north america-2-第42章

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　River　at　this　spot　is　as　picturesque　a　stream　as　I　ever　remember　to　have　seen　in　such　a　country。　　It　lies　low　down　between　high　banks；　and　curves　hither　and　thither；　never　keeping　a　straight　line。　　Its　banks　are　wooded；　but　not；　as　is　so　common　in　America；　by　continuous；　stunted；　uninteresting　forest；　but　by　large　single　trees　standing　on　small　patches　of　meadow　by　the　water　side；　with　the　high　banks　rising　over　them；　with　glades　through　them　open　for　the　horseman。　　The　rides　here　in　summer　must　be　very　lovely。　　Even　in　winter　they　were　so；　and　made　me　in　love　with　the　place　in　spite　of　that　brown；　dull；　barren　aspect　which　the　presence　of　an　army　always　creates。　　I　have　said　that　the　railway　bridge　which　crossed　the　Green　River　at　this　spot　had　been　destroyed　by　the　secessionists。　　This　had　been　done　effectually　as　regarded　the　passage　of　trains；　but　only　in　part　as　regarded　the　absolute　fabric　of　the　bridge。　　It　had　been；　and　still　was　when　I　saw　it；　a　beautifully　light　construction；　made　of　iron　and　supported　over　a　valley；　rather　than　over　a　river；　on　tall　stone　piers。　　One　of　these　piers　had　been　blown　up；　but　when　we　were　there；　the　bridge　had　been　repaired　with　beams　and　wooden　shafts。　　This　had　just　been　completed；　and　an　engine　had　passed　over　it。　　I　must　confess　that　it　looked　to　me　most　perilously　insecure；　but　the　eye　uneducated　in　such　mysteries　is　a　bad　judge　of　engineering　work。　　I　passed　with　a　horse　backward　and　forward　on　it；　and　it　did　not　tumble　down　then；　but　I　confess　that　on　the　first　attempt　I　was　glad　enough　to　lead　the　horse　by　the　bridle。　That　bridge　was　certainly　a　beautiful　fabric；　and　built　in　a　most　lovely　spot。　　Immediately　under　it　there　was　also　a　pontoon　bridge。　The　tents　of　General　McCook's　division　were　immediately　at　the　northern　end　of　it；　and　the　whole　place　was　alive　with　soldiers；　nailing　down　planks；　pulling　up　temporary　rails　at　each　side；　carrying　over　straw　for　the　horses；　and　preparing　for　the　general　advance　of　the　troops。　　It　was　a　glorious　day。　　There　had　been　heavy　frost　at　night；　but　the　air　was　dry；　and　the　sun　though　cold　was　bright。　　I　do　not　know　when　I　saw　a　prettier　picture。　　It　would　perhaps　have　been　nothing　without　the　loveliness　of　the　river　scenery；　but　the　winding　of　the　stream　at　the　spot；　the　sharp　wooded　hills　on　each　side；　the　forest　openings；　and　the　busy；　eager；　strange　life　together　filled　the　place　with　no　common　interest。　　The　officers　of　the　army　at　the　spot　spoke　with　bitterest　condemnation　of　the　vandalism　of　their　enemy　in　destroying　the　bridge。　　The　justice　of　the　indignation　I　ventured　very　strongly　to　question。　〃Surely　you　would　have　destroyed　their　bridge？〃　I　said。　　〃But　they　are　rebels；〃　was　the　answer。　　It　has　been　so　throughout　the　contest；　and　the　same　argument　has　been　held　by　soldiers　and　by　non…soldiers　by　women　and　by　men。　　〃Grant　that　they　are　rebels；〃　I　have　answered。　　〃But　when　rebels　fight　they　cannot　be　expected　to　be　more　scrupulous　in　their　mode　of　doing　so　than　their　enemies　who　are　not　rebels。〃　　The　whole　population　of　the　North　has　from　the　beginning　of　this　war　considered　themselves　entitled　to　all　the　privileges　of　belligerents；　but　have　called　their　enemies　Goths　and　Vandals　for　even　claiming　those　privileges　for　themselves。　　The　same　feeling　was　at　the　bottom　of　their　animosity　against　England。　　Because　the　South　was　in　rebellion；　England　should　have　consented　to　allow　the　North　to　assume　all　the　rights　of　a　belligerent；　and　should　have　denied　all　those　rights　to　the　South！　　