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！
matters； and demands were made upon him which could not be denied。 He
declined a Yale alumni dinner； but he could not refuse to preside at the
Lincoln Birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall； February 11th； where he
must introduce Watterson as the speaker of the evening。
〃Think of it！〃 he wrote Twichell。 〃Two old rebels functioning there： I
as president and Watterson as orator of the day！ Things have changed
somewhat in these forty years； thank God！〃
The Watterson introduction is one of the choicest of Mark Twain's
speechesa pure and perfect example of simple eloquence； worthy of the
occasion which gave it utterance； worthy in spite of its playful
paragraphs （or even because of them； for Lincoln would have loved them）；
to become the matrix of that imperishable Gettysburg phrase with which he
makes his climax。 He opened by dwelling for a moment on Colonel
Watterson as a soldier； journalist； orator； statesman； and patriot； then
he said：
It is a curious circumstance that without collusion of any kind； but
merely in obedience to a strange and pleasant and dramatic freak of
destiny； he and I； kinsmen by blood＇Colonel Watterson's forebears
had intermarried with the Lamptons。＇for we are thatand one…time
rebelsfor we were thatshould be chosen out of a million
surviving quondam rebels to come here and bare our heads in
reverence and love of that noble soul whom 40 years ago we tried
with all our hearts and all our strength to defeat and dispossess
Abraham Lincoln！ Is the Rebellion ended and forgotten？ Are the
Blue and the Gray one to…day？ By authority of this sign we may
answer yes； there was a Rebellionthat incident is closed。
I was born and reared in a slave State； my father was a slaveowner；
and in the Civil War I was a second lieutenant in the Confederate
service。 For a while。 This second cousin of mine； Colonel
Watterson； the orator of this present occasion； was born and reared
in a slave State； was a colonel in the Confederate service； and
rendered me such assistance as he could in my self…appointed great
task of annihilating the Federal armies and breaking up the Union。
I laid my plans with wisdom and foresight； and if Colonel Watterson
had obeyed my orders I should have succeeded in my giant
undertaking。 It was my intention to drive General Grant into the
Pacificif I could get transportationand I told Colonel Watterson
to surround the Eastern armies and wait till I came。 But he was
insubordinate； and stood upon a punctilio of military etiquette； he
refused to take orders from a second lieutenantand the Union was
saved。 This is the first time that this secret has been revealed。
Until now no one outside the family has known the facts。 But there
they stand： Watterson saved the Union。 Yet to this day that man
gets no pension。 Those were great days； splendid days。 What an
uprising it was！ For the hearts of the whole nation； North and
South； were in the war。 We of the South were not ashamed； for； like
the men of the North； we were fighting for 'flags we loved； and when
men fight for these things； and under these convictions； with
nothing sordid to tarnish their cause； that cause is holy； the blood
spilt for it is sacred； the life that is laid down for it is
consecrated。 To…day we no longer regret the result； to…day we are
glad it came out as it did； but we are not ashamed that we did our
endeavor； we did our bravest best； against despairing odds； for the
cause which was precious to us and which our consciences approved；
and we are proudand you are proudthe kindred blood in your veins
answers when I say ityou are proud of the record we made in those
mighty collisions in the fields。
What an uprising it was！ We did not have to supplicate for soldiers
on either side。 〃We are coming； Father Abraham； three hundred
thousand strong！〃 That was the music North and South。 The very
choicest young blood and brawn and brain rose up from Maine to the
Gulf and flocked to the standardsjust as men always do when in
their eyes their cause is great and fine and their hearts are in it；
just as men flocked to the Crusades； sacrificing all they possessed
to the cause； and entering cheerfully upon hardships which we cannot
even imagine in this age； and upon toilsome and wasting journeys
which in our time would be the equivalent of circumnavigating the
globe five times over。
North and South we put our hearts into that colossal struggle； and
out of it came the blessed fulfilment of the prophecy of the
immortal Gettysburg speech which said： 〃We here highly resolve that
these dead shall not have died in vain； that this nation； under God；
shall have a new birth of freedom； and that a government of the
people； by the people； for the people； shall not perish from the
earth。〃
We are here to honor the birthday of the greatest citizen； and the
noblest and the best； after Washington； that this land or any other
has yet produced。 The old wounds are healed； you and we are
brothers again； you testify it by honoring two of us； once soldiers
of the Lost Cause； and foes of your great and good leaderwith the
privilege of assisting here； and we testify it by laying our honest
homage at the feet of Abraham Lincoln； and in forgetting that you of
the North and we of the South were ever enemies； and remembering
only that we are now indistinguishably fused together and nameable
by one common great nameAmericans！
CCXIV
MARK TWAIN AND THE MISSIONARIES
Mark Twain had really begun his crusade for reform soon after his arrival
in America in a practical hand…to…hand manner。 His housekeeper； Katie
Leary； one night employed a cabman to drive her from the Grand Central
Station to the house at 14 West Tenth Street。 No contract had been made
as to price； and when she arrived there the cabman's extortionate charge
was refused。 He persisted in it； and she sent into the house for her
employer。 Of all men； Mark Twain was the last one to countenance an
extortion。 He reasoned with the man kindly enough at first； when the
driver at last became abusive Clemens demanded his number； which was at
first refused。 In the end he paid the legal fare； and in the morning
entered a formal complaint； something altogether unexpected； for the
American public is accustomed to suffering almost any sort of imposition
to avoid trouble and publicity。
In some notes which Clemens had made in London four years earlier he
wrote：
If you call a policeman to settle the dispute you can depend on one
thinghe will decide it against you every time。 And so will the
New York policeman。 In London if you carry your case into court the
man that is entitled to win it will win it。 In New Yorkbut no one
carries a cab case into court there。 It is my impression that it is
now more than thirty years sin