north america-2-第28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！


riends　into　that　cry；　is；　I　fear；　still　possible。　　Kentucky；　at　any　rate；　did　not　secede　in　bulk。　　She　still　sent　her　Senators　to　Congress。　　and　allowed　herself　to　be　reckoned　among　the　stars　in　the　American　firmament。　　But　she　could　not　escape　the　presence　of　the　war。　　Did　she　remain　loyal；　or　did　she　secede；　that　was　equally　her　fate。　The　day　before　I　entered　Kentucky　a　battle　was　fought　in　that　State；　which　gave　to　the　Northern　arms　their　first　actual　victory。　　It　was　at　a　place　called　Mill　Spring；　near　Somerset；　toward　the　south　of　the　State。　　General　Zollicoffer；　with　a　Confederate　army　numbering；　it　was　supposed；　some　eight　thousand　men；　had　advanced　upon　a　smaller　Federal　force；　commanded　by　General　Thomas；　and　had　been　himself　killed；　while　his　army　was　cut　to　pieces　and　dispersed；　the　cannon　of　the　Confederates　were　taken；　and　their　camp　seized　and　destroyed。　　Their　rout　was　complete；　but　in　this　instance　again　the　advancing　party　had　been　beaten；　as　had；　I　believe；　been　the　case　in　all　the　actions　hitherto　fought　throughout　the　war。　　Here；　however；　had　been　an　actual　victory；　and；　it　was　not　surprising　that　in　Kentucky　loyal　men　should　rejoice　greatly；　and　begin　to　hope　that　the　Confederates　would　be　beaten　out　of　the　State。　　Unfortunately；　however；　General　Zollicoffer's　army　had　only　been　an　offshoot　from　the　main　rebel　army　in　Kentucky。　　Buell；　commanding　the　Federal　troops　at　Louisville；　and　Sydney　Johnston；　the　Confederate　general；　at　Bowling　Green；　as　yet　remained　opposite　to　each　other；　and　the　work　was　still　to　be　done。　I　visited　the　little　towns　of　Lexington　and　Frankfort；　in　Kentucky。　At　the　former　I　found　in　the　hotel　to　which　I　went　seventy…five　teamsters　belonging　to　the　army。　　They　were　hanging　about　the　great　hall　when　I　entered；　and　clustering　round　the　stove　in　the　middle　of　the　chamber；　a　dirty；　rough；　quaint　set　of　men；　clothed　in　a　wonderful　variety　of　garbs；　but　not　disorderly　or　loud。　　The　landlord　apologized　for　their　presence；　alleging　that　other　accommodation　could　not　be　found　for　them　in　the　town。　　He　received；　he　said；　a　dollar　a　day　for　feeding　them；　and　for　supplying　them　with　a　place　in　which　they　could　lie　down。　　It　did　not　pay　him；　but　what　could　he　do？　　Such　an　apology　from　an　American　landlord　was　in　itself　a　surprising　fact。　　Such　high　functionaries　are；　as　a　rule；　men　inclined　to　tell　a　traveler　that　if　he　does　not　like　the　guests　among　whom　he　finds　himself；　he　may　go　elsewhere。　　But　this　landlord　had　as　yet　filled　the　place　for　not　more　than　two　or　three　weeks；　and　was　unused　to　the　dignity　of　his　position。　　While　I　was　at　supper；　the　seventy…five　teamsters　were　summoned　into　the　common　eating…room　by　a　loud　gong；　and　sat　down　to　their　meal　at　the　public　table。　　They　were　very　dirty；　I　doubt　whether　I　ever　saw　dirtier　men；　but　they　were　orderly　and　well　behaved；　and　but　for　their　extreme　dirt　might　have　passed　as　the　ordinary　occupants　of　a　well…　filled　hotel　in　the　West。　　Such　men；　in　the　States；　are　less　clumsy　with　their　knives　and　forks；　less　astray　in　an　unused　position；　more　intelligent　in　adapting　themselves　to　a　new　life　than　are　Englishmen　of　the　same　rank。　　It　is　always　the　same　story。　　With　us　there　is　no　level　of　society。　　Men　stand　on　a　long　staircase；　but　the　crowd　congregates　near　the　bottom；　and　the　lower　steps　are　very　broad。　　In　America　men　stand　upon　a　common　platform；　but　the　platform　is　raised　above　the　ground；　though　it　does　not　approach　in　height　the　top　of　our　staircase。　　If　we　take　the　average　altitude　in　the　two　countries；　we　shall　find　that　the　American　heads　are　the　more　elevated　of　the　two。　　