Nobody　has　seemed　to　understand　that　any　privilege　which　a　belligerent　can　claim　must　depend　on　the　very　fact　of　his　being　in　encounter　with　some　other　party　having　the　same　privilege。　　Our　press　has　animadverted　very　strongly　on　the　States　government　for　the　apparent　untruthfulness　of　their　arguments　on　this　matter；　but　I　profess　that　I　believe　that　Mr。　Seward　and　his　colleaguesand　not　they　only　but　the　whole　nationhave　so　thoroughly　deceived　themselves　on　this　subject；　have　so　talked　and　speechified　themselves　into　a　misunderstanding　of　the　matter；　that　they　have　taught　themselves　to　think　that　the　men　of　the　South　could　be　entitled　to　no　consideration　from　any　quarter。　　To　have　rebelled　against　the　stars　and　stripes　seems　to　a　Northern　man　to　be　a　crime　putting　the　criminal　altogether　out　of　all　courtsa　crime　which　should　have　armed　the　hands　of　all　men　against　him；　as　the　hands　of　all　men　are　armed　at　a　dog　that　is　mad；　or　a　tiger　that　has　escaped　from　its　keeper。　　It　is　singular　that　such　a　people；　a　people　that　has　founded　itself　on　rebellion；　should　have　such　a　horror　of　rebellion；　but；　as　far　as　my　observation　may　have　enabled　me　to　read　their　feelings　rightly；　I　do　believe　that　it　has　been　as　sincere　as　it　is　irrational。　We　were　out　riding　early　on　the　morning　of　the　second　day　of　our　sojourn　in　the　camp；　and　met　the　division　of　General　Mitchell；　a　detachment　of　General　Buell's　army；　which　had　been　in　camp　between　the　Green　River　and　Louisville；　going　forward　to　the　bridge　which　was　then　being　prepared　for　their　passage。　　This　division　consisted　of　about　12；000　men；　and　the　road　was　crowded　throughout　the　whole　day　with　them　and　their　wagons。　　We　first　passed　a　regiment　of　cavalry；　which　appeared　to　be　endless。　　Their　cavalry　regiments　are；　in　general；　more　numerous　than　those　of　the　infantry；　and　on　this　occasion　we　saw；　I　believe；　about　1200　men　pass　by　us。　　Their　horses　were　strong　and　serviceable；　and　the　men　were　stout　and　in　good　health；　but　the　general　appearance　of　everything　about　them　was　rough　and　dirty。　　The　American　cavalry　have　always　looked　to　me　like　brigands。　　A　party　of　them　would；　I　think；　make　a　better　picture　than　an　equal　number　of　our　dragoons；　but　if　they　are　to　be　regarded　in　any　other　view　than　that　of　the　picturesque；　it　does　not　seem　to　me　that　they　have　been　got　up　successfully。　　On　this　occasion　they　were　forming　themselves　into　a　picture　for　my　behoof；　and　as　the　picture　was；　as　a　picture；　very　good；　I　at　least　have　no　reason　to　complain。　We　were　taken　to　see　one　German　regiment；　a　regiment　of　which　all　the　privates　were　German　and　all　the　officers　save　oneI　think　the　surgeon。　　We　saw　the　men　in　their　tents；　and　the　food　which　they　eat；　and　were　disposed　to　think　that　hitherto　things　were　going　well　with　them。　　In　the　evening　the　colonel　and　lieutenant…colonel；　both　of　whom　had　been　in　the　Prussian　service；　if　I　remember　rightly；　came　up　to　the　general's　quarters；　and　we　spent　the　evening　together　in　smoking　cigars　and　discussing　slavery　round　the　stove。　　I　shall　never　forget　that　night；　or　the　vehement　abolition　enthusiasm　of　the　two　German　colonels。　　Our　host　had　told　us　that　he　was　a　slaveowner；　and　as　our　wants　were　supplied　by　two　sable　ministers；　I　concluded　that　he　had　brought　with　him　a　portion　of　his　domestic　institution。　Under　such　circumstances　I　myself　should　have　avoided　such　a　subject；　having　been　taught　to　believe　that　Southern　gentlemen　did　not　generally　take　delight　in　open　discussions　on　the　subject。　　But　had　we　been　arguing　the　question　of　the　population　of　the　planet　Jupiter；　or　the　final　possibility　of　the　transmutation　of　metals；　the　matter　could　not　have　been　handled　with　less　personal　feeling。　T