Houses　but　one　gentleman　（a　Senator）　who　looked　like　a　Quaker；　but　even　he　was　a　very　untidy　Quaker。　I　paid　my　respects　to　the　Governor；　and　found　him　briskly　employed　in　arranging　the　appointments　of　officers。　　All　the　regimental　appointments　to　the　volunteer　regimentsand　that　is　practically　to　the　whole　body　of　the　army*are　made　by　the　State　in　which　the　regiments　are　mustered。　　When　the　affair　commenced；　the　captains　and　lieutenants　were　chosen　by　the　men；　but　it　was　found　that　this　would　not　do。　　When　the　skeleton　of　a　State　militia　only　was　required；　such　an　arrangement　was　popular　and　not　essentially　injurious；　but　now　that　war　had