I　conceived　rather　an　affection　for　those　dirty　teamsters；　they　answered　me　civilly　when　I　spoke　to　them；　and　sat　in　quietness；　smoking　their　pipes；　with　a　dull　and　dirty　but　orderly　demeanor。　The　country　about　Lexington　is　called　the　Blue　Grass　Region；　and　boasts　itself　as　of　peculiar　fecundity　in　the　matter　of　pasturage。　Why　the　grass　is　called　blue；　or　in　what　way　or　at　what　period　it　becomes　blue；　I　did　not　learn；　but　the　country　is　very　lovely　and　very　fertile。　　Between　Lexington　and　Frankfort　a　large　stock　farm；　extending　over　three　thousand　acres；　is　kept　by　a　gentleman　who　is　very　well　known　as　a　breeder　of　horses；　cattle；　and　sheep。　　He　has　spent　much　money　on　it；　and　is　making　for　himself　a　Kentucky　elysium。　　He　was　kind　enough　to　entertain　me　for　awhile；　and　showed　me　something　of　country　life　in　Kentucky。　　A　farm　in　that　part　of　the　State　depends；　and　must　depend；　chiefly　on　slave　labor。　　The　slaves　are　a　material　part　of　the　estate；　and　as　they　are　regarded　by　the　law　as　real　propertybeing　actually　adstricti　glebaean　inheritor　of　land　has　no　alternative　but　to　keep　them。　　A　gentleman　in　Kentucky　does　not　sell　his　slaves。　　To　do　so　is　considered　to　be　low　and　mean；　and　is　opposed　to　the　aristocratic　traditions　of　the　country。　　A　man　who　does　so　willingly；　puts　himself　beyond　the　pale　of　good　fellowship　with　his　neighbors。　　A　sale　of　slaves　is　regarded　as　a　sign　almost　of　bankruptcy。　　If　a　man　cannot　pay　his　debts；　his　creditors　can　step　in　and　sell　his　slaves；　but　he　does　not　himself　make　the　sale。　　When　a　man　owns　more　slaves　than　he　needs；　he　hires　them　out　by　the　year；　and　when　he　requires　more　than　he　owns；　he　takes　them　on　hire　by　the　year。　　Care　is　taken　in　such　hirings　not　to　remove　a　married　man　away　from　his　home。　　The　price　paid　for　a　negro's　labor　at　the　time　of　my　visit　was　about　a　hundred　dollars；　or　twenty　pounds　for　the　year；　but　this　price　was　then　extremely　low　in　consequence　of　the　war　disturbances。　　The　usual　price　had　been　about　fifty　or　sixty　per　cent。　above　this。　　The　man　who　takes　the　negro　on　hire　feeds　him；　clothes　him；　provides　him　with　a　bed；　and　supplies　him　with　medical　attendance。　　I　went　into　some　of　their　cottages　on　the　estate　which　I　visited；　and　was　not　in　the　least　surprised　to　find　them　preferable　in　size；　furniture；　and　all　material　comforts　to　the　dwellings　of　most　of　our　own　agricultural　laborers。　　Any　comparison　between　the　material　comfort　of　a　Kentucky　slave　and　an　English　ditcher　and　delver　would　be　preposterous。　　The　Kentucky　slave　never　wants　for　clothing　fitted　to　the　weather。　　He　eats　meat　twice　a　day；　and　has　three　good　meals；　he　knows　no　limit　but　his　own　appetite；　his　work　is　light；　he　has　many　varieties　of　amusement；　he　has　instant　medical　assistance　at　all　periods　of　necessity　for　himself；　his　wife；　and　his　children。　　Of　course　he　pays　no　rent；　fears　no　baker；　and　knows　no　hunger。　　I　would　not　have　it　supposed　that　I　conceive　slavery　with　all　these　comforts　to　be　equal　to　freedom　without　them；　nor　do　I　conceive　that　the　negro　can　be　made　equal　to　the　white　man。　　But　in　discussing　the　condition　of　the　negro；　it　is　necessary　that　we　should　understand　what　are　the　advantages　of　which　abolition　would　deprive　him；　and　in　what　condition　he　has　been　placed　by　the　daily　receipt　of　such　advantages。　　If　a　negro　slave　wants　new　shoes；　he　asks　for　them；　and　receives　them；　with　the　undoubting　simplicity　of　a　child。　　Such　a　state　of　things　has　its　picturesquely　patriarchal　side；　but　what　would　be　the　state　of　such　a　man　if　he　were　emancipated　to…morrow？　The　natural　beauty　of　the　place　which　I　was　visiting　was　very　gre